The Treasury of God’s House

[Aired February 18, 2025]

Throughout Scripture, God’s house contained a treasury where offerings and dedicated things were stored. While the physical treasury held material wealth, it pointed to deeper spiritual realities about giving, stewardship, and our relationship with God. Understanding both the physical pattern and its spiritual significance helps us grasp important truths about God’s kingdom.

The physical treasury in the temple served multiple purposes. In King Jehoash’s time, “Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 12:9). This chest received offerings for temple upkeep. Similarly, in Nehemiah’s day, the people brought their tithes “unto the treasuries” (Nehemiah 13:12) to support the priests and Levites who served in God’s house.

However, the treasury held more than just money. Sacred vessels, dedicated offerings, and spoils of war set apart for God were stored there. When the Israelites conquered Jericho, “they brought into the treasury of the house of the LORD” the silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron (Joshua 6:24). King David likewise dedicated war spoils to the treasury, as Scripture records: “which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued” (2 Samuel 8:11).

Just as the physical treasury held material wealth for the temple’s service, it also pointed toward timeless spiritual principles that apply to our lives today. This shift from the tangible to the intangible helps us see that everything ultimately belongs to God, as David acknowledged: “for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee” (1 Chronicles 29:14). The treasury served as a constant reminder that we are stewards, not owners, of what God provides.

The treasury also represented the people’s relationship with God. Regular giving showed trust in His provision and commitment to His purposes. When the people were obedient, the treasury overflowed. Under Hezekiah’s reforms, “the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly” (2 Chronicles 31:5). Conversely, neglecting the treasury indicated disobedience, as Malachi rebuked: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8).

Having seen how the temple treasury reflected spiritual principles, we find a profound example in the New Testament through Jesus’ teaching on the widow’s mite. His observation of her offering shifts our focus from external acts to the heart behind the gift: “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:41-44).

This incident shows that God measures giving differently than man does. While others saw low valued coins, Jesus saw complete surrender and trust. The widow’s offering revealed that true giving flows from the heart, not merely the hands. Jesus declared, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24, showing that sincere worship matters more than material offerings.

Christ’s teachings transformed understanding of God’s treasury. He warned against storing earthly treasures, instructing instead: “lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

This reveals that God’s true treasury is spiritual, not physical. The material offerings in the temple treasury pictured the surrender of our hearts and lives to God. Paul grasped this reality, counting all material gain as loss “for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). He understood that knowing Christ constitutes true riches.

The spiritual treasury manifests through transformed lives. When Peter and John encountered the lame man, they declared: “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). While lacking money, they possessed spiritual riches that brought healing and restoration. This demonstrates how God’s power working through yielded vessels produces true wealth.

God’s treasury also represents His wisdom and knowledge. Paul describes “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8) and speaks of “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” being hidden in Christ (Colossians 2:3). These spiritual riches far exceed material wealth, bringing age abiding benefit rather than temporal benefit.

Understanding the treasury spiritually changes how we view giving. Rather than focusing on amounts, we recognize that God desires the gift of ourselves. As Paul commended the Macedonian churches: “first gave their own selves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5). This self-giving produces generous sharing of material resources as a natural overflow.

The principle that physical patterns reveal spiritual truth helps us grasp God’s purpose for His treasury. Just as the temple treasury received and stored valuable offerings, God desires to fill us with His spiritual riches. As Paul prayed, “that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).

This indwelling wealth transforms us into living treasuries of God’s presence and power. Paul declares that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Like the widow’s mites, our humble lives become vessels for displaying God’s glory when fully yielded to Him.

As we’ve seen how physical offerings reflected spiritual realities, we now turn to a different kind of wealth—spiritual gifts. Just as the temple treasury enabled the work of the priests, these gifts equip believers for God’s work today. The treasury principle applies here as well to be multiplied for His kingdom. Those who faithfully manage what He provides hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things” (Matthew 25:21).

As living treasuries, we’re called to freely share what God provides. Jesus instructed, “freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). This applies to both material and spiritual resources. We steward God’s provisions to bless others, knowing that “he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Ultimately, God’s treasury reveals His abundant provision for His people. While the physical treasury supplied the temple’s needs, God promises to “supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). These riches include not just material supply but “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

The treasury continues teaching us today. When we recognize that everything belongs to God and yield ourselves fully to Him, we become living treasuries that display His glory. Through complete surrender, like the widow’s mites, our lives store up eternal riches that neither moth nor rust can destroy. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

God’s treasury also relates intimately to spiritual gifts and ministry. As Paul explains, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). Just as the physical treasury supported temple service, spiritual gifts enable ministry in God’s house today.

These gifts flow from God’s abundant treasury of grace. Peter instructs, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). Like faithful treasurers, we steward these spiritual gifts to benefit the whole body of Christ.

The connection between God’s treasury and our hearts runs deep. Jesus taught that “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45). What we store in our hearts determines what flows from our lives.

The treasury also represents spiritual authority and power. When Solomon dedicated the temple, “the glory of the LORD filled the house” (2 Chronicles 7:1). Similarly, as we yield ourselves as living temples, God’s power works through us. Paul experienced this, declaring “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God’s spiritual economy operates differently than natural economics. Jesus taught, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38). Giving from God’s treasury multiplies rather than depletes resources.

This principle appears throughout Scripture. The widow of Zarephath gave her last meal to Elijah, yet “the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail” (1 Kings 17:16). When the disciples distributed five loaves and two fish, twelve baskets remained after feeding thousands. God’s treasury operates by multiplication, not subtraction.

True worship and service flow from recognizing God’s abundant provision. David declared, “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all” (1 Chronicles 29:12). This acknowledgment produces willing service and generous giving.

The treasury’s practical application touches every area of life. Paul instructed believers to set aside offerings “as God hath prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:2). This regular giving acknowledges God’s provision while supporting ministry needs. Yet beyond material giving, we’re called to offer our “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

This complete surrender transforms how we view possessions. Rather than seeing them as personal property, we recognize our role as stewards of God’s resources. The early church demonstrated this perspective when believers “had all things common” and “distribution was made unto every man according as he had need” (Acts 4:32,35).

