The Sacred Meal Fellowship with God at the Table

[Study Aired July 15, 2025]

Introduction

Scripture reveals that every significant heavenly encounter involves a meal. From Eden’s first commandment about food to Revelation’s marriage supper, God establishes covenant relationship through sacred dining. These meals demonstrate that fellowship with the Almighty transcends mere physical nourishment, creating spiritual communion that sustains eternal life.

The biblical narrative shows that sacred meals serve as celestial invitations to intimacy. When God provides food, He offers more than sustenance—He extends covenant relationship. This pattern begins in Eden where eating from the Tree of Life represented eternal fellowship, continues through wilderness manna that sustained Israel, and culminates in Christ’s sacrifice that enables eternal communion.

Understanding these sacred meals requires recognizing their dual nature: they address both physical hunger and spiritual longing. Each meal serves as both historical event and prophetic shadow, pointing toward the ultimate feast where all believers will dine eternally with their Creator.

Eden’s Table: The Foundation of Sacred Fellowship

In the beginning, God established the sacred meal as the foundation of human relationship with Himself. “And God said, Behold, I have given [Qal tense] you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding [Qal tense] seed; to you it shall be [Qal tense] for meat” (Genesis 1:29). The Hebrew word for “meat” here is oklah (H402), derived from the primitive root akal (H398) meaning “to eat, consume, devour,” which includes the sense of fire consuming completely. This encompasses not merely eating but intimate ongoing participation in heavenly provision that transforms and sustains.

Eden’s abundance revealed God’s heart for generous fellowship. “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). The Tree of Life, chayyim (H2416), provided access to continued life. Scripture later reveals this tree’s significance: “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7), and “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). The connection between eating from this tree and eternal communion with God becomes clear through these passages.

God’s first restriction came with this sacred meal: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it dying you shall die” (Genesis 2:16-17, CLV). This commandment established the sacred boundary between heavenly provision and human presumption. The Hebrew da’at (H1847) for knowledge suggests intimate, experiential understanding—the kind that belongs to God alone.

Eden’s meal fellowship demonstrates that access to spiritual life comes through trusting obedience to God’s word. The Tree of Life points forward to Him who would declare, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). This connection reveals that Eden’s fellowship prefigures the eternal feast where believers will eat from the Tree of Life bearing twelve fruits for the healing of nations (Revelation 22:2).

The Passover Meal: Deliverance Through Sacrifice

The sacred meal reaches its first major development in the Passover, where God establishes deliverance through sacrificial dining. “And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:7-8). This meal combines sacrifice (zebach, H2077) with communal eating (akal, H398), establishing the pattern that fellowship with God requires sacrificial blood.

The Passover lamb must be without blemish, pointing to the perfect sacrifice required for deliverance. “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year” (Exodus 12:5). The blood applied to the doorposts provides protection, while the flesh must be completely consumed that same night. “And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover” (Exodus 12:11). This demonstrates that sacred meals require both the sacrifice and the participation.

God commands this meal as a perpetual memorial: “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever” (Exodus 12:14). The Hebrew zikkaron (H2146) for memorial indicates more than remembrance—it means bringing the past event into present reality. This shadows the spiritual reality that Christ’s sacrifice, though accomplished in history, becomes present and effective for each believer through faith, as Paul declares: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26). 

The unleavened bread was commanded as part of the feast observance. “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread” (Exodus 12:15). During their actual departure, “they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry” (Exodus 12:39). The bitter herbs were also commanded as part of the meal: “and with bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:8).

Paul reveals the Passover’s ultimate fulfillment: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Christ becomes both the Passover lamb and the unleavened bread, providing both sacrifice and sustenance for the spiritual journey.

Wilderness Manna: Daily Bread from Heaven

God’s provision of manna in the wilderness reveals the sacred meal as heavenly sustenance for the covenant journey. “Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you” (Exodus 16:4). The Hebrew lechem (H3899) for bread represents essential sustenance, while shamayim (H8064) for heaven indicates celestial origin. This bread comes not from earth but from the throne of God.

The people called it man (H4478), meaning “what is it?”—expressing wonder at this mysterious provision. “And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:31). The honey suggests sweetness and abundance, reflecting the delight of God’s provision for His people.

