“The first man is of the earth, earthy:
the second man is the Lord from heaven” Part 2

(Pro 20:11-20)

[Study Aired October 16, 2025]

Pro 20:11  Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
Pro 20:12  The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.
Pro 20:13  Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
Pro 20:14  It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
Pro 20:15  There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
Pro 20:16  Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
Pro 20:17  Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Pro 20:18  Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
Pro 20:19  He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
Pro 20:20  Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

In verse eleven of this weeks study, we read, “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” The child represents the younger more physical understanding of the word of God, (Luk 8:11, Luk 8:15, Joh 3:3-7), and tells us something about our level of maturity and comprehension, which we pray the Lord will continue to increase as only He can (1Co 13:11-13, 2Pe 3:18, 1Co 3:6).

Luk 8:11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. [like a seed the word has to mature and grow]

Luk 8:15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it,[Rev 1:3, Joh 8:31-32] and bring forth fruit with patience.[Luk 21:19, Mat 5:37]

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again [as a manchild], he cannot see the kingdom of God. [which kingdom is maturing within the body of Christ Luk 17:21, Rev 12:5, Rev 12:13]
Joh 3:4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? [this question reminds God’s elect of that time when we thought we could enter into the womb of another church [woman] and be born again, when in reality we must be born of water and spirit in Jerusalem above the mother of us all (Gal 4:26) mother]
Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; [God’s elect are born in  fleshly carnal Babylon] and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [God’s elect are dragged out of Babylon by God’s spirit working in our heavens before we know we are His] (1Co 15:46, Psa 107:2)
Joh 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. [we must be redeemed from the hand of the enemy which is our carnal mind that is enmity against the spirit of God (Gal 5:17)]

In this week’s study we’ll look at how the Lord is maturing the manchild within us, even as we deal with very natural physical circumstances, that God works in the elects’ lives (Eph 2:10) so that we can become stablished, strengthened and settled (1Pe 5:10-11), by the God of all grace, who gives us the strength and faith to rule over the powers and principalities that reside in this fleshly realm, to witness to the world how all things, the natural and the spiritual, work together for the good for those who love God and who are called according to His purpose (Eph 6:12, Eph 1:20-21, Rom 8:28).

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.

Pro 20:11  Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

There is a maturing process for every son of God that we must go through, including Christ who is our example of one who grew in grace and knowledge, in wisdom and stature, which growth He attributed to our Father who gave the increase, as we are blessed to also understand in our own selves, comes from God [Joh 5:30, Joh 15:5, 1Co 3:6].

Luk 2:52  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

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.

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Christ as a child was known by his doings, that his works were pure and right, even if His physical parents could not understand his actions, they were still exactly what the Father wanted Christ to do and they were being done for our sakes (1Co 3:21), to teach us to follow His example of obedience to our heavenly Father (Joh 14:31, 1Jn 4:17).

Joh 14:31  But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

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.

Christ as a child spake as a child and understood as a child, and needed to grow “in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luk 2:52, Joh 3:30, 1Jn 4:17). He had his time of being under the schoolmaster in other words as a child, those conditions in his youth of being under his own tutors and governors to later be challenged by the experiences of evil that he would have to go through for his own growth and for our sakes (Mat 4:1, Rom 5:10, Gal 4:1-2, Heb 5:8-9).

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Pro 20:12  The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

God created our physical senses to teach us spiritual principles in this life (Rom 1:20). We know a man can hear and not hear, a man can see and not see (Joh 9:41, Mat 7:3-5, Mat 13:13). We also know someone can be physically alive and spiritually dead which is the same principle (Luk 9:60, Rev 11:2).

Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

God created all these physical and spiritual laws that govern our existence, he made the “hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them”. It is stated this way to remind us that life comes from not just hearing the word (Luk 8:15), but also by perceiving it which is what ‘seeing the word’ means (Rev 1:3), this is when we enter into life (Mat 19:17).

Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

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

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Pro 20:13  Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

In the physical realm this is true, we shouldn’t over sleep, but spiritually this is talking about being spiritually awake to the battle that we are called unto, to fight a good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12), lest we come to spiritual poverty. Without God’s judgements upon us we would naturally go to sleep spiritually, and so Christ asks the rhetorical question “What, could ye not watch with me one hour? “ that one hour representing the day of the Lord, the day of our judgement that will have us trimming our lamps and receiving of God’s holy spirit. These events would not happen until the holy spirit was given to the church and so Christ was just telling his unknowing disciples that there was no way they were going to be able to watch and pray under those circumstances without God’s holy spirit within them (Joh 6:27, Mat 26:40).

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?

If we are blessed in this age to be about our Father’s business and not neglect so great a salvation (Mat 6:33), we are promised that we will find our Lord (Jer 29:13) and be “satisfied with bread”.

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

Pro 20:14  It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

Pro 20:14  The person who buys something from you always says, “It’s no good! It costs too much!” Then that person goes away and tells other people that he made a good deal. [ERV]

Without God’s spirit within us and the faith of Christ (Rom 8:9, Eph 2:8) we would live by our former dishonest conversation where our yes was not yes, and our no was not no (Mat 5:37). We also called “evil good, and good evil; [and] that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; [and] that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isa 5:20).

These diverse measures and weights is what is being talked about in this proverb when we were boastful and confident, “then he boasteth” in our flesh (Rom 3:27, Php 3:3).

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

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.

Pro 20:15  There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

This proverb hearkens right back to Christ and the church spoken of in (Pro 3:15-19), where the “manifold wisdom of God” is made known through the church, “according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph 3:10, Rom 8:28). It’s Christ’s “lips of knowledge” that are a “precious jewel” on our lips (2Co 4:7-10).

Pro 3:15  She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Pro 3:16  Length of days is in her right hand;[gift of eternal life (Eph 2:8)] and in her left hand riches and honour.
Pro 3:17  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Pro 3:18  She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her [Rev 1:3].
Pro 3:19  The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens [Php 2:12-13, Mat 28:18].

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

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.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus [Rom 5:10, 1Co 10:16], that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Pro 20:16  Take his garment that is surety^H6148 for a stranger^H2114: and take a pledge^H2254 of him for a strange woman^H5237”.

Pro 20:16  Take a man’s clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking (mostly translated ‘pledge’; ‘guarantee payment’-see GNB) from him who gives his word for strange men. (BBE);

Christ took our debt upon himself (1Pe 2:24), and the “strange woman” or “stranger” in this proverb is the church, who is initially cut off from God and Christ, and likened unto a harlot who will be reconciled by the death of Christ. It is by his righteousness that we are saved, typified by His “garment” that we undeservedly received by God’s council and mercy (Psa 22:18, Rom 5:12, Rom 3:25).

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 22:18  They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness (his garment, guarantee of payment) for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Taking “a pledge^H2254 of him for a strange woman^H5237” reminds us that it is the Father’s good pleasure to bruise Christ, as this is the only way that we can experience receiving the kingdom of God within, which is also God’s good pleasure to give to the body of Christ (Act 4:27, Luk 12:32). The surety^H6148 spoken of in this proverb represents the cost, or means by which the stranger will be reconciled, that being by the life of Christ. The pledge^H2254 also reminds us that Christ was bound to the altar for us, and by His life and death we can also be bound to an altar in this age that the world does not have any right to eat at. God knows we need to eat at that altar if we are going to be given to endure until the end and be saved in this age (Heb 13:10, Mat 24:13).

H2114 stranger zûr zoor
A primitive root; to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be a foreigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery: – (come from) another (man, place), fanner, go away, (e-) strange (-r, thing, woman).

H6148 surety ‛ârab aw-rab’
A primitive root; to braid, that is, intermix; technically to traffic (as if by barter); also to give or be security (as a kind of exchange): – engage, (inter-) meddle (with), mingle (self), mortgage, occupy, give pledges, be (-come, put in) surety, undertake.

H2254 pledge châbal khaw-bal’
A primitive root; to wind tightly (as a rope), that is, to bind; specifically by a pledge; figuratively to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition): –    X at all, band, bring forth, (deal) corrupt (-ly) destroy, offend, lay to (take a) pledge, spoil, travail, X very, withhold.

H5237 strange woman nokrı̂y nok-ree’
From H5235 (second form); strange, in a variety of degrees and applications (foreign, non-relative, adulterous, different, wonderful): – alien, foreigner, outlandish, strange (-r, woman).

Pro 20:17  Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

The bread of deceit is the smooth way of Babylon and not the strait and narrow way God’s children are called unto (Mat 7:13-14). It is the negative bread that is eaten in secret (Pro 9:17), and the negative experience of eating that which is sweet in the mouth “but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel^H2687”. The definition of this Strong’s number for ‘gravel’ gives us the sense that this false bread cuts and divides.  God’s truth on the other hand is sweet in the mouth and bitter in the belly where it accomplishes its work of humbling God’s elect in this age through the plagues that are poured out on us (Rev 10:9-10, Act 14:22, Rev 15:8).

H2687 gravel  châtsâts khaw-tsawts’
From H2686; properly something cutting; hence gravel (as grit); also (like H2671) an arrow: – arrow, gravel (stone).

H2686: A primitive root (compare H2673); properly to chop into, pierce or sever; hence to curtail, to distribute (into ranks); as denominative from H2671; to shoot an arrow: – archer, X bands, cut off in the midst.

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

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

Pro 20:18  Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

Pro 8:14  Counsel is mine [Eph 3:10], and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

Pro 11:14  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.[Eph 3:10]

Pro 12:15  The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.[Eph 3:10]

Pro 15:22  Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.[Eph 3:10]

Pro 19:20  Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.[Eph 3:10]

Pro 19:21  There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.[Eph 3:10]

Pro 20:18  Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.[Eph 3:10]

Pro 24:6  For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.[Eph 3:10]

Pro 20:19  He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

A person who gossips as a talebearer and reveals secrets is identified as one who “flattereth with his lips”. That is the carnal first man Adam’s way of seeking advantage for himself at every turn (Pro 20:14), using flattery to smooth the deceitful path that our former conversation had us on in this world where we did not know how to cover the sins of others, but with loose lips were talebearers who revealed secrets.

We are fully aware that we are guilty of all and what is interesting to note is that one sin in scripture is often associated with another sin, in this case ‘gossip’ and ‘flattering’. Another example that is telling us the same thing this proverb is telling us, would be the thief who comes to steal and to kill and to destroy (Joh 10:10).

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Pro 20:20  Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

This is speaking of our spiritual Father and Jerusalem above the mother of us all (Gal 4:26). If we don’t mortify the deeds of our flesh and become as those who are blessed to be positively cursed by hanging on a tree and living by the faith of Christ (Gal 2:20, Deu 21:23) then our spiritual “lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness” as a result of our troubling our own house and not kissing the son (Pro 11:29, Psa 2:12).

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

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.

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.

Pro 11:29  He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

[Study Aired January 5, 2023]

 The stages of growth God’s people must go through to come to a mature faith in Christ (Eph 4:13), which leads to our going unto perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32), are typified by the journeys of Judah and Israel in the old covenant.

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

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.

We looked at part of the journey last week that symbolized the period of time when the generational curse of Adam was coming to the forefront for Israel, typified by the fourth generation spoken of in 2 Kings 15:12. God will be faithful to judge all in Adam [the fourth representing the whole of humanity that must experience this judgment] each man in his order, starting with Israel, who typifies the Israel of God who were reaping what they sowed, this all being a work of the Lord for our sakes (2Ki 10:30, Rom 9:21-23). 

2Ki 15:12  This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass. 

2Ki 10:30  And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. 

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 
Rom 9:22  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 
Rom 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 

The Lord’s promise toward Israel (2Ki 10:30) would be carried through because of Jehu’s, the king of Israel, judgment against Ahab, “Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” From a natural perspective it sounds like God is giving Jehu the credit, but knowing God is sovereign tells us that this ability to execute rightly in God’s eyes in declaring judgment on our enemies is only possible through Christ, and that is at every stage of our maturing in the Lord (Joh 8:36).

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

The outline of this promise of God that Jehu’s son would sit on the throne was a time of proving and showing the kings of Israel their inability to rule rightly before God and the nation. “Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.” The ‘fourth’ represents the whole judgment culminating in having the nation of Israel go into captivity of which we read in the 17th chapter of 2 Kings (2Ki 17:6, 2Ki 17:18). Before that, God anointed Jehu king over Israel and avenged the blood of his prophets and servants at Jezebel’s hand, slaying the whole house of Ahab, which was discussed in earlier chapters (2Ki 9:6-10).

Christ is the fourth man spoken of in this living parable found in Daniel 3:25, which again reminds us that it is all a work of God’s sovereign hand making it possible for us to go through a process of judgment [3] because of that fourth man, Jesus Christ, who is with us in the fiery trials of our life not leaving us comfortless (Isa 33:14, Isa 43:2, Joh 14:18, 1Co 10:13). 

Dan 3:25  He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? [those who are going through a process of judgement [3] with Christ [1] in the midst of their lives]

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

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.

Another ‘fourth’ that was recently reviewed is found in Larry Groenewald’s Foundational Themes in Genesis  – Study 59, and I quote:

“The rule with the rod of iron of God’s Word is what brings the iron or flesh into subjection until the day we are finally released from this wretched body of death to inherit our spiritual land which Abram was looking forward to (Rom 7:18-25):

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

The number four is the symbol of wholeness or entirety, as Israel only came out of slavery in the fourth generation. When we think we stand and are self-fulfilled to look down on others, these lustful and proud Amorites in us are not yet fully revealed to us (Luk 18:10-14; 1Co 10:12).”     **end quote

The primary lesson we are learning in the book of kings is that, whether it was a good king or bad king or a somewhat-in-between king, every man’s work must be tried with fire to reveal what sort it is, and Israel’s very fleshly works will be revealed in this section of kings that leads to them going into exile, an exile that typifies the deeper and more profound trials of our life of much tribulation that Christ gives us the faith to endure through, as the author and finisher of that faith (1Co 3:13, Heb 12:2, Php 1:6).

Our hope is that the Lord will start and finish this work of grace through faith (Eph 2:8) in the lives of those who have been predestined from the foundation of this world for that purpose, revealing His firstfruit workmanship which God’s people are to the world (Eph 1:4, Eph 2:10).

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

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: 

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.

2Ki 15:16  Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. 
2Ki 15:17  In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
2Ki 15:18  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

This evil king of Israel ruled for [10] years, symbolizing a fleshly rule in the capital Samaria, and he began to reign in the [39th] year of Azariah of Judah symbolizing a process of judgment he is going to go through as he tried to expand his empire, as explained in verse 16 – “Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah.” This carnal king’s desire to expand his borders typifies how we oppressed people when we were in Babylon with all our false doctrines, trying to make proselytes (Mat 23:13-15, 2Pe 2:19) of others even as we rejected what little undeveloped truth they had, symbolized by this horrific event, “all the women therein that were with child he ripped up“, where “all the women” symbolize the churches of Babylon and the “child he ripped up” represents doctrine.