The treasury principle extends to spiritual inheritance. Paul reminded Timothy to “stir up the gift of God” within him (2 Timothy 1:6). Like invested talents, spiritual gifts multiply through use. As we faithfully steward what God provides, both natural and spiritual resources increase for kingdom purposes.

Understanding God’s treasury changes our approach to ministry. Rather than relying on human wisdom or strength, we draw from His unlimited resources. Paul ministered “according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7). This dependence on God’s supply produces lasting fruit.

The same spiritual riches that empower ministry also equip believers for spiritual warfare. In the same way kings stored resources for battle, God provides His people with the weapons needed to stand firm against the enemy. In the same way kings stored supplies for battle, God empowers believers to stand firm against spiritual opposition. Jesus gave His disciples “power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1). This authority flows from God’s treasury of power, not human ability. As vessels of His presence, we steward this authority for others’ benefit.

Our access to God’s treasury comes through a relationship with Christ. Paul declares that in Him “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him” (Colossians 2:9-10). Through union with Christ, we receive “exceeding great and precious promises” that make us “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

As prayer grants us access to God’s spiritual treasury, it also moves us toward practical application. When we understand these spiritual principles, we can apply them to everyday life through generous giving, faithful service, and surrendered hearts. The treasury principle particularly illuminates our understanding of prayer and intercession. Just as the physical treasury stored valuable resources for temple service, our prayers become spiritual deposits that God uses for kingdom purposes. The prophet Isaiah reveals this truth: “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7). This shows how prayer extends the treasury’s blessings beyond individual believers to benefit many.

The early church understood this connection between prayer and spiritual treasury. When facing persecution, they “lifted up their voice to God with one accord” (Acts 4:24), and God responded by filling them with His Spirit and power. Their unified prayers accessed resources that transformed their circumstances. Like faithful treasurers, they knew how to draw from God’s storehouse through prayer.

Paul reveals how the Spirit helps us access God’s treasury through prayer: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). Through the Spirit’s help, our prayers tap into God’s unlimited resources, releasing His provision and power.

These spiritual deposits through prayer produce ongoing dividends. James teaches that “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). Like compounding interest in God’s treasury, our prayers continue working long after we offer them, as demonstrated when the church prayed for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:5-17).

This relationship transforms giving into an act of worship rather than obligation. Paul commended the Philippians’ gift as “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). When giving flows from love for God, it becomes a spiritual sacrifice that brings Him pleasure.

The treasury principle reveals important truths about ministry provision. While supporting those who minister, Paul emphasized “not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account” (Philippians 4:17). True ministry focuses on spiritual multiplication rather than personal gain.

Understanding God’s treasury brings profound peace regarding provision. Jesus taught, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). As we prioritize God’s kingdom, He faithfully supplies every need from His abundant treasury.

This principle remains vital for the true church today. When believers grasp that all things come from and belong to God, giving becomes natural. We simply return to Him what He has provided, recognizing that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). This perspective produces generous, cheerful giving that God loves.

The treasury’s lessons extend beyond mere giving and receiving. When properly understood, they reveal God’s heart for relationship with His people. As David expressed, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). This intimate communion represents the highest purpose of God’s treasury.

Just as the physical temple treasury supported worship and service, our lives should facilitate deeper relationship with God. Paul understood this, counting all else as loss “for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). When we value knowing Christ above all else, we discover true riches that can never be taken away.

The treasury principle culminates in Christ, who “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). His sacrifice opened access to God’s unlimited spiritual treasury. Through Him, we receive “abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” to “reign in life” (Romans 5:17).

This understanding should transform our daily lives. Like the widow who gave her all, we’re called to complete surrender. Yet this surrender leads not to poverty but to abundance, for God promises to “supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). As we yield ourselves fully to His purposes, we experience the truth that “in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Living as God’s treasury brings practical responsibilities and privileges. When we truly grasp that we’re vessels of His presence and power, it changes how we approach every aspect of life. As Paul declared, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). This indwelling presence makes us living treasuries of life.

The early church demonstrated this reality. After Pentecost, believers “were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). The power flowing from God’s treasury through yielded vessels transformed lives and communities. Signs and wonders followed as God’s presence manifested through His people.

This same power remains available today. Jesus promised, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12). As living treasuries, we access resources for ministry that exceed human ability or understanding.

True prosperity flows from this spiritual reality. While the world seeks material wealth, believers find riches in Christ that transcend circumstances. Paul learned to be content in any situation because he drew from God’s unlimited treasury. He testified, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). This inner sufficiency produced outer effectiveness in ministry.

The treasury’s role in spiritual warfare becomes clear when we understand how God’s resources empower our spiritual battles. Just as ancient kings stored weapons and supplies in their treasuries for warfare, God’s spiritual treasury equips us for battle. Paul reveals this connection when describing our spiritual armor: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Each piece of this armor represents resources drawn from God’s treasury of grace and truth.

David’s experience particularly illuminates this principle. Before facing Goliath, he refused Saul’s physical armor, instead drawing from his experience of God’s faithfulness – his spiritual treasury. He declared, “The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). David accessed divine resources that transcended natural weapons.

The early church understood this warfare dimension of God’s treasury. When persecution arose, they didn’t rely on physical defenses but accessed spiritual resources through prayer: “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word” (Acts 4:29). God’s response – filling them with His Spirit and shaking their meeting place – demonstrated the power available in His treasury. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)

Paul reveals how this spiritual treasury operates in warfare: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). These spiritual weapons, drawn from God’s treasury, prove more effective than any earthly resource.

Even Jesus demonstrated this principle during His temptation. Against Satan’s offers of worldly treasure, He drew from the treasury of God’s Word, declaring “It is written” (Matthew 4:4,7,10). His example shows that the treasures of God’s truth overcome all enemy deception.

