Hebrews 7

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our great and wonderful High Priest.
Jesus was not a descendant of Aaron. Jesus was not a son of the tribe of Levi, those who inherited the priesthood through Moses, who received word from God.
Jesus became a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Melchizedek a priest of God.
And Melchizedek...he was the priest of the most high God.
Who ordained him a priest? God.
God ordained Jesus to be our High Priest.
Melchizedek was a priest not involved in the laws of Moses, he lived long before Moses lived, before the written laws were passed down, before the sacrificial ceremony enacted to teach every man of God that their sins have penalties and only through sacrifice to God could they escape the punish of sin- death everlasting.
Melchizedek and Jesus, both Priest not of the sacrificial system in place. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for us. Once the ultimate sacrifice was made no longer were animal sacrifices needed because the Great Redeemer, the Greatest Sacrifice of all was made. There could be no greater sacrifice, none. Once Jesus gave his life, making the typified the actual sacrifice needed to reconcile man with God, the actual and last sacrifice needed, animal sacrifices were hollow, no longer in effect, no longer had the power they once had.
The Great Sacrifice is also our Great High Priest. Reconciling God and man.
Is it no wonder we need to daily confess and repent of our sins, accepting the great sacrifice made for us by our Lord and Savior? He is our only hope, our only hope at reconcilation with our Heavenly Father. Sons and daughters that we are, the need to be reunited with our Heavenly Father is a desperate need. Reconcilation between a Father and His wayward children made possible through the sacrifice of His innocent Son.

Hebrews
{7:1} For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him{7:2} To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace{7:3} Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. {7:4} Now consider how great this man [was,] unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. {7:5} And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham{7:6} But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.{7:7} And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.{7:8} And here men that die receive tithes; but there he [receiveth them,] of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. {7:9} And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. {7:10} For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. {7:11} If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? {7:12} For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. {7:13} For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. {7:14} For [it is] evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. {7:15} And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, {7:16} Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. {7:17} For he testifieth, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Genesis {14:17} And the king of Sodom went out to meet himafter his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and ofthe kings that [were] with him, at the valley of Shaveh,which [is] the king’s dale. {14:18} And Melchizedek kingof Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] thepriest of the most high God. {14:19} And he blessed him,and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God,possessor of heaven and earth: {14:20} And blessed be themost high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thyhand. And he gave him tithes of all. {14:21} And the kingof Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and takethe goods to thyself. {14:22} And Abram said to the king ofSodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the mosthigh God, the possessor of heaven and earth, {14:23} That Iwill not [take] from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that Iwill not take any thing that [is] thine, lest thou shouldestsay, I have made Abram rich: {14:24} Save only that whichthe young men have eaten, and the portion of the men whichwent with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take theirportion.
Psalm 110A Psalm of David.{110:1} The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until Imake thine enemies thy footstool.{110:2} The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rulethou in the midst of thine enemies.{110:3} Thy people [shall be] willing in the day of thy power, in thebeauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast thedew of thy youth.{110:4} The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [art] a priestfor ever after the order of Melchizedek.{110:5} The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in theday of his wrath.{110:6} He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill [the places]with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over manycountries.{110:7} He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he liftup the head.
Hebrews{7:18} For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. {7:19} For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope [did;] by the which we draw nigh unto God. {7:20} And inasmuch as not without an oath [he was made priest: ]{7:21} (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) {7:22} By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. {7:23} And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: {7:24} But this [man,] because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. {7:25} Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. {7:26} For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled,separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; {7:27} Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. {7:28} For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, [maketh] the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
*
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our great and wonderful High Priest.
Jesus was not a descendant of Aaron. Jesus was not a son of the tribe of Levi, those who inherited the priesthood.
Numbers {3:5} And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying {3:6}Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaronthe priest, that they may minister unto him. {3:7} And theyshall keep his charge, and the charge of the wholecongregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, todo the service of the tabernacle. {3:8} And they shall keepall the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation,and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service ofthe tabernacle. {3:9} And thou shalt give the Levites untoAaron and to his sons: they [are] wholly given unto him outof the children of Israel. {3:10} And thou shalt appointAaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’soffice: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put todeath. {3:11} And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,{3:12} And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from amongthe children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeththe matrix among the children of Israel: therefore theLevites shall be mine; {3:13} Because all the firstborn [are]mine; [for] on the day that I smote all the firstborn in theland of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel,both man and beast: mine shall they be: I [am] the LORD.
Numbers {4:1} And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron,saying, {4:2} Take the sum of the sons of Kohath fromamong the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house oftheir fathers, {4:3} From thirty years old and upward evenuntil fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do thework in the tabernacle of the congregation. {4:4} This [shallbe] the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of thecongregation, [about] the most holy things

