Prophetic Interpretation of Joint Painting
Sunday June 12, 2011
The background of the painting is purple
[Ed-fkj: Purple = royalty]
indicating that this is a royal proclamation
from the throne room of God.
In the upper left hand corner of the painting
is a descending arc of mixture of orange and yellow
[Ed-fkj:[Yellow color meanings in the Bible
refers to God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4)
or the brightness of Christ (Revelation 21:23)
Red color meanings in the Bible can refer to Christ’s blood,
sacrifice, redemption, sin or war]
I believe this arc to represent the Holy Spirit
coming in power to release people from every bondage
that keeps them from intimacy with God…
demonic bondages, sickness, hardness of hearts,
forgiveness, idolatry…
all of these things are being released in the Spirit
to be drawn by the Holy Spirit
into the Fire of God - to be destroyed.
[The fire of God arises from the bottom left side of the painting].
It is clear that the fire is not consuming the people,
but all of their encumbrances.
As these are being consumed by the Fire of God,
ashes of sorrow, shame and condemnation
are being released and immediately swept away
by the Holy Spirit into the vortex of the Holy Spirit
[On the bottom right hand side of the picture.]
They (the offenses) are swept away
never to be remembered by God again,
nor to be used by the enemy as accusations.
On the upper right hand of the picture
is the Right Hand of God
releasing blue and green radiances of revelation,
that represent the release of God’s Love, Grace and Mercy
over those who allow the Spirit to cleanse them.
[Ed-fkj: Blue color meanings in the Bible refers to the sky, heaven or revelation from heaven (Exodus 24:10) and Holy Spirit. Sometimes blue can mean water, the water of the spirit
Green color meanings in the Bible is usually a reference to growth, vegetation or fertility]
You will note the fingerprints
over the top and sides of the painting…
these represent the fact that once cleansed,
God is saying: “I’m placing my fingerprint on each one of you… My Identity in you, so that My power, My Authority, My Provision will be upon you –
that My kingdom will be established in you and through you!”
There are also swirls of fingerprints
throughout the painting… from step to step…
i.e. God’s fingerprints
are going to be upon you throughout this process…
don’t miss the fact that this is a process
(not a once and done thing)
but a continual work of God’s Spirit and Hand in your life.
-30-
Submitted in His love…
><>Fred<><
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Old Testament Survey Week 5 - The Rest of the Rest
Old Testament Survey Week 5
The Rest of the Rest
Query about the feasts of Israel,
The Rest of the Rest
Query about the feasts of Israel,
particularly Passover and why despite the instruction
that it would be a feast celebrated forever,
most Christians do not celebrate them.
Leviticus 23 talks about these instructions …
the answer is yes and no.
We don’t celebrate them but we should…
Leviticus 23 talks about these instructions …
the answer is yes and no.
We don’t celebrate them but we should…
those feasts which are three; there are three basic feast seasons..
We will spend at least three weeks on the feast seasons
and talk about them in great detail…
The short answer is that we should celebrate them…
Two of the feasts have been fulfilled in Christ,
The short answer is that we should celebrate them…
Two of the feasts have been fulfilled in Christ,
one is not yet fulfilled (the last one)
The Feast of Tabernacle is not yet fulfilled in Christ.
We await that fulfillment.
Passover has been fulfilled because
Passover has been fulfilled because
Christ is the Passover Lamb.
We have to understand
in the way those feasts are laid out
we will see how they unfold in the scriptures.
Basically, those feasts,
We have to understand
in the way those feasts are laid out
we will see how they unfold in the scriptures.
Basically, those feasts,
Passover
and Pentecost and
Tabernacles
actually are commemorating some pretty important layers
of the history of the people of Israel.
For instance, Passover is
of the history of the people of Israel.
For instance, Passover is
obviously about the time when Israel
is delivered from Egypt.
Pentecost, however
is the time when they received the Law of Moses –
the Ten Commandments…
why is that?...
why is that?...
It is significant that they received the Law,
because that Law would make them
different from every other nation.
In the New Testament Pentecost
is when The Spirit of God is given.
The Spirit is given on the Day of Pentecost… why?...
for the same reason…
to make us different and distinct from all other peoples…
It is proof that we have a relationship with God.
For Israel it was the Ten Commandments
or the Decalogue that set them apart,
and the proof that we are in relationship with God
is the work of the Holy Spirit in us to sanctify us
and to work through us.
There is the work of the Spirit on us,
the work of the Spirit in us
and the work of the Spirit through us.
The Ten Commandments
(alternatively called Decalogue, or Ethical Decalogue),
a list of religious and moral imperatives which,
was spoken by God to Moses on Mount Sinai
and engraved on two stone tablets
Reference to Ten Plagues handout:
Interesting little point about the ten plagues against Egypt…
one of the Gods was Apis (Ah pees) (sacred bull god)
he was in the figure of a calf…
He was the god of strength and fertility…
He was pictured as a golden calf
with the rays of the sun between his horns.
The Egyptians would have an actual live bull
that they selected as the personification of that god –
when that bull would die they would mummify him
and bury him in a grave of great spleandor.
They went through these enormously expensive rituals
to bury a dead bull.
They should have just had a cook-out ;-)
because that Law would make them
different from every other nation.
In the New Testament Pentecost
is when The Spirit of God is given.
The Spirit is given on the Day of Pentecost… why?...
for the same reason…
to make us different and distinct from all other peoples…
It is proof that we have a relationship with God.
For Israel it was the Ten Commandments
or the Decalogue that set them apart,
and the proof that we are in relationship with God
is the work of the Holy Spirit in us to sanctify us
and to work through us.
There is the work of the Spirit on us,
the work of the Spirit in us
and the work of the Spirit through us.
The Ten Commandments
(alternatively called Decalogue, or Ethical Decalogue),
a list of religious and moral imperatives which,
was spoken by God to Moses on Mount Sinai
and engraved on two stone tablets
Reference to Ten Plagues handout:
Interesting little point about the ten plagues against Egypt…
one of the Gods was Apis (Ah pees) (sacred bull god)
he was in the figure of a calf…
He was the god of strength and fertility…
He was pictured as a golden calf
with the rays of the sun between his horns.
The Egyptians would have an actual live bull
that they selected as the personification of that god –
when that bull would die they would mummify him
and bury him in a grave of great spleandor.
They went through these enormously expensive rituals
to bury a dead bull.
They should have just had a cook-out ;-)
If you go to Exodus 32
where it talks about Aaron making the golden calf;
he is in the shape of that god Apis.
The request of the people of Israel
was to make a god “that will go before us.”
In-other-words,
they wanted a god
to go where they wanted to go…
not where God wanted to go
but where they wanted to go .
The other interesting thing is
they did not see this form of god as Apis…
they didn’t call him that,
what they were trying to do
is take the real God, Elohiym
and reduce Him to a form…
God doesn’t like that!
The problem was it says in Exodus…
they had forgotten all the works of the Lord their God
They had forgotten all that Elohiym had done.
It is interesting that they would take that form,
that they probably had grown up around for generations
(in the Egyptian culture),
and try to adapt that into their life and culture…
I’m giving you this because
there is a contemporanious application…
They took the culture that they grew up around
and tried to form God in that culture…
Remind you of anything?...
This is where we live… (trying to do the same thing).
We try to take God…
all the culture that we have
and we try to smoosh God into it somehow.
We try to form God in our image
and we want God to go where we want Him to go,
not go, where He wants us to go!
God doesn’t like that… aparently…
You can tell by the way He swallows things up when that happens…
The ground opens uo and people disappear…
and they didn’t enter the witness protection program
they just disappeared!
In the studying of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Torah;
there’s an awful lot of contemporatry application to it.
There is nothing new – you know what I mean?...
There is really nothing new…
We are doing the same stuff… this is 3480 years later…
that’s a long time ago, we’re still doing it.
There is very little today in our theology,
especially in modern American 21st century Christianity
of obedience – when was the last time
you heard a teaching on obedience?
We hear lots of teachings on miracles, and signs and wonders;
but do we hear things on holiness and obedience?...
No, because that’s no fun!
Yet, the reality is that’s where the greatest power is!
We have a tendency, just like those folks did
over thirty-five hundred years ago…
we have exactly the same tendencies.
We try to take our culture and superimpose it on God,
or make God move according to our culture.
That’s just not accurate.
24Now it came about at the lodging place on the way
that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.
25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin
and threw it at Moses' feet, and she said,
"You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me."
26So He let him alone.
At that time she said,
"You are a bridegroom of blood"-
-because of the circumcision.
Exodus 4:24-26 NAS
The anger of God toward Moses here
We try to take our culture and superimpose it on God,
or make God move according to our culture.
That’s just not accurate.
24Now it came about at the lodging place on the way
that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.
25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin
and threw it at Moses' feet, and she said,
"You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me."
26So He let him alone.
At that time she said,
"You are a bridegroom of blood"-
-because of the circumcision.
Exodus 4:24-26 NAS
The anger of God toward Moses here
was due to his disobedience of
not having his son circumcised.
God took his disobedience as a tremendous affront.
There are a lot of different
There are a lot of different
layers of interpretation of these verses by the way.
Some people interpret this to say
that Moses didn’t do this intentionally somehow.
Some say that he didn’t want to stigmatize his son
as he was headed back to Egypt by having him circumcised
(the certain sign that he was a Hebrew and not Egyptian).
Basically his wife has to do what he (Moses) was supposed to do.
What it comes down to is that Moses
did not uphold the covenant of God.
God says,
“Look, I’m sending you on this mission,
you literally are on a mission from God,
and you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing…
you are not upholding the covenant.
That’s the sign of the covenant… a blood sacrifice.”
That’s why God became angry.
Query:
God reveals Himself to Moses as Yahweh –
Query:
God reveals Himself to Moses as Yahweh –
and that’s the first time He reveals Himself by that name.
To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
he was known as El-Shaddai or God Almighty.
Does this have to do with the whole deliverance thing,
that God now needed to be revealed as Deliverer.
It does, but let me give you a little descending order here…
This is the best I can understand this… it’s TG opinion-
Psalm 91.
1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!"
Psalm 91:1-2 NAS
Psalm 91 gives us an image of God’s names…
It says the one who dwells in the shelter of The Most High…
The Most High = ‛elyôn (el-yone')
From H5927; an elevation, that is, (adjectively) lofty (comparatively); as title, the Supreme: - (Most, on) high (-er, -est), upper (-most).
El ‛elyôn …
these are not different Gods obviously
but they are different aspects of God’s nature.
El ‛elyôn … means that God is the Most High
if He is the Most High than He can see everything…
He is the Most High so there is nothing above Him…
Next He is expressed as the Almighty or El shaddai
El shaddai (El shad-dah'ee)
From H7703; the Almighty: - Almighty.
Meaning that God is all powerful…
So God is Most High
God is Most Powerful
Then the next expression we see is Yahweh or the LORD
2I will say to the LORD
When we see the word LORD written in all capital letters
That is called a tetragrammaton*…
This is God’s personal name.
It comes from the root hâyâh (haw-yaw')
that means “to be” , “He is,” “to exist”
“I AM that I AM”
Edit fkj:
*Tetragrammaton (from the Greek τετραγράμματον, meaning "[a word] having four letters") refers to the Hebrew term יהוה, the name of God depicted in the Bible.
יהוה is composed of four Hebrew consonants, and it occurs 6,828 times in the approved consonantal Hebrew text of the Bible.
These four letters are usually transliterated from Hebrew as IHVH in Latin, JHWH in German, French and Dutch, and JHVH/YHWH in English. This has been variously rendered as "Yahweh" or even occasionally as "Jehovah", based on the Latin form of the term.[4], while the Hebrew text does not clearly indicate the omitted vowels. In English translations, it is often rendered in capital and small capital letters as "the LORD", following Jewish tradition which reads the word as "Adonai" ("Lord") out of respect for the name of God and the interpretation of the commandment not to take the name of God in vain.
It does, but let me give you a little descending order here…
This is the best I can understand this… it’s TG opinion-
Psalm 91.
1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!"
Psalm 91:1-2 NAS
Psalm 91 gives us an image of God’s names…
It says the one who dwells in the shelter of The Most High…
The Most High = ‛elyôn (el-yone')
From H5927; an elevation, that is, (adjectively) lofty (comparatively); as title, the Supreme: - (Most, on) high (-er, -est), upper (-most).
El ‛elyôn …
these are not different Gods obviously
but they are different aspects of God’s nature.
El ‛elyôn … means that God is the Most High
if He is the Most High than He can see everything…
He is the Most High so there is nothing above Him…
Next He is expressed as the Almighty or El shaddai
El shaddai (El shad-dah'ee)
From H7703; the Almighty: - Almighty.
Meaning that God is all powerful…
So God is Most High
God is Most Powerful
Then the next expression we see is Yahweh or the LORD
2I will say to the LORD
When we see the word LORD written in all capital letters
That is called a tetragrammaton*…
This is God’s personal name.
It comes from the root hâyâh (haw-yaw')
that means “to be” , “He is,” “to exist”
“I AM that I AM”
Edit fkj:
*Tetragrammaton (from the Greek τετραγράμματον, meaning "[a word] having four letters") refers to the Hebrew term יהוה, the name of God depicted in the Bible.
יהוה is composed of four Hebrew consonants, and it occurs 6,828 times in the approved consonantal Hebrew text of the Bible.
These four letters are usually transliterated from Hebrew as IHVH in Latin, JHWH in German, French and Dutch, and JHVH/YHWH in English. This has been variously rendered as "Yahweh" or even occasionally as "Jehovah", based on the Latin form of the term.[4], while the Hebrew text does not clearly indicate the omitted vowels. In English translations, it is often rendered in capital and small capital letters as "the LORD", following Jewish tradition which reads the word as "Adonai" ("Lord") out of respect for the name of God and the interpretation of the commandment not to take the name of God in vain.