Daily gathering of manna taught dependence on eternal provision. Those who gathered much had no excess, while those who gathered little had no lack (Exodus 16:18). This principle reveals that sacred meals come through trust in God’s daily provision rather than human accumulation. The manna spoiled when hoarded, teaching that heavenly fellowship cannot be stored but must be received fresh each day.

The wilderness manna points directly to the greater bread from heaven. “I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:48-51). The manna served as shadow; the substance is the eternal bread that sustains spiritual life.

Sinai’s Covenant Meal: Blood and Fellowship

The sacred meal reaches new significance when God establishes His covenant with Israel through blood and communal dining. “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink” (Exodus 24:9-11).

This extraordinary meal follows the covenant ratification through blood. “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, This is the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words” (Exodus 24:8). The Hebrew berit (H1285) for covenant suggests “eating together,” indicating that covenant relationship inherently involves shared meals. The blood seals this relationship, making fellowship possible.

The seventy elders eating and drinking in God’s presence establishes the pattern for covenant meals. They “saw” God, experiencing holy revelation through fellowship dining. This seeing encompasses both physical sight and spiritual perception—the kind of intimate knowledge that comes through covenant relationship.

This Sinai meal prefigures the new covenant established through better blood. When Jesus declares, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28), He fulfills the pattern established at Sinai. The disciples drinking from His cup participate in the same kind of covenant fellowship that the elders experienced, but through superior blood that enables eternal access to God’s presence.

Christ’s Table Ministry: Grace Extended Through Meals

The sacred meal finds its fullest expression in Christ’s ministry, where table fellowship becomes the primary means of extending grace to sinners. His eating with tax collectors and sinners reveals the heart of celestial hospitality. “And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them” (Luke 5:29). The Greek sunanakeimai (G4873) for “sat down with” indicates intimate reclining together—the position of closest fellowship.

Christ’s feeding of the multitudes demonstrates His role as provider of both physical and spiritual sustenance. When He gave thanks and broke the bread, He revealed His identity as the true manna from heaven. The feeding miracles connect directly to His declaration: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).

His post-resurrection appearances centered on meals, confirming that the sacred meal continues beyond death. “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him” (Luke 24:30-31). The breaking of bread becomes the moment of recognition, revealing that Christ is known through fellowship meals.

The breakfast by the Sea of Galilee demonstrates restored fellowship through shared food. “Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord” (John 21:12). This meal restores the disciples after their failure, showing that sacred meals heal broken relationships and restore covenant fellowship.

The Last Supper: New Covenant Established

The sacred meal reaches its climax in the Last Supper, where Christ establishes the new covenant through His own body and blood. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).

The bread represents His body broken for us, while the cup contains His blood of the new covenant. This meal fulfills the Passover typology while inaugurating the new covenant. The thanksgiving that accompanies this meal establishes the pattern for all Christian fellowship dining.

Paul’s account emphasizes the memorial aspect: “This do in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24). The Greek anamnesis (G364) for remembrance indicates more than mental recall—it means making present the reality of Christ’s sacrifice. Each celebration of this meal makes present the benefits of His death and resurrection.

The Last Supper connects all previous sacred meals to their fulfillment. Eden’s Tree of Life finds its substance in Christ’s broken body. Sinai’s covenant blood finds its perfection in Christ’s shed blood. The wilderness manna finds its reality in Christ as the bread from heaven. The Passover lamb finds its fulfillment in Christ our Passover. All sacred meals point to this moment when heavenly provision becomes incarnate sacrifice.

Corinthian Warnings: The Danger of Corrupted Fellowship

The sacred meal requires proper spiritual discernment, as Paul’s warnings to the Corinthians reveal. “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils” (1 Corinthians 10:21). The table (trapeza, G5132) represents the spiritual realm accessed through fellowship meals. Sharing the table of demons corrupts the fellowship and destroys spiritual life.

Paul warns against unworthy participation: “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27). The adverb “unworthily” (anaxios, G371) describes the manner of participation, not the worth of the participant. Proper participation requires self-examination the kind of testing that reveals spiritual condition.

These warnings connect to Israel’s wilderness failures with food and fellowship. “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted” (1 Corinthians 10:6). The golden calf incident, where the people “sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (Exodus 32:6), serves as a warning about corrupted fellowship through false meals.

