"If you listen to these case laws and follow them carefully, the LORD your God will keep the covenant and display the loyalty that he promised your ancestors. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will bless the fruit of your wombs and the fruit of your fertile land." (Deut 7:12-13a)
"You will be more blessed than any other group of people. No one will be sterile or infertile - not among you or your animals. The LORD will remove all sickness from you." (Deuteronomy 7:14-15a)
He promised healthy wombs and healthy land and healthy bodies in the same way he said they would use abundance to have healthy relationship. He said earlier that there would be no poor in Israel because people must share their abundance.
It is Father's heart that we live a life of Kingdom abundance, that we would live a life of abundance, a life with much fruit, so that the world would know him. The resurrection should be manifested in a life lived properly in the Spirit.
The Kingdom still functions according to the commandments. We need the commandments and we need God's voice.
I am still chewing over the four offices Yahweh set up in Israel - the priest, the judge, the king and the prophet. Jesus fulfills all these offices but he also uses us in these offices. Many of us handle the priest (the commandments) but we often forget the authority of the King. The place of the judge will come later but also plays a role in the discernment in our lives. The one we neglect the most is the Prophet - the voice of God.
If we want to move in the abundance of the Kingdom we need to learn obedience to the Voice in our walk of righteousness.
Still thinking through most of this.
Showing posts with label prophet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prophet. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Saturday, March 17, 2018
A King, A High Priest, A High Judge, A Prophet
"Go to the levitical priests and to the head judge in office at that time and look into things there. They will announce to you the correct ruling. " (Deut 17:9)
"You can indeed appoint over you a king that the Lord your God selects." (Deut 17:15a)
"I'll raise up a prophet for them from among their fellow Israelites - one just like you,. I'll put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command." (Deut 18:18
There are plenty of references for the establishment of the priesthood and the high priest, but many people are ignorant of the other offices that were established by God through Moses.
We do not hear too often about the head judge who would decide all the tough cases that could not be settled by the elders in each of the tribes.
Many also think that the introduction of a king during Samuel's time was an insult to God. Although he preferred to be their king, he had made provisions for the establishment of a king. It would appear that the king's purpose would be the head of the army and be responsible for the defense of the land. According to what God established, it would appear that this office was open to abuse so God placed limits on his power and wealth. He also made the study of the law a priority to keep everything in perspective.
There is also the establishment of the prophet. Although Moses fulfilled all these roles, the prophet is the one role that God specifically said would be like Moses. God would communicate through the prophet to the people. The priests carried out the requirements of the Law but it was the prophet who would speak for God. This is another office that would be open to abuse so God gave directions on how to detect a false prophet.
The one who truly fulfilled all these offices is Jesus. He is our high priest. He is our king. He is the judge. He came as a new order of prophets, speaking and doing what he heard and saw in Father.
"You can indeed appoint over you a king that the Lord your God selects." (Deut 17:15a)
"I'll raise up a prophet for them from among their fellow Israelites - one just like you,. I'll put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command." (Deut 18:18
There are plenty of references for the establishment of the priesthood and the high priest, but many people are ignorant of the other offices that were established by God through Moses.
We do not hear too often about the head judge who would decide all the tough cases that could not be settled by the elders in each of the tribes.
Many also think that the introduction of a king during Samuel's time was an insult to God. Although he preferred to be their king, he had made provisions for the establishment of a king. It would appear that the king's purpose would be the head of the army and be responsible for the defense of the land. According to what God established, it would appear that this office was open to abuse so God placed limits on his power and wealth. He also made the study of the law a priority to keep everything in perspective.
There is also the establishment of the prophet. Although Moses fulfilled all these roles, the prophet is the one role that God specifically said would be like Moses. God would communicate through the prophet to the people. The priests carried out the requirements of the Law but it was the prophet who would speak for God. This is another office that would be open to abuse so God gave directions on how to detect a false prophet.
The one who truly fulfilled all these offices is Jesus. He is our high priest. He is our king. He is the judge. He came as a new order of prophets, speaking and doing what he heard and saw in Father.
Monday, April 7, 2014
A Stumbling Block In Love
One of the hardest lessons I have to learn concerning love is my reaction to people. We know that we in ourselves are not capable of loving like Jesus loves us but he changes us so that he can love through us. This means we need to be aware of our weaknesses and submit those areas for change. The Spirit changes us but we are responsible to cooperate and submit to those changes. So one of those areas for me is how I respond when I am offended.