So God is Most High
God is Most Powerful
God who is personal
The last one is Elohiym (el-o-heem')
My God
'ĕlôhıym (el-o-heem')
Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
So God is Most High or El ‛elyôn
God is Most Powerful or El shaddai
God who is most personal or Yahweh or LORD
from the others, even though Abraham is called ‘the friend of God’ (we read in Exodus 33:11 ) where it says Moses talked to God as a man speaks to his friend face-to-face ‘paniym el paniym’
Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face,
just as a man speaks to his friend
When Moses returned to the camp,
his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man,
would not depart from the tent.
Exodus 33:11 NAS
Moses has this ultra-personal encounter
in the very personal presence of God…
There isn’t any evidence that Abraham
had that kind of encounter…
he has the encounter with the three parts of God
at the oaks of Mamre in Genesis 18.
But there is no evidence that Abraham
But there is no evidence that Abraham
had this kind of personal encounter as Moses
who had an intensely personal encounter at a burning bush.
That’s pretty personal, and He says I AM – this is who I AM.
So it’s:
So God is Most High or El ‛elyôn
God is Most Powerful or El shaddai
God who is Most Personal or Yahweh or LORD
And Elohiym which is God the Creator so Most Creative
Elohiym again is in the plural meaning at least three
so it represents God in His creative capacity.
So it’s:
So God is Most High or El ‛elyôn
God is Most Powerful or El shaddai
God who is Most Personal or Yahweh or LORD
And Elohiym which is God the Creator so Most Creative
Elohiym again is in the plural meaning at least three
so it represents God in His creative capacity.
Old Testament Survey Week 5
The Rest of the Rest
One of the great themes of the Old Testament
is the theme of rest…
It is really important that we understand
that this is God’s objective…
Remember there were three things
necessary for God’s plan to make Israel a nation:
A people
A Law
A Land
This whole concept of ‘rest’
is tied up in the establishment of God’s people
as a nation, that will demonstrate to the world
how to live a life that honors and glorifies God.
.
Pictures of rest are woven all through the Old Testament.
It was God’s intention to bring His people
to a place of reconciliation and rest
in their relationship with Him
Rest is a condition of inner quiet
that allows our hearts
to be at home in God.
There are three kinds of rest:
Rest for God
Rest in God
Rest we receive from God
9So there remains a Sabbath rest
for the people of God.
Hebrews 4:9 NAS
Sabbath means ‘rest’ so a Sabbath rest is literally a ‘rest – rest’…
Here is the problem,
that allows our hearts
to be at home in God.
There are three kinds of rest:
Rest for God
Rest in God
Rest we receive from God
9So there remains a Sabbath rest
for the people of God.
Hebrews 4:9 NAS
Sabbath means ‘rest’ so a Sabbath rest is literally a ‘rest – rest’…
Here is the problem,
we are missing the rest of the rest.
There is some portion of rest
There is some portion of rest
that we have not entered into…
So there is still a special rest waiting
for the people of God.
Hebrews 4:9 NLT
9So then, there is still awaiting
a full and complete Sabbath-rest
reserved for the [true] people of God;
Hebrews 4:9 AMP
As it is, however,
there still remains for God’s people
a rest like God’s resting on the seventh day.
Hebrews 4:9 TEV (Today’s English Version)
We have left behind
the rest of the rest.
We have literally walked away
from the rest God desires us to experience
We are commanded to observe the Sabbath.
That Sabbath is not just a legal day,
That Sabbath also has to do with
the presence of Christ resting in us.
A really good book
Your Forgotten Self: Mirrored in Jesus the Christ
by David Robert Ord
Rest is an Invitation:
He talks about the Christ within us
and how we need to flow
from a place of rest as we experience
His presence within us
and allowing that presence to flow through us.
We have walked away
So there is still a special rest waiting
for the people of God.
Hebrews 4:9 NLT
9So then, there is still awaiting
a full and complete Sabbath-rest
reserved for the [true] people of God;
Hebrews 4:9 AMP
As it is, however,
there still remains for God’s people
a rest like God’s resting on the seventh day.
Hebrews 4:9 TEV (Today’s English Version)
We have left behind
the rest of the rest.
We have literally walked away
from the rest God desires us to experience
We are commanded to observe the Sabbath.
That Sabbath is not just a legal day,
That Sabbath also has to do with
the presence of Christ resting in us.
A really good book
Your Forgotten Self: Mirrored in Jesus the Christ
by David Robert Ord
Rest is an Invitation:
He talks about the Christ within us
and how we need to flow
from a place of rest as we experience
His presence within us
and allowing that presence to flow through us.
We have walked away
from rest and left it behind.
There is an invitation in the heart of God
for us to come to this place of rest.
It is part of who He is.
He calls us to participate in His Life
and that requires us to come
to a new place of understanding.
There are two parts to the invitation:
1- I must come to another place (leave behind something)
2- I must move on to something else (intimacy with God)
There is an invitation in the heart of God
for us to come to this place of rest.
It is part of who He is.
He calls us to participate in His Life
and that requires us to come
to a new place of understanding.
There are two parts to the invitation:
1- I must come to another place (leave behind something)
2- I must move on to something else (intimacy with God)
Jesus invites us to rest.
The kind of rest
He is talking about
has three facets:
Rest for God
Rest in God
Rest from God
Defining Rest:
complete dependence
refreshed and rejuvenated
quiet and still before God
undistracted
reflecting on what has been done
fellowship and a sense of belonging
Rest is being at home in God.
In John 14 Jesus says
if we keep His commandments
then They will come
and make their home in us.
15"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
23Jesus answered and said to him,
"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word;
and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
John 14:15,23
This is allowing Christ to rest in me…
There is something about the whole aspect
of living in His presence that defines rest.
It has something to do with who He is!
I think we find rest
The kind of rest
He is talking about
has three facets:
Rest for God
Rest in God
Rest from God
Defining Rest:
complete dependence
refreshed and rejuvenated
quiet and still before God
undistracted
reflecting on what has been done
fellowship and a sense of belonging
Rest is being at home in God.
In John 14 Jesus says
if we keep His commandments
then They will come
and make their home in us.
15"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
23Jesus answered and said to him,
"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word;
and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
John 14:15,23
This is allowing Christ to rest in me…
There is something about the whole aspect
of living in His presence that defines rest.
It has something to do with who He is!
I think we find rest
when we connect with who God is.
This is why God becomes so upset
when we make the Sabbath just a legal regulation…
when we allow that to happen we totally miss God
We can get to the point
that the only thing missing
in our relationship with God - is God!
We can have a relationship with doctrine,
or with understanding, or thoughts
or relationship, or laws or rules
but don’t have a personal relationship with God.
God wants to lead us to a place of
rest that is for God
a rest that is in God
and a rest that is from God.
Look what Jesus says,
28"Come to Me,
all who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.
What is Jesus saying?
When the Pharisees
were talking to the people,
Jesus said,
‘Look you are putting a heavier load on them
than they carried before.’
‘You just put heavy loads on the people
and you are robbing them of rest.’
Weary and heavy laden in this context
has to do with things that are legalism,
He’s not just talking about actual burdens
but the legalism imposed on the people by the Pharisees
as recorded in Matthew the eleventh chapter..
29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30 NAS
The yolk He is referring to is a system of teaching…
As in the “Yolk of the Torah.”
His yolk is a yolk of grace and compassion…
It is only when we come to Him
that we experience true rest…
He has to give me rest.
We have a tendency to work hard
so that we can “earn” rest.
It’s kind of an American thing…
we work our way into a vacation.
We kill our selves fifty weeks of the year
so we can take two weeks off for vacation.
This is not just about time off,
its about a state of mind
and being connected and being at home in God
Rest is somehow just being at home in God
We can be at home in God if we are working in a steel mill.
Why, because He says take My yoke upon you
not the yoke of legalism
But learn from Me, my nature, who I am…
I’m gentle and humble of heart…
And then you will find rest for your souls
your mind, your will, your emotions.
This whole chapter (Matthew 11) by-the-way
is a really good chapter to meditate on.
We are a very restless society.
Rest is something we choose…
Rest is something we enter into…
Rest is something we receive…
It is all about getting intimate with God.
Do you know that in contemporary America
the average person,
moves fourteen times in their lives.
No wonder we sell so many shoes in this country.:-)
We don’t connect…
We don’t connect with God…
We don’t connect with each other.
We are an incredibly disconnected people.
We are connected only when it comes
to climbing up the corporate ladder.
How does this have anything to do
with the Old Testament and the people of Israel?
As “foreigners” in the land
This is why God becomes so upset
when we make the Sabbath just a legal regulation…
when we allow that to happen we totally miss God
We can get to the point
that the only thing missing
in our relationship with God - is God!
We can have a relationship with doctrine,
or with understanding, or thoughts
or relationship, or laws or rules
but don’t have a personal relationship with God.
God wants to lead us to a place of
rest that is for God
a rest that is in God
and a rest that is from God.
Look what Jesus says,
28"Come to Me,
all who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.
What is Jesus saying?
When the Pharisees
were talking to the people,
Jesus said,
‘Look you are putting a heavier load on them
than they carried before.’
‘You just put heavy loads on the people
and you are robbing them of rest.’
Weary and heavy laden in this context
has to do with things that are legalism,
He’s not just talking about actual burdens
but the legalism imposed on the people by the Pharisees
as recorded in Matthew the eleventh chapter..
29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30 NAS
The yolk He is referring to is a system of teaching…
As in the “Yolk of the Torah.”
His yolk is a yolk of grace and compassion…
It is only when we come to Him
that we experience true rest…
He has to give me rest.
We have a tendency to work hard
so that we can “earn” rest.
It’s kind of an American thing…
we work our way into a vacation.
We kill our selves fifty weeks of the year
so we can take two weeks off for vacation.
This is not just about time off,
its about a state of mind
and being connected and being at home in God
Rest is somehow just being at home in God
We can be at home in God if we are working in a steel mill.
Why, because He says take My yoke upon you
not the yoke of legalism
But learn from Me, my nature, who I am…
I’m gentle and humble of heart…
And then you will find rest for your souls
your mind, your will, your emotions.
This whole chapter (Matthew 11) by-the-way
is a really good chapter to meditate on.
We are a very restless society.
Rest is something we choose…
Rest is something we enter into…
Rest is something we receive…
It is all about getting intimate with God.
Do you know that in contemporary America
the average person,
moves fourteen times in their lives.
No wonder we sell so many shoes in this country.:-)
We don’t connect…
We don’t connect with God…
We don’t connect with each other.
We are an incredibly disconnected people.
We are connected only when it comes
to climbing up the corporate ladder.
How does this have anything to do
with the Old Testament and the people of Israel?
As “foreigners” in the land
they needed to get their rest from God.
The people were encouraged to
remember all God had done for them
over and over again…
but the kept forgetting time after time.
They needed the rest of God as a time
to reflect on His goodness and mercy toward them.
The more prosperous they became
(by God’s hand)
the quicker they forgot God.
This is especially true in that section of Deuteronomy
chapters four through eight,
where God continually reminded them
that when they entered the Promised Land
they were not to forget
who gave them all they possessed.
This was the whole point
of God’s instructions to the Israelites at Gilgal;
that they were to return with their children
to recount the deliverance of the people from Egypt,
so that generation after generation
would not forget what God had done for them.
An interesting point with regard to Gilgal…
gilgâl (ghil-gawl') wheel or circle (return to – roll away)
gil gal which is actually repeated syllables
if you look at it in Hebrew
gal gal which means a circle
God, as to His nature – who He is…
He is not a triangle… He’s a circle --
It is literally a picture of God dancing within Himself
[perichoresis: It refers to the mutual inter-penetration and indwelling within the threefold nature of the Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.]
Do you realize how many times there are circles in the Bible?
Every time you see something that says “gal” …
They come into the Holy land
and they create a circle of stones at Gil gal…
Where did Jesus minister?… in gal alee
Where was Jesus crucified?... gal gotha
We see all these circles in scripture
and they are little signitures of God
and discriptions of His nature.
God is saying we must remember
who and what He is.
There is a rest for God
There is a rest in God
There is a rest that comes from God
Rest For God
Rest for God is a rest we must choose..
Shabbat, the Hebrew word for Sabbath means
to cease from work
and actively
for the purpose of connecting
with the Father’s heart.
This is like the Father
stepping back and celebrating creation.
God was not tired after the sixth day
He was pausing to take in the magnitude of His creative works…
If you created a masterpiece,
wouldn’t you step back and admire it?
Shabbat Resting/
ceasing from, step away, cease, pause
“Rest” in Greek = ana-pausis
from which we get the English word pause.
An interlude or intermission
The interesting thing here is
that God continued to create after the seventh day…
Jesus says in the New Testament
that the “Father is still working.”
17But He answered them,
"My Father is working until now,
and I Myself am working."
John 5:17 NAS
This kind of rest is
a rest where we connect
with the presence of God
Rest is a part of God’s nature.
When God created the physical universe as we know it
He paused to step back and look at what He had done
We have to do the same thing…
Rest is a place of recharging
Rest is a place where
we come to an understanding
of who the Lord is
If we look in Hebrews 4:8-13
8For if Joshua had given them rest,
He would not have spoken of another day after that.
9So there remains a Sabbath rest
for the people of God.
10For the one who has entered His rest
has himself also rested from his works,
as God did from His.
11Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest,
so that no one will fall,
through following the same example of disobedience.
12For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
13And there is no creature hidden from His sight,
but all things are open and laid bare
to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:8-13
Rest is associated with the Word of God
and the Word of God is seen as a weapon
So rest has something to do
with spiritual warfare as well
Resting in Him is part of our warfare
When Manna was given
The people were encouraged to
remember all God had done for them
over and over again…
but the kept forgetting time after time.
They needed the rest of God as a time
to reflect on His goodness and mercy toward them.