False Meals: The Corruption of Sacred Fellowship

Scripture reveals that false meals corrupt the sacred fellowship that God intends. The golden calf incident demonstrates how quickly God’s people can pervert holy provision. “And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play” (Exodus 32:6). The Hebrew tsachaq (H6711) for “play” suggests immoral revelry that follows corrupted worship.

This false meal involved the golden calf made of gold. Their eating and drinking in this context represented spiritual adultery—sharing fellowship with false gods rather than the true God who had delivered them from Egypt. The sacrifice they offered was directed toward an idol, corrupting the entire fellowship.

Balaam’s teaching about idol feasts reveals the ongoing danger of false meals. “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication” (Revelation 2:14). Eating idol sacrifices leads to spiritual compromise and broken fellowship with God.

The connection between false meals and sexual immorality appears throughout Scripture. “And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods” (Numbers 25:1-2). False meals create false intimacy, leading to spiritual adultery and covenant-breaking.

Revelation’s Marriage Supper: The Ultimate Sacred Meal

The sacred meal finds its ultimate fulfillment in the marriage supper of the Lamb. “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God” (Revelation 19:9). This marriage supper represents the consummation of all sacred meals throughout biblical history.

The Lamb who provides this feast is the same one whose blood established the new covenant. Every previous sacred meal pointed toward this ultimate fellowship where the redeemed will eat and drink with their Creator forever. The marriage imagery reveals that this meal represents the most intimate fellowship possible—the union of Christ with His church.

This meal restores the Tree of Life that was lost in Eden. “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). The eternal life that flows from this tree provides healing for all who partake.

The river of life flowing from the throne connects to the spiritual sustenance that has been available through sacred meals throughout history. “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1). This river fulfills the promise of spiritual refreshment that accompanies heavenly fellowship.

Conclusion: The Sacred Meal as Sacred Invitation

The biblical pattern of sacred meals reveals that God consistently invites us into fellowship through shared food. From Eden’s abundant provision to Revelation’s marriage supper, these meals demonstrate that heavenly relationship transcends physical sustenance to create spiritual communion. Each meal in Scripture, while rooted in history, unveils a prophetic portrait of the eternal banquet prepared by our Creator.

The progression from Eden through Sinai to the wilderness, from Passover through Christ’s ministry to the Last Supper, from Corinthian warnings to Revelation’s finale shows that sacred meals require proper spiritual discernment. False meals corrupt fellowship and lead to spiritual death, while true meals create covenant relationship and sustain eternal life. The blood that enables access to these meals finds its perfect expression in Christ’s sacrifice, which opens the way for perpetual fellowship with God.

Understanding these sacred meals transforms how we approach both physical and spiritual nourishment. Every meal becomes an opportunity to remember God’s provision, to practice fellowship with others, and to anticipate the eternal feast. The table where we gather reflects the sacred invitation to intimacy, revealing that our deepest hunger is not for food but for fellowship with our Creator who satisfies every spiritual longing through His abundant provision.

Let us therefore come boldly to His table—not merely to eat and drink, but to commune with the One who invites us into eternal fellowship. For in every sacred meal, we taste not only bread and wine, but the goodness of the Lord who prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies and leads us to dwell in His house forever (Psalm 23:5–6).

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

[Study Aired Nov 21, 2024]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

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

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

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

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

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

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

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

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

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

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

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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

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

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry (the idolatry of our hearts that tells us we have free moral agency and can stand by our own might and power independent of God Php 2:12-13, 2Th 2:3-4).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2Ti 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Study Aired January 28, 2021]

Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 
Heb 10:30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 
Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 
Heb 10:32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 
Heb 10:33  Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34  For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

I’d like to start this study off by explaining how “The Lord shall judge^G2919 his people” of verse 30 of this tenth chapter is speaking of all of the world who will in time be judged (Rev 14:7). The one event that is common to all men is judgment (Ecc 9:3), but the timing of that judgment is not the same for all men, and it is God’s fiery words which judge us all. The fire is the same fiery word of God, and it will devour anything that defiles the Kingdom of God and prevent it from entering into the Kingdom (Rev 21:27), which is symbolized for us with “a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” of Genesis 3:24.

