Audio Download

Ezekiel 4:1-17  The Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

[Study Aired February 12, 2024]

Introduction

In today’s study, we are going to look at what the Lord told Ezekiel to do regarding an imminent siege of Jerusalem. In the ancient times, building a wall around a city served as the primary means of protection from an enemy. In times of war, if a city is fortified by its walls, then an enemy would surround the city wall and lay siege to it. The rationale to lay siege to a city is to starve the inhabitants of food and water which would result in the surrender of the inhabitants. Laying a siege often took months and even years, but ultimately, it was an effective way of conquering a people. 

In this study, the Lord was using Ezekiel to foretell an impending siege of Jerusalem. Sieges of ancient Israel serve as fitting allegories of how the Lord comes into our lives by causing us to surrender to Him when we are dominated by the flesh. Being dominated by the flesh serves as walls which keep the Lord from intervening in our circumstances. Although it causes a lot of suffering when we are under siege by the Lord, as we are starved of the word of the Lord which is our food and water, we end up surrendering to Christ. Let’s take a look at one of the sieges that Israel suffered and what came out of it. We should always remember that these things are written for our admonition of whom the end of our world is come. 

2Ki 6:24  Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria.
2Ki 6:25  And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.
2Ki 6:26  Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”
2Ki 6:27  And he said, “If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 
2Ki 6:28  And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 
2Ki 6:29  So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 
2Ki 6:30  When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body— 
2Ki 6:31  and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”
2Ki 6:32  Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 
2Ki 6:33  And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” (ESV)

From the siege, we can see how the people living in Samaria suffered. There was severe famine in Samaria such that a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels. One of the four sore judgments of the Lord is famine. As we are aware, famine signifies the lack of the word of the Lord.

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: 
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Eze 14:21  For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

Samaria here represents Babylon where there is lack of truth of the word of the Lord. In the absence of the word of the Lord, we seek after the wisdom of men which is here represented by the donkey’s head. In the scriptures, a donkey, or an ass in the negative sense, symbolize the Lord’s children who have gone astray. Thus, a donkey’s head represents human wisdom and that is what is taught in Babylon, which we paid so much for during our days there in Babylon, just as the donkey’s head was very expensive in Samaria during the siege.  

Hos 8:8  Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
Hos 8:9  For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers. 

Jer 2:23  How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;
Jer 2:24  A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

The second effect of the siege which is also related to famine is that dove’s dung was sold for five shekels. A dove represents the Holy Spirit. When the Holy spirit is gone (Ichabod), that is, when the presence of the spirit is gone, we cling to the tangible residue of the spirit which is the letter of the word, which kills.  This comes at a cost. For example, being trained in the letter of the word in Bible schools are expensive ventures.

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

1Sa 4:21  And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
1Sa 4:22  And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

When the glory of the Lord has departed, the church becomes a place where we become worse off as we end up spiritually putting our sons and daughters to death. This is signified by the two women who killed and ate one of their children and were disputing about having the other child also killed for food.

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

It is in this dire situation of our siege that Christ comes to call us. However, our testimony would not be accepted by our brothers and sisters in Babylon as they regard us as “leprous” because of our message. We are therefore forced to come out of the cities since we are considered leprous. In the fullness of time, the Lord will come and use us as the four lepers outside the gates of the city of Samaria to bring abundance of food to the city. The four lepers mean the whole of the elect of every generation who will be used to bring the truth of the word of the Lord to all humanity.   

2Ki 7:3  And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 
2Ki 7:4  If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. 
2Ki 7:5  And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

2Ki 7:10  So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. 

2Ki 7:16  And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

This story shows us that the Lord’s siege in our lives is for our benefit. With this in mind, let us look at what the Lord is trying to tell us about the impending siege of Jerusalem.

Eze 4:1  “And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. 
Eze 4:2  And put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. 
Eze 4:3  And you, take an iron griddle, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel. (ESV)

In these verses, the Lord told Ezekiel to demonstrate a siege against the city of Jerusalem as a sign for the house of Israel. Ezekiel was to engrave the name of Jerusalem on a brick and to prepare a siege against the brick, which represents Jerusalem. As we indicated in the introductory portion of the study, it is when we are dominated by the flesh that the Lord forces us to surrender to Him by laying siege against us. The fact that Jerusalem was going to be under siege demonstrates that they had gone astray. 

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 
Isa 1:22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 
Isa 1:23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

As we know, Jerusalem, which is and is in bondage with her children, symbolizes Babylon or the physical churches of this world. The false doctrines in Babylon which had become the idol of the hearts of its children have become a wall that bars the Lord from coming to His elect in Babylon. The Lord therefore raises a siege against us in Babylon to cause us to surrender to Him. 

Eze 14:1  Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came to me:
Eze 14:3  “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, 
Eze 14:5  that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.

In verse 3, Ezekiel was required to use an iron griddle as an iron wall between him and the city. The use of iron demonstrates to us the inflexible decision by both parties – Ezekiel and Jerusalem. In this case, Ezekiel represents Christ, and Jerusalem signifies Babylon. This means that there is no way the Lord will abandon the siege in this life, and in the same manner, our brothers and sisters in Babylon have resolved not to surrender to Him in this life. In other words, the Lord is never going to relent in His siege of Babylon and likewise, our brothers and sisters are not going to surrender to the Lord in this age!! The Lord told Ezekiel in verse 3 that this siege will be a sign for the house of Israel. In the Bible, signs on a positive note can mean the Lord’s deliverance as shown in the following verses:

Dan 6:27  He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

Jer 32:21  And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;

What this implies is that this siege by the Lord will work for the good of the people of Israel or Babylon. It is through this siege of Jerusalem that we became starved for the word of the Lord which precipitated our exit from Babylon to become saviors for our brothers and sisters in Babylon and the rest of the world.  

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

Eze 4:4  Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. 
Eze 4:5  For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 
Eze 4:6  And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year. 

As we have seen in the Bible, it is only our Lord Jesus Christ who bore our iniquity. Ezekiel represents the Lord Jesus who bore our iniquity while He was living here on earth. As He is, so are we. We are the live goat that was set free into the wilderness to bear the iniquity of the people of Israel. Our suffering here on earth therefore complements the suffering of Christ. 

Lev 16:8  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Lev 16:9  And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. 

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:

The number of days that Ezekiel was required to lie on his left side was 390 days. The number 3 means the process of spiritual maturity through judgment. The number 9 means God’s judgment. Ezekiel also symbolizes the elect. What this means is that throughout our lives here on earth, we are being judged, or going through suffering, as we fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. That is how we bear the iniquity of our brothers and sisters in Babylon and the world, just as Christ did for all humanity. From a physical perspective, the 390 days, which is equivalent to 13 months, represent the duration of the siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldean army if we take out the five months interval that the Chaldean army withdrew when they heard of the Egyptian army’s approach.  

Jer 52:4  And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. 
Jer 52:5  So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 
Jer 52:6  And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
Jer 37:5  Then Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem. 
Jer 37:6  Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 
Jer 37:7  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. 
Jer 37:8  And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.

Ezekiel is also required to lie on the right side for forty days, with a day equivalent to a year. The number forty can signify the duration of the Lord’s judgment. It can also symbolize the period of time that we are found lacking the ability to know the Lord’s ways as we persist in our evil ways. What we are being told is that the siege of the Lord in our lives is to bring us to acknowledge that of our own selves, we cannot worship the Lord, and therefore we have to surrender to Him to take control of our lives.

Gen 7:17  And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

Gen 8:6  And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

Psa 95:10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

Eze 4:7  Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it. 

Here in Verse 7, Ezekiel is told to set his face toward the siege of Jerusalem and his arm shall be uncovered. As we have indicated, Ezekiel represents Christ. Thus, setting his face toward the siege in Jerusalem describes the Lord’s unwavering determination to persevere with the siege of Babylon. It is through this siege that the Lord’s arm shall be uncovered; that is to say that as a result of the siege, the works of the Lord shall be made known. Just as the Lord prophesied against Jerusalem during His days, we are also called to do the same. That is, part of our calling entails making known to those who will hear us, the siege of Babylon (Jerusalem) which has resulted in the lack of the truth of the word of the Lord. This is one of the Lord’s words against Jerusalem while He walked here on earth. As He is, so are we. We are to make known to our brothers and sisters in Babylon of this siege when an opportunity avails itself. 

Mat 23:13  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Mat 23:38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:39  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Eze 4:8  And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.

As the Lord’s elect, we are restrained by the hand of the Lord through the Holy Spirit regarding our actions until we have achieved our purpose here on earth.

Pro 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; But he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (ASV)

2Th 2:6  And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he (the beast within) may be revealed in his own season. 
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.

The Lord sometimes even uses the devil to restrain us. For example, the Lord used the devil to restrain Paul from going to Thessalonica. 

1Th 2:17  But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
1Th 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

Eze 4:9  Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.
Eze 4:10  And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it. 
Eze 4:11  Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink. 
Eze 4:12  And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. 
Eze 4:13  And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them. 

During our time in Babylon when we were under siege, there was famine of the word of the Lord. This is symbolized by the measured amount of food, meat and water that we received. In verse 12 the barley cake was to be baked with the dung that comes out of a man, thus defiling the bread to be consumed. This implies that in Babylon, the word of the Lord is defiled with human wisdom which comes out of our bodies if we are to please the Lord. The defiled word of the Lord is the false doctrines of human wisdom and traditions. Verse 13 emphasizes the point that in Babylon, we eat defiled words of the Lord among the people of the world. 

Rev 6:5  And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 
Rev 6:6  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 

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? 
Mar 7:6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 
Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 
Mar 7:9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Mar 7:10  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 
Mar 7:11  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Mar 7:12  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 
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. 

Eze 4:14  Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.
Eze 4:15  Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow’s dung for man’s dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith. 

Until the Lord comes to us with His brightness, we always think that we have not taken in any false doctrine of man’s tradition and wisdom. Ezekiel’s comment that his soul has not been polluted as he has not eaten any abominable flesh is the same as Peter saying that he has not eaten anything that is common or unclean when the Lord came to Him in a dream. It is as the Lord begins to unveil the mysteries of the kingdom to us that we come to see that we have taken in false doctrines all along. 

Act 10:9  On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 
Act 10:10  And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
Act 10:11  And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 
Act 10:12  Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 
Act 10:13  And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 
Act 10:14  But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 

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

As a result of Ezekiel’s petition, the Lord allowed him to use cow’s dung for man’s dung. This is to tell us that the defiled word of the Lord which is eaten by our brothers and sisters in Babylon is better than the wisdom and traditions of this world without Christ.

Eze 4:16  Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment: 
Eze 4:17  That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity. 

To break the staff of bread in Jerusalem means to bring about famine of the word of the Lord in Babylon. This famine comes as a result of the siege brought about by the Lord. Whenever bread and water are weighed and measured out for consumption, then it implies that famine is biting hard. As we are aware, famine represents the lack of the truth of the word of the Lord in Babylon. In Ezekiel 14:13, we are given a reason why the Lord brings famine to His people through a siege.

Eze 14:13  Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:

It is because the people had sinned against the Lord that there was famine. The laying of siege in our lives by the Lord is an inescapable experience. This is what the Lord did to His own people of Judah, which we must live it out in our lives as His elect:

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. 
2Ki 25:6  So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.
2Ki 25:7  And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

These things are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 

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

May the Lord continue to sustain us in Him to do that which is pleasing in His sight. Amen!!

Mal 1:1-5  The burden of the Word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi

[Study Aired December 14, 2023]

A true prophet, as Malachi was, does not shun to declare the whole counsel of God’s word (Act 20:27), and if it is a true message being brought, it should be seen as “The burden of the word of the LORD” to the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), meaning this story we will read in the pages of Malachi. It typifies for God’s elect the burden the elect are to bear in this age if we have been called and chosen and are blessed to remain faithful to the end of this life bearing His word and each other’s burdens, which are understood and supported through the power of God’s holy spirit that quickens us in our service to one another through Christ (Rev 1:3, Joh 6:68-69, Pro 7:1, Joh 14:23, Joh 6:63, Joh 8:31-32).

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

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

Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Pro 7:1  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, [Rom 5:5] he will keep my words: [1Jn 5:2-3] and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

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.

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.

God’s word is a burden to our first old man in Adam but a joyful and light burden to the second Adam, Christ, our hope of glory within (Mat 11:30, Col 1:27) who gives us the ability to endure through this life (Php 4:13, Php 4:19). As we bear that necessary burden by the spirit of Christ (Gal 6:5) we can, as one body, grow together in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, bearing each other’s burden along the way through Him (Gal 6:2 , Php 2:12-13). 

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

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

As we will read in this section of the gospel of Peter (2Pe 3:1-18), it would be catastrophic for us to not do our part in bearing the burdens of others, and our own burdens (Gal 6:10), as a fitly framed building of God of which we are told we should “beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”

(That error is to stop being zealous toward God and being more concerned with zealously building bigger barns for our  own purposes, to lay up carnal store instead of laying up treasure in heaven as  one of the many joints that supplies, to the building up of the body of Christ in love Mat 25:25-27, Luk 12:18, Eph 4:16).

This section of Peter’s writings (2Pe 3:1-18) parallels very well with the opening chapter of the book of Malachi and the message that was written for God’s elect today to whom He has made known “what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” also called “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (Col 1:26-29, Joh 10:16).

So to reiterate, we’re reading this section of Peter that reminds us what the body of Christ has to look out for as we learn to bear “The burden of the Word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi”.

2Pe 3:1  This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2Pe 3:2  That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, [Jas 5:10] and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation [Gen 1:1].

[Humanity has been worshiping the creation from the beginning and not the Creator (Rom 1:25) being under the sway of Satan whose spirit has been deceiving humanity from the foundation of the world into not believing what God has promised.] 

2Pe 3:5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God [Gen 1:1] the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished [“Where is the promise of his coming?” (Luk 17:26)]: 
2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

[Still talking about that judgment which will commence with a rod-of-iron-ruling body of Christ who will flood the world with the knowledge of Christ to see that word or seed come to fruition in the lake of fire (Isa 26:9)] 

2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [still talking about judgment]
2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness [“Where is the promise of his coming?” (Luk 17:26)]; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [each man in his own order (Rom2:4, 1Co 15:22, 1Jnn2:2, 1Ti 4:10)]. 
2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up [that day is described with these verses (2Th2:5-8)]. 
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 [according to His promise (2Th 2:13-14)]. 
2Pe 3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
2Pe 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation (Rom 2:4); even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

[We fall seven times in the wilderness in order to learn that we are completely powerless over sin without Christ making war against the beast (Pro 24:16, Rev 13:4), and God will multiply us every time above our fathers of Deuteronomy 30:5 who represent our old man which we thought was blessed in the earth but ‘had even that which he had thought he had’ taken away (Mat 13:12). It seems counter-intuitive, but when our old man is decreasing through judgment, God also makes a way for us to bear that judgment and forget what is behind us as we press “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” which brings about the increase of the Lord within us (Php 3:14, Joh 3:30)]

2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

As we learn of His faithfulness to hold us up through each other, we grow in our confidence in regard to the exceedingly great and precious promises (2Pe 1:4) that tell us all our suffering in this life has been and will be accompanied by His saving grace through faith, so that at the end of the day we will truly learn that His burden is light (“the burden of the word of the Lord” Col 1:24). When we wholly dedicate ourselves to the Lord in His service, He will be faithful to fulfill (Mal 3:10) that which He tells us He will do if we are granted to “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.“

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Mat 20:12  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

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

The book of Malachi is a book that has been written to reveal the day of the Lord in those who have been called out of spiritual exile, the captivity that all flesh must go into and come out of by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Conversely, it also reveals how the true gospel message is rejected in this age, and warns the elect specifically to not be high minded by losing sight of who it is that he delivers first in this life, by becoming proud because of what we know (1Co 8:1), instead of being crushed and humbled by our circumstances (Rom 8:21-25, Mat 21:31-32).