The more prosperous they became
(by God’s hand)
the quicker they forgot God.
This is especially true in that section of Deuteronomy
chapters four through eight,
where God continually reminded them
that when they entered the Promised Land
they were not to forget
who gave them all they possessed.
This was the whole point
of God’s instructions to the Israelites at Gilgal;
that they were to return with their children
to recount the deliverance of the people from Egypt,
so that generation after generation
would not forget what God had done for them.
An interesting point with regard to Gilgal…
gilgâl (ghil-gawl') wheel or circle (return to – roll away)
gil gal which is actually repeated syllables
if you look at it in Hebrew
gal gal which means a circle
God, as to His nature – who He is…
He is not a triangle… He’s a circle --
It is literally a picture of God dancing within Himself
[perichoresis: It refers to the mutual inter-penetration and indwelling within the threefold nature of the Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.]
Do you realize how many times there are circles in the Bible?
Every time you see something that says “gal” …
They come into the Holy land
and they create a circle of stones at Gil gal…
Where did Jesus minister?… in gal alee
Where was Jesus crucified?... gal gotha
We see all these circles in scripture
and they are little signitures of God
and discriptions of His nature.
God is saying we must remember
who and what He is.
There is a rest for God
There is a rest in God
There is a rest that comes from God
Rest For God
Rest for God is a rest we must choose..
Shabbat, the Hebrew word for Sabbath means
to cease from work
and actively
for the purpose of connecting
with the Father’s heart.
This is like the Father
stepping back and celebrating creation.
God was not tired after the sixth day
He was pausing to take in the magnitude of His creative works…
If you created a masterpiece,
wouldn’t you step back and admire it?
Shabbat Resting/
ceasing from, step away, cease, pause
“Rest” in Greek = ana-pausis
from which we get the English word pause.
An interlude or intermission
The interesting thing here is
that God continued to create after the seventh day…
Jesus says in the New Testament
that the “Father is still working.”
17But He answered them,
"My Father is working until now,
and I Myself am working."
John 5:17 NAS
This kind of rest is
a rest where we connect
with the presence of God
Rest is a part of God’s nature.
When God created the physical universe as we know it
He paused to step back and look at what He had done
We have to do the same thing…
Rest is a place of recharging
Rest is a place where
we come to an understanding
of who the Lord is
If we look in Hebrews 4:8-13
8For if Joshua had given them rest,
He would not have spoken of another day after that.
9So there remains a Sabbath rest
for the people of God.
10For the one who has entered His rest
has himself also rested from his works,
as God did from His.
11Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest,
so that no one will fall,
through following the same example of disobedience.
12For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
13And there is no creature hidden from His sight,
but all things are open and laid bare
to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:8-13
Rest is associated with the Word of God
and the Word of God is seen as a weapon
So rest has something to do
with spiritual warfare as well
Resting in Him is part of our warfare
When Manna was given
there was enough given on the sixth day
so that they had enough for the Sabbath.
This is an example of the sufficiency of God’s grace.
God rested because the work was completed (kalah)
kâlâh (kaw-law')
A primitive root; to end, (to cease, be finished, perish) (to complete, prepare, consume): - accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine,
There was nothing left to be done.
1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed,
and all their hosts.
Genesis 2:1 NAS
There is a resting from work…
3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,
because in it He rested from all His work
which God had created and made.
Genesis 2:3 NAS
Blessing, sanctification and rest go together.
Man was created on the sixth day
The seventh day was a day of rest
There was a evening and morning
of each day except the seventh…
The Hebrew day started in the evening
and went to the morning
because of the concept of
going from darkness to light
there was no conclusion given,
indicating that man was created to live in rest.
The Sabbath rest is something we must choose.
This is an example of the sufficiency of God’s grace.
God rested because the work was completed (kalah)
kâlâh (kaw-law')
A primitive root; to end, (to cease, be finished, perish) (to complete, prepare, consume): - accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine,
There was nothing left to be done.
1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed,
and all their hosts.
Genesis 2:1 NAS
There is a resting from work…
3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,
because in it He rested from all His work
which God had created and made.
Genesis 2:3 NAS
Blessing, sanctification and rest go together.
Man was created on the sixth day
The seventh day was a day of rest
There was a evening and morning
of each day except the seventh…
The Hebrew day started in the evening
and went to the morning
because of the concept of
going from darkness to light
there was no conclusion given,
indicating that man was created to live in rest.
The Sabbath rest is something we must choose.
It is coming to an end of our work as God rested.
2By the seventh day God
completed His work which He had done,
and He rested on the seventh day
from all His work which He had done.
3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,
because in it He rested from all His work
which God had created and made.
Genesis 2:2-3 NAS
Rest in this passage is associated with
holiness,
sanctification
and blessing
The whole idea of rest
is a time of coming aside with God.
Rest is not just taking a nap,
it is for the purpose of connecting with God.
For the purpose of living in His presence
For the purpose of understanding who He is.
That’s also called holiness, or sanctification.
You can’t separate blessing and sanctification, holiness, and rest…
Those things are just woven together throughout scripture.
The greatest form of Spiritual Warfare
is for us to be at rest in Christ
in a state of connection with God.
The Enemies main preoccupation
is to get our attention off of God
and interrupt our connection with God
so that we are paying attention to
life, circumstances and self.
His whole purpose is to get us to look at us
instead of looking to God.
This is the very definition of iniquity –
to look at self and not God.
Satan twisted the whole concept of Godly Rest
and made it a legal formula….
What were they (the Pharisees) looking at…
were they connected with God?.. No!
they were looking at themselves.
Oh you’re carrying a tool (on the Sabbath)…
Oh it’s two minutes after sundown and you are walking down the road..
2By the seventh day God
completed His work which He had done,
and He rested on the seventh day
from all His work which He had done.
3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,
because in it He rested from all His work
which God had created and made.
Genesis 2:2-3 NAS
Rest in this passage is associated with
holiness,
sanctification
and blessing
The whole idea of rest
is a time of coming aside with God.
Rest is not just taking a nap,
it is for the purpose of connecting with God.
For the purpose of living in His presence
For the purpose of understanding who He is.
That’s also called holiness, or sanctification.
You can’t separate blessing and sanctification, holiness, and rest…
Those things are just woven together throughout scripture.
The greatest form of Spiritual Warfare
is for us to be at rest in Christ
in a state of connection with God.
The Enemies main preoccupation
is to get our attention off of God
and interrupt our connection with God
so that we are paying attention to
life, circumstances and self.
His whole purpose is to get us to look at us
instead of looking to God.
This is the very definition of iniquity –
to look at self and not God.
Satan twisted the whole concept of Godly Rest
and made it a legal formula….
What were they (the Pharisees) looking at…
were they connected with God?.. No!
they were looking at themselves.
Oh you’re carrying a tool (on the Sabbath)…
Oh it’s two minutes after sundown and you are walking down the road..
Even today in Israel
if you are driving down the road during Shabbat
they will throw rocks at you –
(which by the way means
they are doing work on Shabbat!)
This rest for God
is a choice we make
to honor God.
Jesus says in Mark
that the Sabbath was made for man
not that man was made for the Sabbath.
27Jesus said to them,
"The Sabbath was made for man,
and not man for the Sabbath.
28"So the Son of Man is Lord
even of the Sabbath."
Mark 2:27-28 NAS
Sabbath rest is not about legalism…
it’s about transforming
Sometimes we choose not to rest
because we are afraid
of that transforming intimacy…
we are afraid that we are going
to have to become something else.
There is a rising kingdom within us,
as we carry Christ more and more in me,
Christ is more and more seen
to the spheres of influence around us.
Reference:
Your Forgotten Self
Mirrored in Jesus Christ by David Robert Ord
Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is within us…
it is at hand that
As you go, preach this message:
'The kingdom of heaven is near.'
Matthew 10:7 NAS
The scripture says,
9So there remains a Sabbath rest
for the people of God.
10For the one who has entered His rest
has himself also rested from his works,
as God did from His.
Hebrews 4:9-10 NAS
That does not mean that there is nothing else left to do…
in the sense that we rest and never perform tasks again…
what it says is that
we need to stop thinking ‘either activity, or not activity’ –
if you are driving down the road during Shabbat
they will throw rocks at you –
(which by the way means
they are doing work on Shabbat!)
This rest for God
is a choice we make
to honor God.
Jesus says in Mark
that the Sabbath was made for man
not that man was made for the Sabbath.
27Jesus said to them,
"The Sabbath was made for man,
and not man for the Sabbath.
28"So the Son of Man is Lord
even of the Sabbath."
Mark 2:27-28 NAS
Sabbath rest is not about legalism…
it’s about transforming
Sometimes we choose not to rest
because we are afraid
of that transforming intimacy…
we are afraid that we are going
to have to become something else.
There is a rising kingdom within us,
as we carry Christ more and more in me,
Christ is more and more seen
to the spheres of influence around us.
Reference:
Your Forgotten Self
Mirrored in Jesus Christ by David Robert Ord
Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is within us…
it is at hand that
As you go, preach this message:
'The kingdom of heaven is near.'
Matthew 10:7 NAS
The scripture says,
9So there remains a Sabbath rest
for the people of God.
10For the one who has entered His rest
has himself also rested from his works,
as God did from His.
Hebrews 4:9-10 NAS
That does not mean that there is nothing else left to do…
in the sense that we rest and never perform tasks again…
what it says is that
we need to stop thinking ‘either activity, or not activity’ –
that’s the legal definition of rest.
The kind of rest we are talking about
is being at home in Christ
and Christ being at home in us.
Generally find it easy to invite the Lord to our house…
But, do we find it equally easy
to come to the Lord’s house?
When we go to His place… we have to trust Him
Rest and Trust go together!
We don’t rest because we don’t trust
The kingdom does a transforming work in us
and that work is seen by the world around us.
Rest in God
There is a rest in God as well…
So there is a
Rest (Shabbat ) for God
is resting to come into His presence
and connecting with God…
but there is also a rest in God as well.
Rest (Nuach) in God
Resting because we are in Christ
This is a place of deep abiding trust
where we can feel the power and strength of the LORD.
Rest “In God” comes from the Hebrew word “nuach”
Nuach, meaning to settle down
with no more movement,
to come to a sense of inner ease and security
Nuach is Noah’s name Nuach = Noah
Resting in something
A picture of Noah resting in the safety of the ark.
The ark is a picture of Jesus
and Noah is at rest in the ark
as we are to rest “In Christ”
and raised us up with Him,
and seated us with Him in the heavenly places
in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 2:6 NAS
There is a connection with comfort
from a related Hebrew word nacham
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
2 Corinthians 1:3 NAS
comfort paraclesis
one who is present along side us.
14And He said,
"My presence shall go with you,
and I will give you rest."
15Then he said to Him,
"If Your presence does not go with us,
do not lead us up from here.
Exodus 33:14-15 NAS
The thing that gives us rest is God’s presence.
The thing that brings us into His presence is rest.
Naomi was the mother-in-law of Ruth
and she wants Ruth to end up in a place of rest.
1THEN NAOMI her mother-in-law said to Ruth,
My daughter, shall I not seek rest or a home for you,
that you may prosper?
Ruth 3:1 AMP
She wants Ruth to be at a place of rest or a home
and having all that she needs.
Rest and home go together…
Again, rest is being at home together with God
14And He said,
"My presence shall go with you,
and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33:14 NAS
Israel failed to enter this rest of God
because they did not trust Him
1Therefore, let us fear if,
while a promise remains of entering His rest,
any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
2For indeed we have had good news preached to us,
just as they also;
but the word they heard did not profit them,
because it was not united by faith
in those who heard.
3For we who have believed enter that rest,
just as He has said,
"(C)AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,
THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,"
although His works were finished
from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:1-3 NAS
The condition for entering into God’s rest
is faith and believing.
We who believe
in the goodness of God’s nature
will enter into rest.
Jeremiah chapters 33 -34 talks about the same thing.
He says basically you don’t trust Me.
Because you don’t trust me,
you are going into exile.
Is not this,
which causes God’s people to be in “exile”
out of fellowship with God even today?
He says, “I invited you to come to the table…
I’ve done everything necessary –
I’ve carved out this land for you…
given you houses you didn’t build…
wells and cistern that you didn’t dig…
you’re going to eat fruit from vines you didn’t plant…
That’s called the grace of God…
Yet they (and often we) still don’t trust Him.
Israel did not enter the rest
because they were disobedient.
disobedient in Greek = a-patheia
apathy, willful unbelief, disagreement
apeitheia (ap-i'-thi-ah)
From G545; disbelief (obstinate and rebellious): -
disobedience, unbelief.
How about this they simply didn’t care!
Is this not a picture of contemporary America…
This is difficult to admit,
The kind of rest we are talking about
is being at home in Christ
and Christ being at home in us.
Generally find it easy to invite the Lord to our house…
But, do we find it equally easy
to come to the Lord’s house?
When we go to His place… we have to trust Him
Rest and Trust go together!
We don’t rest because we don’t trust
The kingdom does a transforming work in us
and that work is seen by the world around us.
Rest in God
There is a rest in God as well…
So there is a
Rest (Shabbat ) for God
is resting to come into His presence
and connecting with God…
but there is also a rest in God as well.
Rest (Nuach) in God
Resting because we are in Christ
This is a place of deep abiding trust
where we can feel the power and strength of the LORD.
Rest “In God” comes from the Hebrew word “nuach”
Nuach, meaning to settle down
with no more movement,
to come to a sense of inner ease and security
Nuach is Noah’s name Nuach = Noah
Resting in something
A picture of Noah resting in the safety of the ark.
The ark is a picture of Jesus
and Noah is at rest in the ark
as we are to rest “In Christ”
and raised us up with Him,
and seated us with Him in the heavenly places
in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 2:6 NAS
There is a connection with comfort
from a related Hebrew word nacham
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
2 Corinthians 1:3 NAS
comfort paraclesis
one who is present along side us.
