The Book of Hosea – Part 12, Hos 12 and 13

[Study Aired June 29, 2024]

The final three chapters of Hosea conclude a captivating narrative of Ephraim’s physical journey, mirroring the spiritual journey of the Bride of Christ throughout the entire Book of Hosea. Just as physical Israel broke their covenant with God, the Bride has also spiritually broken her covenant with her Husband, Christ. Yet, she has been on a parallel though spiritual journey, brimming with the hope of glory (Col 1:27) in Christ and a promise of enduring repentance, salvation, and a divine union with her Lord and King. This journey of spiritual growth in our time and order is a beacon of inspiration and hope for Ephraim and the Bride, a reminder that no matter how far we stray, the hope of glory driven by Christ within finalises with the spiritual man. 

In this study, we will only review Chapters 12 and 13. Next week, God willing, we will discuss the somewhat hidden conclusion of the saga, which points to salvation. Chapter 14 vaguely hints at salvation as Ephraim is continually charged for her sins until the last verse of Hosea indicates salvation.

The book of Hosea presents four distinct elementary stages of Israel’s growth, each with profound spiritual significance. These stages, which may be more than coincidental, are spiritually significant. It’s worth noting that the books of the Bible were not originally and individually divided into chapters and verses. 

• The first of the 4 identifiable elements, meaning ‘the whole tribulation’ (Number 4) for Israel and the subsequent Bride’s growth, is in the first 11 chapters of Hosea, with that number foreshadowing the temporary ‘ruin and disintegration of the perfection of the flesh’, the “perdition” of man (Rev 17:11).
• Israel and the Bride’s second element is in Chapter 12 (10 primary Babylonian tribes + 2 priestly tribes, Benjamin and Joseph), which identifies the twelve tribes of Israel as ‘foundational’ (number 12) for the beginning of the Bride’s future spiritual creation.
• The third component of the book presents Israel’s deliberately designed and disastrous’ physical progression’ in the works of her flesh. This is followed by the Bride’s ‘spiritual progression’ to come into Christ, her inheritance. The number 13 of chapter 13 signifies ‘rebellion’, which is precisely what the Bride initially mirrors with Israel in the ‘progressive’ early stages of her creation.
• The final chapter of Hosea, 14 partitioned as 10 and 4, portrays the ‘completeness’ (10) and ‘spiritual progression’ (4) of her creation, which, in like notability, continues in the remaining eleven books of the ‘Minor Prophets’, concluding in Malachi, the twelfth book to form the ‘foundation’ (12), the beginning of the creation of her continuing the ‘progression’ of her and the world onward to the Last Great Day, the Lake of Fire, and the salvation of all. 

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

In the remaining three books, Hosea depicts the old Israel mirroring the Bride’s journey toward spiritual perfection. The sequence begins with the rejection of God’s Covenant in favour of physical wealth and sensual pleasures, as shown in Hosea 12. This leads to judgment in chapter 13 and offers a thrilling hope for repentance in chapter 14.

Exposé Significations:

Hosea 12:1-14

Hos 12:1  Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.

What immediately springs to mind upon Ephraim feeding on the wind is Solomon’s dismal conclusions upon exhausting every possible sensual avenue for his pleasure. In speaking on the Lord’s behalf regarding man’s breathless search for wealth and pleasure, Solomon says,

Ecc 1:12  I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 
Ecc 1:13  And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ecc 1:14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Our pursuit of sensualities is making a covenant with the sins of Egypt, which collectively represent Sodom, Old Jerusalem, and Babylon. The Bride refuses those temporary delicacies by refusing to be a son of Satan.

Heb 11:23  By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. 
Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 
Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

The following verses, indicative of all scripture, and particularly for the Book of Hosea, remind us of breaking our marriage covenant with Christ, our husband.

The Lord’s Indictment of Israel and Judah

Hos 12:2  The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.

Today, the English translation of “recompense” includes compensation, indemnity, restitution, requital, and similar terms. However, for Jacob, representing Israel and the Bride, it has a twofold meaning: first, negatively, to “return; to turn back; apostatise,” and second, to plead with the Bride to repent and “again” (215 times) return to her Lord and, for us, spiritually able because of the holy spirit.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the holy ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth [primarily within!].

Hos 12:3  He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: 
Hos 12:4  Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; 
Hos 12:5  Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial. 
Hos 12:6  Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually. 
Hos 12:7  He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. 

Indeed, those verses indict Jacob since he represents old Israel and all who profess Christ’s name in Babylon, the world today and present works “by his [their sweat and] strength” contest God. By the Lord’s design, Jacob pulled a tricky supplanting manoeuvre (To supplant, circumvent, take by the heel) on his brother Esau before he was born! (Gen 25:19-28) That is outwardly carried forward through the history of the West, in particular, and their lust for wealth and power.

Ephraim and Jacob outwardly today, and for the most part, represent current Zionism and are still ‘supplanting’ other nations with destructive wars by his authoritarian strength for insatiable wealth and lordship. With tears, the pseudo-spiritual Ephraim claims Christ’s name, and the Lord strove with him for a season when relative righteousness was evident, but now he is a merchant of deceit with his putrid name going before him throughout the world today because of his love of lies and oppression. Jacob, represented as Ephraim and Babylon, ‘loves to oppress’ with deception in catching his neighbour and brothers by their heels. The ten horns of and on the Beast of humanity is fast waking up to ‘whore’ Jacob’s treachery and is prophesied to destroy ‘her’ with fire (Rev 17). 

Jer 9:3  And they [Ephraim /Babylon] bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD. 
Jer 9:4  Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.
Jer 9:5  And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

In the meantime, for our spiritual understanding, Jacob outwardly in the world rests in his decaying physical wealth, witless of his worse spiritual plight. It is only because of our Lord’s choosing that we see Jacob as our former selves, as all the seven churches of Asia, and poignantly as Laodiceans pre-empting our judgment.

1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 
1Co 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 
1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 
Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 
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. 
Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 
Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the [Seven] churches.

Hos 12:8  And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin. 

Everyone, past, present and future, will see Jacob’s filth having flowed out of Babylon yet will remain humiliated and mute since they, too, will see that they are the Beast, the man of perdition. Nonetheless, the world will likewise see the remnant of Jacob, representing the Lord’s “little flock” (Luke 12:32-34. Paradoxically and figuratively, 144,000, veiled, that nobody could number since the world doesn’t know who they are) who have and are today coming out of Babylon and “returning” to rebuild by Christ’s might, the walls of the New Heavenly Jerusalem within. Hence, ‘they will find no sin within her’. (See the link and nearby studies regarding the 144,000 here: Rev 7:9-17 The 144,000

Hos 12:9  And I that am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.

That “solemn feast” day represents three holy convocations in the seventh month of Abib. The first represents the Feast of Trumpets (Lev 23:23-25) and its grand calling to assembly first for the Elect of God in their time and order, on each ‘feast’ occasion, and following is the world. The Day of Atonement (Lev 23:26-32) is the second holy convocation for the Elect of God to recognise that they, too, in Christ’s likeness, are in preparation today in readiness to save their brothers and sisters, heralding the third ‘feast day’, the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:33-44) and the separate yet connected Last Great Day.

However, Jacob, like us, remains in these fleshy “booths” or “tabernacles” of corruptible flesh for the time being. The only difference is that Christ’s Bride is in the process of being created, hidden in Christ’s spirit and emulating Him.

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

1Pe 3:22  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 

Hos 12:10  I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets. 
Hos 12:11  Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields. 
Hos 12:12  And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep. 

Just as Jacob served twice his hire (2×7 years) to Laban for his wife, Rachel, Israel likewise first served in the wilderness and spiritually for the Bride, witnessing twice the completion of the process (in the number 7). Today, she is figuratively preparing to keep Jacob’s sheep of the world as her second figurative 7-year hire for reward.

Hos 12:13  And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. 
Hos 12:14  Ephraim provoked him [Christ] to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him. 

Of course, Christ is the only sacrifice whose blood profoundly qualifies scorn upon the corruptible flesh of man that assuredly will not return to Christ void, first by his Elect’s death to the flesh and the pleasures of Egypt and Babylon, and secondarily the world’s.

This concludes Jacob mirrored by the Bride and the first of three predictable events by her whorish stubbornness in maintaining her own righteousness.

Now, in Hosea chapter 13, we will study the broad second of the sequence of events.

Hosea 13:1-16

The Lord’s Relentless Judgment on Israel

Interestingly, at the beginning of this study, the number 13 represents “rebellion” that unerringly brings judgment upon Israel and, today, the Bride. Our Lord parallels rebellion with witchcraft, which is the practice of sorcery in twisting Christ’s commands to make them more palatable to the flesh.

1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou [Saul, representing us] hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Exo 22:18  Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. 

Of course, upon the opening verse of Hosea 13, Israel in the flesh is condemned to death, and for the Bride, it represents the death of all sins spiritually.

Hos 13:1  When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

When we first come to Christ, we are filled with passion to follow His every word and act righteously, diligently. This enthusiasm is symbolised by Israel’s ‘trembling’ at His word. However, when our Lord does not always immediately punish sin, we, like Israel, are emboldened to relax and subliminally think that Christ has overlooked the sin. Exalted, we go on to “sin more and more” and forget our Lord’s commands. Yet, in God’s timing, judgment is ‘relentless’ (Heb 12:23, Rev 19:11).

Hos 13:2  And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen [witchcraft]: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

The act of kissing anyone denotes accord with that person, and in Israel’s and our case, the belief in our own righteousness, the idol of our hearts. Dying to Christ’s commands is life, but following the crowds of Babylon and her multitudes of idol worship is dung. Just as chaff blows away in the wind, and dung returns to the dust of the earth, so, too, does our self-righteousnesses.

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things [doctrines, and pet idols for sensual gain] but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 
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:
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Hos 13:3  Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
Hos 13:4  Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
Hos 13:5  I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

Typified by Israel when times are tough, we, decreasingly depicted as ‘the Great Whore’, cry out to God to deliver us from our drought of spiritual understanding. Subsequently, it is wise for us, while it is yet “today” that we seek our Lord with all our heart and mind. In speaking of our former whoreish ways,

Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her [The Great Whore; Babylon the Great] plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 
Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 

Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 
Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 3:15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 

Hos 13:6  According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.
Hos 13:7  Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: [The Lord doesn’t immediately always chastise us, but stalks us like a lion or leopard]
Hos 13:8  I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul [Chest cavity ripped open] of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
Hos 13:9  O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
Hos 13:10  I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?

Verses 6-9 represent all people, regardless of their ethnicity, when they are living prosperous lives free from physical and financial suffering. We eagerly anticipate enjoying the fruits of our labour, forgetting that we are created by the Lord for the destruction of the flesh and that our judgment and salvation in His time and order are guaranteed. Our Lord, lying hidden ‘by the way’, observes and controls all of our thoughts and actions from His spirit realm. Endlessly typified by Israel satiating herself luxuriously before chastisement, we, too, as chastised children, look to our parents, the Father and Christ, for ‘help’ in comfort and righteous living. 

Psa 84:11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. 

Verse 10 reminds us of Peter’s solemn reflection when he and the other disciples anxiously mulled the drinking of their Lord’s symbolised blood and eating his body, he says in verse 68 of John 6, beginning in verse 66…

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 
Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 
Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 
Joh 6:69  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Isa 46:9  Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 
Isa 46:10  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 
Isa 46:11  Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. 

Hos 13:11  I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

Of course, no more distinguished “King” is there who was taken away in purposeful “wrath” at the cross than Christ, yet He does come again to His chosen “little flock” whose ‘hidden sins’ are gloriously exposed for her eyes alone to see spiritually in the New Covenant. Meantime, old Israel is alive and well depicted as Babylon and the world dances in their strong delusions that their sins are forgiven without chastisement and acknowledgement since Christ allegedly paid for them on the cross. Hence…

Hos 13:12  The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.

…nonetheless, judgment will come swiftly in the Resurrection to Judgment, the Lake of Fire, as it comes upon a labouring woman.

Hos 13:13  The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.
Hos 13:14  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

The Lord is the plagues upon Ephraim in the flesh; he only sees the outward plagues; however, those same plagues spiritually to the New Man in Christ he sees most brightly through signification. The entire Bible is hidden in profoundly deep parables and significations, particularly in the books of Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelations, and are given only for the Bride’s accelerating understanding in these latter days.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [Meaning: 1. to give a sign, to signify, indicate. 2. to make known] it by his angel [Christ to his Christs, the Lord’s Elect] unto his servant John: 
Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

The terms “signify, signified, signifying” are not easily equated with the more broad application and use of the term “manifest,” yet they mostly have the same meaning for the Bride’s profound understanding. Following are some examples:

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.