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

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Menahem,^H4505 whose name means “comforter”, represents for us how our flesh wants to proceed to take the kingdom of God by force or violence via selfish means (Mat 11:12), even making deals (2Ki 15:19-20) with those from whom we should really be separating ourselves for the kingdom’s sake, and rather using them to advance our own control over others (2Co 6:17). The comfort therefore that Menahem typifies is devilish and akin to a Nicolaitan spirit which we should hate as God does (Jud 1:19, Jas 3:15), and that spirit is comprised of the lust of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life (1Jn 2:16). He’s an in-it-for-himself king who is not someone who is losing his life for his subjects, but rather gaining his life at the expense of all those he “smote” (Mat 10:39). Verse eighteen just comes out and declares the outcome of this king’s life long-pursuit of eating, drinking and being merry (Luk 12:19-21) with these words:  “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.”

Jud 1:19  These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 

Jas 3:15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

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.

Rev 2:6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

2Ki 15:19  And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. 
2Ki 15:20  And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land. 
2Ki 15:21  And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 
2Ki 15:22  And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. 

Pul, the worldly Assyrian king, came against the land and therefore Menahem, who should have seen this as a declaration of war, ends up making a treaty with his enemy by bribing him with “a thousand talents of silver.” Why?  So “that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.” So Pul was like a hired hit-man that Menahem was going to use to exact money from the nation of Israel so he could remain in power. We may not think of the churches of Babylon this way, but God’s word says that when we reject Him as being sovereign over us in all things in our life and remain subject to the powers and principalities that rule men’s heavens, we are in fact denying Christ as we try to take the kingdom by force, meaning by our own strength and means as we deny His power and sovereignty in all things (2Ti 3:5, Php 2:12-13, Mic 6:8). 

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

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

Mic 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 

Rev 2:6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Mal 3:8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings [by operating in our flesh with a spirit of a Nicolaitan].
Mal 3:9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 
Mal 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Mal 3:11  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:12  And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:13  Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 
Mal 3:14  Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts [Ecc 7:2-4, 1Co 15:31]?
Mal 3:15  And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered [Psa 73:2-3, Psa 84:10] .
Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 
Mal 3:17  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

In the negative use of ‘silver’, Pul is given “one thousand talents of silver” representing a controlling work of the flesh which is based on fleshly-manipulated coinage rather than true repentance that, in the positive, is also associated with silver. Menahem “exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria“, which is again a negative example of God’s chastening grace (5X10) as this “fifty shekels of silver” represents the burdens of putting people under the law, or physical tithing, or days, months, times and years. etc… and then ‘fleecing the flock’ of their money which goes into the hand of the Assyrian king that, in this story, represents Satan who owns all the wealth of the land (Mat 23:4, Mat 4:9).

Mat 23:3  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 

The end result of this unholy dynamic between king Pul and king Menahem is that “the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land” — that is, as long as this agreement was in place, otherwise that hedge was coming down. This peace Israel was experiencing was no peace at all (Jer 6:14), which would later prove to be the case for Israel. God was going to take down that wall of safety and bring the nation into captivity, a lot like the story of Job who had a wall hedged around him based on his being self-assured in his own flesh as both these kings were.

Jer 6:14  They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

In typical fashion, we’re then told:  “And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.” We see this standard ending to remind us of where our old man is going to end up, “And Menahem slept with his fathers“, and to remind God’s people today that these words are also an admonition and witness for us being written in two (2) places (the book of kings and the book of chronicles) and recorded for our sakes upon whom the end of the ages is come (1Co 10:11).

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

2Ki 15:23  In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. 
2Ki 15:24  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
2Ki 15:25  But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
2Ki 15:26  And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 

We are witnessing, via these kings, a typical view of the four generations of our own flesh which must be brought into subjection to Christ by much tribulation (Act 14:22). That would explain the manipulating spirit of Menahem, and Pul’s divide-and-conquer approach, along with the betrayal we now read of that the new king of Israel [Pekahiah son of Menahem] is going to experience at the hand of Pekah the son of Remaliah. All of this reminds us that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all, and unless the Lord rules in our heavens, we cannot make war against this beastly nature that we have (Jer 17:9, Rev 13:4).

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

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Pekahiah, the son of Menahem, reigned over Israel in Samaria for two years, and this happened in the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, and witnesses [2 years] to us that this evil king is also going to be chastened by the Lord for our sakes and have his kingdom overthrown. The result of all his troubles as the new king stems back to the same cause “he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin“, and the means by which God was going to take away the kingdom from him is by “Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, [who] conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.” Killing him with “fifty men of the Gileadites” was according to the counsel of God’s will and was a chastening that led to death and not to life, as it did in the life of Saul whose experience was given to him to demonstrate how God will one day begin to work with all these corrupt kings who will be shown great mercy and a pattern of longsuffering just as there was with Paul (1Ti 1:16).

1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

2Ki 15:27  In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
2Ki 15:28  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

We are told it is in the 52nd year of Azariah king of Judah that “Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria” and he did so for “twenty years.” The 52 years witness to the chastening grace that Pekah is going to experience (5 and 2=52) and the 20 years ruling is a witness to us that he was ruling in his flesh (2X10=20) and was therefore not fit to be a king who was living to serve his flesh only, as most of these kings did. This was the bad fruit of their lives that again has its origins in not departing “from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.“

2Ki 15:29  In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria. 
2Ki 15:30  And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 
2Ki 15:31  And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

Taking all these cities into captivity (which Gill makes note was the first captivity of Israel in which half their tribes were carried away), represents those things in us that have to be overcome through His chastening grace that teaches us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust in this age (Tit 2:11-12). It is wicked men who are His sword whom God uses (“Tiglathpileser king of Assyria” – Psa 17:13), to accomplish this chastening. 

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

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

Yet we know that it is by little and by little (Exo 23:30) that our eyes are opened and our flesh is put off, just as all these names and places suggest. Here’s a look at verse 29 using both Strong’s numbers and the Proper Name Bible version:

In the days of PekahH6492 (opening) king of Israel^H3478 (he will rule with god) came Tiglathpileser^H8407 (captive taker) king of Assyria^H804 (plain), and took all the land of Naphtali,^H5321 (my struggle), and carried them captive to Assyria.H804 (plain):

Here are the names of the places in the land of “my struggle” that were taken:

Ijon,H5859 ruin (ruins), and 

Abelbethmaachah, H62 (origins from ‘grassy’ and ‘house’ and ‘pierce/bruise’) (oppression’s house is mourning), and 

Janoah, H3239 (origin from ‘cast down’) (he will give rest), and

Kedesh, H6943 (origin from ‘prepare, purify)(sanctuary), and 

Hazor, H2674 (origin from ‘surrounded by walls’) (village) and

Gilead, H1568 (origin from ‘witness heap’) (mound of testimony), and 

Galilee, H1551 (origin from ‘roll’, ‘remove’, ‘seek occasion’) (revolving wheel),

Hoshea, who was the nineteenth and last king of Israel before their complete exile, was an opportunistic king who “made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah” and represents and witnesses to us (2×10=20) how flesh finds a way to get its own way, and that way leads to death (Pro 11:27-28, Pro 14:12).

Pro 11:27  He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. 
Pro 11:28  He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 

2Ki 15:32  In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. 
2Ki 15:33  Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
2Ki 15:34  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

Now we see it is in the “second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel” that Jotham the king of Judah begins to reign. He was twenty-five years old and reigned for sixteen years. The second year of Pekah of Judah reigning coincides with the fact that Jotham was twenty-five years old at this point and reigned for sixteen years. It is a positive witness when the king does what is right in the sight of the LORD as he did, and being 25 when he began his 16 year reign, tells us that his rulership was going to witness to God’s chastening and grace (5×5=25) in type and shadow that will make his rulership successful for those 16 years (1+6=7), but wait for it!

2Ki 15:35  Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.

Yes, “Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD” meaning the story is not over for Judah yet and despite the exile they will experience and the dispersion of their nation that would take them far away from their culture and home, God would use this time of great testing to further refine the nation. This should encourage us to see that God really is longsuffering toward us and demonstrates this via the patterns He is working in the lives of all these people, just as He is growing the body of Christ up in the patience and faith of the saints which we will need to be able to endure to the end through the many humbling trials of this life. 

2Ki 15:36  Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 
2Ki 15:37  In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
2Ki 15:38  And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

More kings are being introduced and being sent against Judah, specifically Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, all telling  us that God is not finished working with us as the author and finisher of our faith – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works“, and those works can only be fashioned through fiery trials which is what “Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah” would be used to create in Judah (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17, Rev 3:18) as we will see next week.

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

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: [“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works“] and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 

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.

[Study Aired December 11, 2022]

Act 2:25  For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Act 2:26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Act 2:27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Act 2:28  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Act 2:29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Act 2:30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Act 2:34  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35  Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Act 2:44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Act 2:45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Act 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Act 2:47  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

We concluded our last study in the middle of Peter’s first sermon on the day of Pentecost, which was the day of the giving of the holy spirit and the day of the birth of the New Testament church. The gift of the holy spirit had been given and was displayed before all the people in Jerusalem by giving unlearned Galileans the ability to speak the wonderful works of God in all the languages of all the people who were present there that day. Peter had just reminded them of all the incredible signs and wonders which had accompanied the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, including the sun being darkened and the moon appearing to turn to blood. He told them that by “the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God [they had] by wicked hands… crucified and [had]slain [their own Lord and Savior].”

Here are the last three verses of our last study:

Act 2:22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:23  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Act 2:24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

This first sermon to the Jews after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ took place on the day of Pentecost, and there were many “devout Jews” there from all over the Roman empire:

Act 2:5  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

These devout Jews were there because it was required of them to appear at the temple in Jerusalem three times in the year:

Exo 23:14  Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15  Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, [1] in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt [Passover and the days of  unleavened bread]: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16  And [2] the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field [Pentecost, 50 days after the waving of the wave sheaf during the days of unleavened bread]: and [3] the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field [The feast of Tabernacles, and The Last Great Day].
Exo 23:17  Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

Even though Christ Himself had “broken the sabbath” (Joh 5:18) and failed to show up on the first day of the feast of Tabernacles, as required by the law of Moses (Joh 7:8), the apostles of Christ were still keeping the “days, months, times and years” which the law of Moses required to be observed. Reforming any system requires time. This is “the time of reformation” in its early stages.

Heb 9:8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest,while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
Heb 9:9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Knowing there were many Jews in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost who had never seen the “miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by [Christ]” let us note that Peter’s words concerning Christ and all He did are addressed to the “dwellers at Jerusalem [who had seen] the signs and wonders done by [Christ] among them”, and Peter says these words apply specifically to Christ:

Act 2:25  For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Act 2:26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Act 2:27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Act 2:28  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

This is the Psalm Peter quoted:

Psa 16:8  I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psa 16:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psa 16:10  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psa 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Peter rightfully attributes this prophecy to the only person in history to whom it could apply. He attributes it to the only person whose body has never seen corruption, and who has been raised from the dead and seen by hundreds of people who simply could not deny what they had witnessed.

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Everyone in Jerusalem with any knowledge of current events had heard all of this and had heard that Christ’s apostles were claiming that He had been raised from the dead, and they all knew that there was no cadaver in the grave. All this was such common knowledge at that time that this is what the men on the road to Emmaus had to say to Christ on the day of the resurrection while “their eyes were holden” so they did not know Him:

Luk 24:13  And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. [Over seven miles]
Luk 24:14  And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
Luk 24:15  And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
Luk 24:16  But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
Luk 24:17  And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
Luk 24:18  And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
Luk 24:19  And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
Luk 24:20  And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
Luk 24:21  But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
Luk 24:22  Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
Luk 24:23  And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
Luk 24:24  And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

Peter continues to rebuke these “men of Judea” who had called for Christ’s crucifixion, and he calls them to repentance:

Act 2:29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

Notice, Peter did not say, “David is in heaven, but his body and his sepulcher is with us unto this day.” What he said was “David… is dead and buried…” Later Peter even tells us, “David is not ascended into the heavens” (vs 34). How could Peter make such a statement if he believed in the fabled doctrine of an ‘immortal soul’? Peter’s whole point is that God did not leave Christ’s ‘soul’ in the grave. If David’s ‘immortal soul’ were in heaven, then Peter’s words “thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption would have no significance and would be a blatant lie, because David’s sepulcher was still with them. The whole point of “his sepulchre is with us unto this day” is that King David’s soul was indeed still in his sepulcher, and therefore this Psalm is “speaking of the resurrection of Christ, that HIS soul was not left in [the grave], neither His flesh did see corruption”:

Act 2:30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell [Greek, ‘hades’, the grave], neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Act 2:34  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35  Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Peter’s whole point is that since King David is not in heaven, this prophecy must refer to Christ. If indeed Kind David’s fabled ‘immortal soul’ were in heaven, then the words, “Sit thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool” could very well apply to King David. Peter emphasizes the fact that “David is not ascended in the heavens” and:

Act 2:36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Is it not instructive that not one person said, “What do you mean, David is not in heaven? Of course his body is with us , but we all understand that David is in heaven.” The fact is no one could argue with Peter because “David’s… sepulchre [was with them] unto [that] day.”

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

It is very instructive that on the first Pentecost where Israel had made themselves a golden calf to worship, three thousand people physically died under “the letter of the law” while on the first Pentecost in the time of reformation three thousand people spiritually began dying to their old man through being converted and being given spiritual life.

Exo 32:27  And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
Exo 32:28  And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day [the first Pentecost] about three thousand men.

Truly “the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life”:

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

Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Act 2:44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Act 2:45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Act 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Act 2:47  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Going back to verse 39, rest assured that “all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord God shall call” had nothing to do with Gentiles who were “afar off”. In the mind of Peter or any of the other apostles or disciples, and in the minds of any of the devout Jews who came to keep the feast of Pentecost, that was understood. Going into the home of a Gentile or eating a meal with a Gentile was simply out of the question. To Peter and to all who were there on the day of Pentecost, those words were only meant to apply to ‘All Jews who were afar off.’ At this point Peter, and any of the other apostles, would ever have countenanced “going in unto Gentiles.”  As we see many months later, the church itself accused Peter of eating “with men uncircumcised” when the holy spirit had sent Him to the house of the Gentile Centurion, Cornelius:

Act 11:2  And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision [the church at Jerusalem] contended with him,
Act 11:3  Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
Act 11:4  But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
Act 11:5  I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
Act 11:6  Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
Act 11:7  And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
Act 11:8  But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
Act 11:9  But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Act 11:10  And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
Act 11:11  And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
Act 11:12  And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:
Act 11:13  And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
Act 11:14  Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
Act 11:15  And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Act 11:16  Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Act 11:17  Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
Act 11:18  When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

That God had granted the Gentiles repentance to life was a revolutionary concept to these devout Jewish Christians. This event in Joppa and Caesarea was long after the day of Pentecost.