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
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. 
Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope [Col 1:27, Rom 8:9, 1Ti 1:17, Joh 14:20]: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it [Col 1:27, Rom 8:9, 1Ti 1:17, Joh 14:20, Luk 21:19]

Malachi is the messenger of God, which is what his name means, and his message is no different than any of the other prophets who tell the people to repent and turn from sin. “The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi” is expressed in these verses of Ezekiel (Eze 33:1-29)  and parallel the seriousness of Malachi’s message to a backslidden nation whose bondage and deception is even greater than what it was when they were in physical captivity (“seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there”  Mat 12:45). That is the message for the body of Christ today, that we are not to build the temple and then rest in those works and defile the temple by not continuing on in our service to God which requires our one hundred percent devotion to Him, the bringing in of all of our life (Mar 12:30-31) represented by the tithe that goes into the temple to His glory and for His service (Mal 3:8-10). 

Mal 3:8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Mal 3:9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Mal 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

At the end of the book we are encouraged to see that God has made the bride of Christ ready, spoken of in Revelation 19:7, and typified by that remnant who came together often and spoke to one another about God and Christ, and a book of remembrance was laid up for them who were granted to do this (Mal 3:16-17). That book represents the books of the elect which God purposed to be written that way in ‘this age’ for the saving of the nations (Rev 20:12-15).

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

Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 
Mal 3:17  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 
Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

Being freed from the spiritual and physical bondage of sin is typified by the exodus by Judah from Babylonian captivity, but now years later the prophet Malachi comes on the scene to warn the nation of Judah, who typifies God’s people, that they have defiled this newly built temple of God which temple represents our bodies (1Co 3:16) and have taken for granted the deliverance God has brought them as a nation (2Pe 1:9). This is all typical language that reveals to us today how God alone can start and finish the work of faith within us through Christ (Heb 12:1-2, Luk 21:19) Who takes us from the bondage of sin, and even after we are freed and seven spirits more wicked enter (Luk 11:26), then the Lord, if we are His in this age, pours out the seven last plagues upon the body of Christ so we can ‘come out of her my people’ and escape the judgment that is going to come upon the rest of the world (Rev 15:8, Rev 3:1, Rev 18:4). In other words, the book of Malachi is a book that reveals God’s judgment in ‘the day of the Lord’ to those who are granted to have their whole life offered to God as a living sacrifice that is bound to the altar today (Mal 3:9-11, Rom 12:1-3, Psa 118:27).

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Mal 3:9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Mal 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Mal 3:11  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 
Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

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Mal 1:1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 
Mal 1:2  I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,  

These opening verses set the stage for the entire book of Malachi that is about two men, the old man of sin [Esau] and the new man in Christ, represented by [Jacob]. The burden of the LORD is speaking of the destructive fiery word of God that burns up Esau who represents our sinful nature that God destroys by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our lives so that in time we overcome the hypocrisy of our flesh and become comfortable in that fire (Isa 33:14-15). None of this could be possible unless God set his love upon us, “Jacob have I loved“, by way of shedding it abroad in our hearts so that we can be more than conquerors through Christ’s love that abounds in His body, the church (Rom 5:5-6, Rom 8:37-39, Col 1:24).

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? 
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

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

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:

Mal 1:3  And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 

God goes on to show us that His hatred toward Esau, by laying “his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness”, is a demonstration of His love toward us as we are received through His chastening and scourging grace that puts off our former conversation, typified by Esau (Heb 12:6).

This laying waste of Esau’s heritage also represents that time in Babylon where the “dragons of the wilderness” that represent the forked tongue of the devil, abounded (Rev 13:11), leaving us without any stay of bread and water to the point of perishing, had God not delivered us from that bondage of deception when we were “deceiving and being deceived” (Luk 15:17-18, 2Ti 3:13, 2Pe 2:17-19).

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water [Isa 3:1], clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Mal 1:4  Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. 
Mal 1:5  And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

God’s word progressively shows us how we journey out of Babylon and how our old man does not die with a ten-second sinner’s prayer, not even nearly. What happens after we are chastened of the Lord and we are brought to that point of seeing ourselves as prodigal sons, is that we want to build again and go back to the captivity of sin, much like the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt after they began to realize what an arduous and tribulation-laden walk this was (Act 14:22) in the wilderness of sin [sinful flesh] they were called to endure. We must endure “until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory”, a purchased possession being represented by the promised land, which typifies our then newly resurrected bodies in Christ. So we read this hope-filled statement, “Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.” This statement is reminding us that, despite ourselves, if we are sealed of God He will “throw down” our wickedness, and we will call our actions what they were, “The border of wickedness“, acknowledging our sins (Jer 3:13) that God will always be against, “The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever” (Psa 7:11, Psa 32:2).

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 

Psa 7:11  God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. 

Psa 32:2  Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

We are encouraged with scripture to realize that all of this process God is putting the body of Christ through will succeed in bringing us to a point where “…your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” This same sentiment is described at the end of the book of Malachi in this verse (Mal 3:18), and is a good point to conclude this opening study on the book of Malachi with.

Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. [within ourselves first as God’s kind of first fruits (Jas 1:18)]

Download – Old Testament Prophets Timeline (Right click to open in new tab)

Acts 21:1-9 Philip Had Four Daughters Which Did Prophesy

Paul goes up to Jerusalem for the last time

[Study Aired August 6, 2023]

Act 21:1  And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
Act 21:2  And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.
Act 21:3  Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
Act 21:4  And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
Act 21:5  And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
Act 21:6  And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
Act 21:7  And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
Act 21:8  And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
Act 21:9  And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

In our last study, Paul and his traveling companions had just left the elders of Ephesus who had met Paul in Miletus, a city south of Ephesus. He had warned them he knew that ‘after his departing grievous wolves would arise in the church of their own elders and would devour and scatter the Lord’s flock.’ He had also told them that it had been revealed to him that ‘they would see his face no more’, and they were all heartbroken at his words, and they all expressed their sadness at such a thought:

Act 20:36  And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
Act 20:37  And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
Act 20:38  Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

We have come to Acts 21 where Paul agrees to demonstrate before all that ‘he is not teaching the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and that he himself is walking orderly and keeping the law of Moses’ while teaching the Gentiles that they “observe no such thing”:

Act 21:23  Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Act 21:24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Act 21:25  As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

This was the “decree of the apostles and elders” given them by the holy ghost, which Paul and Silas shared with all the churches after the conference in Jerusalem about whether Gentiles needed to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses:

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29  That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Act 16:1  Then came he [and Silas (Acts 15:40)] to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
Act 16:2  Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Act 16:3  Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
Act 16:4  And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
Act 16:5  And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

These verses in Acts 16 above deal with the beginning of Paul’s second journey, during which he established new churches in Phillipi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth where he spent a year and a half:

Act 18:9  Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
Act 18:10  For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
Act 18:11  And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Paul had just established the church in Corinth and Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi on this second journey. It was only on this third journey that he was led by the Lord, apparently through a suggestion from some of ‘them of Macedonia and Achaia’ to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem” (Rom 15:26).

Paul knew that a gift from the Gentile Christians to the Jewish Christians in their time of need would serve to unify the entire church, which is what happens when we all love and support each other:

Eph 4:16  From whom [Christ] the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying [G3619: ‘oikodome’] of itself in love.

Here is the BT+ definition of the Greek word ‘oikodome’, G3619:

– Original: οἰκοδομή
– Transliteration: Oikodome
– Phonetic: oy-kod-om-ay’
– Definition:
(the act of) building, building up
metaph. edifying, edification
the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness
a building (i.e. the thing built, edifice)

– Origin: feminine (abstract) of a compound of G3624 and the base of G1430
– TDNT entry: 07:24,7
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine
– Strong’s: Feminine (abstraction) of a compound of G3624 and the base of G1430; architecture that is (concretely) a structure; figuratively confirmation: – building edify (-ication -ing).

Of course, the spiritual meaning of building each other up spiritually is the primary and most important meaning of the Greek word ‘oikodome’, but when we minister to each other’s physical needs we demonstrate our concern for our spiritual needs also. That was why he went up to Jerusalem at the end of his third journey with all his Gentile traveling companions with this financial gift from all the Gentile churches.

Paul Goes up to Jerusalem for the last time

Act 21:1  And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, [from the elders of Ephesus who had gathered together with the apostle Paul in Miletus] and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
Act 21:2  And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.
Act 21:3  Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

Here is a map of that leg of this third journey:

https://www.conformingtojesus.com/images/webpages/pauls_third_missionary_journey1.jpeg

Act 21:4  And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

These brothers were made to know that bonds and afflictions awaited Paul in Jerusalem. This is what he had told the Ephesian elders before leaving them back in Miletus:

Act 20:22  And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
Act 20:23  Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

Paul had been preparing and ‘boasting’ of this gift for years, and he was led by the spirit to take it up to Jerusalem with the men whom the churches had picked to go with him:

1Co 16:1  Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
1Co 16:2  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
1Co 16:3  And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
1Co 16:4  And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

2Co 9:2  For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

Act 21:5  And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
Act 21:6  And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.

This church in Tyre was in the province of Phenice. It was not one Paul had established. It would have been established by those who fled Jerusalem “upon the persecution that arose about [the stoning of] Stephen”:

Act 11:19  Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

At that time those who had fled Jerusalem preaching “the word to none but unto the Jews only.” This was without a doubt a mainly Jewish church, and yet they showed such great affection to Paul and his company that Paul spent seven days with that church in Tyre, and then the whole church accompanied him and his companions out of the city all the way to the port where they all prayed together on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea before boarding the ship to sail to another city with another Jewish congregation in Ptolemais.

Act 21:7  And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
Act 21:8  And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

If “we that were of Paul’s company” included all those who “accompanied him into Asia” then Philip had quite a large group to care for:

Act 20:4  And there accompanied him into Asia [1] Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, [2] Aristarchus and [3] Secundus; and [4] Gaius of Derbe, and [5] Timotheus; and of Asia, [6] Tychicus and [7] Trophimus.

Silas is not mentioned at this point. Paul may have sent him to minister to one of the churches. Not including Silas, but including Paul and Luke, Philip would have at least nine people in his home.

Act 21:9  And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

When we read that “[Philip] had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy” Luke is not at all telling us they were bishops and elders in the church in Caesarea. Here are a couple of links dealing with the subject of women being teachers and preachers in the church.

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/can-women-preach/

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-head-of-christ-is-god/

The last third of the second link, The Head of Christ is God, is the part which deals with the subject of women prophesying. What we are told is that “every woman [including Philip’s four daughters] who prays or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head.”

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
1Co 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
1Co 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
1Co 11:6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
1Co 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
1Co 11:8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

What is the meaning of “her head uncovered?” It means she has removed her covering, which is her glory. In other words, she has usurped the position of her head. Physically, that is a woman’s husband and spiritually, it is Christ to whom we are all, male and female, espoused as our “husband”:

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

“The head of every man is Christ, but the head of the woman is the man.” This statement is not speaking only of marriage. It has to do with the order which God has instituted in “the things that are made” which reveal the invisible things of God:

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

The reason given for why women are supposed to be “covered” when they pray or prophesy is “Because the man is not of the woman; but the woman is of the man,” meaning that what we are demonstrating in our acknowledgment of these facts is that we understand and see that the Father is not of Christ but Christ is of the Father. It is by demonstrating the physical order that we learn of invisible spiritual order.

That is why is God spends so much of chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians explaining to us the relationship Christ has with His father. These verses of scripture teach us that the relationship between the man and the woman demonstrates Christ’s relationship to His father. The reason given is so we will know how to conduct ourselves “when you come together into one place.” That point is made three times in this same chapter:

1Co 11:18 For first of all, [1] when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
1Co 11:20 [2] When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.
1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, [3] when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
1Co 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

Part of this chapter is about how we are to conduct ourselves “when we come together in one place.” In giving these behavioral instructions, we are told that a woman is not to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered. A ‘covered head’ is explained as God being the head of Christ, Christ being the head of the man and the man being the head of the woman.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
1Co 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head [Christ].
1Co 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head [her husband and thereby Christ]: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

We are not talking about a physical veil as is the custom for women to wear in Middle eastern countries even to this day. The covering is Christ being the head of the man and the man being the head of the woman; not because they are a married couple, but for this reason:

1Co 11:8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

This is all to remind us that “the head of Christ is God.” The false, unscriptural doctrine of the trinity, a doctrine of three “co-equal members of one Godhead” promotes a lack of order. It promotes a homosexual attitude which says there is no need for a single head of a household. It promotes confusion in the family, and it promotes confusion in the church. On the other hand, God wants us to be an example of His order; not just in spirit but also in “walk” in our physical bodies:

1Co 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1Co 14:34  Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:35  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1Co 14:36  What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Co 14:38  But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
1Co 14:39  Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
1Co 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order.

Do any of these verses tell us that we cannot solicit women to speak in our fellowship? Obviously not, because Paul spoke to “women not a few” in every city:

Act 16:13  And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

Act 17:4  And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Act 17:12  Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Christ never spoke a word unless He was told to do so by His Head, His covering, His Father. If I speak a word which has not been spoken in scripture, if any man cannot demonstrate that he is speaking in accord with God’s Word, that man or that woman is prophesying with his or her head “uncovered.”

What then, are the differences between the functions of men and women “in the church”? The very apostle, who under inspiration of God’s holy spirit, wrote…

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

…also wrote:

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus..

Now if “there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus,” why then does Paul say, “The head of the man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man?” If there is “neither bond nor free… in Christ” why then did Paul send Onesimus back to his owner Philemon?

The writings of Paul and Peter and the words of Christ Himself answer this dilemma. We are all “one in Christ” only “in spirit” as a “many membered body” (1Co 12). That phrase “in Christ” means we are “one in Christ” only in down payment form which will not be realized in the fullness of the inheritance until we are resurrected:

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest [Greek: arrhabōn – down payment] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [the resurrection], unto the praise of his glory.

Christ clarified this very point for the unbelieving Sadducees who asked Him this question:

Mat 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
Mat 22:24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
Mat 22:25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
Mat 22:26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
Mat 22:27 And last of all the woman died also.
Mat 22:28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
Mat 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Christ puts the resurrection yet future. John also points out that the resurrection and “our inheritance… the redemption of the purchased possession,” is yet future:

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.

“In Christ there is neither male nor female” is a spiritual fact which will not be fully realized until the resurrection. I will be the first to tell you that every word of God must be experienced inwardly before we will be in a position to rule and reign over others outwardly. Nevertheless, we must never forget there is a ‘Will Be’ component to those words, and “it does not yet appear what we shall be.” In the meantime, we are to “glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Paul warns us against those who do not see the need to wait for the resurrection when there will be “neither marrying nor giving in marriage:”

2Ti 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Yet those who point to Galatians 3:28 to justify their desire to nullify “the commandments of the Lord” concerning a woman’s place within the body of Christ, are effectively saying that the resurrection is past. They are taking the “down payment of the Spirit” as having already received the “fulness of Christ… the inheritance of the purchased possession”, and they casually dismiss all the verses which prohibit women from being ordained ministers and teachers in the church. The next logical conclusion is that since we are neither male nor female, but we are all one in Christ, therefore there is no need for husbands to be the heads of their families or the head of their wives. Since women no longer need to be quiet in church, they no longer need to “submit unto your husband as unto Christ.”