14And He said,
"My presence shall go with you,
and I will give you rest."
15Then he said to Him,
"If Your presence does not go with us,
do not lead us up from here.
Exodus 33:14-15 NAS
The thing that gives us rest is God’s presence.
The thing that brings us into His presence is rest.
Naomi was the mother-in-law of Ruth
and she wants Ruth to end up in a place of rest.
1THEN NAOMI her mother-in-law said to Ruth,
My daughter, shall I not seek rest or a home for you,
that you may prosper?
Ruth 3:1 AMP
She wants Ruth to be at a place of rest or a home
and having all that she needs.
Rest and home go together…
Again, rest is being at home together with God
14And He said,
"My presence shall go with you,
and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33:14 NAS
Israel failed to enter this rest of God
because they did not trust Him
1Therefore, let us fear if,
while a promise remains of entering His rest,
any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
2For indeed we have had good news preached to us,
just as they also;
but the word they heard did not profit them,
because it was not united by faith
in those who heard.
3For we who have believed enter that rest,
just as He has said,
"(C)AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,
THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,"
although His works were finished
from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:1-3 NAS
The condition for entering into God’s rest
is faith and believing.
We who believe
in the goodness of God’s nature
will enter into rest.
Jeremiah chapters 33 -34 talks about the same thing.
He says basically you don’t trust Me.
Because you don’t trust me,
you are going into exile.
Is not this,
which causes God’s people to be in “exile”
out of fellowship with God even today?
He says, “I invited you to come to the table…
I’ve done everything necessary –
I’ve carved out this land for you…
given you houses you didn’t build…
wells and cistern that you didn’t dig…
you’re going to eat fruit from vines you didn’t plant…
That’s called the grace of God…
Yet they (and often we) still don’t trust Him.
Israel did not enter the rest
because they were disobedient.
disobedient in Greek = a-patheia
apathy, willful unbelief, disagreement
apeitheia (ap-i'-thi-ah)
From G545; disbelief (obstinate and rebellious): -
disobedience, unbelief.
How about this they simply didn’t care!
Is this not a picture of contemporary America…
This is difficult to admit,
The church needs to create
spiritual Mothers and Fathers
that look for something beyond themselves.
After a while it really doesn’t matter
we can only accumulate so much stuff!
We can have a lot or be broke…
it really doesn’t make that much difference
to what is truly important.
The bottom line is
what will make us
and our children more secure –
it’s not stuff or even money
it is the presence of God in our lives.
Their disobedience was based in the fact that
they did not know God and they didn’t trust God.
They didn’t trust God because they didn’t know God…
they didn’t know God because they walked away from God’s Table...
they didn’t rest in God..
they didn’t spend that time in rest with God
They made rest into something they had to do
(an attitude like the Pharisees)
instead of something that they were invited to do!
(a condition of our hearts resting in Christ)
6Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it,
and those who formerly had good news preached to them
failed to enter because of disobedience,
Hebrews 4:6 NAS
We are talking about a rest
so that we can be connected to God,
but also a rest in God…
we can’t come to that place of rest in God
if it is just some kind of legal thing ….
it is really a rest,
based upon trust,
based upon obedience…
not a legal obedience…
but based upon the understanding of the heart of God.
God created us to have a connection with Him
He brings us into a place of connection and holiness with Him
That’s what all those encounters in the Old Testament –
the burning bush
wrestling with an “angel”
and all that stuff was about…
He says, ‘I am the author of all life,
the Beginning and the End of all this…
I AM the whole point.
We could probably call the whole Old Testament “I AM the Point.”
When He said I AM that I AM – He was saying I AM the Point!
Another good Book
God is the Gospel by John Piper
of the most common words
in the Hebrew language is zâkar
zâkar zaw-kar' means to remember
it is the root of Zechariah
A primitive root; properly to mark (so as to be recognized), that is, to remember; by implication to mention; also (as denominative from H2145) to be male: - X burn [incense], X earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record (-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, X still, think on, X well.
In the Gospel of Luke
spiritual Mothers and Fathers
that look for something beyond themselves.
After a while it really doesn’t matter
we can only accumulate so much stuff!
We can have a lot or be broke…
it really doesn’t make that much difference
to what is truly important.
The bottom line is
what will make us
and our children more secure –
it’s not stuff or even money
it is the presence of God in our lives.
Their disobedience was based in the fact that
they did not know God and they didn’t trust God.
They didn’t trust God because they didn’t know God…
they didn’t know God because they walked away from God’s Table...
they didn’t rest in God..
they didn’t spend that time in rest with God
They made rest into something they had to do
(an attitude like the Pharisees)
instead of something that they were invited to do!
(a condition of our hearts resting in Christ)
6Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it,
and those who formerly had good news preached to them
failed to enter because of disobedience,
Hebrews 4:6 NAS
We are talking about a rest
so that we can be connected to God,
but also a rest in God…
we can’t come to that place of rest in God
if it is just some kind of legal thing ….
it is really a rest,
based upon trust,
based upon obedience…
not a legal obedience…
but based upon the understanding of the heart of God.
God created us to have a connection with Him
He brings us into a place of connection and holiness with Him
That’s what all those encounters in the Old Testament –
the burning bush
wrestling with an “angel”
and all that stuff was about…
He says, ‘I am the author of all life,
the Beginning and the End of all this…
I AM the whole point.
We could probably call the whole Old Testament “I AM the Point.”
When He said I AM that I AM – He was saying I AM the Point!
Another good Book
God is the Gospel by John Piper
of the most common words
in the Hebrew language is zâkar
zâkar zaw-kar' means to remember
it is the root of Zechariah
A primitive root; properly to mark (so as to be recognized), that is, to remember; by implication to mention; also (as denominative from H2145) to be male: - X burn [incense], X earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record (-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, X still, think on, X well.
In the Gospel of Luke
we find that John the Baptists father is named Zecharias – to remember…
Zecharias talks about God remembering his covenant with Israel
So we have looked at:
Rest (Shabbat ) for God
is resting to come into His presence
Rest (Nuach) in God
Resting because we are in Christ
We see that Israel didn’t enter into that rest
because they were disobedient
The next kind of rest
is the kind of Rest we receive from God
Rest (Shaqat ) from God
Shaqat
meaning tranquility and absence of conflict or war or anxiety.
To be still or undisturbed.
The absence of external pressure.
There is a sense of safety or security also.
Used in parallelism with Shalom
All of this has to do with connecting with God
So that I am resting in God…
and when I get to the place
where I am finally resting in Him…
suddenly I am so taken with Him
that I become totally unaware of all this other stuff.
We need to reflect on “Christ in me the hope of glory.”
We need to meditate on the fact that Christ is in us.
He is actually in me.
He has taken up a residence in me.
That doesn’t say anything about me…
It says everything about Him!
He is doing something inside of us
so that he can flow through us…
Our desire needs to be
that He simply comes through us…
This is a rest from conflict;
A place of tranquility and rest.
This rest starts as an outer decision
that winds up as an internal condition…
There is a decision made
to come to a place of rest
so that we can be connected to God
we make the decision to rest and connect with God
(as David said “My soul will praise the Lord.”)
That outer condition of Rest (Shabbat ) for God
leads me to another place where I become restful in God
Rest (Nuach) in God…
Now rest is not just about an external thing
but that I’m coming to rest inside of Him…
But ultimately I find my rest
The rest that I receive from God
Rest (Shaqat ) from God
This is the rest where I become unaware
of everything else trying to influence my life
and become consumed with being in God’s presence.
I am no longer subject to distractions and circumstances
That means that I can be doing anything
and be in a place of rest.
Just have a strong and intimate connection with Him…
so it is no longer I who works
but Christ in me.
20I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
21I do not set aside the grace of God,
for if righteousness could be gained through the law,
Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians 2:20-21 NAS
It is not about me…
but about Him
The Christ comes out.
The problem with the nation of Israel
is that they never got to that place…
They were stuck outside
where they didn’t have a true relationship with God
but were in a performance based superficial relationship.
Very few of them ever got to the place
where they were resting in God.
David did…
I believe that Moses did…
Abraham did…
But most never got the place of resting in God.
There is this very interesting thing
in the account of Hezekiah
when the city is being besieged by the enemies of Israel.
There is an interesting teaching there
of how Hezekiah came to the place of inner rest
in the middle of all that warfare.
His purpose for the nation of Israel
what that they would be a missionary people…
they were to carry the presence of God…
Jesus is the fulfillment of all of that…
He is the perfect prototype
of what God wanted Israel to be…
Bill Johnson wrote,
that the reason Jesus could sleep in the boat
through the storm,
was because where he was
there was no storm.
He was at rest in the Father.
Zecharias talks about God remembering his covenant with Israel
So we have looked at:
Rest (Shabbat ) for God
is resting to come into His presence
Rest (Nuach) in God
Resting because we are in Christ
We see that Israel didn’t enter into that rest
because they were disobedient
The next kind of rest
is the kind of Rest we receive from God
Rest (Shaqat ) from God
Shaqat
meaning tranquility and absence of conflict or war or anxiety.
To be still or undisturbed.
The absence of external pressure.
There is a sense of safety or security also.
Used in parallelism with Shalom
All of this has to do with connecting with God
So that I am resting in God…
and when I get to the place
where I am finally resting in Him…
suddenly I am so taken with Him
that I become totally unaware of all this other stuff.
We need to reflect on “Christ in me the hope of glory.”
We need to meditate on the fact that Christ is in us.
He is actually in me.
He has taken up a residence in me.
That doesn’t say anything about me…
It says everything about Him!
He is doing something inside of us
so that he can flow through us…
Our desire needs to be
that He simply comes through us…
This is a rest from conflict;
A place of tranquility and rest.
This rest starts as an outer decision
that winds up as an internal condition…
There is a decision made
to come to a place of rest
so that we can be connected to God
we make the decision to rest and connect with God
(as David said “My soul will praise the Lord.”)
That outer condition of Rest (Shabbat ) for God
leads me to another place where I become restful in God
Rest (Nuach) in God…
Now rest is not just about an external thing
but that I’m coming to rest inside of Him…
But ultimately I find my rest
The rest that I receive from God
Rest (Shaqat ) from God
This is the rest where I become unaware
of everything else trying to influence my life
and become consumed with being in God’s presence.
I am no longer subject to distractions and circumstances
That means that I can be doing anything
and be in a place of rest.
Just have a strong and intimate connection with Him…
so it is no longer I who works
but Christ in me.
20I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
21I do not set aside the grace of God,
for if righteousness could be gained through the law,
Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians 2:20-21 NAS
It is not about me…
but about Him
The Christ comes out.
The problem with the nation of Israel
is that they never got to that place…
They were stuck outside
where they didn’t have a true relationship with God
but were in a performance based superficial relationship.
Very few of them ever got to the place
where they were resting in God.
David did…
I believe that Moses did…
Abraham did…
But most never got the place of resting in God.
There is this very interesting thing
in the account of Hezekiah
when the city is being besieged by the enemies of Israel.
There is an interesting teaching there
of how Hezekiah came to the place of inner rest
in the middle of all that warfare.
His purpose for the nation of Israel
what that they would be a missionary people…
they were to carry the presence of God…
Jesus is the fulfillment of all of that…
He is the perfect prototype
of what God wanted Israel to be…
Bill Johnson wrote,
that the reason Jesus could sleep in the boat
through the storm,
was because where he was
there was no storm.
He was at rest in the Father.
Shaqat is a state of rest,
repose absence of conflict or war…
23So Joshua took the whole land,
according to all that the LORD
had spoken to Moses,
and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel
according to their divisions by their tribes
Thus the land had rest (shaqat) from war.
Joshua 11:23 NAS
Shaqat , to rest upon something, be at the table…
Often translated as quietness…
15For thus the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel, has said,
"In repentance and rest (nuach-in Him) you will be saved,
We can never really be healed
until we are in Him
in a place of trusting Him
a place of intimate relationship with Him…
until we are there we will never experience inner healing…
but will only be managing emotions.
The LORD is trying to lead us
to a place where we will be at rest in Him.
In quietness (shaqat) and trust is your strength."
But you were not willing,
Isaiah 30:15
The key words here are
Repentance – turning around, turning away from something and going towards God
Repentance is turning away from the mere external stuff
on the outside (religiosity)
and turning toward the LORD
(intimate open and honest relationship with God).
1Therefore let us leave
the elementary teachings about Christ
and go on to maturity,
not laying again
the foundation of repentance
from acts that lead to death,
and of faith in God
2instruction about baptisms,
the laying on of hands,
the resurrection of the dead,
and eternal judgment.
3And God permitting, we will do so.
Hebrews 6:1 NAS
This is a picture of Moses’ tabernacle…
repose absence of conflict or war…
23So Joshua took the whole land,
according to all that the LORD
had spoken to Moses,
and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel
according to their divisions by their tribes
Thus the land had rest (shaqat) from war.
Joshua 11:23 NAS
Shaqat , to rest upon something, be at the table…
Often translated as quietness…
15For thus the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel, has said,
"In repentance and rest (nuach-in Him) you will be saved,
We can never really be healed
until we are in Him
in a place of trusting Him
a place of intimate relationship with Him…
until we are there we will never experience inner healing…
but will only be managing emotions.
The LORD is trying to lead us
to a place where we will be at rest in Him.
In quietness (shaqat) and trust is your strength."
But you were not willing,
Isaiah 30:15
The key words here are
Repentance – turning around, turning away from something and going towards God
Repentance is turning away from the mere external stuff
on the outside (religiosity)
and turning toward the LORD
(intimate open and honest relationship with God).
1Therefore let us leave
the elementary teachings about Christ
and go on to maturity,
not laying again
the foundation of repentance
from acts that lead to death,
and of faith in God
2instruction about baptisms,
the laying on of hands,
the resurrection of the dead,
and eternal judgment.
