I have been noticing something for a while now, and trying to understand the lesson waiting for me in it. I think I have discovered what one of those lessons might be.
For several years now, we have been putting seed out in winter, and a bird bath out in summer to provide for the birds in our yard. At this point, there must be thirty birds or more living in the bushes. They are concealed in the forsythia bushes that line the side of the yard. The sound of them all chirping in the morning is great to wake up to. It is delightful to see them all come out when we spread the seed on the ground on the winter mornings, or to see them drinking and splashing in the water of the birdbath on hot summer days. Even the beautiful, but timid, woodpeckers come out from their hiding places in the trees of the yard in order to eat the suet feeding block placed there for them. It is charming to see the fledglings of a new generation learning to fly in our back yard.
This year, however, I have noticed something happening that is not so charming. A hawk, seeing the birds come out from hiding in the bushes to eat the seed on the ground, has taken up residence in the area. I have seen it land on one of the birds, and carry it off. Cats come into the yard when they become aware of bird activity. The other day, for the first time, I was shocked to see a rodent appear to eat the seed, the provision meant for the birds.
The provision, the seed, brings the birds out from covering, and also, draws predators and undesirables. Oh no, this will not do.
I began to see a connection to spiritual things. The provision of God, in the way that we wish to see it in our lives, will likewise draw predators and vermin. There are some in the kingdom of God whom God desires to keep hidden for His own timing or purpose. He does not want them out in the open to be destroyed before He reveals them in the manner and timing that He knows is best. There is a direct connection between the provision of God, and the eyes of a spiritual destroyer seeking to devour. The devourer follows the provision.
Sometimes we chafe against God's plan to conceal or hide us for a time, because we don't like to be hidden, but God's enemies are looking for these hidden ones:
"For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered (hidden) ones." Ps. 83:2-3
Even enemies that would never have worked together, work and consult together to find the hidden people of God (v. 5-8).
In the times of trouble, when there is an increase in wickedness and evil, God will hide His people:
"For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me." Ps. 27:5-6
One of my favorites is:
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge (shelter from rain, storm, danger, flee for protection) and my fortress; my God in Him will I trust." Ps. 91:1-2
The LORD does not just hide us from spiritual devourers, but from the human kind as well:
"You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion (sukka- booth, tent, thicket, den, shut in, blocked off, screened, shut off, cover) from the strife of tongues." Ps. 31:20
We can see how it is possible for us to chafe in the hidden place of God. How pleasant can it be to be hidden in a thicket, or a den? to be shut off, or shut in, blocked off? We don't like it. Obscurity may not be what we desire, but it has its uses. Even Jesus retired to the wilderness from those who plotted to kill Him, until it was time for Him to go to Jerusalem (Jn. 11:53-54).
It is wisdom,not cowardice, to remain hidden from the enemy:
"A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished."
Prov. 27:12
For a time, the great warrior, David, and his men had to hide in dangerous enemy territory, and in the cave Adullam ("Justice of the people, Justice of Jehovah") from Saul's pursuit (1 Sam. 21-23). Under the murderous reign of Jezebel, the prophets of God had to be hidden from her in caves, with only bread and water to eat and drink (1 Ki. 18:4). They were so well hidden by Obadiah ("servant, worshipper of Jehovah"), that the greatest prophet in the land, Elijah, thought that he was the only one left (1 Ki. 19:14). Sometimes, while in hiding, we feel that we are the only one left, but not so. Elijah himself, was hidden in the wilderness by Cherith ("cut off, cut down"), and provided for by angels (1 Ki. 19:5) and ravens (1 Ki. 17:2-7). It was while in hiding in a cave in the mountain of God, Horeb ("dried up, desolate, laid waste"), that Elijah discovered the power of the "still, small voice" of God (1 Ki. 19:12). Eventually, God pushed Elijah out of the cave, and back onto the scene.
We understand the difficulty of being hidden for a time. Warriors itch for the battle, and prophets long to prophesy. It is made more difficult, if it seems that God's provision is not of the nature that we would normally expect. In fact, it is easy to believe during this hidden time that God's provision has dried up, or has been diverted. However, if we remember the example of the birds, overt provision can lead to being uncovered from the protection provided by a hiding place. So what to do?
In the case of the birds, we changed the nature of the provision from the spreading of seed on the open ground, to putting the seed on a raised wooden platform with a covering. It is positioned near the birds' protected place in the bushes. We didn't want our provision for them to be the type that brings them out into the open, and puts them in increased danger. We didn't want the provision for the birds to be accessible instead to vermin, allowing those things to thrive and multiply.