Since Ephraim represents the Bride of Christ, nothing will be “hidden” from her understanding.

Luk 8:17  For [The Bride alone…] nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. 

Rom 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 
Rom 16:26  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations [Within, and to the world in its own time and order] for the obedience of faith: 

Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? [Only the Bride] for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come [In their time and order] and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Hos 13:15  Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
Hos 13:16  Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

Joh 3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

Jer 51:1 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon [in this case, Ephraim leading us into Babylon], and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

Eph 4:14  so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit.

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

Since the wind represents the personage of either Satan’s or God’s spirit, the first to come from the east is Satan’s spirit driven by God to dry up Ephraim’s wealth stored in the “great house”, her people represented as physical vessels. Her juvenile self-styled doctrines are depicted as pregnant women, Babylon’s harlot churches being prophetically dashed to pieces. The conclusion of all matters and coming from behind in Christ, the spirit of God in the Father. Positively, His spirit also comes from the dawning east to blow spiritual growth upon the equivalent ‘little house’ (“Little Flock – Luke 12:32-34), of God’s heavenly vessels, His Elect.

2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Hosea 13:15-16 broadly, yet subtly depicts the progression of any sin and is represented in 1 John 2:15-17 and our “love for the world”, and results in our judgment hopefully of and by ourselves before our Lord Himself needs to step in and outwardly judge us for our more humiliating inward spiritual judgment. 

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 most insidious sin in the progression to the greater sin is pride, which begins with the fleshy mind dwelling upon what the eyes unavoidably transmit. Upon not hearing the Lord’s paradoxical, still small voice of his trumpet blast to ‘resist the Devil’s’ amplified lust, we “excuse” (Rom 2:15) ourselves of the sin as classically did Adam and Eve, and our consciences make us “hide”. Therein the hiding lies the malignant act of “pride” since hiding denotes our fear of having the nakedness of our pride exposed in not acknowledging the sin and, worse, not driving out the giants of our land. The result is malignant pride.

Num 32:23  But if ye will not do so [drive out the giants ~ pride] behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

As the ordinary Christian partially sees and the Bride dynamically performs, the most potent and only form of ‘resisting’ we can attribute to Satan is the act of immediately asking Christ for his strength and him casting out the Devil. 

Ephraim, as does the incipient Bride and dolefully mused by Solomon, loves the sensualities of the world. That love of chasing the flesh is, as Solomon says, ‘labouring for the wind’ (Ecc 5:16) and he knows since he was the master of not denying himself of every conceivable earthy delight.

Ecc 2:10  [Solomon says] And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. 
Ecc 2:11  Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. 

Consummation

Every study a teacher hosts, and by Christ’s hands, he ambitiously builds the Temple that the Bride distinctly IS. Each time, at Christ’s bidding, “when he pleases,” in his chamber, we eagerly respond to receive his kisses of poetically “signified” love.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants [The Bride alone] things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 

Son 1:4  Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. 

Son 1:2  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. 

God forbid we exhibit any whorish resistance common to our former selves to not eagerly and with patience “run the race” (Heb 12:1-3) by classically resenting our Husband’s impassioned and fiery advances. That is precisely what Ephraim portrayed as Gomer did to her husband, Hosea, in chapters one to 11. Chapters 12 and 13, just studied, are Ephraim’s husband’s response to her haughty (Isa 3:16) dismissal of his love, rebounding on her with relentless indictments and judgment (A major theme of scripture and Hosea).

Unwittingly, Ephraim, without the holy spirit and by design, had zero chance of consistently submitting to her Husband’s love. Without the holy spirit, ‘bed-chamber’ passion is flighty and tedious, as is mostly experienced by and individually by both husbands and wives in every carnal marriage, yet identified primarily as a female condition.

Next week, always Lord willing, we will review the last Chapter of Hosea and our Lord’s equally “relentless” love for the ‘World’, and particularly His Bride with His Hosea-like plea to Gomer for us to ravishingly engage Him for what He all along wished His beautiful ‘young wife’ would equally delight in His very essence, His Word (Gen 1:3, Psa 119:5, Mat 5:14-16, Psa 119:30, Eph 5:8, Luk 17:24, Mat 28:3).

Zec 12:1-14  “The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel”

[Study Aired August 17, 2023]

In chapter 11 of Zacharias, we learn of the effect God’s word has on the nations during the symbolic period of time known as the thousand-year reign (Rev 20:6, Rev 12:5). The word of God is not contemptible to the masses at the beginning of this reign (Rev 11:15) because anon with joy the word will be received (Mat 13:20-22). In time, however, “the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.“

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

As time goes on, the judgment with a rod of iron will produce the results God intended it to have all along; results that are explained in this twelfth chapter of Zacharias and all of Malachi 1:1-14. It will be a time of plenty for the flesh: plenty of watering and planting of the word, plenty of physical healing, along with the needs of society being met plentifully, as Christ demonstrated when His ministry began on the earth.

The ministry of our Lord on earth as a man parallels the elect’s rule and reign under Christ during the thousand-year reign, the natural revealing the spiritual (1Jn 4:17, 1Co 15:46, Rom 1:20). Christ healed all the sick that were brought to him, and fed the masses and met the needs of people as those needs arose and were brought to His attention. However, Christ never converted a single soul, and neither will God’s elect during their reign, to teach the world that the increase of all that watering and planting can only come from God and at an appointed time that has been ordained according to the counsel of His own will (1Co 3:6, Eph 1:11).

The beginning of miracles which Jesus did in Cana of Galilee [another need met by Christ (Joh 2:11)] declared the end from the beginning and was the reason Christ said “Woman, [Mary, a type of elect church] what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” That the new wine is better than the present wine at the wedding of Cana represents the thousand-year reign of the saints “when men have well drunk.” The new wine represents the time when the saints are ministering and judging the world in the great white throne judgment with the better wine. A most glorious part of our relationship with Christ, a blessed and joyous experience will be in giving the word, the better wine, the cup that Christ longed to drink with us today and does, to the rest of the world in the lake of fire which will produce converted children for the Groom and Bride of Christ (Luk 22:15, Act 20:35, Gal 4:27). 

Joh 2:11  This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. 

The six earthen vessels in this story in John 2:1-11 represent the witness of the process of judgment that must come upon all mankind in the great white throne judgment (witness 2 x process of judgment 3 = on all mankind = 6). God’s elect have this treasure in earthen vessels today and are being sanctified by God’s word [wine] today (Joh 17:17, 2Co 4:7), and will fill the world with that better wine in the lake of fire. The first wine at the wedding of Cana represents the thousand-year reign when the saints will shower the world with both physical and spiritual abundance, symbolized by the first wine given at the wedding that ran out – “the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they have no wine.” In like manner, there will be a famine of the word toward the end of the thousand-year reign in the sense that the hunger and ‘anon with joy’ spirit will dissipate until the second resurrection, which is when the better wine will be given to all of humanity. 

Joh 2:1  And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 
Joh 2:2  And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 
Joh 2:3  And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 
Joh 2:4  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Joh 2:5  His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Joh 2:6  And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Joh 2:7  Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 
Joh 2:8  And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 
Joh 2:9  When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 
Joh 2:10  And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 
Joh 2:11  This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. [His disciples believed because of the sign but did not yet understand the spiritual significance of this first miracle.] 

Keeping all of this in mind, it becomes clear that the number 1000 in the expression ‘thousand-year reign’ symbolizes for us the inability for the world to hear the word of the Lord with spiritual eyes that see and ears that hear (Jer 22:29). “O earth (10), earth (10), earth (10), hear the word of the Lord” if multiplied, adds up to the complete one thousand years, and it is at the end of the thousand-year reign when the contempt of mankind will become very evident as a result of the familiarity of their relationship with Christ and his saints without the accompanying spirit of God which makes that relationship grow into one becoming a disciple indeed (Rom 8:9, Joh 8:31). The “inhabitants of Jerusalem”, to which humanity is likened in this study, will rebel against our Lord and His Christ’s rulership being overtaken by Satan who will be loosed for a season (Rev 11:15, Rev 20:7-9).

It will be akin to that moment when Christ said, “Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?” For which of all the works done during the reign of the saints does the world (Gog and Magog) come up against the camp of the saints (Joh 10:32)?  This whole scenario with mankind coming up against the camp of the saints reveals the man of perdition within, a man typified by Judas who was also sent a spirit which caused him to betray Christ and come up against Him (Joh 13:27). 

The “burden of the word of the LORD to Israel” brings with it, in time, a contemptible spirit as mentioned in Malachi 1:1 and 1:7.

Mal 1:1  The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 

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. 

Here are the verses for this study:

Zec 12:1  The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 
Zec 12:2  Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 
Zec 12:3  And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. 
Zec 12:4  In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. 
Zec 12:5  And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. 
Zec 12:6  In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. 
Zec 12:7  The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. 
Zec 12:8  In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. 
Zec 12:9  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 
Zec 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 
Zec 12:11  In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 
Zec 12:12  And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 
Zec 12:13  The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 
Zec 12:14  All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

Zec 12:1  The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 

“The burden of the word of the LORD” for the world, represented by Israel, is juxtaposed against what God’s word does within us, in our heavens and in the earthen vessels which we are, which is used by God to bring His workmanship unto perfection. It is He who “stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.” This “burden” has become a joyful burden we can bear through Christ today, and if we are granted to endure until the end, we and all the elect will be used to bring forth the manifold knowledge of Christ that will then become “the burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD.“

These physical events Christ has created, stretching “forth the heavens” and laying the “foundation of the earth” (Rom 1:20), represent what Christ will do within every man in his appointed time in order to conform “the spirit of man within him” to become a new creation by the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ (Rom 12:1-2, Eph 2:10).

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. 

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

Zec 12:2  Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
Zec 12:3  And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

God is making the body of Christ, Jerusalem above the mother of us all, “a cup of trembling unto all the people round about [that are] in siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.“ Jerusalem becoming a “cup of trembling” is the burden of the word of the LORD or “Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people.” Jerusalem as a cup of trembling is talking about the elect in the first resurrection, “the people round about” represent the world which doesn’t recognize the ‘man of perdition’ on their hearts (2Th 2:3, Rev 2:13). “Israel” (verse 1) and “the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (verse 5) include the religious world and their corrupt spiritual influence on the earth (Rev 11:8, Rev 18:2-3, Isa 1:4-6).

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 18:2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 
Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

The world will be “cut in pieces” as a result of burdening themselves with the stone of stumbling Christ and his bride will be during the thousand-year reign, which is something that is going to happen via the sharper-than-any-two-edged-sword of God going forth from the elect (Heb 4:12). Even if all the earth comes up against the body of Christ, “though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it“, God’s judgments will prevail even from the start of the thousand-year reign until the end (Mic 4:3).

Mic 4:3  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Zec 12:4  In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
Zec 12:5  And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

“In that day” means the day the saints rule with a rod of iron and the world is shown their blindness. God will take away the power of influence the churches of the world have (“every horse“) by showing them their blindness, to which “I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness” refers (Rev 14:16-20). 

Rev 14:15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 
Rev 14:17  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:18  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 
Rev 14:19  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 
Rev 14:20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

That “astonishment” being talked about is connected to the amazement the world will feel when they come to sober up spiritually and understand this verse, “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration”^{G2295 wonder} (Rev 14:8, Rev 17:6).

Rev 14:8  And another, a second, angel followed, saying, Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, which of the wine of the fury of her fornication has made all nations drink. 

Rev 17:6  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 

The world will begin to wake up to where God’s power resides, “And the governors of Judah [the elect] shall say in their heart: The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.” The world will serve the same God the elect serve, and the elect overcoming the giants of the land that are accompanying the worlds yet defiled land [wood, hay and stubble], will reveal the strength of the elect’s relationship with God to the world.

Zec 12:6  In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

“In that day will I make the governors of Judah [God’s elect] like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf” is another example of men learning righteousness because God’s judgments are in the earth burning up the wood, hay and stubble “like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf” (Jer 5:14). 

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.

Zec 12:7  The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.

God’s elect are represented by “the tents of Judah” who are saved first (Rom 2:10) and the world is represented by “the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem [who] do not magnify themselves against Judah.”

Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first [“the tents of Judah“], and also to the Gentile: 

Zec 12:8  In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Zec 12:9  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 

When we understand that the man of perdition who must be destroyed  is represented by “all the nations that come against Jerusalem“, and that the world, represented by “the inhabitants of Jerusalem“, are precious to God and beloved (Rom 11:28), these verses open up for us (Zec 12:8). This destruction of the nations has an inward application for the body of Christ today who are being judged (1Pe 4:17) and the outward dispensational view of the man of perdition’s destruction is being shown in these verses (Zec 12:8-9).

They [the world] are feeble without the spirit of God within them, “shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God“,  with the elect before them “as the angel of the LORD before them” who will guide them and teach the world the truth of God only to later see the nations “come against Jerusalem” (Isa 26:9).

The world really is, as are God’s elect, sheep for the slaughter (Rom 8:36), and this verse, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” is referring to the time of Gog and Magog when an end of all physical flesh will come (Rev 20:8). That natural event of the destruction of the nations by fire is a shadow of the spiritual baptism of fire that will take place in the lake of fire when all the world is raised in the second resurrection. It is the judgment of all the nations of the world to which God has called the elect (1Co 6:3).

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Zec 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

These next few verses (Zec 12:10-14) demonstrate the progression of God’s plan, to which we just saw God referring at the event of Gog and Magog in the previous verse “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zec 12:9) resulting in the next great event which will be the great white throne judgment when all the books of humanity are opened (Rev 20:11-12).

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

These following verses (Zec 12:10-14) help us understand how God is going to judge “the inhabitants of Jerusalem” by pouring out “the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn“, meaning God will lead all of humanity to repentance and an understanding (Rom 2:4) of what flesh was and how the spirit of man apart from God’s spirit within does not produce the blessed relationship of knowing God and Christ (Joh 17:3). It is the gift of “the spirit of grace and of supplications” which starts that process in all the world that will be judged at that time (Eph 2:8-9).

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? 

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.

Zec 12:11  In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

Historically there are several interesting connections to look at regarding “the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon“, specifically in regard to the death of pagan kings and the idolatrous worship of deities. In the book of Joshua we learn of all these kings who were killed in this area of Palestine, “all the kings thirty and one” (Jos 12:1-24).

In this verse, Jerusalem represents Jerusalem below, all the world that are being judged, all Israel who are going to be saved through that judgment (Rom 11:26), through the mercy that will have already been shown to the saviors who come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau (Oba 1:21).

The mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be as the mourning of Hadadrimmon^{H1910 H1908} in the valley of Megiddon^{H4023 H1413} because the idols of man’s hearts will be exposed through God’s judgment (Rev 17:9-12).

Rev 17:9  And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10  And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 
Rev 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition [2Th 2:8].
Rev 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

Inwardly this judgment begins at the house of God with the elect (1Pe 4:17). The names Hadadrimmon^{H1910 H1908} and Megiddon^{H4023 H1413} also establish the pagan origins of this location, and most importantly what its spiritual significance is for God’s elect today.

H1910
Hadadrimmon
hădadrimmôn had-ad-rim-mone’

From H1908 and H7417; Hadad Rimmon, a place in Palestine: – Hadad-rimmon.

H1908
hădad
had-ad’

Probably of foreign origin (compare H111); Hadad, the name of an idol, and of several kings of Edom: – Hadad.

H4023
Megiddon
megiddôn    megiddô
meg-id-done’, meg-id-do’

From H1413; rendezvous; Megiddon or Megiddo, a place in Palestine: – Megiddo, Megiddon.

H1413
gâdad
gaw-dad’

A primitive root (compare H1461); to crowd; also to gash (as if by pressing into): – assemble (selves by troops), gather (selves together, self in troops), cut selves

Zec 12:12  And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 
Zec 12:13  The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 
Zec 12:14  All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

The land that mourns represents all of humanity [the whole represented by the four family groups named], “All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart”:

the family of the house of David (beloved/loving) apart, and their wives apart;
the family of the house of Nathan (giver/given) apart, and their wives apart;
the family of the house of Levi (joined/attached) apart, and their wives apart;
the family of Shimei (my listeners/renowned/famous) apart, and their wives apart;

“All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart^H905 [apart, alone, by self]” These names we’re looking at are connected to the world, and to the court, and give us great hope of how ‘as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive’ (1Co 15:22). 

David H1732 beloved/loving
youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel

Nathan H5416 giver/given

a son of David by Bathsheba
the eminent prophet in the time of David and Solomon
a man of Zobah, father of one of David’s mighty warriors
father of Azariah who was over the officers of Solomon
son of Attai and father of Zabad of the tribe of Judah
brother of Joel of the tribe of Judah
one of the head men who returned from Babylon with Ezra
a man with a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
head of a family of Israel who shall mourn when they look on him whom they pierce

Levi H3878 “joined to”/attached
the third son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites

Shimei H8097 Patronymic from H8096; Shimei or Shimhi or Shimi or Shimea = renowned/famous
a Benjamite, son of Gera of the house of Saul in the time of David
a Benjamite, son of Elah and commissariat officer in the time of Solomon
the Ramathite in charge of the vineyards of David
son of Gershon and grandson of Levi
a Levite, son of Jeduthun and chief of the 10th division of singers in the time of David
a Levite of the sons of heman who took part in the purification of the temple in the time of king hezekiah of Judah
a Levite, brother of Cononiah in charge of receiving the tithes and offerings in the reign of king hezekiah of Judah
a Levite who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
a Judaite, son of Pedaiah and brother of Zerubbabel
a Simeonite, son of Zacchur
a Reubenite, son of Gog and father of Micah
one of the sons of Hashum who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
one of the sons of Bani who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
a Benjamite, son of Kish, father of Jair, and grandfather of Mordecai in the time of Esther
a Levite, son of Jahath, grandson of Gershon, and great grandson of Levi
Benjamite, father of Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath. Spelled ‘Shimhi’

The world will be feeling very alone, very bad, and very apart in this moment when they have been separated for judgment, as God has intended for all the world to feel like Joseph’s brothers felt when they came to see the one they pierced. It will take as much time as it needs to take for the world to understand these words of Joseph in Genesis 45:5, which will always be true for all of God’s creation that must experience, “The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel”, judging each man, in his appointed time and bringing us all into the realization of His great unending love toward each of us (Joh 3:16, 1Co 15:28). 

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.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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

[Posted June 6, 2023]

While studying this morning about God’s wrath/judgment, I read in 1 Corinthians 5 that God is judging people outside the body of Christ.

1Co 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

…and that is his wrath abiding on them in their unbelief?

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

So my question is, “Why does it say that once we start suffering as a Christian, judgment begins at the house of God?”

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?

What about John 3:36 – God’s wrath ABIDETH on unbelievers – is that word, Abideth in future tense?

Thank you, K____

Hi K____,

Thank you for this question about God judging the world at this time in 1 Corinthians 5:13, because it demonstrates how important it is to know the tense of what is being said.

Here, in brackets, is the tense of the verb ‘judgeth’^G2919 ‘krino‘:

1Co 5:13  But^G1161 them that are without^G1854 God^G2316 judgeth^{G2919 [G5692]}. Therefore^G2532 put away^{G1808 [G5692]} from^G1537 among yourselves^G5216 that^G846 wicked person^G4190.

When you click on the number I have emboldened in brackets, G5692, you will get the Greek tense of this verb, ‘krino’, and this is that tense:

G5692
Tense-Future See [G5776]
Voice-Active See [G5784]
Mood-Indicative See [G5791]

On the other hand, let’s look at the Greek tense of ‘krino‘ which is taking place on the house of God at this time in 1 Peter 4:17, which you also reference:

1Pe 4:17  For^G3754 the time^G2540 is come that judgment^G2917 must begin^{G756 [G5670]} at^G575 the house^G3624 of God^G2316: and^G1161 if^G1487 it first^G4412 begin at^G575 us^G2257, what^G5101 shall the end^G5056 be of them that obey not^{G544 [G5723]} the gospel^G2098 of God^G2316?

The tense of the verb ‘judgment’ here is not in the future tense. We are first plainly told “the time is come…”, followed by the verb phrase… “that judgment must begin G756 [5670]”. Here is the tense which the bracketed number ‘5670’ reveals:

G5670
Tense-Aorist See [G5777]
Voice-Middle See [G5785]
Mood-Infinitive See [G5795]

I hope we are all familiar with the fact that the ‘aorist’ tense indicates that a process is at this moment taking place.

Furthermore, the tense of the question asking “what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God” is G5273, which is:

G5723
Tense-Present See [G5774]
Voice-Active See [G5784]
Mood-Participle See [G5796]

The very clear contrast Peter is making is between those upon whom the judgment of God is presently in the process of taking place, and those who are not obeying the gospel of God. The former is spoken of in the ongoing aorist tense and the latter is in the present tense.

Since the tense of the word Greek word ‘krino‘^G5692 in 1 Corinthians 5:13 is the future tense, as indicated by the bracketed number [5776], that verse would be much better translated as:

1Co 5:13  But God will [future tense] judge the ones outside. And you shall put out from yourselves the evil one. (LITV)

As another brother pointed out:  “It’s a matter of timing. Notice that it says abiding. Why is that? because it won’t happen in this age.”

You ask:  “What about John 3:36 ‘God’s wrath ABIDETH on unbelievers, is that word, Abideth in future tense?”

Here is that scripture:

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The word ‘abideth’ is present tense. God’s wrath is abiding on all unbelievers at this present time.  However, that does not mean they are being judged at this time.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

I hope this helps you to see that God is not judging the world at this time. He will judge the world in Gehenna fire, which typifies the great white throne judgment/ lake of fire/ second death.

Your fellow student of the Lord’s Words,
Mike

Act 16:22-40  Sirs, What Must I do to be Saved?

[Study Aired June 4, 2023]

Act 16:22  And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
Act 16:23  And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Act 16:24  Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
Act 16:25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Act 16:26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
Act 16:27  And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
Act 16:28  But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Act 16:29  Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
Act 16:30  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 16:32  And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Act 16:33  And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Act 16:34  And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Act 16:35  And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
Act 16:36  And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
Act 16:37  But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
Act 16:38  And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
Act 16:39  And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
Act 16:40  And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Our last study ended with Paul casting a spirit of divination out of a young woman who “brought her masters much gain by soothsaying”:

Act 16:16  And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Act 16:17  The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

Notice that the author says, “The same follow us”, including himself among Paul’s entourage. This is one of several times Luke lets us know that he was traveling with Paul as Paul also lets us know when informing Timothy of the apostasy that was already under way when so many of his faith “fellow servants” were “forsaking” him while Luke remained faithful to the apostle:

2Ti 4:9  Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2Ti 4:11  Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

It is argued by many that Crescens and Titus were sent by Paul to Galatian and Dalmatia respectively, but if that were true, why didn’t Paul simply say so as he specifically says of Tychicus in the very next verse:

2Ti 4:12  And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

Crescens and Titus are lumped in with Demas who he explicitly tells us “hath forsaken me”. Paul does not tell us, ‘Crescens have I sent to Galatia, Titus have I sent to Dalmatia, and Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus’. These three formerly faithful men were once considered “fellowlabourers” of the gospel and they have now been given of the God who is working all things after the counsel of His own will, to forsake the Lord’s apostle for a more comfortable life in “this present world”.

Notice how Paul referred to Demas in earlier epistles:

Col 4:14  Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

Phm 1:24  Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

Experiences such as this event where Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed in Philippi were no doubt a part of the reason that Demas, Crescens, and Titus all preferred the comforts of “this present world” to the cross of Christ.

Paul no doubt agreed with what this young lady was saying, but this verse of scripture reveals that her motives and her actions were not commendable:

Pro 27:14  He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

Gratitude towards those who “labor in the Word” is proper and commendable. However, our focus should always be on Christ Himself and not on His messengers:

1Ti 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

The apostle Paul tolerated this young lady’s feigned adulation “many days” until he was given to discern the spirit he was dealing with. At that point he spoke directly to the evil spirit and commanded it to come out of the woman:

Act 16:18  And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

It truly does “grieve any humble person to be praised every day before everyone. Especially when it is coming from the same person. The fact that we are told that Paul tolerated this feigned adulation “many days” sets us the example that we should not be hasty to condemn anyone. The young lady’s words were true, but it became obvious with time that her motive was self-aggrandizement and self-service, rather than serving the Lord and serving the Lord’s servants.

