The Word of God is Alive and Powerful

[Study Aired July 26, 2026]

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

The word translated as ‘For’ at the beginning of verse 12 is the Greek word G1063, ‘gar’. It is defined as a conjunction which “assigns a reason.”

Here is what AI has to say about this Greek conjunction:

“γάρ (gar) is the fourth most common conjunction in the New Testament, following kai (and), de (but/and), and hoti (that/because).  With approximately 1,042 occurrences, it is the second most common causal particle, primarily used to assign a reason, provide explanation, or strengthen an assertion rather than merely indicating simple causality.” (End Quote)

Here is Strong’s definition of this word:

G1063

γάρ

gar

gar

A primary particle; properly assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles): – and, as, because (that), but, even, for indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.

Total KJV occurrences: 1068

The Lord must surely want us to know the reason He does what He is doing because this conjunction appears in the New Testament 1068 times, and it is by far most often translated as our English word ‘for’, meaning ‘because’. According to BT+ of that 1068 entries in the New Testament, 804 of those entries are translated in the King James with the English word ‘for’, meaning ‘because’.

Verses 3 and 4 also begin with this Greek word ‘gar’:

Heb 4:3  For [G1063: ‘gar’, because] we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4  For [G1063: ‘gar’, because] he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

What does the lack of faith and the gospel being preached to us, mentioned in verse 2, have to do with “the seventh day” of verse 4?

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2  For [G1063: ‘gar’, because] unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

For many years as a “carnal babe in Christ” (1Co 3:1-4) with no spiritual insights, I simply could not see what Israel’s lack of faith while in the wilderness had to do with God’s Word being “sharper than any two edged sword.”

Knowing that the Greek word ‘gar’ means ‘because’, we now know that verse 12 is giving us the reason why you and I should “labor to enter into that rest…”

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

“The same example of unbelief” refers to the lack of faith of those Israelites whose carcasses fell in the wilderness, mentioned in the previous chapter:

Heb 3:17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Heb 3:19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

What was it the Israelites did not believe? Israel, just like each of us, simply did not believe that the Lord’s words were good and trustworthy. Instead of believing the Lord would give them the land which He had promised them, and which they had just spied out, they accused Him of bringing them into the wilderness to slay them:

Num 14:1  And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
Num 14:2  And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
Num 14:3  And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
Num 14:4  And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
Num 14:5  Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
Num 14:6  And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
Num 14:7  And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
Num 14:8  If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
Num 14:10  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
Num 14:11  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Caleb and Joshua were two of the twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, who had spied out the land. 12 minus 2 equals 10, and while two signifies the faith of the two witnesses, ten signifies the lack of faith of the flesh of our old man.

The ‘promised land’ is the promise of our salvation. “The people of the land” signify all of our weaknesses and faults and all of our evil passions. It is true, as the ten spies observed, that we of ourselves could never in a million years overcome “the people of the land” within us simply because there is nothing good in our flesh:

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.

God has promised to give us that land, and He has also promised to complete what He has begun within us:

Php 1:3  I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Php 1:4  Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
Php 1:5  For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
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:

Those words are “alive and powerful” if they are “mixed with faith in them that hear it.”

Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Heb 4:3  For [G1063: ‘gar’, because] we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4  For [G1063: ‘gar’, because] he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Christ has given, and is giving His peace to those who believe Him when He speaks. He gives His peace to all who keep His Words and are faithful to His doctrine:

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The peace Christ gives us is “not as the world gives peace.” The world cannot give us peace. The world gives us times of less wars and fighting. The world can only give us times of less stress and anxiety, but the world cannot give anyone peace of mind. Only Christ can do that because only Christ IS the Truth, and without the Truth there can be no peace of mind. Living a lie will not produce a life of peace.

Jer 6:13  For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
Jer 6:14  They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Jer 8:10  Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them:for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
Jer 8:11  For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

The ‘power’ of the Word of God is based upon the fact that it is founded on the Truth. The Truth is, always has been, and always will be far more powerful than a lie, because Christ IS the Truth, and He has been given “all power in heaven and in earth.”

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

“Let not your heart be troubled: Ye believe in God believe also in Me…” What is the spiritual significance of believing in Christ and His Father?

Joh 17:1  These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Those words are “alive and powerful” if they are mixed with faith within them who hear them. Those words give us “power over all flesh”, and they bring peace to all who are granted the faith to mix with those words. That ‘faith’ is not founded in things that are seen.

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds [G165: ‘aions’, ages, our lives] were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

That faith is founded only in “things which [do not] appear”, and yet they are “alive and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword” and they will expose our old man for exactly who he is.

Here is Hebrews 4:12 according to the NLT translation:

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.

“Cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires” is just another way of saying that the Word of God “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of [our] heart.” Once we are dragged to see our old man for what he really is, only then does the Father begin the work of giving us a new heart and mind which is being conformed to the image of His Son:

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

Nothing is as precious as a mind that is at peace with God! Knowing and believing ‘the Truth’ is the only true freedom that exists:

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue [G3306: ‘meno’, dwell, abide] 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.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

‘Death’ here has nothing to do with temporal, physical death because it is understood that the physical realm is temporary. That is the reason we are given explaining why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Only a resurrected spirit is immortal:

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening [living] spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such arethey also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

“They that are earthy” cannot conceive of life without flesh and blood. For that reason “they that are earthy” have fabricated the false doctrine of ‘immortal, spiritual flesh’, an oxymoron, which makes the words of the holy spirit of none effect when it teaches clearly that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God [because] neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”

The Lord Himself made it abundantly clear that there is no such thing as ‘an immortal, spiritual body of flesh’ when He told Nicodemas:

Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Christ’s Words, “mixed with faith”, are our home. They are our dwelling place. When we live in His Words we are as comfortable as we are in our own home, because His Words are our home, our ‘house’. They are the place where we ‘abide’:

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue [G3306: ‘meno’, dwell, abide] 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.

This Greek word, G3306, ‘meno’, is the same word translated as ‘abide’ two verses later in John 8:35.

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth [G3306: ‘meno’, abide, dwell] not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth [G3306: ‘meno’] ever.
Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

“The comforter, which is the holy spirit”, gives us our faith in that doctrine of Christ and that doctrine brings us peace:

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I [peace] unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

“Not as the world giveth” means the peace that Christ gives us sustains us in our most trying moments.

We are all familiar with what the scriptures teach about “the wonderful works of God” and how those loving wonderful works of God in our lives are His goodness [which] leads [us] to repentance. It is through “His goodness” that we are all brought to our wits’ end, and given the desire to repent of our own rebellious, self-righteous, ways:

Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. [It necessitates great peace of mind to rejoice and give thanks for our trials.]
Psa 107:23  They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psa 107:24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
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.
Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

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?

Our faith in Christ’s words will give us His peace, while simultaneously giving our rebellious old man no quarter.

Just how blunt was Christ about how He deals with our corrupt and rebellious old man?

Luk 11:44  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Luk 11:45  Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
Luk 11:46  And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Luk 11:47  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luk 11:48  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
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.
Luk 11:52  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

There are several times Christ did not hold back in letting us know that His love and His peace do not conflict with the uncompromising Truth of His Words and His doctrines.

It is only through the uncompromising Truth of His Words that we can have His peace, knowing we are building His temple on a rock:

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

It is the Lord Who works in us both our will and our actions:

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Our fate is not in our hands. We are His workmanship, created unto good works which He is working in our lives.

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

Everything about our lives as His workmanship was “before ordained that we should walk in them.”

If He grants us to believe His Words and “do… the things He says”, then He will perform what is ordained for each of us:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

All these words are the Truth, and they will give great peace to all who are given to mix them with the faith of Jesus Christ:

Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

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

Our salvation from sin and death is a gift from God:

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

It all comes down to the Truth that God is a sovereign, loving heavenly Father who gives us the faith of Jesus Christ which we can now mix with all His promises to finish the work He has begun in our lives. It is His word which heals us and saves us from death. That salvation comes only through the faith we are given to believe that life comes only through the death and destruction of the kingdom of our rebellious, and self-righteous old man:

Psa 107:19  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
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.
Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

These words are alive and powerful, giving us Christ’s peace and His rest, even in the face of our greatest trials for all who are given to mix these words with the faith of Jesus Christ.

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and isa discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

If Ye Do These Things, Ye Shall Never Fall

[Study Aired July 5, 2026]

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Who among us does not want to “endure to the end [and] receive the crown of life” promised to those who do so?

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

This promise is not a general promise of salvation for all. The fact that we are told, “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” reveals that this “crown of life” is reserved only for those who suffer with Christ and are “faithful unto death” in this present age.

Here in 2 Peter 1:5-10 the holy spirit gives us a list of eight virtues which, by the pen of the apostle Peter, tells us that “…if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Lord has given each of us the desire to endure any, and to gratefully accept all the trials the Lord will send our way. He has caused us to diligently strive for that “crown of life” which He has promised to those who overcome this world in this age. Here the holy spirit is encouraging and directing us in how we can be assured of achieving that most  prized goal, the blessed and holy first resurrection:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

In this study we will look at each of these eight virtues and pray that the Lord will grant “these things to be in us and abound”.

The very fact that the holy spirit has seen fit to mention ‘eight’ virtues is designed to encourage us to add all these virtues one to another as our old man dies daily knowing that it is through that daily dying process that our new man is being formed within these “vessels of clay”.

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-spiritual-significance-of-numbers-the-number-eight/

We can be confident that Christ Himself will perform the work He has begun in us “until the day of Jesus Christ.”

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:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

The first virtue in this list of eight virtues is ‘faith.’

If we have faith and add to our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity, if we do these eight virtues we are told we will “never fall.”

2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

That tenth verse is all that is needed to inspire the ministers of the great harlot to assert their false doctrine of free will…. “If you do these things you will never fall.” The ministers of Babylon know nothing of that ‘key to the kingdom’ which teaches that “the sum of Thy Word is Truth.”

Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ASV)

Part of that ‘sum’ teaches us that possessing this very first virtue, the virtue of ‘faith’, has virtually nothing to do with this false doctrine of mankind being given a fabled ‘free will’ which is untethered by God’s sovereignty. This is the only way any man will ever possess this first and most vital virtue, the virtue of ‘faith’:

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of 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.

Is ‘grace through faith’ the only virtue in this list of eight virtues which are given to us as a gift from God? No, faith is not the only virtue which will keep us from falling, and which is a gift from God. We just quoted:

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:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

‘If these [eight virtues] be in us and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ’ are every one “the gift of God” which have nothing to do with anything of ourselves:

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

What exactly is this gift of faith which is granted us through the Lord’s chastening grace?

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

It was by this gift of considering the Words of God to be the very substance of things hoped for and of things which are not seen with our physical eyes that the Old Testament elders obtained a good report, and by this gift of faith in the Words of God we understand that the Word of God, Christ, has our aion, our world, written in His book “even the days appointed for [us] when as yet there were none of them.”

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

The Hebrew word for ‘numbered’ is not to be found in this verse, as the NIV wants us to think. The Hebrew word for ‘days’, H3117, ‘yom’ is found in this verse. Rather than being faithful to the Hebrew text, the King James Translators translated the Hebrew word ‘yom’ as “which are in continuance”. Here is the King James translation of the Hebrew word for ‘days’ in this verse:

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

The NIV translators acknowledge the fact that the Hebrew word ‘yom’ is indeed in this verse yet they also, because both they and the King James translators subscribe to the false doctrine of mankind being given a fabled ‘free will’ seek to hide the fact that God knows in advance every action of every day of every man who has ever lived. Here is the NIV:

Psa 139:16 Your eyes saw my body even before it was formed. You planned how many days I would live. You wrote down the number of them in your book before I had lived through even one of them.

The words “how many” and “the number” are not to be found in the Hebrew. What Psalms 139:16 tells us is that God has everything that is ordained for each of “[our] days written in His book before there were any of them.” Hence we are also plainly told:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Eph 2:10  For we [every day of our lives are His performance] are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

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:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

Job is brought to see that he is self-righteous and “vile” before the Lord transforms him to humbly see that he was first ‘made wicked for his day of evil.’

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

This is why Job, and every one of us, are first self-righteous and vile before the Lord opens our eyes to see that we were shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin:

Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

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

It requires and necessitates the gift of faith to believe and accept all these Biblical Truths. If we are granted that gift, then we simply believe that God is indeed working all things after the counsel of His own will… both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure. Our will and our actions are in fact His work even as we are ‘working out our own salvation with fear and trembling’:

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation [as if it depended on you] with fear and trembling [nevertheless acknowledging the fact that]…
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

If we have been granted the faith to believe that “it is God which works in [us] both to will and to do of His [own] good pleasure”, and that ‘He is working all things after the counsel of His own will’, then we will have no problem believing that the remaining seven listed virtues are being worked together in our lives for our good if indeed we are the called according to His purpose in this present age to be the firstborn among many:

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

The firstborn are the first to die daily (1Co 15:31) and be crucified daily (Gal 2:20) and the first to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice to God (Rom 12:1). It is all accomplished “by grace” through the free gift of faith.

The second ‘virtue’ listed is ‘virtue’ itself

 “Add to your faith virtue…” What exactly is ‘virtue’? I thought it was just as the BT+ defines it:

G703-arete

– Original: ἀρέτη

– Transliteration: Arete

– Phonetic: ar-et’-ay

– Definition:

1- a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action
2- virtue, moral goodness
3- any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity

– Origin: from the same as G730

– TDNT entry: 08:37,8

– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine

– Strong’s: From the same as G730; properly manliness (valor) that is excellence (intrinsic or attributed): – praise virtue.

