Studies in Psalms – Psa 137:1-9 “By the Rivers of Babylon” – Part 1, Vs 1-2
Psa 137:1-9 “By the rivers of Babylon” – Part 1, Vs 1-2
[Study Aired November 7, 2019]
Psa 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Psa 137:2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
In this study, we will look at how the body of Christ is fulfilling this verse: “And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed” found in Revelation 11:5. We will see how this verse connects with the thought that the Lord is in the process of separating us from Babylon “by the rivers of Babylon” within us first through the fiery trials that are destroying anything that would defile the kingdom of God within us today and would otherwise prevent us from inheriting the Kingdom of God in the fullness one day in the first resurrection (Rev 21:22-27, Rev 22:15, Gal 5:21, Gal 6:7-9, Luk 17:21).
We are not ashamed of the gospel, “for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom 1:16, the work of God to spread the gospel by witness is done through faith, through believing Joh 6:29), and “if any man will hurt them” of Revelation 11:5 does not mean they are hurting us spiritually, or preventing that gospel message from going forth, but rather if any man will come up against Christ, which flesh will do over and over right until the fulfillment of “Gog and Magog” being destroyed (Rev 20:8), that fleshly nature will not prevail against God’s plans but will work in conjunction with His plan (Rom 8:28) including those things we do that are made manifest within God’s temple which must be destroyed as they come up against us inwardly (1Co 3:17, 1Jn 4:4).
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.
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
No one is going to separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39) because the gates of hell will not prevail against the church or body of Christ (Mat 16:18, Luk 21:18, Luk 12:7). God allows “any man” or all of humanity to be an offence unto us because they cannot savor the things of God and will reject Christ in us at this time, and in most cases, unknowingly (Mat 16:23, 2Co 2:16, Isa 3:1, 1Jn 5:19). That feeling of being rejected can be very palpable when we consider we will be hated by all men, as Christ said, for His name’s sake (Mat 10:22). Persecutions against us will increase as evil men wax worse and worse causing the love of many to wax cold (2Ti 3:13). That was the pattern in Christ’s life, and we are as He is in this world (1Jn 4:17), including having the same hope that was within Him so that our Father could prepare Him and us for whatever is going go come our way, even to the point where He says take no anxious thought for those things because those things will take care of themselves through the strength He will provide (Mat 6:34, Mat 20:23, Luk 22:43). The important point to focus on is that none of those things mentioned in Romans 8:35 will prevail against Christ’s body, the church, and that is something in which to rejoice (Col 1:24).
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.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.
Luk 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.Luk 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
So “if any man will hurt them” of Revelation 11:5 produces exactly what Christ said it would toward our enemies, even as our own iniquities that chasten us (Jer 2:19, Gal 6:7-9). He also prepares our hearts to be able to endure through that persecution and to say “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luk 23:34).
Jer 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
God is putting the bride of Christ through this process of judgment today, fulfilling this testimony within us today “by the rivers of Babylon” within us today, so that we can be made ready to judge the nations and bring them through a process of judgment that will be “by the rivers of Babylon” which are still within them. God is setting the stage for the day when all the world will be saved by the living waters that will proceed from the body of Christ to heal the nations as we administer the lake of fire which will bring about the destruction of the carnal mind (Mat 10:28) giving the increase that comes from God alone through that purifying experience of judgment (1Co 3:6-8, Rev 22:2). All that God’s elect are experiencing today or in the first resurrection during the thousand year reign, has us “byH5921 (against) the rivers of Babylon”. We are by them, but we are not of them if we’ve been judged already or if we are being judged and predestined to be kings and priests (Joh 17:16, Isa 30:21-33).
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.
1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
1Co 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.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 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
These verses in Isaiah (Isa 30:21-26) describe a time of judgment which will be used to seek an occasion against all flesh. People will be told the right way to go, being ruled with a rod of iron, but that will not mean that there is conversion (Isa 30:21). The physical idols of men’s hearts may be destroyed, the wood, hay and stubble, but that in itself is not conversion (Isa 30:22).