My reactions vary from the silent treatment, the inner brooding that eventually explodes at some point, or getting angry and removing myself from the situation. I will readily admit that when I have problems with this it is usually over how people receive a word of wisdom, an act of love or some other thing that I feel they should respond to in a certain way. I also think my reaction to this is at the lowest level of immaturity: "You won't play by my rules? Fine I will take my toys and go home." Yeah, that can be me.
I can find all kinds of excuses for it because it is how I react only a small portion of the time. I am usually really tired, sick, distracted or maybe a bit pressured over something. They might sound like reasonable excuses but in the Kingdom there are no excuses for a lack of love. Love turns the other cheek when offended. Love considers the other person more important than the offence. Love covers a multitude of sins.
The fact is that we are not responsible for how a person reacts to our love and kindness. We cannot and should not try to control people. In some ways it is not even about them but us acting in obedience to Jesus. If they reject our wisdom, our kindness, our love, our only reaction and responsibility is to continue loving them. Scripture says that love:
... does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil ... (1 Corinthians 13:5)
In this same passage it also says that love bears all things and endures all things. Jesus simply said that love turns the other cheek. It stands it's ground, leaves it self wide open and is simply present. I see it in Yahweh's instructions to Ezekiel.
Yahweh told Ezekiel that he was sending him to his stubborn people who were in constant rebellion against him. He told his prophet to go and speak his message to this people and he said:
Whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. (Ezekiel 2:5, Holman)
He warned his prophet not to be afraid of them or to be discouraged and to never rebel against his responsibilities. He was telling Ezekiel that it was not his responsibility to make the people obey. He was only the messenger and he must be faithful in discharging his duty. He was not responsible for their reaction to the message. It is in this same attitude we need to to apply Jesus' command to love as he has loved us. It is our responsibility to love and that responsibility does not change according to how people receive or react to us.
It doesn't matter if people discard us or look down on us. It doesn't matter if they walk all over us. It doesn't matter if they call us names or take away our rights. It doesn't matter if they completely disregard our kindness and goodness. The only correct and proper reaction to their rejection of love is to love them more; to turn the other cheek. This is what I am going to continue working on until I have submitted this area of my heart completely to the control of the Spirit. I am determined to be a prophet of love to a rebellious people.
My reactions vary from the silent treatment, the inner brooding that eventually explodes at some point, or getting angry and removing myself from the situation. I will readily admit that when I have problems with this it is usually over how people receive a word of wisdom, an act of love or some other thing that I feel they should respond to in a certain way. I also think my reaction to this is at the lowest level of immaturity: "You won't play by my rules? Fine I will take my toys and go home." Yeah, that can be me.
I can find all kinds of excuses for it because it is how I react only a small portion of the time. I am usually really tired, sick, distracted or maybe a bit pressured over something. They might sound like reasonable excuses but in the Kingdom there are no excuses for a lack of love. Love turns the other cheek when offended. Love considers the other person more important than the offence. Love covers a multitude of sins.
The fact is that we are not responsible for how a person reacts to our love and kindness. We cannot and should not try to control people. In some ways it is not even about them but us acting in obedience to Jesus. If they reject our wisdom, our kindness, our love, our only reaction and responsibility is to continue loving them. Scripture says that love:
... does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil ... (1 Corinthians 13:5)
In this same passage it also says that love bears all things and endures all things. Jesus simply said that love turns the other cheek. It stands it's ground, leaves it self wide open and is simply present. I see it in Yahweh's instructions to Ezekiel.
Yahweh told Ezekiel that he was sending him to his stubborn people who were in constant rebellion against him. He told his prophet to go and speak his message to this people and he said:
Whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. (Ezekiel 2:5, Holman)
He warned his prophet not to be afraid of them or to be discouraged and to never rebel against his responsibilities. He was telling Ezekiel that it was not his responsibility to make the people obey. He was only the messenger and he must be faithful in discharging his duty. He was not responsible for their reaction to the message. It is in this same attitude we need to to apply Jesus' command to love as he has loved us. It is our responsibility to love and that responsibility does not change according to how people receive or react to us.
It doesn't matter if people discard us or look down on us. It doesn't matter if they walk all over us. It doesn't matter if they call us names or take away our rights. It doesn't matter if they completely disregard our kindness and goodness. The only correct and proper reaction to their rejection of love is to love them more; to turn the other cheek. This is what I am going to continue working on until I have submitted this area of my heart completely to the control of the Spirit. I am determined to be a prophet of love to a rebellious people.
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