Act 16:19  And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
Act 16:20  And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Act 16:21  And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Paul and Silas were ‘drawn’ into the marketplace to the rulers in the same way the spirit draws us to Christ. They were dragged there against their own will by a mob of angry Roman citizens.

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.

The Greek word for ‘drew’ here in Acts 16:19, and for the word ‘draw’ in John 6:44 is the same:

G1670
ἑλκύω, ἕλκω
helkuō    helkō
hel-koo’-o, hel’-ko

Probably akin to G138; to drag (literally or figuratively): – draw. Compare G1667.

Paul and Silas did not just willingly volunteer to go before the magistrates to be falsely accused and publicly beaten. They were being dragged by a mob of very angry Romans.

Christ has promised that if we remain true to His words, “Ye shall be hated of all men.” Now Paul is not only being withstood by “they of the circumcision”, signifying the established church of his day, but now he and Silas are also being persecuted by the Romans, signifying the society of that day, for teaching things which are also contrary to Roman customs. If we are serious about following Christ, then our life and our principles will inevitably offend both the religious and the secular of this present society:

Act 16:22  And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

Compared to the laws of Rome, the law of Moses was very merciful, as the beating endured by our Lord at the hands of the Romans demonstrated. The law of Moses did not permit beating one to death. Beatings were restricted to “forty stipes”:

Deu 25:2  And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.
Deu 25:3  Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

The Jews self-righteously decided that “forty stipes” were one too many and decreed that the judges were to administer no more than “forty stipes save one.” Paul tells us that he was both beaten “in stripes above measure” and “of the Jews five times [he] received… forty stripes save one.” Here we are told that these Roman magistrates beat the apostle and Silas “with many stripes”, the very words used in Deuteronomy 25:3 to contrast with “forty stripes.” Since these Philippian rulers are Romans, it is very likely that the stripes they administered upon Paul and Silas were indeed “above measure.” Notice how Paul separates the beatings “of the Jews” from “stripes above measure”:

2Co 11:23  Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
2Co 11:28  Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

From a carnal perspective it is understandable why Demas, Crescens, and Titus all forsook the apostle and all this persecution and hardship for the love of “this present world” instead. The spiritual kingdom of God is as much a thing of the future as was Esau’s birthright, and the sufferings and persecutions for the gospel’s sake are just as present an experience as was Esau’s hunger when he sold Jacob his birthright for a cup of pottage (Gen 25:29-34)

The fact that Paul gives us the number of times He was beaten of the Jews as “five times” is a witness to the work of “grace through faith” which is at work in the lives of “every son whom [the Father] receives”:

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Act 16:23  And when they had laid many stripes [Deu 25:3] upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Act 16:24  Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

As always, whether with Joseph being cast into the prison in Egypt, the three Hebrew children being cast into the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar, or Daniel being cast into the lion’s den by Darius, the Lord is the one who is working all these disasters for the very purpose of demonstrating His power to deliver and comfort His elect who truly place their trust in Him and do not “faint in the day of adversity”:

Pro 24:10  If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

The strength of Demas, Crescens, and Titus was apparently small, as is the strength of all men who do not give themselves over to Christ and depend upon His strength in their lives.

Act 16:25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Act 16:26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
Act 16:27  And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
Act 16:28  But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Paul was used by the Lord to literally save this jailer’s physical life, and then to introduce him to life eternal through knowledge of Christ and His Father:

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

Act 16:29  Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
Act 16:30  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 16:32  And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Act 16:33  And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

As anyone who has been given the mind of Christ would want, as this jailer wanted, this jailer wanted to express his gratitude for the blessing of life he has received through the agency of these two men.

There was far more than a mere ten-second ‘sinner’s prayer’ involved in this conversion. This conversion included Paul and Silas praying and singing praises to God at midnight despite their restrictions. It included a great earthquake that was so strong that all the bands binding all the prisoners were broken, and yet, miraculously no one had broken out of the prison.

Act 16:34  And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

The Lord gave this jailer the ability to discern that Paul and Silas were men of God who were being unjustly persecuted and that their prayers and songs of praise to God at midnight were connected to the miraculous earthquake and the miracle of keeping all the prisoners in the prison even after their bonds were broken off.

This Philippian jailer was no doubt even more convinced when the morning came, and the magistrates sent word to “Let those men go”:

Act 16:35  And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
Act 16:36  And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
Act 16:37  But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

What Paul did in forcing the authorities to come and ask them to leave is written for our admonition to teach us that there is a time to speak up and witness against the evil we endure, and not always simply ‘resist not evil [and] turn to him the other… cheek”. Appealing to the law of the land is in complete accord with the Lord’s admonition to ‘flee to another city’ when being persecuted. Witnessing to these magistrates of their own lawlessness is not to be conflated with Christ’s commandment that we are not to resist evil when we cannot flee to another city or appeal to Caesar.

Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Act 25:11  For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

Act 28:19  But when the Jews spake against it [Being released by the Romans], I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

Paul had done the same thing when he was smitten for no reason while beginning to defend himself before the Sanhedrin after the Jews apprehended him in Jerusalem:

Act 23:1  And Paul, earnestly beholding the council [Greek: ‘Sanhedrin’], said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
Act 23:2  And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
Act 23:3  Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
Act 23:4  And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?
Act 23:5  Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people [Even when they are having us smitten “contrary to the law”].

Paul’s nephew overheard “above forty men” conspiring to murder Paul, and when the nephew told Paul about this conspiracy, Paul called on “the powers that be” (Rom 13:1) to save his own life (Act 23:12-22). While it is true that Christ said nothing in His own defense at the time of His crucifixion, He did so because He knew His ‘time had come’ for Him to be offered up. Until that moment He had defended everything He had done every time it upset His enemies. Christ defended His actions of eating wheat while passing through the fields on the sabbath day, and He also defended His right to heal on the sabbath day (Mat 12:1-8, Mat 12:9-14, Luk 14:1-6).

It was for their own good that Paul insisted the rulers of the city of Philippi should themselves come and bring him and Silas forth out of the city. Paul and Silas were both free Roman citizens, and the rulers of Philippi had beaten them both illegally and could have been taken before the courts. Paul did not prosecute or retaliate against his persecutors, but he knew these rulers needed to learn a lesson, and he used this opportunity to do so for their own good.

Act 16:38  And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
Act 16:39  And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
Act 16:40  And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

In departing the city, Paul was not forsaking the church at Philippi. He was temporarily leaving, and in doing so, He was accommodating both the rulers of the city and the words of Christ:

Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Avoiding evil should never be conflated with resisting evil:

Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

It is a wise thing to hide ourselves from evil if possible. This is such an important Truth that it is twice repeated in the book of Proverbs:

Pro 22:3  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Pro 27:12  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

When we are in a position such as Paul and Silas, to give instruction or teach a lesson even to people of this world, then we ought to do so and not just let it slide telling ourselves that we are obeying the Lord by turning the other cheek. Neither Paul nor Silas fought back while being beaten, but it was for their own good that Paul told these magistrates:

Act 16:37  But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

These hypocritical Roman leaders of Philippi had beaten and imprisoned Paul and Silas publicly, and for their own education and edification they needed to come personally and lead Paul and Silas out of that prison publicly. There is a time to tell the leaders of this world that they are acting unlawfully. Christ Himself had more to say to the Roman, Pilate, than He had to say to those who had condemned Him:

Joh 19:10  Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
Joh 19:11  Jesus answered, Thou 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.
Joh 19:12  And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

Pilate knew Jesus was a threat to no one, but he was intimidated with the threat of being accused of favoring Christ as a king over Caesar and he caved to the threats of the mob. Christ did not cave to the mob and neither did Paul nor Silas. They stood up to the mob and were rewarded for doing so:

Pro 16:7  When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

[Study Aired May 9, 2022]

Exo 9:1  Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 
Exo 9:2  For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, 
Exo 9:3  Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. 
Exo 9:4  And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel. 
Exo 9:5  And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land. 
Exo 9:6  And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.
Exo 9:7  And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
Exo 9:8  And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
Exo 9:9  And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. 
Exo 9:10  And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.
Exo 9:11  And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
Exo 9:12  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.
Exo 9:13  And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 9:14  For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
Exo 9:15  For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
Exo 9:16  And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
Exo 9:17  As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?
Exo 9:18  Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
Exo 9:19  Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
Exo 9:20  He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
Exo 9:21  And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.
Exo 9:22  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:23  And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:24  So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
Exo 9:25  And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 
Exo 9:26  Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. 
Exo 9:27  And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
Exo 9:28  Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.
Exo 9:29  And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD’S.
Exo 9:30  But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.
Exo 9:31  And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.
Exo 9:32  But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
Exo 9:33  And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. 
Exo 9:34  And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 
Exo 9:35  And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

This chapter focuses on the fifth, sixth and the seventh plagues – the death of Egyptian cattle, outbreak of boils and the raining down of hail. All these are part of the Lord’s judgment of the old man or the beast within symbolized by Pharaoh. As we are aware, the Lord’s four sore judgments entail the following:

Eze 14:21  For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

The mention of four sore judgments means that the whole of the Lord’s judgment involves the sword, famine, noisome beast and pestilence. This means that the judgments we encounter in this life, leading to the death of the old man, are related to the sword, famine, noisome beast or pestilence.

Exo 5:3  And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

As indicated in the previous studies, the turning of the waters of Egypt into blood, the unleashing of frogs, lice and swarms of flies all have to do with the pollution of the word of the Lord by lies and false doctrines propagated by evil agents of the devil. This results in famine of the word of the Lord as indicated by Amos:

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Today’s study has to do with the Lord’s judgment on our old man in relation to the sword (raining down of hail) and pestilence (outbreak of boils and the death of cattle and other animals).  All these judgments are to bring Pharaoh to the point of allowing the people of Israel to be liberated from their Egyptian bondage in order to serve the Lord. This is reiterated by the Lord as He instructed Moses and Aaron to tell Pharaoh as follows:

Exo 9:1  Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 

Our Lord’s desire to get rid of the old man (Pharaoh) within us is again stated here in verse 1 where the Lord told Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people go so they can serve Him. As long as the beast reigns within our members, there is no way we can please or serve the Lord. As we are aware, the Lord had sworn by an oath with our fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) that He would give their descendants the promised land, which is our bodies. Knowing this, we must have confidence that irrespective of our circumstance and where we are spiritually, the Lord will put to death the old man (Pharaoh) in order for us to serve Him acceptably.

Exo 6:8  And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

Heb 6:13  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 
Heb 6:14  Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 
Heb 6:15  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 
Heb 6:16  For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 
Heb 6:17  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 
Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 
Heb 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 

Having confidence that the Lord will surely cause us to possess the land (overcome the flesh to possess our bodies), all we have to do is believe in the strong hand (His judgments) of the Lord to accomplish it. The stubbornness of the beast, signified by Pharaoh’s resistance to let the people of Israel go from Egypt, brings us to the fifth plague or judgment by the death of cattle, horses, camels, etc. as follows:

The Plague of the Death of Cattle

Exo 9:2  For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, 
Exo 9:3  Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. 

In the scriptures, cattle, asses, horses, camels, oxen and sheep are symbols of worldly riches as shown in the following examples of Abraham and Job:

Gen 24:35  And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

Job 1:3  His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

These worldly riches represent the things of this world which are the source of sin – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life which we are admonished not to love.

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 plague of the death of the cattle, asses, camel, etc. therefore is judgment of the Lord which brings about the death of the world within us and therefore curtails our quest for mammon. The rich young ruler who came to Jesus wanted to serve the Lord as he came to inquire about the way of salvation. However, the cares of the world and his love for riches disqualified him from becoming a son in this life.

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 
Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
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, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Mat 19:22  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 

Jesus telling the rich young ruler that he should go and sell his riches does not mean that Jesus is having against the riches of this world. No!! The blessing of the Lord also includes the riches of this world. However, Jesus is here speaking in a parable, not to the world, but to His elect. What Jesus said is that the way to the kingdom of God is to be spiritually poor. Being spiritually poor is what the Lord meant when he said that the young man should sell his possessions. Again, when Jesus said that it was almost impossible for those who are rich in this life to enter the kingdom of God, He was speaking in parable. What he meant is that it is impossible for those who think they are spiritually rich to enter the kingdom of God.

Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Exo 9:4  And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel. 
Exo 9:5  And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land. 
Exo 9:6  And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one. 
Exo 9:7  And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. 

The cattle of Israel stand for spiritual riches as against the cattle of Egypt which represent the love of the world. The cattle of Israel not experiencing death in verse 4 means that spiritual riches are eternal, while the cattle of Egypt, which stand for the things of this world, are temporal or dying.

Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 
Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

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

The cattle of Israel, which signify spiritual riches, entail getting to know the wisdom and knowledge of God which is precious in the Lord’s sight as indicated in the verses above. It is those whose eyes are being opened who value spiritual riches. The flesh, signified by Pharaoh, does not care about spiritual things, and therefore it is no wonder that Pharaoh’s heart became hardened even after seeing the cattle of Israel not affected by the plague, as he did not take it to heart at all.

The Plague of the Outbreak of Boils

Exo 9:8  And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 
Exo 9:9  And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:10  And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.
Exo 9:11  And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
Exo 9:12  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

Boils are a skin disease caused by bacterial infection. In the scriptures, when one has a skin disease, he/she must appear before a priest to give his verdict on the nature of the skin disease whether it is a defiling skin disease or a rash, in which case the person is declared clean.

Lev 13:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
Lev 13:2  When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: 
Lev 13:3  And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. 
Lev 13:4  If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days: 
Lev 13:5  And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more: 
Lev 13:6  And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

What this means is that through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh (outbreak of boils), we are taken through a humbling experience (judgment of boils) which causes us to depend on our brothers and sisters (Priest). This was what happened to Hezekiah when he got sick and was about to die. Isaiah told him initially that he would die, but after Hezekiah sought the Lord to show mercy to him, he was given an additional fifteen years. Hezekiah was humbled by this near-death experience, and he submitted to Isaiah’s words. In healing Hezekiah, Isaiah took a lump of figs and placed it on Hezekiah’s boil, and he was healed. As we may be aware, figs in the scriptures represent the Lord’s people, so a lump of figs represents the body of the elect through whom healing comes to us when through the Lord’s experience, we are humbled.

2Ki 20:1  In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 
2Ki 20:2  Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, 
2Ki 20:3  I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 
2Ki 20:4  And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 
2Ki 20:5  Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. 
2Ki 20:6  And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. 
2Ki 20:7  And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

Pharaoh’s stubbornness became evident once again as the Lord hardened his heart and therefore was not willing to let the Israelites go. This is all to show us that dealing with the beast within or the old man is not our work – it is the Lord’s work!! In Romans, we are reminded that the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is all part of the Lord’s way to show us how He has been merciful to us and to cause us to trust in Him through the showing forth of His power.

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.

In verse 8, Moses was commanded to take the ashes of the furnace which became transformed to dust and finally led to the plague of boils. We are the ashes in the furnace. We are the ones who are being called out of the furnace of affliction. What this means is that in the fullness of time, the Lord will use us to bring boils or judge the world.

Isa 48:10  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 
Isa 48:11  For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.  

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Exo 9:13  And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 
Exo 9:14  For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 
Exo 9:15  For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
Exo 9:16  And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
Exo 9:17  As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

As shown earlier, the stubbornness of Pharaoh, or the old man within us, is all the work of the Lord in bringing us to appreciate that being an overcomer is through the power of the Lord and not by anything that we do. This power of the Lord comes to us through the knowledge of His divine word.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Mar 12:24  And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

In verse 15, the Lord stated that He will smite the old man with pestilence and that the old man shall be cut off from the earth. Being cut off from the earth means the old man shall surely be destroyed and therefore will not influence our earthly members. This destruction is through judgment.

The Plague of Hail

Exo 9:18  Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
Exo 9:19  Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
Exo 9:20  He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
Exo 9:21  And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.
Exo 9:22  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.

Hail comes down from heaven and is very destructive to things on earth. In verse 19, we are told about the destructive nature of hail. It destroys all our cattle and all that remains in the field. As we are aware, the field is the world.

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;

As indicated earlier, all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life – are not of the Lord, and His judgment of hail destroys the love of this world within us.

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.

Hail is a kind of rain and therefore represents the truth of the word of God which particularly destroys our false doctrines and lies.

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Exo 9:23  And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:24  So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
Exo 9:25  And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

In verse 23, we are given additional information about the judgment of hail. We are told that the Lord sent thunder, hail and fire that ran on the ground. This is repeated in verse 24 where fire mingled with hail came over the land of Egypt and wreaked havoc. This plague of hail meted out against the land and the people of Egypt is the same as the sounding of the first trumpet by one of the seven angels when the seventh seal was opened.

Rev 8:6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

As we have indicated, hail refers to the truth of the word of the Lord. Fire also represents the word of the Lord as shown as follows:

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.

However, when the word of the Lord is described as fire, it is referring to the ability of the word of the Lord to judge us and in the process destroy that which is not in line with the word of the Lord within us.

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

So, hail mingled with fire, which was unleashed in the land of Egypt, means that getting to know the truth of the word of the Lord comes with the judgment of ‘our earth’ which is represented here as the land of Egypt. In other words, tribulation and persecution come as the result of the word we are receiving. As indicated in verse 25, this judgment results in the destruction of all that is in the field, both man and beast, and every herb and tree in the field. We have already shown that all that is in the field represents the love of the world in us. The reference to all that is in the field, both man and beast, is to let us know the impact of the Lord’s judgment on the beast within us. The scriptures speak in several places of trees representing mankind. We are all trees which do not bring forth good fruit and therefore must be brought down by hail mingled with fire to produce good fruit.

Luk 3:9  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Luk 6:44  For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

Herbs in the scriptures signifies spiritual immaturity as used in the following:

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

So, the destruction of herbs by hail mingled with fire is the destruction of our false doctrines and lies which hold us captive to the rudimentary aspect of the word of the Lord.

Exo 9:26  Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. 

As we have indicated, hail represents the truth of the word of the Lord or the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Goshen means ‘drawing near’. The absence of hail where the people of Israel were (Goshen) is another way of saying that as the Lord draws us nearer to Himself through His judgments, the mystery of God (hail) shall be finished.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Exo 9:27  And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 
Exo 9:28  Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. 
Exo 9:29  And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD’S. 
Exo 9:30  But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.

Pharaoh’s admission that indeed he had sinned and that he and his people are wicked in contrast to the Lord’s righteousness is another way of saying that the old man (the heart) is desperately wicked and that the new man after the image of Christ is righteous. In verse 30, Moses made a statement that Pharaoh and his servants (the old man) can never fear the Lord. What Pharaoh said is the same as what Saul told David after David spared Saul’s life when he had the opportunity to kill Saul – that is, David (new man) is more righteous than Saul (old man).

Jer 17:9  The heart (the old man) is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 
Jer 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Pharaoh’s request for Moses to entreat the Lord to stop the thunderings and the hail so that he would let the people of Israel go is also the same as Saul’s admission that David would be king. In other words, the Lord’s elect (David) will surely overcome the flesh or the old man (Saul or Pharaoh).

1Sa 24:16  And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
1Sa 24:17  And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
1Sa 24:18  And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
1Sa 24:19  For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
1Sa 24:20  And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.

Exo 9:31  And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. 
Exo 9:32  But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up. 

It is insightful to note that the hail destroyed the flax and barley, the source of food. The coming of hail in our lives, which represents the truth of the word of the Lord, destroys all false doctrines and lies which were our source of food during our time in Babylon. The wheat and the rie, however, were not affected by the hail because they were not grown. In the parable of the weeds, Jesus described the wheat as being the children of the kingdom. The coming of the judgment of hail, therefore, does not destroy the elect in their spiritually immature state.

Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed (the wheat) are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Exo 9:33  And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.
Exo 9:34  And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
Exo 9:35  And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

As we have stated in our previous study, when the Lord grants us relief from our suffering, our flesh or the old man (Pharaoh) has the tendency to go back to its vomit. This is the same as the Israelites claiming back their freed servants when there was relief in the Babylonian siege during the time of king Zedekiah.

Jer 34:8  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, 
Jer 34:9  that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. 
Jer 34:10  And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. 
Jer 34:11  But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves.

Our prayer today is that may the Lord grant us the grace to continue to submit to His judgment of our old man so that we may be presented faultless and without blame. Amen!!

Matt 26:31-35, Mark 14:27-31, Luke 22:31-38, John 13:36-38

[Study Aired November 16, 2021]

Mat 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Mat 26:32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Joh 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
Joh 13:37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
Luk 22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Mat 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Joh 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
Mar 14:31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
Luk 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
Luk 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Luk 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
Luk 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Our last study reviewed the Lord’s supper after Judas having Satan enter into him and Christ sending Judas away to betray him. In this study, Christ tells the other disciples they will be offended and deny him. This is all a type and shadow of the process of our becoming the elect of God. We all denied Christ even after symbolically following Christ for three and a half years, seeing miracles, and even given the ability to perform miracles.

Mat 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Mat 26:32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

Here are the verses Christ referred to “For it is written”.

Zec 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd” is telling us that until this day which Christ is preparing for his death, the “sword” has been asleep. In other words, the Word has had no place in the hearts of men. The sword is commanded to smite the shepherd so that the sheep can be scattered. The following verse explains why this must happen.

Zec 13:8-9 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

We are “the land”, and within everyone “two parts therein shall be cut off and die”. This is the negative of “two” representing the false witness that must be “cut off and die”. It goes on to say “but the third shall be left therein, and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried.” This represents the process of spiritual completion through judgment. This is our time of purification which brings atonement and redemption, represented by silver. Gold represents our knowledge and understanding of everything and how we use that understanding.

Here is why the sheep are scattered.

Eze 34:5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

When we are in the churches of the world, the leaders of the churches call themselves shepherds but are not according to Christ, and we are meat to them.

Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Simon represents the elect of God, and the only reason the elect are saved from Satan sifting us as wheat is because Christ has prayed for the elect. This is what is written in the books of the elect. Satan is given the power to touch us but does not have the power to take us as he was given the power to take Judas. The book of Job tells of this process.

Job 1:6-12 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Job 2:1-10 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

In the elect’s process of salvation Satan has power to affect our process, but this power is limited and serves the purpose of destroying our old man.

1Co 5:4-5 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Joh 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
Joh 13:37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
Luk 22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Mat 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

We all believed while we were in Babylon that we could and would follow Christ both into prison and to death. Unknowingly we were not able to bear these actions until Christ is dead in us and risen again within and He sends the holy spirit.

Joh 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
Mar 14:31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

Like Peter and all the disciples, we proclaim we will not deny Christ. Our hearts at this time have not been converted and are still foolish and full of pride.

Pro 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

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

Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Our pride consumes our ways before the spirit is within us.

Luk 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

Here is what Christ was referencing:

Mar 6:7-13 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

We first have nothing except protection for our feet and two coats, representing Christ’s protection and the witness of His righteousness but no understanding of Christ. Now we are told to take a purse, our scrip and a sword with us.

Luk 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Luk 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

Once again what is written must be accomplished.

Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Here is the last verse of our study.

Luk 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

“It is enough” are Christ’s words speaking of us being given the armor of God, but we cannot use this armor properly for now as we will see in our upcoming studies. I will end the study with Psalms 55.

Cast Your Burden on the Lord

Psa 55:1-23 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.  My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Ruth 2:1 –23: Go Not to Glean in Another Field

[Study Aired October 11, 2021]

Rth 2:1  And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. 
Rth 2:2  And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 
Rth 2:3  And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. 
Rth 2:4  And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee. 
Rth 2:5  Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 
Rth 2:6  And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 
Rth 2:7  And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. 
Rth 2:8  Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 
Rth 2:9  Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. 
Rth 2:10  Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 
Rth 2:11  And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 
Rth 2:12  The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. 
Rth 2:13  Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. 
Rth 2:14  And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. 
Rth 2:15  And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: 
Rth 2:16  And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. 
Rth 2:17  So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 
Rth 2:18  And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. 
Rth 2:19  And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 
Rth 2:20  And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. 
Rth 2:21  And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 
Rth 2:22  And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. 
Rth 2:23  So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law. 

The first chapter of Ruth deals with how our Lord uses His four sore judgments, specifically, famine, to bring us from Babylon to the Heavenly Jerusalem or the body of Christ. Both Naomi and Ruth, representing the elect, came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

It is during our time in Bethlehem, or the church of the first born which is represented by the period of the harvest, that we come to clearly see the tares (false doctrines and our iniquities) and the wheat (the truth) through the angels sent by our Lord. That is when all the tares in us are destroyed by our fiery trials, and we are ready to be harvested as mature sons of God.

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.
Mat 13:26  But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27  So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28  He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Chapter 2 of Ruth deals with the process we go through to mature in Christ after entering the house of God or the Heavenly Jerusalem as indicated by the entry of Naomi and Ruth to Bethlehem, the house of bread.

