"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven- things which angels desire to look into." 1 Pet. 1:10-12
When I read the verses above the other day, I couldn't help but consider the prophets of God.
As I consider the prophets of scripture, I wonder what it was like to see and hear by the Spirit of Prophecy, which is the living Word, the person of Jesus. Though He was not yet born in the flesh, Jesus showed the prophets things concerning Himself that caused the prophets to search and search, trying to see more deeply into what they were being shown. They searched the words of the prophets who had come before them to find out more. They were shown such an awesome mystery, that even the angels didn't know the details, though they desired to know.
Among other things, they were shown a suffering savior, who through the sufferings of His own body and soul, provided salvation, atonement, healing, redemption, restoration and resurrection to all men who would accept Him. Death itself would be defeated by the Savior. Not all who read these prophecies, including kings and religious leaders, accepted them, and that sad fact continues today.
The prophets saw that the resulting glory of the Savior's victory would be so great, that even new heavens and a new earth would be generated from it. These prophets were told and saw incredible things by the Lord. With being shown all of these amazing things, according to the verse from 1 Peter above, they were also shown that they would not see the manifestation of these things in their own lifetime, but were to prophesy them for the sake of some generation to come, not knowing how long that might be. They saw the miracle of salvation, but it was not to be for them at that time. It could only be for them in hope and faith. Can we even imagine how the prophets felt about that? And yet the prophets prophesied it for our sakes. When we desire something, we want to know from the Lord, "When, God, when?" How would we feel if we knew that what we were praying for, what we deeply needed and desired, would surely manifest, but not for generations to come? Would that knowledge change the enthusiasm and hope in our prayers?
We who believe God want as many eyes and ears as possible to see and hear the message we bring. One person recently told me that they knew how it felt to prophesy, but no one would hear or believe. It could be that this person spoke from a place of frustration. It's true that human ears need to hear what the prophet is saying, but the prophets were at their greatest when it was just them and God.
The prophets of scripture not only prophesied to both hearing and unhearing human ears, but were called to prophesy when there were no ears at all to hear. They prophesied from caves (1 Sam. 24:10, 1 Ki. 18:4, 1 Ki. 19:9, 13, Ps. 142:1, Jn. 11:38), from a valley of dry bones (Ez. 37:1), from pits (Jer. 18:18, 20), from inside the belly of a great fish (Jonah 1:17, 2:1), from a den of lions (Dan. 16:16), from an island of exile (Rev. 1:9), from a prison cell (Gen. 39:20, Isa. 53:8, Acts 16:23-24, 1 Pet. 3:19), from a wilderness (Mt. 4:1, 11:7), from a sheepfold (Amos 1:1), from a battle (Judges 4:8-9). They were commanded to prophesy through horrible marriages (Hos. 1:2), through the children they conceived (Isa. 8:3-4, 1 Sam. 4:20-22), through the dung they cooked over (Ez. 4:12, 15), by what side of their body they lay upon (Ez. 4:3-8), by the clothes they wore, or didn't wear (Isa. 20:2-4, Mt. 3:4), by wearing animal yokes (Jer. 27:1-2), by the strange food they ate (Mk. 1:6). Yet they continued to prophesy for our sake. I received my salvation from the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 53) spoken 750 years before the birth of Christ. Isaiah saw Him, and described Him to me in the words of his book.
Has the Church ignored, neglected and misused this precious spiritual gift of the prophet who has been sent today to equip us, and edify us with the knowledge of Jesus Christ? What about the other gifts set among us for the Lord's purpose: apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph. 4:11-13)? Have we had a lack of understanding regarding their divine purpose to us, the Church? It's very possible that we have consumed them on our flesh, with our fleshly needs and demands, rather than to have understood that the purpose and goal of the Lord was for us to grow in the unity of faith, and into the perfect man, with the stature of the fullness of Christ. As a result, we have become a Church of stunted growth, and disunity.
As I read the verses in 1 Pet. 1:10-12, it gave me a lot of food for thought.
Our Father has sent us prophets.
"Prophesy"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG7SVAWNyg0
"Song of Ezekiel"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi3R3Ork7VM
"Days of Elijah"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjxNhMV9yg8
In the previous entry, we talked about spiritual food. This time, I would like to think about spiritual cups. The imagery in the scriptures connected to spiritual cups is very deep, and heavy to contemplate. On one hand, the spiritual cups are connected to judgment for the sake of justice. On the other hand, there are also cups for the purpose of salvation and redemption. Whole nations, individuals, evil spiritual powers, and even the Savior drink from various spiritual cups in the scriptures. Let us look at some references.
"Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup." Ps. 11:6
In the context of this psalm noted above, the "wicked" are seeking every opportunity to harm and kill God's people. The wicked are defined as those who love to do violence (v.5). As we will see, these cups of judgment are given in the face of great spiritual wickedness.
God also gives cups of judgment to His own covenant people to drink (Isa. 51:17), then says in later verses (v. 22-23):
Thus says your Lord, the LORD and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: "See, I have taken out of your hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of My fury; you shall no longer drink it. But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to you, "Lie down, that we may walk over you." And you have laid your body like the ground, and as the street, for those who walk over."
When God is giving His cup of trembling to His own people to drink, it is not for other nations to take advantage of this by adding their abuse upon God's people. He has given the cup to His own people in order to bring correction and repentance to them, so that ultimately He can restore their relationship with Him. Those who see the people of God undergoing this correction, and use it as an opportunity to add to their sorrows, will also drink the cup.
The Prophet Jeremiah gives us a prophecy of whole nations and peoples that will have to drink judgment from the hands of the LORD:
"For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them." Jer. 25:15-16
We may wonder why God judges whole nations. Because nations have ruled, and led the people in unrighteousness, many have suffered, many have died. Nations and rulers have responsibilities before God in governing the people. The first group that will drink this cup that the LORD has commanded to Jeremiah, are the kings and princes of His own people of Jerusalem and Judah. It is a tragedy for a nation when those who know God choose to lead in the same wickedness as those who have turned their backs on righteousness and justice. They will drink the same cup as those whose ways they follow.
Then the LORD names the other nations that will drink from this cup (v. 19-26). According to the translation of the names of these nations, they are not only natural peoples and nations, but evil spiritual powers. Their names translate as follows: "siege, distress, hostility, fire of infamy, fierce, greedy and harsh, exterminate, tear up by the roots, destroy, devastate, ruin, robbers, garments stained with blood, incestuous, inbred, knife, assault, bind, lie in wait for and hunt eagerly, covetous, lust after, contempt, despised, shamed, condemned, cut in pieces, to pluck or prune off fruit, sterile dry places, darkness as a result of turning away from the light, eternal hidden dissembler and deceiver, lurk, hide, hoard", and, an idol or goddess is named at the end (Sheshach) who represents the nation of Babylon, and is worshipped with licentious behavior.
We can see, from the names by which these nations are called, that evil in all of its destructive forms, has ruled over them. The LORD also says that "all the kingdoms of the world, which are on the face of the earth" will drink from this cup (v. 26).
God tells these nations and spiritual powers that if He makes His own people, the city of His own name, drink this cup, should the nations go unpunished? (v. 29).
Nations have bowed their heads to, and consorted with, these evil powers. God's own people have mixed with these powers. By embracing these evil principalities, nations have allowed, and participated in greed, death and destruction. One of God's twelve governmental names (Gen. 34:6-8) is "Just Judge". He cannot ignore injustice forever.
We have also been given a powerful picture of how these forces of evil and destruction have corrupted themselves, and seek to corrupt all of man. It also involves the drinking of a cup:
In Rev. 17 and 18, there is an example given of a cup from which a spiritual power gets drunk for enjoyment. This power has been given the name "Babylon" (confusion). It is so huge that it covers many waters. It is called the mother of all of the abominations of the earth. In its wine cup is the blood of saints, and martyrs that have been killed. The kings and inhabitants of the earth have committed fornication with this evil power, becoming rich on its wealth, and drunk on its wine. However, by the justice of God, that very cup with which this power becomes drunk with pleasure, becomes, instead, the cup of the fury of God (Rev. 18:3), and the fate of this evil power is to be destroyed in one day. The kings of the earth actually mourn her destruction, because they gained great wealth from her. A voice from heaven warns God's people, "Come out of her My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." (Rev. 18:4).
We have read above of the cups of judgment that the LORD pours for wicked powers and those who choose to follow them, so that He may establish justice for those who have been victims. Because He is the Just Judge, however, the LORD is also abounding in mercy, goodness, and truth. He provides for those who will so choose, cups of life and salvation. He is able to give us those cups, because His Son provided them for us at great cost through His own life. The prophets spoke of these cups. There is a cup of consolation (Jer. 17:7), and a cup of salvation (Ps. 116:12-13). King David spoke of a cup that the LORD gave to him that runs over with goodness and abundance (Ps. 23:5).