Here on the day of Pentecost, when the holy spirit was first given to men, Peter himself was still living under the law of Moses as His response to the Lord shows when he was three times commanded concerning the unclean beasts and creeping things in the sheet, “Arise Peter, slay and eat”. Peter’s response was, “Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.”

This is long after the death and resurrection of the Lord. Peter refused the commandment to “slay and eat” unclean animals three times because to do so was forbidden in the law of Moses:

Deu 14:6  And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
Deu 14:7  Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.
Deu 14:8  And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.
Deu 14:9  These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
Deu 14:10  And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.
Deu 14:11  Of all clean birds ye shall eat.
Deu 14:12  But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
Deu 14:13  And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,
Deu 14:14  And every raven after his kind,
Deu 14:15  And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
Deu 14:16  The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,
Deu 14:17  And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,
Deu 14:18  And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
Deu 14:19  And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

To a devout Jew such as Peter and all the apostles at this time, these unclean animals signified unclean Gentiles, as Peter made clear when he arrived at Cornelius’s house:

Act 10:17  Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
Act 10:18  And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
Act 10:19  While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
Act 10:20  Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
Act 10:21  Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
Act 10:22  And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
Act 10:23  Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
Act 10:24  And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
Act 10:25  And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
Act 10:26  But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
Act 10:27  And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.
Act 10:28  And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

These events take place long before the story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, and years before the Jerusalem council of Acts 15. Yet over 14 years later (Gal 2:1), after being told of the Lord that Peter should consider no man to be ‘common or unclean’, he and Barnabas both still feared what the Jews from Jerusalem would think of them if they saw them eating with Gentiles:

Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Gal 2:12  For before that certain came from James [Jerusalem], he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

On the day of Pentecost, when Peter said that salvation had come “to them that are afar off”, he was definitely not thinking that salvation had come to the Gentiles. He is speaking only of Jews who are “afar off” and would never dream at this point that the Lord would send him to eat with and speak to Gentiles. “Never [he said], has anything common or unclean entered my mouth!!”

Act 2:40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort [all these “devout Jews out of every nation under heaven”], saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The Lord has begun to ‘build His church,’ but every one of us, the apostles of Christ included, must learn to crawl before we can learn how to walk, and that is exactly what the early church was spiritually doing at the very beginning. We all must “fall seven times” before we learn how to walk.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Here at its birth on this day of Pentecost, the ‘feast of firstfruits’, the apostles and all those who accepted the gospel they preached were as true and sincere and as humble as the ‘little child’ who Christ tells us we must all first be:

Mat 18:1  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

This is not a call to be naive and gullible. The only characteristic of ‘this little child’ Christ admonishes us to emulate is the humility of a little child:

Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Christ did not call a sixteen-year-old to Him because even in His day that was not the appropriate symbolism for someone who was humble.

The Gentile converts at Antioch were also just such humble souls, and this is what Christ tells us concerning the weak and humble among us:

Mat 18:6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Peter had separated himself from the very Gentiles to whom the Lord has first sent him. When Paul rebuked him, he and Barnabas immediately repented of their hypocrisy and went up to Jerusalem with Paul to plead the case of the physically uncircumcised Gentile converts. As we saw last week even Paul and Barnabas “with the holy spirit” agreed that the Jews still had to keep the law of Moses at that time. It simply was not yet the Lord’s time for the Jews to see that God was making “of twain one new man” (Eph 2:15).

Getting back to the events of the first Pentecost of the New Testament dispensation:

Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

We all love and appreciate answered prayers. Nevertheless, the need for “many wonders and signs”, which were needed at this time to signify that this was a work of God, is an indication of the lack of spiritual maturity of the church at its birth. This is what Christ had to say about signs:

Mat 16:1  The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
Mat 16:2  He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
Mat 16:3  And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat 16:4  A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Christ rebuked “the Pharisees with the Sadducees” for requiring a sign for themselves. In doing so, He pointed out that they had already been given “signs of the times” and had not discerned them. The faithful were given “wonders and signs” at the beginning of the New Testament dispensation to establish the church throughout the Roman Empire. Once the church was established, the time came for ‘the trial of [the] faith’ of the faithful (Jas 1:2-3), and all the healings and speaking with other languages ceased to be so common, as the apostle Paul tells us:

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

‘Love’, defined as obedience to God (1Jo 5:2-3), is a gift from God which is not an endowment of the natural man whose natural, carnal mind is “enmity against God” (Rom 8:7). Paul is telling us that all other gifts, the gift of prophecy, the gift of languages, and the gift of knowledge, are all “childish things” when compared to the gift of love.

With this great Truth in mind, consider just how applicable those words are to the church in its infancy. They genuinely believed they have the love of God, and in an infantile manner they certainly do. Stephen’s ‘love’ of God led to his martyrdom. Yet not one of the earliest Christians, the apostles included, considered Gentiles to be any different than a common dog, as Christ Himself insinuated, before acting otherwise:

Mar 7:25  For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
Mar 7:26  The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
Mar 7:27  But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
Mar 7:28  And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
Mar 7:29  And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
Mar 7:30  And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

The story of this Gentile woman is included in the scriptures to prepare the Lord’s disciples to later receive things which they could not at that time bear (Joh 16:12). It is this lack of maturity that is on display in the last verses of our study today:

Act 2:44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Act 2:45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Act 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Act 2:47  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The Lord had commanded his disciples to “go into all the world” just as He had commanded Noah’s family to fill the earth:

Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (NET)

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Every “babe in Christ” (1Co 3:1-4) is slow to leave the nest, and Noah’s descendants preferred to build a tower “lest they [become] scattered upon the face of the earth (Gen 11:4), and the Lord’s disciples preferred to sell all they owned and  have everything in common and stay right there in Jerusalem.

Neither situation surprised the Lord, so He confused the languages at the tower, and He ‘scattered [His disciples] abroad” through persecution:

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

Even after being “scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen”, Luke, the author of the book of Acts, takes note that the entire church still “preached the Word to none but unto the Jews only.”

The overarching point of this entire book is that the entire church of Christ began as spiritual infants who, until the end of this book, were still unable to bear the many things Christ was yet to reveal to them:

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

The time will come when the holy spirit will show us how we are to be the light and the salt of this earth in this dispensation (Mat 5:13-14). However, that time and the revelation that a physical pedigree as Abrahams’s children and keeping of all the rituals surrounding the physical temple are things that are ‘passing away’ will not come to the early Jewish church until after all the events of this entire book have transpired, and the apostle Paul is in prison in Rome where the Lord will reveal to Him and Peter and all the apostles that He is in the process of making one body, one temple and one church of the Jews and the Gentiles, without the letter to the Gentiles of Acts 15 any longer dividing us:

Act 15:19  wherefore I [James the Lord’s physical brother] judge: not to trouble those who from the nations do turn back to God,
Act 15:20  but to write to them to abstain from the pollutions of the idols, and the whoredom, and the strangled thing; and the blood;
Act 15:21  for Moses from former generations in every city hath those preaching him—in the synagogues every sabbath being read.’ (YLT)

Moses being taught in the synagogues every sabbath was sufficient for the believing Jews because they were all still attending the synagogues and keeping the law of Moses. At the time of the events of Acts 15, there was still no concept of Jews and Gentiles being ‘made one of twain’:

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances [affirmed for Jewish Christians by the letter to the Gentiles of Acts 15]; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

It is only after this is revealed to Paul that James refers to the law as “the perfect law of liberty”, and the apostle Peter refers favorably to Paul’s epistles:

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Jas 2:12  So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

2Pe 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

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Isa 59:8-14 The Way of Peace They Know Not

[Study Aired May 10, 2020]

Isa 59:8  The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
Isa 59:9  Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
Isa 59:10  We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
Isa 59:11  We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.
Isa 59:12  For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;
Isa 59:13  In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
Isa 59:14  And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

As this very prophecy has informed us, the scriptures are not even intended to be understood by the masses of Christianity, much less the uncalled world. The scriptures are deliberately written ‘line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little, that they may go and fall backward and be snared and be taken.’

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isa 28:11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Isa 28:13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

The scriptures themselves tell us they are not intended to be understood by babes in Christ. They are written in a way that keeps their wisdom hidden from all but “them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts”. That was exactly what Christ said in answer to the question from His disciples who wanted to know why He spoke only in parables to the multitudes who came to Him.

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.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

One way that goal is accomplished is with the use of the plural third person. Using the plural third person causes all self-righteous, carnal babes in Christ to place the admonitions of scripture outside of themselves. “That they might go and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken” is always applied to “That evil sinner somewhere over there, or some hedonistic heathen. It never applies to me while I am a carnal babe in Christ.”

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

But they “that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts” can look behind themselves and see that they themselves are the “carnal… babes in Christ”, and that every admonition of scripture is  being given to them personally and their own old man, encouraging them (us) to “grow up into [our head], Christ”:

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

It is of utmost importance that we all know we are not to become complacent with knowing the milk doctrines, including the milk doctrine of the salvation of all. There are those who believe that the doctrine of the salvation of all is strong meat. That was what I thought for several years. When I first learned the Greek word aion is defined as ‘an age’, and that aion, or its adjective aionios, is the Greek word from which the English words forever, forever and ever, eternal, eternity, everlasting, and world are all translated, it seemed at that time, back in the early 1970’s, as a very large, spiritual, 16 ounce, T-bone steak. It was nothing more than the Truth of the milk doctrine of “eternal judgment”, the last of the six milk doctrines of Hebrews six:

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

The Christ we thought we knew was a Christ who would think nothing of tormenting most of mankind in flames of literal fire for all eternity. That ‘Jesus’ was what Paul referred to as “another Jesus”.

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

We have all been in our own pre-ordained time “carnal… babes in Christ”. At that time in our walk we believed in “another Jesus”. We must all want to get past being a spiritual babe in Christ if we want to get past ‘falling backward, being broken snared, and taken’:

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

The only way to get past being satisfied with the milk of the Lord’s Word is to “grow up into Christ” and acknowledge that all of His words speak to each of us  in our own time, including these words of our study today:

Isa 59:8  The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
Isa 59:9  Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

The knowledge of the milk doctrine of universal salvation, absent the doctrine of the chastening grace of the judgments of God, will keep us from going beyond the first principles of the oracles of God, and we will remain spiritual “carnal… babes in Christ… such as have need of milk and not of strong meat”, and we will continue thinking that the doctrine of universal salvation is that big 16 ounce T-bone steak, when it is really nothing more than the milk of the Word.

Heb 5:11  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
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.

Notice how here in Isaiah 59:8-9 the holy spirit goes from the third person – “There is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths” – to the first person. “Therefore, judgment is far from us, neither does justice overtake us: we wait for light but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.” The third person, ‘they’, the first person, the ‘us’ and the ‘we’, are all one and the same. All the Lord’s admonitions are speaking only to those who “are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts”. They are addressed only to those to whom the Lord, through fiery trials in this age, has given ‘eyes that can see and ears that can hear… the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven’ (Mat 13:9-15). While it is true the Lord uses Satan as “the god of this world” to blind the eyes of the world from His plan and purpose… from understanding ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven’, He clearly tells us that it is He who has blinded their eyes, and that it is all being done “after the counsel of His own will”.

Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

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:

Continuing the Lord’s admonition to us:

Isa 59:10  We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
Isa 59:11  We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

Only those who are given eyes that see and ears that hear can see and hear these words of admonition from the Lord addressed to ”us [who have all] groped for the wall like the blind… as if we had no eyes”. Only the Lord’s servants realize just how blind they are without the mind of Christ, and the scriptures make that very clear:

Isa 42:19  Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’S servant?

These verses are not encouragement to stay blind and deaf, and they are not saying we are to remain in that state. They are telling us that all these admonitions have a personal application to each of the Lord’s messengers He is in the process of purifying and perfecting.

Isa 59:12  For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;
Isa 59:13  In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
Isa 59:14  And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

Every one of the Lord’s servants and every one of His messengers know in a very personal way the total darkness that is the blindness the Lord places upon each of us, even as we thought we had already seen the light of the Truth. Coming out of Egypt appears, at the time, to be our very salvation, and it is indeed a joyous thing to discover that we will neither be tormented for all eternity nor will we be annihilated. It is very comforting to discover that are we baptized into the death of Christ and raised with Him in newness of life.

However, these are milk doctrines which are like honey in our mouths.

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

We are then told these “milk” doctrines also called “the first principles of the oracles of God”. These milk doctrines are listed for us in the first two verses of the very next chapter:

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

These “first principles of the oracles of God”, these “milk” doctrines, are specifically designed to nourish spiritual “carnal… babes in Christ”:

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

Babes very often are totally unaware of their limitations. I tell the story of my 3-year old son watching my brother and I drive steel fence posts into the ground with a 16-pound sledge hammer. After watching us for a few minutes, he asked if I would let him use the hammer, and just for our amusement I consented. My brother and I got a good chuckle when my three-year old struggled just to get that 16-pound hammer off the ground. That story is very instructive of us as the story of James and John requesting to be seated at Christ’s right and left hand in His kingdom demonstrates for us.

Let’s look briefly at that account and at what happened shortly thereafter:

Mar 10:35  And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
Mar 10:36  And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
Mar 10:37  They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
Mar 10:38  But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
Mar 10:39  And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
Mar 10:40  But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

No, we of ourselves cannot drink of the cup that [Christ] drank, neither can we of ourselves be baptized with His baptism. James and John were not yet even converted. The very fact they fled from Him, at the time of His apprehension by the Jewish mob, demonstrated just how unprepared they were to drink of His cup or be baptized with His baptism:

Mat 26:47  And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Mat 26:48  Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Mat 26:49  And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
Mat 26:50  And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
Mat 26:51  And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.
Mat 26:52  Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Mat 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Mat 26:54  But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
Mat 26:55  In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
Mat 26:56  But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

Peter is like all of us. Not one of us of ourselves can resist the urge to preserve our soulish life. But we are also James and John who think they are capable of drinking of Christ’s cup and partaking of His baptism. This is a time of great trial, and we will fall seven times before we learn that of ourselves we can do nothing without being in Christ and Christ being in us. Christ was nothing of Himself, and we are nothing without Him:

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

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.

