Springtime- after a long, cold winter, the sights and sounds of spring are a joyful thing to us. The quality of light changes, the birds start singing enthusiastically, and the rest of nature begins awakening from the darkness of the weeks past. However, in the spirit realm, the sights and sounds of this season are very different. Scripture says that spring is the time that kings go to war (2 Sam. 11:1), and our God, and His Son, are Kings.
Spring is not just the season for the renewal of nature, but it is the season of God's victorious warfare, and the fulfillment of His promises in Passover, Purim, and Resurrection.
Whenever we enter into this season, I remind myself to get very quiet, listen and watch, and go on high alert. This is the season when God fulfilled His greatest promises to mankind. This is the season when He shook kings and empires, displaced nations and, in general, turned the world upside down, in order to keep His prophetic word.
No human effort could have brought about these events.
What was the promise that God was keeping in the case of Passover? It was a quiet promise made to Abraham. He made some great promises to His friend, Abraham, but this promise was a quiet one:
"Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them 400 years. And also, the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions."
Gen. 15:13-14
This two verse prophetic promise was like an atomic bomb dropped right into the middle of scripture. Once activated, that bomb had a 400 year countdown fuse. When that last second of time ticked off, all heaven broke loose. Generations after the promise was given, the LORD would introduce Himself to Moses, and tell him that the time had come to keep His promise to Abraham:
"Therefore, say to the children of Israel: "I AM the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob..." Ex. 6:6-8a
That announcement must have brought a great celebration to the children of Israel when they heard it, right? Well, no. When Moses delivered the word of deliverance to the people, it was not heeded because of "anguish of spirit, and cruel bondage." (v. 9)
Spiritually, Egypt is a place of double straits (narrow), a place of being under siege, entrenchment, enclosure, at the seeming mercy of an adversary, or enemy. It is a place of dire straits, where the individual has been beaten down into an almost hopeless condition. Such was the condition of the children of Israel, that they couldn't even begin to lift up their heads to receive the word of deliverance being brought to them by Moses. It also didn't help that after this word was delivered to them, conditions that couldn't have gotten any worse, actually did get worse.
In like manner, as also happened during a spring season, as the disciples of Jesus saw His tortured body on the cross, they weren't thinking "resurrection". It turned out though, that what looked like the death of all deaths, was really the birth of life forevermore. It was the moment of the destruction of death, hell, and the grave as the Father fulfilled His great promise to all of us:
"I will ransom them from the power (hand) of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
O Death, I will be your plagues!
O Grave (Sheol), I will be your destruction!
Pity is hidden from My eyes."
and
"O Death where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?"
Hos. 13:14, 1 Cor. 15:55
The passion, the crucifixion, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was about fighting and winning a brutal war. It was a war for the souls of men, to liberate them from the strongholds of darkness, sin and death. We needed Jesus to win that victory for us, because we certainly couldn't win it for ourselves.
This time of year also sees the celebration of Purim, when a vicious enemy of the people of God was exposed and destroyed. The root meaning of "Purim" is to break, to crush, to bring to naught. Haman intended to see all the Jews, including Mordecai, the man he most hated, destroyed under the king's order. Unknown to Haman, the beautiful new queen, Esther, was a Jew, and she had the favor of the king. God exposed the evil plot, and the king judged Haman with the same judgment as Haman had prepared for those whom he had hated and plotted against.
Now is the season when we watch and wait. Now is the season when God's most awesome promises for us are fulfilled. Now is the season when the last seconds are ticking down on the prophetic timer of our God regarding His promises to us. If you are in a time of oppression, burden, and darkness, wait, watch and listen, because the season of God's greatest deliverance is about to begin.
Now is the season when we wait to hear Him shout, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, ye shall see them again, no more, forever." Ex. 14:13
If you listen carefully, in addition to the spring sound of chirping birds, you will also hear the sounds of warfare.
It is spring, and our Father makes war in the heavenlies to keep His promises to us.