The Passover Seder prophesies through four cups of wine: the Kiddush cup of sanctification, the cup of deliverance, the cup of redemption, and the hallel cup of praise/acceptance/restoration.
Jesus fulfilled these prophetic cups as He and His disciples partook of them during Passover, including the cup of the new covenant from Jesus' own blood (Mt. 26:27). These same cups are available to all of us. How was all of this made possible? Again, it involved a cup:
In order to provide us with these cups, Jesus chose to drink another cup on our behalf. Jesus spoke of this spiritual cup that was purposed for Him to drink (Mt. 20:22). After the Passover Seder was completed, and just before He was arrested and crucified, Jesus and His disciples went out to the place called Gethsemane (wine press). The spiritual cup that Jesus drank at that time filled Him with great distress and sorrow (Mt. 26:37-38). Twice He asked His Father if the cup could pass away from Him. However, He drank it because He desired even more to fulfill His Father's will (Mt, 26:39, 42). This cup was a cup of "agony" (severe conflict and contention, a struggle for victory). So great was the spiritual struggle on our behalf, that Jesus began to sweat great drops of blood. These blood drops were of such a size and quantity that they fell to the ground (Luke 22:44). He survived this spiritual struggle because an angel strengthened Him (v. 43). He faced this struggle with no earthly help. Throughout it, His disciples were unaware, and unable to remain awake. They were not meant to fight this battle with Him, or for Him, but He had asked them to keep watch and pray during the ordeal. They were unable to do even this. However, Jesus drank the cup, and fought the battle.
All of these cups above, are of great spiritual power. They include cups of judgment to bring justice for those who are powerless, and to bring correction, and repentance to God's people. The cups may bring a last opportunity for souls to make a spiritual choice.
Still other cups bring us comfort, forgiveness, salvation, new covenant, communion and restoration with God. Let us choose these cups of goodness and mercy that our Father has provided for us.
Our Father has prepared spiritual cups.
"Cup of Salvation"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te1OUKl1_SY
We all understand how important food is to our lives. In our culture, especially, food has become a focal point. Television networks have been created around food. Even children, who used to desire to become policemen, firemen, or doctors, now may answer that their dream is to become a chef. What has caused this huge interest and focus upon food in our generation? Perhaps the answer can be found in a spiritual need. As great a role as natural food plays in our lives, the role of spiritual food is even greater. The topic is very interesting.
Jesus often described Himself as our food:
"Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." Jn. 6:53-58
"I am the bread of life...I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." Jn. 6:48-51
At the Passover table, which He shared with His disciples, He again said, "Take (the bread), eat; this is My body....Drink from it (the cup of wine) all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Mt. 26:26-28 (1 Cor. 11:24-25).
Jesus emphasized the point of being the food that will yield eternal life to us. He was so emphatic and graphic about it, that, at the time, many of His disciples grumbled and complained about the nature of His "strange" declaration (Jn. 6:60-61). There is still debate in the Church over the meaning of His words spoken here-are they to be taken literally, or are they meant as spiritually symbolic? Perhaps we can all agree on one general thought. When the first Adam turned his back on God, and chose to believe instead the lying evil embodied by the serpent, God then said to the serpent, "..On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life." (Gen. 3:14). The dust the serpent would eat is the dust to which Adam would return upon his death (Gen. 3:19, Ps. 104:29). Adam literally became the serpent's food. In doing what he did, Adam also doomed all of us to the same fate. God did not create us to become food for evil powers. Jesus, the second Adam, offers Himself as the spiritual food of life on behalf of all of us. We can agree that Jesus is the Bread of Life that delivered us from the power of death. He is our primary spiritual food. Eat of Him, and we will not be eaten, so to speak.
