TRUTH

      The pattern of the Sabbath readings is that once the reading portions have finished with the end of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), which is Deuteronomy 34, the readings immediately circle back to the beginning of the Torah with Genesis 1. So, we begin again this Sabbath with the Book of Genesis, which I think has a very timely message for us. I am already looking forward to what the LORD will teach us in this new cycle of Sabbath readings.

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled B'reshiet, meaning "In the Beginning." The "B" that is joined with the Hebrew word reshiet, or "beginning", can mean "in, at, with, when." 

     As we know, Genesis 1 begins with these words: "In the beginning (resit/ro's - beginning, firstfruits, first in place-time-order or rank, chief/head, top, beginning, captain, first, ruler, height, choicest, excellent) God created (bara'- create, creator, choose, to shape or form, transform, of miracles, of the birth of something, pare a reed for writing or a stick for an arrow, to cut, carve out, separate, break out) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-heavens (and) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-earth. The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light ('or - light, bright, clear, light of life, illumination, light of day, light retained, become light, shine);' and there was light. And God saw (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." (Gen. 1:1-5).

     The Hebrew meanings of the words used in the description of the condition of the earth as shrouded in deep darkness, point to an earth held captive in the darkness and misery of death. The Father, God, and the Son who is present in the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega attached to the heaven and the earth and the light in written Hebrew, and the Holy Spirit, would resurrect the dead planet with the spoken Words: "Let there be light." The "light" spoken and produced is also the light of life (see Jn. 1:1-5, see also Col. 1:15-18), according to the Hebrew meaning, which is Messiah/Christ as the Word of God. 

     The creation of God continued from this first day as the earth was filled with life.

     The first unequivocal truth is that there was no other beginning factor in the creation of the heavens and the earth other than GOD - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Secondly, resurrection power and authority by the attachment of the name and rank of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Son of God played an essential part in the creation. There may be other theories and fables of men regarding creation, but none of those theories or fables have the power and authority to be able to resurrect a dead planet, as was described here in the Hebrew meanings. 

     Another principle of truth of the authority and power of God seen in creation is that although heaven and the dry land of earth are separate creations of the second and third days of Genesis 1:6-13, they are eternally connected as one in Genesis 1:1 under the name and authority of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega, which is Messiah/Christ Jesus (see *note at the end of the entry). We know that the will of God rules over and in both heaven and earth as Jesus taught His disciples to pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." (Mt. 6:9-10). Jesus also told His disciples: "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." (Jn. 1:51, speaking of Himself as the fulfillment of the vision of "Jacob's Ladder," the connection between heaven and earth, from Gen. 28:10-15).

     Another truth laid out by God in Genesis 1 is that all that is created by God has life within itself. God has placed the seed of life in each living thing and that seed will bring forth the same form as the form of its origin. Grasses, trees and herbs have seed within them that will produce the same types of grasses, trees and herbs. All created life of the air, land and sea have seed within themselves to produce their own likeness. A tree cannot produce a bird. The seed of a plum tree cannot even produce an apple tree. A bird cannot produce a rhinoceros and so forth. Although there are mutations and variations that may occur, there are not enough billions of years contained within time, and there are not enough mutations in the universe that will result in the reproductive seed of one species producing a totally different species. (v. 11-13, 24-25). They were created and commanded by God to produce seed after their own kind. Man was created by God as a separate creation and not as coming forth from any other species. Man was formed by God after God's own likeness. As this specific and separate creation of the image of God, man would not be of the same stature as the other creatures but would have rule and dominion authority over them. (v. 26-28). This is the truth of God's creation, regardless of what man may say. The LORD unapologetically and uncompromisingly lays these truths before us for a reason, which we will see. The LORD set forth these details of His creation because it is so important for our lives and purpose on earth for us to know and to trust in the truth of God concerning the origin of all things, including man, and His absolute power and authority to redeem and resurrect His own creation (through His Son, Jesus), that God made these the first words which He had written to all mankind.

     The other reading portions for this B'reshiet Sabbath, Isaiah 42, Job 38, and Psalm 139, confirm the truth that it was God the LORD who created the heavens and the earth and all of its inhabitants, including man. The LORD even uses the truth of Himself as Creator as His identity:

     "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: 'I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;" (Isa. 44:24). And:

     "For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited: 'I am the LORD, and there is no other." (Isa. 45:18).

     It is the LORD who forms man before he is born. It is the LORD who determined to give His Servant (Messiah/Christ) to His creation as a Savior and Redeemer:

     "Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light (see 'or above) to the Gentiles (also meaning "nations")." (Isa. 42:5-6).

      The truth is that God calls lies and liars abominations (see Prov. 6:16-19) worthy only to be thrown into eternal fire (Rev. 21:6-8), and we will see why later. God's Word assures us that God is not a liar, and is impossible for Him to lie. (see Num. 23:19-20, Rom. 3:3-4, Titus 1:1-2, Heb. 6:17-18).

      However, it didn't take long for man to choose to believe that God is a liar. The serpent questioned the woman about the truth of what God had said to Adam in Gen. 2:15-17: "Then the LORD God took (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Eve repeated to the serpent the command given by God to the man as she understood it or misunderstood it. Somewhere between the time that the man received the command and the woman heard of the command, an untruth was added to the command. Not only were they to not eat of that tree, but the woman told the serpent that they were also forbidden to even touch the fruit of that tree, which was not included in the original command. (see Gen. 3:2-3). The serpent immediately took advantage of this untruthful statement and said to the woman: "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4-5). The serpent told the woman, and her husband who was with her (v. 6) that God had lied to them when He warned them that they would die - that God had lied to them in order to withhold His divinity and authority from them.

     The LORD God later asked the man and then the woman what they had done. The woman answered: "The serpent beguiled/deceived me." (Gen. 3:13). Here we come to the important point concerning lies: they are connected to witchcraft and occultic powers. The word "serpent" in Hebrew is nahas which means "hissing serpent, snake, viper, enchantment, enchanter, practice divination or fortunetelling, whisper a magic spell, the whisper of a soothsayer, to use sorcery." We can see here in the Hebrew meaning, the connection between the serpent and witchcraft, including the casting of spells. This does not mean that the woman and her husband would not be held responsible for their choice, even under "beguilement," to believe the lying words of the serpent instead of the true words of God.

     It is at this point that the LORD expelled the man and woman from the Garden, and cursed the serpent, promising He would cause the woman to bring forth the Seed, referring to Messiah/Christ, that would crush the serpent's head. (see Gen. 3:14-15).

     Jesus said this to those who were offended by and refused to hear the life-saving salvation truth from Him: "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of myself, but He sent Me. ...you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your Father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him...he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me....He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." (Jn. 8:42-47).

      In a reference to the events of Genesis 3 above, Jesus often told the religious leaders of His time that they were snakes, vipers and serpents (see Hebrew meaning above) because they refused to receive the truth themselves and they withheld God's truth from the people. (see Mt. 12:33-34 and Mt. 23:33).

