Proverbs 3:13-35 – “Christ the tree of life”

[Study Aired Nov 21, 2024]

In this section of Proverbs we are being shown what fruit will be given to those who are granted to lay hold on wisdom (Christ): “She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her”. Christ of course is represented by that “tree of life” that very few are drawn unto in this age and able to “retaineth her” (Joh 6:44, Mat 22:14, Joh 8:31-32). The manifest knowledge of God is made known by the church through Christ (Eph 3:10) and therefore wisdom is connected to the feminine “She is a tree of life” and happy “is every one that retaineth her”, the church being represented by a woman whose head is Christ.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word (“lay hold…retaineth her (Rev 1:3)”), then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Christ did not lay down his life so we could be preserved in our flesh, he laid down his life so that we could have true life which comes from the tree of life that we all initially reject by laying hold onto Christ in a way that seems right to us (Joh 6:53, Pro 14:12, Gen 3:6, 1Jn 2:16).

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Redemption comes through Christ and His Christ as we are like Him in this world (1Jn 4:17, Joh 3:17, Joh 20:21, Oba 1:21), needing to lose our life that we may gain it (Mat 16:25), being strengthened to do so as we partake of the tree of life that will make it possible for us to be “quickened by the Spirit” (Rev 11:3  Joh 6:63) with the goal of enduring unto the end of this age (Mat 24:13), being blessed to fulfill God’s purpose in the next. The ark is preparing today by “filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (Col 1:24, 1Pe 3:18-20).

1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust [- and so must God’s elect- ], that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh (Gal 2:20), but quickened by the Spirit: (Joh 6:33, Joh 6:51-55, Joh 3:16-17, Eph 5:30, Joh 20:21, Psa 107:20, Oba 1:21)
1Pe 3:19  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1Pe 3:20  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah (Mat 24:37), while the ark was a preparing, wherein few (Mat 22:14), that is, eight souls (the new man) were saved by water (Eph 5:26, Rom 6:3-4).

Pro 3:13  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Pro 3:14  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
Pro 3:15  She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

We did not find wisdom, rather we were dragged to wisdom which resulted in our getting understanding (Gal 4:9).

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?

Our Father dragged us to Christ (Joh 6:44) so we could experience joy and happiness in this life, with persecutions (Mar 10:30-31, 3Jn 1:2). Christ’s life in us is better than anything we can obtain in the physical, and although we all start off in the natural circumstances of the riches of Egypt like Moses (Heb 11:25-26, Eph 2:1-2), if God is working with us our appreciation for the spiritual is going to grow and our priorities in life are going to reflect that blessed change of heart (Heb 11:25-26, Mat 6:33, Eze 36:26-27).

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt (Mat 10:31): for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Notice what God deems as precious and invaluable, and it is always the relationship that we have with Him through Christ, which exists because of the life of Christ within us, our hope of glory (Rom 8:9, Col 1:27). God sees the firstfruit of His creation, His workmanship, for what they are, a starting point that will bring forth many children, and therefore the few at this time are more precious than the many spoken of in (Mat 10:31).

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.

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:

Mat 10:31  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

It is the few who will be used to save the world, and redeem His banished (2Sa 14:14). ‘The few’ are the weak of the world who have the life of Christ in them now, and that life is what is being spoken of in terms of its value when we read, “She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her” (“the church”).

Pro 3:16  Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Pro 3:17  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Pro 3:18  She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

With this understanding that wisdom is Christ who is manifested in the church, we can then understand that “Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour” is again referring to the life of Christ within the church. Length of days is something that will be obtained by enduring to the end by the power of God’s holy spirit, which power is represented by the right hand. The left hand represents the “riches and honour” that God will bestow upon those who have been given the mind of Christ and acknowledge that all that we’ve been given, including our salvation, is a gift of God (Eph 2:8) and of which we contribute nothing. Our left hands work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is Christ’s spirit giving us the power to overcome and accomplish these labours in the earth (Tit 3:8) that were ordained from the foundation of the world (Php 2:12-13, Joh 15:15-16).

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.

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.

Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
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.

How good and how pleasant it is to dwell with the family of God in harmony (Psa 133:1), and to receive peace that passes all understanding (Php 4:7). This peace is obtained by cleaving unto our husband who is the tree of life, who we lay hold on, not neglecting so great a salvation (Heb 2:3, Heb 10:25-26). Retaining and continuing in the truth will bring happiness and it will set us free from the bondage of sin that can so easily beset us in this life (Heb 12:1-4, Joh 8:36).