Total KJV Occurrences: 5

– praises, 1

 1Pe 2:9

– virtue, 4

 Php 4:8; 2Pe 1:3; 2Pe 1:5(2)

This Greek word (G703, ‘arete’) appears only 5 times in the New Testament. Two of those five entries are right here in 1 Peter 1:5, where it is translated as ‘virtue’ twice in the same verse:

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

This word also appears in 1 Peter 2:9 where it is translated ‘praises’:

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises [G703: ‘Arete’] of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

If the translators had been consistent and had translated ‘areta’ here as ‘virtue’, it would probably be a better translation, and it would be consistent with the two entries in the first verse of our study today and the only other two entries where ‘areta’ is consistently translated as ‘virtue’:

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue [G703: ‘arete’], and if there be any praise, think on these things.

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 [G403: ‘arete’]:

Notice that we are informed by Strongs that this word is “from the same as G730; ‘Arrhen’, properly manliness (valor) that is excellence…”

BT+ tells us that ‘arrhen’, G730, is the root word of G703, ‘arete’. This word appears only nine times in the New Testament, and it is consistently translated as ‘male, men and man’. Three of those nine entries will serve to demonstrate how this root word is used in scripture. It first appears in:

Mat 19:4  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male [G730: arrhen] and female,

Paul used this word three times in:

Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men [G730: arrhen], leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men [G730: ‘arrhen] with men [G730: arrhen] working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

The last two entries are in Revelation 12:

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man [G430: ‘arrhen’] child G5207, ‘uihos’, a mature son], who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child [G5043: ‘teknon’, Child, male or female] was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Rev 12:13  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [G430: ‘arrhen’, man] child. [The word ‘child’ is added by the translators]

What does the knowledge of the root of  ‘arete’, G403, add to our understanding? The fact that the root of the Greek word translated as ‘virtue’ is the Greek word for ‘man’ signifies that the Greek word for virtue, G403, ‘arete’ carries with it the concept that “the head of the man is Christ.”

1Co 11:3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man [G435, ‘aner’] is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man [G435: ‘aner’]; and the head of Christ is God.

The word translated as ‘virtue’, ‘arete’, G403, reminds us that our heavenly Father is a God of order:

 1Co 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order. 

Our third virtue is knowledge.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [G1108: ‘gnosis’]

Here is how Strong’s defines this Greek word:

G1108

γνῶσις

gnōsis

gno’-sis

From G1097; knowing (the act), that is, (by implication) knowledge: – knowledge, science.

Total KJV occurrences: 29

Like every word of scripture, this Greek word has both a positive and a negative application. Applying its negative application we are told:

1Co 8:1  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge [G1108: ‘gnosis’]. Knowledge [G1108, ‘gnosis’] puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

In its positive application we are told:

Hos 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Forgetting or rejecting knowledge will cause the Lord to reject us until the white throne judgment.

We find this Greek word in its verb form in one of the most powerful and revealing verses of scripture:

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know [G1097: ‘ginosko’] thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

In this very powerful verse, we are being informed that eternal life IS a matter of having the mind of Christ and His Father! “Knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent”.

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

When we ‘know’ God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent’ then we are beginning to take on the mind of Christ, and that is indeed a virtue which will “keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace”. ‘The unity of the spirit’ is so very rare in a world of 40,000 plus divided, and conflicting Christian denominations of men.

In the book of Proverbs this is what we are told of the value of knowledge:

Pro 2:3  Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
Pro 2:4  If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Pro 2:5  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

The fear of the Lord is an integral part of ‘the knowledge of God’. The Lord prefers ‘the knowledge of God’, and obedience to Him, more than offerings:

Hos 6:6  For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Paul warns us against those who do not have the knowledge of God:

1Co 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

King Saul thought partial obedience was sufficient, but both Samuel and Paul demonstrate that partial obedience is the same as rebellion and a lack of the knowledge of God.

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Paul makes it clear that the knowledge of God is an ongoing process in which we grow and increase daily as we seek to please the Lord in all our ways:

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Peter connects the grace we receive and the peace we know to the knowledge of God:

2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

Truly, the Lord’s people are “destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos 4:6).

We have five more ‘virtues’ to cover so we will pause our study here and resume it as we consider how the virtue of temperance contributes to “making our calling and election sure:

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Led by the Hand of God

[Studies Aired December 2, 2025]

Introduction

Throughout Scripture, we encounter a truth that challenges modern notions of independence: mankind is entirely God’s creation, designed to be completely subject to His desires and purposes. Yet this complete subjection is not that of lifeless puppets mechanically moved by external strings, but rather of beloved children being led by the tender hand of a loving Father. We are His workmanship, fashioned by His hand from beginning to end, every step ordered by His sovereign will.

The Apostle Paul declares this foundational reality: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). This declaration establishes that everything—from cosmic movements to personal choices—operates under God’s sovereign direction. As Daniel proclaimed, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35).

Understanding this complete sovereignty transforms how we view our relationship with God. We are not autonomous beings who occasionally receive assistance, but rather children held by the hand of our heavenly Father. The psalmist captured this intimate guidance: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way” (Psalm 37:23). Every footfall, every decision, every moment unfolds under His watchful care.

Created Subject to God’s Purpose

The Foundation of Creation

From the very beginning, Scripture reveals that mankind was created with a specific design and purpose. The prophet Isaiah records God’s own testimony: “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8). This imagery establishes the fundamental relationship between Creator and creation—we are entirely shaped by His hand according to His purposes. The Hebrew word for “work” (ma’aseh, H4639) denotes both the act of making and the thing made—we are both God’s creative process and His finished masterpiece.

Paul expands on this truth in Romans 8:20: “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.” Mankind was not created in a state of perfection that was later lost, but rather was fashioned from the beginning to undergo a divinely ordained process of transformation. We were made subject to vanity—to the limitations of natural, earthly existence—by God’s deliberate design, not by accident or rebellion. The Greek word for “vanity” (mataiotēs, G3153) speaks of emptiness and purposelessness, yet this was a temporary state imposed for redemptive purposes.

This intentional subjection serves God’s redemptive purpose. David confessed, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). This is not an indictment of David’s parents, but rather a recognition that all humanity is formed from corruptible flesh, created “of the earth, earthy” as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15:47. We were fashioned this way by divine intent, for His redemptive purposes.

God’s Total Sovereignty

The extent of God’s sovereignty over creation cannot be overstated. Through Isaiah, God Himself declares: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). This sweeping declaration demolishes any notion that some aspects of existence operate independently of God’s will. Both light and darkness, peace and adversity—all proceed from His sovereign hand.

This absolute authority extends to every detail of existence. Solomon wrote, “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:1). Even our thoughts and words find their source in God’s working. Again he states, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

The prophet Jeremiah provides another powerful image of God’s complete control: “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it” (Jeremiah 18:4). The potter deliberately creates vessels according to His purposes—some for honor, some for dishonor—all serving His ultimate design. As God continues through Jeremiah, “Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel” (Jeremiah 18:6).

Paul develops this potter imagery in Romans 9:20-21: “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” The clay has no legitimate objection to the potter’s purposes.

The Purpose of Subjection

This universal subjection to God’s will serves a specific purpose—transformation from the natural to the spiritual. Paul explains, “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46). God deliberately created humanity in a natural, corruptible state as the first stage of His redemptive plan.

This process culminates in conformity to Christ’s image. Paul declares, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Everything about our creation and subsequent transformation aims at this singular goal—that we might bear the image of Christ. The subjection to vanity was never the end, but rather the means to this glorious purpose.

The natural creation itself groans under this design, awaiting its fulfillment. Paul continues in Romans 8:21-22: “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” All creation anticipates the revelation of the sons of God.

Not Puppets, But Children

The Nature of Divine Leading

While God’s sovereignty is absolute, Scripture consistently presents our relationship with Him not as mechanical manipulation but as intimate paternal guidance. We are not puppets on strings, but children being led by a loving Father’s hand. This distinction is crucial for understanding how total sovereignty coexists with genuine relationship.

The imagery of being led by the hand appears repeatedly in Scripture. Isaiah writes, “For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:13). This is not the image of a puppet master pulling strings, but of a father steadying a child’s first steps. The psalmist Asaph declares, “Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Psalm 73:23-24).

This leading involves genuine guidance rather than coercion. God does not force us as external objects but forms us as living beings. Paul explains God’s method: “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). The Greek word for “worketh” (energeō, G1754) means to be operative, to energize—God works within us, shaping our desires and actions from the inside. This is not violation of our personhood but rather the very formation of it according to His design.

Paul proclaimed this truth to the Athenians: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Our very existence—every breath, every movement, every thought—occurs within God. We are not separate entities He manipulates from outside, but beings whose life is sustained within His life.

Jeremiah captures this internal working beautifully: “Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God” (Jeremiah 31:18). The prophet recognizes that even his turning to God must come from God’s own turning work within him.

Led by the Spirit

For those in Christ, this leading becomes even more intimate through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul declares, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Being led by God’s Spirit is the very mark of sonship. This is not external compulsion but internal guidance, the Spirit working within our spirits to align us with God’s purposes.

Jesus described this Spirit-leading as essential for true worship: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24). The Spirit guides us into the truth, conforming our minds and hearts to God’s reality.

This leading by the Spirit involves communication and fellowship. Isaiah promises, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). The psalmist adds, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalm 32:8).

The Intimacy of Fatherhood

This relationship transcends mere control to embody the intimacy of fatherhood. Paul declares, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). We are not slaves responding to a master’s commands from a distance, but children in intimate fellowship with our Father.

Jesus Himself modeled this relationship. He repeatedly referred to His Father’s will guiding His actions: “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). Yet this submission to the Father’s will was not servile obedience but the natural outworking of intimate fellowship. Jesus declares, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30).

Even Christ, the eternal Son, was led by the hand of the Father throughout His earthly ministry. He testified, “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19). The Father guided every step, and the Son followed in perfect communion. This pattern becomes ours through union with Christ. John declares, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). As Christ was led by the Father, so we are led—not as external compulsion but as beloved children walking in intimate fellowship. What was true of Him becomes true of us.

This father-child relationship involves discipline, but even discipline flows from love. Hebrews 12:6 explains, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” The writer continues, “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9).

Workmanship of His Hands

Created for Good Works

Paul’s declaration in Ephesians 2:8-10 provides a comprehensive picture of how divine sovereignty and human identity harmonize: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Even our faith is not of ourselves but is God’s gift. This eliminates any grounds for human boasting. Yet this complete dependence establishes us as God’s workmanship. The Greek word translated “workmanship” (poiēma, G4161) gives us our English word “poem”—we are God’s artistic masterpieces, His poems created with purpose and beauty.

The good works we perform were foreordained—predetermined—by God. He prepared these works in advance and created us specifically to walk in them. Isaiah confirms, “This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 54:17). Even our righteousness originates from Him.

Every Step Ordered

The comprehensive nature of God’s ordering of our lives is beautifully expressed in Psalm 37:23: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” The Hebrew word for “ordered” (kuwn, H3559) means established, confirmed, or prepared. God establishes every step before we take it.

This heavenly orchestration extends to both great and small matters. Proverbs 20:24 states, “Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?” Even the lot—the ultimate symbol of chance—operates under God’s direction. Solomon writes, “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). What appears random operates according to sovereign design.

James reinforces this truth: “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:13-15). Our very existence from moment to moment depends on God’s will.

The Potter’s Purpose

The potter-clay relationship provides one of Scripture’s most powerful images for understanding God’s complete sovereignty over His creation. This imagery appears repeatedly because it perfectly captures the nature of His absolute authority.

Jeremiah received this revelation: “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel” (Jeremiah 18:6). The clay possesses no independent agency. The potter forms it entirely according to his own purposes and design.

God’s will is irresistible not because it violates personhood but because it creates and sustains personhood. We cannot resist His will because our very existence and every faculty we possess originates from Him and depends upon Him. Yet this does not reduce us to lifeless objects. Clay in the potter’s hands becomes vessels with purpose and function. Similarly, God shapes us according to His purposes, forming us into vessels fit for His service.

From Beginning to End

Predestined According to His Purpose

Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that God’s work with us begins long before we are aware of Him. Paul declares, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:5). Our adoption as children was predestined—determined beforehand—according to God’s pleasure.

Romans 8:28-30 provides one of Scripture’s clearest statements of this truth, revealing an unbroken chain: foreknowledge leads to predestination, which leads to calling, which leads to justification, which leads to glorification. No link depends on human decision. God foreknows, predestinates, calls, justifies, and glorifies. From start to finish, salvation is entirely His work.

The purpose of this predestination is conformity to Christ’s image. Peter writes, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:20). Christ Himself was foreordained, and we were chosen in Him before creation began. Paul adds, “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” (Ephesians 1:4).

David marveled at this predetermined design: “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). Before we drew first breath, God had written our complete story.

Called According to His Will

The calling that brings us into relationship with God originates entirely from His sovereign will. Jesus stated plainly, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16). We did not choose Him; He chose us.

This calling operates through specific supernatural action. Jesus explained, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw (drag) him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). The Greek word for “draw” (helkuō, G1670) means to drag or pull, indicating active, irresistible drawing.

Paul experienced this drawing dramatically on the Damascus road. He was actively persecuting Christians when Christ confronted him. Christ’s words are revealing: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? … it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:4-5). “Kicking against the pricks” refers to an ox resisting the goad that drives it. Saul had been resisting God’s prompting by design, but God’s purpose prevailed.

This calling extends to all who will ultimately be saved. Jesus declares, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw (G1670 drag) all men unto me” (John 12:32). Paul confirms this universal scope: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The “all” who die in Adam corresponds exactly to the “all” who will be made alive in Christ.