Rth 1:22  So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Rth 2:1  And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

At the beginning of this Chapter, we are introduced to the One who makes all things possible, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ. Elimelech means ‘my God is king’ and Boaz means ‘in Him is strength’. From the meaning of the names here, we can see that Boaz here represents the Lord Jesus Christ. A mighty man of wealth suggests that all the resources of both heaven and earth are at His disposal. He is indeed a great God!!

Psa 95:1  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psa 95:2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psa 95:3  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Psa 95:4  In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
Psa 95:5  The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
Psa 95:6  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

Rth 2:2  And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
Rth 2:3  And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

The field, as explained by our Lord Jesus in the parable of the tares and wheat, is the world. So, what verse 2 is saying is that it is in this life, or world, that the elect gets to know the word of God, represented here by gleaning of ears of corn. If we are blessed for our eyes to see and ears to hear, then it means that we have found grace in our Lord’s sight just as Ruth was looking to find favor to glean ears of corn. The rest of humanity will get to know Christ through the word during the lake of fire age.

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;

As we are aware, our steps are ordered by the Lord as we see Ruth end up in the field of Boaz. This field of Boaz also stands for the church of the first born or heavenly Jerusalem. What this means is that in whatever situation we find ourselves, we must rejoice knowing that our Lord is working things out for our good and that what He starts, He is able to finish because He has all the resources to do so!!

Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

The reapers here are the angels or messengers of God who speak the fiery words of the Lord. Gleaning in the field after the reapers means we follow the messengers as they follow Christ.

1Co 11:1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Rth 2:4  And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

It is in the church that we get to know who our Lord Jesus is. Our coming to know Christ is the same as the revelation of Christ to Apostle John on the island of Patmos. As we have learned, the whole of our walk with Christ is to know Him, and that is the essence of eternal life.

Rev 1:17  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Rev 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

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

Rth 2:5  Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 
Rth 2:6  And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
Rth 2:7  And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

The servant that was set over the reapers also represents our Lord Jesus, and therefore what we are being told here is that our Lord knew us even before we came to know Him, and He is concerned about us.

Jer 1:4  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 1:5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Psa 139:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Psa 139:2  Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Psa 139:3  Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Psa 139:4  For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Psa 139:5  Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Psa 139:6  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Such knowledge about the fact that all my actions including my thought formation and what comes out of my mouth are all ordered by the Lord is impossible to attain while we walk in the flesh as revealed in Psalm 139:6 above.

The statement in verse 7 that “she had continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house” is to let us know that our Lord is aware of our labor and all that we are doing in the kingdom, and He has assured us that our labor just like that of Ruth, who stands for the elect, will never be in vain in the Lord.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Rth 2:8  Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

Here our Lord, represented here by Boaz, is admonishing us not to go glean in another field. That means we must focus on the word of God and not be distracted by our works or anything else. Paying attention to anything but the word of God amounts to gleaning in another field. Another field also represents Babylon which represents the religions of this world including Christianity. It is the word of God which is able to build us up and to give us an inheritance.

Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Boaz also admonished Ruth to abide by the maidens. That means we should not stay away from the church of the first born.

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We must continually be in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ as this fellowship invariably involves our Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

1Jn 1:3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Rth 2:9  Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap and go thou after them is another way of saying that we must pay attention to what we hear from the messengers or angels of the Lord. In other words, we must hold on fast to what we hear. If we do not do that, it will cost us our crown.

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Boaz charging the young men not to harm Ruth is another way of saying that no weapon formed or fashioned against us shall prosper as the Lord (Boaz) is in full control of both good and evil. In this case, the young men are used in a negative sense.

Isa 54:16  Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Ruth was also instructed by Boaz to go to the vessel and drink of that which the young men have drawn. The young men in this context represents the messengers of the Lord who are providing us with the word of God. So, what we are being told here is that the way to grow or mature as sons of God is to put into practice (drink) what we hear from our brothers and sisters who are laboring for the gospel.

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Jas 1:23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Rth 2:10  Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

We all have found grace in the sight of the Lord by being allowed to see and to hear His words of life even though we were strangers just like Ruth. We were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, but in the fullness of time, our Lord has brought us who were far off to become part of His elect.

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Finding grace is another way of saying that our Lord is leading us in the way to know Him as we saw Moses making a request for the Lord to show him the way if he has found grace in the Lord’s sight.

Exo 33:13  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
Exo 33:14  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Exo 33:15  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

As we can see in verse 14 and 15 of Exodus Chapter 33, as we find grace in the sight of our Lord, we are assured of His presence to go with us to give us rest in Him. This rest is coming to know that we, of ourselves, cannot do anything and that everything is of the Lord including our salvation. That is when we cease from our own works and depend on God alone for everything.

Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Rth 2:11  And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 
Rth 2:12  The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. 

These verses are another way of expressing the fact that anyone who has left all to follow our Lord will surely be rewarded.

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Mat 19:30  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

Rth 2:13  Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. 
Rth 2:14  And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

Boaz inviting Ruth to come and eat is to let us know that finding favor in the sight of our Lord is being given eyes to see and ears to hear what the spirit of the Lord is saying to us through His words.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

In verse 14, Ruth did eat and became satisfied. As our understanding deepens concerning the word of God, we become satisfied by being content with whatever situation we find ourselves in knowing that our Lord is with us and is working out our salvation.

Psa 36:8  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
Psa 36:9  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
Psa 36:10  O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

Rth 2:15  And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: 
Rth 2:16  And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. 

Reproach her not in verse 15 and rebuke her not in verse 16 means we must not put impediments in the way of new believers as they seek to know the truth.

Rom 14:13  Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Rom 14:14  I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.
Rom 14:15  For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. (ESV)

1Co 8:9  But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
1Co 8:10  For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?
1Co 8:11  And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.
1Co 8:12  Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
1Co 8:13  Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (ESV)

Rth 2:17  So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

Gleaning in the field until evening implies that for the rest of our lives until the sun goes down on us, or our body is destroyed through death, we must focus on hearing what our Lord is saying through the word. Beating what she gleaned signifies acting or obeying what we have heard.

Jas 1:19  Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
Jas 1:20  for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Jas 1:21  Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Jas 1:23  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
Jas 1:24  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
Jas 1:25  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (ESV)

The statement “And it was about an ephah of barley” is to show us that as we hear and act on the word of God, we are being measured by the Lord. An ephah is a biblical measure of volume. It is about 9 gallons or 40 liters. We are being measured to see whether we are attaining the standard of Christ. Those who are not part of the new Jerusalem are not being measured in this life.

Rev 11:1  Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there,
Rev 11:2  but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.

Rth 2:18  And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
Rth 2:19  And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

As we hear and act on the word of God, we must share what we are receiving from the Lord with the body of Christ or the New Jerusalem, signified here by the mother-in-law, Naomi. We must feel free to share or discuss with our brothers and sisters in the body what we have gleaned from the word of God. This sharing or discussion of the word of God is what every joint supplies.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

To the Babylonians and the people of the world, we must be ready to answer them when they come to us enquiring about our faith.

1Pe 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Rth 2:20  And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

In the CEV version of the Bible, this is how verse 20 is rendered:

Rth 2:20  “The LORD bless Boaz!” Naomi replied. “He has shown that he is still loyal to the living and to the dead. Boaz is a close relative, one of those who is supposed to look after us.” (CEV)

Boaz, who represents our Lord Jesus, is our close relative in the sense we all share the same body while He walked on earth. In addition to being a close relative, He is supposed to look after us. The scripture says that He is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters.

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren [brothers and sisters],
Heb 2:12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Heb 2:13  And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Heb 2:16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

So, how is our brother Christ looking after us? The verses we just looked at give details regarding how He is looking after us. As we are aware, all humanity are our Lord’s children, and He is caring for all of us in terms of providing us what we need – food, clothing and a place to sleep. But in the case of the elect, this is what He is doing in addition:

He is making His Father known to us by declaring His name unto us, His brethren. (Heb 2:12)

He is delivering us who through fear of death were held in bondage in our lifetime. (Heb 2:15)

Because He was made like us, He is serving as a merciful and faithful high priest and is reconciling us to God. (Heb 2:17)

Because He is our brother, who grew up in the same environment of suffering just like us, He is able to help us when we go through all kinds of trials or suffering. (Heb 2:18)

Oh, may we praise our Lord for the wonderful work He is doing on our behalf!!

Rth 2:21  And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

The young men here are the reapers who, according to our Lord Jesus’ parable of the tares and the wheat, are His angels or messengers of the gospel. The harvest is the end of the world.

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.

Thou shall keep fast by my young men means keeping in step with our brothers and sisters who are laboring for the gospel. This is telling us that we should not refuse our Lord who is speaking through our brethren. Doing so will disqualify us of the reward.

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 
Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 
Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Rth 2:22  And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
Rth 2:23  So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Naomi’s suggestion to Ruth that it is good going out with the maidens means we should not neglect fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters of the same mind.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 

Belonging to a physical church of this world is meeting in a field that does not belong to Boaz or our Lord. That is what we call Babylon, of which we are admonished by the Lord to leave.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Ruth, who represents the elect, kept pace with the reapers and was also in the company of the maidens in Boaz’s field until the end of the harvest. Dwelling with the mother-in-law is the same as keeping the company of the maidens in Boaz’s field. This is to tell us that we must keep feeding on the word of God until the end of the harvest, which by that time, everything belonging to the world within us has been destroyed. That is the time of our departure from this present world!! May the Lord grant us the grace to endure to the end of the world as we focus on His words which is able to give us an inheritance. Amen!!

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Awesome Hands - part 156: "Called by the name of the Lord" - Discussion

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Awesome Hands – Part 156

“Called by the name of the Lord”

October 19, 2019

Last study we covered the curses of the Lord, and for this study we will be blessed to cover the blessings of the Lord.

The verses for consideration today are found in Deuteronomy 28. There are two times that the word “hand” is mentioned here, though they are a few verses apart, so we will cover a few verses in-between as well.

Deu 28:8  The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Deu 28:9  The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
Deu 28:10  And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
Deu 28:11  And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
Deu 28:12  The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

Obviously, there is a lot being said here, and while going into depth would take several studies, I am going to focus on a few points of interest as I am led of the Lord to do so.

The first verse tells us the Lord’s blessing will be upon our storehouses, as well as all that we set our hand, i.e. work, to do. Likewise, He will bless us in the “land” which the LORD gives to us.

I looked up the word storehouse to make sure it was what I thought it was, and it is indeed a 'barn'. However, it is only mentioned one other time in Hebrews, so I thought I would read that as well to give us some context on what the Lord thinks about “storehouses”.

H618

'âsâm

Total KJV Occurrences: 2

barns, 1

Pro_3:10

storehouses, 1

Deu_28:8

Pro 3:10  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

I also read the entire section of Proverbs 3, but the verses that caught my attention during this study are Pro 3:3-10.

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Pro 3:9  Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Pro 3:10  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

I know there is a lot packed into this set of verses as well, but there are some profound things being said in these verses which lead up to “thy barns shall be filled with plenty”.

Writing mercy and truth upon the tables of your heart, thereby finding favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man, is something we don’t often talk about.

While we do talk about trusting the Lord with all of our heart, and not leaning to our own understanding, is this something we do all the time as is required?

Acknowledging the Lord 'in ALL WAYS' seems to be VERY important to our paths being directed by the Lord. When I emphasize our it seems to that there is a difference between our goals and the Lords from the perspective of us.

The Lord works all things after the counsel of His own will; yet, we live that will from our perspective and under the rule of living in the bounds of time. The Lord isn’t restricted by time.

Being not wise in our own eyes and fearing the Lord is HUGE when you clearly grasp the implications to your spiritual health. When you are not wise in your own eyes and you FEAR the LORD, you have HEALTH to your NAVEL/belly and to the very CORE of your bones.

Examine that statement for a second. Look at your life, and examine what it is YOU are WISE in your own eyes about.

Are you wealthy and have some savings? Are you wise in your own eyes for having built up that savings? Are you healthy as an ox, as the saying goes, and you somehow are wise in your own eyes that you alone accomplished that?

Do you have a healthy marriage which gives you wisdom in your own eyes?

Do you take pride in being “down to earth” because you are not so wealthy, but you are rich in spirit from the Lord?

Do you have a great story of how you are where you are now, but if circumstances would have been slightly different, you might be some where else in this point in your life?

Do you have children who love you, lots of friends, admiration from co-workers and peers, etc.?