There are other interesting references to spiritual food which God has provided to us to eat:
"For God is my King from of old (before, ancient, eternal, beforetime), working (ordaining) salvation ("yeshua" salvation) in the midst (enter into, bring near, approach, draw near) of the earth. You divided (break asunder, make void, come to naught, break to bits) the sea (to roar) by your strength; You broke the heads (captains, rulers, chiefs, company) of the sea serpents (snake, hissing, whispering, dragon, enchanter, divination, fortune telling) in the waters (waters and water springs for washing, watering, and refreshing, instead become waters of danger, violence and things that pass away, rather than the eternal). You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness." Psalm 74:12-14
Some consider the creature "Leviathan" referred to above to be a natural creature, such as a crocodile, or a whale, or even a dinosaur, and it may be. Job 41 describes it as a fierce-some creature, whether spiritual or natural, certainly too great a creature for man to force to his will, or overcome by his own strength. Isaiah gives us a picture of Leviathan as a spiritual creature:
"In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the fleeing (fugitive, escaped, departed from its place, piercing, cutting through, breaking in) serpent (same as above-snake, hissing, whispering, enchanter, divination, fortune telling), Leviathan that twisted (tortuous, bent, twisted, perverted, wrong) serpent; and He will slay the reptile (serpent) that is in the sea," Isa. 27:1
As the verses in Psalm 74 tell us, these evil spiritual creatures are meant to become our food. We are not meant to become their food.
David describes a table that his Shepherd, the LORD, has prepared for him:
"You prepare (furnish, ordain, direct, array, arrange, set and lay in order) a table (king's table, stretch out, let loose, cast out, send away) before me in the presence of my enemies (enemy, distress, bind up, afflict, adversary, pangs, trouble, shut up, straits, press hard upon) ; You anoint (fatten, prosperity, become fat) my head with oil (fat, fatness, a feast of fat things), my cup runs over (wealth, abundance, satiated, satisfied, saturated)." Ps. 23:5
David ate a spiritual banquet in the face of his spiritual enemies.
The bread of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:30) that David ate (1 Sam. 21:6, Mt. 12:4, Mk. 2:26, Lk. 6:4) and the food that the Prov. 31 woman, who is a very interesting person to study in depth, provides to her household (Prov. 31:14), is not just a natural bread. It is "lechem", which is also the tabernacle shewbread. It comes from the root word, lacham, which means "to fight, make war, eat, overcome, devour, prevail). This could very well be the same Bread of Life that Jesus defined as being Himself. The Prov. 31 woman "brings" (includes the meaning "besiege") the shewbread to her table from afar (distant place, be removed, thrust away, repel). How does she obtain this spiritual food for her family? Verse 15 tells us that she rises, meaning "proven, fulfilled, persist, be fixed, stand, perform, confirm, continue", while it is yet night, providing (devote, consecrate, dedicate, yield produce, report, utter, stretch out) food (meat: prey, something torn in pieces, spoil) for her household (family, including descendants, to build, establish, make permanent), and even a portion (decree, statute, ordinance, law, bounds, commandment, prescribed limit, lawgiver, engrave, inscribe, mark out) for her servants (root: youth, overthrow, shake to and from, up and down, shake oneself, tumble).
This description from Proverbs 31, gives us a clearer idea of how we attain, are given, our spiritual food. In these verses, we can see that as we confirm and continue, as we stand fast, remain fixed, persist in our faith, and in the truth of God, spiritual food is provided for us, as God defeats His enemies. Even in darkness, we are to remain under the protective covering and shadow of the Most High. We devote and consecrate ourselves, and are not moved, nor compromised. The spiritual food that we eat, builds an eternal household, continuing to future generations. As we rely upon, and eat, this spiritual food provided by God, we become lawgivers who engrave, set and decree the commandments, limits and statutes of God to all creation, including evil spiritual adversaries. This benefits not only our own households, but also those who are depending upon us because they are vulnerable, those who are likely to be shaken, tossed, to stumble and fall.
Especially because of the times in which we live, it could very well be that the reason for our unusual interest in natural food can be found in the importance and depth of meaning in our seldom considered spiritual food.
Our Father has provided us with spiritual food.
"Bread of Heaven"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjVgm9-XTqQ
"The Body and the Blood"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzMrfzAaUk
A Look at Job 28
Men have been interested in finding out the origins of all things, including themselves, and have formed their theories regarding these things. The word "origins" is defined as "The point or place where something begins, arises, or is derived". In order to try to find these origins, they have examined their environment: earth, sea, including the deepest pits and abysses, and sky. They have searched to the edge of darkness, even to the deepest darkness, the shadow of death (Job 28:3). They have looked deep into the earth. They have looked at the bottom of the seas. They have examined the air, the atmosphere, and the space above the atmosphere, as far as it is possible to see at this time. Men have looked everywhere that it is physically possible for them to look in search of the origins of man and the universe.