Guided Through Every Stage

God’s leading does not end with our calling but continues through every stage of our spiritual journey. David testified, “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). God Himself leads us in the paths we should walk, and He does so for His own name’s sake—for His glory and intent.

This continual guidance involves both direction and correction. Proverbs 3:5-6 counsels, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Acknowledging God in all our ways positions us to receive His direction.

Sometimes this guidance comes through difficult circumstances. Job testified after his trials, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). God knows our path even when we cannot see ahead. The psalmist adds, “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands” (Psalm 138:8).

This perfecting work continues until completion. Paul assures us, “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” (Philippians 1:6). The same God who began the work will complete it.

The Certainty of His Purpose

Because everything depends on God’s sovereign will rather than human decision, the outcome is absolutely certain. Paul declares, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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” (Romans 8:38-39).

Nothing can separate us from God’s love because that love does not depend on our maintaining it. We are kept by His power. Peter writes, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).

God’s purpose cannot fail because it depends entirely on His will. Isaiah records God’s declaration: “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10). God declares the end from the beginning because He has determined both.

Lamentations confirms this absolute sovereignty: “Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?” (Lamentations 3:37-38). Nothing happens that God has not ordained.

This certainty extends to the ultimate redemption of all creation. Paul reveals, “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Ephesians 1:10). God’s purpose is to sum up all things in Christ.

The universe itself awaits this completion. Paul explains, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God … Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:19, 21). All creation will be delivered because God subjected it to vanity with this very deliverance in view.

Conclusion

We stand before a profound mystery that Scripture presents without apology: mankind is entirely God’s creation, completely subject to His will in every respect, yet we are beloved children guided by His loving hand, not puppets manipulated by external strings. The universe itself operates entirely under His sovereign control, every atom moving according to His purposes.

This is not the picture of a distant deity who wound up creation like a clock and stepped back to watch it run. Rather, Scripture presents an intimately involved Father who works all things according to the counsel of His own will, who guides His children every step of the way, who shapes us as the potter shapes clay in his hands. From the moment of our creation through every stage of our transformation until our final glorification, God directs, sustains, and perfects us.

This complete sovereignty does not diminish us but rather establishes our true dignity and security. We are not autonomous beings struggling to find meaning in a random universe. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Our steps are ordered by the Lord. Our lives unfold according to His design.

Understanding this truth transforms how we live. We no longer bear the impossible burden of creating our own meaning or securing our own future. We rest in the hands of the Potter who forms us according to His purposes. We trust in the Father who holds our right hand and says, “Fear not; I will help thee.” We walk the path knowing that He who began a good work in us will complete it.

The psalmist captured this rest beautifully: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:1-2). This is the life of those who understand God’s sovereignty—not anxious striving but peaceful following, not independence but intimate communion with the One who leads us by the hand.

Paul’s great doxology in Romans 11:36 provides the fitting conclusion: “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” All things originate from God, proceed through God, and culminate in God. We exist from Him, through Him, and for Him. This is not constraint but liberation—the freedom of living in harmony with our created design, walking in the purposes for which we were made, guided every step by the hand of our loving Father.

May we rest in this glorious truth: we are God’s creation, subject to His will, yet cherished children led by His hand from beginning to end. In this complete dependence we find our true identity, our ultimate security, and our deepest joy. For His glory. Amen.

[Study Aired November 25, 2021]

1Ki 7:23  And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 
1Ki 7:24  And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 
1Ki 7:25  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. 
1Ki 7:26  And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. 
1Ki 7:27  And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it. 
1Ki 7:28  And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: 
1Ki 7:29  And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. 
1Ki 7:30  And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition. 

The molten sea represents the place where the sea of humanity will be washed with the word of God which is a fiery word (Jer 23:29) that is going to be administered in the lake of fire in the last day “the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (Jer 5:14, Rev 20:10-15, Joh 12:48.

Jer 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? 

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 3:12-15].

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever [G1519 G165 G165]. 
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened…

[Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them (Jer 5:14)]

…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.

[He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day Joh 12:48, Oba 1:21, 1Jn 4:17]

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.

The strength of the elect’s relationship with God is symbolized by the twelve oxen that support the sea of humanity on their backs. These oxen represent the saviours who will come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau (Oba 1:21). 

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.

Those who are called and chosen in this age to endure the chastening grace of God’s judgement (Heb 12:6) are represented by these twelve oxen, three on each side, the three representing the process of judgment which we must endure until the end of our lives in order to be saved so we can be those saviours. There are four sides of three meaning the elect will be used of God to save the whole world (2Ti 2:12, Mat 24:13, 1Co 6:3).

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? 

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

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

The power of these animals is represented by the horn, which power is given to the elect of God in this age (Rev 11:3) so that we can push against the powers and principalities against which we wrestle and overcome, through Christ (Eph 6:12, Eph 1:21). Judgment is upon God’s elect today who go without the camp with Christ and are nourished by the burnt offering which represents Christ and Christ in us who gives us the power to endure God’s wrath upon our old man, who must be destroyed outside the camp (Heb 13:13-15, Lev 4:12, Lev 8:17, Rev 15:8 , Mat 10:39).

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

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp [Lev 4:12, Lev 8:17], bearing his reproach [Isa 53:4, Col 1:24, 1Pe 2:24, Gal 2:20].
Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come [Mat 10:39].
Heb 13:15  By^G1223 him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 
Heb 13:15  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Lev 4:12  Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. 

Lev 8:17  But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

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 [“burnt with fire without the camp“]

The symbolism of the molten sea and all those things attached to it should paint a picture for us as to how the world is going to be saved through Christ’s bride who will wash the world with the living waters as represented by this “molten sea” (Rom 11:31). The gates that humanity must enter into to come to know God and his Son Jesus Christ (Joh 17:3) are spoken of in (Rev 21:9-13). Notice there are again four gates on the north, south, east and west and there are four groups of three oxen represented as supporting the whole world – the north, south, east and west. These oxen represent where the living waters are going to come forth to heal the nations spoken of in (Rev 22:1-2, Joh 7:37-38).

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. 
Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 
Rev 21:11  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 
Rev 21:12  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 
Rev 21:13  On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 
Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

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.

1Ki 7:23  And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

The statement “ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about” tells us that all flesh [10], or all carnal thought, will be destroyed and will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co 15:50). How that will be accomplished is then revealed to us with the dimensions spoken of “and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about“. The five cubits represents the grace through faith by which all men will be saved (Eph 2:8), and the thirty cubits reminds us that it is a process of judgment [3×10] that takes place while this is being accomplished.

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

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

1Ki 7:24  And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 

The “knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast“, is a symbol that tells us that God is faithful to provide for our fleshly needs in this life “according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. It is “cast“^H3333 means that it’s something promised that God will see accomplished (Heb 6:18). If we’re given to seek the kingdom of God first, then He will add what we physically need along the way (Mat 6:33, Php 4:19). 

H3333
yets-oo-kaw’ Passive participle feminine of
H3332 poured out, that is, run into a mould: – when it was cast.

H3332
yaw-tsak’
A primitive root; properly to pour out (transitively or intransitively); by implication to melt or cast as metal; by extension to place firmly, to stiffen or grow hard: – cast, cleave fast, be (as) firm, grow, be hard, lay out, molten, overflow, pour (out), run out, set down, stedfast.

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

These knops are “under the brim^H8193“and in two rows to witness to that truth which tells us God knows what we need before we ask Him (Mat 6:8). 

brimH8193  saw-faw’,
sef-eth’ 
(The second form is in dual and plural); Probably from H5595 or H8192 through the idea of termination (compare H5490 “hinder part“); the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication language; by analogy a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.): – band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language (Zep_3:9), lip(s)(Isa_6:6-7 ,  Isa_57:19) , prating, ([sea-]) shore, side, speech, talk, [vain] words.

However, we are also being shown that this physical basis of God’s provision is secondary to the exceedingly more important trust that is formed in us via the judgments that are represented in this imagery found in the molten sea which is above the knops. The story of Jonah demonstrates this point very well, and the word knops is related to the word gourd which was a physical provision that was made for Jonah in time of distress in his life, that taught him the importance of showing mercy to others, as God has been merciful to us (Jon 4:1-11).

knops
H6497
peh’-kah  From an unused root meaning to burst; only used as an architectural term of an ornament similar to H6498, a semi-globe: – knop.

H6498   
pak-koo-aw’  From the same as H6497; the wild cucumber (from splitting open to shed its seeds): – gourd.

Jon 3:10  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. 

Jon 4:1  But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 
Jon 4:2  And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country?

[This statement of Jonah is very indicting as it shows the lack  of mercy within him and how, when we are in Babylon, we are not seeking “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”. Rather our heart is “yet in my country” (Heb 11:10, Gal 3:28)].

…Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 

[Tarshish is a symbol of Babylon as well, and it’s amazingly how, in our yet carnal state in Babylon, we can understand “that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil” believing that we can be saved with that one sinner’s prayer which is a lie of the devil. Then we turn around after we’ve reassured ourselves that we are saved and go on believing that God should let people burn in hell for all eternity. Jonah was us in type and shadow struggling with his yet carnal and very unmerciful heart, which is what God has to reveal to us through suffering (1Co 10:11)]

Jon 4:3  Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live (Ecc 7:1).
Jon 4:4  Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
Jon 4:5  So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. 
Jon 4:6  And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. 
Jon 4:7  But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 

[The gourd was a shadow over Jonah’s head and we don’t overcome by wrestling with shadows, so the Lord gave and the Lord took away Jonah’s comfort to show him what was in his heart as He does with us (1Co 9:26, Eph 6:12]

Jon 4:8  And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live [Second time he says this to witness to this truth (Ecc 7:1)].
Jon 4:9  And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? [Gen 3:9] And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death [Second time God asks the question to have us witness what is in our heart].
Jon 4:10  Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 

[God was showing Jonah how self-absorbed he was (flesh is) in those things that were given him of God and yet how lacking he was in concern for others. It takes a lifetime of much tribulation (Act 14:22) to keep us in a humble frame of mind so that we put others first as we learn obedience by the things we suffer in this flesh (Heb 5:8). God can and does brings us to remember through our trials: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” with grateful and content hearts (Job 1:21, 1Ti 6:6).]

Jon 4:11  And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? [Nineveh represents the world to which the Lord is preparing our heart to show mercy in the great white throne judgment (Jas 2:13)]

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

1Ki 7:25  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

The molten sea “stood upon twelve oxen” is another way of saying the world will be founded upon the government of God represented by these “twelve oxen“. The temple was dedicated with twenty-four bullocks (oxen) to witness to the truth (2×12=24) that God’s elect are living sacrifices who are the first fruits unto God who are dedicated unto the altar through Christ (Heb 13:10) for the sake of those who will come after us (Num 7:88). 

Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 

Num 7:88  And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed. 

The oxen being able to face in every direction tells us again as we saw last week with the pomegranates (1Ki 7:20) that God’s eyes run to and fro throughout all the earth via His elect who are given to rule over the world through Christ (Rev 4:8, 2Ch 16:9, Eph 5:30, 1Co 12:17, 1Co 12:21). 

Rev 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Then we’re told that “all their hinder parts were inward” to demonstrate that God’s elect are faithful witnesses whose crib represented by the inner part of the molten sea is not clean, meaning we are digesting the word of God that is sweet in our mouth and bitter in our belly, and the end result of that sanctification process (Joh 17:17) is what brings forth “A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies”  (Pro 14:4-5). 

Pro 14:4  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. 
Pro 14:5  A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. 

The “three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east” is a witness of how all things, all directions in our life, work together for the good for those who love God and who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). If it were not for God’s judgment in our life that comes from the north, this would not be the case (Jer 1:14, Jer 4:6, Joh 3:8, 1Pe 4:17, 1Jn 4:17-18).

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

Jer 1:14  Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 

Jer 4:6  Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

Joh 3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

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

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

How love is perfected in the saints (Heb 12:6): Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

1Ki 7:26  And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup , with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. 

It is the awesome hand of God represented by “an hand breadth thick” that measures the elects’ lives first (Rev 11:1, 1Co 3:16 , 1Pe 4:17) as a kind of first fruits of His. This area of the molten sea was designed to look “like the brim of a cup” because we all must in our appointed time drink the cup of judgment (Jer 49:12) which we will be able to do through Christ who is symbolized by the “flowers of lilies“(Mat 20:23). As Christ did for us, and is doing for us, we will want to show the same mercy to others through the fiery judgment which must come upon all men, each in their own order, and we are promised that Christ in us will make a way for the world to bear up under those trials just as He has done for us and is doing for us in this age (1Pe 4:17), this points back to the imagery of beasts holding up the molten sea (1Co 10:13).

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

Jer 49:12  For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The whole world will also be washed through this process by those angels who have already drank of the cup (Rev 16:16-17) and are now administering the living waters of God’s word, a process symbolized by this statement: “it contained two thousand baths“, which represents all the world [4×500=2000]. These numbers show us that all the world [4] will be saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8).

Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 
Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 

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

1Ki 7:27  And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

These “ten bases of brass” were movable stands that could transport the water from the molten sea from place to place. This movable stand represents Christ and God’s elect who are sent forth as Christ was to bring those living waters to the world (Joh 20:21, Joh 3:16-17). Its “ten” bases of brass that each had these dimensions “four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it” that symbolize how all the world [4 cubits breadth and height] will go through a process of judgment symbolized with the [3 cubits height of it.]

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

1Ki 7:28  And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: 
1Ki 7:29  And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. 
1Ki 7:30  And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition. 