     As it is with the Father, it is also impossible for Jesus to lie. He came full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14), and He came to testify of the truth (Jn.18:37). He said that His Father sanctifies us with the truth, with His Word of truth (Jn. 17:16-17). The Holy Spirit of the Godhead is called by Jesus, "the Spirit of truth" who will guide us into all truth." (Jn. 16:13-14). It is the truth brought by the Son of God, Jesus that sets man free in every way. (Jn. 8:31-32). It is imperative to God that we know that He does not lie to us. He is a God Who not only tells the truth, sends the truth, but IS the truth. It is the knowledge of the truth that delivers us from the beguilement associated with the serpent/Satan.

     John 1 identifies Jesus as the Word of God, who was with God, and who was God in the beginning. Everything that was created was created through Jesus as the Word of God. Proverbs 30:5-8 tells us: "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield (magen/ganan - shield, buckler, armed, defense, ruler, protector/to defend, to cover over, surround, to hedge about, protect) to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words (see also Rev. 22:18-19), lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me..." The truth of God, who IS truth, and His Word which is the Person of truth, serves as a protective covering over and surrounding us if we will trust in Him as truth.

     It is never just a "simple" lie. Jesus told us that Satan himself is the father of lies. He is a liar, and the father of it. Satan, who deceives the whole world, (see Rev. 12:9), like the serpent in the Garden, uses his occultic powers to generate and empower the deception. We will see some more examples.

     We are given an account in Luke 4 in which Satan tried to tempt and deceive Jesus for forty days into abandoning His purpose as the Son of God, as the Savior and Redeemer. We are told that Jesus was in the wilderness. However, while attempting to deceive, seduce and tempt Jesus with improper interpretation of scripture, Satan also combined this attempt with witchcraft and sorcery (see the definition of "serpent" above). Satan supernaturally took Jesus from the wilderness to a high mountain to show Him all of the kingdoms of the earth "in a moment of time." (v. 5-7). Then, supernaturally, Satan took Jesus to Jerusalem from the wilderness and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple there. (v. 9-11). Satan used these occultic arts to empower the lies and misrepresentations that he would tell. We know that Jesus resisted these attempts to lure Him from the will of His Father by using truth - the pure, correct application of scripture that overrides the twisting of scripture by men and devils to suit their own purposes. Both Peter and Paul warn believers about this practice of deception (see 2 Pet. 3:15-18, and 2 Tim. 4:2-4).

     In another example, the apostle Paul wrote the following to the church in Galatia: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched (baskaino - to bring evil, the evil eye, to charm, bewitch, to fascinate by false representations) you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?" (Gal. 3:1). The word "fascinate" is used here as part of the Greek meaning of "bewitched." The word "fascinate" in our English dictionary means: "spellbind or transfix, enchant, bewitch, cast a spell, a magical or irresistible pull, to draw another by exerting a powerful influence." Paul recognizes that something evil has exerted an occultic influence in combination with a lie being falsely represented as truth to this church.

     The Galatians had fallen away from the truth of the salvation of Christ by grace through faith and began to believe that salvation was "earned" by obeying and doing the works of the law of Moses instead. The lie and the liar were attempting to rob this church of its salvation faith. Paul countered this to this church with a repetition of the truth of God.

     We may be skeptical of such things as being beguiled, bewitched or spellbound, but Jesus warned, and it is important for us to know, that before His return mass deceptions and delusions will be very powerful. The deceptions will be so powerful that even the elect can be deceived by them. (Mt. 24:4-5, 11, 23-27). Paul also wrote of a strong delusion sent by God that will cause people to believe a lie. These people had already chosen to believe and accept lawlessness and the lawless one who comes with "the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception", and they did not believe the truth of God. However, God has chosen us to have "belief in the truth." (2 Thess. 2:7-13).

     Many are perplexed by the current mass belief in outright lies (those things that stand counter to the Word of God) that we are seeing today. Not only are lies supported with zeal, but some of the lies have been incorporated into the law of the land. Not only do masses of people believe the lies, but they also demand that all others must honor the lies as well. We often hear the bewildered words being said, "It's as if the world has gone crazy!" Even "common sense", or foundational innate human knowledge and understanding, is being removed. Are we seeing what Eve realized when she said, "The serpent beguiled me"? Are we seeing some of the mass deception and delusion about which Jesus and the apostles warned? Nevertheless, we have been provided by God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with the only shield and defense against it - the truth, if we will remain in it and trust that God is true. Those who do not love and cling to the truth will be led further into the lies. (2 Thess. 2:10-12).

I invite you to join with me in this prayer:

"Heavenly Father of all truth, fill me, shield me and cover me with Your Word, Your Son, and Your Holy Spirit of Truth. Keep me from deception and delusion, from lies and the father of lies. You sent Your own Son, Jesus, to crush the head of the serpent, who beguiles, lies, and leads astray from the truth of life and salvation. Let my ears and my heart only receive Your truth. I pray this with thanks in the name of Jesus for myself and my whole household. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