The same is true of God's provision, I think. The nature of it, by necessity, must change when we are in that place and time of hiding. The prophet Isaiah reveals something interesting regarding a special provision:
"I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I the LORD, Who call you by your name, am the God of Israel." Isa. 45:3
There are treasures and riches hidden by God in these secret places. They may be of a different nature than we would like, or are used to receiving, but they are treasures that we would never find out in the open. They are appointed for the secret places.
Jesus, in Revelation, talks about giving us the hidden manna to eat:
"...To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat..." Rev. 2:17
It is not like the manna that was strewn across the open ground of the wilderness so that when the Israelites walked out of the door of the tent, they were able to gather it easily every morning. This manna of Jesus is of a hidden type, but it is still daily bread (root meaning-to raise up from the ground, lift up, to take upon one's self and carry what has been raised up) (Mt. 6:11).
If we find ourselves in that secret, hidden, obscure place, it may well be that we are there because it is where God wants us for a time, in order to protect us from His enemies. Our provision may not be spread out in the open before us, as it was previously, but the hidden provision will be there. Even if part of the provision is bread and water for a time, it will be the Bread of Life, and the Living Water. Perhaps if we train our eyes to look for the hidden riches, the treasures of darkness, we will find it.
God hides us, and provides for us under His covering in His secret place.
"Psalm 91 Song"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67wC6-kWWSo
There are many learning environments, but not all learning is the same. Not all teaching is the same either. There is a special learning experience that goes beyond teaching, and into something more: impartation. It goes beyond the sharing of information, and involves a giving of an actual portion of one's self that contains experiential knowledge. This is done, especially, within the relationship between parent and child.
In scripture, fatherhood and sonship hold tremendous importance. Individuals are identified by who their father and grandfather were. Even in the Hebrew names given in the mentions of fathers and grandfathers, we can see the spiritual impartation that has passed through the generations. For example, the prophet Jeremiah's name means "whom Jehovah has appointed". His father is listed as Helkiah, meaning "my portion is Jehovah".
We see a great example of the impartation of experiential knowledge of God from parent to child in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs is recognized as a book of Godly wisdom, written by King Solomon, whose reputation throughout history is one of great wisdom. The first thing Solomon does is identify himself as a son, in this case, the son of David:
"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel..." Prov, 1:1
Solomon is also specifically imparting his experience of God to his son:
"My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother;
Prov.1: 8
"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding....then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God." Prov. 2:1-5 (excerpt)
As we can see from the verses above, the impartation comes not only from the father, but from the mother as well. Chapter 31 of Proverbs, for example, is an impartation to Solomon from his mother.
Solomon's intent was to pass down to his son what he had learned from his father and mother, and from his own experiences with God. In amazing revelation, he is imparting to his son that wisdom is not a quality or thing, but it is a person, and this person is to be found above everything else:
"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom..." Prov. 4:5
So great is the impartation from Solomon to his son (and consequently to all of us), that the Person of Wisdom, actually begins to speak directly to us, revealing, or imparting truths from eternity (Prov. 8:12-36). Wisdom tells us here, "...whoever finds me finds life"
(v. 35). Wisdom imparts all of these things to us in this chapter, referring to us as "my children" (v. 32 NKJV).
This is also how God imparts to us: as a Father to His son, or child. The power of it is not just a teaching of truth, but a giving of a part of the Father to us, His children. Jesus described the impartation this way:
"For I have given to them the words which You have given to Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You...all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them...Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as we are...You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us...I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one..." Jn. 17:8-23 (excerpt)
The words that Jesus gave to His disciples, and to us, as we read in the above verses, were not just a teaching, but an impartation from Him, and from His Father within Him, a giving of Himself, even as His Father gave to Jesus from Himself.
The Apostle Paul wanted to make clear to us that we are sons, and receive impartation from our heavenly Father as sons:
"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Gal. 4:6-7
The LORD commands parents to teach their children His precepts:
"You shall teach (exercise in, train diligently and skilfully) them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days, and the days of your children may be multiplied..." Deut. 11:19-21 (excerpt)
As these verses tell us, impartation of Godly knowledge from parent to child is so powerful that it can extend both the parent's and child's life. One of His great commandments tells us to "honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you" (Ex. 20:12). The word "Honor" used here is the Hebrew word kabad, which is the root word of kabode, meaning the awesome glory and honor that belong to God. He has imparted His own glory to fathers and mothers. Fathers and mothers, in turn, impart this same glory knowledge of God to their children. Fatherhood and motherhood is more than just a biological process, but a spiritual impartation of the experiential knowledge of God that can extend life and purpose.
We can see the great difference between teaching and impartation. We can also understand the importance of sharing, or imparting, our experiential Godly knowledge with our children. It becomes easy to see why the forces of evil have worked so hard to destroy relationships between parents and children, especially between fathers and children, in families today. "Fatherhood" has become marginalized, and this started generations ago. Our focus should not be only about spending "quality time" with our children and grandchildren, but about impartation, which has become a forgotten practice in many households. We can see the cumulative effects of this neglect in our society today. I am going to have to do much better in this with my family than I am doing now.
