In this multi-part series entitled “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink“, we will look at the way in which God deals with our adversaries both within and without and how we are growing in the process of not trying to avenge ourselves but rather “give place unto wrath“.

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

We must be granted to apply these words inwardly (“If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink”) if we are ever going to be able to love our enemies in the earth ourselves and forgive them from our hearts as Christ did. Our enemies in the earth are the powers and principalities that we wrestle against in of all humanity, including our own heavens, and this is where we “give place unto wrath”.

Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

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

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

The world naturally hates Christ and His Christ for His words “for my name’s sake”, which we know are the words of eternal life, and it is for this reason that we’re counselled “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 [which nakedness appears when we are not able to love our enemies and forgive them from our hearts] do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see”.

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

Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

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.

This purchasing of gold tried in the fire is the way we heap coals of fire on our enemies’ head within so that we can be strengthened with that then-purified-gold of God’s word which is no longer wrapped around the idol in our hearts. It is the fiery trials which enable us to love our enemies and overcome evil with good, even forgiving our enemies “from your hearts” because of the love of God being shed abroad in hearts that have now been made ready through Christ who is doing this work of sanctifying the saints and making the bride ready without spot or wrinkle.

Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

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

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

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

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

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? And is this verse not just another a way of saying we are learning to heap coals of fire on the head of Christ in each other’s lives as we fill up what is behind of His afflictions for His body’s sake, which is the church? We become that one bread through the baking process [fiery trials] which causes the leaven to stop activating, and that is something to truly rejoice over as our enemies are conquered within.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

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:

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

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

God is setting the stage for the world to learn through the church what His love is capable of doing in the most severe circumstances, and it will take “the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” to make it possible for us to overcome evil with good as we learn to love our enemies, come what may, turning the other cheek and not resisting evil.

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.

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

Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

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.

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

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.

In this study we will look at God’s powerful witness of love toward our enemies unfolding in the elect, who live in a world that is waxing worse and worse with wars and rumours of wars abounding, which are promised to climax with a near brink of destruction event that will leave mankind with no hope in what the flesh can do to prevent those catastrophes, whatever they may be. Notice the world is waxing worse and worse contrasted with the process that God is dragging the elect through as we go from glory to glory as we are led by the Spirit of the Lord.

Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

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

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

For the elect’s sake we know those days will be shortened (within and without), which deliverance was physically witnessed and typified in the old covenant in the story of the destruction of Sodom, which is still speaking about the destruction of those cities and nations within us which must be destroyed in order for us to go unto perfection on the third day. The judgment that the church is going through as Christ’s body is the most needful thing that must be happening today in our lives if we are going to learn of His righteousness in the earth and be the ones whom God will ultimately send forth to heal the world with His purified word which is being sanctified or purified within the church today through the much needed tribulation.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Luk 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

God’s provision will be made available through Christ, through the church typified by this woman who anoints Christ’s feet, “a good work” wrought upon Christ “for [his] burial”. Just like the angel who strengthened our Lord in the garden, this same provision was made for His body to endure unto the end. The same story told a different way!

Mat 26:10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
Mat 26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.

Luk 22:43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

As I was reminded in an email this week, we cast lots for the garments of Christ’s righteousness at first, and it is only by the power of His holy spirit that the bride of Christ is being clothed and made ready with the provision that He supplies through the church so that the world will learn and discern that our righteousness is of God and not something we can wrest from the hands of Christ, which is what we all do at first like these men who cast lots and parted His garments.

Mat 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

This Psalm brings out the point that we are not to wrest the kingdom or be the violent who “take it by force” by our own strength, seeking our own vengeance and righteousness.

Exo 23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
Exo 23:3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

Exo 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

Deu 16:18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
Deu 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Psa 56:4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Psa 56:5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
[Psa 56:5 All day long they pervert my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. (MKJV)
Psa 56:5 Every day they make wrong use of my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. (BBE)]

2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye knowthese things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Rather, as God’s elect, we must be supernaturally delivered on the cross with Christ as we come to learn of His faithfulness to enable us to drink the cup and endure unto the end as the body of Christ. Vengeance against all enemies is being exacted by our mortifying the deeds of our flesh on the cross with Christ as we live by the faith of the son of God who loves us.

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

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

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

Our verses for this study:

Psa 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
Psa 94:2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.
Psa 94:3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
Psa 94:4 How long shall they utterand speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?

Psa 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance^H5360 belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.

Twice we are told, as a very important witness, “to whom vengeance belongeth”.

Only God, who is working all things according to the counsel of His will, can execute that perfect judgment that brings about the right results every time. Only God can use evil for good, whereas we cannot until our flesh is put off. Only then can we execute that just judgment without fault just as Christ can today being in perfect spiritual subjection unto the Father’s will. It is still the vengeance or judgment that comes from the Father through Christ, and through Christ to the body of Christ, to exact His vengeance on all disobedience.

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

Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his waysare judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

vengeance^H5360
Strong’s: Feminine of H5359; avengement whether the act or the passion: – + avenge revenge (-ing) vengeance.
Total KJV Occurrences: 27
•avenge, 2
Num_31:2; Num_31:3
•avenged, 1
2Sa_4:8
•avengeth, 2
2Sa_22:48; Psa_18:47
•revenge, 2
Jer_20:10; Eze_25:15
•revenging, 1
Psa_79:10
•vengeance, 19
Jdg_11:36; Psa_94:1(2); Psa_149:7; Jer_11:20; Jer_20:12; Jer_46:10; Jer_50:15; Jer_50:28(2); Jer_51:6; Jer_51:11(2); Jer_51:36; Lam_3:60; Eze_25:14(2); Eze_25:17(2)

Psa 94:2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

When God lifted Himself up through Christ on the cross (Joh 14:11), judgment was taking place in the earth of Christ (Gal 2:20) just as it is in our heavens today having been raised in heavenly places around a throne of judgment where we are gathered. The proud earth and the proud heaven of our minds flee before God (Mat 7:22) “and there was found no place for them” because proud flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God which earth and heaven are represented in this verse in Rev 20:11 (Eph 2:6, Rev 7:9, Rev 20:11).

The positive reward given to us is to be able to put off our proud flesh (Isa 53:10) which we know is impossible without Christ giving us the victory to do so little by little as the comforter leads us into all truth and convicts us of our pride-filled nature that we must repent of (Joh 16:7).

Pro 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Pro 15:25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

Isa 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.
Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hostsshall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

These verses in Isaiah 35 clearly show us that it is God’s vengeance against our own sinful nature on which He takes vengeance so that “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped” after that vengeance is executed.

Isa 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Isa 35:4 Say to themthat are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Psa 94:3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

Whenever we see a question with the words “how long”, in this case “how long shall the wicked triumph?”, the answer is always the same, ‘just long enough’. Just long enough to bring us to our wits’ end as we come to learn that it is only Christ who can stay the hand of Satan, even as He strengthens us so that we can be more than conquerors through him over these evil spirits and false doctrines that fill the heavens of humanity today. The cleansing of our heavens through Christ then is how we will triumph over all spiritual wickedness little by little (2Co 10:5, Deu 7:22) and is how the days are “shortened” (Mat 24:22) – through judgment.

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.

Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Rev 9:16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

Deu 7:22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

Psa 94:4 How long shall they utterand speak hard^H6277 things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?

speak hard^H6277
Strong’s: From H6275 in the sense of license; impudent: – arrogancy grievous (hard) things stiff.
Total KJV Occurrences: 4
•arrogance, 1
1Sa_2:3
•stiff, 1
Psa_75:5
•things, 2
Psa_31:18; Psa_94:4

This arrogance or stiffness of speech referred to as “speak[ing] hard^H6277 things” is the result of the proud nature of man spoken of in verse two and is just the natural state that flesh has toward/against Christ and His Christ as these scriptures demonstrate:

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.

Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? [connecting Christ with the earth – A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house – Mar 6:4]

Mar 8:27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
Mar 8:28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. [connecting him with the law and the prophets but not His Father from above]
Mar 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. [1Jn 4:17]

Luk 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

The workers of iniquity boasted themselves against Christ on many occasions for our learning, and we must continue to examine ourselves to see that we are in the faith and not taking on this heart of unbelief which is the fertile ground for a root of bitterness.

Joh 8:48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

Luk 23:37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
2Co 13:6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Christ absolutely demolished the arguments of the scribes and Pharisees who came up against him through all his encounters with them, and especially highlighted in John chapter 8 where there was a continual proud and boastful spirit that wanted to destroy our Lord and convince Him of sin.

Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Our hope is in Christ (Col 1:27) as His was in our Father, that as we grow in grace and knowledge and show ourselves as approved workmen who need not be ashamed, we will be able to give witness not just to those who oppose us but also to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us (Eph 6:13, 1Pe 3:15, Luk 12:11).

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear [no vengeance in our hearts; unlike the sons of thunder, but with meekness and fear Luke 9:55-56]:

Luk 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Luk 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luk 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

We are like Christ in this world and know now that if anyone is to become a disciple indeed they must abide in the truth, and we must continue to be faithful to help save each other by helping one another press toward the prize of the mark of the high calling; the strong bearing the infirmity of the weak and each other’s burden, so fulfilling the law of Christ.

Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The race that God has called us to is to be run with a stedfast spirit as we go about our Father’s business (Luk 2:29) of bearing the infirmities of the weak, and bearing one another’s burdens.

Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

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

Next week, Lord willing, we will continue to look at the subject of “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink.” God has called his people to learn the weightier matters of the law (Mat 23:23) which can only be matured within us by applying all the words of God primarily inwardly as we understand that our main enemy, which is within, will always pose the greatest challenge for us as we learn to labour for the spiritual food and drink we need in order to grow and overcome in the Lord in this age.

