[Study Aired January 12, 2023]

2Ki 16:1  In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2Ki 16:2  Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.
2Ki 16:3  But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
2Ki 16:4  And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
2Ki 16:5  Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
2Ki 16:6  At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
2Ki 16:7  So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. 
2Ki 16:8  And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
2Ki 16:9  And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
2Ki 16:10  And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. 
2Ki 16:11  And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus. 
2Ki 16:12  And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
2Ki 16:13  And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
2Ki 16:14  And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.
2Ki 16:15  And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.
2Ki 16:16  Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
2Ki 16:17  And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
2Ki 16:18  And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.
2Ki 16:19  Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
2Ki 16:20  And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

God’s word as shown in these verses (Isa 1:13-22, 1Pe 1:12-16) contrast so starkly with what king Ahaz did during his reign, which was in contrast to what Hezekiah the next ruling king of Judah would do for the nation of Judah. These verses in Isaiah (Isa 1:13-19) point to the reality of what must happen now in the lives of all those who are being dragged to Christ in this life (Joh 6:44). The verses in Peter’s writings confirm how we are to present our lives as a living sacrifice before God (Rom 12:1-2), bringing forth good fruit, meet unto repentance (Mat 3:8).

Isa 1:13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 
Isa 1:14  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
Isa 1:15  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. [Ahaz]
Isa 1:16  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Isa 1:17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isa 1:19  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: [Hezekiah]

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 
1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 
1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Such an extreme turnabout from dark to light in character is shown from Ahaz to the next ruling king Hezekiah, typifying how we go from the corruptible seed of our father the devil to become an incorruptible holy seed in the hands of the Creator (1Pe 1:23).

1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. 

What manifested in the life of Ahaz demonstrates the depth of depravity that our flesh can go to without God in our lives, as opposed to Hezekiah’s life that is typical of those who are called and chosen in this life and given power over the powers and principalities which we will wrestle against all our lives, becoming more than conquerors through Christ our head (Rom 8:37).

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

This seems to be the lowest point for Judah’s history in regard to the depraved way in which the people conducted themselves under the rulership of Ahaz. Their idolatrous lifestyle of the day is typical of our own lives, our own former conversation (Eph 2:2) that was full of our own idolatry until Christ, typified by Hezekiah, came in and began to tear all those idols down. This chapter of kings is like a pinnacle of evil, a ‘fullness-of-the-sins-of-the-Amorites’ moment in time, that is going to bring about great correction on the nation of Judah (Gen 15:16).

Multiple times we hear this well-repeated verse throughout the book of kings, “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin,” which sins of Jeroboam led to worse sins in the lives of all those who embraced them. Those sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat were just as potentially prevalent in the heart of Adam as they are in the hearts of those who claim to know Christ as Adam and Eve did, but who are yet with hearts and minds that cannot be obedient to the commandments of God (Luk 6:46). God allows for this ebb and flow of evil, but the truth is the heart was always deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9) along the way from Adam on. It is only through Christ, typified by Hezekiah, that we can begin to truly lay our lives down in His service and no longer “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting” of Isaiah 1:13.

Before we get into our study, here’s a little snapshot of the history of Judah and king Ahaz taken from the web [Who was King Ahaz in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org] that will help us organize the historical details of this section of kings, as we learn how God’s hand worked all these events according to the counsel of his own will and for our admonition upon whom the end the age is come (Eph 1:11, 1Co 10:11). I want to draw our attention to this statement in regard to how the author of this article struggles with how evil Ahaz was, as opposed to his father before him, saying “so it is unclear why King Ahaz departed so completely from the teachings of the Lord.” The answer to God’s elect now is clear. It is God who caused this wickedness to become more pronounced in the life of Ahaz to demonstrate His sovereign power over the clay which we are, to make one a vessel of honor and another fitted to destruction (Rom 9:17-23).

Rom 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 
Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (typified by the lives of Ahaz and Hezekiah in this section of kings)
Rom 9:22  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 
Rom 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

[Excerpt from Who was King Ahaz in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org]: 

“Ahaz was an evil king of Judah who became king at the age of 20 and reigned for 4 years with his father, Jotham, from 735 to 731 BC, and 16 years on his own, from 731 to 715 BC. Second Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28 record King Ahaz’s destructive practices, such as idol worship and sacrilege against the temple of the Lord. The actions of Ahaz contributed to the downfall of the kingdom of Judah, which the Lord brought about in 586 BC. Isaiah 7–10 speaks of the results and consequences of King Ahaz’s wicked ways.

Ahaz’s father, King Jotham, was one of the good kings of Judah (2Ch 27:2), so it is unclear why King Ahaz departed so completely from the teachings of the Lord. His repugnant deeds included sacrificing his own children, which was a great evil the kingdom of Israel had already been practicing (2Ki 16:3, 2Ch 28:3). King Ahaz also desecrated the temple as a result of his alliance with the king of Assyria, which came about in response to punishment God sent on Ahaz in the form of attacks on Ahaz’s land.

King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel had besieged King Ahaz’s lands, and, although they were not strong enough to defeat Ahaz, they did “inflict heavy casualties on him” (2Ch 28:5). Not only were Ahaz’s son Maaseiah and his second-in-command, Elkanah, killed, but over 100,000 soldiers were killed, and Judah’s cities were plundered. Many Israelites who were living in Judah were taken captive (verses 6–8). Because of all this, Ahaz appealed to the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, for help in defeating Aram and Israel. Tiglath-Pileser complied and attacked Damascus, capturing the city and killing King Rezin.

When King Ahaz met the victorious king of Assyria in Damascus, he saw a pagan altar there he wanted to copy for his own use in Jerusalem. So he sent plans to his priest Uriah, who finished the altar before Ahaz came back from Damascus (2Ki 16:11). Upon his return, King Ahaz made sacrifices on the altar to the gods of Damascus. He moved the altar of the Lord, and, although he still planned to use it for “guidance” (verse 15), Ahaz offered all the sacrifices on the new altar.

Ahaz’s sacrilege did not end there. To impress the king of Assyria, he removed the royal entryway of the temple as well as the Sabbath canopy, and cut the temple furnishings into pieces (2Ki 16:17-18, 2Ch 28:24). After shutting the doors to the temple, he placed altars at all the street corners in Jerusalem and high places for worshiping false gods in every city in Judah (2Ch 28:24-25).

The Bible is not clear on how Ahaz died, but it does say that, although he was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, he did not earn a place in the tombs of the kings of Israel (2Ki 16:20, 2Ch 28:27). His son Hezekiah reigned after him, and, fortunately, King Hezekiah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD” (2Ch 29:2). He reversed what his father had done to the temple, purifying it and again consecrating it for worship of the Lord (verses 3–36). [End Quote]

2Ki 16:1  In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz^H271 the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 
2Ki 16:2  Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.

Pekah was in his 17th year of ruling Israel when king Ahaz came on the scene. Ahaz was 20 years old and reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. We are told he did not right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father, and so these numbers take on a negative application telling us that it had been better for him to have never reigned in the first place (2Pe 2:21).

2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

The addition of Ahaz’s age when he began to rule at 20 years old and the length of his rule 16 years adds to 36 which numbers (3+6=9) adds up to the number of judgment (9) upon the flesh, (6) by way of a process (3).

Pekah being in his 17th year of reign when Ahaz begins his reign also adds to this story as (17) signifies the intent of all rulership which, in the positive, is to form the new creation, the new man which is the addition of (1+7=8), but that increase must come from God (1Co 3:6) and these stories are always to be understood as an admonition to which, Lord willing, we will take heed as we see the parable unfolding so we can be motivated to keep overcoming (2Pe 1:4). In the negative use, 17 points to upheaval and brokenness.

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.

Gen 37:2  These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

God used this wicked king to accomplish His purpose of showing what was in the heart of the nation of Judah, telling us what is in the heart of all mankind until God begins to judge us and have those things burned out of our life (Jer 17:1-5, 1Pe 4:17). 