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

The fear of disobeying the Lord is born of a deep realization of the Lord’s omnipotence and the fact that He really is working and performing in us what He has appointed for us and is working all things after the counsel of His own will:

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

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

Accepting and believing these truths is strong meat which we as babes simply cannot receive. This is what Christ said to His own disciples after spending 3½ years with them:

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

Like Christ’s apostles, we are first spiritual “carnal… babes in Christ, and as such we are yet to learn that “the grace of God… chastens us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly lives in this present age”.

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

The physical and spiritually immoral darkness, the absolutely insane judgments of our secular leaders, and the hypocrisy of the outward world is merely a reflection of the spiritual hypocrisy within the Lord’s servants while we are “yet carnal”, blind and deaf and without judgment.

Isa 59:12  For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;

Like a family without a spiritual home surrounded with the spiritual walls of the New Jerusalem, we were open to being invaded and occupied by “every wind of doctrine” and every false doctrine of the adversary. That is exactly what happened to every one of us. We come to Christ seeking forgiveness for our sins, but the Lord gave us over to spiritual Pharisees who immediately turned us into twofold more the children of Gehenna than themselves. Then we become the self-righteous Pharisee who seeks the souls of others to make them as self-righteous as we are:

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

This insanity of being so rebellious and at the same time self-righteous is expressed in these spiritual words:

Eze 38:4  And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

Amos uses the same language to describe how the Lord makes us to err from His ways and hardens our hearts from His fear (Isa 63:17).

Amo 4:1  Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan [David said the “bulls of Bashan have beset me” – Psa 22:12] that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.

[Psa 22:12  Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
Psa 22:13  They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

Psa 35:16  With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.]

Amo 4:2  The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
Amo 4:3  And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:4  Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:
Amo 4:5  And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

We are brought to conviction of our blatant sins, and then like Job and his “miserable comforters” we succumb to the even more insidious sin of self-righteousness. When we become so ‘righteous’ that we literally contend with, reprove and condemn God, our judgment is inevitable and certain.

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

But we simply must be brought to see that these words are addressed to us:

Isa 59:13  In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

If we have ever believed and taught anyone that God would either torment or annihilate His creatures, we have ‘lied against the Lord’ (vs 13). If we have ever believed He was a three-headed, God we have lied against Him, and we have departed from Him. There is neither time nor space to list all the egregious false doctrines and words of falsehood to which we have all subscribed and uttered from the heart.

Isa 59:14  And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

How can “equity… enter” while we believe such monstrous doctrines as eternal torment, annihilation, and substitutionary atonement which gives us all a get-out-of-jail-free card. There is no justice in either eternal torment or annihilation, and there is no justice in the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, which by-passes the doctrine of being judged according to our works.

Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Does that sound like the doctrine of substitutionary atonement?

Truly, while in bondage to the doctrines of Babylon, “judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands far off because Truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter our hearts and minds with such unjust false doctrines occupying the Lord’s temple.

With so many lies and false doctrines dominating our hearts and minds, every one of them contradicting the doctrine of Christ, which teaches us to love our neighbor and our enemies, it is easy to understand why this last verse of our study today corresponds with the first verse of our study today which tells us that of ourselves “the way of peace they know not”:

Isa 59:8  The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

It is becoming clearer every day that the scriptures, like the cloud at the Red Sea, are designed to keep this world in the darkness it is already in, while simultaneously shining like the sun in its full strength upon the Truths of the Lord’s words for those whom He is dragging to Himself in this age.

I just listened to a video entitled “Who Is the Beast of Revelation 13?” I was intrigued because this minister began by quoting this verse in his opening prayer:

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

He closed his opening prayer asking the Lord to ‘help us all to read, hear and keep the things written in this book’, so he had me hooked until it soon became abundantly clear that this minister believed that the beast of Revelation 13 will be ‘a very handsome… charismatic… son of Satan who will bring peace to the middle east and to the world just before Christ returns to crush the kingdom of this end time beast’.

As with all Babylonian ministers, the words “for the time is at hand” simply are not there in Revelation 1:3. This minister read that verse but did not see or hear those words. To that minister the entire prophecy of the book of Revelation is only for the generation which happens to be alive at the time just prior to the first resurrection and the thousand-year reign of Christ and His Christ. He spoke often of the anti-Christ, and again made him out to be only an end time personality who is the same as the end time beast of Revelation 13.

Truly, our last two verses apply to each of us when we were where this minister and all of His kind are:

Isa 59:13  In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
Isa 59:14  And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

That is our study for today. Here are our verses for our next study, and as we will see, the Lord continues to assure us that if we are His elect, He will never leave us.

Isa 59:15  Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
Isa 59:16  And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
Isa 59:17  For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.
Isa 59:18  According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
Isa 59:19  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
Isa 59:20  And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
Isa 59:21  As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

(Key verses: Genesis 49:14-15)

We are busy discussing the theme of “the last days” as found in the final words of Jacob to his twelve sons:

Gen 49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
Gen 49:2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

What Jacob said to each son has spiritual meaning for those who can receive these words as applicable to them in this age (Joh 6:63):

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 [Greek: aiōn – age] are come.

The “ends of the world” or “last days” has for many only a future application, but God’s elect knows that “all things are [theirs]” as they indeed live by every word which proceeded out of God’s mouth:

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.

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

Therefore these sons of Jacob are all types of “the Israel of God”, His elected few, on whom the “last days” or the end of this physical age has come (Isa 2:2; Act 2:17-18; Rom 2:28-29; Heb 1:2; 2Pe 3:1; Rev 1:1-3):

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

In previous discussions we discussed the words of Jacob to Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah and Zebulun, and we also saw how those words apply in our lives – those who can receive them. Here are Jacob’s words to Issachar who is the focus of this discussion.

Issachar: his meaning and position in the family

Issachar was Jacob’s ninth son and his fifth with Leah:

Gen 30:17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
Gen 30:18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

These words of Leah reflect the comparison between the two daughters of Laban whom he gave as wives to Jacob. Jacob wanted Rachel, and he worked seven years for her, but her father Laban deceived Jacob by causing him to sleep with the elder sister Leah, whom Jacob had to marry first before he could marry his beloved Rachel (Gen 29:16-28). This all started the battle for Jacob’s love and attention between these two wives. This is also our story because spiritually, first, we are intimately linked to our first wife, spiritual Babylon, before we can have the true wife, the church of Jesus Christ (Rev 17:1-18; Rev 21:9-27). This competition and striving between Leah and Rachel typifies the battle in us between the flesh and the spirit to get God’s approval. Leah is indeed the spiritual representation of our flesh which is our first wife in that sense, and Rachel spiritually refers to the intimacy we have afterward with the spirit of Christ. These two ‘marriages’ we all will be involved in are totally conflicting, and they cause this war in our heavens (Dan 7:2; Eph 6:12; Heb 12:3; Rev 12:7):

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.

The flesh cannot accept that it is not the beloved of God and that it will never please Him:

Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

After the birth of Judah, the fourth son of Leah, she could not bear sons to Jacob for a period of time (Gen 30:9):

Gen 29:35 And she [Leah] conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Rachel, who was still barren at this stage, saw this opportunity and then gave to Jacob her servant Bilhah, through whom Jacob fathered two sons, Dan and Naphtali (Gen 30:3-8). Leah then did the same and gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob, and from her Jacob also fathered two sons, Gad and Asher (Gen 30:9-13). This is the sequence of the births of these sons of Jacob according to the book of Genesis, which sets the background for the birth of this ninth son, Issachar:

Gen 30:14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.
Gen 30:15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.

We know from the scriptures these mandrakes give a pleasant smell…they are “pleasant fruits”, typifying the doctrine of Christ and the spiritual fruit it produces in the elect….but of course, in the others it is twisted and perverted (Son 7:12-13; 2Co 2:14-16). We discussed this event with Reuben and the mandrakes in study #84 in which we saw that these symbols of the wheat harvest and the mandrakes actually relate to the elect or first fruits of God in the scriptures (Deu 16:16; Exo 34:22; 1Co 15:23; Jas 1:18).

Rachel typifies this elect who rightfully is the beloved of God, but it was Leah’s firstborn, Reuben, who brought her these mandrakes causing Leah to believe that God has favoured her above Rachel. Those in spiritual Babylon actually believe and are convinced that they are God’s church even while they serve the flesh with all its attachments and neglect and disobey God’s true commandments:

Gen 30:16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired [Hebrew: śâkar = a temporary purchase] thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

The birth of Issachar convinced Leah of God’s favour on her, and she saw him as her reward from God, which is also the meaning of the word “Issachar” in Hebrew:

Gen 30:17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
Gen 30:18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire [Hebrew: śâkâr = payment/salary/reward], because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar [Hebrew: yiśśâśkâr = he will bring a reward/there is recompense].

Flesh is a temporary vessel which God created to bring forth His new creation, but in general the flesh usually totally overestimates its purpose and value:

1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Issachar is the spiritual symbol of these opposing perspectives of the concept of hire or reward – first the negative or earthy application and then the positive or heavenly application. Working for rewards is central to how we operate or work within our times under these two ‘marriages’.

Working for rewards

Leah saw in the birth of Issachar that God was rewarding her for not being selfish in the period when she could not birth children for Jacob by giving him Zilpah. Even Rachel, as a type of the elect of God, got caught up in this maneuvering which the apostle Paul describes as “measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves” (2Co 10:12). Like Rachel, the elect of God do not bare spiritual fruit at first as God works on our natural impatience at that stage (Luk 21:19; Gal 5:22-23). In this time we see how those who unashamedly serve the flesh seemingly prosper, and we, like Rachel, even envy them. This is of course all from God to fulfill His purposes in us, as Jacob also clearly indicated to Rachel:

Gen 30:1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
Gen 30:2 And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

With all these four women, the method and timing of the births were planned by God, were all very necessary to bring forth the twelve sons of Jacob – twelve is spiritually referring to Christ and the foundations and the ways He uses to achieve His goal (1Co 3:11; Act 1:26; Rev 21:14; Rev 21:12; Rev 21:21). God uses both good and evil to fulfill His purposes, and His physical creation is indeed “very good” although it is temporary:

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

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

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

Like Leah, we naturally want recognition and rewards when we achieve something – even when we have done what was actually required of us:

Luk 17:7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
Luk 17:8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Luk 17:9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
Luk 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

The flesh cannot see that God is under no obligation to reward us for anything – we are here to serve His purposes (Job 22:2; Job 35:7; Rom 3:10-12; Jas 4:3). The apostle Paul puts it this way:

Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Leah’s idea of reward for her good works reminds one of those who only serve God in selfish pride and the lusts of flesh with the wrong motive at heart – yes, they are producing fruit, but of the wrong kind:

Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
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?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

We have no insight in others’ motives, but one thing that must be obvious is that there are indeed wrong and right motives which produce “evil fruit” versus “good fruit” for all to judge (Mat 7:20). Flesh does receive rewards, but these earthy rewards are given for another purpose – to supply the fuel for our fiery trials to bring us to spiritual maturity and salvation (1Pe 4:12):

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

To suffer loss is the wonderful and strange work of God which actually benefits the new man so “that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act” (Isa 28:21). The rich earthy man in us supplies the “treasures hid in the sand” and lays them at the feet of the new spirit man through God’s judgment and destruction (Tit 2:11-12; Heb 12:6-8). This is also the application of Issachar and his tribe in us as per the words of Moses:

Deu 33:18 And of Zebulun he [Moses] said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
Deu 33:19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.

We are admonished to do all things with the proper knowledge and right motive so the Lord is glorified above all:

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.
Col 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Col 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Col 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Col 3:25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

This is the development of Issachar in us – from self-serving and menpleasing to God-serving and God-pleasing. These are Jacob’s words to Issachar just before his death:

Gen 49:14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
Gen 49:15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

A few symbols are brought to the fore for our learning. The first is that of an ass or donkey.

“Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens”

Gen 49:14 Issachar is a strong [Hebrew: gerem = bone/strong] ass [Hebrew: chămôr = he-ass] couching down between two burdens [Hebrew: mishpâth = an enclosure/ stall/shelter for animals].

An ass is an animal that was created to carry a load (Gen 22:3; Gen 44:13). The word “burdens” in that verse is translated from the Hebrew word “mishpâth” which also has in its meaning a stall or shelter for animals:

Jdg 5:16 (CEV) Reuben, why did you stay among your sheep pens? [Hebrew: mishpâth]. Was it to listen to shepherds whistling for their sheep? No one could figure out why Reuben wouldn’t come.

Issachar, like all of us, is couched down between two shelters. The first shelter we are burdened with is this fleshly one which God gives as a marred vessel of clay being subjected to vanity, going through an experience of evil which no one chooses for themselves (Ecc 1:13; Jer 18:4; Rom 8:20). This is the first humble estate or burden which all the sons of Adam must ‘couch down’ to being beasts in an enclosure of flesh:

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

Issachar, like all of us, is not limited to this one burden, which is the image of the earthy. We will also carry the image of the heavenly – our second shelter:

1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

This is also explains the two laws we must live under and see as totally different from one another – the natural law of sin and death versus the spiritual law of Christ (Jer 31:31-34; Gal 4:1-7). The last law sets us free from the first:

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

“Issachar…a servant unto tribute”

Issachar is linked to the tribe of Zebulun in many instances in scriptures, as also seen in Moses’ blessings on these tribes:

Deu 33:18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
Deu 33:19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.

Issachar, “in [his] tents” (referring to these shelters of flesh and then spirit), became the founder of the tribe of Issachar who fulfilled important roles within physical Israel which all typifies his spiritual work in us, “the Israel of God”. The tribe of Issachar was positioned second after the tribe of Judah and before the tribe of Zebulun at the east of the tabernacle during Israel’s forty years sojourning in the wilderness as they also moved camp in this order for the rest of the tribes to follow (Num 2:1-9):

Num 2:5 And those that do pitch next unto him [Judah] shall be the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar.

Issachar also then indicates a leadership role to which Jacob also referred in his last words to Issachar:

Gen 49:15 (KJV) And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

Gen 49:15 (ASV) And he saw a resting-place that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And became a servant under taskwork.