Sanctification

This week's Sabbath reading titled B'ha'alot'cha, meaning "When you step up or go up", sent me on a journey into sanctification, and what it means in my walk as a believer in Christ. Although this reading begins in Numbers 8, the story of sanctification begins earlier. When the LORD was about to release the tenth plague upon the Egyptians, death of the firstborn in every household, He also had to set apart the firstborn of the children of Israel: "For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast...Now the blood (of the lamb, see Ex. 12:7) shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt." (Ex. 12:12-13). The LORD set apart from the plague, or sanctified, the firstborn of Israel by the sign of the blood of the Passover Lamb. All other firstborn in Egypt were destroyed. This plague broke the stubborn will of Pharaoh, and he let the Hebrews leave Egypt. The concept of protection through sanctification was also revealed by David in praying to the LORD concerning his enemies: "But know that the LORD has set apart (pala - sever, separated, put a difference, marked out, be distinguished from) for Himself him who is godly; the LORD will hear when I call to Him...For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." (Ps. 4:3, 8). We can also see the meaning of sanctification as protection in the new covenant as well: "...To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved (tereo -to guard from loss or injury, hold fast, keep) in Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:1). The word "sanctified" above, is the Greek word hagiazo meaning "to separate from profane things and dedicate to God, to purify by expiation, to free from the guilt of sin, to purify internally by renewing of the soul". At its root meaning, "sanctified" has to do with celebrating, dancing, making a holiday, and keeping a feast. So we also see that keeping the feasts of the LORD is part of the sanctification, or setting apart, of His people. As we turn to Numbers 8, we will see the LORD do a new work concerning those of the firstborn of Israel who had been set apart or sanctified in Egypt. In this Sabbath reading portion, the LORD will redeem or replace with the Levites those firstborn of Israel who had been set apart in Egypt. The Levites were to be like a wave offering (v. 11) before the LORD in order to set them apart: "For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of israel. For all the firstborn...are Mine...on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel." (Num. 8:16-18). The LORD connected the original setting apart, or sanctification, of the firstborn of Israel with the time of the plague of death in Egypt. Another important point to learn about sanctification is that we are set apart, like the Levites (see v. 15), for service unto the LORD. Regarding this sanctification and service connection, Paul wrote, "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (dishonor), he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." (2 Tim. 2:20-21). Good works unto the LORD come out of our sanctification. Like the Levites we have been offered unto the Lord in sanctification according to Paul: "...that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God, that the offering (consisting) of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:16, see also the prophecy in Isa. 66:20). Here is another point to learn about my sanctification - according to Isaiah's prophetic word, and Paul's fulfilling ministry, I was sanctified or set apart by the Holy Spirit in order to be an offering to God, as the Levites were. This holds an important meaning which we may not have considered. Paul wrote of this again in Rom. 12:1 when he told us to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (logikos latrreia - pertaining to the soul: perform sacred services and worship to God according to the sayings of God; to officiate and discharge the priest's sacred office)". As we look further into the sanctification found in this Sabbath's reading, we are told Zechariah's vision of Joshua the High Priest in Zech. 3: "...Joshua (Yehoshua - "Jehovah is Salvation") the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan (satan - adversary, withstand, resist, oppose, attack, accuse, lie in wait) was standing at his right hand to oppose (satan) him." (v. 1). The Hebrew word satan appears several times in scripture describing a lying, cursing, speaker of words of hatred without cause, rendering evil for good, not showing mercy (see Ps. 38, Ps. 109, Ps. 71, Ps. 109). Ps. 109:18-20, a Psalm of David, says, using the word satan: "As he clothed himself as cursing as with his garment, so let it enter his body like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be to him like the garment which covers him...Let this be the LORD's reward to my accusers, and to those who speak evil against my person." So Satan is standing on Joshua the high priest's right side, and Joshua is covered in excrement-filled filthy garments (Zech. 3:3). He is wearing the garments of lying accusation and cursing that has been put upon him by Satan, as he opposed Joshua before the LORD. However, Joshua is standing before the Angel (malak - king, representative) of the LORD. This upper case title is used in reference to the pre-incarnate Messiah, Jesus Christ, who appeared throughout scripture before His physical birth. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke (ga'ar - restrain and deter from wicked efforts) you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (v. 2). Joshua had been set apart from those who were meant for the fire. He had been plucked out (nasal - deliver, recover, escape, take out, snatch away, rescue, preserve, deliver from sin and guilt) of it. The LORD then orders to have the filthy garments removed from Joshua, and to be clothed instead "with rich robes (mahalasot/halas - robes of state, splendid or costly garments, a garment for a special occasion/armed, army, prepared, to be equipped (for war), make strong, despoil an enemy, plunder)". (v. 4). "...and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by." (v. 5). The Angel began to admonish (ud - relieve, restore, bear witness, surround, go round and round, say again and again, testify, invoke, affirm solemnly) Joshua: "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here." (v. 6-7). Then the Angel of the LORD prophesied the coming of the Messiah to Joshua: "...For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH (semah - sprout, shoot (of Messiah from Davidic tree)." (v. 8). No wonder Satan had tried to oppose Joshua the high priest! He was to stand before the Angel of the LORD and receive a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. Joshua and his companions were to be "a wondrous sign" of this prophecy (v. 8). As a high priest, Joshua would have been one who was set apart, sanctified, for his office. He stood before his Sanctifier, as the lies of Satan were rebuked from off of him. We also have been sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2). The Book of Hebrews teaches us more about our sanctification: "By that we will have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all...For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren...For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." (Heb. 10:10, 2:11, 10:14). If you would like to know and experience more of or sanctification through Christ, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You have given Your Son as a sacrifice of sanctification for me. You have set me apart from out of the people to serve You in Your spiritual house. You have rebuked Satan, removed my filthy garments, and clothed me in rich robes of office. You, the LORD who chooses Jerusalem, have sanctified me for a wondrous sign of the appearance of Your Servant, the BRANCH of David, Jesus. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and Your Word, so that I can learn to walk in Your sanctification. I ask these things in the name of my Sanctifier, Jesus, AMEN."