Jer 17:1  The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; [negative example of being bound to an altar of sin according to the counsel of God’s will]
Jer 17:2  Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. 
Jer 17:3  O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. 
Jer 17:4  And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever. 
Jer 17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

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

We are being shown via king Ahaz’s bad example that we must be continually on our guard to follow Christ and to try the spirits whether they are of God or not (1Jn 4:1). This king’s actions were anything but godly. This was a time of judgment on Judah, now taking on a new elevated height, vis-a-vis wicked king Ahaz who was bent on deepening the nation’s idolatrous ways.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Ahaz^H271 means “possessor” or “he has grasped” [and what he was possessing was the wicked rule over the nation of Judah by walking in the abominable ways of the heathen.]

We can lay hold of something with a righteous intent to serve others, or we can lay hold of something or touch something for our own selfish personal pleasurable interests (Heb 11:25). Such was the case with Ahaz who was meant to lay hold of the nation and become a curse to them by the things he did (Pro 29:2).

Pro 29:2  When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

In the positive use of taking hold of something, Jacob was inspired to take hold of Esau’s heel, typifying how God’s elect would be overcomers of our carnal fleshly nature typified by Esau. This overcoming was predestined before we were born and is made evident to God’s elect via this prophecy that tells us so in Romans 9:11.

Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

As certain as the prophecy is that there is a remnant that will lay hold of the righteousness of Christ (Gen 25:26), so too, does the scripture reveal that the first man Adam will lay hold of holy things that will bring about their death (2Sa 6:6). It is the oxen, representing the beasts which mankind are, that causes the ark to be shaken and then steadied by the other beast, Uzzah, that leads to his death (Ecc 3:18).

Gen 25:26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold^H270 on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

2Sa 6:6  And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold^H270 of it; for the oxen shook it.

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

Ahaz  H271  ‘âchâz aw-khawz’

Strongs Definition:  — From H270; possessor; Achaz, the name of a Jewish king and of an Israelite: – Ahaz.  Total KJV occurrences: 41 

BDB Definition:  Ahaz = “he has grasped”
1) king of Judah, son Jotham, father of Hezekiah
2) a Benjamite, son of Micah, and great grandson of Jonathan
Part of Speech: noun proper masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H270

2Ki 16:3  But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
2Ki 16:4  And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Notice how thoroughly corrupt this king was and how he used these evil practices of the heathen to keep control of the masses. It was “under every green tree” and in  “the high places, and on the hills” this all took place, typifying for us how these evil practices were steadily and healthily growing and being done in the high places and hills that represent our pride which causes us to hold fast to the practices of the heathen (Isa 57:3-5, Isa 57:7).

Isa 57:3  But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
Isa 57:4  Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, 
Isa 57:5  Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? 

Isa 57:7  Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

Sacrificing and burning incense in these places tells us that there was devotion to these idolatrous ways and an ungodly attachment to these wicked practices, regardless of the fact that the LORD had already “cast out from before the children of Israel” these evil practices. Walking in the ways of the kings of Israel symbolizes walking in our flesh and holding fast to the traditions of men and not God’s (Mar 7:7-8), even to the extent that Ahaz “made his son to pass through the fire,” which is symbolic for us today of how we offer up our children to the traditions of Baal found on an altar that has its origins in heathenism “Christmas, Easter, New Years, etc.” Without an experience of evil such as the one that Ahaz was bringing upon the nation of Judah, we have no way to compare the good fruit from the bad, and so God’s modus operandi for all of humanity is revealed to us in these verses (Rom 6:20-21, Rom 7:5-6, Ecc 1:13 [CLV], Jer 10:2).

Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

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

Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it. [The experience of evil is the way that seems right to man and yet is inspired by the spirit of Satan that leads to death. (Pro 14:12)]

Jer 10:2  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

2Ki 16:5  Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
2Ki 16:6  At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

Now God’s judgment and wrath was going to be poured out upon Judah by way of “Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel“. Rezin is a gentile king who is the wicked sword in God’s hand that will be used (Psa 17:13) to chasten and scourge the nation of Judah for their idolatrous ways. Rezin “drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day” signifying our total inability to remain faithful even in times of trials and tribulations unless Christ is there. We reflected on the taking of Elath a couple of studies ago with King Azariah that is worth repeating here [taken from  Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 14:19-29]:

“The life of Azariah ultimately ended up producing bad fruit, represented by his building of Elath^H359 that he restored to Judah, “He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers” (2Ki 14:22). Based on all that we read about the life of Azariah and what he ended up doing, it’s clear that his high-mindedness was manifested by disobedience as he went to burn incense in the temple when only the priests of Aaron were allowed to do so (Exo 30:30, Exo 30:37-38, Num 16:35), and then being smitten with physical leprosy, symbolic of his spiritually corrupt heart.  As always, we are reminded that this is written for our admonition. Unless we are washed by the blood of Christ that takes away our sinful condition, represented by leprosy, we would remain in the bondage the whole world is in, and that bondage is likened unto death – “being dead wherein we were held” (Rom 7:6, Joh 8:36, 1Jn 5:19, Mat 8:22, Rom 6:3).

H359‘êylôth / ‘êylath   BDB Definition:
Elath or Eloth = “grove of lofty trees”
1) a port on the north-east arm of the Red Sea
Part of Speech: noun proper locative
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H352 [properly strength; hence”

***** end quote

Both Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Syria came up against Judah to make war against Judah who “could not be overcome” at this time, but there were casualties (2Ch 28:5-8).

2Ch 28:5  Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.
2Ch 28:6  For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. 
2Ch 28:7  And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king. 
2Ch 28:8  And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

This battle does not represent ‘spirit against flesh and flesh against spirit’ as much as it represents flesh against flesh and how every man will be against his neighbor (Mar 13:12, Eze 38:21, Isa 3:5), as God uses that divisiveness to His glory to chasten the nations in question.

However, without the mind of Christ, when someone is in such a battle it normally means the battle is going to continue and ‘unholy alliances’ are going to be made, to assure victory for one of the parties. In the end, more death and destruction unfolds (Russia and the Ukraine as a modern example of that principle). Such was the case here with Ahaz who saw the writing on the wall for the nation of Judah. In typical in-the-flesh fashion, instead of seeking God through a prophet of the times, Ahaz sought out a physical ally to help give him the upper hand in battle against “Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel“. That aid came in the form of “Tiglathpileser king of Assyria” who consequently was very much an opportunist like Ahaz.

Mar 13:12  Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

Eze 38:21  And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 

Isa 3:5  And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

2Ki 16:7  So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
2Ki 16:8  And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
2Ki 16:9  And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. 

This alliance being forged with “Tiglathpileser king of Assyria” is purely a survival tactic of Ahaz who tries everything to get the king of Assyria on his side in this battle, reminding him that “I am thy servant and thy son” which he was not any more than king Pekah was the son of Rezin the king of Syria. It all demonstrates that desperate times call for desperate measures, and instead of doing the right thing and tearing down the idols within Judah, Ahaz digs in his heels and despises the chastening of the Lord in type and figure, building up his fleshly army to further preserve his idolatrous reign over Judah, at least that is his hope.

Ahaz does what he is good at doing best in bribing the king of Assyria, confident that money will talk, which it did. “And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.” This misappropriation of the LORD’s gold and silver to further the conflict in the nation of Judah has become a theme for Ahaz. The silver in the LORD’s house typically represents repentance, and the gold in the LORD’s house is His words that have been tried in the fire and made pure. Ahaz instead uses those riches to further hold onto his fading empire that was full of idolatry, typifying for us how Babylon today has tainted all the doctrine of God leaving no stay of bread or water in the harlot system (Isa 3:1).