The treasury principle reveals important truths about spiritual authority. Jesus gave His disciples “power over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). This authority comes not from human ability but from Christ’s work. As we abide in Him, His power flows through us to accomplish His purposes.

Living as God’s treasury means becoming pure vessels for His use. Paul instructed, ”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” (2 Timothy 2:21). This purification prepares us for God’s ultimate purpose – revealing His glory. As yielded vessels beholding the Lord, we are ”changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Each experience of His presence makes us more effective vessels of His treasury, manifesting His character to others.

The final purpose of God’s treasury extends beyond individual blessing to corporate expression. Together we form “an holy temple in the Lord… builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21-22). This corporate temple displays God’s glory more fully than any individual can alone.

As living stones in God’s temple, we each contribute to this greater expression. Together we manifest the fullness of Christ’s treasury to creation. Through complete surrender to His purposes, our lives become channels of blessing to others. As we faithfully steward both material and spiritual resources, God’s kingdom advances and His glory increases. Let us draw deeply from His unlimited treasury, knowing that in Christ we have access to “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

For from His treasury flow all things needed for life and ministry. As we abide in Him, having His life to fill and flow through us, we fulfill our destiny as living treasuries of divine presence and power. In this way, the physical pattern finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s body manifesting His glory to all creation.

Jer 34:12-22 You Brought My Servants into Subjection to You

[Study Aired April 3, 2022]

Jer 34:12  Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 34:13  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,
Jer 34:14  At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
Jer 34:15  And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:
Jer 34:16  But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.
Jer 34:17  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
Jer 34:18  And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,
Jer 34:19  The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;
Jer 34:20  I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
Jer 34:21  And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which are gone up from you.
Jer 34:22  Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.

In our last study we saw that Judah and Jerusalem had finally done the right thing and had set their Hebrew servants free while seeking the Lord’s mercy during the siege of the city by the king of Babylon. As we will see this week, the Lord sent the Egyptians to deliver the city and Judah, and once they were no longer under siege, Jerusalem immediately went back on their word to set their servants free.

Jer 34:11  But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
Jer 34:12  Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 34:13  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,

The Hebrew word translated ‘turned’ is H7725, ‘shub’. Judah had ‘turned’ away from the Lord by rebelling against His commandment to release their Hebrew slaves. It is the same word that is used whether it is ‘turning to the Lord’ or ‘turning away from the Lord.

H7725
שׁוּב
shûb
shoob

A primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbially again: –  ([break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep]) X again, (cause to) answer (+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call [to mind], carry again (back), cease, X certainly, come again (back) X consider, + continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home again, X fro, get [oneself] (back) again, X give (again), go again (back, home), [go] out, hinder, let, [see] more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), X repent, requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, + say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, X surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.

Being in Egypt signifies being enslaved to this sinful yet self-righteous world. Egypt here is called “the house of bondmen”, and that is where we all are when the Lord sends His Word and begins the process of bringing us out of this world and out of the bondage we are under by nature. We cannot serve the Lord if we remain in Egypt, and the Lord will plague the world within us and destroy the firstborn within us and make a way through the Red Sea to get us out of this world. The death of the firstborn of Egypt within us is the negative application of the death of the firstborn of God. The firstborn of Egypt signifies the man of sin who sits on the throne of our heart until Christ begins the process of destroying him with the brightness of His coming into our heart to take His rightful place sitting upon the throne of our heart.

Exo 4:22  And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Exo 4:23  And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

Israel’s deliverance from Egypt signifies our being delivered from a life of self-righteous sins, and here in Jeremiah 34 the completion of our time in Egypt as bondsmen is signified by six years of bondage and being set free in the seventh year:

Jer 34:14  At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
Jer 34:15  And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:

The spiritual significance of “letting [our]… Hebrew servant… go free” is to let Christ be free in our lives. When Christ is free in our lives, we become His servant, and we become the servants and slaves to righteousness. When we enslave Him, we reject Him as our master, and we seek to make Him and His Word serve us according to the idols of our heart. We do so because we are deceived, and we are slaves to sin and unrighteousness. That is exactly what we all do in our own appointed time.

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

Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants [G1401: doulos, slave] of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants [G1402: douloo, slaves, same root word] of righteousness.
Rom 6:19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Rom 6:20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

When we read, “The Lord hath made … even the wicked for the day of evil,” we must come to realize when the Lord tells us that He is not speaking of some particularly evil men, nor does it speak of a particular ‘day of evil’ which excludes the righteous man. The fact is:

Psa 53:3  Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Rom 3:9  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

That Truth is so all encompassing that even our Lord included His own corruptible clay vessel when He said:

Mar 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

This story of the release and then the re-enslavement of our Hebrew servants is for our own personal admonition. It is a “Hebrew servant” because we are all ‘Hebrews’, and when we give our Hebrew slave his liberty, we are giving ourselves liberty. Therefore, it is each of us who releases our own Hebrew servant and then we bring him back into bondage. We do so when we repent of our rebellious, self-righteousness and then we “lose [our] first love” and go right back to our “own vomit… and… [our own] wallow in the mire”:

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Their “latter end is worse with them than the beginning” was certainly the case for King Zedekiah, who typifies our own doomed ‘man of sin’. It was also true for rebellious, self-righteous Judah, which typifies the loss of our first love for the kingdom of God within to be replaced with “the cares of this word and the deceitfulness of riches”

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; [Gives his Hebrew slave liberty]
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. [‘Working out our own salvation’ (Php 2:12-13) is more than our old man can bear]

That is what happened to King Zedekiah and to Jerusalem and Judah when they released their Hebrew servants while under siege and then went back on their word when the siege was lifted:

Jer 34:16  But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

The Hebrew word translated as “turned” here in Jeremiah 34:16 is the same Hebrew word translated as “turned and returned” in verse 11. It means we do a 180 degree turn whether it is turning toward or turning away from our Lord.