The workmanship done on the bases symbolizes the workmanship of God in our lives (Eph 2:10) that is ongoing and in the aorist tense as these words show us in 1Peter 5:10 [perfect^G2675[G5659] stablish^{G4741 [G5659]} strengthen^{G4599 [G5659]} settle^G2311[G5659] you]. These movable stands had wheels that “had borders, and the borders were between the ledges” providing strength to the wheel. In like manner, the many members of the body of Christ can be thought of as these spoke-like features that collectively add the needed strength for the water to be transported on these movable stands (Eph 4:16).

Eph 4:16  From whom 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 of itself in love. 

To further confirm where our strength comes from to do the work of the Lord, we see the imagery that was “on the borders that were between the ledges” and are told that there were “lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work“. Those details were inspired of God and are all symbols of Christ and His Christ. Here are but a few examples of that found in Scripture, as well as a couple of links to more detailed descriptions from Mike’s Revelation series:

Revelation 4:6-7 – Four Beasts, Part 2

Revelation 4:6-7 – Four Beasts – Part 3

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

Isa 65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. 

1Co 9:9  For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 

Hos 11:10  They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. 

Mic 5:8  And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 

Every movable cart had “four brasen wheels” and “plates of brass“, which is more symbolism to show us that it takes the fiery trials in our lives to forge the “four brasen wheels” and the “plates of brass“, the four brasen wheels representing the whole [4] body of Christ that works in unison with one another as many wheels within wheels that are all turning to the glory of God as Christ works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Eze 1:16, Php 2:12-13).

Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

This last section that talks about “the four corners thereof had undersetters^H3802: under the laver were undersetters^H3802 molten, at the side of every addition” is also part of the molten sea used to support the basin, strengthening the whole thing just as the wheel within the wheel of Ezekiel 1 above. Many translations use the English word “supports” instead of “undersetters”, and in some translations the word used is “shoulder” (Rotherham, YLT, LSV). When we look at the root of this Strong’s number, we see that it means “to clothe”, as a symbol to show us that it will be Christ’s righteousness alone that will clothe us and enable (Rev 19:7-9) us to endure to the end accomplishing all the work that we’ve been commissioned to accomplish from the foundation of the world (Joh 15:16, Eph 1:4).

undersetters H3802 
kaw-thafe’  From an unused root meaning to clothe; the shoulder (proper, that is, upper end of the arm; as being the spot where the garments hang); figuratively side piece or lateral projection or anything: – arm, corner, shoulder (-piece), side, undersetter.

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

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: 

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. 

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at part two of this last section of verses which illustrate more details of what the molten sea symbolizes for God’s people today (1Co 10:11).

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. 

1Ki 7:31  And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.
1Ki 7:32  And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.
1Ki 7:33  And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.
1Ki 7:34  And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.
1Ki 7:35  And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.
1Ki 7:36  For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.
1Ki 7:37  After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.
1Ki 7:38  Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.
1Ki 7:39  And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.
1Ki 7:40  And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:

1Ki 2:34-46 “Only Rebel not ye Against the LORD, Neither fear ye the People of the Land”

[Study Aired August 5, 2021]

1Ki 2:34  So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 
1Ki 2:35  And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar. 
1Ki 2:36  And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. 
1Ki 2:37  For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. 
1Ki 2:38  And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. 
1Ki 2:39  And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. 
1Ki 2:40  And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. 
1Ki 2:41  And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. 
1Ki 2:42  And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. 
1Ki 2:43  Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 
1Ki 2:44  The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; 
1Ki 2:45  And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. 
1Ki 2:46  So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. 

In this section of Kings we will be reminded of how our former father and mother, who represent Satan and the Babylonian churches of this world (our former mother out of whom we come – Rev 18:4), do not comprehend how the Lord is seeking “an occasion against the Philistines” in our life (Jdg 14:4).

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.

The heart that God rules over in humanity is corrupt and against Him (Jer 17:9), and yet that corruption cannot prevent God from doing exactly what He has ordained from the foundation of the world, typified by the creation week (Gen 1:1-31) because He is sovereign over all things, the light and the dark, the making of peace and the creating of evil (Isa 45:7).

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 

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

In this section of Kings we will see how it is within a body that operates under laws He has ordained (Jas 4:12) that God is doing exactly what He wants according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). It is for our sakes He is doing these things as he teaches His children, who have His holy spirit, what those stories of old are telling us about ourselves and the salvational process we are blessed to be a part of in this age. That process is understood by comparing spiritual things with spiritual using the physical events which are understood by those who are blessed to be given eyes to see and ears to hear (1Co 2:13, Rev 1:3).

Jas 4:12  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? 

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:  

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

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. 

The progression of the destruction of the enemies of King David and the manner in which vengeance (which is of the Lord) is executed (Rom 12:19-20), is all written for our sakes upon whom the ends of the ages have come (1Co 10:11).

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 
Rom 12:20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

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.

“For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel” is written to remind us that there is an appointed time when the Philistines have dominion over Israel within us and that it will be little and by little that this dominion will be taken away as the Lord gives us increase (Exo 23:29-30).

Exo 23:29  I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 
Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

The three principle beasts we have been reading about in these first couple of chapters of Kings, which were driven out and destroyed in Solomon’s time, are types of what is in us (Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei) revealing in type and shadow how God’s kingdom is going to be established in the elects’ life:  “the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon” and in so doing “the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever” through the destruction of those beasts or giants that will be bread for us (Num 14:9).

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

1Ki 2:34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 

Our first verse tells us that ‘Jehovah has built’ (Benaiah^H1141) because ‘Jehovah knows’ (Jehoiada^H3077), and what he knows, as was discussed in our introduction, is all things. Nothing is hidden from him with whom we have to do (Heb 4:13). It is a sovereign all-knowing God who sent “Benaiah the son of Jehoiada” up to fall upon Joab to slay him, just as God’s elect are being sent today to aid each other in the destruction of our old man within and will be sent to do the same thing to all of humanity, starting with the judgement that is upon each of us that slays our old man day after day as we die daily (1Co 15:31). That witness will be used of God, and our labour is primarily for each other in the Lord (Gal 6:10), but it is also an unfolding witness that in time will show that our labours were not in vain (1Co 15:58) in the day that the rest of the world’s visitation will occur if we are given to glorify God today by living lives which are obedient and not corrupt (Joh 20:21, 1Pe 4:17, 1Pe 2:12, Php 2:14-15).

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

Finally, Joab was “buried in his own house in the wilderness” revealing that he was a type of our old man, our flesh and blood that cannot inherit the kingdom of God and must die in his “own house” in the field, or the wilderness, which is the world (1Co 15:50). His “own house” is symbolic of our own righteousness which is being destroyed in the household of God, or the woman who fled “into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (Rev 12:6). It’s that feeding that gives us the ability to put off our flesh, our own house, so we can live and die unto the Lord (Rom 14:8).

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

Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 

1Ki 2:35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar. 

After Joab’s death “the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host” which is a shadow of what happens to us when we decrease and Christ increases in us (Joh 3:30). Being in the king’s room is typical of being raised in heavenly places (Eph 2:6) where we are being worked with as His workmanship (Eph 2:10) that is being built up by God “Benaiah ^H1141” “Jehovah has built or Yahweh has built up” so that we can know the Lord, or rather be known of him “Jehoiada^H3077” “Jehovah knows” (Gal 4:9, Joh 17:3).

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. 

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 

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

Prior to being told that we are God’s workmanship in Ephesians 2:10, we are reminded that “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:8-9). The name “Zadok” represents the righteousness of Christ that will rule over the once faithful to the king David “Abiathar” who would later be found supporting the rebellious actions of Adonijah. Abiathar’s heresy was manifest, and Zadok’s life typifies those who are approved or accepted in the beloved which was made known at the expense of Abiathar (Eph 1:6, 1Co 11:19).

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

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

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

1Ki 2:36  And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.

This is the section of our study where it becomes very apparent for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear (Mat 13:16) that God was seeking an occasion against “Shimei” who was told to do one thing but was caused to err in such a way it cost him his life (Isa 63:17, Rom 9:15-16, Rom 9:20, Rom 11:22).

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

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

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 

Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 
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?

Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: [Rom 2:4] otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Our story starts with Solomon commanding Shimei to go, “Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.” This  is the same as Christ telling the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until the holy spirit comes (Luk 24:49). Shimei was told “go not forth thence any whither “which is symbolic of abiding in the word of God (Joh 8:32) where the Lord alone can “build thee an house in Jerusalem“, Jerusalem above the mother of us all (Gal 4:26). Shimei rebels against the commandment of the king because he is a type of Lot’s wife who looks back, or a type of Demas, Crescens and Titus who loved this present world (2Ti 4:10, 1Jn 2:15).

1Ki 2:37 For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. 

It was inevitable that Shemei was going to rebel and that was for our sakes to remind us that unless the Lord builds the spiritual house for us in Jerusalem above, we like Shemei will pass “over the brook Kidron^H6939” a place of spiritual darkness that is represented in the old covenant as a cloud of darkness that separated the Egyptians from the Israelites (Exo 14:19-20, Mat 6:23, Luk 11:35)

– BDB Definition: Kidron = dark

a stream east of Jerusalem

– Strong’s: From H6937; dusky place;
Kidron a brook near Jerusalem: – Kidron. 

Exo 14:19  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 
Exo 14:20  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night [2Co 6:17].

Mat 6:23  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! 

Luk 11:35  Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

Israel being given “a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” is symbolic language telling us that God will make spiritual provision for those who are being dragged to Christ in this age (Joh 6:44). Whether it is through the experience of evil, represented by the night, or our walk during the day that has twelve hours, when we are able to labour while it is day (Joh 11:9, Joh 9:4), the Lord will be in the midst  of these lights for our good “to give them light; to go by day and night” being the One who formed the light and creates darkness that light comes out of. He is the One who makes the peace that passes all understanding in our heavens and creates evil that is all for our sakes for the fashioning of the new man in Christ as our flesh is humbled through this life of much tribulation (Exo 13:21-22, Joh 8:12, Isa 45:7).

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.

Exo 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 
Exo 13:22  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. 

Joh 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  

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

The severity and goodness of God (Rom 11:22, Rom 2:4) is shown in this separation of light and darkness highlighted with these two principal parties involved in this story –  the Israelites and the Egyptian armies that were pursuing them. The Israelites will completely fall seven times as a type of the elect coming out of Babylon being completely convinced (7) that we are chief of sinners and yet able to overcome through Christ (Pro 24:16), whereas the flesh that cannot inherit the kingdom, both our carnal thoughts, the sin in our members from which Christ has to free us (Joh 8:36), as well as those who were not ordained to be set free from the bondage of sin in this life. The sin in their members is described as “all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice” (Num 14:22-23). 

Num 14:22  Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 
Num 14:23  Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 

In Numbers 14:22-23 we read, in type and shadow, of those who tasted of the heavenly things of God and partook of His wonderful works found in Hebrews 6:4-6, and yet God hardened their hearts and said, “Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it” (Isa 63:17). Knowing God is sovereign helps us see the mercy that is unfolding in the severity and goodness He causes as we learn to trust (Eph 1:12) that it is all for a good purpose in the end that God will use to show mercy to all mankind in time (Rom 11:25, Rom 11:31-32).

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 

In Romans 10:1-4 Paul expresses his desire for Israel to be saved, and at the time, he knew that this would only be possible through Christ who is “the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth”. This reminds us of how Christ loved the rich young ruler but knew that he could not at this time follow Him. Christ’s example shows us how we are to show love to the unbelieving by being about our Father’s business of preaching the kingdom of God even as we obey this commandment:  “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” Christ witnessed to the rich young ruler, and that was enough. In other words, we are commanded to do good to all men especially to the household of faith, but not entangling ourselves with the affairs of this world as a good soldier for Christ (2Ti 2:3-4). Christ knew the Father had to drag the rich young ruler unto Him and waited on God to do that. To do anything other than that would have been entangling himself in a spiritual battle in which God tells us not to engage (Mat 19:21-26, Mar 10:21).

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
2Ti 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 

“The blood shall be upon thine own head” is the result of Shimei not having power to resist sin unto the shedding of blood. His Adamic nature was unable to resist sin unto the shedding of blood as Christ did on the cross, and so the blood of other men whom he killed was “upon thine own head” and not the blood of Christ which would symbolize the power that God gives us to overcome and repent of the spirit of hating our brother without a cause (Heb 12:4, 1Pe 1:19, Mat 5:22). Shimei can’t stop his flesh from going where he feels is more important than the commandment of the king, a witness of what our old man does independent of and against Christ. If Christ is our head, then we are more than conquerors through Him as we are led by His spirit (Rom 8:14-16).

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father [Heb 5:7, Mal 3:16, 1Jn 4:17]. 
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

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

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.

1Ki 2:38  And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. 

Many are called to dwell “in Jerusalem” for “many days“, and while we are there we have the best of intentions saying “The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do” but God is showing us that Shimei is presumptuous (Psa 19:13) to say “so will thy servant do” as opposed to saying these words when we go to build a house in Jerusalem or a city such as that (Jas 4:13-15).

Psa 19:13  Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression (Php 3:9). 

Jas 4:13  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Jas 4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 
Jas 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

1Ki 2:39  And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. 

Shimei was unwilling to lose “two of the servants” which witnesses to  that part of us that would go back into the world (two servants) except the Lord give us the power through Christ to forget what is behind us and reach forth unto those things which are before (Php 3:12-15). Unlike ‘just Lot’ (2Pe 2:7), Shimei could not resist going after his servants who are a type of helpmeet for him as Lot’s wife would have been for him. He simply cannot resist the urge to run “away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath” and is unwilling to give up everything for the kingdom’s sake in type and shadow (Luk 17:32, Mat 19:29).

Luk 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife.