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

What does God’s Word say is the part women are to play in a church? Does ‘in Christ there is neither male nor female’ mean that women should now aspire to become a Deborah and become the judges of God’s people? Are they now to become ministers and teachers in the churches because men, who profess to be Christians, like Barak have abrogated their God- given place in His service?

It is instructive for us to notice that the admonitions given as to what is the order to be maintained in God’s church are not addressed to women. They are addressed to men:

1Co 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

1Ti 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
1Ti 2:10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
1Ti 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
1Ti 2:13 For [because] Adam was first formed, then Eve.
1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
1Ti 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

These words are all addressed to those men who ought to be the elders and leaders in the churches. “Adam was not deceived” does not mean that Adam did not also transgress. He certainly did. He just did so willingly and knowingly, rather than to be separated from his wife:

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

It is in this way, knowing the consequences of what he was doing, that Adam is a figure of Christ. While Adam was the willing channel of death to all, Christ, through partaking of that death, is also the willing channel of life to all. There is plenty of ‘transgression’ to go around for both men and women, but what we need now to understand, as it concerns ‘Philip’s four daughters who did prophesy’, is what the difference is between prophecy and teaching. Only then can we understand how Paul can say that a woman can prophesy with her head covered but she cannot teach. So, we will use this study to make clear what is the difference between prophesying and teaching.

To begin our search for the Biblical answer to this question, we are going to list all the verses in the New Testament besides this verse concerning Philp’s four daughters who prophesied, which deal with prophetesses and women prophesying. We want only to know what these women were doing.

The word ‘prophetess’ appears only twice in the New Testament. The first is in a positive sense and the second is in a negative light. Here is the first positive appearance of this word:

Luk 2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
Luk 2:37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
Luk 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna was a prophetess. What did she do in this capacity? She “served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” She also “came in that instant and gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Israel.”

To understand what “that instant” means we must read about what happened just before “that instant:”

Luk 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Luk 2:22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord;
Luk 2:23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
Luk 2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Luk 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
Luk 2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luk 2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Luk 2:28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Luk 2:29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
Luk 2:30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Luk 2:31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
Luk 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Luk 2:33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
Luk 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
Luk 2:35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

The very next verse begins relating what the prophetess Anna said concerning Christ. So, Anna heard Simeon state that this child was the Christ, and “She also “came in that instant and gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Israel.” Anna bore witness “to all them that looked for redemption in Israel” to what she had heard Simeon say.

Here is the second mention of a prophetess in the New Testament:

Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

A few other New Testament verses come immediately to mind when reading Revelation 2:20:

1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

The church at Thyatira allowed a prophetess to teach and to seduce God’s servants to commit fornication, and to eat things [false doctrines] sacrificed unto idols. The ‘food’ Jezebel was serving up was all her false doctrines. Jezebel certainly did not bother to “cover her head.” That is one thing we know characterizes the spirit of Jezebel. Jezebel had a man murdered for her husband’s sake and didn’t even bother to tell her husband what she was doing (1Kg 21:5-15).

Then why does Paul tell us a woman can prophesy if her head is ‘covered’?

1Co 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

Again, in our present study we are told:

Act 21:9 And the same man [Philip] had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

We have two scriptural witnesses in the New Testament which tell us that women can ‘prophecy.’ The first is here in Acts 21:9 and the second is 1 Corinthians 11:5. In the same epistle in which Paul tells us a woman can prophesy with her head covered, just three chapters later he also informs us that women are to “keep silent in the church” and “that the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

1Co 14:31 For ye [ye men] may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Co 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1Co 14:36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
1Co 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

“Came the word of God… unto you only?” Do you “think yourself to be spiritual?” Well, if you do, maybe you need to reread verse 37 a few times and allow those inspired words to sink into your ‘spiritual’ mind. Paul’s epistles were written under the inspiration of the holy spirit, and these admonitions are spiritual admonitions carrying with them spiritual truths. When we become so bold as to say these words which Paul, under inspiration of God’s Spirit, admonishes us to consider as “spiritual… commandments of the Lord,” are in reality nothing more than Paul’s personal opinion concerning physical order in a physical congregation, then we are defying the apostle and the holy spirit, and we are making ourselves the arbiters of what is and what is not the inspired Words of God. All who do this, most of the Protestant churches and many Catholics also, are at the same time both “adding to” and “taking from” the plain, straightforward words of God… “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

Here is what James says about the scriptures:

Jas 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
Jas 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

To submit to God, is to submit to His Word. When one part of the body of Christ lusts and envies the function of another part of the body, there is pride and “every evil work.”

Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Jas 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Jas 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Pilate asked the question,’What is Truth?’ Christ Himself gives us the answer:

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

The fact that the Pharisees could quote the Old Testament and still not understand it, testifies only to their blinded condition. It does not testify to the inefficacy of the scriptures themselves. I will also pose this question to those who feel that they have “progressed” beyond the plain words of scripture; “do you think the scripture says in vain” (Jas 4:5)…

1Co 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
1Co 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

We will all be best served to believe that Paul’s words “are the commandments of the Lord” and must be obeyed. Nevertheless, we still must confront the verses which say a woman can ‘prophesy.’ We still have to answer the question which always comes up ‘What is the difference between ‘prophecy’ and ‘teaching?’ How can Paul say “let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law,” and in the same breath say that a woman can prophesy if her head is covered?

1Co 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

The only way we will come to understand this is to when we come to see that Paul, who was an Old Testament scholar, understood clearly that the word ‘prophecy’ had a very broad definition which included much more than men “speaking to the edification, exhortation and comfort” of the entire congregation:

1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

If “edification, exhortation and comfort” are the full and complete definition of the word ‘prophesy’, then Paul is contradicting himself when he tells us women can prophesy but they cannot teach. After all, what is teaching if it does not edify and exhort and comfort the person being taught? On the other hand, if the definition of this word ‘prophesy’ is much broader than simply teaching to edify, exhort and comfort, then Paul would not be contradicting himself at all when he says a woman can prophesy with her head covered, yet not teach. Philip’s daughters also could be prophetesses and still not be teachers in the church. The next step we must take in our quest for Truth should be to ask our heavenly Father to show us what His Spirit had in mind whenever it inspired the “holy men of old” to use this word ‘prophesy.’ Paul certainly knew every way this word was used in the Old Testament and was a “scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven.”

Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Does that sound like we are ever intended to come to the point where we can leave the scriptures behind under the guise of ‘progressing in the spirit?’ It absolutely does not, and all who are attaching themselves to this ‘fullness now’ doctrine for the sake of justifying women in the ministry, are attaching themselves to a deadly doctrine which is nothing less than the old “the resurrection is past” doctrine against which Paul warned us all.

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

We will stop here for now and discover in our next study just how broad a meaning this word ‘prophecy’ had in the Old Testament with which Paul was intimately familiar.

Numbers 8:1-26  The Lighting of the Seven Lamps

[Study Aired June 19, 2023]

Num 8:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:2  Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. 
Num 8:3  And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Num 8:4  And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick. 
Num 8:5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:6  Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 
Num 8:7  And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 
Num 8:8  Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
Num 8:9  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: 
Num 8:10  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites: 
Num 8:11  And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. 
Num 8:12  And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites. 
Num 8:13  And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD. 
Num 8:14  Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. 
Num 8:15  And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering. 
Num 8:16  For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. 
Num 8:17  For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. 
Num 8:18  And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
Num 8:19  And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary. 
Num 8:20  And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. 
Num 8:21  And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. 
Num 8:22  And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them. 
Num 8:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:24  This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: 
Num 8:25  And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: 
Num 8:26  But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge. 

Chapter 8 concerns the lighting of the seven lamps to give light in front of the candlestick, the cleansing of the Levites, the age requirement for service in the tabernacle of the congregation and retirement age of the Levites. 

Num 8:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:2  Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. 
Num 8:3  And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. 

The seven lamps represent the complete words of the Lord which give light in front of the lampstand or candlestick. According to the word of the Lord, the candlestick or lampstand represents the church.  This means that it is the complete words of the Lord which guide the path of the elect in this world.

Psa 119:105  Nun Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 

Rev 1:20  As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

As indicated, the candlestick is to give light to the space in front of it in the Holy place in the tabernacle. What is insightful to note is the fact that the light given by the candlestick is not seen outside the Holy place. It is to give light for the priest to perform his duty. In this dispensation, although we are the light of the world, we are not seen that way by many (the world). It is only the elect who see our light and use it to perform their duty – that is, live a life worthy of the Lord. 

In verse 2, it was Aaron the High Priest who lit the seven lamps. Here Aaron signifies the Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest. Before a lamp is lit, it must be filled with oil. As we know, the oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, sent to us by the Lord Jesus Christ to guide us into the truth of His word.  

Exo 27:20  And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. 

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.

Num 8:4  And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick. 

It is very insightful to note that the candlestick was made of beaten gold. This is to let us know that the church is formed by those who are being tried or going through the judgment of their old man. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Paul sums up our being beaten like the work of gold in order to give light as follows:

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
2Co 4:8  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 
2Co 4:9  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 
2Co 4:10  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies [providing light for the priest to function]. 
2Co 4:11  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

As indicated in verse 4, the candlestick is to be built according to the pattern which the Lord showed Moses.  The pattern shown to Moses is Christ. This implies that the church must reflect Christ in everything. 

Num 8:5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:6  Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 
Num 8:7  And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 

If we are to serve in the house of the Lord, then we must be cleansed from all kinds of contamination such as false doctrines, worldly ways and traditions and deeds of the flesh. Verse 7 prescribes three ways of cleansing – sprinkling of the water of purification, the shaving of all their flesh, and the washing of clothes with water.  The water of purification is a symbol of the word of the Lord. It is the truth of the word of the Lord that washes our mind of all the false doctrines that have become idols of our hearts, worldly wisdom and the traditions of men.

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 
Eph 5:26  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 
Eph 5:27  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

In the Bible, the hair on the body is a symbol of our natural strength. Thus, the shaving of all the flesh signifies the cutting off of all our natural strength. This implies that in our service to the Lord, we must not depend on our natural strengths and abilities. 

Jdg 16:17  And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 

Clothes are a symbol of righteousness. Dirty or torn clothes therefore refer to unrighteousness, which could be the result of contamination or self-righteousness, which is iniquity.

Lev 15:6  And whoever sits on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

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

Clean clothes (white linen) are the righteousness of the saints which is imputed by the Lord. 

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

The washing of our dirty clothes therefore signifies the truth of the word of the Lord which cleanses us of all unrighteousness.

Num 8:8  Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
Num 8:9  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: 
Num 8:10  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites: 
Num 8:11  And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. 
Num 8:12  And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites. 

The foundation for our cleansing is the sacrificial offering of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a meat offering and a sin offering for us. Christ therefore represents the young bullocks and the fine flour mingled with oil. Remember that the fine flour mingled with oil represents His word, and His word is the same as Christ.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

The putting of the hands of the children of Israel upon the Levites in verse 10 is to show that they are the same as the Levites and therefore are represented by the Levites in the presence of the Lord. In this regard, we, His elect, are representing the whole world in the presence of the Lord. Our victory will ultimately result in the victory of humanity in the fullness of time.

2Co 2:14  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Num 8:13  And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD. 
Num 8:14  Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. 
Num 8:15  And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering. 

In verse 13, the Levites were to be offered as an offering to the Lord. As the elect, we are to be offered wholly to Christ for humanity’s sake. Being offered to Christ is offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

The Levites being separated from among the children of Israel is another way of saying that we should not be conformed to the standards of this world but be renewed in our minds.

Rom 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

In another perspective, the Levites represent the elect, and the children of Israel stand for our brothers and sisters in Babylon. In that sense, the Levites being separated from the children of Israel is a type of the command by the Lord to leave Babylon. 

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 
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. 

As we are offered to Christ and are separated wholly from the world, we can do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation as shown in verse 15 concerning the Levites.

Num 8:16  For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. 
Num 8:17  For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. 
Num 8:18  And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

As we saw earlier in the Book of Numbers, the Levites were to replace the firstborn of Israel. The reason why they were to replace the firstborn of Israel was that at the time of Passover in Egypt, all the firstborn were condemned. However, it was only the firstborn of Egypt who were slain. As a result of the Passover, all the firstborn of Israel were redeemed or saved or replaced by the Passover lamb, who is Christ our Lord who came to serve. The firstborn therefore lost their position and were to be replaced by the Levites who were called to serve. This means that we, who have been redeemed by the Lord, are called to serve.

Mar 10:42  And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 
Mar 10:43  But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 
Mar 10:44  and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 
Mar 10:45  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

The Levites replacing the firstborn of the children of Israel is a foretaste of the fact that the Lord’s election is no longer dependent on a person’s pedigree or his or her birth. Paul made this clear when, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he made the statement that it is not one who is born a Jew that counts, but a Jew is a person who worships the Lord in truth and in spirit. 

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Num 8:19  And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary. 
Num 8:20  And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. 

On a negative note, the Levites represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon who are also of Abraham’s seed. However, they are not counted as the seed of promise and therefore are not to be given any inheritance. This is not because we, the elect, deserve any inheritance. It is through the hardening of their hearts to believe that we are privileged to receive mercy to believe. In the final analysis, this mercy we have received will be extended to the whole of the human race. 

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

The Levites are given to the elect as a gift to help them minister to the Lord. They do the initial leg work of using the law of Moses as our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. After we get to know Christ through faith, we are no longer under their influence or the law of Moses. Today’s Levites represent the Christian religion. They are focused on building and taking care of physical churches (tabernacle of testimony). In other words, they are protecting the legacy of the Christian religion.

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

In verse 19, the Levites being given as a gift to Aaron and his sons positively signifies the elect being given wholly to Jesus, our High Priest, to assist Him to subdue all things so that God may be all in all. 

1Co 15:25  For he [Jesus] must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

On a positive note, the Levites symbolized the elect who are given the charge of serving in the tabernacle of the congregation as well as making atonement for the children of Israel so there will be no plagues among the children of Israel, as indicated in verse 19. Atonement is the process by which a person removes obstacles to his reconciliation with God. In the lake of fire age, the elect will help the whole of humanity, represented here as the children of Israel, by making atonement for them. This means that the elect will help the whole of humanity to see what the Lord has done for them and in so doing, remove every obstacle to their reconciliation with God. This is what will make every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord!!

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It is insightful to note that in verse 20, Moses, Aaron and the whole of the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites according to all that the Lord commanded Moses. Moses, Aaron and the whole of the congregation of Israel represent all humanity. It is at the end of the lake of fire age that all humanity will obey our Lord Jesus Christ, who is represented here by Moses. 

Num 8:21  And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. 
Num 8:22  And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them. 

It is when we are purified that we can offer a service pleasing to the Lord in the temple of the Lord. We know that the process of purification involves being judged. Verses 21 and 22 therefore means that we cannot offer pleasing service to the Lord with our bodies as a temple of the Lord unless we have been purified through the seven plagues. The verse below is therefore a rendition of verses 21 and 22.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. 