3And God permitting, we will do so.
Hebrews 6:1 NAS
This is a picture of Moses’ tabernacle…
There are three pairs of things here…
repentance from dead works
and faith toward God
(heading toward more and more rest)
that’s pair one:
That is the outer court of the temple –
the place where flesh was burnt – put to death
Then it talks about
baptisms and washings
which is about” the Holy place in the tabernacle
The realm of the Spirit and spiritual gifts…
Then it talks about the
resurrection and eternal judgment
which refers to the Holy of Holies –
the place of intimacy – living with God from His rest.
We can never really be healed
until we are in Him in a place of trusting Him
The scripture says my power is perfected in weakness
And He has said to me,
"My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness "
Most gladly, therefore,
I will rather boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ
may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 NAS
There is a rest for God
that will lead to a rest in God
and a rest that we will receive from God,
from our enemies.
I choose to rest
I enter into the rest
and then I receive rest
11Moab hath been at ease from his youth,
and he hath settled (shaqat) on his lees,
and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
neither hath he gone into captivity:
therefore his taste remained in him,
and his scent is not changed.
Jeremiah 48:11 KJV
There is a rest for God…
which leads to a rest in God…
which will result in a rest from God…
so that we will have no fears
or enemy attacks that will cause us concern…
we will be so focused on the Lord.
I choose to rest (shabbot)
then enter into (nuach) rest in Christ
and receive (shaqat) rest from God
28"Come to Me,
all who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.
29"Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30 NAS
There is another attitudinal thing that is required
for us to enter in to rest
which is something which Israel apparently did not have …
the attitudinal thing required for rest is humility.
God says, remember when you enter into the land,
don’t forget who supplied all this for you.
This is all about Me…
Humility is not false shame…
Humility is not what we don’t do or think of ourselves…
Humility is the enthronement of Christ.
Humility it is putting Christ in His proper place.
One of the best ways to come into rest
is by dedicating oneself to continually meditate on the Scripture.
Psalm 63 talks about meditating during the night watches...
Psalm 1 speaks of meditating on God's word day and night...
We need to get into the place
where we are hungry
for the presence of God in our life
that we might see the presence of God
through our life.
-30-
repentance from dead works
and faith toward God
(heading toward more and more rest)
that’s pair one:
That is the outer court of the temple –
the place where flesh was burnt – put to death
Then it talks about
baptisms and washings
which is about” the Holy place in the tabernacle
The realm of the Spirit and spiritual gifts…
Then it talks about the
resurrection and eternal judgment
which refers to the Holy of Holies –
the place of intimacy – living with God from His rest.
We can never really be healed
until we are in Him in a place of trusting Him
The scripture says my power is perfected in weakness
And He has said to me,
"My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness "
Most gladly, therefore,
I will rather boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ
may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 NAS
There is a rest for God
that will lead to a rest in God
and a rest that we will receive from God,
from our enemies.
I choose to rest
I enter into the rest
and then I receive rest
11Moab hath been at ease from his youth,
and he hath settled (shaqat) on his lees,
and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
neither hath he gone into captivity:
therefore his taste remained in him,
and his scent is not changed.
Jeremiah 48:11 KJV
There is a rest for God…
which leads to a rest in God…
which will result in a rest from God…
so that we will have no fears
or enemy attacks that will cause us concern…
we will be so focused on the Lord.
I choose to rest (shabbot)
then enter into (nuach) rest in Christ
and receive (shaqat) rest from God
28"Come to Me,
all who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.
29"Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30 NAS
There is another attitudinal thing that is required
for us to enter in to rest
which is something which Israel apparently did not have …
the attitudinal thing required for rest is humility.
God says, remember when you enter into the land,
don’t forget who supplied all this for you.
This is all about Me…
Humility is not false shame…
Humility is not what we don’t do or think of ourselves…
Humility is the enthronement of Christ.
Humility it is putting Christ in His proper place.
One of the best ways to come into rest
is by dedicating oneself to continually meditate on the Scripture.
Psalm 63 talks about meditating during the night watches...
Psalm 1 speaks of meditating on God's word day and night...
We need to get into the place
where we are hungry
for the presence of God in our life
that we might see the presence of God
through our life.
-30-
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Old Testament Survey Week 4 Chosen People Part 2
Old Testament Survey Week 4
Chosen People 2
We open your Word Lord,
We open our hearts and say, Let the King of Glory come in.
We thank you Lord that You are the King of Glory, the Lord Strong and Mighty, the Lord Mighty in Battle…
We thank you for that You are going to do here this evening …
In Jesus Name… A-Men
Query about Jacob’s name change to Israel
The name Jacob tends to represent his born nature,
while the name Israel reflects his ‘taken-upon’ nature,
his nature based upon his relationship with God.
Names are important in the Scripture
Particularly in the Old Testament the names are often powerful
Chosen People 2
Removing the Obstacles
to Purpose and Intimacy with God
Key Words:
Chosen
Possession
Holy
We are going to talk this week
about removing obstacles that get in the way
of purpose
and intimacy with God…
Because guess what,
intimacy with God is the purpose
You can boil it all down to this
the purpose of God
was to bring the people of Israel
to intimacy with Himself
Why we are chosen…
We are chosen because He created us and we are simply His children
Here is what the scripture says:
7"The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you
because you were more in number than any of the peoples,
for you were the fewest of all peoples,
8but because the LORD loved you
and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers,
the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand
and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9"Know therefore that the LORD your God,
He is God, the faithful God,
who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness
to a thousandth generation with those
who love Him and keep His commandments;
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 NAS
He chose us because He loved us
and because He cannot lie…
He promised Abraham that He would make them a mighty nation
Genesis 12, 15 and 17
He said their descendants would be
more numerous that all the stars in the sky…
He repeated His covenant promise to
Isaac and to Jacob
He couldn’t lie…
it would be to go against His own nature…
That impacts us because…
1. We are apart of the covenant promise
that through the lineage of Abraham
all the nations of the earth would be blessed…
through Jesus Christ
2.In the early part of the Book of Romans
we also see that Abraham
is the father of all of those
who come to God by faith.
This is not just a promise
made by the blood line of Abraham
but also a promise
to all people who trust God.
Salvation comes to us
by his grace because of our faith.
The LORD “Set His love” upon Israel.
The LORD is attached to us.
The word “set” here means almost to be physically attached
i.e.
you can grow attached to a person,
attached to your spouse
attached to your dog
emotionally attached
endearment of the heart
connected
God makes a connection with us…
He’s not taking it back…
there’s no busy signal…
the lines have not been disconnected
He has a strong attachment to us…
He has an investment in us
The LORD chose Israel.
This was a deliberate choice on His part.
God’s choosing us
doesn’t have as much to do with what we do
as it does with who He is.
The nation of Israel messed up a whole bunch
Let’s be honest…
they were constantly disloyal
constantly turning their backs.
We all think we have the cutest children or grandchildren
They were born in our image
as we were created in God’s image…
the fact is we just love them
because they are ours.
God makes a deliberate choice in selecting us…
Chose is an important word
Holy is another important word…
qâdôsh qâdôsh (kaw-doshe', kaw-doshe')
From H6942; sacred (ceremonially or morally);
about removing obstacles that get in the way
of purpose
and intimacy with God…
Because guess what,
intimacy with God is the purpose
You can boil it all down to this
the purpose of God
was to bring the people of Israel
to intimacy with Himself
Why we are chosen…
We are chosen because He created us and we are simply His children
Here is what the scripture says:
7"The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you
because you were more in number than any of the peoples,
for you were the fewest of all peoples,
8but because the LORD loved you
and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers,
the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand
and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9"Know therefore that the LORD your God,
He is God, the faithful God,
who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness
to a thousandth generation with those
who love Him and keep His commandments;
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 NAS
He chose us because He loved us
and because He cannot lie…
He promised Abraham that He would make them a mighty nation
Genesis 12, 15 and 17
He said their descendants would be
more numerous that all the stars in the sky…
He repeated His covenant promise to
Isaac and to Jacob
He couldn’t lie…
it would be to go against His own nature…
That impacts us because…
1. We are apart of the covenant promise
that through the lineage of Abraham
all the nations of the earth would be blessed…
through Jesus Christ
2.In the early part of the Book of Romans
we also see that Abraham
is the father of all of those
who come to God by faith.
This is not just a promise
made by the blood line of Abraham
but also a promise
to all people who trust God.
Salvation comes to us
by his grace because of our faith.
The LORD “Set His love” upon Israel.
The LORD is attached to us.
The word “set” here means almost to be physically attached
i.e.
you can grow attached to a person,
attached to your spouse
attached to your dog
emotionally attached
endearment of the heart
connected
God makes a connection with us…
He’s not taking it back…
there’s no busy signal…
the lines have not been disconnected
He has a strong attachment to us…
He has an investment in us
The LORD chose Israel.
This was a deliberate choice on His part.
God’s choosing us
doesn’t have as much to do with what we do
as it does with who He is.
The nation of Israel messed up a whole bunch
Let’s be honest…
they were constantly disloyal
constantly turning their backs.
We all think we have the cutest children or grandchildren
They were born in our image
as we were created in God’s image…
the fact is we just love them
because they are ours.
God makes a deliberate choice in selecting us…
Chose is an important word
Holy is another important word…
qâdôsh qâdôsh (kaw-doshe', kaw-doshe')
From H6942; sacred (ceremonially or morally);
(as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary: - holy (One), saint.
Holy, set apart, clean, obedient, in His image, righteous, free,
Holy, set apart, clean, obedient, in His image, righteous, free,
a good book by Dallas Willard called Divine Conspiracy
it is all about the Sermon on the Mount –
it is simply the best most authoritative book
about the teachings of Jesus
The simple meaning for holy
is something that is dedicated
dedicated means that you have a new identity…
when a baby is dedicated to the Lord
it now has a new identity… it belongs to God
Think about Isaiah 6…
The angels in heaven are saying “Holy, Holy, Holy
Which by the way doesn’t mean
they are saying it three times repeatedly …
when you see things in threes
that means they are an antiphonal
it means that they are sung our continuously for all eternity.
They say this about God… He is Holy
Because God is dedicated to Himself
If you were God, who would you be dedicated to?
God is Love…
He is three who are dedicated one to another
God is dedicated to Himself.
When we are talking about the holiness of God
we are saying that God is Love
and that He is dedicated to Himself.
It is not God being dedicated to us…
that makes God our servant…
God is dedicated within Himself, to Himself.
We get to join in that, that is part of what worship is all about.
6"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God;
the LORD your God has chosen you to be
a people for His own possession
out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 7:6 NAS
Out of holiness, comes his choice, and then possession
It says we are holy
because we are dedicated
and belong to God
It is a good thing to belong to God!
Again,
2"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God,
and the LORD has chosen you to be
a people for His own possession
out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 14:2 NAS
He didn’t choose them because
they did more cleaver things…
because they were bigger,
because they had more weapons…
He chose them simply because they were His…
He loved them,
and because he was honoring
the covenant oath He had made.
3Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
4For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own possession.
Psalm 135:3-4 NAS
He chose Jacob for Himself…
we are chosen for the Lord.
Often we look in the mirror
and wonder what it is that the Lord sees in us…
We don’t “get it!”
In the beginning God chose them
because of the faithfulness of one man Abraham.
Abraham’s father Terah
was a middle to upper class
idol making family in Ur (in ancient Babylon).
That was the height of decadence, prosperity…
I think the Lord was making a point…
He took someone out of this high place of bondage
and took them for Himself…
and transformed Abram
into a humble and faith-filled servant.
He saw something in Abraham…
he was receptive…
he saw that Abraham was willing to listen
and to be obedient…
It is quite possible that God
had also called Abraham’s father Terah…
Terra winds up leaving Ur and he stops at Haran
but he was not receptive to His call
it is all about the Sermon on the Mount –
it is simply the best most authoritative book
about the teachings of Jesus
The simple meaning for holy
is something that is dedicated
dedicated means that you have a new identity…
when a baby is dedicated to the Lord
it now has a new identity… it belongs to God
Think about Isaiah 6…
The angels in heaven are saying “Holy, Holy, Holy
Which by the way doesn’t mean
they are saying it three times repeatedly …
when you see things in threes
that means they are an antiphonal
it means that they are sung our continuously for all eternity.
They say this about God… He is Holy
Because God is dedicated to Himself
If you were God, who would you be dedicated to?
God is Love…
He is three who are dedicated one to another
God is dedicated to Himself.
When we are talking about the holiness of God
we are saying that God is Love
and that He is dedicated to Himself.
It is not God being dedicated to us…
that makes God our servant…
God is dedicated within Himself, to Himself.
We get to join in that, that is part of what worship is all about.
6"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God;
the LORD your God has chosen you to be
a people for His own possession
out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 7:6 NAS
Out of holiness, comes his choice, and then possession
It says we are holy
because we are dedicated
and belong to God
It is a good thing to belong to God!
Again,
2"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God,
and the LORD has chosen you to be
a people for His own possession
out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 14:2 NAS
He didn’t choose them because
they did more cleaver things…
because they were bigger,
because they had more weapons…
He chose them simply because they were His…
He loved them,
and because he was honoring
the covenant oath He had made.
3Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
4For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own possession.
Psalm 135:3-4 NAS
He chose Jacob for Himself…
we are chosen for the Lord.
Often we look in the mirror
and wonder what it is that the Lord sees in us…
We don’t “get it!”
In the beginning God chose them
because of the faithfulness of one man Abraham.
Abraham’s father Terah
was a middle to upper class
idol making family in Ur (in ancient Babylon).
That was the height of decadence, prosperity…
I think the Lord was making a point…
He took someone out of this high place of bondage
and took them for Himself…
and transformed Abram
into a humble and faith-filled servant.