Servants are leaders in God’s vocabulary (Mat 20:25-28). In the words of Jacob to Issachar, we also see so much of our role as God’s servants to bring many to spiritual maturity and rest in Him:

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:
Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

As it is with all those who must give guidance, Issachar’s leadership role was formed in the times of hardship, even when Issachar and his tribe suffered with the other eleven tribes in the four hundred years in slavery to our Egypt (Gen 15:13; Act 7:6). This is our symbolic years under the dominion of sin in the flesh. Even when we are taken out of that time of dominion under sin, our flesh wants to go back because the burden of dying to the flesh is so much heavier. As with the tribe of Issachar and the other tribes of Israel we naturally want to “[sit] down to eat and drink, and rose up to play”:

1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
1Co 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
1Co 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

When we are under the delusion of a so-called “free” will which believes man is a free moral agent determining his own destination, we cannot see that God is in control of everything in His creation, and we cannot see that everything is 100% on track after the counsel of His will:

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:

Under God’s strong delusion, we cannot see that God’s will is the only sovereign free will that exists. When things do not go according to our liking, we naturally complain and contend with God, despising His way of doing things. In God’s mercy, He sends the destroyer to bring that period to an end in our lives. This all helps to prepare us for being the leaders God wants. A few rulers in Israel also came from the tribe of Issachar, among whom were one judge and two kings (Jdg 10:1; 1Ki 15:27).

“The children of Issachar…had understanding of the times”

The elect of God is prepared for rulership and leading the rest of creation to spiritual maturity. This is also so beautifully typified through this tribe of Issachar whom God used effectively in the battles between David and Saul. The tribe of Issachar supplied crucial leadership to the camp of David:

1Ch 12:32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

To have understanding of the times is also what the wise Solomon found very helpful:

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Everything God brings to us has its particular time to start and its time to be completed – and it all is purposefully done by God. The tribe of Issachar showed the rest of Israel what they “ought to do”. God appoints leaders to “the perfecting of the saints” to bring everyone within His church to spiritual maturity:

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

To have “understanding of the times” is an important spiritual aspect within leadership of getting the spiritually immature to maturity. Spiritual Babylon is known for their ability to keep their followers in spiritual diapers and wrap them in cotton wool all the time just to maintain a false sense of maturity in their leadership and ruling over their faith (Mat 20:25-28; 2Co 1:24). Throughout the New Testament we see how Jesus and the apostles treated this evil spirit in those who were openly satisfied with an attitude of “little faith” (Mat 14:31; Mat 16:8; 1Co 3:1-4; Gal 3:1-4; Heb 5:11-14):

Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Mat 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

This tribe of Issachar was indeed among the six tribes who shouted the blessings from the southern mountain of Gerizim, promising the blessing of God on those who keep His commandments:

Deu 27:12 These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people when you have come over Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin.

This is what the tribe of Issachar spiritually represents in us – carrying our calling as God’s leaders with dignity and love for His people to be sealed within the spiritual Israel of God:

Rev 7:7 …Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

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

—————— 

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

Numbers in Scripture
Live By Every Word of God
Why God Hates All Flesh
Foundational Themes in Genesis – Study 84
Animals in Scripture – Ass
The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit

(Key verses: Gen 35:21-29: Gen 37:1-2)

The book of Genesis starts with a general picture of the creation of this physical world with the focus on one individual – the first man Adam. All these physical things or visible things of creation are used by God to serve as types of an inward spiritual process He is working to bring His spirit life through another individual, the last Adam, even Jesus Christ, through whom all things actually have their being from the beginning to the conclusion of this process (Rom 1:20; Rom 5:14; Act 17:28; Joh 1-1-5; Col 1:15-19; Rev 1:8):

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

This narrowing down process is repeated throughout scripture to also emphasize this important truth which few can accept:

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

God indeed has His chosen favorites through whom He works His plan to bring all to spiritual maturity eventually (Eph 1:3-12). Through the creation of heaven and earth, God also brought about two generational lines through Adam and his wife Eve, which again highlights God’s election and how He works with His chosen few to bring forth His purposes and desires (Gen 3:15; Rom 8:5; Gal 5:17; 1Jn 3:1-3; 1Jn 3:12-13). Naturally, we all start off with the spirit of the world in us, which opposes and hates the new spiritual generation in Christ, but the few chosen eventually become aware of their election in this age (1Jn 2:16; Rom 8:14-17). Through the life of Noah we see that this narrowing-down process applies even within those who are called and chosen as the sons of God, as God has a faithful few that will endure until the end (Mat 24:13; Mar 13:13; Heb 12:7; Rev 17:14):

Gen 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
Gen 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

From the whole human population on the entire earth, and from the chosen sons of God of that time, only eight people were saved through faithful Noah (2Pe 2:5):

Gen 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Gen 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Gen 6:10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

After the flood, the narrowing-down process is highlighted again through the generation of Shem, Noah’s one son who received the blessing from God above his other brothers (Gen 9:26-27). Through the offspring of Shem, the focus moves swiftly in the scriptures to the life of Abraham where much more detail is given to us about this man of faith and his descendants (Gen 10:21-32; Gen 11:10-31; 1Ch 1:17-27). Through faithful Abraham, we see the type of spiritual justification which comes through the faith of Christ in us (Rom 4:1-3; Gal 3:6-9). This justification by faith also establishes the foundation from which Isaac, a type of spiritual sonship in Christ, is entrenched and developed (Gal 3:26-29; Rom 8:14-23):

Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Through the life of Jacob, we learn about the rights of the firstborn of the spirit of God, even our inheritance through Christ (Deu 21:15-17; Rom 8:29; Jas 1:18). As sons of God we also learn through the life of Jacob that the process of sanctification is a long and enduring work of God by which He positions us in the right place to function in God’s kingdom and to serve Him and those with whom we are joined in His body (1Co 12:12; Eph 4:16; Eph 5:31; Col 2:19). Sanctification has to do with getting purged from immature lusts driven by pride and self-righteousness:

2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
2Ti 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

After the experiences of Jacob and his family in Shechem and Bethel, and also after the death of Rachel in Ephrath, they journeyed farther with their tents – now under the new name as the family of Israel (the prince that prevails with God):

Gen 35:21  And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

A tower usually spiritually refers to an elevation in us, whether it is the high-mindedness of the carnal mind of flesh, or the mind of Christ in us (Gen 6:5; Gen 11:1-6; 2Co 10:5; 1Jn 2:16; Psa 61:3; Psa 144:2; Pro 18:10). The name “Edar” refers to a flock, and it is the flock of Jacob (his own offspring) on whom the spotlight of the scriptures falls in this last section of Genesis. This period in the lives of the sons of Jacob also relates to how the tower of God (His mind) is established to bring in God’s spiritual rulership through the destruction of all human towers, even as typified by the life of Joseph (Jdg 9:51-54; Pro 18:10; Isa 30:25). Jacob was given twelve sons – the first ten sons were all from three different women: Leah, Jacob’s lesser loved wife bore him six sons; two sons from Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and two sons from Bilhah the handmaid of Rachel. But the last two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, were born from his favourite wife, Rachel:

Gen 35:23  The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:
Gen 35:24  The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:
Gen 35:25  And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:
Gen 35:26  And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

With Jacob’s return to Canaan, his father Isaac was on his last days, and Jacob and Esau buried him when he died. Rebekah’s death is not mentioned in scripture, only the place of her grave with the buryingplace which Abraham bought for his family (Gen 49:30-32):

Gen 35:27  And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
Gen 35:28  And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.
Gen 35:29  And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Although both Esau and Jacob came together to bury their father, their two households or generations are used in the scriptures as opposing each other, again emphasizing this theme in scripture of the flesh’s opposition to the spirit (Gal 5:17). But now this opposition or contrast shows its application within the household of Jacob. It is this more intimate division in us which needs to be exposed, although painfully so. This also applies to the church of God as the apostle Paul also warns:

1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

It is indeed through the life of Joseph and what he stood for, that we see how the house of Jacob is divided and disintegrating, to manifest Joseph’s approval by God. It is also through Joseph that the house of Jacob will eventually be reunited after many years of alienation. The theme of spiritual glorification is brought to us through these typical experiences of Joseph – from almost being killed by the brothers who hated him, to be eventually placed in the highest authority at that time, to rule the whole world of his day. What Jesus mentioned, and which was written down in Matthew concerning this road of spiritual glorification for His spiritual generation, sounds very familiar when we look at the life of Joseph, who was to be “separated from his brethren” (Gen 49:26):

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Mat 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

This is the road of the elect in Christ who are being changed “from glory to glory” to be His true spiritual rulers on this earth, and they will also be the judges who will sit with Him on thrones:

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.

Through Joseph we learn so much about how rulership of this world is established (inwardly first), and how this process of spiritual glorification is masterfully worked by God in His elect (Psa 73:24; Isa 60:1-2; Isa 66:5; 2Th 1:12; 1Pe 5:10). This is how the apostle Paul described this process by which the spiritual sons of God are made faithful to be glorified in the Christ

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
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.

Yes, it is only through suffering with Christ that we are glorified to bring fulfillment to God’s plan of salvation for all mankind (Eph 1:4-6):

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

The experiences of Joseph are first given to us in the scriptures when he was at the age of seventeen where he, even at this young age, showed a strong desire for the truth, even at the risk of losing his life at that age:

Gen 37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
Gen 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob [as per Genesis 35:23-26]. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report [Hebrew: “dibbâh” = slander].

The first aspect that is mentioned here in terms of Joseph and his relationship with his ten brothers is this aspect of “their evil report”. In spiritual terms, the number ten relates to the flesh, and this physical age is an evil experience which is the report we must first live by (Ecc 1:13). We are first these ten brothers of Joseph before we are given to see and acknowledge our own evil report to our heavenly Father. The Hebrew word for “report” in verse 2 is the word “dibbâh” which means “slander” and this connects with ‘unbridled’ words and deceitful and evil actions (Rom 2:23-24; Eph 2:2-3; Eph 4:22; Php 1:27; Heb 13:5; Jas 1:26). Joseph’s fearlessness in bringing the slanderous words and deeds of his brothers to his father’s attention is very insightful. This slanderous report also relates to those who honour and glorify themselves believing they are God’s shepherds, but in doing so they rather bring dishonour to God. They twist God’s Word and reject His true doctrines (Jer 23:1-2; Jer 50:6). The faithful sons of God will have no fear or show no favour in bringing to the light these evil slanders of the unfaithful shepherds or the “hireling” who opposes the truth and flee when trouble comes to the flock (Joh 10:1-18; Tit 1:9):

Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Eph 5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
Eph 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

Jacob is on the receiving end of all these evil slanders of these ten sons. The evil report of the deeds of Simeon and Levi, which was previously also brought to Jacob, caused him trouble and made his name “to stink among the inhabitants of the land” (Gen 34:30). The evil in the hearts of Simeon and Levi was revealed after their sister, Dinah, was raped by the son of the prince of Shechem (his name was also Shechem). Some of the sons of Jacob made a deceitful deal of forgiveness with Shechem and his father to have all the men of Shechem circumcised to allow intermingling and intermarriage between the two groups. However, Simeon and Levi slaughtered these men of Shechem on the third day after their circumcision while they were still in great pain. After this horrible series of events in Jacob’s household, yet another evil report concerning his family reached Jacob:

Gen 35:22  And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob, slept with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and this slanderous act was severely condemned by Jacob, even in his final words on his deathbed:

Gen 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Gen 49:4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

The reports of these acts of the sons of Jacob were also not what Joseph agreed with or took part. He was indeed separate from his brothers in these evil slanders against their father. This is not what these brothers wanted him to do as they wanted him to join them in these slanders. Even when they sold Joseph as a slave, they had no problem reporting deceitfully to their father Jacob:

Gen 37:31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
Gen 37:32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.

Joseph is a type of Christ, and the world cannot accept the righteous report of God about His Son (Joh 8:18-19; Joh 8:54-59):

Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

The world also cannot accept the report of the Israel of God who declare with boldness that the Christ is indeed the Saviour of all men and that God “will have all men to be saved…to be testified in due time” (Gal 6:16; 1Ti 2:3-6). The world cannot accept that God has His favour on a few whom He elected because the world cannot stomach the fact that God uses “the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty”:

1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Joseph, like Christ, was seen as an insignificant immature youth by his brothers, and he was despised and not esteemed by them. These evil slanders are what the Christ, Christ and His elected body of believers, will have to face all the time to be glorified (Luk 24:26; Luk 24:46):

Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

When the two faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb, who had a “different spirit” than the spirit of the world in their fellow Israelites, came to report to Moses about the prosperous conditions of the promised land and that the inhabitants were actually no problem for God in whom they believed, the majority rejected this report because they preferred to believe the evil and faithless report of the other ten spies:

Num 13:32 And they [the ten spies] brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
Num 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Num 14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander [Hebrew: “dibbâh”] upon the land,
Num 14:37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report [Hebrew: “dibbâh”] upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
Num 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.

This is what Moses also codified for our learning concerning the false reports which elevate human perspectives:

Exo 23:1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
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 [pervert] judgment.

God’s spiritual land and His spiritual promises will bring life to those who can receive His good news report, while the majority or multitude will love the evil and false reports, even coming through modern day news and media agencies highlighting the importance of human efforts and achievements. They do indeed despise the truth that God works all things after the counsel of His will and that nothing is outside of His control. The good report of God includes the judgment of God on our old man and all its false reporting about God (including all human ideologies and false religions). We shall all give an account of our own multitude who murmurs against God and slanders His ways of doing things in this creation:

Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

It is in giving this truthful account that we break ranks with our fleshly brothers in the first Adam and become the target of those whose works do not witness to the light and truth of Christ. As it happened to the righteous Christ, who also reflected openly about the evil reports of His physical Jewish leaders and brothers, so Joseph brought his brothers’ evil report to his father. This action of God’s elect will always inspire more intense hatred and despising in the hearts of those who oppose the truth, as it happened with Joseph’s brothers towards him (Ecc 4:4; Mat 10:22; Joh 10:34). At this point in time Joseph had no idea what evils were still ahead of him, especially at the hands of his own brothers. In the end, when they all reconciled with him, he could utter this comforting and truthful report to the same brothers:

Gen 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

The final report that Jacob received about Joseph was the best report of all. The report of death has changed to a report of life, even as all in the body of death of the first Adam will be given the resurrection from that death to be given spirit life in Christ:

Gen 45:24 So he [Joseph] sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
Gen 45:25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
Gen 45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.

Jacob revived on hearing the words of Joseph and seeing the wagons, typifying the words of Christ and His provisions through them:

Gen 45:27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
Gen 45:28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

After Jacob’s death, Joseph’s brothers still believed he would take vengeance on them and could not as yet accept Joseph’s truthful forgiveness, neither could they understand the sovereignty of God over all things in this creation:

Gen 50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

Joseph indeed mentioned their evil again, but it was not done to bring up old matters which they thought Joseph kept in his heart against them, but rather he did that to show God’s report to them and that they were part of His plan and His acts:

Gen 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Gen 50:21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

Our own evil and slanderous reports will be replaced by God’s truthful report as being the one true God who works all things to bring forth His holy desires (Job 23:13; Isa 46:10). To compile this report of the works which are all caused by our heavenly Father will require us to see that we indeed live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. This is also what Job had to learn through his painful trials which brought increasing maturity in Job:

Job 2:10 But he said unto her [his wife], Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Our spiritual glorification as ministers of God comes through the acknowledgement of both evil and good reports – “all things are yours” (1Co 3:21-23):

2Co 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
2Co 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
2Co 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
2Co 6:8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
2Co 6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
2Co 6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

God created all things for His good purposes, and that is why they are very good as He alone can call evil good (Gen 1:31; Isa 5:20). God is the only one who is accountable or responsible for everything in His creation because He designed and structured all reports and accounts long before we even become aware of this truth – our books are all in His book:

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

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

How Does Christ Manifest Himself to Us But Not to The World?