Num 8:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:24  This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: 

To be enrolled in the army of the Lord, it is required that one is twenty years old or above. Being part of the army of the Lord does not mean that one has obtained maturity. In the physical, those who have gone through the ranks of the military are well-versed in the strategies of enemies. In a similar vein, it takes some time after being part of the Lord’s army to know the strategies of the enemy. It took a lot of experience for Paul to say the following:

2Co 2:10  To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

In verse 24, the required age to wait upon the tabernacle of the congregation is twenty-five. Although we are enrolled into the Lord’s army at the symbolic age of twenty years, it takes a while for us to be effective in performing the services pertaining to the house of God. The symbolic age of twenty-five, which is required for us to work in the house of the Lord, signifies the period when we have come out from tutors and governors at the appointed time of the Lord.

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 

In the Bible, the number twenty-five signifies the time that we start to reign as kings over our flesh.

2Ch 25:1  Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

2Ch 27:6  So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God. 
2Ch 27:7  Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
2Ch 27:8  He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

2Ch 29:1  Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 
2Ch 29:2  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 

Num 8:25  And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: 
Num 8:26  But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge. 

According to verse 25, at the age of fifty years, the Levites are required to retire from active service in the tabernacle of the Lord. The number fifty symbolizes the liberty we have in Christ when we are set free from sin. Retiring at the age of fifty spiritually implies the period of our lives where we do not depend on our own strength to do the work of the Lord, but rather depend on Christ to do the work for us. In other words, we come to rest completely in Him. 

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.  

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

May the Lord continue to help us retire from our own works so we can come to rest wholly in Him. Amen!! 

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – Part 3

[Study Aired March 27, 2023]

Today, as part of our study of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we shall look at the life of Isaac to help us grow in our knowledge of Christ. As we indicated in the previous study, the birth of Isaac symbolizes the coming of Christ into our lives. Our lives follow the same pattern as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Although the details of our lives are different, our relationship with the Lord follows the same pattern. As we go through the experience of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with Joseph being part of Jacob’s experience, we come to realize that these three men do not represent three separate individuals, but three aspects of one complete person in his relationship with the Lord.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Isaac’s life depicts the rest we have in Christ. His father Abraham had amassed all the wealth for him to enjoy. At the point when he needed to get married, his father Abraham took the initiative to get him a wife (Rebekah) who was very beautiful. Isaac did not fight any battles. For example, on two occasions when his servants dug a well, the inhabitants of the land claimed the wells, but Isaac did not contend with them. What this means is that the coming of Christ in our lives is the beginning of our rest in Him.

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

In our study today, we shall therefore take a critical look at certain aspects of Isaac’s life and what they teach us about our walk with Christ. 

Knowing God Through Isaac

Our Exit from Babylon – the Coming of Christ in our lives.

The birth of Isaac marks the coming of Christ into our lives which results in our exit from Babylon where the truth of the word of the Lord has been adulterated by false doctrines emanating from human traditions and wisdom. In this new life in Christ, our eyes are opened and our ears begin to hear the truth of the word of the Lord. This is demonstrated by the fact that Isaac dug again the wells his father Abraham dug which had been filled with earth by the Philistines. The Philistines here represent Babylon. The earth here symbolizes all the false doctrines which include human wisdom and traditions. What this means is that the gold and silver of the word of the Lord have been turned into images of men. As a result of the earth filling the well, spring water was not coming out. During our time in Babylon, we experienced significant famine of the word of the Lord which was caused by the Lord to facilitate our exit from Babylon.

Gen 26:15  For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.
Gen 26:16  And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. 
Gen 26:17  And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 
Gen 26:18  And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

The Offering of Isaac – The Death and Resurrection of Christ 

Gen 22:2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 

Gen 22:6  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 
Gen 22:7  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Heb 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

From a spiritual perspective, the offering of Isaac by Abraham typifies how God, our Father, offered His beloved son, Jesus Christ, for us. During the journey to Mount Moriah, Isaac carried the wood to be used for the burnt offering of himself. This shows how Jesus carried the cross through Jerusalem for His crucifixion. Incidentally, Mount Moriah later became Jerusalem.  Even though in the case of Isaac, he was not sacrificed, it was as if he had died and came back to life after that experience. So, the whole experience of Abraham preparing to offer Isaac is to foretell of the coming Messiah’s (Jesus) death and resurrection. As Abraham told Isaac his son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering, and that lamb is Christ. In another perspective, we, like Isaac, represent the scapegoat with Jesus being the other goat that was offered as sacrifice for our sins. If we are to fulfill God’s purpose, therefore, we must be like Isaac as we offer our lives as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service.

Lev 16:7  And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lev 16:8  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 
Lev 16:9  And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 
Lev 16:10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Ishmael’s mocking of Isaac – Babylon persecuting the church

Gen 21:8  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 
Gen 21:9  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 
Gen 21:10  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 

The birth of Isaac did not stir up any trouble. It was rather his growth that brought about controversy. As we can see, Ishmael was found mocking Isaac. In Galatians 4:29, we are given to know that this mocking is the same as persecution. Ishmael represents Babylon, which is in bondage with her children. Babylon is characterized by the persecution of the church of the firstborn (the elect) as our Lord made it clear as follows:

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

As Paul indicated, Hagar represents Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children. That is Babylon, which symbolizes the physical churches of this world.  The elect represents Jerusalem, which is above, that is destined to inherit the promise.

Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Isaac, the inheritor of Abraham’s Inheritance – Learning to Rest in the Lord

Gen 25:5  And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 
Gen 25:6  But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. 

Isaac becoming the inheritor of Abraham’s possessions is a type of Christ who has been appointed heir of all things, and if we are found in Him, then we are also destined for the inheritance just like Isaac.

Heb 1:1  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 
Heb 1:2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 
Heb 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 

What we need to understand is that Abraham did all the work to amass the wealth for Isaac. Just as God the Father did all the work for our Lord Jesus Christ, we are also privileged to have Jesus doing all the work as we rest in Him.

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

The Famine in the Land

Gen 26:1  And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
Gen 26:2  And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

Gen 26:6  And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: 
Gen 26:7  And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 
Gen 26:8  And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. 
Gen 26:9  And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

As we can see, the Lord had to warn Isaac from going back to Egypt. Whenever we are starved of the word of the Lord (famine), there is the tendency to become worldly (Going to Egypt). It is during times of famine of the word of the Lord that our weaknesses are exposed by the Lord.

In the case of Isaac, his inability to believe that the Lord will surely protect him from any harm or danger became obvious as he lied about Rebekah being his wife. As we know from the word of the Lord, the church is where we are fed with the word of the Lord. Anytime we are starved of the word of the Lord, our relationship with the church suffers as the deep union with the church (wife relationship) is sacrificed for a superficial relationship (sister relationship) as we see Isaac saying that Rebekah was his sister instead of being his wife.

These periods of famine are common during the early part of our walk after we have left Babylon to become part of the heavenly Jerusalem. We were not prepared to lay down our lives for the wife of Christ, the church just as Isaac refused to lay down his life for Rebekah when he went to Gerar. However, as we mature spiritually, we are able to lay down our lives for the church irrespective of the circumstance we find ourselves in even as our Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life for the church. 

1Jn 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

Isaac Prospered – We are to grow in spiritual insight.

Gen 26:12  Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 
Gen 26:13  And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 
Gen 26:14  For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

The physical prosperity of Isaac refers to our growth in spiritual riches as our eyes are opened and our ears hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God. As Christ comes to us, we begin our spiritual growth (riches in Christ) as our Lord cleanses us of all that offends and enlightens our understanding to know Him better. This is what Paul and Peter had to say about our spiritual blessing:

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

As we grow in spiritual riches, we are envied by all men, just as the Philistines became envious of Isaac’s prosperity. This envy is what drives our being hated by Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children, resulting in us being dead in the streets of the great city – which represents spiritually, Sodom and Egypt where our Lord Jesus was crucified.

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. 

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

This strife or hatred is exemplified on two occasions when Isaac’s servants dug a well, and there was contention. This means that it is as we search the scriptures and we become enlightened by the truth of the word that we are hated by the world.

Gen 26:19  And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 
Gen 26:20  And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. 
Gen 26:21  And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

Isaac’s Marriage – Our Marriage to Christ

The scriptures did not go into as many details about the life of Isaac as it did with Abraham and Jacob. However, when it came to Isaac’s marriage, a whole chapter was devoted to it. This is because the marriage of Isaac is significant, and it represents the church’s marriage union with Christ. From this marriage chapter we can glean a lot of spiritual truth and what is required of God’s bride.

Gen 24:3  And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 
Gen 24:4  But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

Gen 24:8  And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

Gen 24:15  And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 
Gen 24:16  And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 
Gen 24:17  And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. 
Gen 24:18  And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 
Gen 24:19  And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
Gen 24:20  And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

There are several truths we can glean from this marriage chapter of Genesis. The country Abraham had left spiritually signifies Babylon where we worship another Jesus. It is from Babylon that Christ came to pick us as his bride. It also means that we cannot marry just any person. We must marry from our kindred – our fellow elect. When Abraham’s servant asked if the potential bride to Isaac refuses to come to Canaan, Abraham told him that in that case, the marriage must be called off. If we want to become the bride of Christ, then we must be prepared to leave Babylon.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Abraham’s servant went with ten camels. In the Bible camels are used to represent one’s wealth or possession. What this means is that God has made available enough resources for His bride to be joined to her husband Christ. As stated by Peter, God has given us everything we need for life and godliness through His great and precious promises that we might be partakers of His divine nature. 

Gen 24:10  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 

Gen 12:16  And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

Gen 24:35  And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

In order to identify the bride, Abraham’s servant set a criterion. The requirement is that the potential bride must give him water to drink and also quench the thirst of the ten camels. As we are aware, water signifies the word of God. Thus, we must be able to feed God’s people with the word of God first. In addition, Rebecca voluntarily offered to fetch water for the camels. The similarity between camels and human beings is that they are all beasts.  Thus, Rebecca giving water first to Abraham’s servant and later fetching water for the camels signifies that the preaching of the word of God is first to the elect, and then later, through the bride, the word of God will be preached to all humanity. 

Gen 24:11  And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. 
Gen 24:12  And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. 
Gen 24:13  Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 
Gen 24:14  And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. 

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Camels drink a lot of water – about 20 gallons of water a day. Thus, giving water to the ten camels means fetching about 200 gallons of water.  That is a huge task to undertake.  It takes someone who has compassion or is merciful to the camels to execute such a task voluntarily. What we are being taught here is that the salvation of the world is impossible looking at it from a human perspective. However, with God all things are possible. Secondly, it takes someone who cares for the beast, just like Rebecca to have compassion or to show mercy to the camels. We, who have received mercy from God are therefore required to be merciful to the whole of humanity in the fullness of time. Thirdly, our service in the house of God as we feed our brothers and sisters with the word of the Lord must be voluntary and without charging for our services. As we can see, Rebecca fed the camels voluntarily and without cost. 

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

Mat 10:8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 

One key characteristic which we need to pay attention to regarding Rebekah, who represents the elect, is the fact that, although she had never seen Isaac, she was willing to go to him to become his wife. Our husband, the Lord Jesus, is so pleased when we believe in Him even though we have not seen Him. This is what He told Thomas who was looking for something tangible:

Joh 20:28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 
Joh 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

That is why as we mature spiritually, signs and wonders become a rare experience. This does not mean that the Lord will not miraculously intervene in our circumstance when the need arises. He will always come to our aid but what we are to avoid is looking for the spectacular to convince us that the Lord is with us. As we can see, as the church matured, signs and wonders became a rare occurrence. We are therefore warned by the Lord about deception which will abound as a result of signs and wonders as we are getting closer to the end of this age.

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Another key characteristic of Rebekah who symbolizes the bride of Christ was her submission when she saw Isaac and realized who he was. Immediately when Rebekah saw Isaac, she put on her vail and covered herself. 

Gen 24:64  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 
Gen 24:65  For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. 

The putting on of the vail symbolizes Rebekah’s submission to Isaac, just as the bride of Christ (Rebekah) must submit to her husband, Christ (Isaac). 

1Co 11:3  But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 
1Co 11:4  Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 
1Co 11:5  but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.

Our submission must therefore be complete – we must submit to our Lord Jesus Christ in everything. 

Eph 5:24  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Through the life of Isaac, we get to know about the marriage feast of the lamb. 

Gen 24:63  And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. 
Gen 24:64  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 
Gen 24:65  For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
Gen 24:66  And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 
Gen 24:67  And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

We can see how both Isaac and Rebekah were eager to meet each other. Our Lord Jesus Christ is so eager to be united with His bride, the church. It is when we meet face to face that perfection shall come!!

Rev 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 
Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 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. 
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 
1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

Ooh, what a great joy that will be when we see our Lord face to face!! Amen!!

Acts 3:1-26  Pilate was Determined to let [Christ] Go

[Study Aired December 18, 2022]

Act 3:1  Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Act 3:2  And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Act 3:3  Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Act 3:4  And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Act 3:5  And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
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.
Act 3:7  And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Act 3:8  And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Act 3:9  And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
Act 3:10  And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
Act 3:11  And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
Act 3:12  And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Act 3:13  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
Act 3:14  But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Act 3:15  And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Act 3:16  And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Act 3:17  And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Act 3:18  But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Act 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Act 3:21  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Act 3:22  For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Act 3:23  And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Act 3:24  Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
Act 3:25  Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Act 3:26  Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

This chapter is the account of the first recorded miracle performed by the apostles some unspecified time after the well-known miraculous events on the day of Pentecost when the holy spirit was given accompanied by what appeared to be “cloven tongues of fire”. The holy spirit had given these Galileans the ability to speak in all the languages that were represented there in Jerusalem from all over the Roman Empire. Peter was inspired to preach the gospel to both those who lived in Jerusalem, and knew all about Christ and His many miracles, and they had all heard His revolutionary doctrines and His claim to be the Messiah. At that time Peter told the people that the miracle of the gift of speaking in languages was a work of the risen Christ for whose crucifixion they must repent. As we are about to see, the Lord performed another miracle so Peter could repeat that same message:

Act 3:1  Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. [3:00 P.M.]
Act 3:2  And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Act 3:3  Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Act 3:4  And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Act 3:5  And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
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.
Act 3:7  And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Act 3:8  And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Act 3:9  And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
Act 3:10  And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

The number of those who were granted the gift of speaking in other languages on the day of Pentecost was 120 of the disciples of Christ. That number rose by three thousand through Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost. Christ had been crucified by the priests and elders and by His own followers just seven weeks earlier, and upon the moment of His death the sun had been darkened and the moon appeared as blood. This was all common knowledge in Jerusalem. They all knew that Christ and His disciples were from Galilee, and they all knew it was Christ’s faithful followers who were given this gift of speaking of “the wonderful works of God in all the languages within the Roman empire. Here is the account of the events of that day:

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Act 2:6  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Act 2:7  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?
Act 2:8  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

“They were all amazed and marvelled” because they all knew these were the disciples of the very Jesus of Nazareth who had twice miraculously fed the multitudes. According to Peter some of the very people who were witnesses of Christ’s miracles and His doctrines were part of the multitudes who witnessed the gift of languages being given to Christ’s disciples on the day of Pentecost. First, He fed five thousand with five loaves, and later He fed four thousand with seven loaves. The multitudes were so impressed with His miracles they threatened to take Him by force and proclaim Him king:

Mar 8:19  When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
Mar 8:20  And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

Notice for the sake of understanding the message of this book of the Acts of the apostles, that the first feeding was with fewer loaves and the leftovers were more. The second miracle was feeding fewer people with more loaves and the leftovers were by far fewer. The second feeding of the multitudes could easily have been a greater multitude with a greater surplus, but that would not agree with the fact that fewer people would eventually receive the greater Truth as this book of Acts demonstrates. More Truth… “seven loaves” was being consumed by fewer people, four thousand, resulting in a smaller surplus of bread… “seven baskets”. Even though the first multitude was more numerous, five thousand, and the number of baskets of uneaten bread was greater… “twelve baskets”, the second smaller multitude ate more of what they were given than the first larger multitude.  If the loaves and fishes represent the Truths of the doctrines of Christ (Joh 6:35), then the message is that the more the heavens are opened, the fewer people can receive those heavenly Truths, signified by the loaves and fishes.