Isa 30:21 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.
Isa 30:22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.
There will be plenteous water and bread, symbols of the abundance of God’s word, but again that does not mean there will be conversion. We know, however, that the word will go out and not return void at the last in the lake of fire (Isa 55:11, Isa 6:7). This time spoken of in Isaiah is a time of fattening up the calf due to the large pastures God will make available through the church, through the body of Christ (Isa 30:23).
Isa 30:23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.
The following three verses also reveal that God’s word will be undefiled at this time, and even with that certainty of knowing the word has been rightly interpreted described as “clean provender which hath been winnowed”, does not conclude that there will be conversion going on at that point. The simple and single truth is that no one can come to the Son unless the Father drags them there (Joh 6:44). Without God’s spirit within us, we can be watered and have plenty of seed in the ground and the sun shining on us all day, and still no growth will come about if God is not giving that increase within via His holy spirit which must be within us to make that happen (1Co 3:6, Rom 8:9).
Isa 30:24 The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. [Mat 3:12]
1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
More imagery is given to us to describe the abundance of God’s word in Isaiah 30:25 that will be prominent in the world like the oceans are filled with water (Hab 2:14). “And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.” The stroke of the nations’ wound is not the deadly wound of Revelation 15:8 or 17:11 but the first wound that comes when we stumble unto Christ described in this verse (Rev 13:3). This wound will heal, resulting in the nations ultimately coming up against God’s elect when Satan is “loosed out of his prison” after the thousand year reign expires. That thousand symbolic year period is going to fill the world with God’s truth with which the world will not ultimately be able to continue (Rev 20:7-8, Joh 8:31-32).
Isa 30:25 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. [Pro 18:12]
Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Another description of the abundance of that word is explained with symbolism which says the moon [the churches of this world during the thousand-year reign] will properly reflect the light of the sun, unlike today where there is no stay of bread or water (Isa 3:1). The sevenfold light of the sun tells us that the Lord will perform a complete witness through the body of Christ during this period that is described as a time when “ in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound”.
Isa 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
I mention all of this because none of these actions have to do with hearts and minds being converted, and we will only still be “by the rivers of Babylon”.
This Psalm 137 points to the only way we can overcome those things which would defile the kingdom of God within, and how the Lord will give us victory over our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts as mentioned in Jeremiah 17:9 as His body, the weak of the world (1Co 1:26), with whom He is working in this age (Eph 2:10). We can take comfort in knowing that God will finish this work of purifying us “by the rivers of Babylon” within us so we can inherit the kingdom that is His good pleasure to give to His little flock (Luk 12:32).
The testimony that Christ is working within us both to will and to do (Php 2:13), to give us the kingdom within in earnest at first (Eph 1:14) is explained in Revelation 11:6-19. This testimony and process we are going through today is bringing all the nations within us into subjection to Christ, every thought (2Co 10:5), every false doctrine destroyed “by the rivers of Babylon”. The end result or outward fulfillment of this judgment which first comes upon the elect in this age is that we will be able to judge the nations who will not be happy with our constant and steadfast message of repentance and obedience to the commandments of God “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth” (Rev 11:18).
[We begin this process of judgment on humanity which will bring people to bury their dead doctrines, but the ultimate death of the world will be in the lake of fire where the heart will be converted Mat 8:22 Mat 10:28]
Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail” reminds us that the “lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail” must be in our heavens today causing us to die daily as we learn what it takes to be judged and what great powers must be used in our heavens to overcome and endure unto the end of our age which we will do through Jesus Christ, laying up that “testament“, God willing!
The resurrected body of Christ will reign for a thousand symbolic year period that starts off with these words explaining the rod-of-iron judgment which will come upon the physical nations first: “the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” The next verse (Rev 11:19) introduces to us this statement: “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail”, which are all descriptive terms of the ultimate judgment which will come upon all of humanity but starts first in the hearts and minds of God’s people who are that generation spoken of in Matthew 24:34 which shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.