*Artwork at the top of the page: "How Empires Are Undone", Scarlet Letter Bible
"Go Down, Moses"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_p_WRgVDNU
"You Have Won the Victory/The Anthem"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x6PEmTNCw8
"...To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt, to the great river, the River Euphrates- the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
Gen. 15:18-21
This is the covenant that God made with Abraham on the occasion when Abraham offered sacrifice. A smoking oven, and a burning torch moved between the pieces of the sacrifice to confirm the covenant promise to Abraham. In the above scripture, God names the peoples that will be removed from the land, to be replaced by Abraham's descendants.
I have heard it said that each one of the ten tribes named above, is an opponent to each corresponding commandment of the Ten Commandments. That is interesting, and it does say in Judges 3:1-2, that the LORD will test the untested among Israel with the remaining enemy tribes to see if Israel will prove to be obedient to the commandments of God. However, the purpose of this entry is to study and record the meanings of the tribal names of these peoples, in order to learn from them.
Kenites- The word is associated with those who are smiths, heating, bending and striking iron to mold for their own purpose. Its root is from the name "Cain", meaning possession, ownership, to acquire, to buy. Eve declared upon the birth of Cain, "I have gotten (kanah) a man from the LORD." (Gen. 4:1). It can also mean a spear, or a lance. It can mean a mourning song, or lament, a wail of mourning.
What does Kenite teach me? I don't want to try to bend the Lord's will to my own. The lance, the spear, struck into the vulnerable side of Jesus and into His heart, because man demanded to exert his own will over Him. Jesus would not bend to their will, but only to the will of His Father. I don't want to try to take possession or ownership over something that comes from God, and belongs to God. Perhaps if Eve had said that her son belonged to the LORD, rather than to herself, his fate would have been different. It's a possibility that we mourn and wail to the Lord over the loss of things that are of little importance, and no lasting value. Meanwhile, the prophets mourned and cried for the spiritual condition of their people. That's a big difference. Am I interceding and lamenting for the things on God's heart, or instead to try to bend God's will to my own? Often we mourn and wail because our own will has been thwarted. For my life, I want to know and accept as perfect, God's will for me:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer. 29:11
Kenizzite- This word refers to a grandson of Esau named Kenaz, which means "hunter".
Esau was also a hunter of game. He came home weary and hungry one day from his activities out in the field, and sold his inheritance away for a bowl of pottage, or lentils (Gen. 25:33-34). He chose a temporary solution to solve a temporary problem that cost him his whole future, and inheritance. He was accustomed to satisfying his own needs through hunting, and when he became weary and disappointed on an occasion of no success, he fell for the temptation put before him. Listen self: easy solutions can dangle themselves before you in a weak moment, but that solution can cost you everything.
Also, there are those on earth who hunt humans in one way or another, and they have falsely caused us to believe that life belongs to us, and we can do with it what we want. It has caused us to feel that life is cheap and disposable. We have become indifferent and unfeeling over human life. Life comes from God, and belongs to God. Life continues because of God's love and mercy.
Kadmonites- This literally means "easterner". The term easterner refers to something old, ancient, from a former time, former things, past things. It means to be in front, go before, to project one's self, to anticipate, to hasten, to get ahead in time, to disappoint, to make another a debtor.
In scripture, God tells us often that He is doing a new thing. He asks us if we perceive the new thing He is doing (Jer. 31:22, Isa. 43:19). Paul tells us to put the former things behind, and to be that new creation. So a Kadmonite clings to his or her glory days, doing the same thing as before, hoping to keep the glory of the past. However, the glory of God moves, and we are to move with it. A Kadmonite, accustomed to the position of coming first, can sometimes rush ahead also, anticipating God before God has moved. Rushing ahead in that premier position, causes disappointment when the timing proves to be in error. Disappointment in the soul can lead to further downfall through wrong choices. I need to move with the Lord, but wait for Him to move, also. Being first is the position reserved for Him.