I could go on and on, but what is it in your life that can cause you to be WISE in your OWN BLIND EYES?

The Truth is, without the Lord we can do NOTHING.

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.

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

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Joh 5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these  also doeth the Son likewise.

If Jesus Christ can do NOTHING of Himself, then what chance do we have of somehow being more powerful than Jesus in doing something of ourselves?

Likewise, Jesus told us in John 15:5 that without Him we can DO NOTHING. Therefore, we can do nothing without Jesus, and Jesus cannot do anything of Himself and tells us we can do NOTHING without God the Father.

Putting this all together, we see that we can do nothing of ourselves, but we obviously  ….. do stuff in life.

Notice the Lord tells us in Deuteronomy 28:15, “The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto”.

What are we setting our hands to do? The answer is: everything we do, we are setting our hands to do. However, what is the purpose of the thing we are doing? Are we “doing all that we do to the glory of God” or are we just getting by?

Deu 28:10  And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee

The name of the Lord is a specific thing to be named by; yet, how can all the people of the earth SEE if we are not among all the people of the earth? The answer is that we are in the presence of “all the earth” when we interact in any way with anyone we encounter in our lives, whether they be a stranger, foe or friend.

Proverbs 3:4 told us that we will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man, but how can that happen with the “in sight of man” part if we are not in the sight of man?

Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Brothers and sisters, this world needs a lot of light to shine into it. We are the ambassadors of Christ to the WORLD and to the EARTH.

With all that I have just said, I am not saying that in this ambassadorship we can do anything on our own to be this ambassador. However, that is what and who we are. We cannot be hidden.

Whatever we are doing has an impact on a future son of God, and everyone will be a future son of God. We need to be presenting ourselves in the ways we have learned to be “the light of the world”.

If we be afraid, let it be FEAR of the Lord and not of men. Our ideas, thoughts, emotions, actions and reactions should all be a reflection of the Light that is in US.

I am in front of a lot of people all the time. I interact with customers and people I work with. I see strangers at the store. I interact with people online through texting, websites, web chats, webcams, etc.

In all of these interactions, I pray I am reflecting the light that is in me because I have been called and chosen to be faithful to being the VERY light of the WORLD.

Joh 17:6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

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.

Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Sometimes, I see a lot of judgments of being “in the world”, and these things are not good. You may have all experienced these things yourselves while in the various denominations you were called out of.

Being in the World is our very calling. We are to be among darkness but not be OF that darkness.

Everyone knows what the Lord’s prayer is, but they often ignore one very important ACTUAL prayer which the Lord prayed for us Himself.

“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

Jesus didn’t pray that we be taken out of the world, but that we be kept from evil. Isn’t that interesting? Jesus prayed this and tells us that we are the Light OF THE WORLD.

How then is all of this connected to our verses of study for today?

Look at the mindset we should have if we want:

1) Blessings upon our storehouse

2) Blessings upon all that we set our hands to do

3) Blessings in the land which the Lord gives us (YOU are the LAND)

4) Blessing to be the holy people of God

5) All the people of the earth shall SEE WE ARE CALLED BY HIS NAME and be afraid (fear of the Lord in us)

6) Blessed with plenteous in goods, fruit of the our body, fruit of the cattle, fruit of the ground, IN OUR LAND

7) Blessed in the GOOD TREASURE of the Lord, RAIN unto our LAND in it’s season, to BLESS all the work of OUR HANDS

8) We shall lend but not borrow

How is it we obtain these things?

1) Keep His commandments

2) Walk in His ways

I don’t know about you all, but that seems like a very FAIR list of blessings for LOVING the Lord with all our heart, soul strength and mind and loving our neighbors as ourselves. I simply just restated the verses of Deuteronomy 28:8-12 where we see two listings of the word “hand”.

How can we love our neighbors if we aren’t AMONG our neighbors?

The answer is that we are among our neighbors anytime we are “in the world” among those to whom the Lord desires that we be the Light of the world.

I will end this study by connecting a few thoughts that are often overlooked.

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.

We are not OF the WORLD, but we are IN THE WORLD. When you connect this with being the Light OF THE WORLD, it should be easy to see that you have to be IN the world in order to not be OF the world.

Why?

Light is called from darkness, but it must be IN DARKNESS to be called forth from it.

We must be in the world, while being the Light of this world, so that we can be examples to all of mankind (those to whom we are sent in our lives) in order to plant seeds that can be watered and increased by the Lord.

Who else can give examples to a dying and decayed EARTH and WORLD other than the sons of God following the example of the Son of God?

We are sent to the EARTH that everyone is. We are sent into “all that is IN THE WORLD” to be LIGHT where there is only darkness. We are the conduits being used to accomplish this.

Therefore, while we examine this aspect of it, let us keep reminding ourselves of the reward we are after in the age to come while also not denying that there ARE BLESSINGS we can and do receive NOW in this age.

Review my list above to see some of those blessings.

For now, I hope you were edified and blessed by this study.

Last week’s focus of the study was on how God is making known his salvation to few in this age, a salvation that is declared openly amongst the heathen but only able to be received through God dragging us to Christ and converting our minds to “the mind of the Lord”.

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

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

We looked at the scriptures that clearly declare who these few true spiritual Jews are and who a gentile is in God’s eyes, and by comparing spirit with spirit using these physical realities of Jews and gentiles which the word of God says we are to do (1Co 2:13), it becomes clear that our praise^G1868, our (Judah), is of God and not of men.

H3063 yehûdâh yeh-hoo-daw’: From H3034; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory: – Judah.

https://www.behindthename.com/name/judah: From the Hebrew (Yehudah) which meant “praised”. In the Old Testament. Judah is the fourth of the twelve sons of Jacob by Leah, and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. An explanation for his name is given in (Gen 29:35). His tribe eventually formed the Kingdom of Judah in the south of Israel. King David and Jesus were among the descendants of him and his wife Tamar. [Ed note: we know that Tamar was never the wife of Judah, but had a child by him. Gen 38:26  And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.]

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise^G1868 is not of men, but of God. [Isa 37:31-32, Rev 11:15]

Mankind’s praise of God is centered around obedience to God in the letter or in the traditions of men which traditions worship God in vain. We cannot first worship God in spirit and in truth until a day of judgement or visitation comes (1Pe 4:17, Luk 19:42) and burns away the idols of our hearts and loosens our minds from all the false traditions of mankind that prevent us at first from worshipping as all true worshippers should worship in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:23). We full well reject the commandments of God at first, like the rich young ruler, in order that we may keep our own tradition; and our natural man is easily snared and taken, not being able to rightly divide the word of God without having the comforter within to lead us into all truth and strengthen us in our convictions (1Co 15:46, Isa 28:13, Joh 16:13).

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.
Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

2Co 11:12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

What we’ve been blessed to freely see, by the grace and faith of Christ, is that all men come short of the glory of God, and that redemption is through Jesus Christ alone, and that God is not focused on the Jew or the Gentile, the male or the female, but rather upon those who have been given the spirit of God that separates us from the world.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

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

Today’s verses will focus on the praise^G1868 and spirit of thanksgiving that comes forth from a people who are being redeemed from the earth as God’s kind of first fruits, who are empowered to witness to the world within and without of our Father’s great unfailing love and mercy.

Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Isa 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Jas 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Lam 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Lam 3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Lam 3:24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Before we start the main part of the study, we will look at the eleven times that the word praise^G1868 is used, so we can hopefully see more clearly why our praise^G1868 is not of men but of God and what it is that we ought to be praising God for in this age as His children.

Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise^G1868 is not of men, but of God.

G1868 epainos
Total KJV Occurrences: 11
praise, 11
Rom_2:29, Rom_13:3, 1Co_4:5, 2Co_8:18, Eph_1:6, Eph_1:12, Eph_1:14, Phi_1:11, Phi_4:8, 1Pe_1:7, 1Pe_2:14

1. Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, 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.

Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Luk 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

2. Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? [I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions WITHIN to overcome “the wrath of man [that] worketh not the righteousness of God”] do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:[of the outward powers – God will make our enemies to be at peace with us when our ways please him]

Pro 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies [serpents and scorpions- within and without] to be at peace with him. [Php 4:4-7]
Pro 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
Pro 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
Pro 16:10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

3. 1Co 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time [Luk 21:17-21], until the Lord come [And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh], who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts [within]: and then shall every man have praise of God. [We praise God for giving us the peace that passes all understanding that enables us to not despise his correction of old Jerusalem within which must be compassed with armies, to see desolation come about or the destruction of the man of perdition within].

Luk 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
Luk 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. [I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions]
Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Luk 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

4. 2Co 8:18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

2Co 8:18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;
2Co 8:19 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
2Co 8:20 Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:
2Co 8:21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
2Co 8:22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.
2Co 8:23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.
2Co 8:24 Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

5. Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Nobody is just “accepted in the beloved” without the first part of this verse that says “To the praise of the glory of his grace^G5485“. In order to be of value to the body of Christ, we must endure much tribulation (Act 14:22), and go from glory to glory (2Co 3:18) and that process starts with God’s favour, or gift, or pleasure of giving us the kingdom in earnest (Luk 12:32, Eph 1:14).

G5485 charis khar’-ece: From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): – acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

6. Eph_1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

We praise God for this privilege and honour to truly know him and His words of eternal life (Joh 6:68, Psa 150:2), and for the ability that He gives us to trust Christ with a trust that is formed through the fiery trials that bring us to rest in the living God and no longer live our lives to the will of men but to the will of God (Rom 14:8, 1Pe 4:2).

7. Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Rom 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.

1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Again right after seeing that “we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ” in Eph 1:12 [#6 above], here in verse 14 we see that this praise is centred around the miracle of being given to be amongst the first who trust in God after we hear the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed [unlike these Jews which believed on him but were still of their father the devil Joh 8:31, Joh 8:44], ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. [Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven].

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

8. Php 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

We are being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, and unto the glory and praise of God (Eph 4:8-12). That praise is “the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Heb 13:15-16) for this glorious workmanship of His that is unfolding for the salvation of all the world in time, but manifesting for us in this age in the church: he is showing us His salvation in the church today.

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

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

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.

1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

2Co 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

9. Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Our praise of God is tied into knowing the true God, “whose praise^G1868 is not of men, but of God”, and when we think on all of these ‘whatsoevers’ expressed in Php 4:8, we are in fact being given the spiritual fuel we need to go through this life to act in a way that glorifies our Father in heaven (Pro 23:4-9).

Pro 23:4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Pro 23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Pro 23:6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
Pro 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Pro 23:8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. [Jas 3:11-18]
Pro 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

10. 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:

Have you noticed how phrases such as, “unto the glory and praise of God”, “to the praise of his glory” and “to the praise of the glory of his grace” were inspired to remind us that all of our growth is a gift from God (1Co 3:6) so that we “might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”.

11. 1Pe 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

We praise God and glorify God when we are obedient to him, and that obedience is something we learn from the things which He allows us to suffer (Heb 5:8, 1Jn 4:17). It pleases God to bruise us because he knows that we are going to learn obedience through the suffering, and He will be glorified in our being able to endure unto the end of this age (Mat 24:13, Php 4:13).

We are to do all things to the glory of God and when we look at the verses that follow 1Pe 2:14 after we just read about how God sends governors that will either punish us or reward us “for the praise of them that do well”, we have further confirmation of those verses applying to us inwardly.

1Pe 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
1Pe 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
1Pe 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
1Pe 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

——————

So that’s the list of where this Strong’s number translated praise^G1868 is used, and we can see that it does take a miracle to see and understand that all we do we are to do “unto the glory and praise of God, and that it is God that makes this possible through the grace and faith relationship that we have with our Father and Jesus Christ, and each other.

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

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Joh 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: (Jer 22:29) I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Psa 98:3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psa 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
Psa 98:5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
Psa 98:6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
Psa 98:7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psa 98:8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
Psa 98:9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Psa 98:3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

All the ends of the earth within us will experience His mercy if we are the “Israel of God”, and his peace will pass all understanding in our heavens so that we will be able to do what would otherwise be impossible to do without Christ who strengthens us.

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

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

When we see “the salvation of our God”, we must be miraculously doing so, hearing and seeing our Saviour, and knowing and believing that he is well able to deliver us, as these verses below remind us.

2Ki 6:18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Paul says, right after talking about peace being on the new creation formed through spiritual circumcision of the heart which comes at the hand of God, ‘look at my wounds’ like Christ said to Thomas, ‘and be believing’, or ‘don’t trouble me as a man but know me through these wounds’. In other words, know the life of Christ being formed in me through these wounds, “and be not faithless but believing”.

Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Gal 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Gal 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Psa 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

That first verse of this study sets the stage for the next five verses which are the result of God remembering us and showing us his mercy and his truth which is toward the Israel of God.

Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Rom 11:12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

Starting with verse 4, we can see his salvation drawing nigh, and our heads are lifted up and we are making “a joyful noise unto the LORD”.

Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. [Psa 148:1, Psa 121:1]
Luk 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Luk 21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. [Joh 14:20]
Luk 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. [Luk 17:21]
Luk 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

All the body of Christ is glorifying our Father with “loud noise” because of the trumpets that are blowing in our heavens, trumpets of judgement that we know are needful to bring us unto perfection on the third day.

Rev 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

Rev 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Rev 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

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

Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Rev 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

For those wonderful works of judgment, we “rejoice” and “sing praise” to the Almighty God who has promised He can finish what he has started in His people (Php 1:6).

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Psa 98:5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

As we read on, notice a progression of praise taking place and instruments being added, which is a shadow for us of how the body of Christ is growing in harmony and unity (2Pe 3:18, Eph 4:13). Each voice is adding a little more, every joint contributing to this holy chorus of saints who are taking the word of God and putting those words to a song or Psalm, which is a shadow of us taking the words of God into our hearts (Joh 15:7), into our lives, as God teaches us how to apply those words skillfully, and seeking His inspiration so we can walk in this world of darkness and be at peace with all men (Eph 4:16, 2Ti 2:15, Rom 12:18).

Psa 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

As God’s instruments, we are instructed in the word and glorifying God with all that we say and do (Col 3:17). The word harp is used twice in this verse alone, as a witness to the fact that it is God who is making this harmony and praise all possible (Heb 13:6).

Psa 98:6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

Here come the trumpets and cornets that are making a joyful noise before the LORD, or for a moment let us think of the Trumpets as our family in Trinidad, and the Cornets as abiding in Australia, and the Harps are in England, etc., etc., and that is what is most pleasing to God: when we are of the same mind and making the same sound, and speaking the same thing “a joyful noise before the LORD, the King” (Php 2:2, Psa 133:1).

Psa 98:7 Let the sea roar^H7481 , and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Now we have the sea roaring, like a lion of the tribe of Judah, moving the elements of our minds to the glory of God, the world within us brought unto subjection unto God through that judgement symbolized by the ‘roar’ or ‘thundering’^H7481 [Psa 29:3], and “the world and they that dwell therein”, so no nation is left out, no people left out, to the end that, eventually, God will be all in all (1Co 15:28).

Psa 98:8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together.

More unity is being expressed in this verse, where God has the floods^H5104, translated as ‘river(s)’ in other verses, clapping their hands, along with hills that are “joyful together”, which is all symbolism to tell us that God is going to bring peace and harmony to all the world in time, taking the elements which represent our heavens, the seas within, and all the contributing factors that make us who we are, and making it all work together for good because we are called according to His purpose and we love Him.

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.

Psa 98:9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

We see in this last verse of our study that all of those things previously mentioned in regard to harmony, one voice, praising God together, working together, and esteeming each other better, all those things are a by product of “for he cometh to judge the earth” and not as a man but “with righteousness shall he judge the world”. His righteousness will be the new standard that will bring lasting peace and not the flawed and weak obedience to the letter and the traditions of man that can never bring lasting peace.

Eze 13:10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:

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

All people will come to learn of the equity^H4339 of God and how His ways are not our ways, so much higher, and only attainable through Jesus Christ, “The LORD [who] hath made known his salvation” to the body of Christ today, and will one day show it to all the world.

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isa 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

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

Truly, our praise^G1868, our (Judah), is of God and not of men (Rom 2:29).

The theme of temptation is very closely linked to our previous theme and discussion on the role of this subtle serpent (or evil) in God’s plan. Temptation is an important spiritual instrument which God is using since the beginning to make all in the generation of the first man Adam in His spiritual image:

Gen 1:27 (CLV) And creating is the Elohim humanity in His image. In the image of the Elohim He creates it. Male and female He creates them.

Within this theme we will discuss, among others, how temptation is intimately linked to our trials. In our next discussion (study #19) we will look at how Jesus is our perfect and spotless lamb, even while He was subjected to the same temptations all of us face in our lifetimes in this marred physical condition:

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities [our fleshly nature with all its lusts]; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

God is spirit, and no flesh can inherit His spiritual kingdom because flesh and all earthly temporary things are called “corruption” (2Co 4:16-18). So it is clear for those who can receive this, that we are involved in an age or eon of death which has the appearance of life, as determined by God. Through this “sore travail” (or evil experience) we are being formed to eventually worship God “in spirit and in truth”:

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

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

Ecc 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

The serpent’s role in all of this should be seen as necessary when he approached Adam and Eve with evil subtlety which they were not able to resist because they could not submit to God and His commandment at this stage (Jas 4:7):

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

God does everything with a purpose in mind, and He never deviates from that one purpose or will. Temptation is a foundational theme in Genesis because it helps us to understand the deeper spiritual work of God in the earthly generations of the first man Adam, even in ourselves. Only in the last Adam, Jesus Christ, are we given victory over temptation and all evil. God indeed created evil and darkness as all things are “of Him”, but that does not make Him either evil or being in darkness (1Co 8:6, 1Co 11:12, 2Co 5:18, Rom 11:36, Rom 13:1):

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

In the same way God Himself tempts no man, though God is the one who leads us into the temptation as He is the cause of everything in our lives. God sends evil spirits, and nobody can do anything without God causing it (1Sa 16:14, 1Sa 18:10, 2Ch 18:18-22, 2Sa 24:1, 1Ch 21:1):

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Jas 1:13 (ASV) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man.

1Th 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

As we know, the temptations or trials of Job were directed by God (Job 1 and 2). So, too, was the temptation of Adam and Eve. As the book of Job demonstrates, God uses different “agencies” of evil to bring temptation and trials to us. In Job the Sabeans (“men of stature” – Isa 45:14), the “fire of God”, the Chaldeans (or Babylonians), “a great wind from the wilderness”, boils, Job’s own wife and his three friends were all used to bring the severe trials to Job (Job 1:13-19, Job 2:7-13). Some falsely claim that Satan’s temptations are independent of the tests God sends. It is very important to note that temptation is intimately linked to all trials. Two verbs with their noun forms, one in the Hebrew and one in the Greek (“nâsâh” and “peirazō” respectively) help us to see this (Deu 6:16, Mat 4:1, Mat 46, 1Co 10:9, Rev 3:10, 1Pe 4:12). Here, however, is a verse that can cause confusion:

Gen 22:1 (KJV) And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [Hebrew: “nâsâh” meaning “to test”, “to tempt”, “to try”] Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
Gen 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

God did not “tempt” Abraham as the King James translation wants it to say because He “cannot be tempted with evil”. God has absolute control over everything – He never lost control over anything, especially in His creation as some shamelessly blaspheme God. Everything is still within His one perfect will and plan; yes, even the evil. Abraham also did not commit an act of sin or trespass in this case (Jas 1:13-17). The book of Hebrews gives us the right approach:

Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried [Greek: “peirazō”], offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Abraham was given this trial to show us something about God’s heart! Again we should be reminded that God knows all things before we find out about it, even the end of a thing from the beginning (Isa 46:10, Mat 6:8). So these tests (temptations and trials) are not for His information, but for those who are given to accept His “strange work” in this age (Isa 28:21). We painfully learn about our own natural condition and the state of our own natural “heart” through temptations and trials, as Adam and Eve also learned:

Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove [Hebrew: “nâsâh”; The Greek Septuagint has “peirazō” here] thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

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.

God also knew what was in Abraham’s heart before He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in the mountain of the land Moriah, the “mount of the Lord” where God also revealed Himself as “Jehovahjireh” – the God who has provided because He “knows all things” in advance! (Gen 22:2, Gen 22:14, 2Ch 3:1, Mat 6:8, 1Jn 3:20):

Gen 22:12 And he [God] said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked [he did not notice this until the appointed time], and behold behind him a ram caught [or “seized”] in a thicket [The Greek Septuagint has the word “sabbaton” which is from “shabbâth”] by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

This happened historically and was written for our admonition to show why Abraham was used here to show the Father’s heart of God who did not withhold His only beloved Son, Jesus (1Co 10:11, Rom 8:32). Jesus was prepared by God “before the foundation of the world”, like the ram that was behind Abraham in a thicket where he could not see it until he “lifted up his eyes” – away from his own restricted point of view:

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

All of these temptations and trials are on the kingdom of the “man of sin”, even the first Adam in us (Gen 1:26, Psa 51:5, 2Th 2:3-4). God’s spiritual sons submit to these tests because they help to grow the faith of Jesus which “works patience” to enter the kingdom of God. That is why we are encouraged to accept these diverse temptations and trials with “all joy” because in the end it is worth it (Act 14:22):

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [Greek noun “peirasmos”]
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying [Greek “dokimion” which means “to test” also] of your faith worketh patience.

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment [Greek: “basanismos” – a touchstone, which is a black stone used to test the purity of gold or silver] ascendeth up for ever and ever [for the eons of the eons = in “every man” in the eon of the first man Adam indeed]: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

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.

One of the most subtle temptations is to quit praying when we first discover God’s sovereignty. However, prayer is an integral part of God’s sovereign plan and His saints are the ones to do that part (Rev 5:8, Rev 8:3-4). We indeed pray to God to keep us spiritually strong against Satan’s temptation in this evil world, inside and outside, because we want to be delivered from this world through the one and only “way to escape”, even Jesus Christ in us, as we endure until the end (1Co 10:13, Mat 26:41, 2Co 12:9-10). Jesus prayed, and as He is so are we in this world (1Jn 4:17):

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

I want to thank our brother James Bernini for adding the following paragraph:

“The only way for them to come to know that they were incapable [of fulfilling] God’s commandment was through the process that began with the humiliation of the temptation which the serpent brought as in time they will come to realize, as they look back, that they were created marred from the beginning and that this was all part of God’s plan for redeeming his children:”

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die…in dying you shall die.

Even today the same commandments of God provide the base for the temptations and the trials in our lives. We know that all things are “of God” but “the spirit in the world” which is “the [natural] spirit of a [natural] man” is not “the [holy] spirit of God…the Father” – “these are contrary the one to the other” (Gal 5:17):

1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world [“the spirit of 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.

The “spirit of man” in the first man Adam is clearly not the holy spirit of God. Man was given “earthy” breath when God breathed in his nostrils, but this breath or spirit in Adam was just a type and shadow of the “heavenly” spirit of God (Gen 2:7, 1Co 15:47-49). The life or light in the first Adam was indeed “without form, and void; and darkness” (Gen 1:2):

Pro 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle [a small light] of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

The serpent used “the spirit of the world” in Adam and Eve to entice their inherent fleshly lusts:

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Jas 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Jas 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

This “friendship of the world” was in Adam and Eve which made them enemies of God from the beginning. The hearts of Adam and Eve were made by God to attend to “the things of the flesh” and not “the things of the spirit” (Rom 8:5, Mat 15:18-19). The commandment which God gave to them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil “worked…the motions of sin” in their “members” (Rom 7:5-8). This is what they experienced within themselves before they even touched the forbidden fruit:

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food [“the lust of the flesh”], and that it was pleasant to the eyes [“the lust of the eyes”], and a tree to be desired to make one wise [“the pride of life”], she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

The minds of Adam and Eve were “subject to vanity” because the natural mind is death, and it is “an abomination to the Lord” (Pro 15:26, Rom 8:6). “Every imagination of the thoughts of [our natural] heart [is] only evil continually” (Gen 6:5, Isa 59:7, Mat 15:18-19):

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Those in Christ are strengthened by His spirit (His words) to keep His commandments through the “light affliction” of temptations and trials. This is also how we should see His grace to us. The end justifies the means from God’s perfect perspective.

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Psa 119:64 The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach [Hebrew: “lâmad” – meaning ‘to goad with a stick or rod’] me thy statutes.
Psa 119:65 TETH. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.
Psa 119:66 Teach [Hebrew: “lâmad”] me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.
Psa 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Psa 119:68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach [Hebrew: “lâmad”] me thy statutes.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching [Greek: “paideuō” – ‘chasten’ as in ‘smite with pain’] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.