How Do We Know We Are Elect?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure – Part 2

Numbers in Scripture

Did Joseph Slander His Brothers?

Why We Are Hated of All Men

What is The Glory of God?

This is the fifth part in our discussion on the foundational theme of faith. We learn so much of what the faith of Christ is about through what has been written and typified in the life and journeys of Abram (only later called Abraham). The faith of Abram typified this faith of Jesus as Abram obeyed God without question or murmur and left his city of Ur in the land of the Chaldees to be a sojourner and stranger in the land of the Canaanite (Act 7:1-5). Abram was looking for a city whose builder and maker is God, but that spiritual city is only reserved for those who can receive the promises of the faith of Christ, which Abram and all others in the Old Testament died “not having received the promises” (Heb 11:8-10; Heb 11:4-13):

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

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

The faith of Christ is not deserved, but is a gift which God gives as a standard that is raised or grows in conjunction with the Word to endure much tribulation, which is also called spiritual warfare (Eph 2:8-9; Isa 59:19; 2Co 10:15; Act 14:22; 1Pe 1:7). The faith of Christ in us holds the key in this important aspect of fighting, which God has provided for us to be a victorious overcomer:

1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

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

If we think the battles are out there in the physical world, we are already deceived. Physical struggles are real and painful, but they are all outward “symptoms” which flows forth from “things” which do not appear to our physical senses (Heb 11:3). We can only be overcomers of this world if we can see where this war is taking place and who the enemy and his allies are. This good fight of faith is this war in the spirit of our own mind or heaven, and it is against very scrupulous and subtle opponents:

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Eph 6:12 (BBE) For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens.

Faith is also “above all” the most important piece of defensive armour in waging spiritual war:

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

The best armies with the best weapons are nothing if their defenses are weak. The Word of God is not only an offensive weapon, but indeed our best shield as God supplies the faith of Christ in us:

Eph 6:17 And [Greek: “kai” = a copulative and a cumulative force in conjuction with faith] take the helmet of salvation, and [Greek: “kai”] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pro 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

The war and battles in the spirit realm come in different ways to us each and every day. This is also what we see in the life of Abram and his offspring while they were living in Canaan. They had to learn about warfare for our admonition (1Co 10:11). The physical nation of Israel who came through the generation of Abram was also ordered by God to occupy the land of Canaan which included being armed to go into battles (Num 31:3-5; Deu 3:18). They were also instructed by God to always first “proclaim peace” to any city or nation they approach that was “very far off” who do not want to influence Israel with their false teachings – we should not judge them who are “without” before the appropriate time (Deu 31:1-5; Jos 1:14; 1Co 4:5; 1Co 5:12):

Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deu 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

Deu 20:15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

To the “cities of these nations” which were close and who taught wrong doctrine and not God’s commandments, Israel was to be severe on them – we can judge them who are within, even as we “first cast out the beam out of own eye” (Mat 7:1-5; 1Co 5:1-13):

Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth.

Deu 20:18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

In Chapter 14 of Genesis we read about the first recorded physical war in the scriptures, and Abram played a central role in the outcome of that war. From here on the scriptures are filled with warfare for a very good reason, even as some also find this physical bloodshed in the scriptures very offensive. Many ask how can God command these wars, even ordered genocides of nations and at times the killing of women and children (Deu 20:16-18; Jos 10:28-30; 1Sa 15:1-3). However, when we do not understand the purpose of God’s judgment on all evil nations of flesh in us first, even all the false doctrines of our own carnal mind, we are not part of the house of God who is being judged now (1Jn 4:17; 1Pe 4:17). We also will find it impossible to accept God’s spiritual modus operandi to save all in the first man Adam to be resurrected in the last Adam, Jesus Christ (1Co 15:22-28). All evil was created by God for a purpose and we also learn from the scriptures that God uses all this evil and horror of this world for His good purpose, even the cruellest evil of all – the killing of Jesus on a cross (Gen 1:31; Gen 50:20; Pro 16:4; Act 4:25-28):

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

Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Faith requires long and bloody spiritual battles to be won and all the wars in the scriptures are pointing to the real internal wars – the spirit versus flesh/carnality (Gal 5:17; Joh 3:6; Rom 8:6-7; 2Co 6:14). We all fight this war of faith at our appointed times until the day we finally are redeemed from the flesh and its carnal mind (1Co 10:11; Eph 6:12-18; 2Co 10:3-6). One battle prepares us for the next. God is not actually concerned with trees and the physical environment that is in danger of being destroyed during battles, but God is concerned with the life of man, even as He employs all things in His creation to save all in Adam:

Deu 20:19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:
Deu 20:20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat [food/fruit], thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

All physical things are just temporal evil creations through which we must learn and be humbled (Rom 1:20):

Ecc 1:13 (CLV) I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.

In Genesis 14 we read how the four Canaanite kings – Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer and Tidal – allied together to attack five other cities whom they oppressed for twelve years. In the thirteenth year these five cities and their kings rebelled against their oppressor, which was the motivation for this war. These five cities included the city of Sodom where Abram’s nephew Lot and his family lived until the whole city was destroyed by God’s fire and brimstone (Gen 13:10-12; Gen 19:1-26; Gen 14:1-10). The attack took place in the broad flat valley of Siddim which was “full of slime-pits” which played a pivotal role in the eventual capture and overthrow of these five cities. Lot and his family were also captured in this war and taken away as prisoners:

Gen 14:11 And they [The four kings and their armies] took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
Gen 14:12 And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

Abram heard about the capture of Lot and his family and was drawn into this war by his love for his nephew and his family. His heart was focused on the rescue of Lot and his family. Abram and his three hundred and eighteen men eventually caught up with these four armies, and in a battle that followed defeated them. With only a handful of men whom Abram divided in two, he conquered the armies of the four kings:

Gen 14:15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah [Hebrew: “chôbâh” = hiding place], which is on the left hand of Damascus.

Lot and his family and also all the belongings of the cities were recaptured and brought back. On their return from that successful battle, the scriptures recorded two meetings which involved Abram and which raised the “good fight of faith” to another level:

Gen 14:17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him [Abram] after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.

The scriptures first of all noted a few details of the meeting Abram had with another Canaanite king by the name of Melchizedek (also spelled as Melchisedec) who was the king of Salem:

Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek [Hebrew: “melek” = king; “tsedeq” – right/righteous] king of Salem [Hebrew: “shâlêm” = peace/peaceful] brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high [Hebrew: “elyôn” uppermost] God [Hebrew: “êl”].
Gen 14:19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abram] gave him tithes of all.

The king of Sodom also wanted to reward Abram with all the goods of Sodom which Abram brought back as the spoils of war:

Gen 14:21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

Melchizedek’s words and reward were quite different from that of the king of Sodom. Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abram, and the king of Sodom presented Abram with all the goods of Sodom. Abram saw deeper values in what Melchizedek wanted to share with him. This bread and wine can only be appreciated in the light of the following descriptive functions of this king. Melchizedek is described not only as a king, but also a priest of “the most high God” (“elyôn êl”). Wine and bread are symbols of the true Word of God, Jesus Christ, which only the true priests of God can bring:

Joh 6:48 I am that bread of life.

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

The true reward of all spiritual battles is Jesus Christ, who has the reward of spirit life as we look only to Jesus who is the author and finisher of faith:

Rev 22:12 And, behold, I [Jesus] come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

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.

In type Melchizedek provided the spiritual nourishing bread of the Word of God and refreshing wine of God’s spirit to the battle-weary Abram which the king of Sodom with his enticing physical gifts could not provide:

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Another role of a priest of “the most high God” is to bless people on behalf of God. Melchizedek also blessed Abram, and in that also revealed his spiritual authority in the army of God to which Abram humbly submitted:

Heb 7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

Many spiritual truths are hidden in this principle “the less is blessed of the better”, which include the reference to the old covenant with its lesser glory and its “ministration of death” against the more excellent new covenant – “the ministration of the spirit” (Rom 8:1-2; 2Co 3:6-11; Heb 8:6-7). Melchizedek appeared long before the law of Moses and its ordinances were introduced, including its priestly “order”. Melchizedek represents the “order” of how every spiritual battle is to be won, not by “meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances”, but through the faith and life of Christ in us (Heb 9:10; Eph 2:8-10; Gal 2:16; Col 1:27). That is why Melchizedek’s appearance is only in relation to Abram as the father of the faithful typifying the faith of Christ (Gal 3:1-14). This is what king David wrote about why Melchizedek is connected to those who fight the good fight of faith and get the victory over every enemy though the faith of Jesus:

Psa 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psa 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
Psa 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Psa 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Psa 110:5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
Psa 110:6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
Psa 110:7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Melchizedek is also called “King of righteousness” and “King of peace” typifying and emphasizing that only through the faith of Christ are we being made righteous and have peace with God (Rom 3:25; Rom 5:1):

Heb 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
Heb 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace.

Although Melchizedek was a physical king in Canaan who lived in the time of Abram’s sojourning in Canaan, there is no record in the scriptures of his physical lineage, his birth or his death. He was just like any other human who was born and died, but the scriptures withhold this information from us to help us to see what Melchizedek represented in spiritual terms. He served as a king and priest in Salem – later known as Jerusalem, typifying the new Jerusalem “from above” (Joh 3:31; Joh 8:23; Gal 4:26; Rev 21:2). Melchizedek brings to Abram this reassurance of his Godly connection, calling and purpose:

Gen 14:19 And he [Melchizedek] blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Christ Jesus is the only connection or mediator between us and the Father as He is also the Head of the body, even of all in the first Adam who will all be saved by this man, Jesus Christ:

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Like Abram, we always need constant affirmations and consolations in the Word to strengthen our faith to endure in these spiritual battles (2Co 1:4-7; 2Co 2:8-17; 2Th 2:15-17). These encouragements also come from those whom God has placed as His priests in our lives. Naturally, we are easily deceived to accept physical rewards which our flesh presents to us, and we always want to worship the fellowservant with a fleshly attitude, even our own thoughts of self-achievement and haughtiness (Rev 19:10). Yet battles are fought by armies, not individuals, and we need to be in touch with fellow servants:

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

In response to these words from Melchizedek, Abram gave him a tenth of the spoils of the war – not of his own possessions. There is no record in Scripture that Abram continued to tithe to anyone after that. Tithing is an old covenant ordinance and it was never given in the form of money, but from the “firstlings” of the crops of the field and animals (Lev 27:30; Lev 27:32; Num 18:26-32; Deu 12:17; Deu 14:23; 2Ch 31:6). In this instance Abram represented also the Levitical priesthood (who was “yet in [his] loins” at that time) and all its physical requirements, against the priesthood of Christ “after the order of Melchizedek”. The laws of Moses with its Levitical priesthood represent “the less”. But “the better”, which is referring to the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and He surely “change[d] the customs which Moses delivered (Act 6:14). These “better” priests in Christ are cheerful givers “as he purposeth in his heart…not grudgingly, or of necessity” – which is also to lose your whole life in order to find it (2Co 9:7; Mat 10:38-39; Heb 7:12; Rom 12:1; 1Pe 2:5-9):

Heb 7:9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
Heb 7:10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

The king of Sodom tried his subtlety with Abram who now was equipped by God through his previous trials and the blessing and reassurance of Melchizedek “to fight the good fight of faith” against this line of attack:

Gen 14:21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

Gen 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
Gen 14:23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.

Abram knew a very important principle which is that God alone gives all things, and no one can take the honour for anything (1Ch 29:14). Abram told the king of Sodom that the young men, those immature in faith, will be in a position to receive his gifts, as we all must have respect for each one’s spiritual maturity – we do not rule over other’s level of faith (1Co 1:29):

Gen 14:24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

Rom 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Rom 14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

Abram endured much and knew that “all things are lawful for [him], but [he] will not be brought under the power of any” (1Co 6:12). Everyone is given a measure of faith, and Abram also knew how each one is persuaded in his own mind by God as God alone is master of each one’s level of faith and understanding:

Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Rom 14:3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
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.

Abram’s meeting with Melchizedek is how God’s elect is equipped by the faith of Christ to see that their roles in His kingdom does not depend on human preference and preeminence, but solely on the choice of God who makes them His kings and priests according to “the order” of Christ in them. To fight the good fight of faith gives us the only hope of spiritual glorification in our own lives as we overcome by doing His commandments in the earth (1Jn 5:2-3):

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

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

http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/continue-to-fight-the-good-fight/
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-christ-and-times-aionios
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/melchisedec/
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/christ-and-melchisedec/
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/tithing/
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/does-hebrews-7_8-teach-tithing/

Hello Mike,

I read your FAQ of “Why Did God Command Israel to Kill Infants?” (http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/ Why_ kill_ the_ infants. php). It was good writing. I also have a question for you. Do you have any articles or FAQs about infant resurrection without or with the experience of good and evil? I did search your site and cannot find it. I am wondering will infants be resurrected without the experience of good and evil even if they will be in the second resurrection judgment? I am aware that infants will learn the truth of Jesus Christ at the second resurrection.

Thanks a bunch!
Your brother in Christ,
B____

Hi B____,

Thank you for your question about infants being raised up in the second resurrection. I know you are familiar with 1Co 15:22.

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

So all who have ever drawn a breath will be raised up and judged, and in the end they will be given life in Christ. Contrary to all we have been taught, no one in the resurrection is raised with a physical body. When we are raised up from among the dead, we come up with a spiritual body.

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Note a resurrected spiritual body is capable of materializing when that is needed. But it is also capable of disappearing from physical sight when so needed.
But maturity in a spiritual body has nothing to do with size of body or physical appearance. Spiritual maturity is all about coming to know and understand God and His mind and His ways. So when an infant is raised from the dead into a spiritual body, that child will have to mature spiritually in the exact same way we all have to mature physically. Here is what the scriptures teach us about being raised into a spiritual body, and all that concerns the world of the spirit.