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Psa 75:1 To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
Psa 75:2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.Psa 75:3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.
Psa 75:4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
Psa 75:5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
Psa 75:6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
Psa 75:7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Psa 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.
Psa 75:9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
Psa 75:10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

Right out the gate of this Psalm we are told what we are going to be looking at and how God is going to accomplish this good work of having “the horns of the righteous” exalted. The word ‘Altaschith’ and the word ‘Asaph’ give us God’s very specific purpose for all flesh of all time:

Altaschith H516
– Original: אu^H1500 תu^H1468 שu^H1473 חu^H1514
– Transliteration: ‘Al tashcheth (Aramaic)
– Phonetic: al tash-kayth’
– Definition: Al-taschith = do not destroy

Asaph H623
– Original: אu^H1505 ףpar
– Transliteration: ‘Acaph
– Phonetic: aw-sawf’
– Definition: Asaph = gatherer
– Strong’s: From H622; collector;
Asaph the name of three Israelites and of the family of the first: – Asaph.

Altaschith means ‘do not destroy’, which is what God has promised of all of His spiritual creation, that it will not be destroyed.

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

Joh 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

What will be destroyed is ‘the old man’ or ‘soulishness of man’ symbolized by what this word Asaph conjures up. As a ‘gatherer’, it speaks of the end times or harvest, and as Asaph is also the name of three Israelites; “three” symbolizing the process of that harvest or judgement.

Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

So with these concepts in mind, we are reminded that God has a controversy with the nations of the world whom He is going to gather unto judgment both within and without.

Jer 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

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

All the world will be judged each man in his order (judgment is connected to patient continuance, as we possess our souls in patience, and that judgment which begins at the house of God (1Pe 4:17) will one day go out to all of the world, all of Israel who represents the world who will be judged by the Israel of God (Gal 6:16). This judg ment comes about in succession (i.e. process or order) and means the destruction of the flesh, and is symbolized by the three holy days that Israel was commanded to come up and keep year by year.

Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

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

Deu 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

God anoints the elect in this age to see and understand that we are a part of this process of judgment which is what is needful for us to be enabled to become “pillars” who can judge the congregation uprightly. These are the wonderful works that God is performing in Christ’s body for the sake of the rest of the world who will be healed by our stripes.

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

Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

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.

We pray that God will grant us the forbearance, the faith, and deep love we need in order to continue to persevere and possess our souls in patience today. This particular Psalm really points to the solution of how God is going to create this resolve in the body of Christ.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

Christ is destroying our flesh or soulishness, as our lives our narrowed into judgement which comes forth from the north (judgment leads to spiritual increase – Psa 75:6). All our journeys in life are leading up to this day of judgement which we are blessed to be a part of and to learn about in His word.

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.

Psa 75:6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

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

Jer 6:22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

Psa 75:1 To the chief Musician, Altaschith^H516, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near [kin] thy wondrous works declare.

As the body of Christ matures, we give greater and greater thanks (mentioned twice = witness) for being a part of this process of wonderful works that we know are needful and necessary to going onto perfection on the third day as a new creation (Luk 13:32, 2Co 5:17).

The nearness of (near [kin]) or relationship we have with our Kinsman redeemer is expressed in these verses below:

“Thy name is near thy wondrous works declare” reminds us that not only are we his workmanship (Eph 2:10) and that we are called and chosen (Mat 22:14) to do a work greater than these (Joh 14:12), but also that as His body, we too, have been given a new name to see and hear and understand (Rev 2:17) and declare His wondrous works to all the children of men (Psa 107), as the next two verses confirm:

Psa 75:2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.

If we go through this process of judgment in this age, and if we are received as sons and daughters through chastening and scourging, a big of part of that process will be connected to our turning our other cheek from those who oppose us in this life. When we are granted to turn the other cheek, we are judging a situation rightly and being prepared by our Father to be judges (Mat 5:39).

Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Psa 75:3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

Again, if we are judged in this age we are going to see the faulty foundation we once were on, and it will be clearer and clearer how this world is upon that foundation that must crash down and be destroyed in one symbolic hour. We bear up the pillars of Christ in each other and know that this world will reject that strength which is ours today. The end result will be that this world will crash down upon us and be the sword that God uses to perfect Christ’s righteousness within His body. Sampson typifies all of this in this part of scripture.

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.

Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Jdg 16:28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
Jdg 16:29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
Jdg 16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Psa 75:4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
Psa 75:5 Lift not up your horn^H7161 on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

In this particular verse the holy spirit inspires the words every^G3956 man,^G444 three times to remind us again that there is process to this destruction of the flesh that thinks it has power unto itself with no connection to God. It is the pride of life [don’t lift up your horn] of the first man adam that we are warned against (1Jn 2:16-17)

How we warn every man through preaching, or teaching in all wisdom will differ for every situation and every man, but the end goal will always be the same: “that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:”

1Co 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
1Co 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
1Co 9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1Co 9:23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

“Lift not up the horn” is mentioned twice in this psalm to witness to us that we need to ask God to destroy that part of us that wants to give our opinion, and express our wisdom and power rather than the power of God which comes from above. We do a lot of shadow boxing in the court (beateth the air) with the law where there is uncertainty and days and months and times and years that we wrestle with, but it is when we truly begin to be judged of God by being dragged out of Babylon that we will find ourselves keeping under our body and not exalting our own horn of righteousness but rather praying that we should never be a castaway and able to glorify God with a contrite and broken heart that can only come from Him alone.

1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
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.

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

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

Psa 75:6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

Promotion^H7311 [same Strong’s number used for the English word “lift up” in the previous verses] comes as a result of God narrowing our life in service to Him and His body (Joh 21:15).

All our life we go east and west and south in our steps, and these three directions are always being judged by God’s sovereign hand from the north which has always guided all our steps (Ecc 11:9, Act 17:28) as he prepares our hearts to be comfortable in the north where judgement comes. God’s desire is to have all people abide in the proper judgment and in harmony with Him who abides symbolically in the north from where judgment comes.

Psa 75:7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

In order to get to this place of peace and entering into the joy of the Lord (Mat 25:21) we need to know who is in charge, and how it is by his merciful hand that there is a continual decency and order (1Co 14:40) in His creation which will bring all men one day to praise our Great God and to bow every knee before him (1Co 15:28, Rom 14:11). And in the end it is Christ who is set up^H7311 (exalted) and Adam who is put down^H8213, (humbled, abased) within and without (Php 2:1-10).

Psa 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

A cup of judgment in God’s hand that is “full of mixture”, that is to say has been prepared by God and made to be drunk by all men, “all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.”

When the world is being sanctified by the word of God (Joh 17:17) or wine during the millennium it will be faith given to the nations but not tried faith. It takes more than just hearing the word of God, we must be doers as well, and not just doers for the sake of doing, because that would be equivalent to many good works (Mat 7:22), which is what will happen during the millennium (Jer 6:14, Eze 13:10). It is all done to teach us the most enduring and profound lesson that only Christ can be Christ working in us, both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure (Rom 8:9, Php 2:13).

Like the blessed emails this week about gardening and weeds, we will plant the word of God in the hearts of men and water that field which is the world (Mat 13:38), however the condition of the earth and its ability to receive and be nourished by the word is a matter of timing (Mar 4:2-8). We must live by every word of God and so every amount of growth or lack of growth has a profound lesson to teach us as we see the Master of vineyard harden and soften hearts throughout the ages all to the glory and honour of our Father.

The wine is red, Adamic (H120), as we are told that we will indeed drink it (Mat 20:22-23), until “it is finished” (Joh 19:30) and judgment is complete (Isa 51:22-23-52:1-2).

Psa 75:9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

What a glorious desire and blessed place to rest for ever and ever. We are heading toward something far greater than we can receive in our earnest state of flesh, but we do have a few verses that give us an inkling of how glorious it will be:

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Psa 75:10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

We know that we are the beast that sits on the throne of God showing ourselves out to be God. This is the beast whose horns must be cut off in order for the horns of the righteousness of Christ within us to be exalted.

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

The new horn of the righteous is the new creation that does show themselves to be the body of Christ and who think it not robbery to be equal with God, in the sense that all things are ours now, and we have become part of something because the old horns have been shaved off and the Lord, the Master Potter, has made something new that lives and glorifies God with every ounce of its being.

1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (represented by those ten horns Rom 8:2)
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Psa 71:9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
Psa 71:10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
Psa 71:11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
Psa 71:12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
Psa 71:13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
Psa 71:14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
Psa 71:15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
Psa 71:16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
Psa 71:17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
Psa 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
Psa 71:19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
Psa 71:20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
Psa 71:21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
Psa 71:22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
Psa 71:23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
Psa 71:24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

These opening verses of this study speak to the utter impossibility of overcoming sin within ourselves without Christ and remind us how God allows our first carnal life in Adam to have to struggle our entire life through the night and in the valley of the shadow of death, which is what our flesh is likened unto, in order that we mature in a process that takes our whole life to go unto perfection on the third day, described in the last verses we read tonight.

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

Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

Gen 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

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

God alone brings us the deliverance that comes at the destruction of that first man Adam. This is the very familiar theme that runs throughout the word of God and is so important for God’s elect to understand, seeing that we are called to endure unto the end and called to know what we are going to have to endure and who it is who is going to give us the strength to endure.

1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Luk 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

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

Luk 22:43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

God has made Satan to be an opportunist who knows our vulnerabilties and to exploit them as he did in his dealings with Job. Satan can easily sift us like wheat, but God never lets this sword that is His to ever do any more than what was written in our books to accomplish “all things”, always for our benefit and growth, if it is the Lord allowing it to be so in this age.

Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

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

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

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

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

It is in this state of perceived hopelessness expressed in the opening verses that God does the “wonderful works unto the children of men” that cause us to give praise to our Father for being there in our time of need, for not forsaking us when the chips were down, so to speak, in our time of old age (having no more confidence in our flesh) “when my strength faileth”.

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

Deu 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

This is the time (when our strength fails) the adversary is let loose on us seeking whom he may devour, but this is also the time when deliverance comes to those who are blessed to be brought to this place of no longer trusting in the strength of man’s arm and know that their resisting of Satan can be to the pulling down of the greatest powers and principalities of which Christ is above them all.

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.

2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)

Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Deliverance is little by little, as we go from glory to glory, a glory which is spoken of as the hope of glory of knowing and believing that Christ is our deliverer. The destruction of ‘our’ strength, or our ‘perceived strength’ causes us to see how vulnerable we are and how we are completely dependent on God for everything we have and do not have, for every breath we breathe, for every thought we string together, which is all of God and all to His glory. This is the witness that He is fashioning through the church today, a testimony of His love for the world as He sets aside a remnant who will be used to save all His creation through judgment, a judgment that first comes upon them/us.

Exo 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

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

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:

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

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

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

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

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

If God is taking us out of the earth in this age (remember last week’s study on verses 5 to 7), we will be brought to a place of “strong crying and tears” and will be delivered and heard in the distresses of this life. We are being delivered from a body of death that we have been blessed to see is only the means to the end. It is this experience of evil to humble us thereby that we discussed last week that God uses to bring us to cease from sinning. He will bring us unto perfection on the third day and teaches us His righteousness in our earth today through his sore judgements which first come upon His children who are being received today.

Psa 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
Psa 71:6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
Psa 71:7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

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

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.

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

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

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

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

As God’s elect first fruits, we are blessed and given to know within our hearts that it is only by the grace and faith of God that we are “holden up from the womb” and delivered from this life as His workmanship, His new creation that we are becoming through Christ.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

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

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

Act 7:49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
Act 7:50 Hath not my hand made all these things?

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

We can rest assured that God can and will “make haste for my help” (of verse 12) in our time of need as a very present help in which we can rest. Through the ongoing deliverance that God provides, our peace and confidence will grow in knowing a faithful Creator, to come to the place of praise with the psaltery, singing with the harp, lips greatly rejoicing, and tongue that talks of “thy righteousness all the day long”. We can commit all our cares to Him who tells us it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom within, and ultimately bring us into the fulness of this relationship that can only come about by having the gift of faith given to us in a process of becoming purified in this age.

Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

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

Our first five verses for tonight:

Psa 71:9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
Psa 71:10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
Psa 71:11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
Psa 71:12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
Psa 71:13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

I’ve put these first five verses together to show that there is a pattern that accompanies our trials, which are all orchestrated by our loving Father who prepares us for every one of them. We start off feeling cast off and forsaken in our flesh, but that is a good thing because God does not want us looking to any flesh in any way for a deliverance which comes solely from Him. The only way we can come to this “high” mindset is through much tribulation and sometimes severe trials that bring us to turn to God even while feeling completely alone, which we never are.

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Act 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Jer 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Deu 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Psa 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

We overcome the curse of the law for the lawless represented by the tree that Christ hangs on by mortifying the deeds of the flesh on the tree with Christ which is the ongoing miracle that God is performing in the life of each of His children. The flesh of man, ours included, calls us off of the cross and yet God drags us to His Son to remain there where there is hope and deliverance from all sin.

1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

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

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

Luk 23:37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
Luk 23:38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luk 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

It is because of this miraculous process of overcoming to which we have been called that our enemies both within and without “speak against me”, they “lay wait for my soul” and “take counsel together” but God tells us that these many enemies are needful and necessary, and that they are used to prove us and purify us to becoming vessels fit for the master’s use in His Father’s house.

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

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

2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

[Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.]

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

2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

___ Part A ends here; Grant to start Part B on May 28 at the Aussie Meetup ___

There is an old worldly proverb (attributed to Julius Caesar or Mussolini or a German proverb) that rings true to our flesh and spirit which says if we have many enemies we will have much honour, but God’s elect are not trying to make enemies or seek our own honour. We rather live our lives out by the grace and faith of Christ knowing that if we stand on the word of God, enemies will be inevitable but so will their destruction both within and without.

2Ch 1:11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

Joh 5:41 I receive not honour from men.
Joh 5:42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
Joh 5:43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Joh 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
Joh 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

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

Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

God puts us into these states described in verses 9 to 13 to show us over and over again that He is “not far from me” and that He will “make haste for my help”.

Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Psa 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Heb 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Psa 54:4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

We are called to learn to wait on the Lord and to witness to the world that God is faithful. The adversaries to our souls will be confounded and confused not knowing that at this time they were meant to come up against the camp of the Israel of God to bring “reproach and dishonour” unto themselves for seeking to hurt Christ and His body which is what we all must do first in order to come to know our Lord.

Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

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

Act 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Act 9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
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?

Psa 71:14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
Psa 71:15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
Psa 71:16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
Psa 71:17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
Psa 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

Now we come to the point in this study where there is great hope being openly expressed, and that hope is accompanied by praise, which we notice comes on the heel of judgment that comes upon our enemies both within and without. The hope is “continually”, because God’s presence is continual and the words of eternal life that we have will not change just like our Father and Jesus Christ “change not”.

Psa 71:13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt. [it is when our souls are confounded on the cross or at the red sea, or in the lions den, or in Joseph’s Egyptian prison that leads to our praising God for the deliverance that eventually comes]

Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

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

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

Verse 16 shows us where our power comes from and witnesses of his righteousness. We “make mention of thy righteousness” even “thine only” and declare his “wondrous works” that we can see in hindsight were declared from the ‘foundation of the world’ (Eph_1:4 , Rev_17:8) and are all being worked in each of our lives according to the counsel of His own will (Eph_1:11).

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

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

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

Until judgment comes however, we cannot acknowledge God as Sovereign nor give him complete and total glory for every victory and situation in life. In fact, our own words witness against us in that day of judgement as it will in the day that the rest of the world is judged. We are being taught from our spiritual youth to acknowledge God and give Him all glory and to do all things to His glory which tells us that this is a process which has us being crushed so that we no longer declare our righteousnesses but only His only.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Deu 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deu 6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
Deu 6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Heb 13:21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

1Co 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

It is in verse 18 that the psalmist reiterates what was said in verse 9 “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth“, only this time the all important difference is upon whose strength is being discussed: “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation.” Therein lies the whole point of this process: it is so that we may show “thy power to every one that is to come“. It is only when we are “taught from my youth” (Greek: paideuo G3811) that we come to see any of this

1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened^G3811 of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth^G3811, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Tit 2:12 Teaching^G3811 us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Psa 71:19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
Psa 71:20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
Psa 71:21 Thou shalt increase^H7235 my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
Psa 71:22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
Psa 71:23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
Psa 71:24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

The plea at the start of this psalm is to “let me never be put to confusion” (verse 1); to “deliver me” and cause me to escape” and “incline thine ear” and “save me” (verse 2); to “be thou my strong habitation” (verse 3); to “deliver me out of the hand of the wicked … unrighteous… cruel man” (verse 4) comes to a hope filled and “very high” conclusion here in these last verses.

This “very high” “increase”^H7235 is also only possible through judgment and is where we will be miraculously brought up and out of the “earth, earth, earth”.

Psa 71:20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly^H7235 pardon.

Gen 16:10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly^H7235, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

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

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

It is only through these “sore troubles” that we will be “quicken[ed] again“^{H2421 H7725}.

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

1Co 15:36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

“quicken“^H2421 = Transliteration: Chayah – Phonetic: khaw-yaw’
A prim root (compare H2331 H2424); to live whether literally or figuratively; causatively to revive: – keep (leave make) alive X certainly give (promise) life (let suffer to) live nourish up preserve (alive) quicken recover repair restore (to life) revive (X God) save (alive life lives) X surely be whole.
Total KJV Occurrences: 264
•alive, 29 Gen_6:19; Gen_6:20; Gen_7:3; Gen_12:12; Gen_50:20; Exo_1:22; Num_22:33; Num_31:15; Num_31:18; Deu_6:24; Deu_20:16; Deu_32:39; Jos_2:13; Jos_14:10; Jdg_8:19; Jdg_21:14; 1Sa_2:6; 2Sa_8:2; 1Ki_18:5; 2Ki_5:7; 2Ki_7:4; Psa_22:29; Psa_30:3; Psa_33:19; Psa_41:2; Jer_49:11; Eze_13:18; Eze_13:19; Eze_18:27