In all of their searching, they have found the hidden places, and starting points of the riches of the earth: the places of silver, gold, precious jewels (Job 28:1-6). Man has found this hidden wealth, cutting through rocks, even overturning mountains to their bases (v.9-10). Man has discovered the sources of every mighty river and stream on earth, and can even stop and divert them in order to extract the hidden wealth and knowledge underneath them (v. 11). Man is of the understanding that there is not much that will remain hidden from him.
However, there is a hidden place, the place of origins, that man cannot see (v. 12-14). Because he cannot see it, man does not understand, nor measure its value, as he can with gold, silver, and gems (v. 15-19). This place cannot be easily found nor accessed from any place, earth, sea or air, that contains natural life:
"It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air." Job 28:21
In the same way that it is not in the physical heavens, it is also beyond the realm of the spiritual heavens. Even the most powerful created spiritual beings, Destruction ("Abaddon"), and Death ("Maveh") have only heard reports about it, but do not know it (v. 22).
The place, or point, of origins is beyond any place that contains creation, or created beings.
Only God knows the place and understands it (v. 23). From this place of origins, God established all of the laws and rules, all of the weights and measurements of the creation (v. 24-26) before the creation was even manifested.
God calls this concealed place of origins the place of wisdom ("chokma/chakam") and understanding ("biynah/biyn") (v. 7, 12, 20). This realm of wisdom and understanding inhabited by God, according to both the Hebrew and English meanings of the words, is a place to perceive, to discern, to understand, to distinguish, to separate mentally, to stand apart, to be separate, to teach and instruct, to perceive the intended meaning, to grasp the meaning or significnce of, to comprehend the reason, to assign a meaning to.
The place where the purpose and meaning of the creation was discerned, distinguished and separated out, became the origin of creation.
Proverbs 8 gives us a detailed description of this origin. Here is a portion below:
"The LORD possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth...When He marked out the foundations of the earth...Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman...Rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men." Prov. 8:22-23, 29-31
When God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle after the pattern that was shown to him of the tabernacle of eternity, the workmen and women who constructed each part had been those in whose hearts God had placed "wisdom and understanding" (Ex. 31:2-11, 35:31, 36:1). From this special knowledge within them, they were able to reproduce with the finest skills, the items of the tabernacle according to the eternal pattern. In the same manner, God gave King Solomon, and those who would construct the Temple in Jerusalem, the same type of "wisdom and understanding" (1 Ki. 4:29, 7:14). They were specially gifted from this place in God, in order to accomplish a model of the eternal on earth.
To find this place of origin, God said to man, who is the only part of creation that can begin to know it:
"Behold, the fear ("yirah"-Godly fear, respect, reverence, piety, awe, honor) of the LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." Job 28:28, Prov. 8:13
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Prov. 9:10
Finding the starting point or origin of creation, including man, lies in the underlying purpose and meaning of it in God, this purpose being the awe and reverence for God, and the turning aside from, rejection, removing, deposing of evil. Our purpose and meaning in God's will is our origin.
God encourages us all in His Word to find this place of origins where He is.
In Psalm 49, the psalmist addresses "all peoples, all inhabitants of the world". He is speaking from the place of "wisdom and understanding" (v. 3). He tells us that all men, no matter their station in life, will die like all other living creatures (v. 12), and all of their honors and wealth will not help them, nor go with them (v. 10). However, from the place of wisdom and understanding, the psalmist has seen, and declared the following:
"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me.
Selah (pause in silence to lift and exalt; weigh and value this)" (v. 15).
By looking into and from this special place inhabited by God, the psalmist was able to receive and proclaim this great truth that only the God of all creation can promise.
We, in particular, who are part of Christ, have been given access and invitation through Him, and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to this place of wisdom and understanding in the Father:
"...that the God of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling..." Eph. 1:17-18
"...we... do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord... attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. 1:9-10, 2:2-3
"...that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:4-5
Through His Word, and by His Spirit, we have access to our Father's realm of wisdom and understanding. Our words and lives should reflect this, and we can teach others.
As man has searched for, and published theories of our origins, he has looked in every place but the place where it can be found. Because of this, the various theories fall far short. The origin of the species is not found in Darwin's theories. It is not even found in Adam and Eve. Our origins are found in the thought and statement of God, Elohim, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Our true origins are found in the hidden place that existed before beginnings: the wisdom and understanding of God.
Our Father wants us to know the place of our origins. He wants us to seek it, because it is with Him.
Our origins are in the wisdom and understanding of our Father.