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

I pray that the Lord will given you the ability to apply that Truth. You can understand the invisible things of the spirit by studying the things around you. In other words, spiritual infants must be nurtured and disciplined and tried and chastened, just as physical infants must be dealt with.
The only e- mail I could find on the site appears to be one to you from several years ago on this same topic.
In this e- mail we point out that the infant of Isa 65 is a spiritually immature child, that these verses must be understood as such, if you hope to understand them at all.

Isa 65:17  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isa 65:18  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [ in that] which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Isa 65:19  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
Isa 65:20  There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

A dead 100 year old infant is spiritually a positive thing, because we must all come to be judged and be “crucified with Christ”. But a 100 year old sinner is not positive and is yet facing judgment.
This letter was posted in 2004, and I have since come to see that the dead infant and the new heavens and new earth have a present application, since Christ has informed us that the kingdom of God is within God’s elect.

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

Here is the URL to the e- mail I mentioned above. http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/ How_ Can_ Infants_ Be_ Judged. php
Read that, and if you still have a question then please feel free to let me know.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Audio Links

Video Links

Introduction

We are told Job was a good man who “feared God and eschewed evil.” But does that mean that Job loved God and his fellow man? What do the scriptures say is the love of our brothers, and what do they teach us demonstrates a love of God? Here is what the scriptures teach:

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.

Where did John get such a radical doctrine? Here is where John learned that we know that we love our brothers only if we love and obey God. Here is where John learned that we love our heavenly Father only if we obey His commandments. Here is the truth from Him who is The Truth:

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
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?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
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.

Why the natural man rejects the words of Christ

Why would anyone not hear and do Christ’s saying? There are many reasons for this. Here are a few which the scriptures mention:

Isa 30:7  For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.
Isa 30:8  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
Isa 30:9  That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Isa 30:11  Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

“Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease before us.” That is what we are saying when we refuse to hear any of the words which have proceeded out of the mouth of God. Israel wanted to make alliances with Egypt, just as you and I tend to do to this very day. We want to have friends in this world, and surely, we reason, the Lord will not mind if we ignore just a few of His Words, especially if we are doing so to not offend our friends in this world. So we make alliances with this world, and we ignore our Lord’s commandment to love our enemies, because we don’t even know what love is. “Love thine enemies” are words that will cost you a lot of friends in this world. Your “friends in this world” will always accuse you of putting your enemies above them, when you “love God and keep His commandments.”

Mat 13:18  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Christ is that “root.” If He is in us, we grow and increase when the light of the Sun comes on us, We are not “scorched”, and we do not “wither away” as the light gets brighter and hotter.

Mat 13:5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Mat 13:6  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

What are Christ’s sayings?

Are Christ’s sayings only to be found in the gospels? Is that what Christ tells us? Absolutely not! Christ tells us that He is the Word. He tells us that He is the Truth. He tells us that His words are spirit which does not compute with the natural man. He tells us that it takes the sum of His Word to know that Truth.  He tells us that His words never pass away, and He tells us that we will all live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. He tells us that His sayings are not all revealed in the gospels alone.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Does “guide you into all Truth” mean all the doctrines of the New Testament? It certainly does. Not one doctrine is to be considered “nonessential.” Christ is all of the Word of God.

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.
Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ASV)
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

It is “the natural man [ who] cannot receive the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.” What are these things which the natural man cannot receive?
Job believed that he also loved God, and he believed that the way he treated his fellow man was proof positive of his love for both God and man. Here is Job in his own words:

Job 29:4  As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
Job 29:5  When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
Job 29:6  When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
Job 29:7  When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
Job 29:8  The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

“Going out to the gate… preparing my seat in the street,” is the modern equivalent of saying ‘All rise! The honorable Job is presiding.’ Job was a very prominent man in his day.

Job 29:9  The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
Job 29:10  The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
Job 29:11  When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
Job 29:12  Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
Job 29:13  The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
Job 29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
Job 29:15  I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
Job 29:16  I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
Job 29:17  And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

These verses are a symbol of what we all naturally consider to be the proof of  “the children of God.” These words symbolize what we naturally consider to be the way we are expected to demonstrate our love of God. We do good to our fellow man, and we “put on righteousness” by being “eyes to the blind and feet to the lame”. That is the orthodox Christian definition of love of God and love of our fellow man. But nothing could be further from the truth. Just how impressed with all of our righteous works is our heavenly Father? Here is how all of this affected Job and his relationship with our heavenly Father:

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

“Will you disannul My judgment?” It is not our wickednesses that cause us to “disannul God’s judgment.” No, it is “our righteousnesses” which make God’s judgments seem so unfair to us. It is the fact that, in our minds we love our brothers, that make God’s judgment on us seem so unjust. One of the greatest inhibitors of true spiritual growth is the fact that many Christians do not have so much as a clue as to what is Biblically, the spiritual, scriptural definition of ‘love’. We have all been told that God is love and that we should all love God and love our brothers. Here are Christ’s own words to us when He was asked about the great commandment in the law:

Mat 22:35  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

“Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind… is the first and great commandment.” Those are the words of our Lord, and it is clear that the love of God supersedes all, including the love of our neighbor. But the sad truth is that we, by nature, reverse that order and place the love of our neighbor above the love of God.
Don’t the scriptures teach that we are to “love one another”? That certainly is true. But putting “one another” before God we turn our love of one another into rebellion against God. Christ Himself made that clear:

Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Under normal Biblical circumstances, and considering that a man and a woman are “one flesh,” there is no one on earth who deserves our love and our honor more than our own parents. God Himself tells us to “Honor thy father and thy mother.” But, like every word that comes out of the mouth of God, those words are first and primarily spiritual words,  and refer first to our heavenly Father and to “Jerusalem above which is the mother of us all.”

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

We are to honor God more than our father and our mother. If we fail to place the love of God above our love for our parents, then we are actually committing idolatry, because we have allowed something to come between us and our God. When we place anything or anyone between ourselves and God, we unintentionally harm the very people we profess so much to love.
In other words, it is impossible to truly love your neighbor without having your neighbor’s interests secondary to God’s interests. We cannot please both God and mammon or God and man.

Mat 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

If we love our brother more than we love God, we are, in Christ’s own words, hating Christ and despising Christ, and according to Mat 10:37, we “are not worthy of Christ.” If we don’t love God and Christ, then there is no way we can love the children of God.
So what then is love? Here is the Biblical definition of love. Here, and here alone, is how we love God and love His children, our neighbors:

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  F or this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

There it is again; we know we love our brothers because we “… love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.”
The love of God is not all the good works we do for our brothers and sisters in Christ. All of our good works towards our brothers and sisters in Christ are but a by- product of our obedience to God, who commands us to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” But we must be very careful that we never allow the good works we do for the benefit of our brothers to become an idol that comes between us and our love and obedience of our God. In other words we must always acknowledge God’s Work in all of our ways, instead of taking credit for our own ways:

Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Our ways are not our ways, they are really His works:

Pro 20:24  Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

The truth of these verses extends to “all thy ways,” and not to just our good ways. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy steps”  does not teach us that if we fail to acknowledge Him then we are taking His ability to direct our steps away from Him. Nothing could possibly be further from the Truth. “Man goings [ good or evil] are of the Lord.” God’s sovereignty in all things is not in question here:

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

We are discussing what is love, and how can we “love God with all of our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves?” What we have seen is that the only way to love our neighbor as ourselves is to place our obedience to God above our desire to accommodate, please, or love our mother, father, brother or sister. The reason why a true understanding of what is love is so important is that a misunderstanding of the meaning of  ‘the love of God and the love of our brothers’ has led to the apostasy of the entire Christian church, all in an attempt to save and unify the church. It is the desire for unity which has led to certain commandments of God being completely ignored and literally despised and condemned by most Christians. Those who see the need to obey these commandments are hated by those who do not, and because they are abused by many, they are therefore rendered as unloving and unscriptural. But they are neither unloving nor unscriptural. It is rather those who put unity above obedience who are both unloving and unscriptural. Here are…

A few such despised and rejected commandments of God.

There is not one Christian in one thousand who is willing to obey this commandment of God “by which we know that we love the children of God:”

1) 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.

The failure to live by these words means that we place the love of our brothers, their opinions of us, and their fellowship with us, above the commandments of the Lord. By doing this we actually turn against those who place their heavenly Father and pleasing Him, about the love and fellowship of their brothers. Let’s return to the example of Joseph.

Gen 37:2  These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Gen 37:3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Gen 37:4  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

“Joseph brought unto his father their evil report” is what we bring to our heavenly Father when we refuse to allow spiritual lies, contrary to the words of our Father into our spiritual house. What happens when we place obedience to God’s commandments about the love of our ten brothers? Our Father loves us and He displays that love by giving us even more of His Words and His Truths; “a coat of many colors.” How do our brothers always react to this situation? Do they immediately repent of placing their regard and their love for one another above their regard for and love for their Father and His Truth? No, they do not, and neither do any of us until after we come to see that we have “all sinned and have all come short of the glory of God.” In the meantime, we all act like this:

Gen 37:4  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

It was not ‘Jews that believed not in Him’ that were crying out ‘Crucify Him.’ No, it was “those Jews that believed on Him.”

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

“The truth shall make you free,” but that very truth is the fact that “those… who believed on Him,” those who are fellow Christians, those who are the spiritual seed of Abraham, who are yet “carnal… babes in Christ,” are the very people who place the love of their fellow Christians above their love of the Truth, and will “kill you thinking they are doing God a service.”

Joh 8:37  I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Joh 8:38  I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Joh 8:39  They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Joh 8:40  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Joh 8:41  Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, [ even] God.
Joh 8:42  Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

This is all of us in our own time. We are all “of our Father the devil,” we all “seek to kill” Christ and His words of Truth, until our eyes are supernaturally opened to the meaning of what  love is. “Why do we not understand Christ’s speech? Even because “we cannot hear His word” until our eyes and ears are supernaturally opened to see and to know what love really is. When our eyes are finally opened we come to see:

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.

We see that, like Joseph, our regard for our father and His ways must supersede our desire to accommodate the misdeeds and false doctrines and “evil report” of our ten brothers.

2) 1Ti 6:3  If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
1Ti 6:4  He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Isa 1Jn 2:10-11 “the doctrine which is according to godliness?

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.

Are the words of these verses in 1Ti 6:3-5 “the doctrine which is according to godliness? If so, then why are these verses so ignored and despised by the orthodox Christian world and by most of our brothers and sisters who believe in universal salvation.
What are these verses commanding us to do? Are they telling us not to allow a heretic into our physical home? No, a child of God knows that even a heretic is not responsible for the blindness in which he lives, and must be loved in spite of his heresy. But “bid him not into your house, neither bid him godspeed [ and] from such withdraw thyself,” must be applied at a doctrinal fellowship level, and must not be allowed to “leaven the whole lump… of those over whom the Lord has made you overseers.”

Which brings us to the third ignored and despised section of God’s Words.

3) 1Co 5:1  It is reported commonly [ that there is] fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Co 5:3  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:9  I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
1Co 5:10  Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel’s apostasy into the doctrines of the nations around her is call ‘fornication.’

2Ch 21:11  Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto
Eze 16:29  Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

Chaldea is the land of Babylon “the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” Her sorceries with which she has caused the nations of the earth to commit fornication, are her false doctrines, one of the most effective being the doctrine of “Unity in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials.”

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 18:23  And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Part of “her fornication and her sorceries which have deceived all nations” has bee the doctrine of “Unity in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials.” That “go along to get along” attitude is just another way of saying that Christians should consider anyone who thinks these commandments of God should be obeyed is unloving, judgmental, and divisive. That brings us to our fourth section of supposedly unloving, judgmental and divisive segments of God’s Word:

4) 1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
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.
1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

“He that knows God hears us…[ who] confess that Jesus is come in the [ same] flesh [ as the seed of Abraham], and who try the spirits to see whether they are of God.” This is how we are to “know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Add to these verses the fact that Jesus Christ taught that every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God must be lived by every man who has ever lived.

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

Where does “Unity in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials” fit into Mat 4:4 or any of the other commandments we have quoted here? Which are the nonessential “words that proceed out of the mouth of God?” Are these sections we are quoting nonessential? Is “unity in the essentials” more important than “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God? The answer is that these verses are not “nonessential” but the doctrine which teaches that false doctrine should not separate us from our brothers in Christ is “nonessential” and is in fact heretical. Throughout the New Testament we are exhorted by our Lord and His disciples to be one as Christ and His Father are one.

Joh 17:11  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are
Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Christ never spoke one word which was not of His Father and based upon His Father’s Words.

Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and t he word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Singleness of spirit, mind, mouth, and doctrine, are a huge doctrine of the New Testament:

Rom 15:6  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Co 13:11  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Php 1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, t hat ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

1Pe 3:8  Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Does that sound like “Unity in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials?” No, it certainly does not, and that brings us to one more very little quoted, and much despised verse which we need to consider:

5) 1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

“They which are approved… among you,” are only those who “are poor and of a contrite spirit, and who tremble at … every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

That “broken hearted contrition” is over the fact that we have so long preferred the milk of God’s Word to these more mature doctrines, and we have all ignored and despised the meat of the words of our Lord. Only when we love His words are we mature enough and near enough to Him, that He can teach us His doctrines.

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

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.

Conclusion

God will not give the strong meat doctrines of His Words to babes who cannot live apart from their ten unfaithful brothers. God will not have babies in positions of rulership in His kingdom within you or over the kingdoms of this world.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

It is such “babes in Christ” who place unity and numbers above fidelity to Him whose doctrine is the Truth. The Biblical fact of the matter is that it is better to be divided by the Truth than to be united in the lie of “unity in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials.” This is the very lie that has produced over 30,000 differing and conflicting Christian denominations. It is the fear of being marginalized and excluded from the majority, or from a larger body, which leads most Christians to the conclusion that God could not possibly be deceiving that many people. It is this false doctrine of unity over truth, which is so appealing to our flesh, which has marginalized the truth that God wants His elect to be uncompromising in defense of His knowledge and His understanding and His doctrines. Only those who put truth above unity are the “us” of “they that hear us know God” because “we are of God” not because of who we are so much as to whom we listen and obey.

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
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.
1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Lest we forget and confuse our love of unity with the love of God, John immediately reminds us what really is true love of the children of God and what really is the true love of God:

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.

Posted September 2, 2005

In order for one to believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (as babes, feeding on milk), wouldn’t it still have to be through the faith of Christ, rather than ones own carnal faith? In order to be born, don’t we all have to start as babes? It seems to me that, in order to become a Christian babe, the spirit has to be given in order to even believe. And it also seems that no one will go on to maturity unless they start as babes in Christ. Then as Christ’s faith in us does it’s work, we mature and become more spiritual, and God determines when this maturity occurs, and apparently for many, he determines that they don’t move on to maturity. Do you agree?