Psa 133:1  A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

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

Contrast these last two verses (Psa 133:1, Php 4:7) with these….(Heb 2:3, Heb 10:25-26)

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

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Heb 10:26  For if we sin wilfully [neglecting so great a salvation] after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [Heb 6:4-6]

Pro 3:19  The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
Pro 3:20  By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

All of these words are talking about what the Lord does within the body of Christ (Pro 3:19-20). The earth symbolizes the church where we are baptized into Christ’s death (Jer 22:29, Rom 6:3-4) and the earth is founded upon the Rock Jesus Christ (Mat 16:18), via a process of judgement (“O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD”). It is Christ who establishes the understanding in our heavens, “established the heavens”, with better sacrifices than these as we read in (Heb 9:23-24).

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

God’s word is like a hammer (Jer 23:29) and it breaks up the depths of our faulty earthly foundation, “By his knowledge the depths are broken up”, so that living waters can spring forth (Gen 7:11-13).

Gen 7:11  In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened (Isa 45:8, Rev 3:8, Rev 3:12, Rev 3:20).
Gen 7:12  And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. (Act 14:22)
Gen 7:13  In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

The manifest knowledge of God is made known through the church (Eph 3:10), through the great cloud of witness (Heb 12:1) that drops down the dew that represents the words of God, “the clouds drop down the dew”, that sustain the body of Christ in this life while the ark is preparing (Psa 103:13, Hos 14:5-6, Gal 6:16).

Pro 3:21  My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
Pro 3:22  So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
Pro 3:23  Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
Pro 3:24  When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

If the rain water had not been collected during the time that Noah and his family were on the ark they would have had no drinkable water, and the same is true spiritually for the body of Christ who must gather the manna, or rain, that represents God’s word (Christ), daily, and so we read, “My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.”

Sweet is the sleep of the labourer who labours for the meat that shall not perish (Joh 6:27), and God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Heb 11:6), and that spiritual reward and accompanying physical blessing is explained with these verses (Php 4:19, Mat 6:33, 3Jn 1:2). “Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.”

Pro 3:25  Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
Pro 3:26  For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Christ tells us not to fear the wars and rumours of wars in this life that we will hear of (Mat 24:6), because these events symbolize for our sakes (2Co 4:15) the desolation of the wicked within us. The LORD will be our confidence in the midst of our chastening and scourging experiences that we all must be partakers of (Heb 12:6-8), and He shall be our confidence as He takes away the confidence that we have in our own flesh through the fiery trials of this life (Php 3:3), resulting in our being able to stand in the Lord, and not think we’re standing by our own might or power. This is what it means, “and shall keep thy foot from being taken” (1Co 10:12-14).

1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
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.
1Co 10:14  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry (the idolatry of our hearts that tells us we have free moral agency and can stand by our own might and power independent of God Php 2:12-13, 2Th 2:3-4).

Pro 3:27  Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
Pro 3:28  Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

As God’s elect we are to do good unto all, especially unto the household of faith (Gal 6:10, Luk 16:9-11).

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity (Pro 3:27), let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Luk  16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
Luk 16:10  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Luk 16:11  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [by not fulfilling Gal 6:10], who will commit to your trust the true riches?

The way we conduct ourselves in this age as God’s ambassadors (2Co 5:20) is of the utmost importance to God (1Pe 2:12-13).

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us (Rom 12:1): we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

1Pe 2:12  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works [fulfilling Gal 6:10], which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1Pe 2:13  Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

[eg: David’s friendship toward Jonathan who protected David from Jonathan’s father Saul typifies our making “to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations” (Luk 16:9, 1Sa 18:25, 1Sa 20:33-42)].

Luk 16:9  And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

1Sa 18:25  And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

1Sa 20:33  And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
1Sa 20:34  So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

1Sa 20:41  And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

Pro 3:29  Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Pro 3:30  Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
Pro 3:31  Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Pro 3:32  For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
Pro 3:33  The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

We are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) not hiding from the world, but rather being a light in this dark world (Mat 5:14-16), by ‘being in the world and not of it’ which means we “Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee”.