Joh 6:13  Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten [“five thousand”].
Joh 6:14  Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
Joh 6:15  When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

Thousands had personally witnessed both miracles. When any of us witness any great and powerful event, we always repeat it to our families and friends. Therefore, Christ’s miracles and His doctrines and His claim to be the Son of God was also well known throughout Jerusalem, and it was hated by the religious rulers of Jerusalem:

Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

When the multitudes who had eaten the loaves were informed that Christ considered His words and His doctrine to be more nourishing than physical loaves, and that He had no intention of being forced to become their king at this time, their first response was to request even more signs of His messiahship:

Joh 6:25  And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
Joh 6:26  Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

Christ does not pull his punches. He tells us exactly what our flesh does. Our flesh simply is not programmed to appreciate the “meat which endures to everlasting life”. Flesh much prefers physical loaves and fishes to the promise of “that meat which endures to everlasting life” if you are willing to be “hated of all men” in this life (Mat 10:22). We are all naturally like Esau who preferred a bowl of pottage, “meat which perisheth” to assuage his immediate physical hunger, to the promise of being given a kingdom that would feed and benefit all men:

Joh 6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

For those who can ‘see’ it, Christ just told us that our faith in Him “is the work of God…and not of ourselves”:

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

That is not what our flesh wants to hear. We want to believe that we bring something to the table. We are taught that it is our own faith which causes God to accept us, and some even believe in faith without any “good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them”. Let no one convince you that you can “continue in sin that grace may abound”. Indeed, grace will “much more abound”, but we must come to understand what the function of grace is:

[What Grace Is Versus What Grace Does]

Joh 6:30  They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Joh 6:31  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

“Our fathers did eat manna in the wilderness… He gave them bread from heaven to eat” proves what is just naturally within every one of us. As one minister declared on his national radio program, “I am not interested in getting my pie in the sky by and by, I want it NOW!” he shouted on the radio. These Jews are types of each of us. They much prefer a bowl of pottage here and now, or loaves and fishes here and now, to promises of “the glory which shall be revealed in us [if we can just endure] the sufferings of this present time”:

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.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

In accord with Christ telling us that our faith in Him is “the work of God” (Joh 6:29) Paul also tells us that our will has nothing to do with our faith or the fact that He made us “subject to vanity”; subject to our natural preference for physical bread and fishes here and now.

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

It is for our edification that Christ answered their insistence on physical bread with these words:

Joh 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Joh 6:36  But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

The words of the multitude… “Lord evermore give us this bread” demonstrate how we convince ourselves that we really want to know the doctrine of Christ when the truth is we simply want to feed and please our flesh. “Not willingly” but because we are all “made subject to vanity” we just naturally forsake the Lord when He tells us “the flesh profits nothing” and in the same breath He tells us that He is the bread from heaven, and we must “eat His flesh and drink His blood”:

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

The false doctrine of “transubstantiation” of the body and blood of Christ via the wafer and wine of the carnal ordinance of ‘communion’ is simply an observable lie. That wafer is not Christ’s literal body, and that wine is not His literal blood. Christ was not speaking in literal terms. We know this is true because He told us it was:

Mat 13:34  All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

The early church kept what they called ‘the Lord’s supper”, but not with the idea that the bread literally became the body of Christ, and the wine literally became the blood of Christ. What carnal thinking! Such a doctrine is truly a doctrine of works without faith, and it does nothing to change our wicked hearts and minds. Indeed, the doctrine of transubstantiation teaches us that it is our own works that give us favor with God.

1Co 11:20  When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

When the early church partook of the Lord’s supper, they were in their not-yet-mature, ‘Acts of the apostles… under the law’ state of being. Observing the Lord’s supper at this point in “the time of reformation’ was not a matter of being rebellious. The early Christian church believed it was simply following Christ’s example of how He kept the Passover with His disciples the night He was apprehended. Christ did not keep the Passover according to the demands of the law of Moses at that last Passover. He was beginning to change things, but it simply was not yet the ordained time to reveal to His disciples that all rituals would soon become useless and unnecessary in order to worship God in spirit and in Truth. Christ told us that Jerusalem itself, along with the temple therein, would one day become obsolete in the Lord’s desire to seek those who would worship Him in spirit and in Truth, not in rituals and traditions of men:

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we [“The Lord and His Christ” (Act 4:26-28)] know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews [“in spirit and not in the  letter” (Rom 2:28-29)].
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.

The ritual of observing ‘the Lord’s supper’ was practiced by the early immature church along with other Old Testament rituals like water baptism, circumcision, and animal sacrifices:

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Act 16:3  Him [Timotheus] would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

Paul circumcised Timothy after the letter to the Gentiles in the preceding chapter, chapter 15.

Act 21:20  And when they heard it [what the Lord had done among the Gentiles by Paul’s ministry], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
Act 21:21  And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
Act 21:22  What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
Act 21:23  Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Act 21:24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Act 21:25  As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication [As per the letter to the Gentiles of Acts 15 many years earlier].
Act 21:26  Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

Here is the law which these “zealous of the law” sincere, but spiritually immature Jewish Christians were so ‘zealous’ to observe:

Num 6:17  And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering.
Num 6:18  And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

Paul himself had earlier taken a vow and had shaved his head in Cenchrea, as he was returning to Jerusalem:

Act 18:18  And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
Act 18:19  And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
Act 18:20  When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
Act 18:21  But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

In chapter 20 we are told that Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem before the day of Pentecost:

Act 20:16  For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

Paul was “keeping the feast… of Pentecost”, and he wanted to keep this feast in Jerusalem. In the past he had kept one Pentecost at Ephesus:

1Co 16:8  But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.

The vow Paul had taken and the shaving of his head in Cenchrea took place on his return to Antioch during his second missionary journey.  Nothing had changed from the time Christ spoke to the Jews in the gospel of John until several decades later when the apostle Paul agreed to pay for the “ram for a peace offering” to be offered at the temple in Jerusalem for himself and the “four men who have a vow on them”.

Here is the verse which clarifies why all these early Jewish Christians were still unable to receive the words of Peter in Acts 15. This is what Christ told His disciples on the eve of His apprehension by the Jews:

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Act 15:11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

What Peter said was true, but it still was not yet time for the Jewish Christians to receive these words, and this was the consensus of the apostles for the time being:

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29  That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

The lesson for us all is that Peter, Paul, and Barnabas had sought a multitude of counselors concerning the question of whether the Gentiles must be circumcised. Peter stated the conviction of himself, Paul, and Barnabas:

Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

However, when the consensus of the apostles and elders and the leaders of the church was that the Jews still had to keep the law of Moses, these three Jewish apostles were fully “persuaded by [their] leaders and deferred to them” as we are all commanded to do:

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you. (CLV)

John 16:12 explains why the Acts of the apostles is a record of that spiritually immature beginning of the New Testament church.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

The fact that the Jewish Christians throughout the book of Acts are still baptizing in water, circumcising, and offering blood sacrifices has nothing to do with the false doctrine of “two administrations” which teaches that Peter had a gospel which was unique to the Jews while Paul had a doctrine which was peculiar to the Gentiles. This doctrine is common to almost all Catholic and Protestant churches who believe the Lord still considers Abraham’s physical seed to be His physical chosen people. The words ‘natural elect or physical elect’ are inventions of the fertile imaginations of men and therefore they are idols of the heart. Nothing could be further from the truth of these verses of scripture which manifestly contradict the very idea of a physical or natural elect:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

“Not in the letter” means there is no physical or natural elect. If the Truth is that being a Jew and being circumcised is a matter of “the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter” why, then, do men teach us the exact opposite and insist that the Lord has both a spiritual and a physical elect? The reason they do so is because they do not “tremble at the word of God”, and they simply disagree with these inspired words:

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye [Gentiles] who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. [Just how ‘nigh’ are they?]
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Isa 66:5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

Christ is not in the process of making twain of twain. That would be the false doctrine of God having both a physical and a spiritual elect. Nevertheless, the scriptures are emphatic that God is intent on abolishing in His flesh the enmity contained in ordinances “for to make in himself of twain one new man.” However, the period covered in the book of Acts is not the time for the holy spirit to reveal to the church that physical descent no longer makes one a Jew. That Truth would not be revealed until Paul was in prison in Rome even though it was revealed by Peter and Paul before Paul went to Rome:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

These Jews of John 6, who cannot ‘eat His flesh nor drink His blood’, are the very same Jews of Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, and they are the same Jews Peter is speaking to in the temple here in Acts 3 where the risen Christ, through Peter, healed the man who was lame from birth.

The disciples in John 6, who just hours earlier saw and ate of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, could not receive the doctrine of Christ, and they “went back and no more walked with Him” because He told them that He was the true bread from heaven which they must ‘eat’:

Joh 6:52  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 6:60  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
Joh 6:61  When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Joh 6:62  What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
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.
Joh 6:64  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Joh 6:65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

The words “therefore I said unto you” refer to verse 44 of this same chapter:

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [G1670: ‘helkuo’, drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

This ‘dragging’ process is done against the will of our carnal mind which is “enmity against the law of God” (Rom 8:7) and cannot be otherwise. Be sure to read:

[What Grace Does]

This is the effect the gospel of Christ has upon our flesh until the Lord drags us to Himself via His chastening grace:

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

It is here Jesus tells his disciples, and the multitude who had been fed by His loaves, that “the flesh profits nothing” and “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day”, that we are also told, “But there are some of you who believe not, [and] that Jesus “knew from the beginning… who should betray Him.” Though Judas did not forsake Christ at this point, it is at this point we are told that Jesus knew who would betray Him. This is mere hours after witnessing the undeniable miracle of the feeding of the five thousand.

Here in Acts 3, we have another great sign and wonder just a matter of days after the miraculous day of Pentecost. In John six the multitudes had requested another ‘sign and a wonder’, and that is what they got. The healing of this 40-year-old man who had been lame from birth, a man they had all seen sitting begging at the gate of the temple for decades, was so great and undeniable that “all the people saw him walking and praising God, and they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.”

Once again, the holy spirit is doing a work in Jerusalem, the city which has become a spiritual harlot. Just as all the signs and “wonders in the heavens and in the earth” were undeniably witnessed by all in Jerusalem at Pentecost, and just as Peter had pointed out that the miracle of languages was a witness of the authenticity of Christ as the Messiah, Peter is again telling the people of Jerusalem that this healing just a few days later of a man “above forty years old”, who everyone knew was lame from birth, is once again a work of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah whom they had rejected and had crucified. Peter’s words apply to all men, but no one here in Jerusalem is yet aware of that fact simply because it is not yet time for the extent of the newness of all things to be revealed:

Act 3:11  And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
Act 3:12  And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Act 3:13  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

Contrary to all the Hollywood movies “Pilate was determined to let [Christ] go [free].” It was His own people, the very people Jesus had healed of all their diseases and had fed with His loaves and fishes, it was “the church” of His day, it was “[the] men of Israel” who:

Act 3:14  But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Act 3:15  And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Peter and all the apostles, as well as ‘over five hundred people at once’, had seen the risen Christ and could not deny what they had seen. Now Peter is telling the very people who “killed the Prince of life” that it is that same Jesus they killed who healed this man they all knew was lame from birth:

Act 3:16  And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him [Christ] hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Contrary to the false doctrine of two administrations, Peter is here teaching salvation “through faith… which is by Him”. Peter does not yet know that salvation will be extended to the Gentiles in this age, but he already knows that salvation comes “through faith in His name… the faith which is by Him”.

Act 3:17  And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Act 3:18  But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

Just like Joseph who told His brothers that their evil intentions toward him, in their ignorance, were actually a work of the Lord, Peter tells the Jews who crucified Christ the same thing; “through ignorance ye did it, as did your rulers.” Peter never once implicates Pilate or the Romans who were simply appeasing the Jewish people and their leaders.

Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Act 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Act 3:21  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Once again, we must point out that neither Peter nor any other Jew at this time, converted or unconverted, thought that “the restitution of all things” referred to the salvation of all mankind. Nothing had changed to make Peter think that God had any intention of granting salvation to the Gentiles. Remember how shocked the Christian Jews at Jerusalem were when they heard that Peter had gone into the house of a Gentile and had even eaten a meal there in the house of the Roman centurion, Cornelius:

Act 11:1  And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
Act 11:2  And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
Act 11:3  Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.

“They that were of the circumcision” included every one of the other apostles. Not one Gentile was yet a Christian before Peter went up to Cornelius’s house, and that happens much later in chapter 10. Therefore, at the time of this man who “was above forty years old” and who had been born lame and was now healed at the gate of the temple, not one Christian Jew thought that the two phrases Peter used, 1) “the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” and 2) “the times of the restitution of all things” had anything at all to do with the gospel going to the Gentiles.

Peter goes on to explain what he meant by those two phrases:

Act 3:22  For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Act 3:23  And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Act 3:24  Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

At this time Peter realized that “these days” were indeed the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, but he also knew that the heavens had to receive Christ “until the restitution of all things”, which Peter perceived as the restoration of the kingdom to the physical Jews. At this time he and all the other apostles and all the other Christian converts thought that physical kingdom was imminent.

Act 3:25  Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Act 3:26  Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

When Peter says “unto you first… God… sent… His Son Jesus… to bless you” he is contrasting the Jews, who Peter believes to be the Lord’s only chosen people, with “all the kindreds of the earth”.

Indeed “all the kindreds of the earth will be blessed… in the seed of Abraham” but we now understand that the Jews and “the fulness of the Gentiles” (Rom 11:25-32) will be blessed only in this “seed of Abraham”:

Gal 3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Gal 3:8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Galatians 3:7-9 is the doctrine of Christ Himself who taught:

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
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.

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.

The holy spirit confirms these words through the apostle Paul:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

The apostles are all “true worshippers” but John 16:12 is still the rule of the day:

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Acts 10, and Peter’s visit to the house of the Gentile Roman centurion, Cornelius, is coming, but at this time Peter has no idea that the holy spirit will later send him to the house of a Gentile Roman, and at the time of this healing of the man who was born lame Peter certainly does not believe that “He is not a Jew which is one outwardly… but he is a Jew which is one inwardly”. This Truth simply is not agreed upon anywhere in the entire book of the Acts of the apostles which are a history of the first several decades of the early church.

In our next study we will learn of the one circumstance under which we are commanded to disobey the powers that be. Having to do that is a trial that many have already faced, and many are yet to experience. None of us can do it on our own, but we can all do so through Christ who strengthens us:

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

[Study Aired July 31, 2022]

Jer 47:1  The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.
Jer 47:2  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.
Jer 47:3  At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;
Jer 47:4  Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.
Jer 47:5  Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?
Jer 47:6  O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
Jer 47:7  How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.