Jer 34:17  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour:  behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

This 17^th verse of Jeremiah 34 is exactly what Paul said in the verse quoted earlier:

Rom 6:20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Being “free from righteousness we are not at liberty to reap the fruits of that ‘liberty’… “behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth”.

We are “removed to all the kingdoms of the earth” because that is where our “trespasses and… iniquities” are common to all men. That is where we belong. When we are in rebellion against our Lord, we belong in ‘the kingdoms of the earth’ where we are ‘at liberty’ to reap the fruits of that ‘liberty’ – “liberty… to the word, to pestilence, and to famine”, or as the apostle Paul puts it in the very next verse of Romans 6:

Rom 6:20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

The choice to serve sin is an obviously bad choice:

Rom 6:22  But now being made free [liberated] from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Like Israel we are “marred in the Potter’s hand”, and we simply cannot choose to do what we know we should do, as Paul explains in the next chapter of Romans:

Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Twice we are told that “[we] do that [we] would not”, and twice we are told “It is not I that do it, but sin that dwells in me”, because we are “sold under sin” by “the law of sin which is in my members”.

How did that law get there? Did we choose to be sold to sin under the law of sin in our members? No, we had no choice in the matter because there is but “one lawgiver”, and that law is in our members by His design and not by our fabled ‘free will’. It is that “one lawgiver” alone who is able to save and is able to destroy, and who is in the process of utterly destroying the kingdom of our old man and all that pertains to him, including his false doctrine of ‘free moral agency’.

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

It is only when we become aware of this Truth that we are brought to cry out to the Lord realizing that we simply cannot freely choose to be obedient to the Lord:

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

Only then, after the Lord has raised up a storm in our life that brings us to our wits’ end, will we be given to realize this Truth:

Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

What a blessing it is to be free from the sin of believing that my salvation and your salvation hangs upon our ability to make the right choices and to do the right things. Indeed, we will by faith choose to do “good works”, but those ‘good works’ are “not of [our]selves, rather “[they are] the gift of God… which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

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

The truth cannot be stated any more clearly than this:

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

That is the only way possible to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling”, all the while crying out:

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

As long as we cling to the damnable doctrine of man being given a will that is free from God, we will be denying that our faith is “not of [our]selves, [rather] it is the gift of God”, and we will remain in rebellion against the truth that our salvation is only “by the faith of the Son of God” and “not our yourselves”.

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.

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.

This is exactly how Isaiah had already described this experience the Lord has given us. It is “an experience of evil”, and it is the Lord who “makes us to err from His ways” for the very purpose of giving us “liberty… to the sword… famine… [and] freedom from righteousness” so He can then humble us:

Ecc 1:13 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. (CLV)

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

Any time we refuse to believe and obey the Lord and go our own self-righteous way and deny that it is He who works “both [what we] will and [what we] do” (Php 2:12-13), the Lord proclaims:

Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
Jer 2:20  For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

Our own wickedness corrects us because the Lord “made us to err from [His] ways… to humble us”, and when we turn back again to Him, we do so only because He works that also “after the counsel of His own will”, not ours. What He is telling us is that when He says, “All things” what He means by that is “all things”.

Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

We say we will obey the Lord and we agree to His commandment to give His word, our Hebrew servant, freedom to help us to overcome our sinful, self-righteous nature, then by His design, we turn and twist the Lord’s words to make His Words cover the idols of our hearts. It is all “after the counsel of His own will”, nevertheless He also requires that we “give an accounting” of “His workmanship” in us:

Luk 16:2  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

This is how our own wickedness and backsliding corrects and reproves us:

Jer 34:18  And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,
Jer 34:19  The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

Cutting the calf in half and passing between the two parts of the calf, is witnessing to the fact that we have each participated in the sacrificing of our Lord for our sins. Yet we witness against ourselves that we will not, of ourselves, turn away from our sins and our iniquities, and turn again to Him and obey His Words.

Jer 34:20  I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
Jer 34:21  And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which are gone up from you.

The army of the king of Babylon going up from besieging us and then us immediately reinstituting the slavery of our Hebrew servant, demonstrates that passing between the two parts of the calf means nothing to us at first. Our initial repentance is not a mature repentance. It is a carnal repentance because of the Lord bring trials into our lives to besiege us for a season.

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?

As soon as the Lord gives us a reprieve from those trials, we immediately forget that we witnessed against ourselves, and we go right back to our old ways without skipping a beat.

Jer 34:22  Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.

The Chaldeans, also known as Babylonians, had “gone up from you” because the Lord had sent Pharaoh to come up against the Chaldeans and had distracted them and caused them to lift the siege of Jerusalem for a short time:

Jer 37:5  Then Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
Jer 37:6  Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
Jer 37:7  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
Jer 37:8  And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
Jer 37:9  Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
Jer 37:10  For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

The message for us, if the Lord has given us to “know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven”, is that we must go into Babylon and be chastened for our self-righteous iniquities. We must acknowledge that we have committed iniquity in going back on our word to set at liberty our Hebrew slave the moment the Lord showed His mercy and gave us a reprieve from our trials. The Lord forgave Judah and Jerusalem, and they immediately went out and grabbed their fellow Hebrews by the throat and demanded immediate payment. It is the same spirit against which the Lord Himself admonishes us in the parable of the servant who was forgiven an unpayable debt, only to demand immediate payment of a much smaller debt from a fellow servant.

Mat 18:23  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mat 18:24  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Mat 18:29  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:30  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Mat 18:32  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Only after we acknowledge our self-righteous trespasses against our Lord while in Babylon will we be dragged out of her:

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

While we are refusing to acknowledge our iniquity we just naturally look to this world, to Egypt, to deliver us from our God-ordained chastening which we endure while we are in the bondage of Babylon. Isaiah prophesied of this inevitable part of our “experience of evil” (Ecc 1:13):

Isa 30:1  Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
Isa 30:2  That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
Isa 30:3  Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

For over seven decades, from the time of Isaiah to the time of Jeremiah and the dissolution of the kingdom of Judah, the Kings of Judah made alliances with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, as they sought protection from the Assyrians of Nineveh and later, in the time of Jeremiah, the same people were dominated by Babylon.