Thanks

L____

Yes, L___,

Even the faith to initially come to Christ, is His faith working in us. Yes indeed, we do all begin as mere babes. While there are obviously degrees of maturity, there can be no doubt that one can and does continue to mature in Christ until the day of one physical death.

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.

I certainly do agree. Refusing to “Go on unto maturity,” is the greatest single stumbling block for most Christians. They actually believe that milk is meat.

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection [ Greek- Maturity]; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.

This tendency in the church of God is dealt with specifically in three separate books of the New Testament. This tells us that this is a major problem for God’s “called to be saints.”

This was a problem that Paul dealt with in both Corinth and in the churches of Galatia.

1Co 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
1Co 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

These Corinthians were “called to be saints.” They are even said to be “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” but what else are we told:

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

The clear answer to this four times repeated question is yes, they are “yet carnal.”

Now, how about the Galatians?

Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect [ Greek- mature] by the flesh?
Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
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.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child [ Greek- nepios- immature toddler], differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

So The Hebrews, the Corinthians, and the Galatians and the entire orthodox Christian church, are to this day “in bondage under the elements of the world… Under tutors and governors… differing nothing from slaves” to sin.

I hope this helps you to see the critical need for God’s people to “go on unto maturity”.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I am writing to you concerning your problem with established churches.

I know very well that most, if not all, churches (denominational institutions) have many internal problems as well as some beliefs that should not be preached – (tithing etc..). However, many of the preachers do have good intentions and trying to help people in their lives. I have to point out that I am not wrhis so that you will give the church a break – this is not my intent. My question is (to get to the point), did not Paul and some of the other disciples establish and maintain churches as an example for us in our time? Paul writes much about leaders, elders, bishops etc. in the churches of his day and how they are to “rule” (advise) over the flock. Why did Paul establish and give these instructions to the churches if it is not for us to do the same?

I have to say that, personally, I am not very much into “church” and have not been for a long while. I just don’t like preachers preaching to me. I believe in Christ in your life – not in a building or a man. However, I do get blasted and chastised for not going as often as I do and for not being more involved in my home church and do get reminded often that churches were established long before I came into this old world. What is wrong here?

Thanks,

M____

Hi M____,

It is good to hear from you again.

I don’t quite know what you mean by “your problem with established churches.” I have no problem with the established churches. Both of us would be the first to tell you that God’s elect “come out of her my people.” In other word’s, God would have no elect or chosen people, if He didn’t first have Babylon from which to call His chosen people.

It wasn’t me who made this prophecy:

Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [ shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mar 13:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
Mar 13:4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
Mar 13:5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
Mar 13:6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Luk 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
Luk 21:8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

Who are these “Many [ who] come in Christ’s name admitting that Jesus is indeed Christ [ and yet] they deceive many?” Am I “deceiving many?” Is  it Mike Vinson who teaches all the false doctrines we deal with on our pages? No, we are not even a drop in the bucket in comparison “to the majority who peddle the Word of God” (2Co 2:17 Concordant Version).

Here is the Truth straight from the mouth of the Lord Himself:

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

You see that English word ‘called?’ It is translated from the Greek word ‘kletos.’ “Many are kletos.” And you see that English word ‘chosen.’ It is the exact same word translated ‘elect.’

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.
Mat 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Now that word translated ‘chosen,’ and ‘elect ‘ is the single Greek word ‘eklectos.’ It is the combination of two Greek words ‘ek,’ and kletos.’ The Greek word ‘ek,’ means ‘out of,’ or ‘point of origin.’ Just as surely as God commanded the light to shine ‘out of’ darkness, He has also called us ‘out of’ Babylon and “hath shined in our hearts” to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” In both cases , He uses that little Greek word ‘ek,’ ‘out of.’

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of [ ek] darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The only way to receive the “light of the glory of God,” is to recognize “the face of Jesus Christ.” “The face of Jesus Christ,” is scriptural language for those who recognize Christ when they meet Him. While the rest of the world walks right by Christ day after day, while thy read their Bibles, with their God given blinders, God’s ‘few … chosen,” His “very elect,” see Christ in every letter of His word. When the elect see “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me…” The elect believe these words when they “see the face of Jesus Christ.” These words mean nothing to the “Many… called.” “The face of Jesus Christ is hidden behind an ‘Idol of the heart:”

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

Now, do I have ‘a problem,’ with the “many called,” who “will deceive the very elect if possible?” If I point out that it is plainly the deceived who comprise the “many deceive d,” and “the majority who pedal the Word of God,” If I point out that “the face of Jesus Christ is hidden behind the “idols of the heart,” that make up every doctrine of orthodox Christianity, do I therefore have a problem with established churches? No Mark I do not have a problem with established churches. It is the “established churches,” with all their heart’s idols who have the problem. I am seeing the face of Christ in His word. It is I who affirm that “all who take up the sword shall die by the sword.” I see the ‘face of Jesus Christ,’ in His words “Love thine enemies..” The “many called,” truly believe that this means ‘unless your enemy means you any real harm; in which case you should kill him like a “cockroach,” to paraphrase ‘pastor ,’ Adrian Rogers.

No, it is the “many called” of orthodox Christianity who have a problem with God’s Words and with the Words of Christ. The established churches may indeed have been around long before you or I, but they haven’t been around longer than the Truth of the Word of God. And that word tells us that it is the “Many… called,” who are deceived.

Paul Crouch admitted to the curse that orthodox Christianity is on his ‘Praise The Lord’ program. Now I would have a lot of trouble getting Paul to agree with me that he confessed to being a “curse that covers the face of the whole earth,” but I am willing to let you be the judge of whether I tell you the truth. What Paul actually did was to quote Zec 5:1-2, claiming that this is a prophecy of his satellite ministry. Well, I could not agree more. But Paul Crouch read only the first two verses of this chapter, then he closed his Bible and asked another of his false prophet, ‘peddlers of the Word of God,’ if indeed this was not a prophecy of ‘this satellite ministry? “Yes, preacher that is what the word of God says,” affirmed his partner. Now let us look at Zec 5 actually says. Let’s start with the part Paul Crouch read right out in public to prove to this world that his ministry is specifically mentioned in scriptural prophecy. Here is exactly what Paul Crouch read:

Zec 5:1 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
Zec 5:2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

In the background Paul had the image of one of his satellites up on a screen. It too, looked like a “flying roll.” It was barrel shaped, about twice as long as it was wide, and it too, was “flying.” But is this a prophecy of Paul’s ministry? Perhaps just a moment of “trying the spirits, ” would be in order at this point. Let’s see who God says this “flying roll” represents. Let’s allow the word of God to replace any “idols of the heart” we might tend to have. Here is God’s view of what this flying roll actually symbolizes:

Zec 5:1 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
Zec 5:2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof [ is] twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
Zec 5:3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.

This is an incredible prophecy about two fallen women who are “established in Shinar.” Shinar of course is Babylon. It is Babylon which we all are urged to “come out of her my people.” You be the judge; is Zec 5 a prophecy of Paul Crouch’s ministry? I think it is!

You say:

… Many of the preachers do have good intentions and are trying to help people in their lives.

No one denies this truth. Babylon is filled with “gold and silver and pearls,” the Biblical code for many good works. But Babylon has “touched the unclean thing” with all of her blasphemous false doctrines. And one of the greatest of these blasphemous doctrines is the doctrine of free moral agency.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

You be the judge.

“It is better to be divided by the truth than to be united in a lie,” (author unknown).

Let me hear from you.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I am currently reading your paper, “Strong Delusion.” Extremely enlightening! I have a couple questions.

What does the following mean:

“so be that we suffer with [ him]… we may be also glorified together”…

Does this mean that we have to literally suffer PHYSICAL pain (like getting the snot kicked out of us) of certain degrees in order to be “CHOSEN” sons of God? Or does this specifically mean to suffer, as in, putting OFF the fleshly desires and accepting the fact that it HURTS to starve the flesh? I am sort of at a loss on this issue.

Also, with regards to Heb 6, you state, “The truth about the so- called ‘unpardonable sin’ is that “it is impossible for those who were once enlightened… if they should fall away… to renew them to repentance…” in this age.”

What is this “falling away” in this passage? Would this mean that they literally REFUSE to go on to maturity even after KNOWING that they must? Or is this saying that if we still have sin in our life after receiving the truth that we cannot repent, even if we want to? I am struggling with certain sins in my life and all I ever think about is HOW I can rid myself of it. Is the answer just to “bite the bullet” whenever I get tempted and to just “take the pain” no matter how much it burns?

I greatly desire to move on to maturity but I need your help understanding HOW I can win the war over my fleshly desires so I can truly be used by God.

I sincerely need help. I would greatly appreciate your sound advice.

God Bless,

J____

Hi J____,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t bear any bad news. The good news is that it means that we have been counted worthy of suffering both physically and mentally. When God sent Ananias to pray for Saul of Tarsus, look at what he told Ananias abut what Paul had to look forward to:

Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him [ Ananias], Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

To simply list all the physical calamities that befell Paul and to then tell any one that this is what you have to look forward to as a true believer, would be enough to discourage any one. But apparently not everyone must be martyred to be in the first resurrection. According to all accounts the apostle John died a natural death. Nevertheless, all one has to do to see the spirit in todays church, and to also understand that John too, ‘suffered for Christ’s name sake,’ is to read the epistles of John. John too, was rejected by those who “loved to have the preeminence:”

3Jn 1:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

If you speak with your mouth the truths of God’s Word today, you too, will to this day find that the the spirit of Diotrephes is alive and well in all the churches of orthodox Christianity. They “will not receive us,” if we are faithful to God’s Word.

Paul was left for dead three times. So you and I may, or we may not be asked of God to endure physical suffering. We will definitely be asked to endure rejection from “those that love the preeminence in the church.”

The ‘falling away in Heb 6, has only to do with verses 4-6. Yes, yes, yes, ‘Falling away,” has only to do with those who refuse to “go on to maturity.” According to 1Co 3:1-4, Gal 3:1- 4:1, Heb 5:12-Heb 6:6; and according yo the first three chapters of Revelation, all Christians “are yet carnal,” even after they “are sanctified in Christ Jesus [ and] called to be saints” (1Co 1:2). In other words, the ‘prodigal son IS THE ELECT, and the older son is the called. Don’t accuse me of encouraging Christians to sin. I did not give that parable of the prodigal son. It was Christ who gave that parable, and it was Christ who inspired I Corinthians, Galatians, and Hebrews. All Babes in Christ will struggle to stop filling their spiritual diaper and wetting their spiritual bed. It will take time. Most will never mature past their spiritual diapers. That is why all three of these books deal with “babes in Christ,” who “for the time [ considering all the time that you have known Christ] ye ought to be teachers, [ instead you] have need of milk and not of strong meat.”

Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
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.

The ‘older son,’ has never “By reason of use, had his senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” All of Gods elect will either: “leave their first love; [ listen to the] Nicolaitans; [ allow] that woman Jezabel to seduce them; etc., but just as the prodigal son, they will”come to themselves,” and “repent [ before] their candlestick is removed.”

‘Babylon,’ is the ‘slop trough’ in which the prodigal son finally sees his own reflection.” It is only then that we truly repent, are truly baptized in Christ and are truly circumcised. Not in the Red Sea, immediately after we initially leave Egypt, but after years of wandering around in a carnal, immature, rebellious, childish, Christian state; ” even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The struggle with the flesh to which you refer is never to be taken lightly, but it is a routine for all who would strive for “the mark of the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus.”

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind [ prodigal days in Babylon], 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 elect are called “overcomers.” If they had never known sin then they are not “overcomers.”

Speaking to those who made up the ‘elder son,’ the called but not chosen, the church of His day Christ gave us these words:

Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The ‘elder son,” does not see how offensive his attitude toward his redeemed brother is in the eyes of his Father. He considers himself to be the righteous one of the two. He is jealous instead of grateful. He is exactly what we see in the orthodox Christian churches whenever we mention the scriptural fact that God does not intend to lose one single soul, but will seek and find and save “that which was lost.”

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

It is only those who finally come to see that they are hopelessly lost; that see that they can not of themselves overcome the pulls of the flesh, that finally, after “falling seven times,” meaning complete failure, who will be brought to the faith of being able to say with Paul and all who have been there:

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

You say this:

I am struggling with certain sins in my life and all I ever think about is HOW I can rid myself of it. Is the answer just to “bite the bullet” whenever I get tempted and to just “take the pain” no matter how much it burns?

The answer to this question is that what is working in you is a work of God. Regardless of how hopelessly weak you may feel at this time, God will bring you to see clearly that YOU can do nothing of yourself. You cannot “rid yourself” of these sins.” Once you come to recognize this down to the marrow of your bones, only then will Christ give you the strength to ‘overcome,’ sin in your life.

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

You have a great attitude when you say:

I greatly desire to move on to maturity but I need your help understanding HOW I can win the war over my fleshly desires so I can truly be used by God. I sincerely need help. I would greatly appreciate your sound advice.

I wish I could help you, but salvation is a process that takes time and experience. It requires the experience of failure “seven times.” This means complete, total, undeniable, hopeless, crushed- to- powder failure. Maturity is a work of God. If you haven’t yet done so, be sure to read the letter entitled ‘The Seven Steps To Salvation.” It rehearses the example of Israel as a type of us.

1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as [ were] some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
1Co 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
1Co 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
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.

The words ‘examples,’ and ensamples,’ are the same in the Greek. They are translated from the Greek word ‘tupos.’ Israel’s history and experiences are ‘types of us.’ Salvation is not something we received in the past, because of something Christ did for us. This is the strong delusion for orthodoxy. While salvation certainly was secured for all men through the finished work of Christ while He was on the cross, what that ‘finished,’ work accomplished is that now, in spirit, Christ can live His life in us. We can now “fill up in our flesh that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ.” It is Christ living His life of rejection and suffering in us that matures us. That was never possible before the work of Christ was “finished.”

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.
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:

This is the ‘finished,’ work of Christ, to fill up in our flesh that which is behind of His sufferings, for His body’s sake, which is the church.” When Christ “ascended up into a cloud,” He didn’t go to some other geographical location. He is now “in” us. That is where Christ went. I recommend reading What and Where is Heaven? if you have not already done so.

I will close with some very encouraging words from Paul that I have no doubt are as applicable to you and me as they were to the Phillipians

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Being vigilant has nothing in common with being fearful. A vigilant man is very confident that he can handle his enemy. Neither does vigilance conflict with the sovereignty of God, because we know that grace is a work of God, and “grace… chastens us to forsake ungodliness…” (Tit 2:10-120. That is why Paul was so confident that God would finish the work He had started. This is the very meaning of “Where sin abounds [ chastening] grace doth much more abound.”

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

I hope you find these words encouraging,

Mike >