He saw something in Abraham…
he was receptive…
he saw that Abraham was willing to listen
and to be obedient…
It is quite possible that God
had also called Abraham’s father Terah…
Terra winds up leaving Ur and he stops at Haran
but he was not receptive to His call
And Terah took Abram his son,
and Lot the son of Haran his son's son,
and Sarai his daughter in law,
his son Abram's wife;
and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees,
to go into the land of Canaan;
and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Genesis 11:31 NAS
Notice Terah set out for the land of Canaan
but settled in Haran
Haran in Hebrew means “delayed”
It would seem that there was a call on Terah’s life
to go to Canaan
but he chose to settle in Haran instead.
The call was delayed.
Terah dies and is buried in that place of delay…
When God called Abram
the first thing that was apparent
was he would have to leave a few things behind…
his country, his family, his father’s house
He had to leave things behind
in order to follow God’s call
and obey Him fully
to inherit the blessings of God
This whole story (Terah – Abraham)
speaks to the redemptive nature of God
Why does God choose us?
4How blessed is the one whom You choose
and bring near to You
To dwell in Your courts
God chooses us
to bring us near to Himself
and that we might dwell in His courts
to be in His presence!
We will be satisfied with
the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple.
Psalm 65:4 NAS
In other words to be satisfied with God Himself…
He chooses us to bring us near to Himself
that we might be satisfied by being in His presence
This is what is called the Doctrine of Election
in both the Old Testament and the New Testament
The Deuteronomy 7 passage
we have been looking at
is really the first passage of scripture
that describes the Doctrine of Election.
Look what Jesus says,
16"You did not choose Me
but I chose you,
and Lot the son of Haran his son's son,
and Sarai his daughter in law,
his son Abram's wife;
and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees,
to go into the land of Canaan;
and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Genesis 11:31 NAS
Notice Terah set out for the land of Canaan
but settled in Haran
Haran in Hebrew means “delayed”
It would seem that there was a call on Terah’s life
to go to Canaan
but he chose to settle in Haran instead.
The call was delayed.
Terah dies and is buried in that place of delay…
When God called Abram
the first thing that was apparent
was he would have to leave a few things behind…
his country, his family, his father’s house
He had to leave things behind
in order to follow God’s call
and obey Him fully
to inherit the blessings of God
This whole story (Terah – Abraham)
speaks to the redemptive nature of God
Why does God choose us?
4How blessed is the one whom You choose
and bring near to You
To dwell in Your courts
God chooses us
to bring us near to Himself
and that we might dwell in His courts
to be in His presence!
We will be satisfied with
the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple.
Psalm 65:4 NAS
In other words to be satisfied with God Himself…
He chooses us to bring us near to Himself
that we might be satisfied by being in His presence
This is what is called the Doctrine of Election
in both the Old Testament and the New Testament
The Deuteronomy 7 passage
we have been looking at
is really the first passage of scripture
that describes the Doctrine of Election.
Look what Jesus says,
16"You did not choose Me
but I chose you,
This is interesting in that
in the days when Jesus said this
it was the custom that a Jewish male
would chose a Rabbi to follow… become his student…
Here Jesus is saying he chose us!
and appointed you
that you would go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit would remain,
so that whatever you ask of the Father
in My name
He may give to you.
17"This I command you,
that you love one another.
John 15:16-17 NAS
There is a connection there
in that we are chosen
and that we are required to love one another.
Part of the proof that we have been chosen is
that we demonstrate His love one to another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.
John 13:35 NAS
5Listen, my beloved brethren:
did not God choose the poor of this world
to be rich in faith
and heirs of the kingdom
which He promised to those who love Him?
poor of this world = poor in spirit – humble
He is saying that
we were not chosen
because we had any distinction
or because we had great wealth…
but I chose those who are rich in faith
not in worldly gain.
6But you have dishonored the poor man.
Is it not the rich who oppress you
and personally drag you into court?
James 2:5-6 NAS
Those who are of the kingdom of God are heirs,
in the days when Jesus said this
it was the custom that a Jewish male
would chose a Rabbi to follow… become his student…
Here Jesus is saying he chose us!
and appointed you
that you would go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit would remain,
so that whatever you ask of the Father
in My name
He may give to you.
17"This I command you,
that you love one another.
John 15:16-17 NAS
There is a connection there
in that we are chosen
and that we are required to love one another.
Part of the proof that we have been chosen is
that we demonstrate His love one to another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.
John 13:35 NAS
5Listen, my beloved brethren:
did not God choose the poor of this world
to be rich in faith
and heirs of the kingdom
which He promised to those who love Him?
poor of this world = poor in spirit – humble
He is saying that
we were not chosen
because we had any distinction
or because we had great wealth…
but I chose those who are rich in faith
not in worldly gain.
6But you have dishonored the poor man.
Is it not the rich who oppress you
and personally drag you into court?
James 2:5-6 NAS
Those who are of the kingdom of God are heirs,
sons and daughters, participants in the kingdom business…
The kingdom of God is not about
stuff,
events,
manifestations…
The kingdom of God is about love…
it’s about multiplying the nature of God all around us.
The kingdom of God is not about
stuff,
events,
manifestations…
The kingdom of God is about love…
it’s about multiplying the nature of God all around us.
This love of God
manifests righteousness, peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit…
We make the mistake of thinking
that the kingdom of God is signs and wonders…
signs and wonders are great,
but they are not the kingdom…
they are road signs that point to something,
but they are not the thing itself.
The kingdom of God
is the place where God is in the center
and we are holy beloved brethren,
we are chosen,
we are people who are not laying up treasure here,
we are people who highly value and are in love with God.
The kingdom is not about people who have right doctrine
It’s not about people who have right practice
It’s not about people who flow in signs, wonders and manifestations…
The kingdom of God is simply about people who love God.
2and when the LORD your God
delivers them* before you and you defeat them,
Deuteronomy 7:2a NAS
them* = all the ites”
the Hittites
and the Girgashites
and the Amorites
and the Canaanites
and the Perizzites
and the Hivites
and the Jebusites,
God says, ‘look, I’m going to deliver those dudes before you…
Then He says we will defeat them
then you shall utterly destroy them
You shall make no covenant with them
and show no favor to them.
Deuteronomy 7:2b NAS
This has to be with being chosen and being holy…
because if we get involved
this these nations (sinful emotions/ demonic forces)
we will be influenced by their evil ways
and no longer totally dedicated and separated unto God.
Another good book on this subject is Things We Adore, by Judson Cornwall…
manifests righteousness, peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit…
We make the mistake of thinking
that the kingdom of God is signs and wonders…
signs and wonders are great,
but they are not the kingdom…
they are road signs that point to something,
but they are not the thing itself.
The kingdom of God
is the place where God is in the center
and we are holy beloved brethren,
we are chosen,
we are people who are not laying up treasure here,
we are people who highly value and are in love with God.
The kingdom is not about people who have right doctrine
It’s not about people who have right practice
It’s not about people who flow in signs, wonders and manifestations…
The kingdom of God is simply about people who love God.
2and when the LORD your God
delivers them* before you and you defeat them,
Deuteronomy 7:2a NAS
them* = all the ites”
the Hittites
and the Girgashites
and the Amorites
and the Canaanites
and the Perizzites
and the Hivites
and the Jebusites,
God says, ‘look, I’m going to deliver those dudes before you…
Then He says we will defeat them
then you shall utterly destroy them
You shall make no covenant with them
and show no favor to them.
Deuteronomy 7:2b NAS
This has to be with being chosen and being holy…
because if we get involved
this these nations (sinful emotions/ demonic forces)
we will be influenced by their evil ways
and no longer totally dedicated and separated unto God.
Another good book on this subject is Things We Adore, by Judson Cornwall…
an excellent book, should be standard reading for all believers.
He makes an excellent observation saying
He makes an excellent observation saying
that the people of Israel moved into the holy land…
Before this time the people lived as shepherds in Egypt
then slaves, then wanderers for forty years…
Shepherds, slaves, wanderers…
Now they come into this place and have to become farmers
Did they know a thing about farming? No!
Here’s what God was talking about…
He said you have to utterly destroy those influences around you…
in that place that you are entering in to possess…
because if you don’t they (the ites)
will start to infiltrate your culture
and lead your hearts away from Me.
Judson Cornwall says, imagine this
They move into the holy land
then slaves, then wanderers for forty years…
Shepherds, slaves, wanderers…
Now they come into this place and have to become farmers
Did they know a thing about farming? No!
Here’s what God was talking about…
He said you have to utterly destroy those influences around you…
in that place that you are entering in to possess…
because if you don’t they (the ites)
will start to infiltrate your culture
and lead your hearts away from Me.
Judson Cornwall says, imagine this
They move into the holy land
and they don’t quite dispossess the people living there…
Instead of trusting God to show them what to do,
they trust man…
the Canaanite farmers began to instruct them how to farm
“O.K. here’s what you have to do…
you plow the furrows along this ridge…
and then you plant the seeds in the furrows…
and Oh by the way when you get to the end of that row
you take this little statue and put it up on this altar,
and it guarantees that your crop will grow every time…
Idolatry just kind of crept in amongst them
because they did not follow God’s instructions
to totally eliminate the enemy.
The same thing happens to us today…
Think about the language we use today
I am appalled sometimes when I watch television
of the disrespectful language we have.
Today, for example, fathers are often portrayed as idiots…
What happened to “Father Knows Best?”
Now it’s ‘father knows nothing’.
We have totally dismantled the family table…
We’ve made fathers into a joke…
One of the greatest shows
in the last thirty years on television
was the Cosby Show
because it showed a father who was honored
and he wasn’t an idiot!
He was a guy who was in touch with his kids…
He knew how to father kids; apparently he still does –
in real life he knows what he’s talking about.
This is what happened to the nation of Israel,
and this is what happens to us…
evil creeps in unobserved…
a little here, a little there, a little folding of the hands…
10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11So shall thy poverty come
as one that travelleth,
and thy want as an armed man.
Proverbs 6:10-11 NAS
This is why God says
then you shall utterly destroy them
You shall make no covenant with them
and show no favor to them.
Deuteronomy 7:2b NAS
Utterly destroy means like, vaporize their influence.
We also often make covenants
and show favor with the world and society around us.
We want to look like the world,
so we are accepted by them.
Sometimes Christian entertainment
doesn’t look a heck of a lot different that the worlds.
Dress doesn’t look different
Attitude doesn’t look different
Language isn’t different
Divorce rate doesn’t look any different..
What’s that all about?
It’s because we have lost the holiness of God..
When is the last time you heard a sermon
preached on the holiness and righteousness of God?
Not a real popular thing… is that true?
We talk about the blessings of God
The mercy of God
But we need to understand that
Righteousness and Holiness are the foundation of His throne.
Mercy and faithfulness go before Him
but He is a Holy and Righteous God
He’s not going to change that and put it on hold for us!
Think about the High Priest,
when he goes into the presence of God
He wears this thing on his forehead
that says “Holy to the Lord.”
We need to be holy before God…
don’t make a deal with the devil here,
no covenants with evil,
no showing favor of any evil influences…
That means if something comes into my life
that is not pleasing to God,
I need to get rid of that influence.
He says also here -
3"Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them;
you shall not give your daughters to their sons,
nor shall you take their daughters for your sons.
4"For they will turn your sons away from following Me
to serve other gods;
then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you
and He will quickly destroy you.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4 NAS
If we make covenants with any evil influence
it will result in our children’s defilement,
they will serve other gods.
then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you
and He will quickly destroy you.
That doesn’t sound very promising.
When we are talking about Holiness,
we are saying that God is first,
dedicated to love within Himself
and He calls us into that same relationship –
He calls us to walk with Him in Holiness and Righteousness…
in thought and word and action.
He tells us “Don’t make a deal, don’t make compromises.”
A good passage of scripture to look at
they trust man…
the Canaanite farmers began to instruct them how to farm
“O.K. here’s what you have to do…
you plow the furrows along this ridge…
and then you plant the seeds in the furrows…
and Oh by the way when you get to the end of that row
you take this little statue and put it up on this altar,
and it guarantees that your crop will grow every time…
Idolatry just kind of crept in amongst them
because they did not follow God’s instructions
to totally eliminate the enemy.
The same thing happens to us today…
Think about the language we use today
I am appalled sometimes when I watch television
of the disrespectful language we have.
Today, for example, fathers are often portrayed as idiots…
What happened to “Father Knows Best?”
Now it’s ‘father knows nothing’.
We have totally dismantled the family table…
We’ve made fathers into a joke…
One of the greatest shows
in the last thirty years on television
was the Cosby Show
because it showed a father who was honored
and he wasn’t an idiot!
He was a guy who was in touch with his kids…
He knew how to father kids; apparently he still does –
in real life he knows what he’s talking about.
This is what happened to the nation of Israel,
and this is what happens to us…
evil creeps in unobserved…
a little here, a little there, a little folding of the hands…
10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11So shall thy poverty come
as one that travelleth,
and thy want as an armed man.
Proverbs 6:10-11 NAS
This is why God says
then you shall utterly destroy them
You shall make no covenant with them
and show no favor to them.
Deuteronomy 7:2b NAS
Utterly destroy means like, vaporize their influence.
We also often make covenants
and show favor with the world and society around us.
We want to look like the world,
so we are accepted by them.
Sometimes Christian entertainment
doesn’t look a heck of a lot different that the worlds.
Dress doesn’t look different
Attitude doesn’t look different
Language isn’t different
Divorce rate doesn’t look any different..
What’s that all about?
It’s because we have lost the holiness of God..
When is the last time you heard a sermon
preached on the holiness and righteousness of God?
Not a real popular thing… is that true?
We talk about the blessings of God
The mercy of God
But we need to understand that
Righteousness and Holiness are the foundation of His throne.