The lesson for us is to depend only on the Lord and not on our own understanding and our own worldly strength.

Pro 3:1  My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Pro 3:2  For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

If we have “favor with God and with man” we will never need to fear the king of Egypt or the king of Babylon. The Lord will give us favor with our very enemies:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Pro 16:5  Every one that is proud in heart [self-righteous] is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Pro 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
Pro 16:7  When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

What that means inwardly is that all the energy we wasted in our self-righteous sinful ways will now be channeled into the Lord’s service and against our old man.

As a type of this process of making our enemies to live at peace with us, the Lord made the king of Babylon aware of the prophecies of Jeremiah, and the king of Babylon was solicitous of Jeremiah when Jerusalem was taken:

Jer 40:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.
Jer 40:2  And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
Jer 40:3  Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.
Jer 40:4  And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.
Jer 40:5  Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.

Jeremiah had not gone back on his word just because the Chaldeans had lifted the siege. Jeremiah had no Hebrew servants because he typifies those who love God and keep His commandments:

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.

If we keep the Lord’s commandments and we have a Hebrew servant, then we will give that servant His liberty, and we will “change not“, even when we come to see how much we had depended upon our enslaved Hebrew servant… our twisting of the word to fit it around our heart’s idols.

Psa 15:4  In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

Being rooted deeply in Christ is required to keep us from going back to our own vomit and to our own wallow in the mire of all the false doctrines of the churches of this world. “Come out of her My people” is not a popular doctrine, and it is given to very few to endure the “persecution…because of the Word.”

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 [Christ, (Isa 11:10 and Rom 15:12)] 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.
Mat 13:23  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Jeremiah typifies and foreshadows those who are deeply rooted in Christ. He typifies the Lord’s elect who are faithful to His Words even as those words proclaim that we must all be carried away as captives to Babylon where some few will be granted to “acknowledge [their] iniquities” (Jer 3:13) and be dragged out of Babylon to return to the Lord and become rulers over the kingdoms of this world for a thousand years:

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.
Rev 11:16  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

“The earth [must be] destroyed”, because “the earth” symbolizes our corruptible clay vessel which cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and which the Lord destroys “at His coming”:

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

2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

If the Lord destroys our “man of sin” in “this present time” and we are given to “endure to the end (Mat 10:22), then we will be given the greatest of all blessings, the blessing which we have now only in “earnest”:

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

This is “the redemption of the purchased possession”:

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

What we are learning is that when Christ said:

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, [“whosoever readeth” (vs 15)] when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation [Reading these words] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. [“All these things” includes “Till the seven plagues… were fulfilled” (Rev 15:8)]
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

We are learning that “My words” includes this prophecy of Jeremiah and all the prophets and all of scripture, which is all “given by inspiration of the holy spirit…” and is applicable to the Lord’s elect in every generation since Christ.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) [that these words are spiritual and are being fulfilled in the lives of the Lord’s elect of each and every generation]

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

In conclusion, the Lord uses our trials to demonstrate to each of us just how shallow our repentance is to begin with. We say we will be obedient to Him, and we even set our Hebrew slaves free. The Lord reveals to us that we are quick to make liars of ourselves when the going gets tough. If the Lord has given us to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven in this present time, then He comes into us and performs what He has appointed for us:

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

We are all “His workmanship, created…unto good works…”

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

We are required to endure afflictions in this present time, but even in those afflictions we are being cured and made whole spiritually.

Jer 33:6  Behold, I will bring it [vs 4: “this city”, Jerusalem] health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
Jer 33:7  And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
Jer 33:8  And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

Foundational themes in Genesis – Study 97

(Key sections from Genesis chapters 41 to chapter 43)

After suffering many trials and tribulations for thirteen years in Egypt, Joseph is given rulership in Egypt under the Pharaoh after Joseph gave him wise counsel concerning his two dreams (Gen 41:14-46). Pharaoh also acknowledged that Joseph was “a man in whom the Spirit of God is” and that he was indeed “discreet and wise” (Gen 41:38-39). In the first seven years of plenty in Egypt under Joseph’s rulership, he stored up food from every part of the country, and the corn was “as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number” (Gen 41:47-49). This great provision period links to the symbolic thousand-year period when the elect will reign on the earth after they are part of the first resurrection (Rev 20:4-6). It is also within the time of Joseph’s rulership that the seven years of famine came on the whole earth, which forced all the countries to come to Joseph to buy food:

Gen 41:56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Joseph first supplied the Egyptians and afterward his family, which confirms these scriptures concerning the physical Jews showing God’s disdain on those whose pride makes them believe that physical attributes and preferences will influence His election and salvation (Pro 16:5; Jas 4:6):

Eze 16:55 When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou [physical Jerusalem – Gal 4:25] and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

The family of Joseph was also forced to go to Egypt to buy food, and little did they know how this would end for them. In our last discussion we started to touch on significant patterns in the way Joseph and his family were interacting within this time of getting food in order to survive the famine, which was also felt in Canaan. It all started off with the first command from Jacob:

Gen 42:1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
Gen 42:2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

Several journeys back and forth between Egypt and Canaan will follow, and each journey brings deeper torment to these brothers as their evil hearts were systematically unveiled:

Gen 42:3 And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
Gen 42:4 But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
Gen 42:5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

These ten brothers then appeared before Joseph, whom they could not recognise as he accused them of being spies, which they flatly denied. Our flesh and its carnal mind see spiritual things as foolish as they also speak and act against God and His elect (1Co 2:14; Rom 8:33; Isa 50:8; Luk 18:7; Rev 11:7-12). This passage is about the Christ whom the flesh cannot appreciate or value:

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

This accusation from Joseph that these ten brothers were spies connects to the evil report and slanders of the ten spies in the days of Moses against the promised land, which points to God’s spiritual provision and inheritance (Num 13:1-33; Num 14:1-45). Just as Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden could not recognise or appreciate the tree of life, these ten brothers of Joseph were spiritually blind (Gen 3:6-24; Gen 37:2-36). The revelation of the coming of Jesus starts off with the unveiling of our old man, the “man of sin”, and this is what is happening in the lives of these brothers (Gen 1:24-30; Ecc 3:18; 2Th 2:1-4; Rev 13). Before they could recognise Joseph, his brothers had to see themselves for who they are. Joseph was the “voice like a trumpet” to these fleshly brothers as he was used by God on several occasions to bring down their walls of iniquities and sin and show them their transgressions (Jer 4:5, 19, 21; Jer 6:1, 17; Rev 1:10):

Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Isa 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

It is when the seven seals on our books are being opened that we can hear the trumpets of God announcing the judgment through which God’s righteousness are brought into our lives (Isa 26:9; Rev 8:1-2). The revelation of Jesus Christ unveils our old nature (the opening of the seals) and that goes with the sounding of the trumpets which connects with the judgement of God on our old man of sin. There is no perfection of the flesh, and our spiritual walk and understanding is being developed and going through a process as long as we live in this vessel of clay. It is only at the first resurrection that the elect in Christ will be given spiritual perfection. Our souls are indeed afflicted when our book is unsealed when we hear God’s trumpets, when we go through His judgments. The feeling of being forsaken should rather be seen as the birth pains of being redeemed from the old man (Isa 54:7-8; Mat 27:46):

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Through the interrogation by Joseph, more and more of the evil dealings of the brothers are confessed, and they were placed in jail for three days:

Gen 42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
Gen 42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
Gen 42:23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

We will get back to this interpreter a bit later. The second command which these brothers received within this time of famine came from Joseph. Joseph kept one brother, Simeon, in jail on the condition that he will be released if the other nine brothers bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, with them the next time they come to Egypt. The number nine spiritually links and confirms that judgment is for sure on these brothers of Joseph (Gen 17:24; 2Ki 25:1-3; Mat 27:45-46). Joseph also commanded his stewards to fill the sacks of the brothers with corn, and that their money is to be placed within their sacks without their knowledge. A new aspect in this process of judgment is now introduced which also relates to the theme of spiritual glorification and rulership of the elect:

Gen 42:25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money [Hebrew: “keseph”] into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.
Gen 42:26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

The word “money” in verse 25 is translated from the Hebrew word “keseph”, and this is how Dr. James Strong defines this Hebrew word “keseph” and its root word “kâsaph” in his dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words:

H3701 – keseph – From H3700; silver (from its pale color); by implication money: – money, price, silver (-ling).

H3700 – kâsaph – A primitive root; properly to become pale, that is, (by implication) to pine after; also to fear: – [have] desire, be greedy, long, sore.

This Hebrew word “keseph” appears no less than 19 times in chapters 42 to 44 in Genesis which involved Joseph and his brothers (ref: Gen 37:28; Gen 42:25; Gen 42:27-28 (2); Gen 42:35 (2); Gen 43:12 (2); Gen 43:15; Gen 43:18; Gen 43:21-23 (5); Gen 44:1-2 (3); Gen 44:8).

Silver is a precious metal because of its scarcity, and spiritually it is also to be valued as such. That this word “keseph” appears so many times in this interaction between Joseph and his brothers therefore needs closer scrutiny. We also know that the Word of God deals both with the good and the evil, the light and the darkness, and therefore all symbols used in the scripture have both negative and positive applications, even in our own lives (Gen 1:2-5; Isa 45:7). This is how the Word of God is perceived from the two opposing viewpoints – the flesh and the spirit:

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

In the case of Joseph’s ten brothers, the negative application of the word “keseph” applies first in their dealings with him. Joseph himself was sold for twenty pieces of silver to the slave traders by his ten brothers:

Gen 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver [Hebrew: “keseph”]: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

The ten brothers now brought “keseph” again to buy food from the very person whom they sold as a slave to Egypt, although they did not know it was Joseph. This is what they confessed when he accused them of being spies:

Gen 42:11 We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

This was their outward confession, but Joseph knew who they were and what they were hiding. God indeed reveals His mysteries and the plan of salvation to His elect (Amo 3:7; 1Co 2:6-10):

Psa 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

By God’s design, the natural man is hooked to earthly things which are all corruptible, and spiritually this points to a dependence on the unfulfilling, self-righteous, carnal mind and its stubborn belief in Babylon’s false doctrines (Isa 1:22; Eze 7:19). Here we also see this negative spiritual application of the earthly silver:

Ecc 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Ecc 5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

It is the true silver and gold of God found in His Word and true doctrine that brings spiritual atonement and redemption from this old mind set with its old vain conversations and traditions of men:

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.

We only see this corruptible silver, and all the other corrupt spiritual merchandise within ourselves, when this spiritual whore, Babylon, is brought to the ground and destroyed:

Rev 18:10 …. Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Rev 18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

This is what Joseph’s brothers must be taken through for their own good. However, this will take a long journey, as Joseph’s nine brothers also begin to realize on their way back to Canaan:

Gen 42:27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.
Gen 42:28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

Only one of them discovered the money in his sack, and the shock and fear was very real as they also knew God was punishing them. More shocks and torment awaited them later. Joseph returned their money because he had no need of it in one sense, but also to deepen their torment in order to reveal their self-righteous hearts… “we are true men.” Christ also said that He has no need for us when we come to Him with our self-righteous deeds forgetting what we have done to our own brothers and sisters (Mat 5:23-24):

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.

God does not know us and will reject us when we use His silver and His gold to do good works with the wrong motives, which are filled with the pride and lusts of our hearts (Eze 14:3-5; Eze 16:17; Eze 28):

Joe 3:5 Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things.