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, [Mar 7:7-8]

2Ki 16:10  And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. 
2Ki 16:11  And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus. 
2Ki 16:12  And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon. 
2Ki 16:13  And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar. 
2Ki 16:14  And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

King Ahaz has victory on his side now, and instead of having a change of heart in regard to all the idolatry that has brought about this war, he reaches out to his priest Urijah to ask him to make a copy of the altar of Tiglathpileser that he is seeing in Damascus. This sending the fashion of the altar and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof, sounds a lot like, and is exactly the opposite actions of, these words which this unfaithful king could not implement for the nation of Judah found in Ezekiel 43:10-11.

Eze 43:10  Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. [Christ the pattern]
Eze 43:11  And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

How brazen can one man be (pun intended)! He not only comes back to offer polluted sacrifices with “his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar,” he also altered the brazen altar’s position in the temple taking it “from between the altar and the house of the LORD” to “the north side of the altar.” Moving that “brasen altar” is symbolic of taking away from the word of God and when we do this, judgment is what is going to befall us (Rev 22:19, 1Co 4:6), which is why his actions led it to be put “on the north side of the altar” where judgment comes from (Jer 1:14).

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. 

All these unholy actions and false worship by Ahaz represent our former conversation, and admonish us today to continue to worship our heavenly Father in spirit and in truth (Eph 2:2, 1Co 10:11, Joh 4:24).

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: 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

2Ki 16:15  And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.
2Ki 16:16  Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

It’s not enough that Ahaz himself is going to worship in this manner, but his evil communications, his way of life, is going to be shared with the rest of Judah and his plans executed by Urijah the priest.

In this instance Ahaz is akin to ‘another Jesus’ and Urijah to the ministers of Babylon who serve out many meaty lies with all the religious pomp and pageantry that you would expect from such a wealthy harlot system as Babylon (Rev 18:6-7).

Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Jer 51:7  Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. 

Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

2Ki 16:17  And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones. 
2Ki 16:18  And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria. 

These next actions are just more of the same defiling of the temple of God we have seen unfolding, and we know that everyone who does this, which is all mankind in their appointed time, is going to be destroyed (1Co 3:17).

1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Ahaz, who represents our carnal first man Adam, has no problem misappropriating any part of the temple of God, in service, in offering, in taking away, or adding; it’s basically a free for all for the first man Adam.

In this instance he “cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones,” which symbolizes taking away the means by which we can be washed with the word of God. Having no borders is an expression of lawlessness, no restrictions, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die (1Co 15:32).

1Co 15:32  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

Removing the laver is removing an implement that was used to wash the sacrifices, meaning the word of God would be taken away which is what this imagery symbolizes (Eph 5:26). 

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Taking down “the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones” is symbolic of taking our minds off of the heavenly things which are above (Col 3:2-4) where we come boldly before the throne of grace to obtain help in time of need. Putting God’s word in a place that is stony represents how we prevent the word from growing because of our carnal behavior (Heb 4:16, Mat 13:5).

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

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.

Mat 13:5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: [the earth is the church (Jer 22:29)]

Taking it away from the oxen is symbolic of taking the word of God away from the strength of Christ, which is found in the elect who make up the church and are symbolized by those twelve oxen that hold up “the sea,” representing the sea of humanity who God’s pillars will be used to hold up and lead unto salvation (Isa 30:20, Oba 1:21). 

Isa 30:20  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

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

What Ahaz did here was no small feat as we consider the size of this brazen altar which was now no longer elevated but put down on the ground, on the stony earth from where Christ was raised so we could be washed by our high priest of all our iniquities (Rom 4:25). All of this moving around and shifting of this and that in the temple reminds us of how industrious Babylon has been and how effectively the word of God has been hidden by the millions of lies that exist within her walls (Rev 9:2).

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 

Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The last defilement of the temple that is spoken of being done by Ahaz is this one, “the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned^{(H5437 as in changed or altered)} he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.” This symbolizes what Babylon has done to Christ, who is our Sabbath, our covering, and the only door by which we can enter into life. We all in our appointed time moved that door to a place that suited our carnal reasoning so that the “the king of Assyria,” who represents Satan, could come and go as he pleases in what is supposed to be a most holy place that is not defiled in any way (1Co 4:6).

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

2Ki 16:19  Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 
2Ki 16:20  And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. 

2Ch 28:27  And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. 

These verses (1Co 3:18-19) are really apropos in regard to the life of Ahaz, which represents our carnal first man Adam who will not sleep with the kings but rather die and be buried without inheriting the kingdom of God. The wisdom of the world is what produces our foolish actions which don’t accord with God’s will that tells us to stop doing that, come out of her my people, and “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me” (Isa 1:13).

1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

1Co 3:19  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 
1Co 3:20  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Isa 1:12  When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
Isa 1:13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 
Isa 1:14  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 
Isa 1:15  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Isa 1:16  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Isa 1:17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow [Jas 1:27, Heb 11:26].
Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

Gospels In Harmony – The Washing of the Disciples’ Feet

Mat 26:20-21, Mar 14:17-18, Luk 22:14-30, Joh 13:2-17

[Study Aired October 26, 2021]

Mat 26:20a Now when the even was come, 
Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Luk 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Luk 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luk 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Joh 13:2 (Rotherham) And, supper, being in progress, the adversary, having already thrust into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, that he should deliver him up,
Joh 13:3 Jesus knowing that, all things, the Father had given unto him, into his hands, and that, from God, he had come, and, unto God, he was going, 
Joh 13:4 rouseth himself out of the supper, and layeth aside his garments, and taking a linen cloth, girded himself. 
Joh 13:5 Next, he poureth water into the wash-basin, and began to be washing the feet of the disciples, and to be wiping them with the linen cloth wherewith he was girded. 
Joh 13:6 So he cometh unto Simon Peter. He saith unto him—Lord, dost, thou, wash my feet? 
Joh 13:7 Jesus answered, and said unto him—What, I, am doing, thou, knowest not, as yet; howbeit, thou shalt got to know, hereafter. 
Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him—In nowise shalt thou, ever, wash my feet. Jesus answered him—If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 
Joh 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him—Lord! not my feet only, but my hands also, and my head. 
Joh 13:10 Jesus saith unto him—He that hath bathed himself, hath no need save as to the feet to get washed; but is pure, as a whole. And, ye, are, pure, but not ye, all. 
Joh 13:11 For he know the man that was delivering him up; therefore, said he—Not ye all, are pure. (Rotherham)
Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Our last study was about the preparation of the feast being a type and shadow of our time in Babylon when the Lord begins to prepare our hearts and minds to become a living sacrifice.

Rom 12:1-2 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. 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.

This study will show us a division must take place in order for us to share in the Lord’s supper. We will see that the passover is for all the chosen, but the Lord’s supper is for those that do not betray the Lord and keep his commandments and continue in his word.

Mat 26:20a Now when the even was come, 
Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Christ is laying the foundation of our process to the entrance of the kingdom of God. Suffering is His example we all must follow. Before we suffer with Christ, we go through several stages. These stages take place before even receiving the holy spirit. Some of these stages are strife, betrayal, denial, and then finally we receive the spirit. After receiving the spirit, the beginning of our true sufferings starts so that we can fill up that which is ‘behind of the afflictions of Christ’.

Col 1:21-29 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 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: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 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: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Here is the stage of strife.

Luk 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

Being carnally minded we desire to be the greatest or consider others to be greater than they actually are, causing division within the church. We do not understand that those that are the least esteemed in the ways of the world are the greatest in God’s eyes.

Rom 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Here is what Christ has to say to those that strive with each other in the church.

Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Luk 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luk 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

We are to be servants of the body. God has gifted everyone with something. Every member is important, and there are different functions of the members.

1Co 12:20-31 But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Christ now shows another example of what must take place while eating the Lord’s supper. I have used the Rotherham translation because the KJV shows this happening after supper, but many other translations have this happening during the supper before the breaking of bread. Of course, we care more about the spiritual significance of the message than the order, but it does seem to make sense to be presented in this order.