Christ and His word which is a sharp two-edged sword is symbolized by the “flaming sword which turned every way” (Heb 4:12) which guards Christ, “the tree of life”, in us who is our hope of glory (Col 1:27, Gen 3:24). If we are blessed to endure until the end with those living waters within us, we will in turn be the instruments God uses to judge the entire world with His words that will proceed from our mouths like fire (Jer 5:14, Rev 11:5).

Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment^G2920 is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Ecc 9:3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

G2919
krinō
kree’-non 
(of Heb 10:30 “…the Lord shall judge his people”)  Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish: – avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

G2920
krisis
kree’-sis 
(of Rev 14:7 “…the hour of his judgment”)
(Subjectively or objectively, for or against); by extension a tribunal; by implication justice (specifically divine law): – accusation, condemnation, damnation, judgment.

The judgment^G2917 that is upon the body of Christ today is a different word found in (1Pe 4:17).

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment^G2917 must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

G2917
krima
kree’-mah
From G2919; a decision (the function or the effect, for or against [“crime”]): – avenge, condemned, condemnation, damnation, + go to law, judgment.

So judgment (G2917 – krima) begins at the house of God and ends in the lake of fire for them “that obey not the gospel of God”. This end-time period is described in these verses and is something that has to be happening within the elect now who are being judged first (Rev 20:12-15).

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment^G2917 was given unto them: (1Co 6:2-3) 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 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged (G2919 – krino ̄) out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged (G2919 – krinō) every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

God has chosen the elect from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4) to be part of a judgment in this age (1Pe 4:17-19) which will transform us (Rom 12:2) into the image of Christ so we can have the boldness and confidence (1Jn 4:17-19) that comes with knowing we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us (Rom 8:37-39).

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love [Rom 8:1-2]:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment (G2917 – krima) must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect [Heb 12:6], that we may have boldness in the day of judgment (G2920 – krisis): [today as we are being judged and judge all things (1Co 2:15), and boldly judging those who will be in the lake of fire (1Co 6:3)] because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us [Rom 9:13].

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord [Rom 5:10].

God wants us to remember His mercy, and His faithfulness in order to help us through this time of judgment we all must endure with hope-filled hearts that believe “or yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry“. Outwardly Christ will come back a second time (Act 1:11), but if God is working with us now, we are experiencing this joy in the morning now, as he gives us power to be overcomers in this life (Psa 30:5, Rev 2:7).

Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Psa 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Heb 10:30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 
Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

We ended last week’s study looking at Hebrews 10:28-29 where we discussed “Those who “despised Moses’ law” as typifying those “who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.” Those “that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses“, and the unconverted masses which will be resurrected in the second resurrection unto the judgment called (G292 – krisis) accusation, condemnation, damnation, judgment will face a “much sorer” punishment varying from person to person depending on the degree that they were already sanctified and then considered that process “an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace”.

Doing “despite unto the Spirit of grace” is something God causes to happen to those like the two hundred and fifty men of renown whose hearts were hardened and caused to err and the rest of the congregation the next morning (Num 16:2-3, Num 16:41, Isa 63:17), for our sakes so that we understand the process of grace and faith we must undergo in order to have our carnal minds destroyed in this life through judgment (10X5X5=250).

These two parables of Christ found in Matthew 21:28-45 explain the natural resistance that is in our flesh toward Christ, our doing “despite unto the Spirit of grace” unless we are being given to receive the words of God which will only happen to those who are received through chastening and scourging (Heb 12:6).

Mat 21:28  But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
Mat 21:29  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
Mat 21:30  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
Mat 21:31  Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Mat 21:32  For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
Mat 21:33  Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Mat 21:34  And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
Mat 21:35  And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Mat 21:36  Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
Mat 21:37  But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mat 21:38  But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
Mat 21:39  And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
Mat 21:40  When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Mat 21:41  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Mat 21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mat 21:43  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Mat 21:45  And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

[Heb 12:6 – the two sons in the first parable represent the old man and new man within us, then our rejection of Christ (Act 2:36-38) is explained when we are likened unto a husbandman of God’s vineyard that we abuse, rejecting Christ the cornerstone until we are crushed by that same stone we reject being judged in this age (Mat 21:28-44, 1Pe 4:17).]