HaGadol

This Sabbath is called The Great Sabbath, or Shabbat Hagadol in Hebrew. This is because it is the sabbath before Passover. Passover is the ordained feast of the LORD remembering how the LORD miraculously protected His people from the angel of death in the final plague against Egypt, and caused Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of slavery, and out of Egypt. The Israelites were commanded by God to select a lamb for each household on the tenth day of Aviv. On the fourteenth of the month of Aviv, the Passover lamb was sacrificed, and its blood was applied with a hyssop branch to the doorposts (sides) and lintels (crosspiece at the top of the door) of each house. When applied, the blood stains also made the shape of the cross. The lamb itself was to be eaten until there was none left. When the angel of death saw the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts and lintels of the house, he would "pass over", or spare, the house. The Egyptians, whose doorposts wouldn't be marked with the blood, would suffer the death of the firstborn in each household: "For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever." (Ex. 12:23-24). Rabbis teach that when the lamb was selected on the tenth day of Aviv in preparation for that first Passover in Egypt, it took place on Shabbat Hagadol, the Sabbath before the actual Passover, which would occur four days later. On that Shabbat HaGadol, they teach in the Code of Jewish Laws (Orach Chayim 430:1) that a miracle occurred. The Isrelites were able to select the lambs without being stoned to death by the Egyptians (see Ex. 8:25-27). It was considered blasphemy against the Egyptian god Amun-Ra, the sun god, to kill and eat any animal of the ram family, because the depictions of Amun-Ra included ram's heads. However, as a result of a miracle, the Israelites were able to select and keep the lambs to be used for the Passover. In this feast of Passover from Exodus, we see a direct confrontation between the LORD and the oppression of Egypt against His people, which resulted in the plague of death. Another part of this week's Sabbath reading is from Malachi 3, and is specifically to be read for The Great Sabbath before Passover. Although the Passover is not mentioned in this portion of reading from Malachi, it has been assigned as part of the Passover understanding. Therefore it is a mystery, and we must uncover its pertinence to Passover. It is no coincidence that like the first Passover in Exodus, we are given a prophetic promise concerning the appearing of the Lord, the preparation necessary by His people, and the judgment on the wicked that will accompany His appearing. According to these verses in Mal. 3, there is one who is going to come to prepare the way for the Lord, and then: "And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,' says the LORD of hosts. 'But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap...He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness." (Mal. 3:1-3). Here we have the announcement of the appearing of the Lord, and the preparation of His people for the event, as we had with the Passover and the applying of the lamb's blood to the doorposts. Again, His people have to prepare themselves becauae judgment will be carried out with the Lord's appearing, as it was with the Egyptians: "And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien - because they do not fear Me,' says the LORD of hosts. 'For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed , O sons of Jacob....Return to Me, and I will return to you,' says the LORD of hosts." (Mal. 3:5-7). Because this reading portion is included as a reading for Shabbat HaGadol, I am beginning to see that the first Passover as a warfare event that is repeated in the Gospels' appearance of Jesus, as well as in the prophecies of His return, as we will see. We read that Jesus and His disciples observed the Passover, and shared a Passover meal, or Seder, together. On that Passover before Jesus died, scripture says that Satan entered into Judas Iscariot at the same time that the chief priests sought how they might kill Jesus (Lk. 22:1-3). It is the unleavened bread of the Passover meal that Jesus identified as His body broken for us, and the wine of the Passover Seder as His blood given for the New Covenant of salvation: "Then He (Jesus) said to them, 'With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer...And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise, He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." (Lk. 22:15-20). Our communion remembrance comes from that Passover Seder. Jesus died on the cross on the Passover, at the same time of day when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed in the temple court. Paul later made sure that we understood that Jesus was not just, as John the Baptists proclaimed, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29, 36), but that Jesus was specifically our Passover Lamb.(1 Cor. 5:7). We can see the warfare of the Passover as Satan actively entered the traitor, Judas, and as the religious leaders plotted to kill Jesus. The warfare is engaged, and the battle is won by the blood of our Passover Lamb. The blood is like a two-edged sword: on one hand, providing its protection for those covered by it, and, on the other hand, excluding from its protection those not covered by it. We see the warfare of our Passover Lamb again in the Book of Revelation. The only One considered worthy to be able to open the seals of judgment against the wicked in heavens and the earth is the Lamb (Rev. 5:1-6, 6:1). All creatures, both in heaven and of the earth proclaim in that moment: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing!' (Rev. 5:11-14). Jesus is also identified as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah", and as "the Root of David", but it is the Lord as the Passover Lamb who executes the judgment. It is the Lamb who goes to war. We are told of a great warfare in heaven in which the serpent, that is the devil, or Satan, is cast down out of heaven with his angels, and it is made clear how this mighty victory was won: "And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Rev. 12:7-11). On this Shabbat HaGadol, the Sabbath before the Passover, and during the Passover itself, let us keep in mind the appearing of the Lord, the preparation of His people for that appearing, and His execution of judgment against the oppressors. However, most of all, let us understand the warfare of the Passover Lamb. If you would like to know more about our Passover Lamb, Jesus, you can pray with me: "Lord Jesus, as my Passover Lamb, You died for my sins. You died to protect me from death. Because of the covering of Your blood, death has passed over me, and spared me. Your Passover Lamb's blood that has protected me, also testifies against those who have refused the work and protection of Your blood. It is as my Passover Lamb that You do warfare in the heavens and on earth, and execute judgment. Fill me with the Holy Spirit Who guides me through Your refining and purging process in order to prepare me in righteousness for Your appearing. I depend upon the work of the Passover Lamb in me, and in the earth. I ask this in Your holy Name, AMEN."

Monsters&Men

This Sabbath reading will be the first of our solar calendar year 2022. Although the LORD had appeared to Abraham generations before, the LORD had a new revelation of Himself to give to Moses and the children of Israel, who were in bondage in Egypt. God revealed His name: YHWH, or as translated in English, LORD: "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them." (Ex. 6:2-3). The four Hebrew letters of His name are yod: meaning "hand/arm, completed work", heh: meaning "behold, reveal", vaw: meaning "nail, nailed to", heh:meaning again "behold, reveal". This 4-lettered name gives us the picture of Christ: a completed work connected to a nailed hand. With the revealing of the name, YHWH, the LORD also associated this name with seven promises. In fact, the LORD bookends these promises with the statement of His name: "...say to the children of Israel: I am the LORD (YHWH); 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...And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD (YHWH)." (v. 6-8). As well as there being seven promises spoken here, the number seven is associated with the Sabbath. Moses brought the revelation of the Name YHWH and its promises to the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him to do: "...but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage." (v. 9). The scriptures recognize that because of the anguished condition of their spirits from their cruel treatment, the Hebrew slaves were not able to receive or believe these promises of the LORD. In this case, we can see that the people of God, because of their anguished condition, would not be delivered out of Egypt because of their great faith in God, nor because they had an understanding or great knowledge of God. God would deliver them because He promised to do so. I began to see this epic account of the deliverance of the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt as an example of God's spiritual warfare over that country, but also having importance to us today, as I hope to share. Moses was given this command by God: "Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land." (v. 11). Well, the victory was not immediately seen. The LORD's first problem was not with Pharaoh, however. It was with Moses! Moses didn't like the idea that he should go in before Pharaoh with the command of the LORD (Ex. 6:12, 30). Moses didn't see anything special about himself that he should be given the task of confronting Pharaoh, and leading Israel out of Egypt. As far as he was concerned, he was a shepherd in the wilderness, working with his father-in-law, and he was happy to remain so. This is exactly what made Moses the kind of man God could use in this great story of deliverance. Finally, Moses did go with his brother Aaron before Pharaoh repeatedly to deliver the Word of the LORD to let His people go. Again, success was not immediately seen. Pharaoh did not listen to the words of Moses because his magicians, using occultic power, could duplicate the fearsome signs that the LORD had shown Moses to do, but God was not done yet. As the LORD worked on Pharaoh, eventually there were signs performed by Moses that Pharaoh's magicians could not duplicate, and they even told Pharaoh that these signs must be from God (Ex. Ch. 8, 9). At that point, Pharaoh would promise to let the children of Israel go, but then change his mind when the plagues were stopped: "And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses." (Ex. 9:34-35). As we can see from this Sabbath's reading, spiritual warfare requires endurance and patience. Don't lose hope; don't give up. In another reading for this Sabbath, at a later point in time, the LORD identified Pharaoh with a monster to Ezekiel, the prophet: "Thus says the LORD God: 'Behold I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster (tannin - dragon, serpent, sea monster, venomous snake) who lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, 'My River is my own; I have made it for myself." (Ezek. 29:1-3). This was the LORD's prophecy against Pharaoh and Egypt because, even centuries later, He remembered the way the Israelites' backs and shoulders were broken under their oppression (v. 6-7). "And the land of Egypt shall become desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the LORD, because he said, 'The River is mine, and I have made it." (v. 9). The LORD also prophesied through Ezekiel that He would give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to conquer, which He did (Ezek. 29:19). The LORD never forgets to bring justice to His people. As we can learn from this Sabbath reading from Ezekiel, when the LORD engages in spiritual warfare regarding nations, He identifies not only the leaders and people of the land, but also the demonic spirits that they have allowed to occupy and rule over their land. We see this demonic power present over kingdoms in the New Testament also. According to what Satan revealed in his challenge to Christ, the demonic realm seeks and claims the glory and power of the world's wealth: "Then the devil, taking Him (Jesus) up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, 'All this authority I will give to You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." (Lk. 4:5-7, Mt. 4:8-9). Jesus, of course, declined the offer, telling Satan that scripture commands "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve." (v. 8). We should know that the devil had spoken a lie to Jesus when he claimed that the kingdoms of the world belonged to him. The LORD said that He is the One who tears down kingdoms, and builds them up (Jer. 1:9-10). Although the Book of Revelation makes clear that the powers of darkness covet and seek to control the wealth of the world (Rev. Ch. 18), it also assures us: "...And there were loud voices in heaven saying, '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). The LORD concedes nothing to Satan, ever. We learn from the Sabbath verses in Ezekiel, where the LORD is setting His prophetic judgment over Egypt, that in order to clear the land of the "monster", He will make the land desolate and waste (see above Ezek. 29:9). It seems that glory, power, and wealth-seeking devils have no desire to rule over desolation, dust, jackals, and vultures! The scriptures warn us that many nations, as Egypt did, will face desolation as they have submitted themselves to these princes of darkness for the purpose of getting or keeping wealth, and those nations will begin to oppress people of faith because of it, as Egypt did. Scripture teaches as it warns: the love of money is the root of all evil, "for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Tim. 6:10). We, the people of God, should not connect ourselves to the love of money, because evil lies behind it. The LORD warns His people in scripture not to be part of these systems of monsters and men built upon blood and greed:"...Come out of her My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues..." (see Rev. 18:2-5). It is an evil with which the LORD promises to deal crushingly. Although we will see the desolation of many nations now and in the future because of the things we are discussing here, another Sabbath reading portion gives us a promise of the renewal found in the salvation of the Messiah, God's Servant, God's Elect One, who has been revealed to us as Jesus: "...I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles/nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison...I am the LORD (YHWH); and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them...The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man...He shall prevail against His enemies..." (Isa. 42:6-13, excerpt). If you would like to learn more about these things which are prophesied to come to pass, you can join me in prayer: "Heavenly Father, You have revealed Your Name, YHWH, to us, and the picture of Christ within it, and the promises connected with that mighty Name. They are promises of deliverance, of Your possession of us as Your people, the giving of Yourself to us as our God, and the inheritance You have set aside for us. As You deal with the nations of the earth, even my nation, take me deeper into Your salvation through Jesus, and fill, lead and keep me in Your ways by Your Holy Spirit. I set my faith, trust, and deliverance into Your hands, for You have promised to overcome Your enemies. I ask and receive this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