Joh 13:2 (Rotherham) And, supper, being in progress, the adversary, having already thrust into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, that he should deliver him up,
Joh 13:3 Jesus knowing that, all things, the Father had given unto him, into his hands, and that, from God, he had come, and, unto God, he was going, 
Joh 13:4 rouseth himself out of the supper, and layeth aside his garments, and taking a linen cloth, girded himself. 
Joh 13:5 Next, he poureth water into the wash-basin, and began to be washing the feet of the disciples, and to be wiping them with the linen cloth wherewith he was girded. 
Joh 13:6 So he cometh unto Simon Peter. He saith unto him—Lord, dost, thou, wash my feet? 
Joh 13:7 Jesus answered, and said unto him—What, I, am doing, thou, knowest not, as yet; howbeit, thou shalt got to know, hereafter. 
Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him—In nowise shalt thou, ever, wash my feet. Jesus answered him—If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 
Joh 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him—Lord! not my feet only, but my hands also, and my head. 
Joh 13:10 Jesus saith unto him—He that hath bathed himself, hath no need save as to the feet to get washed; but is pure, as a whole. And, ye, are, pure, but not ye, all. 
Joh 13:11 For he know the man that was delivering him up; therefore, said he—Not ye all, are pure. (Rotherham)

Christ must bathe our feet so that we can be completely clean and free of sin. Feet represent our walk, and our walk represents our way of life and must be purified.

Lev 16:26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

Psa 15:1-2 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

1Jn 1:5-8 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

The water Christ is using to clean our feet is the word.

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

Christ now explains why he is washing their feet.

Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

So we are to do this with each other. That is the purpose of our gatherings. We share the knowledge and understanding Christ has given us, and therefore we are cleansed by the washing of the water of the word.

Heb 9:6-10 – Part 4  “Until the time of Reformation”

[Study Aired December 17, 2020]

Heb 9:6  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. 
Heb 9:7  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
Heb 9:8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
Heb 9:9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; 
Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

This next section of Hebrews 9 we will study concludes with the statement, “until the time of reformation.” The events that unfold in “the sanctuary” and within the “holiest of all” (Heb 9:1-5) are typical (1Co 10:11, 1Pe 1:12) of what is required for the elect to experience a true “time of reformation” that has yet to come to all the world and will manifest in its completion for those who will be blessed to be granted to be in the first resurrection (Rev 20:6-7, 1Jn 4:17, Luk 12:49).

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world [Luk 13:32].

Luk 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

Before the event of Gog and Magog being gathered to battle against the camp of the saints of Revelation 20:8-9, Christ shall “send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds” (Mar 13:27-37) which has an inward application at first on pentecost (Act 2:1) and an outward dispensational one as well at the time of the first resurrection (1Co 15:52). In other words, we have to do spiritual battle now against “the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog” within us if we are going to be part of “the camp of the saints…and the beloved city” spoken of in Revelation 20:9.

Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Mar 13:27  And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

The true process of spiritual reformation only happens with the elect at first once the holy spirit is given (Rom 8:9). The church is being gathered over and over since that time of pentecost in order to be prepared (Luk 3:4) for the first resurrection. Today, God’s elect are to keep ourselves ready for when “the master of the house cometh”. “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” (Mat 13:35-37).

The marriage supper has yet to occur but our hearts are to always be ready in anticipation of the bridegroom who is at the door (Mat 25:6-10). If we are granted to endure until the end of our life with that readiness of mind, we will be of those who can say “the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Rev 19:7). If we are physically watching for Christ to return at “at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning“, we are missing the point of the parable of the foolish and wise virgins who all had to be wakened out of sleep. It was only the elect who were granted that extra oil in order to see and be ready at every hour for when the bridegroom comes. That oil is what God grants His people to purchase at an appointed time (Rev 3:18, Eph 1:11) and witnesses to the world that the marriage supper was only meant to be for a specific small remnant whose trials and suffering are all working together for good because of the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts so His purpose can be accomplished within His workmanship which we are (Rom 8:28, Rom 5:5, Luk 12:32, Joh 13:35, Eph 2:10).

Any reformation that has happened to Israel of old, or to the world in general also, during the thousand year rule of the saints is only typical of the true spiritual reformation that will occur in the lake of fire. It will take God’s fiery words that will be accompanied with judgment of the world through God’s elect (1Co 6:3) at the great white throne judgment in order to bring about a time of true spiritual reformation at the second resurrection.

The offering of both “gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience” (of verse 9) represents the self-righteous works of our flesh which, although they were “a figure for the time then present“, that service we performed, like the rich wrong ruler (Mat 19:20-21), could not perfect us “as pertaining to the conscience“.

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect [‘if you will be reformed‘], go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Regardless, the contrast was deemed necessary by our Creator just as the thousand-year period, which is an undetermined amount of time and is necessary for those who remain on the earth when Christ returns, to demonstrate that no matter how idyllic a relationship we may think we have with Christ in our lives, where we even gave gifts and sacrifices and did many wonderful works, at the end of the day the heart of man cannot be changed through those works, and therefore the conscience is not cleansed (Joh 8:31-32, Mat 19:22) resulting in rebellion which was the occasion against the flesh which God had predestined and sought out against the world from the beginning (Gen 3:6).

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

Mat 19:22  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions [“gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience”].

During that symbolic thousand-year period of time the elect in type and shadow are represented by the manna that fell in the wilderness back in Moses’ day and was used to show Israel (the world) what God already knows is in their hearts, just like Adam and Eve in the garden (Mat 16:13-15, Exo 16:23-24, Joh 6:51, Rev 21:2). The ultimate time of reformation for which we long, is typified by the last great day of the feast and called the great white throne judgment, lake of fire or second resurrection (Rev 20:8, Deu 8:16-20, Rev 20:10-15).

(Israel of old asks the same question of the manna that was given by Christ [Mat 16:13], the true bread of life of John 6:32-35 and James 1:17)

Deu 8:16  Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
Deu 8:17  And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth [Php 3:9].
Deu 8:18  But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day [Php 3:9].

The only thing that can perfect us is the gift of being dragged to Christ where we will be saved by grace through faith (Joh 6:44, Eph 2:8-9) and Christ’s life is contrasted in the old covenant with “meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances” that were all imposed on Israel “until the time of reformation” which can only come about at that day (Joh 14:20) when the true reformer within us, Jesus Christ (Rom 8:9), works in us both to will and to do of God’s predestined work which He had purposed for us from the foundation of the world (Php 2:12-13, Eph 1:4).

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

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 [Mat 7:22].

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

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.

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:

Going from those dead works and being cleansed in our conscience by our high priest Jesus Christ (Joh 8:36, 1Jn 2:1-2) is the difference between spiritual life and death, and it is offered to very few in this life (Mat 22:14) as typified by Joseph. The honor is to be in the blessed and holy first resurrection so we can explain to all of humanity, as Joseph did in type and shadow with his brothers, what God’s unwavering purpose has always been for everyone which was intimately connected with clearing the conscience, which Joseph was attempting to do for his brothers with this statement (Gen 45:5):

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

In type and shadow, Joseph is that advocate for his brothers, of which we read in 1John 2:1-2 and 1John 3:20), just as we will be if we are blessed to endure until the end believing and enduring through the much tribulation of this life (Act 14:22, Php 1:29, 2Ti 2:12, Mat 24:13) so that we can be those saviours who come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau (Oba 1:21). These words of Joseph in Genesis 45:5 did not convert his brothers in type and shadow, but were more representative of the loaves and fishes Christ gave to his disciples in the early going (Joh 6:25-27, Tit 3:8). The manna (physical healings and needs met) that we will provide for the world during the thousand-year reign will likewise not be used to convert but rather set the stage for the lake of fire, which will be the true beginning point for the worlds “time of reformation“.

Heb 9:6  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
Heb 9:7  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

When the Jews who believed on Christ met Him in “the temple” (Joh 8:2, Joh 8:31), it is somewhat akin to the works  of the “first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God” (the many good and wonderful works that we do for Christ [Mat 7:22]), in the sense that it is only through continuing in the truth (Joh 8:31-32) that the truth can set us free.  However, what we don’t understand (until such time we do) is that continuing in Christ can only ever be accomplished through Christ, which is why it is written: “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people“.