Act 2:36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

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

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Moses fell on his face when he heard of this rebellion (Num 16:4) and in type and shadow language told “Korah and …all his company” this is what you must do now “This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi”, which is another way of saying “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.” So Korah in essence was told to trim his lamp (Mat 25:7-8), but God knows our hearts and despite his actions it would be revealed on the morrow who was really serving God and who had a spirit of rebellion, who was really receiving the word of grace and who considered that process “an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace” (Num 16:6-7, Rev 3:18, Mat 25:7-8).

What was going on here was a lack of gratitude and thankfulness for what God had already done for Korah and all his company (Num 16:9-10). It seemed a small thing to them “that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them.” That lack of gratefulness was reflected in their desire to seek the priesthood also: “And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?” In very practical terms what this is telling us today is simply this.

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1Ti 6:13  I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
1Ti 6:14  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ [Heb 10:37]:

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

These verses we’ve looked at in Numbers chapter 16 are the ones that brightly show us that “Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.” He judges His people, in this case ancient Israel, for our sakes to show us what is in us (2Co 4:15) and how we must continue to keep under ourselves, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (1Co 9:27, Heb 12:15).

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

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

That measure of faith and our willingness to keep under ourselves are also a work of God, regardless we are learning to fear God and move with fear because “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God“, and in that state of mind we will “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Php 2:12-13).

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

Heb 10:32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 

We are called to remember “the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions“.

In other words, think back from time to time, in the positive sense of looking back, not to trouble your heart as Paul said. He wanted to forget those things behind him but rather in this positive way we are looking back to remind us of how many things God has already delivered us from, and will continue to do so, as we reach “forth unto those things which are before” looking to that open door, Jesus Christ (Joh 10:9), who we hear on the Lord’s day being raised in heavenly places (Php 3:13, Rev 1:10-12, Rev 4:1-2, Eph 2:6).

Joh 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

We don’t want to be short-sighted, in other words, of the mighty hand that delivered us from Egypt (2Pe 1:5-9, Deu 26:8, Deu 32:18), nor do we want to forget that we are in a race which we will win if we are granted to die daily and acknowledge that this is a lifetime endeavour of overcoming, which Christ has promised to be faithful to see us through (1Co 9:24, 1Co 15:31).

2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Deu 26:8  And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:

Deu 32:18  Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

God will not let the elect clear the land of sin too quickly lest we become proud: “lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee” (Deu 7:22), and we become highminded (Rom 11:20).  If we take our eyes off Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith working with us right now both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure, which is to give us the kingdom, that also would be something that would come about because we have stopped moving with fear because God has hardened our hearts.

Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

So our prayer is that God will keep us and grant us the grace and faith needed to be saved (Eph 2:8-9, Rom 3:27, 1Jn 5:4) through His holy spirit as we continue to bear all things, believe all things, and endure all things (Rom 5:5, 1Co 13:7) until the end in order to be saved (Mat 24:13).

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.

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

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

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

1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

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

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

Heb 10:33  Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 
Heb 10:34  For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 

Christ is our example of one who was “made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions” (Luk 23:34-39, Heb 12:3-5), enduring and suffering that humiliation for our sakes to give us the confidence that we can also endure all things through this life as He did, by the same power that strengthened Him in His time of need (Heb 5:7, Heb 4:16, Rom 5:10). Sharing in those reproaches of Christ (Heb 11:26) as we fill up what is behind of His afflictions (Col 1:24) is the greatest honour that could be bestowed upon us, and it is because of those sufferings which we can endure through Christ that we will be made ready to rule under Him (2Ti 2:12, Rev 19:7).

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Luk 23:35  And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
Luk 23:36  And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
Luk 23:37  And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
Luk 23:38  And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Luk 23:39  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. [“reproaches and afflictions” of Christ that we share in Galatians 2:20]

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

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

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

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

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

Notice the word “partly” which reminds us that God does not give us more than we can bear in this life (1Co 10:13) but things are done in order, each trial strengthening us for the next as we are made ready as the bride of Christ.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it [love “bears all things“].