The testimony that we leave the world is left “by the waters of Babylon” and spoken of in terms of what God has already done for us in (Rev 12:11) . We are overcomers through Christ who go through the judgement first in this life, leaving a witness in this life “by the rivers of Babylon”, so that when we are resurrected in the first resurrection, the outward fulfillment of that testimony that we leave “by the rivers of Babylon” will be proceeded during a period of time called the thousand year reign that will set the stage for the great white throne judgement or lake of fire judgement, after that. At that point we are still “by the rivers of Babylon” but are are now able to wash the world and cleanse humanity from all of their spiritual diseases and iniquities that are just naturally “by the riversH5104 (figuratively prosperity): – floodwaters of BabylonH894 (confusion).” That judgment is the wiping away of all the tears of the nations (Rev 21:4) who will come to learn of God’s sovereign and merciful plan, also expressed in a verse that we just naturally only attribute to Christ (Isa 53:4-5) and forget that it applies to Christ’s body as well (Luk 2:35).
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.Luk 2:35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
We are just as much lying dead in the street of that great city during that reign with Christ which does not convert anyone, even as we symbolically lie dead in that street in earnest today as we die daily (Rev 11:8, 1Co 15:31). With resurrected bodies that change not, our testimony of this new resurrected creation we have become will not change the inward heart of Babylon within humanity. So the world must be caused to err in rejecting Christ and His Christ so they can come to see the contrast of that fruit (Mal 3:18) versus the new life which will be given when Christ baptizes the world with fire, and not just in the initial baptism that is only received as water at first during the symbolic thousand-year period where we will still be “by the rivers of Babylon” (Rev 20:6, Mat 3:11, 1Jn 4:17).
Psa 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. [Eze 9:4, Luk 19:41-44]
Eze 9:4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Luk 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Luk 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
When we understand where Babylon is, as Christ did, and have His love being shed abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5), we will also sigh and cry for a world that is in bondage not knowing their need at this time to be judged as they were predestined to be reserved unto judg ment (2Pe 2:9). Everything mentioned in the verses that follow after is what needs to be judged within us in this age if we are going to be counted worthy to obtain the first resurrection, and Christ clearly tells us not to think that this level of judgment must not come upon our beastly nature which must be destroyed (2Pe 2:10-14, Luk 13:4).
2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
2Pe 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen [1 and 8=9 (1Pe 4:17)], upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
We weep for a world that is not being judged yet, which doesn’t recognize the day of its visitation (Luk 19:41-44), and we also weep because of the painful process we must go through in order to become a new creation. However, in the morning we will have joy (Psa 126:5). The “in the morning” part happens every day as we die daily, as we learn of His great power and ability to deliver us from all our sins, and in this we greatly rejoice and are moved to continue to fight a good fight of faith (Rom 8:35-39, Php 4:4, 1Ti 6:12).
Psa 137:2 Upon the willows [H6155 from H6148] in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps.
H6155 ‛ârâb aw-rawb’– Strong’s: From H6148; a willow (from the use of osiers as wattles): – willow. Total KJV Occurrences: 5
- willows, 5 Lev_23:40; Job_40:22; Psa_137:2; Isa_15:7; Isa_44:4
H6148 ‛ârab aw-rab’ – Strong’s: A primitive root; to braid that is intermix; technically to traffic (as if by barter); also to give or be security (as a kind of exchange): – engage (inter-) meddle (with) mingle (self) mortgage occupy give pledges be (-come put in) surety undertake. Total KJV Occurrences: 18
- becometh, 1 Pro_17:18
- engaged, 1 Jer_30:21
- intermeddle, 1 Pro_14:10
- meddle, 2 Pro_20:19; Pro_24:21
- mingled, 1 Psa_106:35
- mortgaged, 1 Neh_5:3
- occupiers, 1 Eze_27:27
- sureties, 1 Pro_22:26
- surety, 8 Gen_43:9; Gen_44:32; Job_17:3; Psa_119:122; Pro_6:1; Pro_11:15; Pro_20:16; Pro_27:13
- themselves, 1 Ezr_9:2
The root word of “willows” is H6148 and describes the condition of “Babylon” today very aptly. The words braid, intermix and traffic really pop when we consider the ecumenical spirit of Babylon and how her wares are trafficked along the river Euphrates, which will in God’s time be dried up within all of humanity (1Ti 2:9, Eze 27:25 Rev 16:12).