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The high standard that Christ sets for the elect is to “Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm, Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways”. Why?, because “the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous” and “The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just”. In other words, we are not to measure the court in this life (Rev 11:2). That is not our calling to be entangled with the affairs of this world (2Ti 2:4, 2Co 6:17). Rather, we are to be at peace with the truth that the Lord knows all men’s hearts, and can cause each man to stand and fall as His workmanship, whichever fold the Lord has anyone in (Rom 14:4, Joh 10:16, Rev 11:2).

Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

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.

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,

Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Pro 3:34  Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
Pro 3:35  The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

We’re living in an age where scorners are everywhere saying ‘where is the promise of his coming?’ (2Pe 3:4). That is what Christ prophesied would happen at the end of the age, that iniquity would abound and the love of many would wax cold (Mat 24:12). The Lord scorns the scorner within us and so we must be given His correction in our life in order to rule over that evil spirit and continue to be abased right until the return of our Lord (1Pe 5:6-9).

2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

If God will permit us that grace and the ability to stand in the day of adversity, it will not be by our might or power but by the abundance of His holy spirit (Zec 4:6), the free gift that He will give the body of Christ who will narrowly escape (1Pe 4:18): “The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools” (Mal 3:17-18).

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

1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Mal 3:17  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Lord help us in our unbelief (Mar 9:24), and grant us the faith to commit our lives unto you “as unto a faithful Creator”, the tree of life!

Exo 16:1-18  He that Gathered Much has Nothing Over, and He that Gathered Little had no Lack

[Study Aired July 4, 2022]

Exo 16:1  And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 
Exo 16:2  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 
Exo 16:3  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. 
Exo 16:4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 
Exo 16:5  And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. 
Exo 16:6  And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: 
Exo 16:7  And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? 
Exo 16:8  And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. 
Exo 16:9  And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings. 
Exo 16:10  And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 
Exo 16:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Exo 16:12  I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. 
Exo 16:13  And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 
Exo 16:14  And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 
Exo 16:15  And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Exo 16:16  This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
Exo 16:17  And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
Exo 16:18  And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

Chapter 16 focuses on what took place in the wilderness of Sin, which was between Elim and Sinai, when the Israelites left Egypt. As we indicated in the previous study, the Lord using the Israelites as an example, wanted to show us where we are to encamp in this world of wilderness – our final destination. He brings us to Elim where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. Thus, the Lord shows us the end from the beginning. We get to Elim after going through famine of the word of the Lord as we sojourned in Babylon.

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

Isa 46:9  Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10  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:

Elim, therefore, represents the church of the elect where we have the pillar and ground of the truth!! That is where we are to encamp in this life. After leaving Elim, the Lord shows us our journey in this world which ultimately ends in Canaan, the land of promise, a type of Elim. The first place the Israelites encamped after leaving Elim was the wilderness of Sin, where they murmured against the Lord as a result of the famine they encountered. The Lord came to their aid by offering them bread from heaven which was manna and also gave them quails to satisfy their lust for meat. The study today goes into details what the manna and the quails represent spiritually and why they were given.

Exo 16:1  And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 

Our departure from the world (Egypt) as we come to serve the Lord starts in the wilderness of Sin. Sin means thorn or clay. This means that we start our walk with Christ being carnal or fleshly.

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

Exo 16:2  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
Exo 16:3  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

The flesh is exposed when we are undernourished by the word of the Lord as we see the Israelites’ carnality exposed due to scarcity of food in the wilderness of Sin. Whenever we are not filled with the word of Christ, our fleshly or beastly nature is revealed. A key characteristic of being carnal or fleshly is murmuring, which means to complain. During this part of our walk, what we receive as the word of God is actually man’s wisdom and traditions of this world which make us worse off, causing us to complain about the difficulties we encounter in our walk. This is confirmed by the Israelites’ complaints that Moses and Aaron brought them into the wilderness to kill them with hunger. This hunger is the lack of the word of the Lord during our stay in Babylon.

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The situation described in 2 Peter 2 above, is the same as our wound being healed and wondering after the beast within us.

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it [the beast] were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

The Bread From Heaven – Manna

Exo 16:4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 
Exo 16:5  And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. 

This bread from heaven, later called manna, was given to solve the fleshly needs of the people of Israel. Therefore, it represents the Lord’s provision for our existence in this world. In our carnal state, as we start our journey with the Lord, our focus is on the Lord’s physical blessings which are for our existence. Merely to exist, however, is vanity of vanities. Are we just here on this earth to make a living for our existence? If this is the case, it is vanity of vanities. As Jesus stated, the manna leads to spiritual death.