Heb 10:33  Sometimes you were abused and mistreated in public, and at other times you shared in the sufferings of others. (CEV)

Again we look to Christ’s example on the cross to see those parts of our walk explained through those three men who were crucified for our sakes (Luk 23:39-43). Christ was the only one on that cross who was innocent, and it is the blood of Christ which makes us accepted through the beloved (Eph 1:6) even while this process of judgment is unfolding within us with those two thieves on the cross who represent the struggle that is going on every second of our life within us. Those two men witness to that fact of this reality within each of God’s elect, along with the one man Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith who is declaring the end from the beginning for both of these men and declaring their salvation through his sacrifice, that they will one day understand: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” and “Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise (CLV)”.

So our “companions of them that were so used“, when looked at within, is represented by those two men on the cross as it was for Christ who ruled over those powers and principalities while in his flesh, and the first to ‘have compassion for us all in bonds‘ (1Jn 4:17).

Heb 10:34 for also with my bonds ye sympathised, and the robbery of your goods with joy ye did receive, knowing that ye have in yourselves a better substance in the heavens, and an enduring one. (YLT)

These three men together being crucified remind us that three is “the completion of the process of judgment”. Another witness of Christ being in the midst of “the process of spiritual completion” that three stands for is found in Daniel (Dan 3:25).

“You, my friends, are the thieves hanging beside Christ! Don’t you know that YOU are the TEMPLE of God, and the Spirit of God DWELLS in YOU? “…

“When others condemn us for being “the Christ”, we MUST realize that it is not of their own doing or our own doing that we are hanging on a cross with Christ, but that it is the will of God to bring about the new man in us, the great mystery of Christ in us our hope and glory.”

(Excerpts from The Thing I Fear)

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

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the conclusion of this section of Hebrews that shows us the importance of not casting away our confidence as we patiently wait for the “great recompense of reward” that God reminds us “for yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry“.

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hi Mike,

I have been thinking deeply about the creation of Adam. I have come to believe that Adam was created MORTAL and not IMMORTAL. I don’t know what your position is on the subject, but here is why I believe what I do… perhaps you can straighten me out if I am wrong:

God placed TWO trees in the Garden of Eden: The “Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil” plus the “Tree of Life“. God gave Adam ONE command, and that was to “not eat of the Tree of Knowledge.”

If Adam DID eat of the Tree of Knowledge, God warned that “dying, ye shall DIE“, or “ye shall SURELY (certainly) die“). This, to me, is saying that Adam was already dying, even before He ate of the Tree of Knowledge. His death wasn’t yet “CERTAIN” since he still had full access to the Tree of Life! (But of course, we know that he did not partake of it)

All Adam had to do, was to eat of the Tree of Life, so that he would BECOME “immortal”! Isn’t this why God says that after He ate of the Tree of Knowledge, that He then guarded the Tree of Life, lest he eat of it and live for ever?

I look forward to your response!

God Bless,

J____

Hi J____,

It is good to hear from you again. You are right on about Adam’s original condition while yet “in the hand of the Potter:”

Jer 18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 18:2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potte r: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jer 18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [ is] in the potter’s hand, so [ are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

All of God’s “clay vessels” are “marred [ while yet] in the hand of the Potter.” That is because God has not yet finished “making man in His image.” What that verse should read is “Let us be making man in our image.” The first step in that process is to make a “marred vessel of clay.” It was the result of being in this sad, “marred, naked, dusty” condition, while yet “in the hand of the Potter” that caused Adam and Eve to succumb to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the heart and the pride of life before they ever ate of the tree of life.

1Jn 2:16 For all [ sin] that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Flesh itself misses the mark of the Christ we are now to know after the spirit. So Adam, by virtue of being flesh, is sin and needs a sacrifice for what he IS, before he ever does anything. As soon as Adam does something, he is then also in need of another sacrifice for what he DID. So God has given us a “sin offering,” for the flesh that we are. But He has also provided a “trespass offering,” for what we do in “the body of this death.” Adam sinned because he was in a “body of this death.” He sinned because he was dying. He did not begin dying because he sinned. The lie of the serpent “thou shalt not surly die,” has man thinking the opposite of the Word of God to this very day. Adam was dying when he drew his first breath:

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

“Flesh and blood” are synonymous in scripture with “corruption.” Adam was “corruptible and in corruption” from the time he drew his first breath. That is why he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam was created with a fleshly mind. Adam was created of the dust. He was created with an earthly carnal mind. He was “a vessel of clay marred in the hand Of the Potter.”