Hittites- Hittites were known for their viciousness in warfare and conquering, and their name means fear, terror, to be shattered, broken, abolished, confounded, put to shame, to break down by confusion and fear, to beat down, to discourage, to cause dismay. They were descendants of Heth, a son of Canaan, a son of Ham. Ham, a son of Noah, opened his father to ridicule, and shame. He carried tales of his father's disgrace.
When we feel beaten down to the point of ridicule, and shame, when we begin to make choices from fear and terror, when we feel confused and confounded by that fear of shame and failure, we remember the many times that our Father tells us to fear not, nor be dismayed (Deut. 31:8, Josh. 1:9, 8:1, 10:25, 1 Chron. 28:20, 2 Chon. 20:17, Isa. 41:10-11, etc.). God's love is there to cast out all of that fear. I need to let Him love me.
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who were incensed against you, shall be ashamed and disgraced." Isa. 41:10-11a
Perizzites- This word means "belonging to a village". It also means an open region, un-walled town or country. It means chieftain, warrior, leader, deciding judge. What is God teaching me with the Perizzites? I don't want to rely upon a false sense of security in numbers, and leaders. It's not about what everyone else is thinking and doing. That is not where my safety lies. Though I live amongst others, and have a government that takes on the job of protecting me, my protection comes from the LORD. He walls me about with His word, with His promises. I don't want to leave myself open to attack, being spiritually un-walled. The prophet Ezekiel warns of an enemy that comes to a people at rest, a people who dwell without walls, without bars, nor gates. The enemy comes to take a spoil, a prey (Ez. 38:11). We cannot rest our safety upon the word and promises of men, but only upon the Rock, the High Tower, the Fortress that is our God.
These are the first five of the ten tribes that are to be dispossessed from the land. Please see the entry below for part 2, the conclusion on the tribes.
Our Father proves us, tries us, and strengthens us to possess the land.
"Whom Shall I Fear?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsCPWNwOJiQ
"Break Every Chain"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUPZbNozGZc
"Psalm 18- The LORD is My Rock"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80cDDk70vCs
"Love Has Come"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ8-kFJzDW4
The ten tribes to be dispossessed from the land in Gen. 15, are continued here from Part 1 (see entry above this one):
Rephaims- This one was a shocker to me. The word "Rephaim" translates as "Whom Jehovah Healed". This means to heal, to repair, casting down, throw down, hero, champion. These people were an extremely ancient tribe of giants. By their name, I can only assume that these giants were originally meant to be heroes who healed and repaired. Perhaps because of the circumstances of their origin, their purpose became twisted into that of giants who challenged God's people, instead of bringing healing to them.
We are to be champions who are vessels of God's healing and restoration. This is such a noble, and wonderful call. Will I do God's healing work with my life? I hope so.
"And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations." Isa. 61:4
"And you shall be called the "Restorer of the Breach", the "Restorer of Paths to Dwell in."
Isa. 58:12b
Amorites- This means "a sayer". It means prominence, publicity, mountaineers, those who live on the heights. It means to think, to say, to will, to answer in one's heart, to promise, to intend, to bring to light. This tribe was the greatest and most powerful of the ten tribes. The name also means to boast, to act proudly, to avow, to lift one's self up, to boast of one's self.
Those who were given a prominent position, a position in the heights, proclaimed themselves, rather than the glory of God. They used their power to enforce their own will and words, rather than God's. I recognize how easy it is to cross from the privilege of speaking God's Word, into the snare of speaking my own word, from ascending the heights for God's glory, to ascending for my own glory instead, boasting of myself instead of proclaiming the greatness of God. Lucifer was judged in the following scripture for just this:
"For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit upon the mount of the congregation...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." Isa. 14:13-14
Canaanites- This tribe also descended from Ham, the son of Noah, who disrespected his father's headship, and cast humiliation upon him. These were lowland dwellers, and they are associated with merchants, traders, and traffickers. The name also describes zealots. They were zealous, not for the things of God, but in money and trade. The meaning also includes to subject, humiliate, to be humbled, to be brought low, to surrender, to be depressed. Nothing seems to bring us as low, as depressed to the point of defeat, as economic and financial trouble. However, to surrender to those feelings means to bow the knee to this tribe of Canaan. It's a powerless feeling when we find ourselves captured in this stronghold of traders. However, as Joseph was bought and sold, he found his way to freedom staying faithful to the will of God in all of his circumstances. This is a huge challenge, especially in these times as powers zealously buy, sell and trade, often at the expense of others. I want to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving in all circumstances, and not spend my life chasing after the things that have their end in a landfill. The world is running to the Canaanites to buy and sell, but God is calling us to cast them out of the land.