"In The Beginning"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJlJ2j_mcxg
Most of us, both men and women, care enough about our appearance that we are willing to put time, effort, and money into it. We shop for and purchase clothing, outerwear, accessories, including jewelry, based upon what society and the fashion industry dictates. Once we purchase the items, we take care of them, keeping them cleaned, pressed, and ready to wear.
As well as having natural clothing, visible to the eye, we also have spiritual clothing. Perhaps some don't realize that we all have spiritual clothing, but scripture makes it very clear that we do. While our spiritual clothing is just as real as our natural clothing, we don't pay much attention to it, because we can't see it, and it can't be seen by others- or so we think.
While scripture has many references to spiritual clothing, natural clothing that has spiritual significance, and lack of clothing altogether, I will limit this discussion to three categories of spiritual clothing.
Let's start with the spiritual clothing of the wicked:
"As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; as he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with 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, and for a belt with which he girds himself continually. Let this be the LORD's reward to my accusers, and to those who speak evil against my person....Let my accusers be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle."
Psalm 109:17-20, 29, a psalm of David
The malicious character of the wicked person covers him in layers of spiritual garments, from his inner tunic to his outer mantle, even to the belt that surrounds his waist. The nature of these particular garments causes the fruits of the wicked person's maliciousness to seep back into him. While the wicked man's intention is to cause harm to others, he doesn't realize that a spiritual garment is being woven around him with each wicked thought, word or deed. That garment will cause his own life to be poisoned.
The next set of garments are for those who set up a "system" of righteousness, and live their lives making sure that they maintain the appearance of Godliness and holiness, but their inward thoughts and ways fall far short. We might look upon their natural outward appearance, and admire their seemingly righteous ways, but God is not as impressed with them as we are, because He sees the heart inside a man:
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam. 16:7
"All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits." Pro. 16:2
"Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." Ps. 44:21
"O, LORD, You have searched me and known me," Ps. 139:1
"I, the LORD, search the heart. I test the mind (most secret parts)..." Jer. 17:10
So what do the spiritual garments of the outwardly Godly, but inwardly sinful look like?
"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags...our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isa. 64:6
The "filthy rags" as described here are, by definition, defiled by the body's unclean fluids, cast off fluids of fruitlessness, fluids that have not brought forth life, as they were purposed. The garments might be the finest white, but the stains of the sinful heart are all over them to the point that the spiritual garments have become repellant. Jesus agreed, describing this condition of the most outwardly religious people, the scribes of the Law and the Pharisees, as being like whitewashed tombs- clean and beautiful on the outside, but full of death, corruption, and uncleanness on the inside (Mt. 23:27). These unbearable religious rules of men do not bring men to God, and do not generate life, but rather death and condemnation (Mt. 16:6, 23:15).
So if the spiritual garments of the seemingly righteous are so revoltingly stained, what is the answer?
The prophet Isaiah tells us:
"...In these ways we continue, and we need to be saved." Isa. 64:5
The apostle Paul taught:
"...that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith..." Phil. 3:8-9
This brings us to the third set of spiritual garments. These are garments attained through salvation by Christ. They are garments that are produced as Jesus cleanses us from the inside, out. These garments are not produced out of our own righteousness, which doesn't exist, but only as a result of our union and oneness with Christ, and His righteousness, which is the righteousness of God:
"...that He might sanctify and cleanse her (the Church, like a wife to whom Christ is joined) with the washing of water by the word." Eph. 5:26
Because our spiritual garments reflect the spiritual condition of our hearts and minds, this is where the cleansing begins, and this cleansing is done with the washing of water (including the Holy Spirit) by the Word, both the written and Living Word, which is Christ. The process is also described this way by the LORD:
Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Isa. 1:18
The appearance of these spiritual garments of salvation are described:
"For as many of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal. 3:27
"...that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5:27
"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints ("kodesh/kadesh"-apartness, holiness, separateness, consecrate, sanctify, holy, separate)" Rev. 19:7-8
These particular spiritual garments are the garments of a wife, one who is intimately joined to her Husband, Christ, so that the two become one. His righteousness becomes our own.
As you can see, there are different types of spiritual garments. We have been called to wear the beautiful spiritual bridal garments of righteousness. We should keep in mind, however, that the true spiritual condition of our hearts and minds are reflected upon these garments. Let us daily repent and renew our intimate relationship with the One who washes us clean from the inside, out, and clothes us in pure, clean, bright linen.