I have written all this years ago in the paper on The Law of Moses Versus The Law of the Spirit.

Go to that paper on the web site. If you read down about three quarters of the paper to the section entitled ‘Phrase # 7- Under The Law.’ The remainder of this paper discusses the original condition in which Adam was created while yet a “vessel of clay, in the Potters hand.”

I think you will find that it confirms what you have asked me about in this letter. I would only add that the ‘flaming sword, guarded the WAY of the tree of life.” This symbolizes the fact that it is only by going through that flaming fire of the Word Of God that we can partake of the ‘Tree of Life, that is in the paradise of God.” The ‘Tree of Life of course, is Christ. And His word burns out of us everything that separates us from Him.

There was no chance that Adam and Eve would ever have eaten of the tree of life first. It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which was placed right in the middle of the garden. It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which had been made to look so appealing to the natural, clay, dusty, naked, carnal mind. We have every scriptural reason to believe that the tree of life on the other had “had no form or comeliness that we should desire it.” Here is the only way the carnal mind could possibly have thought of the tree of life:

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.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Had a question on my mind for a couple days. In Proverbs, Solomon, as well as Jesus himself, I notice refer to wisdom as her? Have you ever noticed this? Any significance to this?

Thanks,
J____

Hi J____,

Thank you for your question.

You ask:

In proverbs Solomon as well as Jesus himself I notice refer[ence] to wisdom as her? Have you ever noticed this? Any significance to this?

Yes, indeed I have noticed this, and yes, there is great spiritual significance to the fact that wisdom is referred to in the feminine gender . Let’s just look at a verse in Proverbs and where Christ mentions wisdom in the New Testament in the feminine gender:

Pro 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

Luk 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.

“Wisdom has builded her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars”. Who is “she [who] has hewn out here seven pillars”? To answer that question we need to notice that “the Lord by wisdom founded the earth…”

Pro 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

So wisdom is a ‘she’, and it was “by wisdom” that the earth was founded. Who is this ‘wisdom’?

What else are we told of this ‘wisdom’? Let’s add this bit of knowledge to our understanding of whom we refer when we speak of ‘wisdom’. It is in Pro 3, in the verses which immediately precede verse 19 where we are told that, “The Lord by wisdom has founded the earth”. Here is more information about who is ‘wisdom’.

Pro 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Pro 3:14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
Pro 3:15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Pro 3:16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Pro 3:17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Pro 3:18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

“She is a tree of life”. That is who ‘wisdom’ is.

The most basic knowledge of Biblical symbolism reveals that any reference to the female gender in scripture points us to the head of that gender. The head of the woman is the man, the head of the man is Christ, and “the head of Christ is God”. Now which of these is ‘wisdom’?

‘Wisdom’ certainly is not the woman, because her head is the man. Wisdom is certainly not the man because his head is Christ. But since God “by wisdom founded the earth”, and since wisdom “is a tree of life unto them that lay hold upon her”, and since “the head of Christ is God”, then it only follows that it was by Christ that the earth was founded, and it is Christ who is a tree of life to those who lay hold on Him, and it is Christ, who was with God “from the beginning”. It is only Christ that can be this ‘wisdom’, because it is Christ who we are told, was used of God to create all things,

Col 1:16 For by him [Christ, wisdom] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Look at how closely these verses agree with the characteristics of wisdom described in Pro 8:

Pro 8:23 I [wisdom] was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
Pro 8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Pro 8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
Pro 8:26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
Pro 8:27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
Pro 8:28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
Pro 8:29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
Pro 8:30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
Pro 8:31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
Pro 8:32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.

“Hearken to me… whoso finds me finds life”. Who is life?

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

So this all points to the fact that just as “the man is the head of the woman”, in the same way “the head of Christ is God”. So the Truth of this verse is confirmed in 1Co 11:3, “The head of Christ is God”. In other words Christ is not only the Son of God, He is also God’s wife, through whom He has produced all of His creation, and by whom we understand the godhead.