"The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, "Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing!" Rev. 18:14-17a
Girgashites- This tribe is different from the others because very little can be found to describe them. However, even that says much. Their name means to dwell on clay-like soil. Not much can be grown in clay. The soil is dense, and water runs off instead of penetrating, or percolating through. Seeds planted in clay will not grow to bear fruit. Even by Josephus' time, he said nothing was known of these people. I don't want to be so dense that the Lord cannot water me, and the seed of His Word cannot grow in me. I want my generations to thrive before the Lord, so we do not become a people no longer known in the earth. I want my life to be fruitful, with fruit that lasts. If I am clay at all, let it be clay that can be molded in the Potter's hands.
"And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites says the LORD. For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, says the LORD, so shall your descendants and your name remain." Isa. 66:21-22
Jebusites- These were descendants of Jebus, third son of Canaan, son of Ham. Their name means threshing floor. It means trodden down, tread down, reject, trample down. It means to kick out the foot reflexively like an infant, to loath, desecrate as a thing neglected and despised, to be polluted, to tread in a holy place polluting and profaning it, to trample to pieces. This stronghold loathes, rejects and profanes the people and things of God. This is a most serious condition. A person who loves the things of God, would never knowingly want to be a part of this stronghold. However, it is easy to be pulled into the trap of profaning people who belong to God, whom we don't understand, because they are not like us, their doctrine is not like ours, their practices are not like ours. We also can profane ourselves. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and, if I am a priest of the LORD, than I wear upon my head "Holy Unto The LORD", yet I know that I do not always treat with respect and reverence this body. Am I profaning something holy to the LORD? The answer has to be , "yes". My hope and prayer is that I honor all of those things that the atoning blood of Jesus, and the living Word of God has sanctified and made holy, including my own self.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (spiritual worship). And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you my prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:1-2
As the spies of Israel were sent forth to report on the promised land, most came back fearful of the fierce tribes they saw inhabiting it. However, two came back to give a different report:
..."Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."
Num. 14:30
Our Father has called us to take possession of the land.
"Overcome"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqXZD_z3eCc
"Redeemed"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzGAYNKDyIU
"And they heard the sound (voice, singing) of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool (ruach: breath, wind) of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to them, "Where are you?" Gen. 3:8-9
When I found that I was supposed to write about "Relationship" in this entry, the Lord brought me to this scripture above from Genesis. I was surprised. I wrote the scripture on the opening of this post, and then I walked away for a few days. I was waiting to see how these scriptures would teach me about my relationship with our Father. Things began to unfold for me as I thought about this familiar story of man's fall.
As the LORD God walked in the garden, calling for Adam, it is understood by us that God already knew what had happened. We also discover, as we read through the account of the fall of man, that there is no repentance from Adam and his wife reflected in the scriptures. Not only did Adam refuse to repent, but at one point, Adam even directly blames God for his downfall because it was God who gave Adam his wife:
"Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate." Gen. 3:12
Eve, in turn, blames the serpent.
I think, in any case, that there is no transforming repentance, unless it comes out of love. That kind of repentance cannot just come out of a head-knowledge of the Law. The kind of repentance that transforms, teaches, and heals, can only come from a heart that loves our Lord, our God. Along with their lack of repentance, I also do not detect, from this account in scripture, any caring or love from the man and woman towards God. This is very sad.