•live, 126 Gen_12:13; Gen_17:18; Gen_19:20; Gen_20:7; Gen_27:40; Gen_31:32; Gen_42:2; Gen_42:18; Gen_43:8; Gen_47:19; Exo_19:13; Exo_22:18; Lev_25:35; Lev_25:36; Num_4:19; Num_24:23; Deu_4:1; Deu_4:33; Deu_5:33; Deu_8:1; Deu_8:3(2); Deu_16:20; Deu_30:16; Deu_30:19; Deu_33:6; Jos_6:17; Jos_9:15; Jos_9:20; Jos_9:21; 2Sa_1:10; 1Ki_1:31; 1Ki_20:32; 2Ki_4:7; 2Ki_7:4; 2Ki_10:19; 2Ki_18:32; 2Ki_20:1; Neh_2:3; Neh_5:2; Neh_9:29; Est_4:11; Job_7:16; Job_14:14; Job_21:7; Psa_22:26; Psa_49:9; Psa_69:32; Psa_72:15; Psa_118:17; Psa_119:17; Psa_119:77; Psa_119:116; Psa_119:144; Psa_119:175; Pro_4:4; Pro_7:2; Pro_9:6; Pro_15:27; Ecc_6:3; Ecc_6:6; Ecc_11:8; Isa_26:14; Isa_26:19; Isa_38:1; Isa_38:16(2); Isa_55:3; Jer_21:9; Jer_27:12; Jer_27:17; Jer_35:7; Jer_38:2; Jer_38:17(2); Jer_38:20; Lam_4:20; Eze_3:21(2); Eze_13:19; Eze_16:6(2); Eze_18:9(2); Eze_18:13(2); Eze_18:17(2); Eze_18:19(2); Eze_18:21(2); Eze_18:22; Eze_18:23; Eze_18:24; Eze_18:28(2); Eze_18:32; Eze_20:11; Eze_20:13; Eze_20:21; Eze_20:25; Eze_33:10; Eze_33:11; Eze_33:12; Eze_33:13(2); Eze_33:15(2); Eze_33:16(2); Eze_33:19; Eze_37:3; Eze_37:5; Eze_37:6; Eze_37:9; Eze_37:14; Eze_47:9; Hos_6:2; Amo_5:4; Amo_5:6; Amo_5:14; Hab_2:4; Zec_1:5; Zec_10:9; Zec_13:3

•lived, 39 Gen_5:3; Gen_5:6; Gen_5:7; Gen_5:9; Gen_5:10; Gen_5:12; Gen_5:13; Gen_5:15; Gen_5:16; Gen_5:18; Gen_5:19; Gen_5:21; Gen_5:25; Gen_5:26; Gen_5:28; Gen_5:30; Gen_9:28; Gen_11:11; Gen_11:13; Gen_11:15; Gen_11:16; Gen_11:17; Gen_11:18; Gen_11:19; Gen_11:20; Gen_11:21; Gen_11:22; Gen_11:23; Gen_11:24; Gen_11:25; Gen_11:26; Gen_47:28; Gen_50:22; Num_14:38; Deu_5:26; 2Ki_14:17; 2Ch_25:25; Job_42:16; Eze_37:10

•left, 1 1Sa_27:9
•life, 9 2Ki_8:1; 2Ki_8:5(3); Job_33:4; Job_36:6; Ecc_7:12; Eze_3:18; Eze_13:22
•lives, 2 Gen_45:7; Gen_47:25
•liveth, 1 Psa_89:48
•nourish, 1 Isa_7:21
•preserve, 2 Gen_19:32; Gen_19:34
•preservest, 1 Neh_9:6
•quicken, 12 Psa_71:20; Psa_80:18; Psa_119:25; Psa_119:37; Psa_119:40; Psa_119:88; Psa_119:107; Psa_119:149; Psa_119:154; Psa_119:156; Psa_119:159; Psa_143:11
•quickened, 2 Psa_119:50; Psa_119:93
•recover, 8 2Ki_1:2; 2Ki_8:8; 2Ki_8:9; 2Ki_8:10(2); 2Ki_8:14(2); Isa_38:21
•recovered, 2 2Ki_20:7; Isa_38:9
•repaired, 1 1Ch_11:8
•revive, 8 Neh_4:2; Psa_85:6; Psa_138:7; Isa_57:15(2); Hos_6:2; Hos_14:7; Hab_3:2
•revived, 4 Gen_45:27; Jdg_15:19; 1Ki_17:22; 2Ki_13:21
•save, 9 1Sa_10:24; 2Sa_16:16(2); 1Ki_1:25; 1Ki_1:34; 1Ki_1:39; 1Ki_20:31; 2Ki_11:12; 2Ch_23:11
•saved, 4 Exo_1:17; Exo_1:18; Jos_6:25; 1Sa_27:11
•saving, 1 Gen_19:19
•up, 1 2Sa_12:3
•whole, 1 Jos_5:8

It is when we come to this space where we hear the words and believe the words and continue in the words that was foreshadowed by Abram in this verse below that we understand intimately what these last few verses are pointing to in our Psalm tonight:

Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

This whole psalm is about the rising and falling, the stumbling and getting up, the longsuffering we are learning, all to become something we are not. We are coming to a place of total dependance upon God to take us out of the womb as we grow in understanding that it is “By thee have I been holden up from the womb”, and this is something to give great thanks and praise for.

Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

We are the body of Christ, each member affecting the other, lips and tongue, psaltary and harp, praising singing and greatly rejoicing together, comforted on every side through the sore troubles we share, confounding and bringing unto shame them that seek my [our] hurt.

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

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.

Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 82

“The judgments”

July 22nd, 2015

Exo 23:2  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
Exo 23:3  Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
Exo 23:4  If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Exo 23:5  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
Exo 23:6  Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

Following the multitude is not something that is a good idea generally speaking. When speaking about following the multitude and evil in the same sentence, then we should obviously know that we need to obey the commandments of the Lord.

Following the commandments of the Lord versus the commandments of men is really the contrast we should be focused on, and Exodus 23:1-2 gives us an insight on the mind of God concerning judgment and the multitudes.

To them it is not given…

Exo 23:2 (BBE) Do not be moved to do wrong by the general opinion, or give the support of your words to a wrong decision:

(Darby) Thou shalt not follow the multitude for evil; neither shalt thou answer in a cause, to go after the multitude to pervert judgment .

Exo 23:2  Thou shalt notH3808 followH1961 H310 a multitudeH7227 to do evil;H7451 neitherH3808 shalt thou speakH6030 inH5921 a causeH7379 to declineH5186 afterH310 manyH7227 to wrestH5186 judgment:

After reading this verse, I was intrigued at how the King James used the word “wrest”. If you add the ending “ing” you get the English word “wresting”.

“Wrest” in English means to forcibly pull (something) from a person’s grasp. So, combining the English word “wrest” with the context it is used here in the Hebrew, we can start to formulate the intent the Holy Spirit inspired to be written about the judgments God has given Moses to give to the Israelites.

The strange thing about how it is mentioned in the English in the KJV is that “decline” and “wrest” as used for the same word here.

H5186

nâṭâh

BDB Definition:

1) to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stretch out, extend, stretch, offer
1a2) to spread out, pitch (tent)
1a3) to bend, turn, incline
1a3a) to turn aside, incline, decline, bend down
1a3b) to bend, bow
1a3c) to hold out, extend (figuratively)
1b) (Niphal) to be stretched out
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to stretch out
1c2) to spread out
1c3) to turn, incline, influence, bend down, hold out, extend, thrust aside, thrust away

Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1352

(YLT) `Thou art not after many to evil, nor dost thou testify concerning a strife, to turn aside after many to cause others to turn aside;

What we are being told in Exo 23:2, when we compare other scriptures to it, is that we are not to follow the multitudes and we are not to give our word or okay towards a topic which can cause OTHERS to see it and think the same.

The multitudes will never be able to obey God’s commandments because they have not been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, among other reasons.

Mat 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Being “disciples indeed”, we are given the seeing and hearing to understand what the parables are all about, and this is the same for the judgment of God which is on His house now. This judgment must be used wisely and righteously when we apply it to our day to day lives and to others we are in contact with. In this way, these other folks will see “Christ and His Christ”.

This has a very practical application to us in everyday life no matter the topic we are discussing.

“If your friends jump off a bridge will you do it too,” is one of the quotes I remember my parents saying to me that sort of captures the idea behind not following a multitude.

However, to bring the point closer to the idea behind not following a multitude to do evil, we’ll look at another placed “wrest” is used.

Deu 16:18  Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
Deu 16:19  Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
Deu 16:20  That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

The English word used as “just” here means righteous the majority of the time it is used in the OT. We are to judge all things with righteous judgment.

H6664

tsedeq

Total KJV Occurrences: 117

righteousness, 78
Lev_19:15, Deu_33:19, Job_6:29, Job_8:6, Job_29:14, Job_36:2-3 (2), Psa_4:1, Psa_4:5, Psa_7:8, Psa_7:17, Psa_9:8, Psa_15:2, Psa_17:15, Psa_18:20, Psa_18:24, Psa_23:3, Psa_35:24, Psa_35:28, Psa_37:6, Psa_40:9, Psa_45:4, Psa_45:7, Psa_48:10, Psa_50:6, Psa_51:19, Psa_52:3, Psa_58:1, Psa_65:5, Psa_72:2, Psa_85:10-11 (2), Psa_85:13, Psa_94:15, Psa_96:13, Psa_97:2, Psa_97:6, Psa_98:9, Psa_118:19, Psa_119:123, Psa_119:142, Psa_119:144, Psa_119:172, Pro_2:9 (2), Pro_8:8, Pro_12:17, Pro_25:5, Ecc_3:16, Ecc_7:15, Isa_1:21, Isa_1:26, Isa_16:4-5 (3), Isa_26:9-10 (2), Isa_32:1, Isa_41:10, Isa_42:6, Isa_45:8, Isa_45:13, Isa_45:19, Isa_51:1, Isa_51:5, Isa_58:7-8 (2), Isa_61:3, Isa_62:1-2 (2), Jer_23:5-6 (2), Jer_33:16, Eze_3:20, Dan_9:24, Hos_2:19, Hos_10:12, Zep_2:3

just, 11
Lev_19:36 (4), Deu_16:18, Deu_16:20, Deu_25:15 (2), Eze_45:10 (3)

justice, 10
Job_8:3, Psa_89:14, Psa_119:121, Pro_1:3, Pro_8:15, Ecc_5:8, Isa_58:2, Isa_59:4, Jer_31:23, Jer_50:7

righteous, 9
Psa_35:27, Psa_119:7, Psa_119:62, Psa_119:106, Psa_119:138, Psa_119:160, Psa_119:164, Pro_16:13, Isa_41:2

right, 3
Psa_9:4, Psa_17:1, Psa_119:75

righteously, 3
Deu_1:16, Pro_31:9, Jer_11:20

even, 1
Job_31:6

righteousness’, 1
Isa_42:21

unrighteousness, 1
Jer_22:13

Following in the same train of thought, we are to not look towards a “poor” person and show them favor in an evil simply because they are poor.