The Philistines are first mentioned in the time of Abraham when he ‘made a covenant with Abimelech’ the king of the Philistine city of Gerar (Gen 20:2):

Gen 21:32  Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

The Philistines were already in the promised land when Israel came up out of Egypt. They were in the promised land, but they were there without the benefit of being circumcised. The promised land itself signifies the promise Christ has given to live His life within us. ‘The promised land’ signifies our physical bodies as “the temple of God… [in] vessels of clay… [and] earthen vessels”:

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye [Our physical bodies (Rom 12:1)] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

It is in that sense the Philistines typify the very beginning of our relationship with Christ as ‘carnal babes in Christ’. The false doctrine of a ten-second sinner’s prayer has blinded the eyes of most Christians from even being aware that in the beginning of our relationship with Christ we are all ‘carnal… babes in Christ’:

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The Philistines typify our own flesh while we are ‘carnal babes in Christ’. We can see clearly that a ‘carnal babe in Christ’ is not yet circumcised in spirit, and is therefore “yet carnal” even though he is in the promised land, signifying that he is in a carnal relationship with Jesus Christ.

We all begin our relationship with Christ the same as these carnal Corinthians proclaiming that we are Catholic or Protestant. We are in the land of promise, but we are still spiritually uncircumcised of heart in spirit.

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Like a “carnal babe in Christ” the Philistines are in ‘the promised land’ but without the benefit of circumcision. As such “at that time the Philistines [have] dominion over [us]”, as the story of Samson graphically demonstrates:

Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Jdg 14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

There are many spiritual lessons for us to unwrap in these four verses of Judges 14, and the first spiritual message is to see what a spiritual ‘Philistine’ means. Until we understand the spiritual significance of these people being ‘in the land’ in an uncircumcised state of being, this prophecy against “the Philistines” will be nothing more than a historical account of how the Lord used a physical man named Samson to deliver His physical people from their physical enemies. Once we come to see that Christ in us is the promised land, and once we are finally given to understand that as “carnal babes in Christ” we have these uncircumcised Philistines within us, and that these uncircumcised Philistines and the uncircumcised giants among them, dwell within us, then we can at last begin to slay them with the five smooth stones of grace through faith and begin to cleanse and purify the temple of God which temple we are.

Jer 47:1  The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.

Samson’s attraction to a Philistine woman betrays the immaturity which his Nazarite vow portrays:

Jdg 13:1  And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
Jdg 13:2  And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
Jdg 13:3  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
Jdg 13:4  Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
Jdg 13:5  For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

We may have been led to believe that taking on a Nazarite vow indicates some degree of spiritual maturity, but the truth is quite the opposite. While a Nazarite vow does indeed signify a very special calling, a call to dedicate one’s life to the Lord’s service, it also signifies the most immature stage of that service. The Nazarite vow, as demonstrated by the examples of both Samson and John the Baptist, signifies each of us as ‘carnal babes in Christ’. Samson was “a Nazarite unto God from the womb” and so was John the Baptist:

Luk 1:13  But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Luk 1:14  And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
Luk 1:15  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

John the Baptist being ‘filled with the holy spirit’ is not an early version of the filling of the holy spirit which occurred on the day of Pentecost. It is rather in the same sense that Samson was filled. It was a filling which gave him the strength to remain faithful to his immature outward Nazarite calling. Likewise, John the Baptist being ‘filled with the holy spirit’ had no more in common with spiritual maturity than the “first Adam” has with “the last Adam”. Both ‘Adams’ are in “the same [clay] vessel” but the first is destined to “dishonor [and] destruction” and “the last… Adam” is destined to “honor” and to becoming a king and priest with Christ for a thousand years, to be followed with the judgment of angels in the lake of fire.

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

Both Samson and John typify Christ, who through their deaths bring light and life to the Lord’s people. Neither Samson nor John will be in the kingdom of God as Christ revealed with these words concerning John’s function in His plan:

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

Luk 7:28  For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Christ also told His apostles:

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.

Lest there be any doubt that the great men of God of the Old Testament are less than the least in the kingdom of God, Peter makes it very clear with these words:

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Just as Mother Eve’s spiritually nude condition caused her to want to eat of the forbidden fruit, it was also Samson’s immature, Nazarite condition which caused him to be attracted to a Philistine woman instead of the daughters of his own people. Here is the URL to the first of a two-part study on the spiritual significance of the Nazarite vow:

The Spiritual Significance of the Nazarite Vow

Neither ‘strong drink’ nor ‘strong meat’ can be accepted and processed and digested by a carnal babe in Christ.

Samson’s blatant disregard of his father’s admonition speaks for itself concerning his immature position in the promised land. This lack of any fear of the Lord must be burned out of us before we will be granted to ‘go on unto perfection and maturity’. That is what the judgment of the Philistines accomplishes within us:

Jer 47:2  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land [of the Philistines, the promised land], and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.
Jer 47:3  At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;

The death of Goliath and the routing of the entire army of the Philistines serve to support these words in the New Testament:

Jud 1:12  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

When Samson married the woman of Timnath, “of the daughters of the Philistines” he willingly prepared a feast with the family and friends of his new wife:

Jdg 14:10  So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
Jdg 14:11  And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

This feast with ‘thirty companions’ of the uncircumcised Philistine family into which Samson was marrying tells those who are given spiritual vision and spiritual hearing that Samson is about to begin the process of being judged. Here is the URL on the spiritual significance of the number three:

Numbers in Scripture – Three, the Process of Spiritual Completion Through Judgment

We are told that David slew Goliath with a stone from his sling:

1Sa 17:50  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Because the Philistines within us must be ‘twice dead’ by the ‘sword of the word’ this is what the holy spirit inspired to be written in the very next verse:

1Sa 17:51  Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

Jer 47:4  Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.

It is very instructive to know that the Philistines and the Caphtorim are both the descendants of Mizraim, which is Egypt:

Gen 10:13  And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
Gen 10:14  And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

The Philistines and the Caphtorim are both the children of Mizraim and the name ‘Mizraim’, which appears only four times in the King James Version, actually appears in the Hebrew 681 times and it is always translated as ‘Egypt’ or ‘Egyptian’ or the plural ‘Egyptians’:

H4714
מצרים
mitsrayim
Total KJV Occurrences: 681
egypt, 586
Gen_12:10-11 (2), Gen_12:14, Gen_13:1, Gen_13:10, Gen_15:18, Gen_21:21, Gen_25:18, Gen_26:2, Gen_37:25, Gen_37:28, Gen_37:36, Gen_40:1 (3), Gen_40:5, Gen 41 (19), Gen_42:3 (3), Gen_43:2, Gen_43:15, Gen_45:4, Gen_45:8-9 (2), Gen_45:13, Gen_45:18-20 (3), Gen_45:23, Gen_45:25-26 (2), Gen_46:3-4 (2), Gen_46:6-8 (3), Gen_46:20, Gen_46:26-27 (3), Gen_47:6, Gen_47:11, Gen_47:13-15 (3), Gen_47:20-21 (2), Gen_47:26-30 (5), Gen_48:5 (2), Gen_50:7, Gen_50:14, Gen_50:22, Gen_50:26, Exo_1:1, Exo_1:5, Exo_1:8, Exo_1:15, Exo_1:17-18 (2), Exo_2:23, Exo_3:7, Exo_3:10-12 (3), Exo_3:16-20 (5), Exo_4:18-21 (4), Exo_5:4, Exo_5:12, Exo_6:11, Exo_6:13 (2), Exo_6:26-29 (5), Exo_7:3-5 (4), Exo_7:11, Exo_7:19 (2), Exo_7:21-22 (2), Exo_8:5-7 (4), Exo_8:16-17 (2), Exo_8:24, Exo_9:4, Exo_9:6, Exo_9:9 (2), Exo_9:18, Exo_9:22-25 (5), Exo_10:2, Exo_10:7, Exo_10:12-15 (6), Exo_10:19, Exo_10:21-22 (2), Exo_11:1, Exo_11:3-6 (4), Exo_11:9, Ex 12 (15), Exo_13:3, Exo_13:8-9 (2), Exo_13:14-18 (5), Exo_14:5, Exo_14:7-8 (2), Exo_14:11-12 (3), Exo_16:1, Exo_16:3, Exo_16:6, Exo_16:32, Exo_17:3, Exo_20:1-2 (3), Exo_22:21, Exo_23:9, Exo_23:15, Exo_29:46, Exo_32:1, Exo_32:4, Exo_32:7-8 (2), Exo_32:11, Exo_32:23, Exo_33:1, Exo_34:18, Lev_11:45, Lev_18:3, Lev_19:34, Lev_19:36, Lev_22:33, Lev_23:43, Lev_25:38, Lev_25:42, Lev_25:55, Lev_26:13, Lev_26:45, Num_1:1, Num_3:13, Num_8:17, Num_9:1, Num_11:5, Num_11:18, Num_11:20, Num_13:22, Num_14:2-4 (3), Num_14:19, Num_14:22, Num_15:41, Num_20:5, Num_20:15-16 (3), Num_22:5 (2), Num_22:11, Num_23:22, Num_24:8, Num_26:4, Num_26:59, Num_32:11, Num_33:1, Num_33:38, Num_34:5, Deu_1:27, Deu_1:30, Deu_4:20, Deu_4:34, Deu_4:37, Deu_4:45-46 (2), Deu_5:6, Deu_5:15, Deu_6:12, Deu_6:21-22 (3), Deu_7:8, Deu_7:15, Deu_7:18, Deu_8:14, Deu_9:7, Deu_9:12, Deu_9:26, Deu_10:19, Deu_10:22, Deu_11:3-4 (3), Deu_11:10, Deu_13:5, Deu_13:10, Deu_15:15, Deu_16:1, Deu_16:3 (2), Deu_16:6, Deu_16:12, Deu_17:16, Deu_20:1, Deu_23:4, Deu_24:9, Deu_24:18, Deu_24:22, Deu_25:17, Deu_26:5, Deu_26:8, Deu_28:27, Deu_28:60, Deu_28:68, Deu_29:2, Deu_29:16, Deu_29:25, Deu_34:11, Jos_2:10, Jos_5:4-6 (4), Jos_9:9 (2), Jos_15:3-4 (2), Jos_15:47, Jos_24:4-7 (4), Jos_24:14, Jos_24:17, Jos_24:32, Jdg_2:1, Jdg_2:12, Jdg_6:8, Jdg_11:13 (2), Jdg_11:16, Jdg_19:30, 1Sa_2:27, 1Sa_8:8, 1Sa_10:18, 1Sa_12:6, 1Sa_12:8 (2), 1Sa_15:2, 1Sa_27:6-8 (3), 2Sa_7:6, 2Sa_7:23, 1Ki_3:1, 1Ki_4:21, 1Ki_4:30, 1Ki_6:1, 1Ki_8:9, 1Ki_8:16, 1Ki_8:21, 1Ki_8:51, 1Ki_8:53, 1Ki_8:65, 1Ki_9:9, 1Ki_9:16, 1Ki_10:28-29 (2), 1Ki_11:17-18 (3), 1Ki_11:21, 1Ki_11:40 (3), 1Ki_12:2 (2), 1Ki_12:28, 1Ki_14:25, 2Ki_17:4, 2Ki_17:7 (2), 2Ki_17:36, 2Ki_18:21 (2), 2Ki_18:24, 2Ki_21:15, 2Ki_23:29, 2Ki_23:34, 2Ki_24:7 (3), 2Ki_25:26, 1Ch_13:5, 1Ch_17:21, 2Ch_1:16-17 (2), 2Ch_5:10, 2Ch_6:5, 2Ch_7:8, 2Ch_7:22, 2Ch_9:26, 2Ch_9:28, 2Ch_12:2-3 (4), 2Ch_20:9-10 (2), 2Ch_26:8, 2Ch_35:20, 2Ch_36:3-4 (3), Neh_9:9, Neh_9:18, Psa_68:31, Psa_78:12, Psa_78:43, Psa_78:51, Psa_80:8, Psa_81:5, Psa_81:10, Psa_105:23, Psa_105:38, Psa_106:7, Psa_106:21, Psa_114:1, Psa_136:8-10 (3), Pro_7:16, Isa_7:18, Isa_10:24, Isa_10:26, Isa_11:11, Isa_11:16, Isa 19 (20), Isa_23:5 (4), Isa_27:12-13 (2), Isa_30:2-3 (3), Isa_31:1, Isa_36:6 (2), Isa_36:9, Isa_43:3, Isa_45:14, Isa_52:4, Jer_2:6, Jer_2:18, Jer_2:36, Jer_7:22, Jer_9:25-26 (2), Jer_11:4, Jer_11:7, Jer_16:14, Jer_24:7-8 (2), Jer_25:19, Jer_26:21-23 (4), Jer_31:32, Jer_32:20-21 (2), Jer_34:13, Jer_37:5, Jer_37:7, Jer_41:17, Jer_42:14-19 (7), Jer_43:2, Jer_43:7, Jer_43:11-13 (4), Jer_46:2 (2), Jer_46:8, Jer_46:11, Jer_46:13-14 (2), Jer_46:17, Jer_46:19-20 (2), Jer_46:24-25 (2), Eze_17:15, Eze_20:4-10 (8), Eze_20:36, Eze_23:3, Eze_23:8, Eze_23:19, Eze_23:27 (2), Eze_27:7, Eze_29:2-3 (3), Eze_29:6, Eze_29:9-10 (2), Eze_29:12, Eze_29:14, Eze_29:19-20 (2), Eze_32:2 (2), Eze_32:12, Eze_32:15-16 (2), Eze_32:18, Dan_9:15, Dan_11:8, Dan_11:42-43 (2), Hos_2:15, Hos_7:11, Hos_7:16, Hos_8:13, Hos_9:3, Hos_9:6, Hos_11:1, Hos_11:5, Hos_11:11, Hos_12:1, Hos_12:9, Hos_12:13, Hos_13:4, Joe_3:19, Amo_2:10, Amo_3:1, Amo_4:9-10 (2), Amo_8:8, Amo_9:5, Amo_9:7, Mic_6:4, Mic_7:15, Nah_3:9, Hag_2:5, Zec_10:10-11 (2), Zec_14:19
egyptians, 89
Gen_41:55-56 (2), Gen_43:32, Gen_45:2, Gen_46:34, Gen_47:15, Gen_47:20, Gen_50:3, Gen_50:11, Exo_1:13, Exo_3:8-9 (2), Exo_3:21-22 (2), Exo_6:5-7 (3), Exo_7:5, Exo_7:18, Exo_7:21, Exo_7:24, Exo_8:21, Exo_8:26 (2), Exo_9:11, Exo_10:6, Exo_11:3, Exo_11:7, Exo_12:23, Exo_12:27, Exo_12:30, Exo_12:33, Exo_12:35-36 (3), Exo_14:4, Exo_14:9-10 (2), Exo_14:12-13 (3), Exo_14:17-18 (2), Exo_14:20, Exo_14:23-27 (8), Exo_14:30-31 (3), Exo_15:26, Exo_18:8-10 (4), Exo_19:4, Num_14:12-13 (2), Num_20:15, Num_33:3-4 (2), Jos_24:6, Jdg_6:9, Jdg_10:11, 1Sa_4:8, 1Sa_6:6, 1Sa_10:18, 2Ki_7:6, Isa_19:2 (2), Isa_19:4, Isa_19:21, Isa_19:23, Isa_20:4, Isa_30:7, Isa_31:3, Jer_43:13, Lam_5:6, Eze_16:26, Eze_23:21, Eze_29:12-13 (2), Eze_30:23, Eze_30:26
mizraim, 4
Gen_10:6, Gen_10:13, 1Ch_1:8, 1Ch_1:11
egyptian, 2
Isa_11:15, Isa_19:23

Knowing this very close relationship between Egypt and the Philistines makes it very clear that the only difference between the spiritual significance of these two enemies of the people of the Lord is that the one is in Egypt, persecuting the Lord’s people, signifying the bondage of the Lord’s people to the carnal rebellious world. The other is an uncircumcised Philistine ‘carnal babe in Christ’ which is also just an uncircumcised Egyptian who is in the land of promise, having a relationship with the Lord’s people but, as a presumptuous and unruly child, always attempting to dominate the Lord’s household. The Lord will not yield to His rebellious “carnal… babes in Christ”. Instead, He will punish them and destroy the kingdom of the first man Adam within His house… His temple.