Ecc 1:2  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 
Ecc 1:3  What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? 

Joh 6:49  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

Deu 8:16  Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

The purpose of the Lord giving us manna is to bring us to understand that physical blessings of the Lord do not lead to godliness. However, godliness with contentment is what pleases the Lord. When we are content, we would not murmur against God. Yes, we do need the Lord’s physical blessings for our existence but only as a way to fulfill the Lord’s purpose for our lives.

1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 
1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.

In John 6:58, Jesus Christ compared the bread from heaven to Himself, who is the word. This means that on a positive note, the manna represents Christ. The bread from heaven leads to death, but living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord leads to life. In our initial carnal walk, our focus is on manna, but through the Lord’s judgment we come to live by every word out of the mouth of the Lord.  In the bible, grace is simply God Himself coming to us to be our enjoyment. John 1:7 says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” As indicated, blessings (Manna) are for our existence, but grace is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.

Joh 6:58  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Deu 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

Joh 1:16  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

Exo 16:6  And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: 
Exo 16:7  And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? 
Exo 16:8  And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

The Lord’s provision is to make us aware of our deliverance from the world. Here in verse 7 and 8, we are made aware that murmuring against the Lord’s elect is murmuring against God. When we rise against the advice of the body, we are rising against the Lord.

Act 9:3  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 
Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 
Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Exo 16:9  And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
Exo 16:10  And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

The glory of the Lord has been mentioned several times in the Book of Exodus, so we need to know what it is. The following verse gives us insight into what the glory of the Lord is all about.

Deu 5:24:  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

This verse suggests that the glory of the Lord has to do with the hearing of the Lord’s voice out of the midst of the fire. The opening of our eyes to see and that of our ears to hear through the judgment of the Lord is what grants us the grace to see the glory of the Lord. In verse 10 here, we are told that the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The cloud here refers to the elect who are the cloud of witnesses. This means that it is through the elect that the glory of the Lord is seen as shown in the following verses:

Act 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 
Act 1:10  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 
Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 

As indicated, on a positive note the bread of heaven refers to Christ and His words. One significant point to note is that the glory of the Lord is seen only in the congregation or the camp of Israel. It is when we have seen the glory of the Lord that the bread of heaven is given to us. This is to emphasize the point that it is through the church that we come to see the glory of the Lord.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Exo 16:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 16:12  I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
Exo 16:13  And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

Murmuring against the Lord is what we all have engaged in at a certain period of our walk. The murmuring of the people of Israel is what gave the Lord the occasion to bring the quails in the evening and bread from heaven (manna) in the morning. The coming of the bread of heaven and the quails was to prove the Israelites. In other words, when Christ comes (the bread of heaven), He comes with His judgment.

1Co 10:5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 
1Co 10:6  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 

1Co 10:10  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

It was after the glory of the Lord appeared to the people that He sent them the meat they lusted for in the form of quails. This is all to show them His sufficiency and also to discipline them. In verse 13, the Israelites had just left Egypt and so when they complained, the Lord did not punish them. However, after being in the wilderness for a significant period where they had seen the Lord’s provision and they complained in Numbers 11:19-20, 33-34, the lord came and disciplined them with the quails. This is to let us know that as a father, when we are young, the Lord sometimes ignores our mistakes. However, as we are maturing, He no longer tolerates our indiscipline.

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Num 11:18  And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.
Num 11:19  Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; 
Num 11:20  But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

Num 11:33  And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague. Egypt? 

Psa 106:13  They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
Psa 106:14  But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
Psa 106:15  And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

It is significant to note that the quail which satisfies our lust comes in the evenings of our lives when the sun has set, and darkness seems to dominate us. It is this period of our lives that we are prone to murmuring as we want to satisfy the lust of the flesh. That is when the Lord comes in to send quails to us to satisfy our flesh and at the same time destroy the flesh. In other words, our own sins shall correct us.

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

Exo 16:14  And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
Exo 16:15  And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

These verses give us the characteristics of the manna sent from heaven. They were small, round, resembling frost, came from heaven, fell on the ground and came in the morning with the dew. The manna which came from heaven is small. No matter how delicious a meal is, if it cannot be broken down into small pieces, it cannot be swallowed by the mouth.