Joh 8:2  And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

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

What Christ said to those Jews who believed on him was reiterated with this same principle of continuing with Christ but said differently in these verses:

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 (which correlates with “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people“).
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Joh 6:57  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Joh 6:58  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Joh 6:59  These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Joh 6:60  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it (Mat 22:14)?
Joh 6:61  When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

[our flesh is offended by these words of Christ if the spirit of God is not in us giving us the power and the boldness to enter into the “holiest of all” places where we drink the blood and eat the body of Christ so we can overcome our corrupt flesh and Adamic blood which is against God’s spirit (Gal 5:17)]

The priest going into “the holiest of all” “alone once every year” “not without blood” “which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people” all symbolize for us what Christ has been doing since Pentecost for those with whom He has been working, cleansing our conscience as we die daily as He gives us the power through His blood [His word that quickens us (Joh 17:17, Joh 6:63)] to be washed with the word (Heb 9:14-23, Eph 5:24-26).

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 9:16  For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Heb 9:17  For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth [Joh 16:7].
Heb 9:18  Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
Heb 9:19  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Heb 9:20  Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Heb 9:21  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [Joh 12:24, Gal 3:16, Rom 12:5, Col 1:27].
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 [“holiest of all” (Eph 2:6)]:
Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world [1Jn 2:16] hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church [Christ’s wife who is neither male or female (Gal 3:28)] is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing [both the church unto her husband Christ and wives unto their husbands as they follow Christ (1Co 11:1)].
Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word (Men are to lead in this washing process, and we are all to be subject unto Christ in order for it to be effective. (Joh 17:17)],

Christ made a way for us to enter into this “holiest of all” places so we could gain His peace  by putting away sin (Php 4:7), and it was done by the “high priest” “alone once every year” which symbolizes how it is through Christ and Christ “alone” (Joh 16:32-33) that we can overcome this first temple which is still standing (Heb 9:8) even now in this earnest relationship we have (Eph 5:24-26, 1Pe 3:7) where we can boldly come before the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Eph 1:14, Heb 4:16). Christ, or the high priest in type and shadow, goes into this most holy place “not without blood” which is why Christ said “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”. Our dying daily process in the Lord (1Co 15:31) is another way of saying, “not without blood.”

Continuing or abiding with Christ is eating “the flesh of the Son of man” and drinking “his blood”. The new covenant promises are founded on this sacrifice of Christ, and unless this seed had died (Gal 3:16), we would have had no way to be reconciled to God so we can now die daily and be baptized into His death (Rom 6:3). The elect are dying daily for that very reason so that we can be saved and used to reconcile the rest of the world through Christ and His Christ (Heb 9:16, Joh 12:24, Rom 5:10).

Christ’s life was accepted by our Father, and when He offered his life and said “but I lay it down of myself”, He acknowledged whose power it was working in Him that was making this possible: “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (Joh 10:2, Joh 10:11, Joh 10:18, Joh 5:30, Joh 15:5, 1Ch 29:14).

Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep [Mat 10:39].

[“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” We have to conclude therefore that it is through the life of Christ that we partake of that we can be nourished and given the strength to lose “his life for my sake“],

Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father [Psa 118:27].

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

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

1Ch 29:14  But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee [Joh 5:30, Joh 15:5].

Christ needed to be a spotless sacrifice which was made possible through the Father who gave Him the power to overcome and always do those things that were pleasing in His sight (Joh 8:29, 1Jn 3:22, what was pleasing to God was to always say “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” [Luk 22:42, Mat 20:23, Php 3:9]). This offering of himself by way of the blood represents the obedient life of Christ in His flesh (Eph 5:30) Who was tempted in all diverse manner yet without sin (Heb 4:15). This offering of blood is perfectly tied into the concept of the two goats and the two birds of Leviticus (Lev 16:8, Lev 14:5-7) which symbolize this symbolic moment that reads “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people“.

Joh 8:29  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

1Jn 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless [Php 3:9] not my will, but thine, be done.

Mat 20:23  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Heb 9:8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

The world cannot eat at the altar to which God has given the body of Christ access (Heb 13:10), and it is only through the “Holy Ghost^G4151” (Rom 8:9, Eph 2:18) that we can gain access to the “holiest of all” places (Heb 9:14).

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit^G4151, if so be that the Spirit^G4151 of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit^G4151 of Christ, he is none of his.

Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit^G4151 offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

While we are “yet standing” in the “first tabernacle” as opposed to lying dead “in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified” (Rev 11:8-9), or “while as the first tabernacle was yet standing” meaning we are still being found “having mine own righteousness” (Php 3:9), we are not at those times entering into the “holiest of all” and that is the very reason we must fight a good fight of faith and keep under ourselves and die daily, so we can be reassured in our hearts through those works which we are admonished to be careful to maintain (Tit 3:8), that we are standing in Christ alone (1Ti 6:12, 1Co 9:27, 1Co 15:31, Eph 6:13).

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

[the world is focused on burying their own dead (Luk 9:60, Mat 23:23) and don’t see the need to be partakers of the burial of Christ as these woman who represent the church did did(Mar 16:1, Luk 23:56, Luk 24:1, Joh 19:40, Tit 3:8). Those burials which they perform in their flesh were predestined and meant to be contrasted with those who are blessed in this age to be the first to trust in God and be prepared by the Father through the works He ordained for us from the foundation of the world (Eph 2:10) so that we can rejoice now, and again I say rejoice, because the bride is making herself ready through those works that Christ is doing through us (Php 4:4, Rev 19:8)].

Luk 24:1  Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared [Rev 19:7, Mat 25:34], and certain others with them.

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.

Heb 9:9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; 

Verse 9 of our study is at the heart and core of this chapter, as it reminds us that the works of man that are typical works, or “Which was a figure for the time then present“, do not make anyone perfect “as pertaining to the conscience“. It is only when we are granted to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in ^G1722 Christ Jesus” that our conscience can truly be cleansed as He shows us what needs to corrected in our thinking so we can fulfill his joy and be of one mind, the mind of Christ (Php 3:14, Act 17:28, Mat 24:13, Php 2:2, 1Jn 1:5-10, Rom 2:4, Heb 10:29).

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in^G1722 Christ Jesus.

Act 17:28  For in^G1722 him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in^G1722 the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

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? [Eph 2:18]

Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

There are only two types of works in God’s eyes that are unfolding on this earth, the first being “only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation“. These represent the type and shadow reformation that we see happening over and over again in the churches of Babylon that have not been given to have their foundation built on the Lord who alone can reform our hearts and minds (Mat 16:18, Joh 2:19 – It is God’s good pleasure to reform His little flock today  – Luk 12:32).

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up [reformation defined for us by Christ].

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

The other work that God has ordained from the foundation of the world is also “in meats and drinks” which is typified by the body and blood of Christ (Joh 6:53-56, Mat 24:35) whose body (the church Col 1:24) is spoken of as being “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (Joh 8:51, Rev 1:3). This is the true “time of reformation” that the first fruits of God are experiencing as the generation that will not pass away until all these things be fulfilled in their lives (Mat 24:34).

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man [“in meats“], and drink his blood [“and drinks“], ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day [Rev 20:6].
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in^G1722 him [Joh 14:20].

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in^G1722 my Father, and ye in me, and I in^G1722 you.

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Joh 8:51  Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Prophecy of Isaiah - Isa 44:1-8 Fear Not, I Will Help You Whom I Have Chosen - Discussion

1 file(s) 7.25 MB

Download

Isa 44:1-8 – Fear Not, I Will Help You Whom I Have Chosen

Isa 44:1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
Isa 44:2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
Isa 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Isa 44:4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
Isa 44:5 One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD and surname himself by the name of Israel.
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:7  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Three times in these 8 verses we are admonished “fear not” (vs 2), “fear not” (vs 8), “neither be afraid” (vs 8). This admonition has been given many times earlier in this prophecy. So, why does the Lord keep telling us “fear not”?