Our Father has clothed us in garments of salvation.
"Refiner's Fire"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y8zP34AhuU
"Create in Me a Clean Heart"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv16YUTCp9U
It is interesting that Moses used the verb "cleave" (davak- follow hard, pursue, join, keep fast), to apply to our relationship with God:
"But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day."
Deut. 4:4
"Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and swear by His name." Deut. 10:20
"For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him.." Deut. 11:22
"Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him." Deut. 13:4
"That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days..." Deut. 30:20
"Who, when he (Barnabas) came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and had exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave ("prosmeno" Grk.-abide, dwell, hold fast, persevere, adhere to, be steadfastly devoted) unto the Lord." Acts 11:23
Scripture is strong in instructing us that our relationship to God should be one of "cleaving" to Him. Moses said that it is a matter of life and death.
We can all understand the need to cleave to God. However, surprisingly, there is another relationship in which the LORD allows, even commands, that we "cleave" to someone other than Him. It is in the relationship of husband to wife.
The LORD brought every creature of the ground and the air to Adam to see what he would name them. Whatever Adam named them, that would be their names (Gen. 2:19-20). Adam, in naming creation, also defined it.
God then creates a help meet for Adam from Adam's own flesh. The term "help meet" in Hebrew, "ezer", means not only to be a help, but also to aid, defend, surround and protect. This is a powerful, wonderful thing. About this, scripture declares:
"Therefore, shall a man leave (azav-forsake, fail, refuse, leave, abandon, neglect, desert, relinquish, destitute) his father and his mother, and shall cleave (davak- follow hard, pursue, join, keep fast) unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh (echad)." Gen. 2:24
So important is the cleaving relationship of husband to wife, that it requires a kind of "leaving" of other relationships, even those relationships that defined and named who a man was before cleaving to the wife. In fact, the very Hebrew word used for man, "adam", in verses previous to this one, changes in this verse to "iysh". Iysh means "champion, great man, high (degree). The very character and purpose of man has changed in God's eyes and Word when he cleaves to the woman. It is interesting that the man and woman involved are not described as cleaving to each other. The man is the one who cleaves to the wife. Men, does that sound unfair? There is a reason for it, however.
The New Testament reveals why the relationship of husband to wife is allowed to be characterized by the same "cleaving" that man is to have with God.
The Apostle Paul taught about the "echad" (see Gen 2:24 above) cleaving of husband to wife as a shadow and type of Christ's relationship with the Church (Eph. 5:23-24). Christ cleaves to the Church, His Bride. It is even through this echad, as a result of cleaving with the Church, that Christ sanctifies and cleanses it with the washing of the Word (v. 26). Jesus sends the Comforter (Holy Spirit) to us, who will abide in us for ever (Jn. 14:16). Thankfully, our Christ Husband has cleaved onto us, and will not let us go:
"...Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 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 scripture might be fulfilled." Jn. 17:11-12, 18:9
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will be no means cast out...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. 6:37, 39
"...lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age...I will never leave you nor forsake you." Mt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5
Jesus cleaves to us, His Bride, like the man is to cleave to his wife. Jesus does not break the Word of God, because He is the Word.
There is a very interesting account from scripture of a king and his wife. The king, Ahasuerus ("I am silent and humble" and also now believed to mean "lion-king"), was seemingly a lax king, as Biblical kings go, even though he was the king of the world's greatest empire at the time: Media-Persia ("in the midst of purity and splendor"). He allowed his advisors and counsellors to have great authority in his realm. He even gave his signet ring, a symbol of his authority, to his advisor, Haman ("magnificent"), to do with as Haman pleased, even if it was the killing of thousands (Est. 3:10-11). If a decree was sealed with the signet ring of the king, it could never be revoked (Est. 8:8). Such was the importance of the king's seal, or signet. Imagine a king who would be so trusting, almost indifferent, with the symbol of his power! He even followed the advice of Haman, honoring a man, who turned out to be Mordecai, by putting his own royal robes on him, and allowing the man to ride the king's own horse (Est. 6:7-10). This was not a king who seemed to be tied to his possessions, or even to his own power.
On one occasion, however, this king was not lax. Through certain circumstances, the king found the evil Haman sprawled upon the couch where his Queen, Esther, was seated. The king became so stirred, and outraged, that the words with which he condemned Haman were such a powerful judgment, that they became a physical substance that covered Haman's face (Est. 7:8). That's how much power and authority is in the king's mouth. The king had Haman and his ten sons hanged (Est. 7:9-10, 9:13). The king didn't bestir himself with many things, not even his own power, but when it came to someone touching Esther, the royal bride, that was a different story.