2Pe 2:7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked;

Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

By going toward Gath, like crossing the brook of Kidron, there is only going to be blackness and no light perceived at this place of the “winepress”. The word Achish^H397 means “I will blacken”and so the winepress that the word Gath^H1661 means is the negative example of a winepress, being the winepress of Babylon that darkens the hearts and minds of those who partake of it and seek it out as Shimei did in type and shadow (Rev 18:3).

– Definition: Achish = I will blacken (or terrify) or only a man 

Philistine king of Gath 

– Definition: Gath = winepress

One of the five royal or chief cities of the Philistines and the native city of Goliath 

Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 

1Ki 2:40  And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. 

These actions of Shimei are diametrically opposed to those of Christ, who went into Jerusalem on the foal of an ass saddled with the faith of God and with a lowly spirit (Zec 9:9), that made it possible for this triumphant entry to manifest for Sion’s sake, the elect’s sake (Joh 12:14-15 , Oba 1:21).

Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: [Joh 6:44] he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 

Joh 12:14  And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, 
Joh 12:15  Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt. 

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.

Every word is significant in this sentence: “Shimei arose” meaning his flesh rose up, and “saddled his ass” meaning he was not putting his burdens on Christ (1Pe 5:7) as we should, but was rather seeking “his servants” meaning his own power, that which belonged to him; as opposed to being obedient unto the king by not leaving his first estate and continuing on in seeking the kingdom of God first and His righteousness (Jud 1:6, Mat 6:33). His flesh like all flesh is persistent and sought out the idol of his heart (his two servants that represent Shimei’s own strength) and brought it back to Jerusalem, feeling very justified in his actions like king Saul (1Sa 15:9, 1Sa 15:13-14, 1Sa 15:22).

1Sa 15:9  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 

1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 
1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 

1Ki 2:41  And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. 
1Ki 2:42  And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.

This is the section of our study that truly highlights how God is showing us how rebellious our hearts are against the king’s commandments:  “Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die?” and how it is only by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) that we can receive the gift from God of being more than conquerors through Christ. 

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

All Shimei had to do is “Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land“, but just so we are perfectly clear that none of us can do the right thing unless the Lord gives us the power to do so, Solomon goes on to say how clear his instructions were to him and reminds Shimei of his absolute compliance and well-intentioned heart: “on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.”  This is just as Cain did with the instruction from the Lord to do good. He also could not obey the commands of the Lord as Abel was granted to, who is a type of the elect who have God’s power given to them to overcome. We are becoming that blood offering or burnt offering as we become living sacrifices unto God (Rom 12:1) as opposed to first operating in our own righteousnesses (Isa 64:6, Eze 33:13), symbolized by the offering of the field (the world) that Cain offered and was not accepted because it was not upon a burnt offering (Gen 4:4-5), just like king Saul sparing Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings and lambs (1Sa 15:3, 1Sa 15:9), and just like Shimei “gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again” in the verses we are reading tonight. It is a sound pattern that tells us who we are until we are not, by the grace of God (1Ch 28:19-20, Eze 43:9-11, Dan 9:18,  1Ti 1:14-16).

1Ch 28:19  All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern. 
1Ch 28:20  And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Eze 43:9  Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. 
Eze 43:10  Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. 
Eze 43:11  And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. 

Dan 9:18  O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

1Ti 1:14  And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 
1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 

1Ki 2:43  Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 
1Ki 2:44  The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; 

The question posed to Shimei: “Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?” of verse 43 is answered in verse 44 with Solomon’s words:  “Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head“. 

Solomon is putting this mirror in front of Shimei’s face by saying these words, as the Lord does for us when we read, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death.” We know that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9-10), and the only one who can really know it and give us the ability to keep “the oath of the LORD” and “the commandment that I have charged thee with” is Christ in us, our hope of glory who gives us power to rule over sin that is constantly at the gate of our heart (Col 1:27, Gen 4:7).

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 
Jer 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

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

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

It is because of all the wickedness we did to Christ (Mat 25:40, Mat 25:45), typified in the part of scripture: “that thou didst to David my father“, and through God’s chastening and scourging typified in the following part of that verse: “therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head“, that we come to see that we ‘are the man’ and must reap what we sow (2Sa 12:7, Gal 6:7).

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 

2Sa 12:7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

1Ki 2:45  And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.
1Ki 2:46  So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. 

Our last two hope-filled verses tell us that in the end it will all work out for all of humanity because God will bless His creation and save everyone (1Co 15:22, 1Ti 4:10, 1Jn 2:2), so “the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever“.

In order for that kingdom to be established within us today in earnest, Christ must command “Benaiah^H1141 the son of Jehoiada^H3077” to come out and fall upon our old man “that he died“. It is in that destruction of our old man that the new man is being birthed (Joh 12:24-25, Psa 127:1). God knows [“Jehoiada”H3077] how to start and finish this process within in all people (Heb 12:2).

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

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

H1141 ben-aw-yaw’, ben-aw-yaw’-hoo

From H1129 and H3050; Jah has built; Benajah, the name of twelve Israelites: – Benaiah.

H3077 yeh-ho-yaw-daw

From H3068 and H3045; Jehovah-known; Jehojada, the name of three Israelites: – Jehoiada. Compare H3111.

The root of the word ‘Jehovah knows’, or ‘Jehovah-known’ makes this verse in the new covenant very bright for us as we consider that we are known of God as His workmanship that He is building up (Gal 4:9, Eph 2:10):

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 

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. 

H3045  yâda‛

BDB Definition: 
1) to know
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to know
1a1a) to know, learn to know
1a1b) to perceive
1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern
1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish
1a1e) to know by experience
1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess
1a1g) to consider
1a2) to know, be acquainted with
1a3) to know (a person carnally)
1a4) to know how, be skilful in
1a5) to have knowledge, be wise
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed
1b2) to make oneself known
1b3) to be perceived
1b4) to be instructed
1c) (Piel) to cause to know
1d) (Poal) to cause to know
1e) (Pual)
1e1) to be known
1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)
1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare
1g) (Hophal) to be made known
1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

The good news, therefore, is that this is going to happen, and we will, through the power of God’s holy spirit, see “the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever” as we go forward in faith being accepted in the beloved, and even though “sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him“.

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

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-book-of-jeremiah-jer-71-17-part-1-pray-not-for-this-people/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-book-of-jeremiah-jer-71-17-part-1-pray-not-for-this-people Sun, 11 Apr 2021 01:37:34 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=23377

Jer 7:1-17 Part 1, Pray Not for This People

[Study Aired April 11, 2021]

Jer 7:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 7:2  Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.
Jer 7:3  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
Jer 7:4  Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
Jer 7:5  For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
Jer 7:6  If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
Jer 7:7  Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
Jer 7:8  Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
Jer 7:9  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
Jer 7:10  And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
Jer 7:11  Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
Jer 7:12  But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
Jer 7:13  And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
Jer 7:14  Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
Jer 7:15  And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
Jer 7:16  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
Jer 7:17  Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

Both John the Baptist and Christ addressed their words directly to those who had no eyes to see or ears to hear:

Mat 3:7  But when he [“John the Baptist” (vs 1)] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Christ repeated this same charge against the religious leaders of His day who had just accused Him of casting out devils “by Beelzebub”:

Mat 12:34  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 23:33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

“The damnation of hell” here is not the death of the old man which produces “the resurrection of life”. The Greek word translated as ‘hell’ here in Matthew 23 is G1067 (gehenna) which is, according to Christ, “the resurrection to damnation”:

Joh 5:27  And hath given him [Christ and His Christ] authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation  [G2920: krisis, judgment].

Here in John 5:29 we have the only two resurrections mentioned anywhere in scripture. The first one is to life, and the last one is to judgment.

How can we be sure that “the damnation of hell”, better translated as “the judgment of gehenna”, is “the resurrection of damnation”? We can know this for certain because of what Christ says in:

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

This “separating of the sheep” who are told “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom” takes place at the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ as we are told in:

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy [“Ye blessed of My Father” (Mat 25:34)] is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

There we have it. There is a “blessed… first resurrection” with the reward of a “glorious… crown of life”, for those who “die in the Lord” in “this present time”. It is only those who first “die in the Lord” in “this present time”, and are being judged at “this present time” (Rom 8:18), who are given that “blessed and holy [reward of] having part in the first resurrection”:

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.

Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

To those who are given eyes that see and ears that hear these verses reveal there are two deaths, two judgments and two resurrections. The first death is a “blessed… death” (Rev 14:13) with a symbolic thousand-year reign dividing the first death from “the second death” (Rev 20:5-6), and there are two resurrections, the one preceding the other, with a symbolic thousand years dividing those two resurrections (Rev 20:5-6). There are two judgments. The first judgment is “[now] on the house of God… [in] this present time”, and the second is the “great white throne… judgment” which takes place “when the thousand years are finished” (Rev 20:5 and 11). These scriptures very clearly say “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord… [and are being judged in] this present time”, and they tell us that the ‘goats’ who die in this present time are “ye cursed” who will be raised up in “the resurrection of judgment” which occurs only “when the thousand years are finished” (Rev 20:5):

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920: krisis, judgment].

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

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

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The separation of two resurrections by a symbolic thousand years is not clearly revealed in the gospels. “The resurrection of life and… the resurrection of judgment” are both named in John 5:29.  The thousand-year reign, separating the two resurrections is revealed in the twentieth chapter of the book of Revelation.

Matthew 25:31-41 does reveal that “the throne of His glory” continues throughout the rewarding of the sheep at the first resurrection. It continues throughout the judgment of the cursed goats in the lake of fire.

Those who are being judged in this present time are raised up in “the first resurrection”. This is the resurrection which Christ called “the resurrection of life” (Joh 5:29, Rev 20:6). It follows that since there are only two resurrections in scripture, and since it is only the ‘sheep’ who are given a kingdom at the first resurrection, which takes place at the beginning of the thousand-year reign, then it must be “the goats”, who consist of any and all the rest of mankind who are not in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection”. It is “the goats” who will be raised from the dead in the great white throne judgment, many of whom will be told “depart from me, ye cursed, into eonian fire prepared for the devil and his angels”.

“Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see [the] things which [we] see, and have not seen them” (Mat 13:17):

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.

These “prophets and righteous men” will also have to wait until the white throne judgment to see and hear the things we are already privileged to see and hear. We can be sure this is the case because we are told that “he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than… John [the Baptist], and we are told that no Old Testament prophet was greater than John:

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.

“He that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than [John]”, excludes John from ruling with Christ in His thousand-year reign.

“The word… from the Lord” here in Jeremiah 7 is the same ‘Lord’ with the same message we are given in Matthew 25 concerning the judgment of the same people. Jeremiah was just several hundred years earlier:

Jer 7:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 7:2  Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.

As we will see here is Jeremiah 7, the Lord is separating the sheep from the goats. The “sheep” are the “one from a nation and two from a family” which we read about earlier in this prophecy:

Jer 3:14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

Throughout scripture, ‘Zion” typifies the Lord’s elect. It typifies “the sheep” who are separated from the goats, given a kingdom and called “ye blessed of My Father” and who will then become the “saviors” of all the rest of mankind:

Psa 74:2  Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

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

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

On the other hand, we quote Jeremiah 22:29 quite often to demonstrate that the word ‘earth’ symbolizes the Lord’s own people who are estranged from Him through their sins and transgressions. Here is the Lord pleading with His own estranged people:

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

Knowing that the ‘earth’ symbolizes the Lord’s own people who love to wear His name but despise having to wear His apparel or eat His food (Isa 4:1), helps us to understand who the second beast of Revelation 13 is:

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.

A beast that appears to be a lamb but speaks as a dragon is the same as a whore who wants her Husband’s name but refuses to wear His apparel or eat His bread, the bread of life:

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

These “seven women” who will not eat the Lord’s bread or wear His apparel are the symbols of the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. Those seven churches, with all their sins and transgressions, just like the seven women of Isaiah 4, think they are “rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing” (Rev 3:17). The Truth is that they “are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”, and they are the whore in the wilderness of Revelation 17-18.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

No whore thinks of herself in those terms. This is how you and I, the Lord’s own whoring people, think before we are dragged out of her:

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

That is a perfect inspired description of how we as the beast that ‘comes up out of the earth… [which looks] like a lamb… [but] speaks as a dragon’ thinks of himself. We are filled with self-righteous pride, and it is all by the Lord’s design and “after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11):

Rev 13:13  And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15  And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

This beast that comes up out of the earth is the “earth, earth, earth” of Jeremiah 22:29, and just see to whom this entire chapter is specifically addressed:

Jer 22:1  Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Jer 22:2  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

That is right! The ‘earth’ is the symbol for the Lord’s own special people who are called by His name but will not wear His apparel nor eat His bread. Now let’s put this introduction of chapter 22 right beside the introduction to this seventh chapter:

Jer 7:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 7:2  Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.

The only difference is not really a difference at all. Chapter 22 adds “the king of Judah, that sits upon the throne of David”, but both chapters are addressed to “thy people who enter by these gates”. Inasmuch as “King David” typifies and represents the people over whom the Lord has made Him ruler, these two chapters are addressed to the same people. They are addressed primarily to you and me, and they are also addressed to all who claim to be “in Christ… to take away [their] shame”.

Now notice that the message to us is the same in both chapters:

Jer 7:3  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
Jer 7:4  Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.

“The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these” is using the Lord’s name to take away our reproach, while committing blatant adultery and teaching false doctrines which directly contradict the doctrines of our own Husband, but the Lord will always have a remnant who will come out of this world, and will come out of Babylon.

Jer 7:5  For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
Jer 7:6  If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:

Compare these words to chapter 22:

Jer 22:3  Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
Jer 22:4  For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

“Executing judgment between a man and his neighbor” here in chapter 7 is the same as “executing judgment and righteousness” in chapter 22.