Exo 23:3  Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause (H7379).

(BBE) But, on the other hand, do not be turned from what is right in order to give support to a poor man’s cause.

(GNB) Do not show partiality to a poor person at his trial.

The same word used as “cause” in Exodus 23:3 is also used a few times as controversy, but mainly as “cause” or “strife”. This verse captures the idea of what these “causes” are all about.

Eze 44:24  And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.

The entire focus of these first two first covered today is to have PROPER righteous judgment in ALL MATTERS big or small.

We know this to be true for the most part, but we as followers of Christ, should always be looking to glorify God in all of our judgments of living out our lives day to day.

Most of the time, we like to or tend to think about how we would react to “big decisions” if we were to suddenly need to decide how to act or what to say concerning big topics of the day.

Gay marriage, abortion, racism, war, economy, etc. are examples of a few of these “big discussions” in America’s culture today, but I hope to invoke in you a mindset that these issues ARE NOT the main topics for which you are going to be judged by God the Father.

What do I mean with that statement? We are mostly going to be judged on the “small matters”, the small things that we act and react on each and every day. If we do not have proper judgment in the small matters, then the big matters will have zero proper judgment.

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.

The subject of judging “small matters” is very important because if we are not able to be exercised and trained up to be able to handle the smallest of these matters, how are we ever going to be prepared to be used to help run the kingdom of God and judge the world?

1Co 6:1  Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
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?

These small matters do indeed matter because they are what “sit at the lowest levels” of the “house of God”, right on top of the foundation.

Zec 4:9  The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zec 4:10  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

In the book of Zechariah, Zechariah is being given the “word of the Lord” form the “LORD of hosts” starting off in essence by saying, “do not follow the multitudes to do evil”. Those “multitudes” are “the fathers” in type.

Zec 1:2  The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Zec 1:3  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 1:4  Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.

The book of Zechariah is not directly connected to the book of Exodus except to use it as an example of the “sum of thy word is Truth” concerning judgment and small matters/things.

Zechariah chapter 1 focuses on the commandments of God and doing or not doing them and the results of these actions.

Chapter 2 focuses on the “measurements of Jerusalem” and whether or not they are accurate according to the resting place God will make for Himself. This chapter also tells us that many nations will be “joined to the Lord in that day” because they will see what the judgment of the Lord is.

Chapter 3 focuses on the covering and garment received in place of the “filthy garment” that “Joshua” had before the Lord comes to judge the situation.

In other words, keeping the commandments and word of the Lord is very important and the Lord calls this collectively “a day of small things”.

Treating your enemy…. within and without

Exodus 23:4 and 5 go on to give us an example of righteous judgment versus unrighteous judgment and connects the concept of how to righteously handle a “small matter.”

Exo 23:4  If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Exo 23:5  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

Exo 23:4 (CEV) If you find an ox or a donkey that has wandered off, take it back where it belongs, even if the owner is your enemy.
Exo 23:5  If a donkey is overloaded and falls down, you must do what you can to help, even if it belongs to someone who doesn’t like you.

Most of us in this age won’t have the opportunity to see our enemy’s ox or donkey wondering lost so that we can bring it to our enemy’s home. So, how do we apply this concept to our day to day lives?

Anytime we have an opportunity to do the “right thing” in a given situation is the time to do that right thing.

There shouldn’t be a consideration of whether or not we are BFF’s with this person or not. We shouldn’t be concerned with what this person has done to us in the past.

The proper judgment according to the commandments of the Lord is to do what is right no matter the circumstances especially to your enemy BECAUSE this is the time that you will WRESTLE with what to do.

It’s easy to decide to help a loved one when they need help. It’s not so easy to do it to someone who is your enemy or hates you.

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

Pro 25:21 (CEV) If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

Pro 25:22  This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads. And the LORD will reward you.

Luk 6:28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Of course, there is a law of sin working in our flesh that will be kicking and screaming against us doing the right thing when we know to do the right thing.

Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

However, that doesn’t excuse us from serving God and following the law He has placed in our minds to follow. That is why we are told to do good to all men, specially the household of Faith.

We always want the right things to come to us and others to treat us fair and respectfully, so this is what we should strive to do as well.

Col 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

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

When we see our enemy’s “beast” in need of help, and because they are our enemy, it is the most natural thing to not want to help them …. that HOOOOORRRIBBBBBLLLLLEEEE BEAST they are!

However, that is called forgetting the manner of man I am after leaving the mirror! It is also what the flesh and carnal mind call utter foolishness. After all, we aren’t supposed to be helping anyone’s beast, right?

Well, there is a difference in helping someone DO and COMMIT EVIL, which we should never actively be doing and HELPING a person who is considered our enemy or hates us.

That is why these examples given directly after Exodus 23:2-3 are wonderfully placed.

Lastly, we should always strive to be just / righteous with everyone, especially the household of Faith.

Exo 23:6  Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

Exo 23:6 (CEV) Make sure that the poor are given equal justice in court.

Looking on the outward appearance is something we should be avoiding at all costs and applies in the physical sense in Exodus 23:6, and just as importantly, we should be looking on the inward appearance and recognizing (or not) the voice of the True Shepherd.

The “poor” of the Lord should always be given the benefit of hearing their “case” or side of things before making any decisions about a topic we are considering and most importantly weighing all situations, doctrines and topics against the Word of God.

We must always be striving to find the mind of Christ and the multitude of counsel on any given topic, and this is especially true of the “household of Faith”.

It may seem like this is beyond the scope of the beginning of Exodus 23, but when speaking about judgments, verdicts and trials we have a plethora of scripture to support resting with the Word of God so that we judge righteously.

“Do unto others as you want others to do unto you” is a fine example of living the Word of God out in our daily lives and NOT following the multitudes on what the flesh would have us all do naturally given the chance.

This is what “forgiveness of debt” is all about, and what bigger message do we bring to the multitudes and masses than that of salvation?

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Mat 6:14  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

1Co 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
1Co 4:2  Moreover it is REQUIRED in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1Co 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1Co 4:4  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
1Co 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

1 Co 4:4(WNT)  Though I am not conscious of having been in any way unfaithful, yet I do not for that reason stand acquitted; but He whose scrutiny I must undergo is the Lord.

(GNB)  My conscience is clear, but that does not prove that I am really innocent. The Lord is the one who passes judgment on me.

 

Video Links

In the previous study, we saw that Lot and his daughters were escaped to Zoar because they feared going to the mountain and being slain by a beast or beasts.

This leads later into Lot and his daughters fearing in Zoar and going to the mountain anyways.

It is here that Lot’s daughters get Lot drunk and it is a parallel to Noah becoming drunken after him and his family were saved via the ark.

In the type and shadow have Lot and his daughters, we see that as Abraham, our enemies are being place around us by the mighty and awesome hands of the Lord through “our brother’s seed” which we brought form “our father’s house” via bringing Lot with us when the Lord told us to leave.

In the this week’s study, we will look at verse 20:5 and how Abraham yet again has little faith that he will be okay because the Lord is God almighty.  Instead, Abraham will again try to move things along by trying to lie his way through the next situation the Lord will place him in.

We’ll see yet again how we, like Abraham, we try to make things work out best for our flesh by constructing a ploy to trick those who the Lord has placed us in front of.

It will only lead us to being made an open book to those around us, but we will ultimately still be okay as the Lord promises us He will always take care of us for good. However, we will continue to reap what we sow as the Lord leads us to sow it.

The first verse for our “hands” study today is Gen 20:5.

Gen 20:1 –  And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
Gen 20:2 –  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
Gen 20:3 –  But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
Gen 20:4 –  But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
Gen 20:5 –  Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

Though this first word is translated hands in English, there is another deeper meaning behind why the Holy Spirit chose this word in Hebrew.

The Hebrew word used here is not the typical Hebrew word H3027 / yad, but rather it is H3709 / kaph. It has a more inner meaning for the word hand and it is really referring to the hollow of your hand or your palm. It is the space that your hand holds within its palm area. In other words, it is the “inner hand”.

Abimelech is contending with the Lord because what Abimelech is really telling the Lord is, “I haven’t even so much as thought that I wanted to take a man’s wife. That guy deceived me by lying to me.”

How does the Lord respond to Abimelech?

Gen 20:6 –  And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Gen 20:7 –  Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

The Lord tells Abimelech a few interesting things that can easily be read over and unnoticed.

Lightning in His hands

Firstly, the Lord says I know you did what you did because of the integrity of your heart because I did it. Abimelech mentioned two things in this rebuttal to the Lord and it is the “innocence of his hands” for which Abimelech cries out to the Lord about.

The word used as H3709 or “kaph” is used several other ways in scripture which will add to our understanding of what the Lord is responding to Abimelech with as a reply.

H3709

kaph

Total KJV Occurrences:183

Some of the verses that really bring home what we are about to see are a few we have covered in the past “Awesome Hands” studies, but a few really bring the point home.

Gen 8:9 –  But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

Deu 28:35 –  The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.