Our children's Godly education at church, synagogue, and some schools is important in every way, but impartation is a powerful and essential spiritual truth that takes place in the home between both parents and their children, and between grandparents and their grandchildren. Many "old timers", for example, tell of the powerful experience of learning to pray or praise from their grandmothers. I know someone who has continually had his son with him, even from an early age, when he has followed the leading of the Holy Spirit on excursions of intercession and ministry. He has imparted a special experiential knowledge of God to his son, and, hopefully, his son, following this example, will impart these things to his own children when they are born. Also, let us not be neglectful- impartation is not only to sons. We have these examples to show us that Jesus imparted His great experiential knowledge to women as well:
"...whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." Jn. 4:14
"But the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Jn. 4:23-24
"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Jn. 11:25-26
Impartation from parent to child is such a vital spiritual precept, that God prophesies that He will send an earthshaking miracle in order to restore it:
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." Mal. 4:5-6
Godly impartation between parent and child can save the whole earth from being cursed!
God's people can no longer afford to ignore this powerful provision that God has made for our children, and our land.
Our Father does not just teach, but imparts to His children.
"Ancient Words"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vmTkXNpwzs
"Days of Elijah" (American Marines singing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjZ_IlP9c5A
Scientific Study-Gazing into child's eyes while speaking synchronizes both brain waves:
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/staring-baby-eyes-brain-waves-sync
My friend has been talking about "ancient paths" recently, and I decided to look up scripture concerning it. I found this scripture about two different paths:
"Because My people hath forgotten Me, they have burnt incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up." Jer. 18:15
The result of God's own people choosing the wrong "path" results in their land becoming desolate, and a perpetual "hissing", meaning derision, scorn, the sound of others' mocking (v. 16).
Although the two "paths" written in this verse are translated as the same word in English, two different Hebrew words are actually used here.
The "paths" mentioned here first are called "ancient paths". Ancient doesn't just mean "old". It is the Hebrew word, olam, meaning ancient, evermore, everlasting, always, unending future. It is a path that is eternal. It's root meaning includes the idea of something hidden. What created these hidden, everlasting paths, but also allows us to find them? This first use of the word "paths" above is the Hebrew word shavel, which means the train of a robe. It creates an image of the Lord walking ahead, the train of His robe dragging over the ground, creating a worn path through eternity. As we follow that dragging train, or hem of His garment, we are able to walk upon the path which it creates. Though this eternal path is a hidden one, by following the train of His robe, and only by following it, we can find, and remain upon, this eternal path. The prophet Isaiah wrote of his vision of the train of the Lord's robe filling His heavenly temple. In the same manner as His train filled His temple in heaven, the whole earth was filled with His glory. It was there in the temple, at the foot of His robe's train, that Isaiah was cleansed, and received his prophetic calling to a people who refuse to hear, understand, see, or perceive the LORD (Isa. 6:1-9). It is a powerful account, and we can begin to understand the awesomeness of the idea of the train of the Lord's robe creating a path for us to follow. We can follow it right into His holy temple!
The second occurrence of the word "paths" in the above scripture is the Hebrew word nathev, meaning a path trodden with the feet, to tramp, a trodden way. This path is created by men wearing it down with their feet, walking through growth. It is determined and created by men's own will and effort. This path, though, creates stumbling, staggering, and feebleness, as man determines to slog his way through. They "stumble in their ways" in the course of their lives, and in their manner and moral character, according to the Hebrew meaning of the phrase. The root meaning of the phrase also suggests that, unfortunately, others are lead forth, drawn, or guided by God's people onto this kind of path also. These man-made and man-determined paths are described as a "way not cast up". The paths are not raised up, exalted, esteemed, or lifted up, and the whole land falls into desolation, as a result.
The reason given in the verse for why God's people do not follow the path created by the train of His garment, is because they have "forgotten" Him. By meaning of the word, they have ceased to care, have ignored, and mislaid Him from want of attention, and have caused their relationship with Him to wither like a neglected plant. We have not followed after Him in our daily lives, but left His path in order to make our own paths by choosing instead to follow our own will and efforts to achieve what we desire. By describing His people as burning incense to vanity, I think that the Lord is saying that once we leave His paths to establish our own, our worship, even our prayers reflect emptiness, lies, and worthlessness. Who are we praying to, and depending upon, when we have left Him, and gone our own way? The Lord is on the eternal path, and we have long ago left that path behind. Our whole land has been affected by our leaving His paths. It is not about what others have done. It is about the kind of paths that God's own people have chosen to create for themselves.