However, we must also notice the big “For if…” in both chapters. It is always “If ye do this thing… then…” I will bless you:

Jer 7:7  Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.

Jer 22:4  For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

Our salvation is not contingent upon our good works, but it is contingent upon the workmanship of Christ who has “created us unto good works”, and that is simply what the scriptures teach:

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

We simply cannot read verses 8-9 and not read the next verse. To do so is “rebellion [which] is as the sin of witchcraft”. To stop here and make a doctrine of ‘no works… Christs did it all for us on the cross’ is exactly what King Saul did when he brought King Agag and the best of the cattle back to offer them to the Lord after the Lord had told him to kill everything that breathed. King Saul cherry picked the Word of God, and he feared the people more than he feared the Lord. Like the seven adulterous women of Isaiah 4:1 he thought he had the right to obey the Lord as He saw fit, and if his way of serving the Lord meant that he would have to ignore some of the Lord’s words, then so be it. That fearful and rebellious spirit cost him the kingdom, and that rebellious spirit will also cost us the kingdom.

Here now is the next verse:

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.

We really can tell a tree by its fruits:

Mat 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

All the Lord’s spiritual blessings will be preceded by obedience to His Words. He does not tolerate any spirit of disobedience or rebellion. The only way we will know the Lord is if we seek Him with our whole heart:

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

To the Lord, making light of His word and disobeying Him by picking for ourselves which of His Words we will keep and obey is nothing less than “rebellion [and it] is as the sin of witchcraft and Idolatry”, and it will rob us of our crown of life. This is what Samuel told King Saul when King Saul attempted to justify his fear of the people and his rebellion against the commandment of the Lord:

1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

A prime example of this idolatrous spirit is when we say we are obedient to the Lord even as we blatantly disobey His commandments concerning how we are to keep false teachings and the sins of witchcraft, rebellion, and idolatry out of our midst. The story of how King Saul attempted to twist the Lord’s words to his own liking is the same message the Lord has for us in Ezekiel 14:

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5  That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Eze 14:6  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Eze 14:7  For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Eze 14:8  And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 14:9  And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Eze 14:10  And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;

We have all had idols of our hearts, but that was before we were “enlightened and had tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and had tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.” If the Lord deceives us after experiencing all those blessings, then these are His words concerning all such men:

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; [They “find no place of repentance” (Heb 12:17)] seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned [in the lake of fire].

We will stop here for now, and next week we will pick up our study of this commandment, “Pray not for this people”. In our next study we will discuss the spiritual significance of why this commandment is repeated three times in this prophecy of Jeremiah.

Here are those three scriptures for your consideration until next week:

Jer 7:16  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

Jer 11:14  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.

Jer 14:11  Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-book-of-hebrews-heb-1117-21-through-faith-we-understand-that-the-worlds-were-framed-by-the-word-of-god-part-5/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-book-of-hebrews-heb-1117-21-through-faith-we-understand-that-the-worlds-were-framed-by-the-word-of-god-part-5 Fri, 12 Mar 2021 00:04:19 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=23240 https://www.dropbox.com/s/tn50nhz34uh3o9l/Tony-heb-11_17-21.mp3?raw=1

Heb 11:17-21 “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” – Part 5

[Study Aired March 11, 2021]

Heb 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 
Heb 11:19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. 
Heb 11:20  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 
Heb 11:21  By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. 

In this section of our study of Hebrews, we will look at the “by faith” examples of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and conclude with the “by faith” actions of Jacob, who when he was dying “blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff“.

All these patriarchal stories were written for our sakes (2Co 4:15) and given by inspiration of God, and are therefore “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished^G1822 unto all good works” (2Ti 3:16-17).

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished^G1822 unto all good works.

G1822
exartizō
ex-ar-tid’-zo

From G1537 and a derivative of G739; to finish out (time); figuratively to equip fully (a teacher): – accomplish, thoroughly furnish.

Being furnished^G1822 unto all good works is accomplished “through faith” so we can understand that the worlds within us were “framed by the word of God“. The body of Christ is going through this process of being “throughly furnished”^G1822 so we can learn to worship God in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:21-24) with the goal of being able to teach (Heb 5:12). Lord willing, we will continue to be “careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” we will make our requests known to God as lively stones (1Pe 2:4-5) whose fervent prayers avail much (Jas 5:16) bringing us peace that passes all understanding (Php 4:6-7, Act 21:4-5).

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God (Eph 6:18, Jas 5:13-16).
Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Jas 5:13  Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Jas 5:14  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15  And the prayer of faith; shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
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.

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 [furnished – G1822] 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.

The continual thread which ties all these stories together in Hebrews chapter eleven is the truth that these all obtained a good report through faith but did not receive the promise; God having provided some better thing for us (1Pe 1:12-20, Heb 11:39-40). These events in the lives of all about whom we are reading unfolded for the express purpose of ministering to us, to those who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear that “all these things happened unto them for ensamples^G5179: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1Co 10:11). These hoped-filled stories of faith were given to us so that we can “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” That is how we are becoming “throughly  furnished^G1822 unto all good works“, through that hope of glory within us, the spirit of God, the comforter, who leads us into all truth so that by continuing in it we can be set free (2Ti 1:6-7, Joh 16:13, Joh 8:32).

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.
1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves [‘negative example of furnishing‘] according to the former lusts in your ignorance [Rom 12:1-2]:
1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [‘in our words and our works’ in our way of life (Joh 10:37-38, 1Jn 4:17, 1Pe 2:9)]
1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1Pe 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

2Ti 1:6  Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

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.

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

The traditions of our fathers, these patriarchs of old, are not what is going to redeem us if we are not given to see how all these stories are connected to the life of Christ within us. It is his word which is life (Joh 6:54-58, 1Co 10:16-17) that was “foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” within us, as our hope of glory (Col 1:27). It is God who is framing the worlds within us, His word which is spirit and able to quicken us (Joh 6:63).

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ [‘the word of God‘ (Joh 17:17)], as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

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,

The trial of our faith is precious to God, and every trial we go through is further purifying our walk with the Lord as we go from glory to glory in Him (2Co 3:17-18). Abraham, being tried [“By faith Abraham, when he was tried“] is symbolic of the work Christ is doing within us, both to will and do of our Father’s good pleasure, which is to give us the kingdom (Php 2:12-13, Luk 12:32, Luk 17:21). In this section of scripture, Abraham represents God the Father and Isaac represents Christ who is the one who is accomplishing these works of faith within us today “by the spirit of the Lord”.

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

God puts us through fiery experiences (1Pe 4:12-13, Rom 5:10) which require that we resist “unto blood, striving against sin”, and it takes the faith of Christ to endure such trials as was demonstrated by Abraham whose own flesh and blood, Isaac, was being offered up just as our Father in heaven has done for us in offering up Christ (Joh 3:16) whose life was represented by Isaac.

Our Father is giving us the power through Christ to present our lives a living sacrifice [‘as Isaac was literally going to be‘] through him, and it requires both our heavenly Father who is the giver of every good and perfect gift (Jas 1:17), along with the Son, to accomplish this work “on that day” of filling up “that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (Rom 12:1, Joh 14:20, Col 1:24).

Christ is indeed being offered up again, through the church, if we are being baptized into His death, dying daily and being raised in heavenly places through Him (Eph 2:6). That ability to lay down our life is the promise which has been given to God’s elect whose names are written in heaven (Luk 10:20), meaning that God has purposed for the elect to overcome in this life and to be given the power to do so through the “exceeding great and precious promises” that tell us we can (2Pe 1:4). It was “he that had received the promises” who was able to offer up “his only begotten“. Those type and shadow promises to Abraham have their fulfillment in Christ for us today Who promises that nothing will separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39) which was so great toward us that He gave Christ’s life for us knowing that Christ would then be the author and finisher of the faith that was given to those who would believe in Him (2Co 1:20-22, Rom 5:10).

Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

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.

2Co 1:20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
2Co 1:21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
2Co 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Abraham’s life reveals a pattern that encourages us that “the victory that overcometh the world” is “our faith” (1Jn 5:3-4), which made it possible for him to give an account of what God was able to do for him physically, “accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure”^G3850 (verse 19). That word for “figure” means ‘a parable’ – a parable that typifies what we believe God can do for us spiritually as He raises us up and accepts us through Christ “that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:3, 1Co 15:31, Eph 2:6-7).

G3850
parabolē
par-ab-ol-ay’
From G3846; a similitude (“parable”), that is, (symbolically) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apoth gm or adage: – comparison, figure, parable, proverb.

In this story ,the “only begotten son” Isaac represents the one seed of promise we are in Christ (Gal 3:16), revealing how we are connected as the body of Christ to God’s love that was demonstrated in giving “his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Joh 15:13). With God’s spirit abiding within us we are able to have “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” as He gives us the power to overcome in this age (1Jn 5:18-19, Rev 3:12-13).

1Jn 5:18  We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
1Jn 5:19  And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Rev 3:13  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

It is through Christ and the church which is His body that “the world through him might be saved” as Christ gives us the power to let go of all our earthly connections, typified by Ishmael (Gen 17:18), as He makes a way for us to resist the flesh of men, the will of men, unto the saving of our spiritual house that is accomplished by His love being shed abroad in our hearts, which enables us to lay down our life and lose it so that we might find it in Christ (Joh 3:16-17, Oba 1:21, Luk 14:26-27, Mat 12:50, Mat 10:39).

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

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.

Luk 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple [Gal 2:20].

[Hating all these various categories including “his own life also” means we are not subject to the will of men but to the will of God which will cause us to be hated by all men Mat 10:22. If we’re granted to obey the will of our Father and endure unto the end we will be saved by His righteousness “which is of God by faith”(Php 3:9)]

Mat 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God [1Jn 5:4], who loved me, and gave himself for me.

[“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac“: God gives us the power to offer up our life a living sacrifice through his spirit, and this living sacrifice we have become (Rom 12:1) is typified by Abraham offering up Isaac (1Pe 1:7)]

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. 

Abraham receiving Isaac “in a figure”^G3850” was for the elect’s sake (2Co 4:15, 1Pe 1:12) to remind us that this story and all the old covenant stories are parables, reminding us of what workmanship is taking place within our heavens (Eph 2:10) by the One who is framing our heavens to the glory of God with his word (Col 1:16, Heb 12:2, Heb 11:3).

There is order in God’s plan regarding what seed is called first (“in Isaac shall thy seed be called“). That Abraham begot Isaac and Isaac begot Jacob is also part of that order and is another living parable which reminds us that once we have the faith of Christ, typified by Abraham, then we become sons of God, typified by Isaac (Rom 8:9, Heb 11:18), who will endure until the end through Jacob who must wrestle with God through this life of much tribulation (Act 14:22), enduring in seeing Him who is invisible (Heb 11:27). All of this played out (‘Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s lives‘) so we might believe that we can receive the promise of being those first fruits found in Christ in the first resurrection, typified by the new name Israel which is given to Jacob after he endures to the break of the day because of the faith that was given him to not give up, which situation was a type of the faith we now need in order to quench all the fiery darts of the devil throughout this life (Gen 32:26-28, Gal 6:16, Eph 6:16).

Gen 32:26  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Gen 32:27  And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
Gen 32:28  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

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

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

Heb 11:20  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 
Heb 11:21  By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. 

These events of blessing, “Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau“, and then Jacob blessing “both the sons of Joseph“, are very significant moments revealing “things to come“, and those things to come are better things, better promises found in Christ (Heb 8:6). What is important to note as well is that this blessing which typifies the better promises found in Christ, who is the mediator of the new covenant, includes both “Jacob and Esau” and Joseph’s two half-Egyptian sons “Ephraim and Manasseh” who, because of the faith-filled prayer of Jacob as he leaned “upon the top of his staff“, were blessed.

Heb 8:6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

We are blessed to know that we have both “Jacob and Esau” and “Ephraim and Manasseh” within us, as they typify the first and second Adam (1Co 15:45-47) who, with the blessing of God in our life [‘Abraham and Jacob’], will be blessed to see that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

It was “when he was a dying” that Jacob was able to bless both the sons of Joseph as he leaned on his staff which represents the power of God that was holding him up, and it is when we die daily (1Co 15:30-31, 1Pe 1:13-16) that we in turn bless each other as we lean not unto our own understanding, becoming the first to trust in God through this process that will lead to salvation and an inheritance we will be blessed to share together in the Lord (Eph 1:12-14).

1Co 15:30  And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

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 of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

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

God’s workmanship will become blessed and holy through a process that has been ordained from the foundation of the world, and these type and shadow examples in Hebrews eleven have been written for our sakes to encourage us and remind us that God is sovereign. In the sovereign plan of our Father there is order, and it is through faith we can understand that order and believe that “the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear“.

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-book-of-hebrews-heb-111-3-part-1-through-faith-we-understand-that-the-worlds-were-framed-by-the-word-of-god/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-book-of-hebrews-heb-111-3-part-1-through-faith-we-understand-that-the-worlds-were-framed-by-the-word-of-god Thu, 11 Feb 2021 23:15:34 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=22071 https://www.dropbox.com/s/y7v7bljn1ykjf3r/Tony-Heb-11_1-3.mp3?raw=1

Heb 11:1-3, Part 1 – “Through Faith We Understand that the Worlds were Framed by the Word of God”

[Study Aired February 11, 2021]

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 
Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

The purpose for faith which is a gift from God (Eph 2:8) is explained for us in this eleventh chapter of Hebrews where many were granted this supernatural gift of faith, which “is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.