Mercy and faithfulness go before Him
but He is a Holy and Righteous God
He’s not going to change that and put it on hold for us!
Think about the High Priest,
when he goes into the presence of God
He wears this thing on his forehead
that says “Holy to the Lord.”
We need to be holy before God…
don’t make a deal with the devil here,
no covenants with evil,
no showing favor of any evil influences…
That means if something comes into my life
that is not pleasing to God,
I need to get rid of that influence.
He says also here -
3"Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them;
you shall not give your daughters to their sons,
nor shall you take their daughters for your sons.
4"For they will turn your sons away from following Me
to serve other gods;
then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you
and He will quickly destroy you.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4 NAS
If we make covenants with any evil influence
it will result in our children’s defilement,
they will serve other gods.
then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you
and He will quickly destroy you.
That doesn’t sound very promising.
When we are talking about Holiness,
we are saying that God is first,
dedicated to love within Himself
and He calls us into that same relationship –
He calls us to walk with Him in Holiness and Righteousness…
in thought and word and action.
He tells us “Don’t make a deal, don’t make compromises.”
A good passage of scripture to look at
to determine if you are hearing God
or trying to determine what is holy and righteous
is Psalm 19 verses 7 through 11.
Edit fkj
The following are notes and reflections
Edit fkj
The following are notes and reflections
taken from Tom Gardner’s book Healing the Wounded Heart pp 62-66
Psalm 19:7-11 is a definitive statement about the Word of God:
Psalm 19:7a
7The law of the LORD is perfect,
restoring the soul;
The word perfect is the Hebrew word tamiym
which describes the ‘state of wholeness.’
When God speaks His Word is meant to bring wholeness.
The enemy speaks to tear us down,
to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10)
God’s Word brings healing (physical and emotional)
and restoration (brings us back into fellowship)
God’s Word will bring correction and discipline when it is needed;
but it is always brought with love and mercy
Even in His wrath He always remembers mercy
2LORD, I have heard the report about You
and I fear O LORD,
revive Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2
Any word that separates us from God,
did not originate from God.
Our Father has a perfect love for His children
God’s Word invites us into His presence,
they are healing words
that invite us into a greater intimacy with God.
Psalm 19:7b
The testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple.
Testimony means to ‘tell it again.’
God’s Word tells us again and again
about His acts of love and mercy
that are fashioned
to bring us back into His presence.
When God speaks He does so with clarity.
God is not a God of confusion, but a God of peace…
33for God is not a God of confusion but of peace,
as in all the churches of the saints.
I Corinthians 14:33
God always speaks in a way that brings life and safety
He desires to bring us into his presence
to build us up into the image of His Son
12for the equipping of the saints
for the work of service,
to the building up of the body of Christ;
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a mature man,
to the measure of the stature
which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:12-13
God doesn’t want us in the dark
His Word is compared to the light
105Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
God doesn’t hide things from His children.
But will hide things as hidden treasures
for us to find
as they we are obedient to search out His Word.
God invites us and leads us to come into His presence
So that we might grow in intimacy
and respond correctly to what He says
Psalm 19:8
8The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
God’s voice has a unique righteous tone to it,
that-is-to-say that when we hear the Word of God
it just sounds right, because it is the truth.
The word ‘right’ here is the Hebrew word yashar,
which literally means to be straight,
but implies a moral and ethical correctness
The Lord’s voice always leads us in ways
that agree with His very nature;
because we were created in His image
there is a supernaturally natural resonance
that strikes a chord of agreement within us.
As a pastor friend I know well puts it –
“We just know in our knower!”
God is completely holy
and above the opinions of man.
His very nature is like a huge rock – steadfast and immovable.
When God speaks,
His Spirit witnesses to our spirits
and we just know that His Word is true,
it is not dependent upon our situation or circumstance.
It is settled simply because He has proclaimed it.
There is an old saying
that is frequent in Christian circles that says…
“God’s Word says it,
I believe it,
so that settles it.”
As good as that may sound, I believe it should state:
“God’s Word says it…
that settles it…
so I believe it!”
Our hearts rejoice in this matter
because we know deep down that we belong to Him
and that He ‘He has our back’… (our front, and both sides as well).
Psalm 19:8b
The commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
There is no impurity in God’s Word –
that which He speaks has no hidden agenda,
no secret motive, no bias, no evil intent of any kind.
Thus His Word is pure…
when he announces that He loves us
and that His mercy endures forever…
He really means it!
He is not going to reconsider tomorrow
and change his mind because we stumble, or fall.
He will be there with His pure love
to draw us into His presence
and restore us into right relationship,
because of the finished work of His Son on Calvary.
His desire is that we would so come to know
this purity of love
that we would see ourselves and others in the same light,
and agree in our mind with His assertion.
This is what He means by “the enlightening of our eyes.”
Psalm 19:9
9The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true;
they are righteous altogether.
God is eternal and wants us to have an eternal perspective –
for we are eternal as well.
He desires that we are enduring… true… righteous… and clean,
because these virtues, these character traits of our God
are what will bring us to the place
of quiet confidence and peace.
His power and wisdom are without limits…
He wants to fill us with “The Faith of God”
rather than faith in God.
His desire is that we would walk a naturally supernatural walk
that will demonstrate His kingdom to the world around us,
so that they will see his heart and faithfulness
and be drawn to Him.
All that God says to us is solid, enduring, eternal and righteous.
There is a fundamental stability, a unshakable surety to all He says.
The Psalmist proclaims:
89Forever, O LORD,
Your word is settled in heaven.
90Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
You established the earth, and it stands.
91They stand this day according to Your ordinances,
For all things are Your servants.
Psalm 119:89-91
What God proclaims is faithful and will all be fulfilled in Him.
His Word gives us a peace and confidence
which witnesses to the fact
that we can trust everything He says.
Psalm 19:10
10They are more desirable than gold,
yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey
and the drippings of the honeycomb.
There is an unmistakable sweet fragrance
and sweet savor to God’s Word.
11"Your lips, my bride, drip honey;
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments
is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
Song of Solomon 4:11
His word is desirable because
the intent of His word
Psalm 19:7-11 is a definitive statement about the Word of God:
Psalm 19:7a
7The law of the LORD is perfect,
restoring the soul;
The word perfect is the Hebrew word tamiym
which describes the ‘state of wholeness.’
When God speaks His Word is meant to bring wholeness.
The enemy speaks to tear us down,
to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10)
God’s Word brings healing (physical and emotional)
and restoration (brings us back into fellowship)
God’s Word will bring correction and discipline when it is needed;
but it is always brought with love and mercy
Even in His wrath He always remembers mercy
2LORD, I have heard the report about You
and I fear O LORD,
revive Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2
Any word that separates us from God,
did not originate from God.
Our Father has a perfect love for His children
God’s Word invites us into His presence,
they are healing words
that invite us into a greater intimacy with God.
Psalm 19:7b
The testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple.
Testimony means to ‘tell it again.’
God’s Word tells us again and again
about His acts of love and mercy
that are fashioned
to bring us back into His presence.
When God speaks He does so with clarity.
God is not a God of confusion, but a God of peace…
33for God is not a God of confusion but of peace,
as in all the churches of the saints.
I Corinthians 14:33
God always speaks in a way that brings life and safety
He desires to bring us into his presence
to build us up into the image of His Son
12for the equipping of the saints
for the work of service,
to the building up of the body of Christ;
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a mature man,
to the measure of the stature
which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:12-13
God doesn’t want us in the dark
His Word is compared to the light
105Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
God doesn’t hide things from His children.
But will hide things as hidden treasures
for us to find
as they we are obedient to search out His Word.
God invites us and leads us to come into His presence
So that we might grow in intimacy
and respond correctly to what He says
Psalm 19:8
8The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
God’s voice has a unique righteous tone to it,
that-is-to-say that when we hear the Word of God
it just sounds right, because it is the truth.
The word ‘right’ here is the Hebrew word yashar,
which literally means to be straight,
but implies a moral and ethical correctness
The Lord’s voice always leads us in ways
that agree with His very nature;
because we were created in His image
there is a supernaturally natural resonance
that strikes a chord of agreement within us.
As a pastor friend I know well puts it –
“We just know in our knower!”
God is completely holy
and above the opinions of man.
His very nature is like a huge rock – steadfast and immovable.
When God speaks,
His Spirit witnesses to our spirits
and we just know that His Word is true,
it is not dependent upon our situation or circumstance.
It is settled simply because He has proclaimed it.
There is an old saying
that is frequent in Christian circles that says…
“God’s Word says it,
I believe it,
so that settles it.”
As good as that may sound, I believe it should state:
“God’s Word says it…
that settles it…
so I believe it!”
Our hearts rejoice in this matter
because we know deep down that we belong to Him
and that He ‘He has our back’… (our front, and both sides as well).
Psalm 19:8b
The commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
There is no impurity in God’s Word –
that which He speaks has no hidden agenda,
no secret motive, no bias, no evil intent of any kind.
Thus His Word is pure…
when he announces that He loves us
and that His mercy endures forever…
He really means it!
He is not going to reconsider tomorrow
and change his mind because we stumble, or fall.
He will be there with His pure love
to draw us into His presence
and restore us into right relationship,
because of the finished work of His Son on Calvary.
His desire is that we would so come to know
this purity of love
that we would see ourselves and others in the same light,
and agree in our mind with His assertion.
This is what He means by “the enlightening of our eyes.”
Psalm 19:9
9The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true;
they are righteous altogether.
God is eternal and wants us to have an eternal perspective –
for we are eternal as well.
He desires that we are enduring… true… righteous… and clean,
because these virtues, these character traits of our God
are what will bring us to the place
of quiet confidence and peace.
His power and wisdom are without limits…
He wants to fill us with “The Faith of God”
rather than faith in God.
His desire is that we would walk a naturally supernatural walk
that will demonstrate His kingdom to the world around us,
so that they will see his heart and faithfulness
and be drawn to Him.
All that God says to us is solid, enduring, eternal and righteous.
There is a fundamental stability, a unshakable surety to all He says.
The Psalmist proclaims:
89Forever, O LORD,
Your word is settled in heaven.
90Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
You established the earth, and it stands.
91They stand this day according to Your ordinances,
For all things are Your servants.
Psalm 119:89-91
What God proclaims is faithful and will all be fulfilled in Him.
His Word gives us a peace and confidence
which witnesses to the fact
that we can trust everything He says.
Psalm 19:10
10They are more desirable than gold,
yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey
and the drippings of the honeycomb.
There is an unmistakable sweet fragrance
and sweet savor to God’s Word.
11"Your lips, my bride, drip honey;
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments
is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
Song of Solomon 4:11
His word is desirable because
the intent of His word
is always to bless us with life, and life abundant (John 10:10b).
His greatest desire is to see us freed from ever bondage
that we might be free to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
His Word will confront us because
He wants to irradiate everything that keeps us from His presence.
Psalm 19:11
11Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
James summarizes the goodness of God
and the intent of His Word in this fashion:
17But the wisdom from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, reasonable,
full of mercy and good fruits,
unwavering, without hypocrisy.
18And the seed whose fruit is righteousness
is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3:17-18
5. Our bodies are His Temple (1 Corinthians 6:19)
we need therefore to discipline ourselves
that His word may dwell richly in us
so His glory will be displayed. (Colossians 3:16)
‘Lord help me to be obedient
to be in your Word each day,
that I might be disciplined to rightly divide your Word of Truth.
Help me to be a vessel fit for Your use,
that Your Word may transform me
so that Your glory will be evidenced by others.’
19Or do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
who is in you, whom you have from God,
and that you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16
Psalm 19:7-11 NAS
End Edit fkj
Don’t intermarry with them
because they will lead your sons and daughters astray
and make them follow other gods.
Here is what He says we need to do:
5"But thus you shall do to them:
you shall tear down their altars,
and smash their sacred pillars,
and hew down their Asherim,
and burn their graven images with fire.
Deuteronomy 7:5 NAS
As you read the history and the chronicles of the kings
Of Israel and Judah
The single greatest measure
of weather they were successful or not
was weather or not
they tore down the high places.
There are still high places
in Australia there are still Aboriginal high places.
There are still high places in our own hearts.
These are usually groves of trees where secret sexual things are done, or demonic practices are carried out…
It is all about darkness…
because God is represented by Light
That’s what Asherim groves are all about
about darkness and secrecy hidden sin.
The Masonic connection:
The Masons do “really good things”
but why do they have all those
secret oaths, practices and meetings…
what is all that about?
I can’t seem to find that anywhere in scripture.
On the other hand
there are Christian’s who choose to work for the Masonic organizations
to be a light in the darkness.
Tear down their alters: mizbah
Alters are a place of influence
where life blood is presented.
The blood is about life!
Alters must be cast/ torn down.
An altar can be something that controls your life…
The book Healing the Wounded Heart
is fundamentally about finding the alters in my life.
We have altars of fear - Hittites
Altars of rejection - Girgashites
Altars of shame - Canaanites
Altars of worthlessness - Amorites
Altars of insecurity - Perezzites
Altars of defilement - Hivites
Altars of hopelessness- Jebusites
An altar is a place of control…
sometimes these influences can control your life…
those things have to be identified and dismantled.
that we might be free to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
His Word will confront us because
He wants to irradiate everything that keeps us from His presence.
Psalm 19:11
11Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
James summarizes the goodness of God
and the intent of His Word in this fashion:
17But the wisdom from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, reasonable,
full of mercy and good fruits,
unwavering, without hypocrisy.
18And the seed whose fruit is righteousness
is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3:17-18
5. Our bodies are His Temple (1 Corinthians 6:19)
we need therefore to discipline ourselves
that His word may dwell richly in us
so His glory will be displayed. (Colossians 3:16)
‘Lord help me to be obedient
to be in your Word each day,
that I might be disciplined to rightly divide your Word of Truth.