The command for a man to cleave unto his wife is not unfair, nor unreasonable, it is prophetic. As the man, Adam, was to cleave unto his wife, even as the "lion-king" cleaved unto his wife, even more so Christ cleaves Himself to His Bride for ever.
Our Father commands us to cleave to Him, and His Son eternally cleaves to us, His Bride.
"Abide With Me"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5nbq_VEea0
"His Eye Is On The Sparrow"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Pk5YMkEcg
This is going to be another Big Ed story. Big Ed was my father. I have written about him previously in an entry entitled "Road".
I was in my senior year of high school, preparing to take the written and road tests for a driver's license. My school offered Driver's Ed courses, but we only actually drove for one period/week. Towards the end of the course, it was time to practice parallel parking. Since there were four students in each car, we had to take turns driving, so we didn't get much time for each student to drive. It turned out that our driving teacher, I'll call him Mr. K., was a "yeller". As we would attempt to back up into the parking space at the curb, he would be yelling, "Turn the wheel, turn the wheel!", "Turn it harder!", "Straighten out!". "Stop, stop!". He especially hated it when we stomped on the brake, stopping the car suddenly, because his seat belt would pull tightly right across the area of his stomach ulcer. His yelling could really rattle you, when you were already a little nervous. After all, it wasn't as if we were trying to do badly.
While most of my driving was pretty good, I was having trouble with the parallel parking. At home, my Mom would sometimes take me out to practice driving, but she was the nervous type. Out on the road with her, it wouldn't be long before we would be turning back towards home, because she just couldn't take it. My father, on the other hand, was far more relaxed when giving a driving lesson. He was even known to fall asleep a time or two at critical moments. So, one Sunday after dinner, I asked my Dad if he would take me to practice parallel parking, and he agreed. That late afternoon, we had just driven one house up the street, when he told me to go ahead and parallel park in front of the neighbor's parked station wagon.
I completed the parking, and I don't remember it being too bad of an effort. After I finished parking, we sat and talked about it for a few seconds, and then he indicated for me to pull out, and resume driving. While we had been sitting parked, I forgot that I still had the car in reverse gear. So when I stepped on the gas to pull out, instead of going forward, we went backwards, and I hit the neighbor's car behind us. I froze in place, stunned, and then looked over at Big Ed. Being used to the yelling of from my high school driving teacher, I braced myself for the anger that my Dad would unleash. To my surprise, Big Ed began waving his hands to go forward, and said, "Hurry up, just go!" And we did. As we sped off, my Dad was sitting there in the passenger seat, laughing. When we came back in the house, my Mom asked, "How did it go?", and my Dad just answered "Fine." There were certain things you just couldn't tell my mother (although she seemed to know a lot of what was going on anyway! How did she do that?). I did go and peek at the neighbor's car the next day, and couldn't see damage. That was back in the day when cars were made out of metal.
While I don't condone Big Ed's relaxed attitude towards the rules of the road, and I don't recommend "hit and run" for solving life's little problems, that day I did form an appreciation for my father's teaching technique. I was thankful that he wasn't a "yeller", and that he knew how to keep a secret. He never mentioned the "station wagon incident" to me again, and I went on to successfully pass the driving test, including parallel parking.
Our Father in heaven is, in some ways, like Big Ed. While He doesn't believe in breaking His Law, including His command to love our neighbor (and not to hit his car), He provided a covering for us through His dear Son. Like Big Ed, our heavenly Father, through His Holy Spirit, is not a "yeller" (1 Ki. 19:12-13), even though His voice is powerful and unmistakable. For those who sincerely seek to live in His Spirit, He doesn't teach by using condemnation (Jn. 5:24, Rom. 8:1), and most of the time, things remain a shared secret between you and Him (Prov. 11:13). The tests come (James 1:2-4), and He fully expects us to pass them with flying colors, but if we fail, He will teach us again, and give us a second chance. Many times, I have been thankful for God's second, third, and fourth chances. How He continues to teach in mercy and patience (James 3:17), is something I wish I could master. As with Big Ed, I have formed an appreciation for God's teaching technique.
Our Father is a great teacher.
"One Thing Remains"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_KXsMCJgBQ