Seven

Every word of every line in scripture is full of a wealth of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and prudence. Every letter of every word of every line is full of life and salvation. Every word of God packs a "wallop" of truth. Searching out the richness and depth contained in His word is always exciting to me. Let's do some digging into some verses from the Book of Proverbs:
"These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination (disgusting thing, abhorrent, utterly detested) to Him (His soul):
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren."    Prov. 6:16-19
In the verses right before these above (v. 12-15), the LORD, through King Solomon, describes the character of a wicked or worthless man (idolator, Belial/Baalial: Satan, devil). He describes the end of such a man as sudden (in the blink of an eye, in an instant), and without remedy (incurable, without mending/healing).
The seven characteristics listed as an abomination to God seem to be a disparate group. Lying, mischief, and sowing discord are given the same weight as murder in this abomination. Why are these different things grouped together, and why are some of these things part of an "abomination", the worst kind of evil in God's eyes? The number seven is also pointedly used. The number seven ("swear, take an oath") in scripture is often associated with the Sabbath. The LORD created for six days and rested on the seventh. The Sabbath is one of those things in the word of God that we need to contemplate and consider more seriously. The LORD declared the Sabbath to be holy, and commanded His people to keep the Sabbath in that holiness. The meanings incorporated into Sabbath include "rest, cease, restrain, to make an end of an enemy or war or contention, day of atonement, to celebrate, the exultation of having a redeemer". The Sabbath is not just a religious rule and observance, but a power gift from God to man, an invaluable weapon in our spiritual warfare against evil. Jesus put it this way:
"And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."   Mk. 2:27-28
Looking at the seven things comprising the abomination mentioned in Proverbs, and the context in which it was discussed, I believe these seven things represent a kind of satanic seven, or in other words, a perversion of the LORD's perfect seven, His Sabbath. Those who join in the practice of this behavior are certainly joining in the doctrine of devils.
As we look at the items one by one, we can see a revealing of Satan, and his opposition and rebellious confrontation to the character of God, and the Person of Christ imbedded in the LORD's Sabbath, and his attempt to derail the knowledge of salvation:
1.  a proud (to exalt oneself, magnify oneself, to be rotten, to be wormy) look (of mental and spiritual faculties, the eye, spring, fountain):
Satan is the embodiment of rebellious, destructive, wormy spiritual pride (Isa. 14:11-15). The same pride in men is the source of many destructive sorrows. Ultimately pride will destroy the one who embraces it.
2.  a lying (deception, including that which leads to betrayal, fraud, deceit, trick, cheat, sham, deal falsely, self-deceived, break a covenant, deceive in a covenant) tongue (language, slander, accuse, flame):
Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived man, and represented God and His word falsely. He is described as one "who deceives the whole world" (Rev. 12:9), and as the father of lies (Jn. 8:44). Jesus said that those who deny Him and God's truth have Satan as a father. Satan is also the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10) . Judas, who betrayed Christ for coin, is described as "the son of perdition" (Jn. 17:12), which would associate him with Satan and hell. Jesus, in an opposite manner, came as truth, and was full of truth (Jn. 1:14, Jn. 14:6, Jn. 8:32,36). Jesus said the word of God is truth, and has the power to sanctify (Jn. 17:17). No wonder Satan and those who submit to his ways work so hard against the truth.
3.  Hands that shed (pour out, gush out, heap up) innocent blood (guiltless, blameless, die, cause to be silent): 
Jesus said that Satan was a murderer from the beginning (Jn. 8:44). Satanic worship through the idol and false god, Ba'al (see above mention of Belial), included the murder of children for centuries, which we still see in practice today through unlimited abortion. We have caused millions of lives to be silenced before they ever had the opportunity to speak. I wonder what they would have had to say that made them such a threat? Murder of the born and the unborn has become so wide-spread that one pope characterized the time in which we live as "a culture of death". God cries out about His people who "make haste to shed innocent blood" (Isa. 59:7). In contrast, Jesus is the force of life in man (Jn. 1:3-4). His power of life is so great, that death cannot hold Him. He IS resurrection life (Jn. 11:25).
4.  a heart (inner most part, conscience, knowledge, determination of will) that devises (cut in, engrave, plough, inscribe letters on a tablet) wicked plans/imaginations (cunning thoughts invented for idolatry, affliction, sorrow, evil, and trouble):
Man doesn't realize that even his thoughts are like engravings in stone. They are not hidden, nor are they constrained to remain as invisible substance. Our thoughts "become" (Gen. 6:5, 11-12).Our thoughts and self-will are a powerful playground for Satan because of our unawareness. Paul said that our spiritual warfare against evil powers begins in the taking captive of our own imaginations (2 Cor. 10:4-5). The LORD speaks of those among His people whose thoughts are full of iniquity (Isa. 59:7). The betrayal of Christ had its beginning when Judas allowed Satan to enter his heart (Jn. 13:2). God has provided armor to stand against the devil (Eph. 6:11-18), and part of the armor is the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate of righteousness to protect the heart and mind. Scripture teaches us to fill our minds and hearts, to wash them, with God's word instead (Ps. 1:1-2).
5.  feet (journey, way, slander, tale-bearer) that are swift (hasty, do quickly) in running to evil/mischief (evil, unkind, vicious, injury, misery, calamity, distress, broken asunder): 
Jesus said that He is the way ((Jn. 14:6), and it is following Him that man's feet and path are meant to go. The feet that are blessed are the feet that bring the good news of peace, glad tidings and salvation (Isa. 52:7). The LORD speaks sadly about His own people who are swift to do evil, and whose crooked paths are full of wasting and destruction (Isa. 59:7-8). Jesus told His betrayer, the son of perdition, to go quickly to do the evil that was in his mind to do (Jn. 13:27).
6.  a false witness (testimony, prince, recorder, evidence of a thing, say again and again, bear witness to the truth, to restore and relieve) who speaks (bring into a snare, kindle a fire, scoff, to breathe, to blow) lies (thing that deceives, false hope of an idol):
This witness above is the opposite of the witness of truth. John the Baptist came to bear witness to the Light and Truth, who was Christ, so that others could believe (Jn. 1:7-8, Jn. 5:33). The Father bore witness to His Son (Jn. 5:37, Mt. 3:17), Jesus' works bore witness to who He is (Jn. 5:36), all of the scriptures bear witness to Jesus as the Son, and Savior (Jn. 5:39). This holy witness is not to snare, but to free and save, not to give deceiving false promises as an idol does, but to give the unbreakable, eternal promises of the Almighty. The power of only two or three witnesses is so great that their every word will be established (2 Cor. 13:1, Deut. 19:15). No wonder Satan has a false witness on his seven list. The evil of the false witness is so great that when they are discovered the LORD ordered them to be "put away... from among you", and the evil they intended to create through their false witness against another would come upon them instead (Deut. 19:19).
7.  one who sows (send, let loose, show forth) discord (strife, contention, quarrel) among the brethren (confederates, resemblance, kinship, any other man):
The seven, or Sabbath, of God ends strife and contention, according to its meaning. The seven of Satan fosters it (Prov. 6:14). The anointed people of God walk in unity with the brethren (Ps. 133). The end or completion of the work of Christ in us, in part, is the unity of the faith (Eph. 4:13). We can see that Satan has much to gain if he can keep the Church, and the brethren from this unity, and foment strife in its place. He cuts off the full stature image of, or resemblance to Christ in the believer, and the Church, and consequently in the world. A Church divided by strife and contention serves Satan's agenda of seven very well.
While these seven abominable characteristics from Proverbs would appear to be Satan's countermeasure against the word and will of God, and the knowledge of Christ, they are not foregone conclusions by any means. Destruction is their sudden end. The people of God are called to resist these things (James 4:7), and bear witness to the truth of God (Rev. 12:11).
We can see the importance of this calling to truth and life as we meditate on these things this Sabbath day. Shabbat Shalom.