Jer 47:5  Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?

Baldness has both a positive and a negative application. In its positive application it was simply a self-imposed part of the mourning process:

Job 1:20  Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

Jer 16:6  Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves nor make themselves bald for them:

In its negative application, baldness was inflicted upon an enemy to humiliate him:

1Ch 19:4  Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.

Isa 3:17  Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

Isa 3:24  And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

Cutting oneself was forbidden by the Lord while being common among the Gentiles.

Deu 14:1  Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

The Lord is our Father, and it is His will, and His alone, to chasten and scourge those He loves. We are not given to take that scourging upon ourselves. Nevertheless, the Lord’s people followed the customs of the nations around them and also cut themselves, as Jeremiah reveals when speaking of Judah’s impending judgments:

Jer 16:1  The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,
Jer 16:2  Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
Jer 16:3  For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;
Jer 16:4  They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
Jer 16:5  For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies.
Jer 16:6  Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
Jer 16:7  Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

The prophets of Baal cut themselves in their efforts to get Baal’s attention, but the Lord has not given the spirit world to communicate with this realm to that degree, and Baal did not hear them:

1Ki 18:25  And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
1Ki 18:26  And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
1Ki 18:27  And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey,  or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
1Ki 18:28  And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
1Ki 18:29  And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

The spirit realm can, and does, tempt us to disobey the words of the Lord, but the Lord’s people are always forbidden communications with that realm:

Lev 19:31  Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

Lev 20:6  And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

1Sa 28:3  Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

However, the sword of ‘the Lord’s servant’, Nebuchadnezzar, is not at all restrained and is given to destroy the symbol of our old  man and his kingdom, signified by the Philistines within our land:

Jer 47:6  O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
Jer 47:7  How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.

It is by the Lord’s words we are purged of the giants like Goliath and the armies of the Philistines within us. The Lord’s words are signified abundantly by both fire and water, an apparent contradiction which serves to keep the mysteries of the kingdom of God hidden from those who have not been given eyes to see nor ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God and the things of the spirit (Mat 13:10-15, 1Co 2:13-14).

As ‘fire’ the Words of the Lord burn up all the ‘wood, hay, and stubble’ within us:

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

As ‘water’ the Lord’s words are “rivers of living waters” springing out of the bellies of the Lord’s elect, washing us clean:

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great  day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Exo 15:1-27  Thou hast Guided them in thy Strength unto thy Holy Habitation

[Study Aired June 27, 2022]

Exo 15:1  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Exo 15:2  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Exo 15:3  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
Exo 15:4  Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
Exo 15:5  The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. 
Exo 15:6  Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 
Exo 15:7  And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 
Exo 15:8  And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 
Exo 15:9  The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 
Exo 15:10  Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
Exo 15:11  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 
Exo 15:12  Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 
Exo 15:13  Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. 
Exo 15:14  The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. 
Exo 15:15  Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. 
Exo 15:16  Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. 
Exo 15:17  Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
Exo 15:18  The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. 
Exo 15:19  For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 
Exo 15:20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 
Exo 15:21  And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 
Exo 15:22  So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 
Exo 15:23  And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 
Exo 15:24  And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 
Exo 15:25  And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 
Exo 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. 
Exo 15:27  And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. 

This chapter deals with the song of Moses. The Lord’s miraculous deliverance is always followed spontaneously by our praise and worship. Moses and the people of Israel could not help but worship the Lord by singing to the Lord a new song. This song of Moses is actually the song of the Lamb of God – Jesus Christ!!

Psa 96:1  O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. 
Psa 96:2  Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. 
Psa 96:3  Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. 
Psa 96:4  For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

When the Israelites were in the promised land and were oppressed by King Jabin of Canaan and Sisera, the captain of his army, the Lord raised up Deborah and Barak to defeat them. Immediately after the great victory, Deborah and Barak worshiped the Lord with this song of praise (Song of Moses):

Jdg 5:1  Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, 
Jdg 5:2  Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 
Jdg 5:3  Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. 
Jdg 5:4  LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. 
Jdg 5:5  The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. 

Incidentally, after we have overcome the flesh after the Lord’s judgment of our old man or the beast, we shall sing this song of Moses on that day!!

Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 
Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 
Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Exo 15:1  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Exo 15:2  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Exo 15:3  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
Exo 15:4  Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. 
Exo 15:5  The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. 

These verses attest to the fact that the death of the old man, or the beast within, is all the work of the Lord. They are also to assure us that despite the situation in which we find ourselves in this life, if we are called and chosen, then victory will surely be ours. The Lord triumphing gloriously is to let us know that the Lord’s work on our old man is done in a superb fashion.

Psa 107:15  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

The horse and the rider refer to the old man, or the flesh or the beast within. The horse and the rider being thrown into the sea means that the Lord uses the flesh and its works to destroy our flesh. In other words, our own wickedness will correct us.

Jer 51:21  And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;

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

The destruction of this unsurmountable enemy (our old man) makes the Lord a man of war indeed!! The description of the Lord as a man of war refers to His might and the arsenals at His disposal to deal with our flesh.

Isa 42:13  The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.

In verse 2, we come to know the Lord as our strength and song. Being our strength means that we do not have any strength of our own to do anything. This is what it means:

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

The Lord being our song means that He is our object of worship. All our worship is directed towards Him.

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 

As we have indicated in an earlier series, Pharaoh, his chariots and his army constitute our old man, or the flesh within us. Sinking to the bottom as a stone in verse 5 is to let us know about the gradual process the Lord takes to dismantle our old man. The death of the old man is a process that takes a lifetime. Jesus told us that His perfection came on the third day, which means it was after resurrection that He was perfected. Our perfection is also to be achieved in the first resurrection if the Lord wills!!

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.

Exo 15:6  Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 
Exo 15:7  And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 
Exo 15:8  And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 
Exo 15:9  The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 
Exo 15:10  Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

These verses focus on the arsenal at the Lord’s disposal to destroy our old man. The weapons identified here are Lord’s right hand, his greatness, his wrath, the blast of his nostrils, his wind and the sea. In the Lord’s right hand are pleasures for evermore. The pleasures relate to His mercies, lovingkindness, protection, grace, etc.

Psa 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psa 89:13  Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.

Psa 17:7  Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

Psa 18:35  Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

His greatness relates to the fact that it is through Him that everything consists!! Thus, nothing is impossible!!

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

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

Although human wrath worketh wickedness, our Lord’s wrath brings us to salvation. His wrath brings us trouble, but it is all part of the process of bringing us to our desired haven.

2Ch 29:8  Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. 

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

The blast of His nostrils is His breath, which is the Spirit of promise. This is the Spirit which empowered the disciples and is empowering us through the baptism of the Holy Spirit to do the work of God.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

Act 1:5  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 

His wind is all the spiritual resources at the Lord’s disposal. This includes both good and evil spirits.

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

As we have indicated earlier, the sea represents the flesh and its works. The Lord uses our fleshly works to correct us.

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

Exo 15:11  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 
Exo 15:12  Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 

Here we are looking at the incomparability of our Lord. His might and attributes are beyond description. Words cannot be uttered to describe Him completely!!

Psa 86:8  Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

One of His attributes described here is that He is fearful in praises. Our praises are our worship. As we revere or worship our Lord, He does wonders on our behalf. Our worship includes the fruit of the lips in singing His praise but it is principally about how we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Exo 15:13  Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. 

Our walk with Christ in this world of wilderness is for the purpose of providing the Lord a habitation in our hearts and mind for the Lord to reign in our lives. What we must note here is that it is the Lord’s strength which usurps the old man, or the beast, from the throne of our hearts to make a way for the Lord to come and sit on His throne in our hearts and minds.

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

Exo 15:14  The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
Exo 15:15  Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
Exo 15:16  Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

The inhabitants of Palestina, the dukes of Edom and the mighty men of Moab, are all describing the old man within each one of us, who must be driven out of our land (bodies) in order for us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord. As the Lord starts His work of judging us, which results in the gradual destruction of the old man, it becomes obvious to the old man that his days are numbered in our lives, and therefore, we are gripped with fear and dread because we think that if we lose our lives, then we are doomed. Saul found himself in the same situation with David when David defeated Goliath. The women of Israel started singing that Saul had slain his thousands and David, his ten thousands. Saul was filled with fear and dread as he realized that David would ascend the throne at his expense. Saul represents our old man, and David signifies the new man who is after the image of Christ.

1Sa 18:6  And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
1Sa 18:7  And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 
1Sa 18:8  And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 
1Sa 18:9  And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

Exo 15:17  Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
Exo 15:18  The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. 
Exo 15:19  For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 

These verses imply that the destruction of the old man, or the flesh within us (Pharaoh, his chariots and army), is a prerequisite to being planted by the Lord in the mountain of His inheritance. The mountain of His inheritance is the same as the Lord’s sanctuary, which is our bodies – hearts and mind. The Lord will ascend the throne of our hearts and mind after usurping the old man and reign forever!!

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Exo 15:20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Exo 15:21  And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Miriam here represents the church of the firstborn or the elect, which is Christ’s body. All the women going after Miriam with timbrels and with dances is to let us know that all the various assemblies of the church of the elect worldwide must worship the Lord for His wonderful works to the children of men. As we have said earlier, our spiritual form of worship to the Lord is to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord!!

Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 
Psa 107:32  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 
Psa 107:33  He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; 
Psa 107:34  A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. 
Psa 107:35  He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. 
Psa 107:36  And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; 

Exo 15:22  So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

The Red Sea experience is to let us know as we come out of Babylon that our efforts do not play a role in our salvation. Everything is of the Lord, and all we need to do is to depend on Him through faith as He begins to deal with our enemy (the old man within). The Lord wants us to know our real situation after leaving Babylon as He brings us to Shur where there was no water. The name Shur means wall and so the lack of water of the word of the Lord is like a wall that prevents us from getting access to the word of the Lord. Throughout our stay in Babylon, we did not have access to the word of the Lord which is able to give us an inheritance. This is what our situation was as we leave Babylon:

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

Amo 8:11  “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

Surprisingly, the famine of the word of the Lord is all part of the Lord’s judgment of our old man. The three days the Israelites spent in the wilderness of Shur without water is to let us know that the judgment of famine is all part of the process of our spiritual maturity.

Eze 14:21  “For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!

Exo 15:23  And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 
Exo 15:24  And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 
Exo 15:25  And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 

Again, immediately after our exit from Babylon (Egypt), the Lord wants us to know that during our sojourn in Babylon, what we taught was the truth of the word of the Lord was a polluted word of the Lord, which makes it difficult for us to assimilate. In other words, what we were drinking was bitter water (polluted word of the Lord) making it impossible for us to drink. As we cried to the Lord in our desperation, He heard us and showed us a tree. This tree is Christ, who represents the tree of life. The tree here also symbolizes the elect as shown in the following verses:

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 
Psa 1:2  but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 
Psa 1:3  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.  

Psa 52:8  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

Psa 92:12  The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

It is when the elect is cast into the water that we are enlightened to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God. The casting of the tree into the water is the same as the stirring of the water which causes our eyes to see and our ears to hear. This tree is the same as the angel, or the elect, who came to stir up the pool called Bethesda in Jerusalem, and whoever was first (the firstfruit) to enter the stirred water got healed of his sickness (sin).

Joh 5:2  Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 
Joh 5:3  In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 
Joh 5:4  For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 

The elect’s experience of being enlightened by the word of the Lord is described in the scriptures as the word being sweet in our mouth when we receive it. That was the experience of the Israelites as they drank water with a tree in it.

Eze 3:1  Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. 
Eze 3:2  So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
Eze 3:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. 

Exo 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. 

The Israelites were made aware right at the very beginning of their journey in the wilderness that if they obey the Lord, then the Lord will not put the diseases the Egyptians experienced on them. This is the same as telling a child learning how to walk that he should not fall down and that if he falls, he will be punished. In saying this, the Lord wants us (the Israelites) to come to see that we cannot, of ourselves, obey the Lord’s commandments. Our failure to obey the Lord also accomplishes the purpose of giving Him the opportunity that He is seeking to come to judge us, since it is through judgment that we learn obedience. The statement, “I am the Lord that healeth thee” is to make us aware that it is the Lord that heals us of our disobedience.

Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 
Rom 7:15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 
Rom 7:16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 
Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 
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.

Exo 15:27  And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

This verse is to point to us our destination (where we are supposed to end up) in this wilderness of the world. Our final destination, after going through the famine of the word of the Lord and drinking polluted water in the churches of Babylon, is the church of the firstborn, signified by Elim, which was an oasis of seventy palm trees and twelve springs of water. The number seventy is seven multiplied by ten (70=7×10). The number seven signifies completeness, and the number ten means the fullness of the flesh. Thus, the seventy palm trees represent the assembly of the complete number of the elect who recognize the fullness of their flesh and are being delivered through the Lord’s judgment. The number twelve is the number of Christ, and so the twelve wells signify the whole counsel of the word of Christ. In other words, the church of the elect is where we have the pillar and ground of the truth!! That is where we are to encamp in this life.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 
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: 

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 

May the Lord help us so that we do not refuse Him Who speaks to us through what every joint supplies!! Amen!!

1Ki 7:47-51 “He made a molten sea” Part 3

[Study Aired December 16, 2021]

1Ki 7:47  And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out. 
1Ki 7:48  And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was, 
1Ki 7:49  And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold, 
1Ki 7:50  And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple. 
1Ki 7:51  So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

These verses below are all taken from Matthew 6:1-34 and, as part of the introduction to our study, serve to help us see what the workmanship Solomon accomplished “for the house of the LORD” represents. It is at the altar, which represents the cross, that God has dragged His people to Christ to worship our Father and Christ in spirit and in truth (Joh 6:44), and it is the truth found in God’s word that is likened unto silver and gold vessels (“the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD“) that must abide in us and be brought into the “the house of the LORD” if we are going to be among those who worship our Father in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:23).

The “treasures of the house of the LORD” are symbolic of the increase God gives the bride of Christ and is laid up in heaven, meaning our hearts and minds. This section of Kings shines a bright light for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear what it means to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Mat 6:21, Luk 12:33) which is represented by:

• the altar of gold

• the table of gold

• the candlesticks of pure gold

• the lamps, and the tongs of gold

• the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold

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.

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.

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luk 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Seeing it is God’s gold, we are admonished from the onset of the sixth chapter of Matthew not to take any glory for the gold God is laying up in store within the body of Christ, which is the temple of God (1Co 3:16, Luk 17:10, 1Ch 29:14).