Num 7:14 –  One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense:

Num 7:68 –  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

Gen 32:25 –  And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

1Sa 5:4 –  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

Lev 9:17 –  And he brought the meat offering, and took an handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning.

Lev 14:15 –  And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:

Lev 23:40 –  And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

By now, Lord willing, we should start to be seeing a pattern emerge from the verses we have just read. If not, then this next example from Job should bring it home quickly.

Job 36:22 –  Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
Job 36:23 –  Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
Job 36:24 –  Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.
Job 36:25 –  Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
Job 36:26 –  Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
Job 36:27 –  For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
Job 36:28 –  Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
Job 36:29 –  Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
Job 36:30 –  Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
Job 36:31 –  For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.
Job 36:32 –  With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

A better translation for 36:32 is:

Job 36:32 –  He covers His hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark;

So, we can see that the Lord is doing everything according to the inner workings of His hands. He is directing not only His own hands, but the hands of every one of His creation.

The very thing that the Lord tells Abimelech is that He understands that Abimelech is telling the truth because it is the Lord who wrote those directions upon Abimelech’s heart in the first place.

Job 4:12 –  Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.
Job 4:13 –  In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

Job 33:13 –  Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
Job 33:14 –  For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
Job 33:15 –  In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
Job 33:16 –  Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
Job 33:17 –  That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
Job 33:18 –  He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

Praise the Lord! The Lord preserves us or He delivers us to the hands of our enemies. It is all of Him. Still, He tells us that a prophet sent by Him will be the one to be used to bless Abimelech so that he and his house don’t perish.

Yes indeed, the Lord uses “the foolishness of preaching”, that which He holds in the palm of His hand, to “keepeth the soul back from the pit and lives from perishing by the sword “ by those pillars, those clouds whom He sends along to us.

Remember, this is someone who Abraham basically feared. He lied out of fear, but the Lord shapes even those who are around us so that even when the Lord is making “all things ours”, He is also working this in others simultaneously for their benefit as well.

The Lord simply chose to tell Abimelech this, Abraham’s “enemy” in type and shadow, so that Abimelech’s “upright” heart and nation would be preserved.

Gen 20:7 –  Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

 

Perfectly Furbished

Truly, the Lord fashions us all how He wants us to be. During the last study and this study, we can see that the Lord is setting up the entire scenario in which we always find ourselves in … whatever scenarios that those are.

As we hone in on this idea, we can see another example of this scriptural truth in Eze 21:11. The Lord tells Abimelech that He is going to save his soul from the pit and from perishing by the sword so how does the Lord achieve this? His hands are awesome!

Ezekiel 21:8 –  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 21:9 –  Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
Ezekiel 21:10 –  It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.
Ezekiel 21:11 –  And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
Ezekiel 21:12 –  Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.
Ezekiel 21:13 –  Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.

Oh, how we contend with the Lord! The Lord knows the inner workings of every inch of us and yet we think we can wrestle with the angels He sends our way.

He has given to those angels His Word, His gospel and His message for a trial for all wood, hay and stubble in our lives.

Ezekial 21:13 is again translated horribly in the King James. The true meaning is brought out a little clearer in a few other translations.

Darby –

Ezekiel 21:10 –  It is sharpened for sore slaughter, it is furbished that it may glitter. Shall we then make mirth, saying, The sceptre of my son contemneth all wood?

Revised Version

Ezekiel 21:10 –  it is sharpened that it may make a slaughter; it is furbished that it may be as lightning: shall we then make mirth? the rod of my son, it contemneth every tree.

Modern King James Verison

Ezekiel 21:10 –  It is sharpened in order to slaughter; it is polished so that there may be a flash to it. Or shall we rejoice? You are despising the rod of My son, as if it were every tree.

Good News Bible

Ezekiel 21:10 –  It is sharpened to kill, polished to flash like lightning. There can be no rejoicing, for my people have disregarded every warning and punishment.

In other words, we know that the Word of God is the rod of His son. It is in the Word of God that we see the will of God the Father for all of creation.

It is also in the Word of God that we see that the rain comes on the just and unjust alike, but like Abimelech in this type and shadow, we are warned to escape the coming destruction just as Lot was shortly before by the messengers of the Lord.

The Word of God, the sword and rod of the Lord are what are used to slaughter and save, to destroy and give life and that is what we are being told here.

The true message we can see being given to us is that the Lord knows the inner workings of all those around us as well as in us. We cannot dupe the Lord form what the Lord has caused in our lives, whether it is “good or bad” from our vantage point.

Do you still doubt thou beast? What inner instruction has the Lord sealed on your heart?

What drives you? What are you beholden to? What has dominance over you? Do you think the Lord has anything to do with it? Do you think that the Lord could just have easily not have put a hedge around Abimelech and let him sin against the Lord so that the Lord would have destroyed him?

Are we really dealing with our flesh or are we dealing with the powers and principalities that have been put in place by our Lord?

The same word that we have been concentrating on today is the same word that we see here as “paws” in Leviticus.

Lev 11:27 –  And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.

If we are driven by those things which are the inner forces we are talking about…. space that makes up the inside of our hand, the inside of the cup… then we are unclean beasts.

If however, we are listening to the messengers of the Lord because of the message the bring from the Word of the Lord, then the Lord uses that to bring us life and salvation “from the pit”.

It is this very act that saves us from the hands of evil, the place where evil has it’s  power.  We can see an example of this in Habakkuk.

Hab 2:9 –  Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

The word used here as power in English is the same word used today as sole, palm, paws handling, etc. It all points to the Lord’s total fashioning or furbishing of all that we see, think and feel in our walk with Him.

This whole scenario with Abraham happened because even though the Lord had brought Abraham through so much up until this point, Abraham still thought He knew what the Lord was doing at every step and He wanted to help along the situation to his benefit.

We can see this when Abimelech awakens form this dream that the Lord has just given him.

Gen 20:8 –  Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
Gen 20:9 –  Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
Gen 20:10 –  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
Gen 20:11 –  And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.

There it is. There is the fear placed on Abrahams heart that the Lord doesn’t really mean that He will work out all things for our good. He doesn’t really mean it does He? Maybe we should help Him along…

Gen 20:12 –  And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
Gen 20:13 –  And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
Gen 20:14 –  And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
Gen 20:15 –  And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
Gen 20:16 –  And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
Gen 20:17 –  So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
Gen 20:18 –  For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

Even with all this, the Lord uses the entire situation to bless Abraham again with wealth, cattle, servants, etc. He heals Abimelech and his household because even as the Lord was giving Abimelech direction in his dream, the Lord had already closed up the wombs of the women in his house.

Of course, we should all know that the lesson is that anything the Lord “writes upon our hearts” and has already been willed by the Lord. This is the same for all of mankind, but we are blessed to have Him come to us via dreams, visions and messengers to let us in on His workings.

Conclusion of “Awesome Hands” part 9

In this study today, we can see that the Lord works all things after the counsel of His own will and that also includes the things which are being worked in others.

These things are brought about due to whatever the Lord has set in motion in the heavens. He tells us that He is control time and time again, yet we still continue to rebel by doing our “own thing”.

As we will see in the next part of “Awesome Hands”, the Lord has done all He has for us  so that He can bring us to the point of “bearing and producing the seed of the promise “that He has made a covenant with us to bring about.

We will close this study with ones more example of how we are comfortably seated in the “heavenly” hands that He holds us in. Verse 48:16 of Isaiah is placed in the midst of a beautiful situation created for those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear it.

When and if you cry out to the Lord remember that we are in His loving embrace.

Isa 49:13 –  Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
Isa 49:14 –  But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Isa 49:15 –  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Isa 49:16 –  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Isa 49:17 –  Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
Isa 49:18 –  Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.
Isa 49:19 –  For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
Isa 49:20 –  The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
Isa 49:21 –  Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?
Isa 49:22 –  Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
Isa 49:23 –  And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Often times since being given the faith of Christ that I have now been given, I am asked a question that tends to boggle folks’ minds when answered with the Word of God. “So, what happens when we die?”

Oh, the dreaded “D” word! Not damn or dang, but death. Dying, the inevitable truth that we all will face, is what drives all fear. Many a man has met this stone cold truth, but one Son of man and of God stood in death’s grip and was laughingly yanked away.

In fact, we all are dying from the womb and indeed die daily, physically. The difference between dying now physically to the world or spiritually to the new man, is what sets a part those who NOW are the Sons of God versus those who are coming along at their appointed time later.

During this study, we will all delve deeper into the dwelling place of the Lord in a way that, Lord willing, awakens a little more of Christ in us all as He increases and we decrease.

Ecc 9:5 – For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Ecc 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecc 12:8 – Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
Ecc 12:9 – And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
Ecc 12:10 – The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

Taken by Surprise

When something as profound as the Light and Truth step into what you thought was “your life”, you are granted to see that you indeed have been awakened to this Truth that was already so. Simply stated, you now understand and know that to be the case. You were awakened, born again, given Life, shown the way, breathed into with the Spirit of God because BEFORE this time, you were DEAD already.

His Word awakens that which was dead, lives, yet is dying.

How does this all happen and what am I talking about? The first Adam is the beginning so it’s good to start there.

Of course, we have Adam who is known as coming from the dust of the ground, mixed with a little breath, who became a living soul, but let’s take our adventure to a time earlier than that… say, the foundation of the world?

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.

Rev 13:8 – And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Mat 13:34 – All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Mat 13:35 – That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

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

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

So what “things” are we talking about here? The dead know nothing or ‘no thing’. The KJV says the dead know not anything. Yet, we know that Christ says Himself that all things are ours.