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

As we go through the myriad of examples in the old covenant of those who were granted faith, these stories will only benefit us if we understand that these “good report[s] through faith” were all documented for the elect’s sake (2Co 4:15), for those who have been called to receive the promise of eternal life (Heb 11:39). What all others received or obtained was “a good report through faith, [but] received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

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

Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

It takes God’s gift of faith for us to understand and believe “that they without us” who “should not be made perfect” were living these events of their lives for us (1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11), revealing how “the worlds were framed by the word of God”, through these typical events that would be experienced inwardly by God’s elect who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear (Mat 13:16-17) being “made perfect” by God’s holy spirit which cleanses our heavens inwardly (Rom 8:9, Heb 9:23-24).

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.

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.

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 [Heb 11:1-40]; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us [The better sacrifices are being accomplished through Christ in us, our hope of glory, in the presence of God (Col 1:27, Eph 2:6)].

This process of being “made perfect” is revealed through these type and shadow events found throughout God’s word (1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11) that God orchestrated or framed for our sakes in every part of His creation, both physically and spiritually (Rom 1:20), so that God’s elect would understand today, in this dispensation of grace (Eph 3:2-4, Col 1:27).  This process shows how “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”, and how this applies to the new creation we have become within, that is being formed or fashioned or framed, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift 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:

Eph 3:2  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Eph 3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read [Heb 11:1-40], ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

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

God rewards or gives to those who diligently seek him.  That seeking or searching is not possible without the faith God grants us to be able to do so (Heb 11:6). Speaking of the prophets of old, God tells us “of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you” (2Co 5:17, Eph 2:8-10, 1Pe 1:10).

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. [All those old covenant stories now have a new inward meaning to those who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear the message.]

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus [Col 1:24] unto good works [Jas 2:14-26], which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The type and shadow event found in James 2:20-22 explains how Christ, who is typified by Abraham, gives us the power to offer up our life, typified by Isaac (Rom 9:7-8), on the altar which is the cross. The cross is the means by which Christ is made known among the gentiles within me and outwardly (Gal 2:20, Col 1:27). This same parable can be seen as Abraham representing God the Father and Christ being represented by Isaac!

Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Now we get into the ‘nitty gritty’ of this subject of faith, learning in James 2:14-26 that faith is not the ‘be all to end all’ condition that God is working with to perfect us, otherwise faith would have been enough in the old covenant where people lived and moved and had their being in Christ, “of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you” (Act 17:28, Eph 1:11).

It takes that faith to overcome the world (1Jn 5:4) accompanied with God’s love within us that is matured through grace (Heb 12:6-7) in order for us to not only be living and moving and having our being in Christ, but to also have a life that is being led of the spirit of God (Rom 8:14-16). God’s purpose for the elect is learned in this age as a result of the obedience which His grace teaches us (Rom 8:28, Tit 2:11-12).

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things [2Co 5:17] work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

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

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?

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Faith must be accompanied with works of love (Gal 5:6, Rom 5:5, 1Co 13:1-3), otherwise that faith is considered dead faith to God (Jas 2:17). It is ‘dead’ in the sense that it does not produce acts of kindness or service (Joh 13:35) from a converted heart which is obedient to the commands of God (Joh 14:15), which declare that we are to lay down our lives for one another (Joh 13:35, Joh 15:13, Rom 8:14-16). These three abide (1Co 13:12-13) to reveal a process that works together to complete or bring us unto spiritual perfection; three representing “the process of spiritual completion”.

Gal 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

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.

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

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.
1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

It took great faith for David to slay Goliath, and therefore should we go out and kill all our enemies? Of course not. We love our enemies as we are commanded and compelled to do through Christ (Mat 5:43-48).  David’s type and shadow example was written for those who would come to see the greatest enemy we have is within us and that those giants in our land cannot be destroyed unless the Lord abides within us (1Sa 17:45-46) as our hope of glory (2Sa 12:7, Col 1:27, 2Sa 12:10).

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mat 5:46  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Mat 5:47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect [1Co 13:13].

It takes this greatest gift of God, His love shed abroad in our hearts working with the faith of Christ, to bring us beyond the verses of Hebrews 6:1-2), which are “when I was a child” and “spake as a child” and “understood as a child” and “thought as a child. However, “when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1Co 13:9-11) by His love, meaning God permitted this by causing us to go beyond this doctrine of dead faith that was not accompanied with His love. That love waxes cold unless the Lord delivers us by permitting that increase in our heavens (Heb 6:1, 1Co 3:6).

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

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.

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God [Jas 2:17-20, Tit 3:14],

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Tit 3:14  And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
Tit 3:15  All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Through faith, now we can ask our Father to help us see, help us in our unbelief (Mar 9:23-25) so that we can truly see how it is “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mar 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

As we will see in the coming studies on this subject of faith,  there are many examples of “the substance of things hoped for” and people being convinced in their hearts so much so that they could say that “the substance of things hoped for” was such a great hope welling up in them that it could be considered “the evidence of things not seen“. We use the expression “the proof is in the (physical) pudding”. In this case the pudding is “the substance of things hoped for“.

G1650 elegchos el’-eng-khos
From G1651; proof, conviction: – evidence, reproof.

If there is one common thread that we can see in every example given to us in this chapter of Hebrews 11, it is the unwavering presence of faith that made it possible for all of these people to have “died in faith”. In order to keep “seeking a country”, God provided the  gift of faith they needed in order to remain convinced or persuaded that there was more to life than just this life, and what that faith accomplished was this: “these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Heb 11:13).

If we don’t have the gift of faith (1Jn 5:4, Eph 2:8, Rom 3:27), we won’t die daily in faith as was typified by those whose hope was so strong that it was said they, “Were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” That was their outward version of overcoming the world, and it was all done for our sakes (2Co 4:15) so we could be reassured that we can overcome the world of sin within us through Jesus Christ, our hope of glory (1Jn 2:16, Col 1:27, Rom 5:10).

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

Rom 3:27  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

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

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Col 1:27).

There is no doubt that these were very special people in God’s plan who were living out these lives of faith for our sakes, “not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off“, and yet “were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” who were ready to give everything up for this steadfast hope God had given them.

This should all sound familiar to those who have the earnest of that inheritance within them (Eph 1:14, Rom 8:9) and are presently seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, which is within us (Mat 6:33, Luk 17:21). God’s holy spirit is being given to very few in this age.  This little flock, or remnant as we’re referred to (Mat 22:14, Luk 12:32, Rom 11:5), was being typified by these few “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” who did not have the righteousness of Christ within them, which is the only way that we can inherit eternal life (Rom 8:9) as opposed to just looking “for a city which hath foundations (Eph 1:4, Rev 14:1, Mat 16:18), whose builder and maker is God”. The “prophets and kings” of old were compelled by God’s holy spirit to do what is written in this verse (Heb 11:13) for our sakes (2Co 4:15), but did not have the mind of Christ as God’s elect do and therefore could not “see those things which ye see” (Luk 10:22-24, 1Co 2:16). God has blessed us to be the foundation of His government for which the “prophets and kings” of old were looking.

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:

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

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

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report.

The good report they obtained was simply being able to say throughout their life that they were looking “for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” and that they could see the promises “afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”  The “good report” was the plainly stated declaration that “they seek a country” whose builder and maker is God (Heb 11:9-10), not that they had found a country and had the kingdom of God dwelling within them as Christ confessed of himself (Luk 17:20-21).

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

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

New Jerusalem is that city the ancients were seeking, and that city for us today is “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” God is the builder who is establishing us through Christ as He lays a foundation of works in our lives, preparing us to be that bride who will receive humanity into this new country which is “the joy of thy lord” (Heb 10:5, Rev 19:7, Rev 21:2, Mat 25:23).

Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

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 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Mat 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 

The natural precedes the spiritual (1Co 15:46) and in doing so God gives us something physical so we can compare spiritual with spiritual, in order to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (1Co 2:13, 2Pe 3:18). Even with all the proof in creation that explains how “his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” works via the relationship of a husband and wife (God the Father is the head of Christ – Christ is the head of the man – and the man is the head of the woman – Rom 1:20), we are in fact still with excuse when there is a veil over our eyes that has to be lifted by God who drags us to Christ (Joh 6:44) so that veil of blindness can be torn away through Him giving us eyes to see the order in the body of Christ, which hierarchy is typified by how “the worlds were framed by the word of God” and are being framed within us today (2Co 3:14, 1Ti 1:13, Joh 6:44, Mat 16:18).

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:

2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

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

God created “the word of God” (Joh 1:1-3, Rev 3:14) by whom all things were physically created and sustained (Col 1:16), so that at an appointed time Christ would come into the world of man to begin the new creation (Eph 1:10-11, 2Co 5:17) within us that was all typified by those physical things He created and sustained. Now “he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” It will only be “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear“. We are with excuse until our eyes and ears are blessed to be open by God and learn how he does all things decently and in order both physically and spiritually (Mat 13:16, 1Co 14:40, 1Co 15:23).

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Psa 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfullyH6395 made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

H6395 pâlâh paw-law’   A primitive root; to distinguish (literally or figuratively): – put a difference, show marvellous, separate, set apart, sever, make wonderfully.

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

1Co 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order.

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

How blessed we are to have eyes that see and ears that hear God’s great plan, and to understand that it is “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”.

Next week, Lord willing, we will start to look at some of those type-and-shadow events of faith that typify the workmanship taking place within God’s children today (Eph 2:10). We indeed need patience and faith “unto the coming of the Lord”, and so we ask of our Father for that very same faith Christ prayed that Peter would receive (Luk 22:32, 1Jn 5:4) in order to overcome the world within him, reflecting the mind of Christ and our Father who “hath long patience for it [salvation], until he receive the early and latter rain” (Jas 5:7).

As we near the end of this age, evil men will wax worse and worse (2Ti 3:12-13, 2Ti 3:1-5), and our trials will increase in order to purify our faith and deepen our patience as we become as our Father who is perfect, loving our enemies and being blessed to endure until the end doing so (Mat 5:45-48). This perfection God is forming within His kind of first fruits is the first step in bringing in the rest of His creation through that fitly framed body of Christ who will be used by God to bring in the ‘all in all’ through Jesus Christ our head (1Co 15:28).

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

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

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.

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/studies-in-psalms-psa-1391-24-thine-eyes-did-see-mine-unformed-substance-and-in-thy-book-they-were-all-written-part-2-verses-7-13/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=studies-in-psalms-psa-1391-24-thine-eyes-did-see-mine-unformed-substance-and-in-thy-book-they-were-all-written-part-2-verses-7-13 Sun, 01 Dec 2019 00:18:25 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=19877 Psa 139:1-24 “Thine Eyes Did See Mine Unformed Substance; and in thy Book They were All Written” – Part 2 (verses 7-13)

“And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight” Heb 4:13

Psa 139:7  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psa 139:8  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Psa 139:9  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psa 139:10  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Psa 139:11  If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Psa 139:13  For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

As we mentioned in our last study, there are four distinct parts to this Psalm 139:  the first describing God’s omnipotence, the second section, which we will look at tonight, which gives us insight as to how God sees all of His creation, the third section more specifically how he sees the church, the body of Christ, the workmanship of His hands, and the fourth describing how God brings light out of darkness through the judgment upon the church (1Pe 4:17).

We have been granted to know and believe and hope (Col 1:27) in the answer to the question “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”  The answer is nowhere; not for God’s elect and not for any part of God’s creation. Not everyone knows now just how all-encompassing the answer to the question, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” really is!

The “any creature” spoken of in Hebrews 4:13 is speaking of all the inward creatures of the sea and on the earth and in the heavens representing everything within the first Adam and everything God’s omnipotent hand is leading and holding (Gen 2:19), stated this way: “there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me” (Psa 139:10), reminding those who have eyes to see that God is working all things “after the counsel of his own will” (Eph 1:11).

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

When we look at the verses surrounding Hebrews 4:13, along with the surrounding verses of Colossians 1:17, which tell us “he is before all things, and by him all things consist”, a very parallel message is given to tell us how the “manifold wisdom of God” is made known “by the church”. It is through the destruction of the first man Adam, the “creature” or beast we need be shown we are through the experience of evil we are given, that we are humbled (Eph 3:10, Joh 3:30, Ecc 3:18, Ecc 1:13).

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight [Num 14:9, 2Co 4:15]: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

All things are for the elect’s sake, and that truth becomes apparent through the destruction of “every living creature” (Gen 2:19) in the sea and in the earth and in the heavens whose soulishness is destroyed by the brightness of His coming as they become bread for us little by little, being brought into subjection to Christ. The only thing which can accomplish this miraculous event of becoming a new creation is having the “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword” word of God not depart from our house so that it can be “piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”.

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

In tonight’s study we will look at how blessed we are in not having that sword depart from our house, which represents God’s word being used to do this miraculous work of grace through faith in the lives of His children in this age who are receiving this “gift of God” of being His kind of first fruits and workmanship of His hands in this age.

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

Psa 139:7  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

Another example of how it is impossible for us to “go from thy spirit” or “flee from thy presence” is found in the story of the two thieves on the cross with Christ (Luk 23:39-46).

Please see this article written by Steven Crook:

“http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-thing-i-fear/”

…that explains how “at our appointed time we are all thieves and robbers, but there is One who has the solution to this “death sentence”.

All three men were bound to the altar which is represented by the cross, but only Christ at this point was able to eat at that altar and lay down His life for these two men who were being witnessed to by Christ showing them, and us, what it means to truly present your body a living sacrifice, and how it would only be through Christ that we could come to the Father.

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.