Our Father has delivered us out of the abomination, and into His Sabbath.

"Abad-Shamar"

Satan drew man into sin by telling a lie. It is a lie that not only worked then, but is still working now. It is not a lie directed only towards those who are already perishing, but it is especially directed towards those who, like Adam, were created, or reborn, in the image of God, and who are called the "sons of God". Scripture tells us that, if possible, even the elect will be deceived (Mt. 24:24). After all, it does not benefit Satan to deceive those already condemned, but to deceive the sons of God. If the whole world is deceived at the same time, so much the better.
The custom-tailored lie with which Satan chose to deceive Adam questioned the truth of what God had instructed Adam:
"Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"....Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die."  Gen. 3:1, 4
We may say, "But it was Eve who was deceived." This is true, but Adam was recorded as being present every step of the way, and consenting (Gen. 3:6). Being present at the scene at the time, if Adam had not also been deceived, he would have stopped his wife from partaking of a death sentence, and he certainly would not have also partaken himself: "She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."
As devastating as the lie has proven to be, there is a story behind the lie. The lie with which Satan chose to lure Adam was not chosen at random. Satan perceived a weakness in Adam, and custom-tailored his lie to successfully exploit the weakness. The weakness did not die with Adam, the son of God. The weakness, like the lie, persists today even regarding each of us, the sons of God through Christ. What did Satan see in the man that led this cunning, wily creature to choose the lie that he chose? It is important for us to know for ourselves.
We cannot say that Adam didn't know the Word of God. He was told the Word before Eve was created (see Gen. 2:15-18). Not only did he know it, but he even overemphasized the wording and danger of it, according to Eve's understanding (Gen. 3:3).   
So, how did Satan know that Adam would choose to ignore the Word of God? Adam was given two other instructions by God even before the command regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We tend to overlook these two commands, thinking we understand what they involved by the common English words used to describe them. However, the two preceding commands are extremely important, and anything but common, in the Hebrew language. God "took" (take away, carry off, carry away) the man He had created, and "put" (to rest, give rest to, make quiet, to cause to rest, to be granted rest, to pacify) him in the Garden (enclosed, fenced garden, to defend, cover, surround, to hedge about, protect) of Eden (pleasure, delight, luxury, dainty, finery, delicate, to be soft or pleasant, to conduct oneself softly), and then instructed him. In the commands from God, Adam was told to dress ("abad"- servant, to work, to make oneself a servant, bond-servant, enslave, worshipper) and to keep ("shamar"- to be on one's guard, to keep, guard, observe, give heed, watch, watchman, protect, save life, preserve, reserve, beware, pay heed) the garden (Gen. 2:15). 
As we will see later, these same commands were also the understanding of the Son of God, Jesus, and He fulfilled much of His Messianic purpose around them. When the Apostle Paul referred to himself as a "slave" or "bond-servant" of Christ (Rom. 1:1, Phil. 1:1, Titus 1:1), he was referring to "abad". We can know for sure that Adam neglected these first two commands, because of what occurred afterwards. Satan, in the form of a serpent, was allowed to come into the garden by Adam, and challenge the Word of God. Even before Satan's lie, Adam had failed to "shamar" - to protect and preserve. He failed as a watchman. He failed to beware, letting his guard down. When Satan began to challenge the truth of the Word that God had given the man, Adam failed as an "abad" worshipper and bond-servant, who should have immediately defended His Father's truth. Satan had seen by these failures that Adam could be successfully challenged in the commands he had been given by God.
Knowing the Word is a necessary thing. However, Adam's weakness was a weakness in character, as much, if not more, than a lack of Word knowledge, and Satan was able to overcome him. It is the same for us today. We strive to know the scriptures, but if we are not transformed by them in nature and character, we also can be easily deceived:
"And do not be conformed (to the same pattern) to this world, but be transformed (change into another form, transfigure) by the renewing (renovation, complete change for the better)of your mind (understanding, reason, thoughts, feelings, purposes, desires, the capacity for spiritual truth, perceiving divine things, considering and judging soberly, recognizing goodness and hating evil), that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  Rom. 12:2
Jesus was also tempted in the wilderness by Satan, as Satan again tried to twist, turn, and challenge a Son (Mt. 4:6) with the Word of God. As we see from His responses to that temptation, Jesus overcame the temptation with a faithful knowledge of the Word. However, every response He gave to the temptations also expressed His obedience in character to the abad and shamar commands of God to a Son (Mt. 4:4, 7,10).  
Jesus viewed Himself as an "abad" servant to His Father, and He was always discerning and determined to keep, or "shamar", and preserve what had been given into His care:
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day."   Jn. 6:38-39
"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me, I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled."   Jn. 17:12, 18:9
This is what it means to be a Son. This is what it means to be transformed by the abad and shamar of the Word. This is also our challenge. We must also be abad servants, being the shamar the Father has ordained us to be. Unfortunately, the prevailing sentiment of our time, and of this world is, "It's all about me." It seems that by the manner in which Adam so quickly accepted the lie that God was withholding good things to which Adam felt entitled (Gen. 3:5), he showed that he believed this philosophy of the world also. The lie of Satan played right into Adam's already revealed heart of resentment and rebellion towards his God Who had saved him out of the dust of the world, created him as His son, carried him away from danger, and set him in a protected place of restful delight.
The lie is still around, and the same weak character of Adam is still drawn to it. However, we have been called to abad and shamar.