It is the same with the word of the Lord which is signified by the manna, looking at it from a positive connotation. The smallness of the manna means that the word of the Lord must be broken down for us to understand and assimilate. Otherwise, there is no way we can apply it to our lives. That is why the Lord has given gifts to His church so that the word of the Lord can be broken down for us to understand. That is the manna coming in small sizes!!

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

The roundness of the manna is significant. As we have indicated, this manna is Christ, and therefore, the roundness signifies that Christ is eternal, without a beginning and an end – the alpha and omega. By feeding on Christ, we become eternal people, those who are beyond time. That was what the Lord was explaining to the woman at the well in Samaria during her dialogue with Christ.

Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The manna was also like frost. Frost is between dew and snow. They all represent the word of the Lord. Although dew refreshes, it does not destroy germs. Frost, on the other hand, is able to kill germs. The word of Christ both refreshes us and is able to destroy the negative things within us (the beast or the old man).

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth [manna, which represents Christ and His word], and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

The manna coming from heaven is to let us know that it is from the Lord. As we are aware, both good and evil comes from the Lord. Thus, the manna from a negative perspective brings death, while on a positive note brings life. This means that our wandering in the corridors of Babylon feeding on manna (polluted word of God), which brought death to us, is all the Lord’s design to bring us to an expected end!!

Exo 16:4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

The manna fell to the ground from heaven. We know from the scriptures that the ground represents mankind as we were made from dust which forms the ground.

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 

Even though the manna came down from heaven, once it falls into human hands (falls to the ground), except the elect, it becomes the polluted word of the Lord. That is why the manna brought death instead of life. This polluted word of God comes in the form of excellency of speech, man’s wisdom and traditions.

1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Manna is always sent in the morning in contrast to quails that come in the evening. On a positive note, manna comes in the morning to refresh us at the beginning of the day where the sun of righteousness has risen in our lives. It is significant to note that manna comes with the dew. Both manna and dew represent the word of the Lord which comes to us as we behold the glory of the Lord.

Deu 32:2  My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

Deu 33:28  Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

Exo 16:16  This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
Exo 16:17  And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 
Exo 16:18  And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

These verses show us how we are to receive the word of the Lord. The gathering of the manna in verse 16 is done such that every man takes what he can eat. In other words, we all go through various stages of our understanding of the word of the Lord. As we mature in Christ through His judgment of our old man, we are able to take in more of the word of the Lord (manna). Verse 16 also says that our receiving of manna (word of God) is according to the number of persons which are in our tents or family. Our tents or our family is the church or assembly of the elect. Thus, those whom the Lord has gifted as apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors and evangelists are given the capacity to receive more of the word of the Lord in order to feed the family of the Lord. Thus, according to verse 17, some gather more and some gather less.

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

The omer is an ancient Israelite unit of volume for grains and dry commodities. Spiritually, the omer represents Christ. We are all to measure to Christ’s standard. In verse 17, we are told that some gathered more and some less. However, as shown in verse 18, after they had measured the manna which had been gathered, “He that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack.” In the sight of men, we can see that some are given more insight of the word of the Lord while the insight of others is limited. However, according to the Lord’s measurement, whether we gather more or less, it is exactly one omer in His sight. In other words, whether we gather more or less, at the end of the day, we are to measure up to the standard of Christ.

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 
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.

May the Lord help us to measure up to the standard of Christ (Omer) as we gather manna from heaven!! Amen!!

(Key verses: Gen 27:14-41)

In our last discussions on the theme of sonship in Genesis, the focus was slowly shifting away from Isaac, the son of Abraham, to Jacob. In his old age Isaac was losing his vision physically, but spiritually he also could not distinguish the true elected son, namely Jacob. Isaac attached himself to Esau instead and became progressively more dependent on his earthly desires and senses. Spiritual maturity is measured by how we have grown (“because of use”) to distinguish truthfully between right and wrong, good and evil, the called and the chosen. This all-important discernment is restricted by God through His extremely strong and powerful work called delusion, which is now witnessed in Isaac (2Co 10:7; 2Co 11:14-15; 2Th 2:11):

Heb 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, even those who because of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

From the lives of Abraham, Isaac and now Jacob we learn that spiritual sonship also is indeed an ongoing progressive work of the Father through Jesus Christ which He bestows on a few to be overcomers over their own flesh first (Joh 16:33; Rom 12:21; 1Jn 5:4; 1Jn 5:10-13; Rev 2:7; Rev 2:11; Rev 2:17; Rev 17:14). These sons of God are those who are being judged in this age, but they will be used by God to rule in the thousand year reign on earth, but also to be the judges of those who will come up in the second resurrection (1Pe 4:17; Rev 20). This is what the double portion of the firstborn son spiritually means which was in shadow introduced under the law of Moses (Deu 21:15-17):

2Co 5:10 (Darby) For we must all be manifested before the judgment-seat of the Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body, according to those he has done, whether it be good or evil.