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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

If we look at all three men on the cross as one man representing who we were, who we’re becoming, and how we can go unto perfection (Gal 2:20), and if we believe God is writing all three books at the same time (Psa 139:16) to teach us something today about the process through which our flesh must go, then surely we are being shown through this living parable whether our soul is converted as Christ was, or is in rebellion, or the process of moving away from that rebellion, as demonstrated with the two thieves. In every instance we can ask the question for all three men, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit?” or “whither shall I flee from thy presence?” God’s elect are blessed to be saved by this hope, “I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee.” That is only possible because of the comforter He has sent to help us and lead us into all truth in this age, to set us free as these scriptures demonstrate (Heb 13:5, Joh 16:13, Joh 6:63, Mat 10:19).

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

Heb 13:5  Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.

Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak.

Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven^H8064, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell^H7585, behold, thou art there.

H8064 heaven  shaw-mah’-yim, shaw-meh’

The second form being dual of an unused singular; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve): – air, X astrologer, heaven (-s).

H7585 hell sheh-ole’, sheh-ole’

From H7592; h

ades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranian retreat), including its accessories and inmates: – grave, hell, pit.

The word heaven^H8064 is very often associated with the fowl of the air (Gen 1:26, Gen 1:28, Gen 1:30, Gen 2:1, Gen 2:4, Gen 2:19, Gen 2:20) which we know can represent evil spirits (Mat 13:4), and the grave^H7585 is very often associated with sorrow and death in scripture (Gen 37:35, Gen 42:38, Gen 44:29).

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air^H8064, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air^H8064, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Gen 1:30  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air^H8064, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Gen 2:1  Thus the heavens^H8064 and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Gen 2:4  These are the generations of the heavens^H8064 and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens^H8064,

Gen 2:19  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air^H8064; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Gen 2:20  And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air^H8064, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

Gen 37:35  And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave^H7585 unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

Gen 42:38  And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave^H7585.

Gen 44:29  And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave^H7585.

Both heaven and hell are to be understood as being within us, and when we are given to see this, the true meaning of what is being said in the context of these words becomes very instructive. Babylon insists these are places outside of ourselves and not the heaven and grave within us that Christ has dominion over as He ascends and descends in our lives working all things in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure where He is sovereign over the light and darkness, in the heavens and in the grave. The physical heavens themselves can be darkened or be filled with light which in itself tells us what God can do and is doing on earth as it is done in heaven within us (Php 2:13, Eph 4:9-10, Gen 28:10-19, Isa 45:7, Mat 6:10).

Gen 28:12  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Please see this article written by Mike Vinson:

“https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/what-and-where-heaven-2009

…that explains why God created the heaven and the earth in the beginning (Gen_1:1) and this will further help us understand why “If I ascend up into heaven^H8064, thou art there: [and] “if I make my bed in hell^H7585, behold, thou art there.”

Psa 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psa 139:10  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

When we “take the wings of the morning” at first in our life, we have no idea that we are going to give an accounting for all the actions God has caused as we “dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea” (Ecc 11:9, Rom 14:12, Joh 12:48). Neither do we see or understand, as Joseph’s brothers did not, that God is the one making a way in that sea, and working all things according to the counsel of His own will so that many or all of God’s creation can be saved (Isa 43:16, Eph 1:11, Gen 45:5).

When we pray not to be led into sore trials or temptations (Mat 6:13), it is by God’s power that we will come to learn that He can “hold me” and direct me with His spirit which will deliver us (Joh 16:13, 2Co 3:17) from the shadow of the valley of death that we are in while we are in these marred earthen vessels (Psa 23:4-6, Rom 8:14-17).

We come to see, through falling seven [complete] times, that God has always been there in the midst of the entire process, His “right hand” holding us, that hand of power. We are also told “there shall thy hand lead me” in advance of being told “thy right hand shall hold me” as a type of the reality Christ is seeking as an occasion against our flesh, and if He is working with us in this age, He is leading us unto repentance (Rom 2:4) by His spirit, by the comforter leading  us into all truth, including the truth that we will be caused to fall a symbolic complete seven times in this life (Pro 24:16).

Psa 139:11  If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

What is very little understood is that the night and day, light and dark, are the same to God in the sense that He sees through it all and is glorified in being able to control the good and evil within us to bring us to maturity in an appointed time (2Pe 3:18, Php 3:14, Eph 4:13).

Christ explained to Peter, “You will deny me” or “Surely the darkness shall cover me“. Christ also prophesied to Peter and others that they would drink the cup: “even the night shall be light about me” clearly showing God’s sovereign hand in the affairs of the good and evil of the disciples’ lives.

Christ also made a clear statement to Pilate that he [Pilate] personally had no power over Him demonstrating once again “the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” (Psa 139:12, Mat 26:34, Mat 20:23, Joh 19:10-11).

Psa 139:13  For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

The word ‘rein’ is the French word for kidney, an indispensable, uncomely organ (1Co 12:22) that is needful to do the most essential and life-giving job of filtering our blood. It is when we are in our “mother’s womb” that we are being sanctified by the word of God (Joh 17:17) where our Adamic blood is being cleansed by the life of Christ and being brought into subjection unto the one who “hast possessed my reins” and is in control of every aspect of my life, every breath, every moment, every jot and tittle as we are being saved by being “covered” by the blood of Christ “in my mother’s womb“.

The kidneys’ job is to filter your blood. They remove wastes, control the body’s fluid balance and keep the right levels of electrolytes. All of the blood in your body passes through them several times a day. (excerpt from https://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/picture-of-the-kidneys#1)

He is the propitiation for my Adamic sins (1Jn 2:2), but not only for mine, but also for the whole world (1Co 15:22), and it is for this reason we labor and suffer reproach (1Ti 4:10), knowing that this labor is not in vain (1Co 15:58), but that the One who created all things and through whom all things consists brings us to see that “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written“, and that it is in the “unperfect” weak, marred existence, that He is making His strength perfect through to the glory and honour of God (1Co 1:26, Jer 18:4).

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/studies-in-psalms-psa-1381-8-for-we-are-his-workmanship-created-in-christ-jesus-unto-good-works/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=studies-in-psalms-psa-1381-8-for-we-are-his-workmanship-created-in-christ-jesus-unto-good-works Thu, 21 Nov 2019 22:11:24 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=19815 Psa 138:1-8 “For we are His Workmanship, Created in Christ Jesus unto Good Works”

[Study Aired November 21, 2019]

Psa 138:1  A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 
Psa 138:2  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. 
Psa 138:3  In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 
Psa 138:4  All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. 
Psa 138:5  Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD. 
Psa 138:6  Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. 
Psa 138:7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. 
Psa 138:8  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. 

This section of scripture, a letter written to the Philippians from Paul (Php 1:1-30), helps bring to life the words of this particular Psalm, as it reminds us how blessed we are to “let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ” spoken of in Phillipians 1:17.

God is preparing the bride of Christ at the end of this age (Rev 19:7) as He did in the days of “Paul and Timotheus” who were servants of Jesus Christ who had come to Philippi to acknowledge “all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons”. In like manner, David was rejoicing in the strength God was providing for him and prophesied what would happen inwardly to the elect of God who are blessed today to hear the voice of the true Shepherd stated this way in this Psalm: “All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth” (Mat 13:16, 1Jn 4:6).

Php 1:1  Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Php 1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

We see the array of help God provided for the body of Christ in those opening words just read in Philippians 1:1 and how it would be by favor shown to the church, along with the peace and every good and perfect gift that comes from above from our Father of lights (Jas 1:17), that the ‘many members’ of Christ’s body are used to minister to each other. God will continue to bring us into remembrance of each other for the sake of Christ, making prayers and requests for one other with joy as He moves the circumstances of our lives with that “one spirit” and one mind which is “striving together for the faith of the gospel”. That is what God is doing with His workmanship which is being created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Eph 2:10, Eph 1:4).

Our fellowship is “in the gospel from the first day until now”, and we are called to be “confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Php 1:6). That in itself is reason enough to “praise thee with my whole heart” as we learn how He makes His strength perfect in weakness (2Co 12:9).

This psalm begins with high praise and worship toward God “for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” and the correlation of His strength being made perfect through our weakness is immediately made at the beginning of the Psalm where these words are uttered: “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” It is that strength God gives us which makes it possible for His word to be magnified within us, above all our earthly concerns, giving us peace that passes all understanding (Php 4:7).

God’s workmanship, His children, are called to have a conscience that is not condemned in itself:  “in nothing terrified by your adversaries” (Php 1:28), within or without (1Jn 2:1, 1Jn 4:4, 1Jn 4:18), but rather we are given the mind of Christ which is a mind of power, love and soundness (2Ti 1:7) that causes us to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel” as we “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Php 3:14). These verses speak about the workmanship or circumstances God is in the process of building through Christ (Php 1:7-19), and the fruit of that workmanship is described in Philippians 2:1-7.

Php 1:7  Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart [Mat 6:21]; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Php 1:8  For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. [more in regard to what God’s workmanship looks like (Php 2:1-7)]
Php 1:9  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; [growing beyond just partaking of herbs or just being nourished on the milk of the word receiving strong meat in time being able to rightly divide and judge a matter (Heb 6:1, Mat 23:23, Heb 5:14)]
Php 1:10  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; [Rev 20:6]
Php 1:11  Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. [1Pe 2:9, Jas 1:18]
Php 1:12  But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
Php 1:13  So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
Php 1:14  And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Php 1:15  Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
Php 1:16  The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
Php 1:17  But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
Php 1:18  What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
Php 1:19  For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

The workmanship of God is accomplished by our giving an accounting of our sins, acknowledging as first fruits that “he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”. God’s love is perfected by keeping His word and abiding in it through this life, and we are being sanctified in this age “for his name’s sake” (Joh 17:17, 1Jn 2:3-12). John concludes in 1 John 2:12 as he started in that same chapter: “And he is the propitiation for our sins” which is “for his name’s sake“.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them [those who first hear the word of God and give an accounting] through thy truth: thy word is truth.

1Jn 2:12  I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

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

Psa 138:1  A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 
Psa 138:2  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. 

A good example of these verses being fulfilled in the new covenant is with Paul on Mars Hill where he met the Athenians who had itching ears and needed to hear some new thing all the time (2Ti 3:7, 2Ti 4:3, Act 17:21-27).

2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Act 17:21  (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
Act 17:22  Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
Act 17:23  For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. [“before the gods will I sing praise unto thee“]
Act 17:24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Act 17:25  Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Act 17:26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
Act 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

To stop being an Athenian^{G117  G116} we must acknowledge all these devotions, or idols of our hearts, we set up from Babylon, who like Athena, the “Goddess of wisdom”, reflects our first position in the flesh of being ever searching and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.

G117
– – Definition: Athens = uncertainty

1. A famous city in Greece, the capital of Attica, and the chief seat of learning and civilisation during the golden period of the history of Greece

 

G116
– Origin: plural of Athene (the Goddess of wisdom, who was reputed to have founded the city)
– TDNT entry: None
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Location

When we do “praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee” and “worship toward thy holy temple [1Co 3:16], and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name“, it is only because God has been dragging us out of Babylon (2Co 6:17, Joh 6:44) to worship the one true God in spirit and truth (Joh 4:24), or “THE UNKNOWN GOD” whom we witness to a world that does not yet know Him and are hid in (Col 3:3, Col 1:27).

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

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.

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

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

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

Psa 138:3  In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 
Psa 138:4  All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. 
Psa 138:5  Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD. 

The “day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul” is the day when God brings me to my wits’ end and I come to acknowledge my blindness and need for him to continually deliver me from myself  (Psa 107:2-8).

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Psa 107:3  And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
Psa 107:4  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. [no Athenian^{G117  G116} city founded on the wisdom of men]
Psa 107:5  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Psa 107:6  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:7  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! [Luk 15:17-23]

That is the time when “All the kings of the earth [within me] shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth” [1Jn 4:6, Mat 13:16].

It is because of those wonderful works unto the children of men that we “give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psa 107:1), expressed this way in verse five: “Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD“.

Psa 138:6  Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. 
Psa 138:7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. 
Psa 138:8  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. 

These last three verses of Psalm 138 are filled with hope, describing the grandeur and power of our great Father in heaven with these words: “Though the LORD be high“, reassuring us that regardless of His mighty authority or sovereign hand over all aspects of His workmanship (Eph 1:11), yet “hath he respect unto the lowly” and being a just God “the proud he knoweth afar off” meaning He knows our sinful state and will deliver us from it (Luk 2:12, Zec 9:9, Php 2:6-10, Mat 23:12, 1Jn 4:17, Psa 51:1-3, Isa 1:18, Psa 103:12).

Luk 2:12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. [As he is, so are we in that lowly state.]

Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
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;

Mat 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

We “walk in the midst of trouble” by virtue of the fact that we are in the flesh (Job 14:1), and yet our hope is that “thou wilt revive me [Joh 6:63, 1Co 15:31]: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies [within and without Mat 10:16, 2Co 13:5, Jas 1:23], and thy right hand shall save me [Eph 2:6, Mar 16:18-19, Col 1:27]”.

Job 14:1  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

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.

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

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Jas 1:23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

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

Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mar 16:19  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

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

The last verse of our study tonight (Psa 138:8) gives us the greatest reason to rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice (Php 4:4) because: “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me” on the third day (Luk 13:32) and His mercy will prevail: “thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever” (Rom 11:11, Rom 11:16, Rom 11:18-20, Rom 11:30-31).

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.

Rom 11:11  I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear.

The workmanship of His hands which is now bound to the altar [Psa 118:27] will be accomplished, and he will “forsake not the works of thine own hands” [Mar 10:39, Isa 49:15, Php 1:6] , not for our sakes but for his name’s sake [1Jn 2:12].

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. [Gen 22:9, Heb 13:3]

Gen 22:9  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

Heb 13:3  Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them [Col 1:24]; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body [Rom 12:5].

Mar 10:39  And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

Isa 49:15  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you [Eph 2:10] will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

1Jn 2:12  I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

]]>