How does this all come together with the answer I give to people who ask me what happens after we die? Well, our body dies, and the Spirit given to us from God goes back to Him.

The complete answer though is much more hopeful! After death, we are awakened! Some of us, those that are blessed of God Himself, are told to inherit the kingdom of God NOW as we are breathed into with the Spirit of God while others waken unto judgment in the second death. Double whammy!

Confused? Things being uttered hard to understand? Let the Lord guide us all!

Hear Him Roar

In this study, we are going to be covering a lot of Ecclesiastes, and along the reading, we will begin to see a pattern form.

Here we have a “son of David”, and we know who Christ typifies – David. Keeping this in mind, let us see what the Lord has in store for us.

Ecc 1:1 – The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
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 (Christ)?
Ecc 1:4 – One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
Ecc 1:5 – The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
Ecc 1:6 – The wind (Spirit) goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
Ecc 1:7 – All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
Ecc 1:8 – All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Ecc 1:9 – The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecc 1:10 – Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Ecc 1:11 – There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

We have just read a comparison of basically, “what goes around comes around”. In this comparison though, we can see a pattern if we are given eyes to see and ears to hear it.

Out of the sum of what mankind is able to accomplish under the sun, it all equals vanity. That is very interesting. The next verse starts to reveal to us how this information was gathered by the author.

Ecc 1:12 – I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Up until this point we have read a few verses alluding to the truth that all of mankind’s thoughts and actions are vanity. Now, we have a preacher who has identified himself as a preacher and king over Israel in Jerusalem.

I, the preacher, was king of Israel in Jerusalem. Aren’t we going to be kings and priests? Israel is God’s people but who is the true Jew? In relation to the “king being on the throne”, do we see a head and body scenario forming yet? Finally, where is Jerusalem? Where is the Jerusalem that our walk has us looking for?

All of these questions start to paint a scriptural picture for us. The one qualified to talk about this topic has the credentials as given to him of God. These credentials are nothing less than:

Heb 12:11 – Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Heb 5:14 – But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

How does that discernment fit into this question of death?

Ecc 1:13 – And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ecc 1:14 – I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecc 1:15 – That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. (who can attest to the truth of this concerning our flesh)
Ecc 1:16 – I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecc 1:17 – And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Ecc 1:18 – For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Tying this all together, we have now read a template that we are going to focus on in regards to death, dying and what this whole subject is all about.

We all know we are going to die, but what happens afterward is a great mystery. This mystery is one I hope is opened up to us today a little bit more.

All Things versus No Thing

Ecc 9:5 – For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

All those living know one thing – we will die. What is the reward of the living? We know that the dead know not anything but what does that mean? On the surface, it seems pretty common, but let’s wipe away a little surface mud and see what’s beneath.

Job 30:23 – For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

Dan 4:17 – This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

Death is the house of the living? How true this is if you can see it. Those who are living in this “present and evil age” for“this present and evil age” will continue to do so until they go to the dust that they were formed from.

However, there is a huge difference happening in those who realize they are walking among the “living dead”.

Rom 7:24 – O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Col 1:22 – In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

I am asked what happens after we die? Immediately, my mind asks which death the questioner is referring to? I know instinctively that the questioner is asking about physical death, but what was Christ’s point in resurrecting and continuing on to the rest of His ministry if DEATH were the focal point of life?

Death is the enemy. Death is a tool. Death will be done away with and is already fading until its ultimate destruction. Death will be swallowed up in victory, but is that out there somewhere waiting for its time to happen? No! It is NOW!

As a child of God, I should be endeavoring to learn more than the schoolmaster alone can teach me, and who is the schoolmaster?

Gal 3:24 – Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 – But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26 – For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

The schoolmaster, the law, is no longer the dominator because a greater thing has entered the race – Faith! The schoolmaster is simply there to bring us to Christ, because the schoolmaster is only a form of that which will destroy the flesh – Faith. The schoolmaster is the law which keeps our lawless and disobedient flesh in check.

1Ti 1:9 – Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Colossians is used to bring this point home:

Col 1:20 – And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Remember, the focus we are looking at right now is what are all things versus no thing which is what the dead know. Do you see how the Holy Spirit inspired this link to be made? All things in earth (carnal mind/ flesh/ physical) versus things in heaven (mind of Christ/ new man/ spiritual) are all reconciled to Christ. Christ did it all in ONE body! Son of man and Son of God….

Col 1:21 – And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22 – In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23 – If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
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:
Col 1:25 – Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26 – Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
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:
Col 1:28 – Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

This hope of glory is why I sit here today sharing with you all what it is the Lord has given me to share. When asked what happens when we die. The answer that can be accurately given is – life happens.

Life through Death

Joh 12:24 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 – He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26 – If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

And just where is Christ? If we are going to minister to Christ, then where are we going when we follow Him because we obviously must be WITH Christ to serve Him, no? Well, how can we follow Christ to where He is? The answer lies in the cup.

Mat 26:39 – And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Mat 26:40 – And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Mat 26:41 – Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

I’ve always thought it spiritually interesting that Christ’s disciples are dead… er, ‘sleeping’ when Christ comes to them. In type and shadow, Peter is sleeping (or dead), and Christ SPEAKS! Here is another example that gives a little more detail:

Mat 26:37 – And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (Zebadee means “my gift” and he was a fisherman), and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Mat 26:38 – Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39 – And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Mat 26:40 – And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Mat 26:41 – Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mat 26:42 – He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Mat 26:43 – And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. (they cannot see)
Mat 26:44 – And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Mat 26:45 – Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the HOUR IS AT HAND, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mat 26:46 – Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

Truly, Christ was only accompanied by the Father during the time of “the cup”. Do you believe our experience while drinking this cup will be any different?

Luk 22:17 – And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Luk 22:18 – For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Luk 22:19 – And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 – Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Now, we have seen that if a grain of wheat fall to the ground and die, then it brings forth fruit – life. We have also just read that as Christ was going through this extreme suffering, His disciples were sleeping.

It isn’t until Christ comes a third time that He then tells His disciples to “sleep on” or continue sleeping. The first two times Christ came to His disciples, He reprimanded them for sleeping on the watch. Why is it that this happened the first two times but the third time is different?

As we have all come to understand, anytime something is told to us two or three times in scripture, then there is a point being brought home.

A large point being made here is the disciples were sleeping because:

Mat 26:43 – And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

I am starting to see a connection here, “their eyes were heavy.” Christ goes away and does the same thing and comes back and then says, “Sleep on now, and take your rest, the hour is at hand.” Whoa! Where have we seen this?

This phrase sounds a lot like, “the time is at hand”. Does anyone recognize this anywhere else?

Rom 13:11 – And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 – The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

1Jn 2:18 – Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Rev 14:15 – And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

2Ti 4:6 – For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7 – I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Keeping the Faith (start of part 2)

Up to this point, we have read a lot of things pertaining to death and dying but the title of this study is, “The Dead Know Not Anything” “so when are we going to touch upon that subject, Steven?”

Well, we have been the whole time, and in part two of this study I hope that this will be brought out a little bit more as the Lord wills.

Earlier, we read that Paul kept the faith, and earlier than that we read that the schoolmaster is no longer needed when faith comes. So, how does faith have anything to do with death, and what does any of this have to do with the “dead not knowing anything?”

Rom 4:1 – What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Rom 4:2 – For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 – For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4 – Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 – But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Rom 4:13 – For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Col 2:11 – In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12 – Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

1Pe 1:20 – Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 – Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

It is at the start of our “buried with Him, rising with Him through faith” that we start our walk. Let the dead bury the dead. See, we are already dead in trespasses when we come to the cross, when we come to this point.

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:

Col 2:13 – And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

When we come to this point, we are already spiritually dead. However, when we are buried in His baptism, we are given life in Him via resurrected life.

What do we do with this life? Well, we die daily to our flesh with this new life and mind.

1Co 15:25 – For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 – The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 – For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 – And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
1Co 15:29 – Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
1Co 15:30 – And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
1Co 15:31 – I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Wait a second! Christ is going to destroy death, and I die daily, so when will Christ destroy death? It is when death has worked its purpose. For you and I and any other saint in Christ, this time is NOW.

Rom 6:3 – Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 – Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 – For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

What does His resurrection mean? It means we are as He is in this world, now. We die daily, THUS we are REBORN daily in His resurrection. His name. His image…but how do we get from A to Z?

We are dead, are dying and will die.

What I am saying is that we are in a place now where the Lord starts His process in us so that we now are awakened to it; thus, we will be told to die again.

We are said we are DEAD in our transgressions. Christ comes to us and drags us to the Father after he comes to us while we are asleep and says…RISE. We are born into life by dying, and being dead we are free from the law. But, we are then told to DIE DAILY now, while the hour is at hand. Whew!

Can you see how the flesh rebels? How does this all happen?

“I thought we were talking about what happens after we die, Steven?”

I am talking about what happens after you die because some of us brothers and sisters are living it NOW! Some of us, Lord willing, have been called out of her…some of us are being called out of her and are being chosen to be Faithful until the end to overcome.

Some of us have the Word of God LIVING and BREATHING eternal LIFE into us. We know the Word of God for what the Lord has given us and what has been given to us is that we are to JUDGE OURSEVLES NOW.

Did I say judge OTHERS now? Nope. However, when judgment happens and the Spirit within the temple of God stirs from the north to the south again, then you will have that beam removed so that the spec that you see in your brother’s eye can easily be removed with LOVE.