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” (Mat 6:1-4)

Where and how we pray is contrasted with the wrong way we naturally pray when Christ is not the one orchestrating that prayer with His righteousness (Php 3:9-11), and it is through the dying daily process through which our Father drags us to Christ that we are able to overcome the hypocrisy that abides within all flesh.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Mat 6:5-8)

This next section of Matthew chapter six is a whole study within itself that explains to us how we are to pray to our Sovereign Father in heaven Who has given us this outline to build fervent prayer upon which does avail much when it is His righteousness working that prayer.

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

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

God is faithful to reward and to punish those with whom He is working in this age (Heb 12:6), and He has given the elect to see that He is in charge of both the light and darkness, the good and evil within us (Isa 45:7). As such, we are admonished not to mourn as others even though we do mourn the putting off of our flesh. This good and evil or light and darkness are represented by the “the silver, and the gold” that was brought into the temple of God and reminds us that the longsuffering process to which God has called us in order to become mature sons (Rom 2:4) is accomplished through a lifetime of having a contrite and broken heart God grants to the elect (Isa 66:2) who can be easily intreated and who acknowledge our transgressions as we endure the chastening every son of God can and must endure in this life to cease from sinning so we can be prepared to rule under Christ (Heb 12:7, 2Ti 2:12)

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? 

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

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? 

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 

“Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” (Mat 6:16-18)

It is “At that day” (Joh 14:20) that we realize where our treasure is and begin to see all those gold items in the temple of Solomon for what they really represent. The character of Christ being formed within the body of Christ through the fiery trials that prove our faith in Him (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 1:7), is the immeasurably more valuable workmanship of God that is an ongoing cleansing process which is making the bride ready for that great and blessed day of His return (Eph 2:10, Php 3:8, Rev 19:7-8).

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win 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. 
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. 

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Mat 6:19-24)

We just read it, “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”, which is what it means to be one of “the lilies of the field” which are contrasted against Solomon and all his glory that was shown in the temple and his kingdom. The lilies represent Christ in us (Son 2:1-2), and so, with that knowledge, we do not need to take “thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.” The Lord will provide and direct the lives of His little flock (Psa 23:1-3) as we are led by the spirit of God (Rom 8:14-16) that will make a way for us to endure through this life, taking care of one another both physically and spiritually (3Jn 1:2-3, Luk 6:38, 1Jn 3:17-18).

Psa 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 
Psa 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 
Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

3Jn 1:2  Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 
3Jn 1:3  For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 

Luk 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

1Jn 3:17  But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 
1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [1Co 3:6] And why take ye thought for raiment? [Rev 19:8] Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; [1Co 3:6] they toil not, neither do they spin: [Php 2:12-13] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Mat 6:25-29)

God knows what we have need of, and we can so easily forget that in our flesh and start seeking to be clothed with our own righteousness (Php 3:9) as opposed to being clothed by Christ on whom we are to wait (Psa 27:12-14): “shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” God knows we lack that faith, so He sends an evil spirit to trouble us that only by His grace and faith is overcome after we have been brought to our wits’ end and ask our heavenly Father to help us in our unbelief (Mar 9:24).

Psa 27:12  Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. [Both can be understood within and without and both an experience of evil to humble us thereby so Christ can be exalted in due time (Ecc 1:13)] 
Psa 27:13  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 
Psa 27:14  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. 

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, [“why take ye thought for raiment?“] which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: [Rev 19:8]

“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (Mat 6:30-32)

Christ himself and Christ in us are praying for each other and have prayed and will continue to pray for the faith needed to not give up in our quest of seeking the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, and as such those prayers will lead to our salvation availing much in every way through this life (Php 3:9, Luk 22:32, Gal 6:2). These are also some of “the treasures of the house of the LORD” that we will be looking at tonight.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: [“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (1Co 3:6)]

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

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ [by bearing with the infirmity of those who are weak in faith by praying for their faith we are helping them on that road to being “converted” so they can go and do the same for those who they will “strengthen” by the strength that they received from others].

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” [What is added to God’s elect is the gift of being able to help convert and strengthen others in this life and the next. The experiences God gives the elect turns us into a brand new creation whose function is likened unto the implements in the temple (1Ti 4:16)] ”Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Mat 6:33-34)

1Ki 7:47  And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out. 

This language that describes ‘the brass that could not be weighed there was so much’ is symbolic of the innumerable multitude who are purified after the elect (Rev 7:9). Those who go on to be the golden vessels in the temple of God do so by the grace and faith of Christ, purging “himself from these [within], he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2Ti 2:19-26). The house contains both vessels, and everyman’s work is made known of what sort it is by fire, and the fire judges us either now in this age or in the lake of fire depending on what God has ordained from the foundation of the world (1Co 3:13-15).

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; 

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 
2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 
2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 
2Ti 2:22  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 
2Ti 2:23  But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 
2Ti 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 
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. 

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

1Ki 7:48  And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,

Solomon who is a type of Christ and “made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,“.

Making “the altar of gold” and “the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread [is]” are both symbols of what Christ has done for us in giving His body at the altar, which is the cross, and in so doing made it possible for us to receive the true bread of life (Joh 6:51) symbolized by the “shewbread” which could not be given to humanity until Christ died and sent the comforter on Pentecost (Joh 16:7, Act 2:1-4). Christ is the first wave offering spoken of in Leviticus 23:11-12, and the elect of God are symbolically represented by the “two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD” spoken of in Leviticus 23:16-17. We are like Christ in that regard giving our bodies as a living sacrifice for the world that will one day be used to feed the masses spiritually as Christ has done and is doing for us today through the church (Eph 3:10).

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Lev 23:11  And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: 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 23:16  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 
Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. 

1Ki 7:49  And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,

God’s mercy and favor are witnessed through the grace that is symbolized by the light of “the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left“. The elect are likened to these candlesticks in Revelation 11:4, and there are two because it is the witness of Christ’s life in us that makes it possible for our witness to be steadfast and true, seeing those candlesticks are in Christ’s right hand and are not able to be taken out of His hand or the Father’s hand (Rev 1:3, Rev 3:14, Rev 2:1, Joh 10:28-29). What we are called to do as God’s two witnesses is to faithfully speak the word of God that will proceed out of our mouth as fire, both in this life and going forward, until all the world is consumed by that fire (Jer 5:14, Rev 11:4-5, Jas 3:5, Luk 12:49).

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 

Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 

Jas 3:5  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 

Luk 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

Where this fire is being kindled is “before the oracle^H1687, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold“, telling us that Christ and His Christ are the ones who will administer God’s judgments upon the world from the “inner most part of the sanctuary”^H1687, and that is made possible by being the first to be tried by those words of eternal life that are purified “before the oracle”^H1687 today (Joh 6:68). The “flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold” are symbolic of Christ’s and God’s word, which is likened to hot coals in Isaiah, that will be used to give the world one pure language after their mouths (Isa 6:6, Zep 3:9), from where our words come, are sanctified or purged with fiery coals as ours are being tried today (Joh 12:48, Isa 6:7, 1Pe 4:12)

1Ki 7:50  And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.

These implements and vessels and hinges are connected with “the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was” of 1Kings 7:48 describing the blessing that God’s elect have to be in such a trusted and blessed relationship with our Father and Christ to be used to administer God’s word that will be used to purify the nations.

“The bowls“^H5592 and “the basons“^H4219 are the symbolic vessels that are used to contain the blood of the sacrificed animal, which blood symbolizes God’s word that is likened to blood and is now kept within the purged vessels we have become to the glory of God.

Then we have “the snuffers“^H4212 (‘tweezers’), which word is derived from the word “to prune”, telling us our function as kings and priests will be to prune the nations and wash them with the word of God in which we were blessed to be the first to trust (Eph 1:12).

The word “spoons“^H3709 demonstrates that it will be with the humble mind of Christ that God’s elect, who are those spoons, will wash the feet of the nations (Rev 22:9, Joh 13:15).

H3709 kaph  the hollow hand [Psa_26:6] or palm [Isa_49:16] (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole [Eze_1:7] , and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm tree); figuratively power: – branch, + foot, hand ([-ful], -dle, [-led]), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.  [Also used as “clouds” in Job_36:32]

From H3721: A primitive root; to curve: – bow down (self).

The “censers“^H4289 is “a pan for live coals” and the root of this Strong’s number is H2846 (“to take away” or “heap” – Pro 25:22). Therefore this vessel again symbolizes the elect who will use God’s word, alive and active, to purge the nations of all iniquity.

Lastly, “the hinges“^H6596 reveal that God’s elect are in an intimate spiritual relationship with Christ, like a husband and wife (Eph 5:28-32). We are the first who learn to trust our Husband before all the world (Eph 1:12), learning that He is the one who is sovereign over all things that consist by Him (Col 1:17). He is the one “that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth” (Rev 3:7-8) as the Father directs. The gold “hinges” make it possible for the door of our heavens to be opened, increasing our spiritual knowledge that comes about by our fiery trials “hinges of gold” that bring us to trust in the living God (1Co 3:6).

H6596 pôth / pôthâh  From an unused root meaning to open; a hole, that is, hinge or the female pudenda: – hinge, secret part.

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 
Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 
Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Rev 3:7  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Rev 3:8  I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

• the bowlsH5592

• the snuffersH4212 from H2168

• the basonsH4219 from H2236

• the spoonsH3709 from H3721 

• the censersH4289

• the hingesH6596

1Ki 7:51  So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

What God has started in us He will finish through Christ in us, a thought that is typified by this statement: “So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD” (Php 1:6).

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: 

Then we’re told “And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated”^H6944 telling us that only the words of God in our life that have been sanctified by Christ in us can become treasure laid up in heaven (Mat 6:20). David is a type of Christ who dedicated/sanctified^H6944 the temple with “even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD” which is all typical language of what Christ is doing in the body of Christ to sanctify it with the word of God (Joh 17:17).

Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart^G2588 be also.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Anyone who is going to become sanctified to God in this life (Rom 8:30), or dedicated to God, will do so through Christ (Heb 10:10), and all these items “even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels” represent the work Christ does in the lives of the elect who then become the vessels of honour (2Ti 2:21, Rom 9:21) He will use to redeem the rest of mankind through his body which is the temple of God (1Co 3:16, Oba 1:21).

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

Heb 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 

We’ll end this last section of our 4-part study entitled “He made a molten sea” with these verses in Hebrews 9:23-28 which remind us that the workmanship of Solomon within and outside the temple is a type of the workmanship in “the heavenly things themselves” which is where our Father and Christ are abiding (Eph 2:6) with those many vessels that represent His word within each of us (Joh 14:23, Joh 8:32) that is likened to gold and silver.

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: [Eph 2:6] 
Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself [within us (Rom 12:1-2)]. 
Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 
Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [1Jn 2:17]

Gospels In Harmony – The Washing of the Disciples’ Feet

Mat 26:20-21, Mar 14:17-18, Luk 22:14-30, Joh 13:2-17

[Study Aired October 26, 2021]

Mat 26:20a Now when the even was come, 
Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Luk 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Luk 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luk 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Joh 13:2 (Rotherham) And, supper, being in progress, the adversary, having already thrust into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, that he should deliver him up,
Joh 13:3 Jesus knowing that, all things, the Father had given unto him, into his hands, and that, from God, he had come, and, unto God, he was going, 
Joh 13:4 rouseth himself out of the supper, and layeth aside his garments, and taking a linen cloth, girded himself. 
Joh 13:5 Next, he poureth water into the wash-basin, and began to be washing the feet of the disciples, and to be wiping them with the linen cloth wherewith he was girded. 
Joh 13:6 So he cometh unto Simon Peter. He saith unto him—Lord, dost, thou, wash my feet? 
Joh 13:7 Jesus answered, and said unto him—What, I, am doing, thou, knowest not, as yet; howbeit, thou shalt got to know, hereafter. 
Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him—In nowise shalt thou, ever, wash my feet. Jesus answered him—If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 
Joh 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him—Lord! not my feet only, but my hands also, and my head. 
Joh 13:10 Jesus saith unto him—He that hath bathed himself, hath no need save as to the feet to get washed; but is pure, as a whole. And, ye, are, pure, but not ye, all. 
Joh 13:11 For he know the man that was delivering him up; therefore, said he—Not ye all, are pure. (Rotherham)
Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Our last study was about the preparation of the feast being a type and shadow of our time in Babylon when the Lord begins to prepare our hearts and minds to become a living sacrifice.

Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

This study will show us a division must take place in order for us to share in the Lord’s supper. We will see that the passover is for all the chosen, but the Lord’s supper is for those that do not betray the Lord and keep his commandments and continue in his word.

Mat 26:20a Now when the even was come, 
Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Christ is laying the foundation of our process to the entrance of the kingdom of God. Suffering is His example we all must follow. Before we suffer with Christ, we go through several stages. These stages take place before even receiving the holy spirit. Some of these stages are strife, betrayal, denial, and then finally we receive the spirit. After receiving the spirit, the beginning of our true sufferings starts so that we can fill up that which is ‘behind of the afflictions of Christ’.

Col 1:21-29 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, 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; 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: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 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: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Here is the stage of strife.

Luk 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

Being carnally minded we desire to be the greatest or consider others to be greater than they actually are, causing division within the church. We do not understand that those that are the least esteemed in the ways of the world are the greatest in God’s eyes.

Rom 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Here is what Christ has to say to those that strive with each other in the church.

Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Luk 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luk 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

We are to be servants of the body. God has gifted everyone with something. Every member is important, and there are different functions of the members.

1Co 12:20-31 But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Christ now shows another example of what must take place while eating the Lord’s supper. I have used the Rotherham translation because the KJV shows this happening after supper, but many other translations have this happening during the supper before the breaking of bread. Of course, we care more about the spiritual significance of the message than the order, but it does seem to make sense to be presented in this order.

Joh 13:2 (Rotherham) And, supper, being in progress, the adversary, having already thrust into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, that he should deliver him up,
Joh 13:3 Jesus knowing that, all things, the Father had given unto him, into his hands, and that, from God, he had come, and, unto God, he was going, 
Joh 13:4 rouseth himself out of the supper, and layeth aside his garments, and taking a linen cloth, girded himself. 
Joh 13:5 Next, he poureth water into the wash-basin, and began to be washing the feet of the disciples, and to be wiping them with the linen cloth wherewith he was girded. 
Joh 13:6 So he cometh unto Simon Peter. He saith unto him—Lord, dost, thou, wash my feet? 
Joh 13:7 Jesus answered, and said unto him—What, I, am doing, thou, knowest not, as yet; howbeit, thou shalt got to know, hereafter. 
Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him—In nowise shalt thou, ever, wash my feet. Jesus answered him—If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 
Joh 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him—Lord! not my feet only, but my hands also, and my head. 
Joh 13:10 Jesus saith unto him—He that hath bathed himself, hath no need save as to the feet to get washed; but is pure, as a whole. And, ye, are, pure, but not ye, all. 
Joh 13:11 For he know the man that was delivering him up; therefore, said he—Not ye all, are pure. (Rotherham)

Christ must bathe our feet so that we can be completely clean and free of sin. Feet represent our walk, and our walk represents our way of life and must be purified.

Lev 16:26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

Psa 15:1-2 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

1Jn 1:5-8 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

The water Christ is using to clean our feet is the word.

Eph 5:26-27 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.

Christ now explains why he is washing their feet.

Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

So we are to do this with each other. That is the purpose of our gatherings. We share the knowledge and understanding Christ has given us, and therefore we are cleansed by the washing of the water of the word.