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Before the sons of God can see and appreciate their double portion, they must first mature in disobedience and sin (their spiritual Amorites must be “full”), and then be the first to be judged and experience the wrath of God before obtaining spiritual salvation in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:22-23; 1Th 5:9; Heb 9:27; 1Jn 2:17). This is also seen in Abraham and his offspring through Isaac and Jacob. This offspring of Abraham will be held in bondage and must first serve under their fleshly masters until the time is fulfilled by God:

Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither [in the promised land] again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

It is important to note that the elect must also be counted with the transgressors because they live by all the words of God, the good ones, but also the evil words:

Luk 22:37 For I [Jesus] say unto you [His disciples], that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
Luk 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

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

Jesus, the Head of the body, did not commit any transgressions while here on earth or at any stage of His existence, but His body on earth is a body of sin, even His church, and they do transgress. This is how Jesus also fulfils the trespass offering in us by dying as a transgressor (Lev 5:1-19; Psa 51:5; Mat 26:51-52; Luk 22:37-38; Rom 6:6; 2Co 5:21; Eph 5:30):

Rom 4:25 (Diaglott-NT) who was delivered up on account of the offences of us, and was raised up on account of the justification of us.

Gal 4:3 So we [the sons of God] also, when we were children [“of the wicked”], were held in bondage under the principles of the world;
Gal 4:4 but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, come of woman, come under law,
Gal 4:5 that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive sonship.
Gal 4:6 But because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Darby)

In our last discussion, we also touched on the negative application of this double portion which indeed also applies to the sons of God “when” in “times past” they walked according to “the course” or “the principles” of this world “even as others” in the world. This evil applies to both our outward earthly “members” (the land) and to our mind (our thoughts which is our heavens or “the air”). This also relates to the will in us and the actions we take:

Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Eph 2:1 And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins,
Eph 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience;
Eph 2:3 among whom we also had our way of life in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (MKJV)

Jer 16:18 And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.

Although it is a very humbling and extremely painful “double” which the elect of God is ordained to go through, God’s judgment on our old man is indeed a very great comfort when we afterward “may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness” (Mal 3:3):

Isa 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.

God is a God of great mercy as He deals righteously in His wrath on those sins in us when we actually were ignorantly glorifying in ourselves being in deep deception and delusion (Isa 26:9; 2Co 1:3; 2Th 2:11; Jas 2:13). This wrath of God links with the receiving of the “double” out of the hand of God when we receive the punishment and judgment for sin, even as Babylon has her ways in the sons of God “in times past” before her fall is witnessed in us:

Rev 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
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.

When these “Amorites” are fulfilled, the sons of God are getting the clear instruction to come out of the great harlot to first receive the “double” and drink the bitter cup out of God’s hand (Psa 75:8; Isa 51:17; Jer 24:1-7; Jer 25:28-29; 1Pe 4:17). This is when our will is brought to submit to God’s will, and our actions follow His commandments:

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
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.

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The phrase “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” tells us that the intensity of the tribulations brought upon the elect has no equal. The higher the rank in an army, the more intense is the training. The sons of God are constantly under close scrutiny from God because much is required of them as they will receive the better portion:

Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

This bitter and painful “double” applies to every aspect of our lives – from the visible flesh right down to the invisible depths of the bottomless pit of our carnal minds. Our flesh and outward lifestyle is brought to judgment through physical afflictions, but also our carnal mind when it is exposed by the brightness of His Word which is used to bring the refining fire (2Co 11:18-33; 2Co 12:7; 2Th 2:1-8):

Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

This is why the life of Jacob is given to us to see how we are guilty of all, before we are brought to receive God’s reward. Jacob himself was at this stage “living in tents” and was seemingly still untested in the many trials in the outside world (Gen 25:27; Luk 15:11-32). His own evil heart also needed exposure. What will come after this event in the life of Jacob typifies how God will cause us to leave our own comfort zones to be exposed to the evil inside our own heart, which reflects in the outside world (1Jn 2:16). This also reminds us of the prodigal son who was the younger brother of the two sons, who had to go through his wanderings under “the course of this world” before he could understand or appreciate his father’s true love and inheritance. The younger son, a type of God’s elect, wanted his portion of the inheritance, which was how he was set up to receive the “double” punishment also. It is in his return and repentance that this son was given back the inheritance to the dismay of the elder brother, who was in the field when he heard the music and dancing (Isa 30:15):

Luk 15:21 And the [prodigal] son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Luk 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luk 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luk 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

We can only see the true condition of our own hearts through the painful trials God mercifully brings to us, because without these tribulations no son of God will become an overcomer and be ruling in God’s kingdom (Deu 8:2; Jer 17:9; 2Th 2:3-4):

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

Like all of us, Jacob started off by walking according to the ways of the world and tricked his own brother out of his birthright, and now will deceive his own father to get the blessing of the firstborn with the help and instructions from his mother, Rebekah:

Gen 27:14 And he [Jacob] went, and fetched, and brought them [the two good kids of the goats] to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
Gen 27:15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
Gen 27:16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
Gen 27:17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

Rebekah (her name means “ensnarer”) made sure that all angles were covered and all details were correctly followed in the preparation of the meal. This was meticulously done to deceive Isaac into believing that Jacob was Esau whom Isaac was awaiting to bring to him his favoured venison meal. Jacob even introduced himself as Esau to Isaac, but the plot thickened with each of the questions Isaac put to Jacob:

Gen 27:18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
Gen 27:19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
Gen 27:20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.
Gen 27:21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
Gen 27:22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
Gen 27:23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.
Gen 27:24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
Gen 27:25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.
Gen 27:26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
Gen 27:27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
Gen 27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn [Hebrew: “dâgân” = grain/wheat] and wine:
Gen 27:29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

The very earthly senses Isaac depended on have failed him! Flesh is not a trustworthy ally and will always disappoint bitterly, as it falls far short of perfection. Dependence on our physical senses indicates our reliance on the limited and unstable information available to our natural mind which relates spiritually to our deep-seated affection and association to spiritual Babylon. Isaac will soon find out what his reliance on his physical senses brought about, even as the blessing was given to the true elect of God. Even as the sons of God “in times past” dealt treacherously, they will eventually learn through their “double” or “many stripes” to not resist evil, as evil is one of God’s instruments to form and shape His sons:

Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

To not resist evil is what Esau could not do as the news of God’s election is never good for the rejected:

Gen 27:30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
Gen 27:31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.
Gen 27:32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
Gen 27:33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

Esau, like all who are the rejected, will never in this life accept God’s choices which are never according to human standards and liking:

1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

The sons of God learn in this life that everything God does is good and perfect for His purposes, and everything has its precise time and place according to the will of God (Gen 1:31; Ecc 3:1; Eph 1:11). It is all done for the sakes of God’s elect (Joh 12:28-32; 2Co 4:15):

Gen 27:34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
Gen 27:35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
Gen 27:36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

The flesh cannot accept this and will always rebel against God’s ways. But the spirit of God is the Lord over all flesh, as Christ is the true firstborn and Lord of all (Act 10:36: Col 1:15-18):

Gen 27:37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
Gen 27:38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
Gen 27:39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
Gen 27:40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
Gen 27:41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand [Isaac’s death]; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

In verses 28 and 39 we also see the positive and negative applications of what dew and fat spiritually represent. Jacob was given the dew of heaven and the fat coupled with plenty of corn and wine, typifying how God’s elect treasure the Word of God through which “people [will] serve thee, and nations bow down to thee.” This will later manifest in Jacob’s life, typifying the portions of the sons of God:

Jer 31:11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.
Jer 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
Jer 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Jer 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

Esau’s portions of fat and dew was to be an adversary to his brother when his heart is to be ruled with hatred and murder:

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

The flesh is the enemy of the spirit of God, and even in these twins of Isaac and Rebekah, this hatred is typified:

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

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

Rev 18:1-4 Babylon’s Hold
Rev 18:5-9 Our Lament
The Seven Last Plagues
The Spiritual Significance of The Trespass Offering
Babylon Is For Our Good