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

“The things that are made”, refers to the creation of mankind as male and female in the garden of Eden.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

It does not refer to the three forms of water, nor does it refer to the three parts of an egg. Three is the number of the process of judgment, and the three forms of water and the three parts of an egg reveal much about the process by which we are judged and brought to God. They have nothing to do with “His eternal power and Godhead”. Read this for a deeper understanding of the spiritual significance of the number three:

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/numbers-in-scripture-three-the-process-of-spiritual-completion-through-judgment

So what do “the things that are made” reveal concerning “his eternal power and godhead”? Who exactly is the head who relates to “His eternal power and Godhead”?

Eve was said to be a woman because ‘woman’ means ‘out of man’, and Eve came out from Adam, the man.

Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

There it is. That is the order which God the Father has established through Christ at creation. That is what makes the Godhead “clearly seen”. It is laid out for us in no uncertain terms in 1Co 11. Adam is the head of the woman because the woman “was taken out of Man”.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

1Co 11:8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
1Co 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

If man is the head of the woman because “she was taken out of Man”, then it follows that God is the head of Christ because Christ came out of God the Father. The Father is not of Christ, but Christ is of the Father. Neither was the Father created for Christ, but Christ for the Father. Is that really what the scriptures teach?

Joh 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Joh 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou [the Father] gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

So “the head of Christ is God”, just as “the head of the woman is the man”. What this all tells those with eyes that see and ears that hear is that God created Christ, and through Christ He created mankind.

Mankind may be confused about the Godhead, but Christ has never been confused. He did not say ‘The Godhead is a mystery which you cannot understand’. To the contrary Christ said “My Father is greater than I”, and I am “the beginning of the creation of God”.

Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

So it was Christ who created Adam at what the scriptures call “the foundation of the world”.

Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Abel was, of course, the son of Adam. But Christ tells us that He Himself is “the beginning of the creation of God”. So then it was through Christ that God created Adam, and it was through Adam that Christ created all of mankind, and all of mankind is said to be “in Adam”.

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

So Christ is headed up by God, and He submits to God as His head. Man is headed up by Christ, and in His time, will acknowledge that Christ is his head, just as the woman is headed up by the man, and in time submits to her husband.

In Isaiah, Christ can identify with Israel in the female gender as He identifies with Israel in Hos 1 as His son coming out of Egypt. Christ calls Israel both His wife and His son.

Isa 54:6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

Hos 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

I hope this all serves to help you to see and to understand that it is the fact that “the head of Christ is God” that wisdom is spiritually referred to in the feminine, submissive gender.

Your brother in Christ, who is also, Lord willing His submissive bride.

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ [‘wisdom’ with His Father] and the church.

Mike

Sir;

Isa 1:17-18 and Rev 3:20 … talk about salvation. My question is, if salvation is a done deal, why the invitation to reason, and also [ why is] Jesus knocking at the door (of peoples’ hearts)? Could you please comment on these two scripture verses?

Thank you,
L____

Hi L___,

The question you are struggling with is the same one I struggled with. Why, if God is all knowing, does He tell us not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, while in reality He knows we will eat of that tree and has already prepared the Lambnslain from the foundation of the world; Rev 13:8. Why does He say Come let us reason together, when in reality,…

Pro 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, [ as] the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will…

… and…

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [ Gk. – drag] him?

The answer is that while God is all knowing [(Isa 46:10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure…] WE DO NOT KNOW EVEN WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING FORTH! Consequently, we must make daily decisions AS IF we, ourselves, were making those decisions, when all the while, the Truth is: it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Php 2:13). So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy (Rom 9:16).

It is an amazing Truth that the word ‘responsibility’ is nowhere to be found in the scriptures! The reason is The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil (Pro 16:4). That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things (Isa 45:6-7).

Is this also true of those he asks to “Come and let us reason together?” Is it true for those of whom He says: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20)? Here is your answer:

Joh 6:44) No man can come to [ sup with] me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [ drag] him.
Eph 1:11 [ He] worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

So while the word ‘responsibility’ is nowhere mentioned in scripture, the word ‘account’ is everywhere mentioned; (Rom 14:12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God… (Rom 2:6) … Who will render to every man according to his deeds.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read Strong Delusion and Biblical Examples of Rightly Dividing The Word on www. iswasandwillbe. com. Those two papers will help you to keep God’s Word foremost in your mind as you make all those decisions that God, but not you, already knows you will make.

I hope this has been of help.

Mike >