Mar 12:29 – And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel(who is a Jew?); The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 – And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 – And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Joh 15:12 – This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Gal 5:14 – For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

1Jn 3:11 – For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1Jn 3:12 – Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
1Jn 3:13 – Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
1Jn 3:14 – We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1Jn 3:15 – Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1Jn 3:16 – Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.(we abide in death by dying daily and live by example)

1Jn 5:1 – Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
1Jn 5:2 – By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 – For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (it is Christ’s faith because He alone has overcome the WORLD…He LIVES in US though, amen)
1Jn 5:5 – Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1Jn 5:6 – This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

Christ is here to destroy His flesh. Christ is here to destroy His body to bring life to it through purging it, burning it up with the fire of the Word of God. The Word of God says love God ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE. Love here is a verb. It’s an action. We KEEP it. We LIVE it!

2Jn 1:6 – And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
2Jn 1:7 – For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8 – Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9 – Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, (what we have been talking about all along) hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10 – If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11 – For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

I am not sure how it can be any clearer than that.

“Wait a minute, Steven. What about someone wanting to rape your wife and kill you and your family? What about someone wanting to rob and beat you?”

What about…. what Christ said about LOVING your ENEMIES?

I am not saying this will be easily understood, but loving my enemies is two-fold. There are those that would kill me for being Christian if I didn’t renounce it, but there are also those who are my enemies simply because, “how can two walk together unless they agree”. The person is not my enemy, but the Spirit within them is!

The world within them is the same world within me that Christ has overcome. So, if Christ is in me and not them at this present TIME, then I must let them know that the doctrine they bring is NOT WELCOME in my HOUSE.

“Steven, you are so cold…so mean, so cold-hearted!”

At that, I will tell you – eat, drink and be merry.

Eat, Drink and be Merry

I recently read an article on a website that states that the book of Ecclesiastes doesn’t belong in the bible because the author of it is too morbid, too depressed and too uninformed, because surely we are not equal to the beasts of the field which all go to the same place, the grave.

Interestingly, the very thing that this author was complaining about is EXACTLY what the writer was inspired to convey when penning this:

Ecc 8:15 – Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

Luk 12:19 – And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20 – But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21 – So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

It is also mentioned in Ecclesiastes that all that is given to man under the sun is a GIFT. Amazingly, we are brought back to where we find the title of this study. For the purpose of context and to hear the surrounding verses, I will read/offer Ecc 9 so that we can get a feel of the importance of the dead knowing nothing.

Ecc 9:1 – For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
Ecc 9:2 – All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Ecc 9:3 – This is an evil among all things that are one under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Ecc 9:4 – For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Ecc 9:5 – For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 – Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Ecc 9:7 – Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Ecc 9:8 – Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Ecc 9:9 – Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ecc 9:10 – Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Ecc 9:11 – I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Ecc 9:12 – For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Ecc 9:13 – This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
Ecc 9:14 – There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Ecc 9:15 – Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Ecc 9:16 – Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Ecc 9:17 – The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Ecc 9:18 – Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

The natural man says “right on, I should be able to live my life the way I want”, but the spiritual new man vomits such things out of his mouth.

Rev 3:15 – I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 – So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Where is the line in the sand for any of us if we are dead? What is the doctrine that is so ingrained in your beliefs that you cannot go BACK to the Word of God and re-examine what the Word of God, Christ in YOU, has to say about the matter? The time is at hand, but a Pharisee or a Sadducee can’t recognize the time they’re in.

They’re stiff-necked in their mind. The Sadducee in us says there is no resurrection, admitting that Christ has not come in the flesh. We just went over that, yet we are given over to delusion from the Lord, and not one will be able to conquer that great divide.

When you are dead, YOU KNOW NOTHING! This applies both physically and SPIRITUALLY. When you are spiritually dead, you are deceived and don’t know it.

What happens when we die? I have an atheist friend who said to me that when you die that’s it; you’re just dead and well, he was partly right.

The dead know not anything. However, there is a resurrection of the just and the unjust and Christ is the resurrection. I die daily, yet Christ lives in me.

On the flip side, most Christians I know think we go to heaven or hell right away when we die, but how can that be?

What happens when we die physically?

Ecc 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Luk 23:46 – And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Joh 19:30 – When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Heb 9:27 – And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Wait, I die daily? Daily judgment? I thought it was only once? I am to judge my DAYS and everything therein? What kind of Faith is that? It is the Faith of Christ.

Rom 14:5 – One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

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

If I die daily, how is it I care about the things that are in the world? The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life? If I am daily dead, what do I care about? I know nothing.

Alas, it is only given to a few to understand that the things that we are hated for, or rather Christ is hated for within us, are the same things that we have FREELY BEEN GIVEN TO UNDERSTAND.

1Co 3:21 – Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 – Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23 – And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

The old Adam in me hates the quickening Spirit there also. The old man Adam in others hates that same Christ within me. Christ is the Word of God. We bare His name on our foreheads and others hate the coat of many colors we wear along with it.

When we are given these things to understand then we are told we are going to be purged with the Word of God.

Eze 11:19 – And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Eze 11:20 – That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Eze 36:25 – Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
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.

Dying Daily to Live

When this happens, when we are given to see and hear the truth regarding this, thus starts the life-long process of being purged and dying daily. Just like a newborn, we start on milk and continue through to food, but we can’t learn everything all at once nor can we be cleansed all at once. It would kill us.

As this happens more and more in our lives, we will start to see fruit produced in us because if what you have is of Christ, then so then will the works of God be there. The works of God, His righteousness will be seen by everything within and without.

2Co 4:10 – Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 – For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12 – So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2Co 4:13 – We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 – Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 – For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 – For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

What part of the perishing of the outward man must we keep back for ourselves once the works of God are being manifest in our lives?

Luk 18:18 – And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luk 18:19 – And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Luk 18:20 – Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luk 18:21 – And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Luk 18:22 – Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luk 18:23 – And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
Luk 18:24 – And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

How hardly shall we, who start in our youth, coming behind in no gift, called to be Saints, enter into the kingdom of God if we treasure such riches!

Mat 6:19 – Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 – But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luk 12:33 – Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luk 12:34 – For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What do you have to sell? Judge now or be judged later. If you hold anything back, there will be no difference in the resurrection. It will be counted as loss.

Act 5:1 – But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 – And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:3 – But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 – Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5 – And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Act 5:6 – And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
Act 5:7 – And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
Act 5:8 – And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Act 5:9 – Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Act 5:10 – Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

Conclusion

Things of Old

Ecc 12:1 – Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Ecc 12:2 – While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
Ecc 12:3 – In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
Ecc 12:4 – And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
Ecc 12:5 – Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
Ecc 12:6 – Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Ecc 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Things New

Ecc 12:8 – Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
Ecc 12:9 – And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
Ecc 12:10 – The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
Ecc 12:11 – The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
Ecc 12:12 – And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Ecc 12:13 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 – For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

M____ wrote:

Hi Mike! It has been awhile since I have written to you. Just wanted to let you know how appreciative I am of all the work you and you family (spiritual and physical) do for so many of us so far away. Psa 50:23 “But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” It is truly a blessing to be helped in understanding this great knowledge which has brought much sought after inner peace. I do find myself more aware of every action and thought and how it influences others. With Christ in us we can speak with boldness and it changes those around us even if it is only in a small way.

[ I was sent] an email sharing your thoughts on some upcoming study’s. I am quite pleased you are going to do a series on the spiritual significance of names in scripture. You mentioned several times how the law of the offerings used to bore you. I just finished reading I and II Chronicles and found myself skipping through the endless genealogies which I find extremely tedious. I know all names have a spiritual significance which I have been meaning to look into but have not quite found the time.

A great lesson which you have helped me to understand and take to heart is to look within myself and not at others which has left me with a greater compassion for others and where God has them in this age. The beast within is sufficient to overcome without pointing to others.

Psa 55:9 Destroy them, Lord, and confuse their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.
:10 Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city.

May God continue to bless you, M____

Hi M___,
It is good to hear from you.
I seriously doubt that my study on Biblical names is going to make the reading of endless genealogies any less boring. But I do hope that it will give you a better understanding of the mind of God and Christ. For example, look at the name Adam:
Here is Hitchcock’s Dictionary Of Names definition of Adam:
Adam – earthy; red
And here is Strong’s definition:
aw- dawm’
From H119; ruddy, that is, a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.): – X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
But now notice what is the Hebrew word behind the word translated ‘ground’ in this verse:

Gen 2:19  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [ them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [ was] the name thereof.

 H127
×ד××”
‘ădaÌ‚maÌ‚h
ad- aw- maw’
From H119; soil (from its general redness): – country, earth, ground, husband [- man] (- ry), land.
Seeing all these definitions together makes it clear that Adam is very closely associated with the earth. And so we are told:

1Co 15:47  The first man [ is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [ is] the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48  As [ is] the earthy, such [ are] they also that are earthy: and as [ is] the heavenly, such [ are] they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

That is the sort of thing I hope to accomplish with this coming study of Biblical names. There really is much to be learned by the names God gives to His servants; good or evil.
I have never seen Psa 55: 9-10 in the version you quote here:

Psa 55:9 Destroy them, Lord, and confuse their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.
:10 Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city.

I went to the King James to see how it read and I was amazed at the verses which follow:

Psa 55:9  Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Psa 55:10  Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
Psa 55:11  Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
Psa 55:12  For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither [ was it] he that hated me [ that] did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
Psa 55:13  But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
Psa 55:14  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

In the past couple of years I have come to understand those verses both inwardly and outwardly.
When Christ warned us that our enemies would be “they of thine own household” He was giving us a spiritual warning. Yes, your own physical family can indeed turn on you, but what hurts the most is when you see the enemy within, both within your own heart and mind and within the hearts and minds of your own spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ, turn on you and want you dead.
But that is our calling, and it is an honor to be evil spoken of.
Thank you for bringing those verses to my attention.
Mike