We can also assume, I think, that there is an attitude of resentment towards God by Adam and the woman even before this point, because the serpent is easily able to convince Eve to disregard God's instructions. He tells her that God just doesn't want them to be like Him, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:5). This is where their weakness lies, this is where they have left an opening-in their relationship with their Father. The serpent just takes advantage of this resentment towards God in Adam's and Eve's hearts. Similar resentment of God will have a destructive influence over their son, Cain's, choices, as well.
What is the Lord trying to teach me about my relationship with the Father from this? I looked again at the Father's attitude toward the man and wife.
First of all, when the Father comes to deal with this situation, He brings the Comforter with Him. The Holy Spirit is there in the presence of the cool breath, or wind, of the day. That speaks so much to me about the Father. Not only does He know what they have done, but He wants to comfort them in their fear of Him. He wants to minister and create into the condition of the man and wife. Within the tragedy of the downfall of man, the Father begins to prophesy. The first prophetic promise of the Messiah comes forth, as God issues judgment upon the serpent:
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." Gen. 3:15
Yes, Adam and Eve must leave the garden, but they don't leave without hope. Redemption and atonement has just been introduced into the future of mankind, and that very redemption will come through the one whom all will blame for this transgression-the woman.
How else does He minister to, and comfort them?
"Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin and clothed them."
Gen. 3:21
The Father covers the man and woman with a sacrifice, even a shadow and type of the sacrifice that was made by God's Son. Though their own choices uncovered them, God would not leave them vulnerable, and uncovered. Rather than just supplying the man and wife with a covering, He even covers them with His own hands. Father "clothed them". Can we feel what is in the Father's heart towards the man and woman? It goes far beyond Creator and creature. He has a relationship with man. However, in this case, as in so many other cases with man, God's feelings of love and caring are not returned. He is worthy of our worship and praise, but He is also worthy, foremost, of our love.
What is my relationship supposed to be like with God? With Jesus? What are the expectations that They have? If I have a relationship of love with Them, then the Law, the Word, becomes written not upon tables of stone, but it becomes written upon my heart. I am not hiding from Him in shame and fear (Gen. 3:10), but I am turning towards Him for comfort, help, and love, even when others might judge that I don't deserve it. This love is how I "abide" in Him, and how His word abides in me according to Jesus (Jn. 14:21-23). Love is the glue and the generator that causes the abiding. The abiding develops out of love, rather than just obedience. Obedience is important, but the obedience that naturally flows from the love for His Father, is the obedience that humbled Christ, even to death on the cross. Because of this kind of love-obedience, the Father highly exalted Him, and gave Him a name above all other names. The name that Christ received as a result of His love-obedience to the Father, brought all creation into that same obedience (Phil. 2:5-11). There is a fruit that comes from our love for the Father. We are instructed to be of this same mind of Christ. Only love for our Father can produce this same mind. This is the mind from which Christ did all. This is the mind that changed all creation as noted in the above scripture. This is how Jesus described His love for His Father that produces His obedience:
"But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here." Jn. 14:31
Father's relationship towards me is reflected by this truth:
"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love: but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears not has been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:16-19
"...And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever, and ever. Amen" Rev. 1:5-6
The wonderful miracles for us mentioned above, came forth out of His love toward us. We acknowledge His love for us easily, but how much thought and exercise do we give regarding our love towards Him? I don't want to neglect that part of my relationship with Him.
There are many gods in the earth, but only the One true God ever desired a relationship with mankind that He created.
When I think on these things, it makes me want to speak to Him, sing to Him, pray with Him and for Him, cover Him, to look into His face, with love. I will make mistakes, and I may fall down in the days ahead, but I hope I will always remember to turn back to Him in hope, in comfort, and in love.
Our Father desires a relationship with us.
"I Love You, Lord"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw_uBn9zJfc
"As The Deer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M04P1lW4OA
"Unchained Melody"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrK5u5W8afc