Joseph’s brother’s self-righteous hearts are being revealed, and their torment is now taken to a deeper level yet again as they also have to give an account to their father of this money and all that happened in Egypt:

Gen 42:29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,
Gen 42:30 The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
Gen 42:31 And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
Gen 42:32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
Gen 42:33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:
Gen 42:34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

Then they made a bigger discovery that brought more fear on them all:

Gen 42:35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

Jacob’s response to their story did not bring much comfort either. This is also where Jacob’s heart is tormented with the thoughts that he will lose more of his sons:

Gen 42:36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

“Jacob’s trouble”, in this sense, is also now brought to its finality as this day of judgment will actually bring him to be united with his whole family, which he could not yet see at this point in time:

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Jacob did not want to lose any more sons, but Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob, is now even prepared to give up his own sons to be taken from him in the place of Benjamin, who was to be brought to Egypt:

Gen 42:37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

Joseph’s command brought deep torment not only to his brothers, but also to Jacob:

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

Jacob finally commanded the nine brothers to return to Egypt with double the money and Benjamin:

Gen 43:12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
Gen 43:13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
Gen 43:14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
Gen 43:15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

God will destroy all flesh, but he will set up an occasion for that. God wanted to destroy the Philistines in Samson’s days, and God then brought a woman of the uncircumcised Philistines into Samson’s life of whom his parents did not approve.

Jdg 14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

Our natural observations and our carnal understanding of this life will never agree with God’s ways (Isa 55:8-9). This we also see with Joseph’s brothers as they arrived back in Egypt and were taken to Joseph’s house by one of Joseph’s stewards:

Gen 43:18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

The steward of Joseph’s house communed with the brothers at the door:

Gen 43:19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
Gen 43:20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
Gen 43:21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
Gen 43:22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

This was the reply of this steward:

Gen 43:23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

We hear comforting and encouraging words from the mouth of Joseph’s steward, who is also called the ruler in Joseph’s house (Gen 43:16). This steward spoke with authority and even released Simeon from prison. He also brought them water to wash their feet and food for their beasts:

Gen 43:24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

These stewards are mentioned several times in this interaction between Joseph and his brothers. They function as interpreters (Gen 42:23), they fill the sacks with corn and provisions (Gen 42:25; Gen 44:1), they are rulers of the house of Joseph (Gen 43:16), they are doorkeepers (Gen 43:19), they speak words of peace and comfort (Gen 43:23; Gen 44:4), and they are givers of water and food (Gen 43:24). These stewards expose the role and function of the elect of Christ within His household which is what spiritual glorification is all about:

Luk 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luk 12:43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Luk 12:44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

In our next discussion, God willing, we will look at the positive application of this Hebrew word “keseph” in this interaction between Joseph and his brothers.

[Here is a link to the next study in this series.]

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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:

Numbers in Scripture
The Lake of Fire in Genesis
Metals – Precious Metals, Silver – Negative, Part 1
The Biblical Overview of the Plan of God – Part 5
The Biblical Overview of the Plan of God – Part 6
The Biblical Overview of the Plan of God – Part 14

Hi Mike,

Again I must say thank you to yourself and your wife and family for all the effort you go through to answer our questions.

I was reading one of the e- mails you have responded to and posted on your site, and it contained this verse.

Luk 15:4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

Luk 15:5  And when he hath found [ it], he layeth [ it] on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Luk 15:6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together [ his] friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

Luk 15:7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Now I have seen this verse many times, but since reading and learning from your site this verse has caused me some confusion. My question was going to be: why are the 99 left in the WILDERNESS?

Luk 15:4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

My carnal mind is screaming out: NOT me. I’m not going to leave 99 sheep out in the WILDERNESS just to find one that is lost. That’s silly, while I’m out looking for the lost sheep, wolves could get in among the flock, killing and maiming some in my herd and scattering the rest into smaller herds (Churches). Or some could just wander off and become lost sheep themselves, or again split into many herds eating the grass that is sweetest to their own taste. So to my carnal mind I don’t see the benefit of saving one to lose many. So “WHAT MAN OF YOU…” well, not me and not any farmer I know. And if they did go looking for the lost sheep, they certainly would not leave the 99 in the wilderness. They would bring them back to a corral or something like that or get another shepherd to look after them.

So I decided to try and think like Mike would as I have heard him many times on the audios.

So who are the sheep… ME

Who is the shepherd … Christ.

So “WHAT MAN OF YOU…” .. it can be only Christ, “my words are spirit”

But that’s all external and Mike said everything has an internal or self application, so what is it? Well, if it’s internal then the sheep have to represent false DOCTRINE and the lost sheep then becomes a true DOCTRINE and the Shepherd then becomes ME. Wait, I’m not going to leave my 99 sheep to save one! The carnal versus the spiritual.

Luk 15:5  And when he hath found [ it], he layeth [ it] on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Why does he lay it on his shoulders? Why doesn’t he let it walk and guide it? Is he afraid it will get lost again or hurt? Well, two things strike me about this; one is the sheep (ME outwardly) is being carried (a nice way of being DRAGGED) back to the flock. Secondly, I have the image of the man made of gold, silver, copper, iron and clay. Now where is that sheep or true doctrine being carried? Around the neck so it’s below the gold head but resting on the silver shoulders. This to me reinforces that the sheep represents a true Doctrine of GOD. I have many images colliding in my head right now with that connection and I’m unable to explain them all, but I’m seeing the Gold as representing Christ (incorruptible and pure Doctrine) while the Silver is God’s Elect and true Doctrine being given to them. The Gold head also represents God giving the Sheep (Christ) to the elect the Silver shoulders. The rest of the flock make up the other metal components of the metal man and false or corrupted doctrine. And internally to me what does it mean? This is the hardest part – applying the scriptures to myself. Well, I’m the shepherd, and I have found a true doctrine and I’m not willing to let it go. I will chase or follow that one doctrine until I have it secured and safe; losing or risking all my other doctrines to do so.