The answer is:  He tells us not to fear because He knows that is exactly what we will do when our faith is tried “in the day of trouble”.

Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Psa 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Psa 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
Psa 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

The Lord has ordained and commanded that we cry out to Him when He brings us to our own "day of trouble":

Psa 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

These verses of Isaiah 44 are addressed to “Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen”. The emphasis here is on Jacob and Israel as types of God’s elect. It is ‘Jacob and Israel’ in the positive meaning of those names and not in the negative application of an unfaithful harlot as in:

Eze 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

The point the Lord is making is that even though He will, through the agency of the adversary, lead us into temptations and trials and lead us into the clutches of that great city, “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of abominations of the earth” (Rev 17:1-4), He will also provide us a way of escape that we may be able to bear this “time of trouble” as our calling out of that great city is called:

Isa 37:3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

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

Jer 51:2 And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

Isa 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Eze 16:14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

What truly wonderful and comforting words are being addressed to those whom the Lord assures are His elect! The Lord’s elect are "known by their fruits" (Mat 7:20), which means by their "love of God", which is defined as their obedience to Him and His doctrines:

Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

The verses of today's study deal with us as the Lord's people who are led into and then must “come out of, [and are coming out of the great harlot] (Rev 18:4)… that great city wherein our Lord was crucified" (Rev 11:8), and these verses are assuring us that even though we, too, have been unfaithful, the Lord Himself "for His own name's sake" has chosen us to be His faithful children, and He will not permit us to fail to perform His purpose for us as His elect. It is comforting to know that nothing depends on us, and He will let nothing separate us from His love if we are His predestined elect, His 'Israel' (Gal 6:15-16).

Isa 44:1  Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
Isa 44:2  Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

Jacob, Israel, and Jesurun, also spelled Jeshurun, are all names for our new man, the Lord's elect, His kingdom within us.

The first time this name appears, it appears as ‘Jeshurun’, and it is revealed that the Lord's elect, of themselves, are no better than the men of this world:

Deu 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

These words of Deuteronomy 32:15 are a condensed version of the life of every one of the Lord’s elect, His 'Jesurun' or 'Jeshurun'. We are no better than anyone else in and of ourselves. It is Jesurun who must “wax fat” and commit adultery with the kings of the earth, and it is the same Jeshurun who must "come out of... Babylon" (Rev 18:4). Jeshurun must fulfill the seven plagues of the seven angels (Rev 15:8) because, by the Lord's own design, when “Jeshurun [or Jesurun] waxed fat... then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation".

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

Nevertheless, Jesurun is the Lord's elect, and Christ will "for His own name’s sake... help... Jesurun", and Jesurun need not fear what men can do simply because he is the Lord's chosen:

Isa 44:2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

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

Here are the other two entries for this nickname for the Lord's chosen:

Deu 33:5 And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
Deu 33:26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

This is Strong's definition of this name:

H3484
ישׁרוּן
yeshûrûn
yesh-oo-roon'
From H3474; upright; Jeshurun, a symbolical name for Israel: - Jeshurun.

As a name of Israel, it appears only these four times, three times as 'Jeshurun'.

Here is Strong's entry for, H3474:

H3474
ישׁר
yâshar
yaw-shar'

A primitive root; to be straight or even; figuratively to be (causatively to make) right, pleasant, prosperous: - direct, fit, seem good (meet), + please (well), be (esteem, go) right (on), bring (look, make, take the) straight (way), be upright (-ly).

This word 'yashar' appears 21 times in the Old Testament:

H3474
ישׁר
yâshar
Total KJV Occurrences: 21
straight, 9
1Sa_6:12, 2Ch_32:30, Psa_5:8, Pro_4:25, Isa_40:3, Isa_45:2, Jer_31:9, Eze_1:7, Eze_1:23
direct, 3
Pro_3:6, Pro_11:5, Isa_45:13
right, 2
Psa_119:128, Pro_9:15
brought, 1
2Ch_32:30
directeth, 1
Job_37:3
fitted, 1
1Ki_6:35
good, 1
Jer_18:4
meet, 1
Jer_27:4-5 (2)
upright, 1
Hab_2:4
uprightly, 1
Pro_15:21

It is by far most commonly translated in some form of the word 'straight', as in theses verses:

Psa 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight [yashar] before my face.

Isa 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight [yashar]: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

So, the Lord is making His people ‘straight’… 'yashar', or 'Yesurun' or Yeshurun'. He is "mak[ing] the crooked places straight” within His chosen. That is the meaning of the name He has given His elect.

If the Lord is helping His elect, then who can possibly cause us to fail in His service? If our salvation is in His hands, how then can we possibly fail or be separated from Him? It simply cannot happen if He has appointed us to "the resurrection of life":

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

The spirit inspired the apostle Paul to confirm this comforting fact with these words:

Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Where did Paul get all his ideas about being predestinated and about God working all things together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to the purpose of His own will? Where did Paul get the doctrine he espouses throughout his epistles about the Lord "working all things after the counsel of His own will"?

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

The Lord's predestinated elect are called those "who first trusted in Christ... [and] the firstborn among many brothers" (Rom 8:29).  "The right of the firstborn" is a Biblical doctrine in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Exo 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD , Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

Deu 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Psa 89:27 Also I will make him [Christ and His Christ] my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

This is what the Lord will do for His spiritual 'firstborn':

Isa 44:3  For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Isa 44:4  And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

The water the Lord pours out upon us is His Words, and the ‘seed’ upon which He pours it, is also those who have His Words within themselves.

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

In Matthew 13 Christ twice likens His Words and His doctrines to a sower sowing seeds. In the first parable the 'seed' being sown is "The word of the kingdom":

Mat 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

In the second parable in this chapter, the sower's seeds are called "the children of the kingdom":

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

The "men [who] slept" are the Lord's very elect, His virgin bride:

Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all [five wise and five foolish virgins] slumbered and slept.

You and I have "slumbered and slept" just recently and "while [we] slept [our] enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat", among "the children of the kingdom", among the doctrines of Christ.

This is the meaning of this second parable:

Mat 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
Mat 13:37  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Mat 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world [this eon (aion), this age].
Mat 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Mat 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

When we apply the principle of "the sum of Thy Word is Truth" (Psa 119: 160) to these two parables, we are constrained to conclude that this "kingdom of God is within [us]" now "in this age" (Mat 13:40):

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

What this tells us is that "the good seed [which] are the children of the kingdom; [and] the tares [which] are the children of the wicked one" are both doctrines which are within us. "The tares... the children of the wicked one" are all the false doctrines of Babylon within us which offend our Lord and His Christ, which twist His words and which must be gathered together in bundles and burned at "the end of the world [Greek: aion, age, eon]".

This "end of the world [age]" refers primarily to those upon whom "the ends of the ages are come", meaning the Lord's elect who are being judged in "this present time... [in] this age":

Mat 13:40  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world [this 'aion', this age].

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

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

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

"The harvest is the end of the world [Greek: 'aion', age, eon]". “The harvest” is the judgment which is now on the house of God. God's elect are being judged now, in this age, to become "a nation of... kings and priests" (Rev 1:6 and 5:10) during the thousand year reign of "the Lord and His Christ":

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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

Speaking of these same "kings and priests" we are told:

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

This doctrine also comes right out of this prophecy of Isaiah:

Isa 44:5 One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

Here is the fulfilling of this prophecy:

Gal 6:15 Certainly, it doesn't matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.
Gal 6:16 Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God. (GWV)

If we have eyes that see and ears that hear, then this is a good place to remember:

Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

And to ask:

Isa 44:7  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.