It's not too late for us to turn around, and get back to the paths that have been created by the train of His robe. No matter how long it has been, when you get back to that everlasting olam path, Jesus will be there just ahead of you, so you will be able to find the train of His robe again. God has made this promise to us:
"He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."
Psalm 23:3
"I lead in the ways of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance (being, existence, to stand out); and I will fill their treasures." Prov. 8:20-21
Our Father creates everlasting paths given for us to follow.
"He Leadeth Me" (from Korea)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0vsjvRStjE
"I See The Lord"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reN-3g-myJM
Isaiah 6:1-8 Vision (Narration)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHb789riuQU&t=141s
John the Baptist gave a powerful discourse in John chapter 3. Included in it was the following, spoken when John's disciples brought to his attention that Jesus was gaining followers:
"John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven." Jn. 3:27
God's hand in the great empires of history is an intriguing thing to see. Kings have their agenda, and God has His, which He accomplishes in the most amazing ways.
Alexander the Great, like Julius Caesar, was one of the great conquerors of history. At the time, Greece was a group of separate states, each ruled by their own kings and governments. Alexander's father, Philip, king of Macedon, intended, by negotiation or aggression, to overthrow the various states' kings, in order rule over the whole peninsula. Alexander joined his father's efforts when he was only sixteen years old. Up until that point, he was being educated by Aristotle. Philip was successful, and formed The League of Corinth, which consolidated rule under himself over the city-states of Greece, with the exception of Sparta. When Philip was assassinated in 336 BC, Alexander was twenty years old. He ascended to his father's position. Alexander set his sights to conquering, with the main goal being the defeat of the existing and widespread Persian Empire. He achieved that goal and more, even reaching to Northern Africa, the Middle East, northward to what we call Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and further eastward across the continent, beyond the Indus River into India.
As he pushed through India, he was about to cross the Ganges River, when his troops begged him to stop. Waiting on the other side of the river was an opposing army of 200,000 footmen, 80,000 horsemen, and 6,000 war elephants. Alexander's men were too exhausted and battle weary to face such a huge challenge. Alexander reluctantly granted his army's demand, and turned back to return to the king's palace in Babylon, captured when he had defeated the Persians. From there, Alexander began making plans to invade Arabia, but he died at the young age of 32 in 323 BC, before he could accomplish that. His empire at the time covered 2,000,000 sq. miles.
It is very interesting to note that while Alexander and his armies conquered the territory all around Jerusalem, he spared that city. The historian Josephus wrote that as Alexander entered the area, he was shown the Book of Daniel. In it, he saw the prophecies concerning a great king who would conquer the Persian Empire. Josephus said that this is the reason that Alexander spared Jerusalem. It seems very possible because Alexander wasn't a man who spared cities.
Many have also speculated about Alexander's private life, but the official record states that he was married to three women, two of whom were daughters of kings, and he had children.
After his death, the huge empire that he had established fell apart under different power factions.
Although Alexander's empire broke apart, Greek culture and influence was still very strong over these foreign lands for 200-300 years. The Roman generals, who arose with great power during the first century BC, were great admirers of Alexander and studied his military campaigns and strategies.
So, what part of God's plan was accomplished in this young conqueror's rise and fall? After all, his empire fell apart shortly after his death. However, for the first time in history, following the fall of the Tower of Babel, a universal language was spread throughout the "known" world. The language was Greek-not the classical Greek of Homer that only the highly educated of the day knew, but a common, everyday form of the Greek language of that day, called Koine. It was the form of the Greek language used by the general population in the carrying out of average, daily tasks.
Even after the Romans conquered, and established their own empire a couple of centuries later, this form of the Greek language was still around. The Romans, being very practical rulers, understood the value of having a universal language that could be used to govern and do business throughout their empire. Therefore, along with Latin, Greek became the other officially accepted language of the Roman Empire.
The LORD used the existence of this Greek language to publish His Word, translated into the Septuagint, and to spread the Gospel of Christ throughout the then nations of the world. Every time we open a Concordance, we are referencing Alexander's working legacy. As Alexander swept across the face of the earth, feeling compelled to accomplish his plan, he was really fulfilling God's plan.
When we look at the sometimes perplexing rise and fall of men from the past, of the present day, and into the future, God assures us of the following:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings..." Dan. 2:20-21
"...the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men." Dan. 4:17
"But God is the judge: He puts down one and exalts another." Ps. 75:7
Pilate said to Jesus, "Do you not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?" Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above..." Jn. 19:10-11
The LORD, through His servant Moses, said to Pharaoh: "...But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power (in) you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth..." Ex. 9:16
"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." Rom. 13:1
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." Prov. 21:1
"...The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" Rev. 11:15
Our Father rules over the kings and kingdoms of the earth.
Silent Monks Sing "The Hallelujah Chorus"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRhjWdr-LAA