Luk 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together [ his] friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

Notice in this verse when he finds the sheep he does not take it back to the 99 in the wilderness. He takes it home and calls his friends and family to celebrate. Strange… What about the 99 now lost in the wilderness? This guy won’t make a good farmer. Anyway, I can see how this applies to me; wrong – I can’t see; I have been shown how this applies to me. I don’t know how many times I read Mikes e- mails and read were he tells us not to go out and tell others what you have learned unsolicited. I read it lots, but of course like the man above, as soon as I found a truth in God’s word that was shown to me, I raced out to share it with as many people as I could thinking they would all see and feel the same way I did about the doctrine of God. And Mike was right. They didn’t get it because they don’t have eyes to see or ears to hear at this time. So I can see how the above verse applies to me. I have received a true Doctrine of God and I want to share it with all.

Well, Mike, I started this e- mail to you to ask a question, but I think while typing this message someone has shown me the meaning. I’m not comfortable with saying I may have already been shown the meaning as I’m not convinced yet that I have been given eyes to see or ears to hear as there is still a lot of sin in my life.

Well, God bless you all and keep safe.

O____

Hi O____,

It is gratifying to me to see that God is giving you eyes that see spiritual matters through the physical words of scripture.

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.

Do not allow the Adversary to make you doubt what God is doing in your life simply because “there is still a lot of sin in my life.” If we had to be completely sinless before God started opening our eyes, then none of us would even begin to understand the spiritual lessons behind Christ’s parables. We must start somewhere, and God’s work on our behalf starts with us all while “we are yet sinners.”

Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So it is “sinners… without strength… lost sheep… in need of a physician… and blind from their mother’s womb” in whom Christ begins His work.

The story or parable itself is never the point of any of Christ’s parables. The story is physical, but the point is spiritual. If this is not so then Christ would be commending all “unjust stewards,” who rip off their master’s possessions. But the unjust steward is not the point. What is the point is the ingenuity, foresight and resourcefulness of the unjust steward. He saw the inevitable future and took the necessary steps to prepare for that inevitability. The unjust steward is plainly labeled a “child of this world.” The only thing we should have in common with the unjust steward is our desire “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”, and to do what is necessary to be prepared for our inevitable trials.

Luk 16:8  And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

It was Jacob, God’s elect in type, who stole Esau’s blessing and who tricked Esau out of His birthright. We are not to steal or trick anyone out of anything, but that story does tell us that unseen promises should mean more to us than red pottage which can be seen.

Gen 25:30  And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [ pottage]; for I [ am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
Gen 25:31  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
Gen 25:32  And Esau said, Behold, I [ am] at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Gen 25:33  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Gen 25:34  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

That story is a parable of how we should value the things of the spirit. It is not an example of how we should go about obtaining them. Now the image you reference is the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream concerning the various kingdoms of the beast:

Dan 2:28  But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
Dan 2:29  As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came [ into thy mind] upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
Dan 2:30  But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for [ any] wisdom that I have more than any living, but for [ their] sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Dan 2:31  Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [ was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [ was] terrible.
Dan 2:32  This image’s head [ was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33  His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Dan 2:34  Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [ that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Dan 2:35  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Dan 2:36  This [ is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
Dan 2:37  Thou, O king [ of Babylon], art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
Dan 2:38  And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
Dan 2:39  And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Dan 2:40  And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [ things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Dan 2:41  And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
Dan 2:42  And [ as] the toes of the feet [ were] part of iron, and part of clay, [ so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Dan 2:43  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Dan 2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [ but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Dan 2:45  Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Dan 2:46  Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

“That you might know the thoughts of your heart,” means that we must all come to see ourselves for the beasts that we are. So the gold and silver of that image represents the gold and silver of  Babylon.

Rev 18:11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Rev 18:12  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

It is of utmost importance that we realize that Babylon also has “gold, silver, and precious stones, within her. But her gold is cankered and it is used to cover idols of the heart instead of the doctrines of Christ.

Having said all of that, all of your analogies to the true and positive applications of gold and silver are very scriptural. Christ and His doctrines are our ‘golden head,’ in the stead of the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Every one of your analogies used the positive application of the words you deal with, but there is no iron or iron mixed with clay, in Christ. But His feet, which mean, His walk, or His life in us, is “as brass in a furnace.”

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

The “brass, as if they burned in a furnace” is not silver or gold because it is Christ in our bodies of sinful flesh. This is the five brass sockets of the five pillars of the first door of the tabernacle. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom so it is typified by “brass in a furnace,” of fiery trials, judging us and purifying us and transforming us as we enter into the tabernacle, where we are transformed into the silver and gold which we see within the door of the tabernacle, in the temple of God, as the four silver sockets upon which the four pillars of gold stand, between the holy place and the holy of holies. Salvation is a process that goes on and grows “from glory to glory.”

Exo 36:36  And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim [ wood], and overlaid them with gold: their hooks [ were of] gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
Exo 36:38  And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.
Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [ which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [ I will write upon him] my new name.
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.

Scripturally we are all dust, changed into lead, then tin, then iron, then copper (mistranslated in KJV as ‘brass’), then silver, and finally into pure “tried in the fire” gold.

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.

All metals are purified by fire, which typifies all the trials of life.

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:

These “fiery trials” are common to all men, and all men first build with inferior materials, as they “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
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.
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.

Your application of the symbols of scripture is right on. Do not be discouraged that you are still struggling against the flesh and the principalities that feed upon your flesh.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [ places]. [ Greek, ‘the heavens’ of our hearts and minds].

Be patient and endure to the end. “All things [ including your doubts and trials] are of God.”

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
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:

He is doing His work in your life, and He is doing it on His schedule. He that endures to the end, and overcomes will be made a pillar in the door of His temple through which all of mankind will come to God.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

It is the greatest honor which can be bestowed upon mankind, and the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which will be revealed in us.

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.

Your brother in Christ,

Mike