Our Father has called us to be sons of God.

Cover

"...You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty...You were the anointed (outspread wings, to smear, to rub with oil, to draw the hand over anything, to spread over anything) cherub (angelic guardians- flanking the throne of God, hovering over the ark of the covenant, chariot of Jehovah, angelic representations in the innermost part of the holy tabernacle and temple of Solomon) who covers (covering, defense, hedge in, join together, stop the approach, weave together, interweave); I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones (stones of fire) (precious stones, building stones, altar fire of God, splendor and brightness, wrath)."     Ez. 28:11, 14
These verses above are, to me, some of the most pathetic in all scripture. Although it is written to the king of Tyre (rock used as a knife), these verses in Ezekiel 28 are directed toward Lucifer. It is a picture of wasted privilege, wasted gifting, calling and purpose, wasted glory, and position of trust and honor. The very one who had been created to be a covering, became the remover of covering, the accuser of the brethren, the accuser of the world. The one who was to be the defender, became the adversary. He had the privilege to be a covering to God, to the covenant of God, to the blood of sacrifice poured out upon the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies. The one who was the "light-bearer" of God, Lucifer, now only uses his light to masquerade and deceive (2 Cor. 11:14).
He is described as "anointed", the anointing being like spread out wings, and his purpose was to cover. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the anointed One, covers with His blood. Many of the anointed ones in scripture were priests and kings, again, those who "cover" the people, and the land. To be priests and kings, as you know, is also our calling (1 Pet. 2:9, Rev. 1:6, 5:10). This calling is not for the purpose of being exalted over others, but in order to cover.
Satan moved King David to number the people of Israel (1 Chron. 21:1). Instead of being a covering as king, David removed the covering over his people. We don't want to be likewise moved by Satan.
Remember, "anointed" here means to cover with spread out wings, to spread or cover with oil. Often, I think, as we consider ourselves "anointed" by God, we forget this meaning, being impressed instead by the privilege of anointing. The name Lucifer, is a lesson to us in itself, as well as being a prophetic decree of his own end. While his name in Hebrew means, "light-bearer, shining one, morning star, to be clear, to be brilliant", in the root meaning of this name, we see a descent from the heights to the depths. His name becomes "to boast, to make into a fool, to act like a madman". We see this similar descent in an earthly king who abused his charge to be a covering over God's people, Judah, while they were in exile. This was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (see Dan. 4). He fell from glory into insanity. As he humbled himself under heaven, God was able to restore him to his kingdom.
As God describes the glory and promise of this creature, the anointed cherub, through His prophet, Ezekiel above, we also hear the pathos and sorrow of a purpose thrown away. Iniquity caused this turning away from his glorious covering purpose (Ezek. 28:15). Iniquity means "injustice, violent deeds of injustice, injustice of speech, wickedness, depravity, iniquity as of a judge, (root) to deal unjustly, distort morally, turn away, turn aside". This is about judging gone wrong. It was not Lucifer's job to judge as the anointed cherub who covers. It was his job to cover. Lucifer judged men (Job 1:11, 2:4-5), and he judged God (Job 1:9). Lucifer's covering was to be a defense, a hedging about, according to the Hebrew meaning. Yet he mocked the hedging about of men by God:
"Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? But now, stretch out Your hand...and he will surely curse You to Your face!"   Job 1:9-10
In all of these things, Satan judged falsely (Job 2:10).
In contrast is the life of Noah. He saw judgment coming, and built a covering by the instruction of God. Even as he covered, he was also covered. Those meant to find the covering, found it (Noah, his family, the animals chosen). Those who mocked and rejected the covering that Noah provided, remained uncovered in the judgment.
At the darkest, emptiest condition of creation, the Holy Spirit covered (Gen. 1:2).
Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, came to cover, although that covering was rejected (Mt. 23:37, Lk. 13:34).
The secret place of the Most High is found under the covering of His wings:
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty...He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge."
                                                                                                              Ps. 91:1-4
This secret place of the Most High is a place that I covet dearly. Yet, I cast others out of this precious place by carelessly exposing them and removing their covering. If I remove their covering, I will also be uncovered. I don't want to live all my life only to discover too late that I had turned away from the purpose for which God had anointed me as a priest and a king. I would rather err on the side of covering too much, if there is such a thing, than to be one who uncovers.
Noah, our hero of covering, fell into shame through drunkenness. He had three sons. One of his sons saw his father's shameful condition, and told his two brothers. Those two brothers, however, together backed into their father's tent, and covered their father's disgrace with a garment. God blessed the two sons who covered their father. The son who spoke of his father's disgrace was cursed, and his descendants lost the habitation of the land, Canaan. The covering action of the two sons may even have lengthened Noah's life, because we are told that Noah lived an additional 150 years (Gen. 9:20-29). We can choose to cover, or to uncover.
Part of the work of the anointing that covers, as we see in the verses from Ezekiel at the top of the page, is a "joining together, a weaving together, and interweaving".  We see a beautiful illustration of this in Psalm 133. The unity of the brethren was like the oil of anointing that completely covered  the high priest Aaron ("light bringer") from head, over beard, or covering of the chin, over garments, a covering of the body, to the feet and beyond. So even his covering was covered! This covering and joining together of the brethren is equated to the blessing of life forevermore. The anointing, the covering, the joining together, the blessing. One cannot be removed from the other. 
However, often we uncover our spouses, our parents, even our own children, our spiritual brothers and sisters who are fellow members of the body of Christ. We uncover those who have been given spiritual responsibility for us. I try not to uncover, because I instinctively know the harm in it, but it comes out of my mouth sometimes anyway. Often, we uncover others in order to justify ourselves. There will always be those who rip away the covering. We need more of those who will rush in to cover.
God said that He found His chosen, Jerusalem, in a naked condition, and He covered her:
"...so I spread My wing over you, and covered your nakedness...Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk..."   Ezek. 16:8-9
I want to be one who covers.