1Ti 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
1Ti 2:10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
1Ti 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.Eze 27:25 The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.
Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
The way of the kings of the east is symbolic language describing the elect who were the first to have those kings within us conquered by the brightness of His coming from the east to the west. Now we can come as Christ did to destroy the nations without with the brightness of His coming from the east (2Th 2:8, Mat 24:27, 1Jn 4:17).
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [“out of the east“]
Mat 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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 are “in the midst” of Babylon both within and without, and are coming out of her both within and without as we die daily and don’t intermix or touch the unclean thing so that we can be accepted of God (2Co 6:17). Christ is the reason we can be accepted by God as He makes a way for this to happen as the true witness goes forth through us as our hope of glory who is working this work of salvation within, both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Eph 1:6, Php 2:13).
Excerpt from http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/prophecy-of-isaiah-isa-151-9-i-will-bring-lions-upon-him-that-escapes-of-moab/
“The brook of the willows” should have been translated “the river of the willows”, and with this verse in mind, it is obvious that the riches of Moab, just like the riches of Israel, were carried off to Babylon and “the river of the willows”:
Psa 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Psa 137:2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.In Ezekiel 17, willows are again identified with Babylon:
Eze 17:5 He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
Eze 17:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 17:12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;This all takes place “in the night”, and we are so ‘in the dark’ that we are not even aware that Babylon has taken from us all that is ours.
Isa 15:1 The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence;
“The hay… the grass… and every green thing” are all symbols of the things of our flesh, which must die and be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of Christ, The Truth:
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isa 40:6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Isa 40:7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isa 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
All prophecy will come to past, and when we are struggling through this life seeing the hearts of men wax worse and worse, we do see the fleeting nature of prophecy in Babylon and hang our harps on the willow tree which represents Babylon (2Ti 3:13, 1Co 13:8, 1Th 5:20). We don’t have song in our heart any longer for this world which we see as being condemned.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
We are not to despise prophecy but see it as a bright light that shines in a dark place (2Pe_1:19) and because we know iniquity will abound at the end of this age it will be critical for us to come together often and to be desirous of that gift of prophesy (1Co_14:1-5) that will make us “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” (Eph_4:16). That is how we can overcome this evil generation that Christ spoke of in (Mat_16:4) with God’s goodness working within the body of Christ that “maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”, an increase that comes from God alone (Rom_12:21 , 1Co_3:6 , Jas_1:17).
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1Co 14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
1Co 14:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
1Co 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.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.
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
The good news is that there is no condemnation in Christ (Rom_8:1 , Psa_96:1 , Psa_40:3) and we do sing a new song now, one that reflects our hope in Christ for the wonderful works that He is doing unto the children of men (Psa_107:31). God’s elect are given the extra oil in their lamps, that increase that comes from God who has blessed us in advance of the world to heed the counsel or to read hear and keep the sayings of prophecy that tell us to buy that oil now, and to be ready now for the bridegroom to return at any moment (Mat_25:3-4 , Rev_3:18-20).
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.Psa 96:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
Psa 96:2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
Psa 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Mat 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. [Rev_19:9 , Rev_20:6].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.
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.
Next week we will look at Part two of our study with the following verses coming up:
Psa 137:3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
Psa 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?
Psa 137:5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
Psa 137:6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Psa 137:7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
Psa 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
Psa 137:9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
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