Truly "there is no God... like our God":

1Sa 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

Because there is no God like our God, and because our God cannot lie:

Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Like every word of scripture, the word ‘fear’ has both a positive and a negative application. Whenever the Lord tells us, as He does many times, “fear not”, He is not contradicting Himself where He clearly tells us:

Luk 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

So, every time the Lord tells us “fear not” He is speaking of “them that [can] kill the body, and after that have no more they can do”. In other words, do not fear men, but do “fear God”. Our study tomorrow night will cover this subject in much greater detail.

This is just how special we are as the Lord's chosen people, His "very elect":

Deu 4:32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
Deu 4:33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
Deu 4:34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, [our new man out of our old man; calling us out of Babylon] by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
Deu 4:35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.
Deu 4:36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire [His Word]; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire. 

This spiritually is what the Lord has done for us, and we are His witnesses of that fact.

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.

Luk 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

The ‘fire’ of the Lord’s words burns up the entire kingdom of our old man so that we have nothing more to lose. We are commanded to “count yourselves as dead”, and as such we have nothing to fear from men. Like all the overcomers of scripture, both in type and in antitype, the only thing we must fear is the loss of our status with our heavenly Father and the crown of life He has laid up for His chosen, His elect:

Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.

That is our study for today, and here are the verses for our next study in which we will learn how foolish it is to place false doctrines above the Words of God:

Isa 44:9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
Isa 44:10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Isa 44:11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
Isa 44:12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
Isa 44:13  The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
Isa 44:14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
Isa 44:15  Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
Isa 44:16  He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
Isa 44:17  And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
Isa 44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
Isa 44:19  And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
Isa 44:20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Audio Links

Awesome Hands - part 114 Discussion

1 file(s) 12.17 MB

Download

Awesome Hands – Part 114, “Wash your hands and your feet”

March 31, 2017

Many biblical concepts come up when examining the act of washing our hands and feet. Of course there are sanitary reasons to wash our feet and hands, but from a biblical perspective, we know that the Lord was very particular about this washing before approaching Him in the tabernacle.

In our study today, we are going to examine some of the reasons why this commandment was given to the priests and Moses and also why and how it is spiritually applicable to us today.

Closing our Exodus and moving to the “laws”

As with all of the “Awesome Hands” studies we find ourselves moving to the next mentioning of the Hebrew word “yad”, but we are actually going to cover the next few times it is mentioned so that we can build upon a biblical theme within this particular study.

Today we are going to mention Exodus 38:21 in passing and then focus on the surrounding verses found in Exodus 40:31 and Leviticus 1:4.

Exo 38:21  This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

Exodus 38:21 is actually the next mentioning of the word “yad”, but there isn’t much mentioned here that we haven’t already covered in the previous studies concerning the materials of the tabernacle. However, I did want to mention it before moving to Exodus 40:31.

Now we find ourselves looking at Exodus 40:31, which will be the end of our coverage of Exodus. We will be moving from our Exodus out of Egypt into the laws by which the Lord gives us to live.

The literal laws we are going to read are for the whole of Israel, but we are going to be given very specific laws, which we can also apply to our walks today, which deal only with the priests of the Lord.

Exo 40:30  And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.
Exo 40:31  And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:
Exo 40:32  When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 40:33  And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

We now find that Moses, Aaron and Aaron's sons all wash their hands before the Lord at the laver and then once again as they come near to the altar. After this washing is accomplished, Moses puts the finishing touches on the tabernacle.

vWhat happens next will help to guide the rest of our walk with the Lord for the remainder of our lives. If we pay close attention, the Lord is going to tell us just how involved in our lives He always is.

Whether we are on the highest peak or in the lowest valley, the Lord is there. Whether we approach death or are in the summer of our lives, the Lord is there. There is simply nothing that can or will separate us from the Love of the Lord, and just what is the Love of God?

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
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.

The focus of Romans 8 is God’s elect and the role Christ Jesus has in their lives. When we know that, and apply everything we read here in Romans 8 (and the rest of the bible) to US, then we should see a great fire of Light go off in our minds at just what the Lord is doing with us.

Before any of us were every born, the Lord reached through the tunnel of time and touched us with the Word of JUST WHO WE ARE TO HIM and what it is he is doing in our lives.

Here at the beginning, just before telling us that He is our Father and His LAWS must be followed, He tells us He will always be with us. What Father DOES NOT give His children RULES to follow in His household?

Exo 40:34  Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Exo 40:35  And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Exo 40:36  And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
Exo 40:37  But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
Exo 40:38  For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, THROUGHOUT ALL THEIR JOURNEYS.

The act of Moses and Aaron and his sons washing their hands has wonderful significance for us today, because it reminds us that the Lord alone has made us clean so that we can approach Him. I am well aware that Jesus Christ is the God of the old testament, but I am also aware that this is hidden from the world.

However, we must know this Truth if we can ever recognize that without the Lord delivering the Israelites from the Egyptians, and then providing all the materials for the tabernacle, we could never have this laver in which to wash our hands and feet.

Why is this important at all to realize? Well, it shows us that it has all been orchestrated by the Lord 100%.

Why is that important? This is important because it is just like when my wife and I had our children. When they were first conceived, and being nourished in my wife’s belly, they were being cared for. We were doing what we thought was the best for them before they were ever born.

When they were born and couldn’t remember a thing, we were feeding and clothing them, changing their diapers, entertaining them, loving them, and overall preparing for them, as best we could, a life in which they could accelerate and grow.

All of these days and nights of preparation were brought to a point of when our children’s “eyes are opened” to the what their lives are about. Slowly but surely their minds are able to perceive just is happening in their lives and what they are about, memories take hold and “suddenly” they start to decide on things they want to do.

In reality, none of this happened suddenly but moment by moment and step by step. This is how we see the Lord working for all of us, and now at this moment for the Israelites of “here we have this tabernacle thing built” and we are approaching you Lord, the “RULE BOOK” comes out.

This book of laws comes out at the precise time that God’s children can begin to OBEY or NOT the things that are contained within this proverbial book.

Lev 1:1  And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
Lev 1:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
Lev 1:3  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
Lev 1:4  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
Lev 1:5  And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lev 1:7  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
Lev 1:8  And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
Lev 1:9  But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

The burnt offering is a very intense offering. It is the beginning of the offerings to the Lord that show our connection with the realization that we have to make an offering to the Lord in order to approach Him in any way.

There are many details that are contained within these few verses that really open up to us what this offering is all about.

These burnt offerings have nothing to do with sin but rather open up to us the concepts that will be presented by Jesus Christ and His actions about how it is we approach God the Father. We cannot approach Him empty-handed, and Jesus Christ never sinned yet was MADE SIN.

The burnt offerings could be of a young bull without blemish, a young ram, a young he-goat, a turtle dove or a young pigeon. We are only focused on the offering “of the herd” contained within the above verses, but I wanted to mentioned that there are other animals of various degrees which were used as burnt offerings.

If it were a bull, ram or goat, the offerer had to bring the offerings to the “door of the tabernacle” which happens to be right at the brazen altar. This altar would have been a very bloody scene indeed. Blood, animal parts, very strong odors and fire would all be very present among other things.

When it came time to offer the burnt offering notice that the offeror, as contained within the verses we just read, had very descriptive things that had to be done. The offerer must place their hand on the head of the animal about to be killed. The offeror must kill the animal. The offeror must flay it. The offeror had to wash the intestines and the legs.

Then the priests had their roles as well. They had to gather the blood and sprinkle the altar with it. They had to out the head, fat and remainder of the animals there. The also had to place a meat offering upon the burnt offerings. Then they had to move the ashes to the east of the altar and carry them outside the camp to a clean place.

Obviously, this is a lot of detail, but the offerer had to completely identify with the atonement that was being made by their animal that was being offered.

So, who is this unblemished male? Jesus is a Head that has a body. What does the New Testament tell us about His body, and in particular, how does His body relate to these verses today?

Does the placement of the offerer's hand on the Head tell us anything to help us understand that WE are the ones who sacrifice the King of kings and Lord of Lords?