Our Father anoints us to cover.


    Noah covered by his sons

Hakal-HaShem

 

This is part 2 of the discussion that we began in the last entry. In the previous post, we looked at the house of God, built by the Son of David, Jesus, which is a house, or temple, for the Father's name, Hakal HaShem. It is a place of miraculous, delivering, restoring, overcoming prayer for all nations. We are that living house, built out of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Jn. 2:18-22). This spiritual and living house, which we are, is built after the same prophetic pattern of the natural temple built by David's son, King Solomon (1 Kings 8). We should understand what scripture has said about that house, as we become built into the spiritual house after the pattern, so please read the previous entry. Jesus has great, even violent zeal for this house built from His blood and body (Mt. 21, Mk. 11, Lk. 19, Jn. 2). This living house worships God in Spirit and in Truth. This place for the Father's name, both in the earth, in the Spirit, and as we will see, in heaven, will become the focal point in the showdown between the holiness of God, and the eternal evil of Satan.
Both a natural temple, the spiritual temple, and the heavenly temple of the name of God, have important roles in the End Times, leading up to the return of Christ. We are living in that time, and we must become aware of our vital, spiritual role.
The Apostle Paul described the events that must take place before the day of Christ's return, and our gathering together to Him:
"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin (lawlessness) is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God....And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders..."   2 Thess. 2:3-9 (excerpt)
The goal of the one we know as the Antichrist, empowered by Satan, is to inhabit the physical temple of God, as God. Although sometimes we don't recognize the importance of the place of God's name, the Antichrist evidently will know and understand it, and desire it above all things. He reflects Satan's covetous desire in this (Isa. 14:12-15). This spirit of lawlessness is already at work in the earth (2 Thess. 2:7), as we can also plainly see as we look at the events of today. "Lawlessness" describes our times perfectly.
Those who are deceived by the antichrist succumb to that condition because they have chosen to turn away from the truth of God: "...because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (v. 10).
We may say that though the antichrist may seat himself in the earthly temple of God yet to be built, he will not be able to inhabit us, the living, spiritual temple of Christ. Actually, Jesus warns that the spiritual temple is in danger as well:
"Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!", or "There!" do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (eklektos: picked out, chosen by God to obtain salvation; choose out for one's self as Christ chose the disciples). See, I have told you before hand."  
                                                                                                      Mt. 24:23-25
As we, the chosen for salvation, turn further and further from the truth of God, as we are currently doing, we become very vulnerable to all spiritual lies and deceptions, and particularly this deception. Yes, it is very possible that the antichrist may try to inhabit even this living temple of God's name. If he cannot inhabit it by our permission, he is not averse to inhabiting it by force. We must be prepared against that. Paul exhorts the church in 2 Thess. 2 to "stand fast" and hold to what we have been taught (v. 13-15). If we doubt the elect's vulnerability, we can see it in the pitiful question that Jesus asked: "Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Lk. 18:8
The Book of Revelation, chapter 13, describes the antichrist as a "beast" (dangerous, venomous, wild animal, preparing destruction, and hunting for men as prey). Also said of the beast:
"Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme (speaking evil, slanderous, railing, abusively) His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven." v.6
He is allowed to make war on the saints, and to overcome them. Authority is given to him over every tribe, tongue and nation (v. 7).
What is the living tabernacle of God, the place of His name, to be doing in all this? I can tell you that the heavenly tabernacle is singing to the Lamb, Jesus, and declaring with all of their might:
"You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth...Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"  Rev. 5:9-12
This is what the heavenly temple of God is saying. This is to be our song and declaration as God's spiritual temple, as well. Like the heavenly temple, this living spiritual temple within us is the place where the Lamb of God is enthroned. Within this spiritual temple, miraculous intercessory prayer takes place, by which the Father sends the answer of all-powerful deliverance.
After the proclamation in the heavenly temple, all creation, every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea, also begins to proclaim the eternal rulership of Christ. And the judgment seals begin to be opened by Him.
As the persecution of the people of God becomes intense, as they are being chased down to be devoured (Rev. 12), again, we see the worship and praise in the heavenly temple calling forth the destruction of those who destroy the earth (Rev. 11:16-18). And then intercession of the temple of God:
"Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail."
                                                                                                            Rev. 11:19
God's people are miraculously delivered from the flood of destruction (Rev. 12:14-16).
Are we getting a picture of the enormous importance of the temple of God in all of these events?
Before the destruction of the beast, and the bloody system of wealth called Babylon, that sits upon him, the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the wrath of God, the seven last plagues that complete the wrath of God, are released. Yes, these angels are released by the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb (Saved Israel and the Church together) that come froth out of the temple of God (Rev. 15:1-4).
"And after these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened....The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed."  Rev. 15:5, 8
The innermost Holy of Holies of the temple of God is opened to be seen by all.
Can we see the importance of our role as the living, spiritual temple, the place for God's name, hakal HaShem, built by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, cleansed by His zeal for His Father's name, the place where the Lamb of God is enthroned, the place filled with His Spirit and with His glory, with the Father's power of prayer, especially for the very days in which we live now, and will soon see? Can we understand how important it is for us to "stand fast" in the truth that we have been taught, as Paul instructed us to do? A great deal depends upon it.
This topic is huge, but alas, my space here is not! I have learned much in this sturdy, and I hope I have been able to share some of it with you in these last two posts.

Our Father has a living temple, on earth, in heaven, in us, built by His Son. AMEN!

"Bow Down and Worship Him"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ks05wY8m0s

"Worthy Is The Lamb"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAplJ0_jDFc

"I Bowed on My Knees"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc2xGXONv4I