Help me to be a vessel fit for Your use,
that Your Word may transform me
so that Your glory will be evidenced by others.’
19Or do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
who is in you, whom you have from God,
and that you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16
Psalm 19:7-11 NAS
End Edit fkj
Don’t intermarry with them
because they will lead your sons and daughters astray
and make them follow other gods.
Here is what He says we need to do:
5"But thus you shall do to them:
you shall tear down their altars,
and smash their sacred pillars,
and hew down their Asherim,
and burn their graven images with fire.
Deuteronomy 7:5 NAS
As you read the history and the chronicles of the kings
Of Israel and Judah
The single greatest measure
of weather they were successful or not
was weather or not
they tore down the high places.
There are still high places
in Australia there are still Aboriginal high places.
There are still high places in our own hearts.
These are usually groves of trees where secret sexual things are done, or demonic practices are carried out…
It is all about darkness…
because God is represented by Light
That’s what Asherim groves are all about
about darkness and secrecy hidden sin.
The Masonic connection:
The Masons do “really good things”
but why do they have all those
secret oaths, practices and meetings…
what is all that about?
I can’t seem to find that anywhere in scripture.
On the other hand
there are Christian’s who choose to work for the Masonic organizations
to be a light in the darkness.
Tear down their alters: mizbah
Alters are a place of influence
where life blood is presented.
The blood is about life!
Alters must be cast/ torn down.
An altar can be something that controls your life…
The book Healing the Wounded Heart
is fundamentally about finding the alters in my life.
We have altars of fear - Hittites
Altars of rejection - Girgashites
Altars of shame - Canaanites
Altars of worthlessness - Amorites
Altars of insecurity - Perezzites
Altars of defilement - Hivites
Altars of hopelessness- Jebusites
An altar is a place of control…
sometimes these influences can control your life…
those things have to be identified and dismantled.
Smash their sacred pillars
A pillar was a sacred memorial stone
A signature of the evil influence
that often sat next to the altar.
These were basically a reminder,
a signature of some sort of evil influence.
Hew down the groves – Asherim
These are places of darkness and sin
They must be revealed and
brought into the light.
These had to be cut down…
you can’t just trim them
Burn their false images of God
Evil influences must be subject to truth
images: pesıyl (pes-eel')
From H6458; an idol: - carved (graven) image, quarry.
It seems to me to be obvious
having studied some of these folks here (the ‘ites’)
the images and gods that they served…
were actually incomplete revelations of God
They were not truthful revelations of God
You see this all over the place…
another example is when Aaron in coerced
into making the golden calf
which was actually a symbol of one of the Egyptian gods…
the reason he is told to make that calf
is because the people who are fallen there
are saying we want God to go before us …
we want to control where God goes,
we don’t want Him to control where we go…
That is not a very good plan
It didn’t seem to work well for them…
earth kind of swallowed them up, as I remember.
I believe that sometimes you and I
have wrong ideas about God
about who God is…
Those misbelieves lead us into a bad place.
He says, we need to submit
those false images of God to the truth.
We need to let scripture tell us the truth.
Here is the New Testament version of this:
5Casting down imaginations,
An imagination can be
a false idea about God
and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God,
When we are talking about
the knowledge of God,
we are not talking about data,
A pillar was a sacred memorial stone
A signature of the evil influence
that often sat next to the altar.
These were basically a reminder,
a signature of some sort of evil influence.
Hew down the groves – Asherim
These are places of darkness and sin
They must be revealed and
brought into the light.
These had to be cut down…
you can’t just trim them
Burn their false images of God
Evil influences must be subject to truth
images: pesıyl (pes-eel')
From H6458; an idol: - carved (graven) image, quarry.
It seems to me to be obvious
having studied some of these folks here (the ‘ites’)
the images and gods that they served…
were actually incomplete revelations of God
They were not truthful revelations of God
You see this all over the place…
another example is when Aaron in coerced
into making the golden calf
which was actually a symbol of one of the Egyptian gods…
the reason he is told to make that calf
is because the people who are fallen there
are saying we want God to go before us …
we want to control where God goes,
we don’t want Him to control where we go…
That is not a very good plan
It didn’t seem to work well for them…
earth kind of swallowed them up, as I remember.
I believe that sometimes you and I
have wrong ideas about God
about who God is…
Those misbelieves lead us into a bad place.
He says, we need to submit
those false images of God to the truth.
We need to let scripture tell us the truth.
Here is the New Testament version of this:
5Casting down imaginations,
An imagination can be
a false idea about God
and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God,
When we are talking about
the knowledge of God,
we are not talking about data,
we are talking about our personal knowledge
the intimate knowing of God…
these imaginations,
these false images of God,
these things that the nation of Israel are encountering
or could encounter on their journey through the holy land
these are things that lead people away from God.
God says, ‘Look if you don’t get rid of all these influences
they are going to lead away from following me.’
It will lead you into all sorts of ridiculous relationships
and you will start to worship the creation
instead of the Creator.
these false images of God,
these things that the nation of Israel are encountering
or could encounter on their journey through the holy land
these are things that lead people away from God.
God says, ‘Look if you don’t get rid of all these influences
they are going to lead away from following me.’
It will lead you into all sorts of ridiculous relationships
and you will start to worship the creation
instead of the Creator.
and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Corinthians 10:5 KJV
Does this look like Jesus or not?
Here is how I know something is true of not…
I can put a little phrase in front of it… “Jesus said…”
Now if I stand in front of a mirror and say…
“Jesus doesn’t like me very much.”…
Another good book by Brennan Manning,
A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred
I would recommend that book… a tiny little book.
He talks about
what we are thinking and doing
and weather it reflects the nature of God or not.
If it doesn’t then what am I doing it for?
This whole thing about the nation of Israel
is absolutely critical for us to understand…
God is loading the GPS program right now…
He is saying,
“Look, I’m giving you the WAY
that you will be able to stay close to me.”
You have to forsake all this other stuff,
turn away all these false images,
you have to keep yourself holy for Me…
you have to utterly destroy these evil influences in your life.
I’ll be honest and transparent…
at one time in my life I had a problem with alcohol…
I don’t have alcohol in my house…
Now if you want to have alcohol in your house, that’s fine.
Now if I want to have a glass of wine,
I can sit down and have a half of glass
and not want any more…
there was a time in my life when that was not true.
There was a time in my life
when if you gave me a half a glass of wine,
I would drink that jug and the next one.
I learned that I could not have that stuff in my life…
I have to avoid it.
You may have other stuff…
maybe it’s the internet…
some people just can’t stay away from it…
I’m not just talking about pornography
People become consumed with technology
the latest and greatest computer equipment.
The fact is we have to know
what is going to lead me away from God…
I have to be intentional about
what I allow myself to view on the computer.
It doesn’t always come naturally,
we have to be intentional about it.
We have to have a plan and keep those things inline.
We want to make sure that nothing (idol) controls us.
Paul says that it is
the love of Christ that is supposed to control us.
For Christ's love compels us,
because we are convinced that one died for all,
and therefore all died.
2 Corinthians 5:14 NAS
I would recommend that book… a tiny little book.
He talks about
what we are thinking and doing
and weather it reflects the nature of God or not.
If it doesn’t then what am I doing it for?
This whole thing about the nation of Israel
is absolutely critical for us to understand…
God is loading the GPS program right now…
He is saying,
“Look, I’m giving you the WAY
that you will be able to stay close to me.”
You have to forsake all this other stuff,
turn away all these false images,
you have to keep yourself holy for Me…
you have to utterly destroy these evil influences in your life.
I’ll be honest and transparent…
at one time in my life I had a problem with alcohol…
I don’t have alcohol in my house…
Now if you want to have alcohol in your house, that’s fine.
Now if I want to have a glass of wine,
I can sit down and have a half of glass
and not want any more…
there was a time in my life when that was not true.
There was a time in my life
when if you gave me a half a glass of wine,
I would drink that jug and the next one.
I learned that I could not have that stuff in my life…
I have to avoid it.
You may have other stuff…
maybe it’s the internet…
some people just can’t stay away from it…
I’m not just talking about pornography
People become consumed with technology
the latest and greatest computer equipment.
The fact is we have to know
what is going to lead me away from God…
I have to be intentional about
what I allow myself to view on the computer.
It doesn’t always come naturally,
we have to be intentional about it.
We have to have a plan and keep those things inline.
We want to make sure that nothing (idol) controls us.
Paul says that it is
the love of Christ that is supposed to control us.
For Christ's love compels us,
because we are convinced that one died for all,
and therefore all died.
2 Corinthians 5:14 NAS
5We are destroying speculations
and every lofty thing raised up
against the knowledge of God,
and we are taking every thought captive
to the obedience of Christ,
Corinthians 10:5 NAS
5"The LORD your God,
He will thrust them out from before you
and drive them from before you;
and you will possess their land,
just as the LORD your God promised you.
6"Be very firm, then,
to keep and do all that is written
in the book of the law of Moses,
so that you may not turn aside from it
to the right hand or to the left,
7so that you will not associate with these nations,
these which remain among you,
or mention the name of their gods,
or make anyone swear by them,
or serve them, or bow down to them.
Joshua 23:5-7 NAS
If there is any of that influenced in your land (in your life)…
It will draw you aside…
Here are some subtle things
What if I have an unresolved bitterness?
If I have bitterness or unforgiveness…
that is is false image in my life.
That is something that is going to control me.
What if we have an unresolved conflict?
You see, Jesus who reveals the truth of all this stuff,
for instance in Matthew five he says.
‘Look, if you, when you are going to worship
and you remember that your brother has something against you,
then leave your offering…
go to your brother and resolve the issue,
then come back and offer your offering before God.
this is so classic…
it is so absolutely accurate
If I have some unresolved thing in my heart
there is no way I can come and worship
in Spirit and in Truth.
My attention will be divided at best,
by the unresolved conflict or the unresolved problem.
God is a jealous God.
Do not worship any other god,
for the LORD, whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God.
Exodus 34:14 NAS
He says,
‘I am not going to share your love and devotion to me
with anything else, including your anger.’
Go and resolve that thing.
then come back without that guy in your eye
and worship Me
2"For in the way you judge,
you will be judged;
and by your standard of measure,
it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck
that is in your brother's eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4"Or how can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,'
and behold, the log is in your own eye?
Matthew 7:2-4 NAS
God wants us to be a people who are chosen…
Holy, and beloved of God… which Paul says by the way
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved,
put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience;
Colossians 3:12 NAS
He wants us to be people living in His kingdom…
people living on the basis of love
and not on the basis of the law.
The law is important…
when He talks about keeping the law,
He is not talking about righteousness
earned by things that we do…
he is talking about reflecting the nature of God…
our of a heart of love we keep the law.
12"Now, Israel,
what does the LORD your God require from you,
but to fear the LORD your God,
to walk in all His ways and love Him,
and to serve the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul,
Deuteronomy 10:12 NAS
The first thing we need to do
is make sure that we have a clear view of God.
The children of Israel where chosen and holy…
not because of anything they did… but simply because God said so.
God wants us to live in this kind of relationship with him… if something is standing in the way then we need to get rid of it…
The place that Israel slips on (and we too)
are the places where
they did not get rid of these evil influences.
30
and every lofty thing raised up
against the knowledge of God,
and we are taking every thought captive
to the obedience of Christ,
Corinthians 10:5 NAS
5"The LORD your God,
He will thrust them out from before you
and drive them from before you;
and you will possess their land,
just as the LORD your God promised you.
6"Be very firm, then,
to keep and do all that is written
in the book of the law of Moses,
so that you may not turn aside from it
to the right hand or to the left,
7so that you will not associate with these nations,
these which remain among you,
or mention the name of their gods,
or make anyone swear by them,
or serve them, or bow down to them.
Joshua 23:5-7 NAS
If there is any of that influenced in your land (in your life)…
It will draw you aside…
Here are some subtle things
What if I have an unresolved bitterness?
If I have bitterness or unforgiveness…
that is is false image in my life.
That is something that is going to control me.
What if we have an unresolved conflict?
You see, Jesus who reveals the truth of all this stuff,
for instance in Matthew five he says.
‘Look, if you, when you are going to worship
and you remember that your brother has something against you,
then leave your offering…
go to your brother and resolve the issue,
then come back and offer your offering before God.
this is so classic…
it is so absolutely accurate
If I have some unresolved thing in my heart
there is no way I can come and worship
in Spirit and in Truth.
My attention will be divided at best,
by the unresolved conflict or the unresolved problem.
God is a jealous God.
Do not worship any other god,
for the LORD, whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God.
Exodus 34:14 NAS
He says,
‘I am not going to share your love and devotion to me
with anything else, including your anger.’
Go and resolve that thing.
then come back without that guy in your eye
and worship Me
2"For in the way you judge,
you will be judged;
and by your standard of measure,
it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck
that is in your brother's eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4"Or how can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,'
and behold, the log is in your own eye?
Matthew 7:2-4 NAS
God wants us to be a people who are chosen…
Holy, and beloved of God… which Paul says by the way
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved,
put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience;
Colossians 3:12 NAS
He wants us to be people living in His kingdom…
people living on the basis of love
and not on the basis of the law.
The law is important…
when He talks about keeping the law,
He is not talking about righteousness
earned by things that we do…
he is talking about reflecting the nature of God…
our of a heart of love we keep the law.
12"Now, Israel,
what does the LORD your God require from you,
but to fear the LORD your God,
to walk in all His ways and love Him,
and to serve the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul,
Deuteronomy 10:12 NAS
The first thing we need to do
is make sure that we have a clear view of God.
The children of Israel where chosen and holy…
not because of anything they did… but simply because God said so.
God wants us to live in this kind of relationship with him… if something is standing in the way then we need to get rid of it…
The place that Israel slips on (and we too)
are the places where
they did not get rid of these evil influences.
30
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