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

If it is questioned that it is us who identify with our Head, let us understand that the Lord causes us to be the very offering that is being offered by creating in us a WILLING HEART to be offered up WITH CHRIST.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20  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.

Lev 1:3  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

I contest with you today, you being anyone struggling with giants in your land, that you listen to that faint still voice coming from within you and place your hand on the door and OPEN IT UP.

Jesus Christ is waiting on the other side.

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.

Who among us is too good to get their hands dirty in a blood sacrifice? Are you willing, rather, has the Lord given you a willing heart, to sacrifice ALL THAT IS IN YOUR WORLD so that the door may be opened and the Lord may come in to your world?

What exactly is 'the world'? I proclaim to you all that the world is not only, and definitely not mostly, what the world thinks it is. There is something that makes up this world we all live in and here it is:

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16  For all 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.
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

The “world” out there is of no concern to us. These verses aren’t telling us to not go to work, don’t watch a movie, don’t listen to “worldy songs”, etc., etc.

These verses are telling us to not LOVE the WORLD or the things IN THE WORLD. What is in and of the world? It is nothing more than can be contained in 'the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the PRIDE OF LIFE'.

All that is in the world tells us that not matter what is “out there” it is already “in here” in my world. Therefore, anything “out there” in the world is there because the world is in us all. Picking on one particular thing or one another as a “fine detail” only helps us feel better in some way than another person, when in reality we oftentimes glaze over or ignore the real issues within.

What, then, are we placing our hands on in sacrifice as an atonement to the Lord? We are placing our hands on OUR LORD. We are accepting that HE ALONE can and DID “ENTER INTO PERFECTION”. He alone went to the altar, which is the cross and table of the Lord, and now He asks us to come join Him.

Mal 1:7  Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.
Mal 1:8  And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 1:9  And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 1:10  Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
Mal 1:11  For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 1:12  But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

Isn’t it interesting, to say the least, that the altar and table are interchangeable in these verses and verse 7 tells us that “ye offer polluted bread upon the altar of the Lord”. What BREAD do we offer that is polluted upon the altar of the Lord?

Mat 26:26  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.

The body follows the Head. Why is it in our lives that it is easy for us to “place our hands on the Head” and “thank Him” for His sacrifice for us, take joy in it, but not actually believe nor think that we ourselves are PART of the SACRIFICE?

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

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

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

I say nothing in this study to discourage any of us but rather to give HOPE in what our lives can and will be with Jesus ruling our hearts and minds.

How can I make such a claim after stating that lust and pride is in all of us?

Listen, whatever it is you battle within your world Christ has ALREADY DEFEATED. When we place our hands on “the head of an animal sacrifice”, we are placing it ON OURSELVES. The world tells you that Christ sacrificed Himself so that we do not need to be sacrificed, but that is UTTER false doctrine. We are crucified with Him!

The wages of SIN if DEATH. Though we are not talking about the sin offering within this study, we are talking about why it is NECESSARY that we are crucified, but the reason we are crucified is so that we can RISE out of DEATH being shown how to escape it because of Jesus Christ DOING IT FIRST!

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

What is it you struggle with in your life? Is it anger, lust, envy, lack of humility, cruelty, coveting, lack of faith, lasciviousness, slothfulness, gossiping, money, vanity, thievery and on and on it can go? So, what is it you struggle with?

Whatever it is I tell you to LAY IT ON THE ALTAR NOW, because that’s where it is going one way or another. You can continue to live your life with and in it OR you can accept that Christ HAS GIVEN you all things NOW.

Ask the Lord for Faith to believe these things, and He will give it to you, but giving you Faith to believe He can and will deliver you DOES NOT MEAN that you do not still need to die daily to those things that will battle you at ever turn.

Why? It is the TRIAL of YOUR FAITH that is precious to the Lord so He is going to TRY YOU.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Let me read that again but only this time in a standard English version.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5  who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7  so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1Pe 1:8  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
1Pe 1:9  obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10  Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
1Pe 1:11  inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
1Pe 1:12  It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

I am preaching to you the good news that the salvation of your souls can be TASTED now in the bread and blood of Christ. The things we read about in Exodus concerning the tabernacle, and the verses in Leviticus pertaining to the burnt offerings, were revealed to the prophets as belonging to US.

Though we will and are tested in various trials, the Lord DOES DELIVER us from these things and will not tempt us without providing a way out. That way out is Jesus Christ, and He is placed on the altar by His priests AFTER He is slain by the one who needs to make atonement.

Atonement is acknowledgment that a sacrifice is needed, but we need to realize that we are a body following the Head onto the altar to be “burned by fire”. I dwell happily there.

Isa 33:13  Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Isa 33:16  He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
Isa 33:17  Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

What is The Purpose for Water Baptism?

Greetings Mike,

Can we say that the baptism of water is the effect the word has in us in renewing our minds to change us into God’s image, while the baptism of fire are the trials we go through because of the word in our hearts which are also working to transform us into God’s image?

Your brother in Christ,

M____

Hi M____,

Thank you for your question. You ask:

“Can we say that the baptism of water is the effect the word has in us in renewing our minds to change us into God’s image, while the baptism of fire are the trials we go through because of the word in our hearts which are also working to transform us into God’s image?”

No, we cannot say “the baptism of water is the effect the word has in us in renewing our minds to change us into God’s image.” I say that with complete authority because I was personally baptized with water on two occasions, once as a Pentecostal, and again when I joined the World Wide Church of God, and neither even began to “change [me] into God’s image”.

I got wet outwardly twice, and I was not changed in any way inwardly, which is where “the image of God” resides.

We are told that water baptism is for people who are where I was on both the occasions I was water baptized. It is for those who are still producing “works… of wood, hay, and stubble” and as such they cannot withstand the fire.

That is where all who are still clinging to the doctrine of water baptism are. They are yet unable to accept the fire of the holy spirit:

Num 31:23  Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

Both the ‘fire’ and ‘the water of separation’ are defined as the Word of God:

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.

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

It is the word of God that purifies “every man”:

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

So all that “abides not the fire” will in time be burned up, and only that which does “abide the fire” will remain and be purified by the fire of the Word of God. “The lake of fire” is composed of those in whose mouths are the fire of God’s Word as it is described in Jeremiah 5:14, Deuteronomy 33:2 and elsewhere.

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? 
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

“Speak[ing] uprightly” is speaking the Word of God in the face of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Pilate.

Joh 19:11  Jesus answered, Thou [Pilate] couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

It was Jesus Himself who told us that “nothing from without” can defile us.

Mar 7:15  There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

Christ made this statement in the context of reproving the Pharisees for thinking that washing the outside would cleanse what was inside. It is right here is this same chapter :

Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Matthew’s gospel makes the point that outward traditions do nothing to cleanse us inwardly in much more depth:

Mat 23:24  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Mat 23:25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 
Mat 23:26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 
Mat 23:28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Water baptism makes one feel so righteous, when the Truth of the scriptures is that it is nothing more than a part of the law of Moses which “is not for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient.”

1Ti 1:8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

The “lawful” use of the law is as a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.”

Gal 3:19  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Gal 3:20  Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Gal 3:21  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Gal 3:22  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The law of Moses, with its ritual baptisms, is for those who are still under the law of Moses, meaning they are still in Babylon and doing all the outward rituals of Babylon, going to great lengths to clean the outside of the cup and platter, but inside they are “full of extortions”, demanding tithes, which are also just part of the law of Moses, as they cannot yet abide the fire of the Word of God.

I hope all these verses of scripture have served to demonstrate the truth of our Lord’s words that cleaning the outside does nothing to cleanse the inside, and that cleaning the inside first will take care of the outside automatically.

Your brother in the “inward… Jew”, Christ.

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, [is baptized, is circumcised, is cleansed] which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Not only is he a Jew which is one inwardly, but it is equally true that “He is not a Jew which is one outwardly”, and our circumcision and our baptism are “of the heart…not in the letter” but are also inward and are “in the spirit.”

Mike