Hebrews 6

Hebrews
{6:1} Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God
*The principle doctrines are repentance from dead works and faith towards God. When you start out on a principle you never lose that principle you keep it and build upon it. Baptisms, laying on of hands for healing, resurrection of the dead when Christ returns, eternal judgment, all of this is part and parcel of the foundation and growth upon that foundation. An extension of your beliefs is made, a growing process commenced. Growth in everything is necessary stagnation accomplishes nothing. If God wills we must grow in our Christian walk.
{6:2} Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
{6:3} And this will we do, if God permit.
{6:4} For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost
{6:5} And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come
{6:6} If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.
*When you fall away - when you deny the truth once you've been enlightened - when you believe Christ never died for you- this is makes it impossible for you to be renewed. You've denied the truth. When you deny the truth you reject the truth. Truth rejected makes it impossible for truth to live in you.
Throughout our Christian walk we will have good times and bad times. We will question our walk with God. We might even question God. We might blame God, we might do a lot of things that reveal just how intensely Satan is struggling to get the victory over us. We might be lulled to sleep and into a life that denies the power of God. The struggle is a real one. The fight is a real one. We lose sight of it all when we deny that we are in a war and our eternal life is at stake. How much simpler would it be if we were in a real physical warfare, a weapon in your hands, a weapon in your enemies hands and the strategy is to stay alive by ducking incoming fire, by returning fire- this is real and men and women around the world in various wars are facing that sort of warfare. Unfortunately they are also battling the unseen enemy. We all battle the unseen enemy and yet our propensity to blame the devil for things is 99% less likely to happen than blaming God. We recognize God but deny Satan. When we accept Christ as our Savior we've declared open warfare on Satan, we've chosen the side we want to fight for and we become targets. The bullets, the daggers, all the bombs and other weaponry used against us comes in so many forms we can't even imagine. It's easy to be beset by the enemy. 'Hebrews {12:1} Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.' See that? Lay aside every weight an the sin which easily besets us! EASILY besets us. Until Christ returns or until we sleep in the grave we will be tempted towards the sins that EASILY beset us. Sometimes we give into that sin and we need to repent and be forgiven. What we can't do is deny the Christ is the Son of God, that Christ died for us and lives again for us. While we might stumble, and heck, while we might dive bomb into despair, we can't deny that Christ is who He says He is. If we deny Christ we can't be renew to repent, because there is none to repent to. If we strip the power of salvation away there is no hope left, there is no salvation, it is impossible to be renewed.
{6:7} For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God
*We need to drink deep of the Holy Spirit sent to us by God, our lives need to bear fruit of the Spirit.
{6:8} But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned.
*If the fruit we bear isn't edible or useful but rather thorns that only hurt and nothing more then the fruit isn't of the Spirit.

{6:9} But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
{6:10} For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
{6:11} And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
{6:12} That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
*Labors of love, ministering to one another, hoping to the end, these are all good things, right things, things of the Spirit.

{6:13} For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself
{6:14} Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
{6:15} And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
*Patiently endured! The promises of God to Abraham were not immediate. Abraham had to wait many, many years before he obtained the promise. We have an example in Abraham. Patiently endure, the promises are true.

{6:16} For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation [is] to them an end of all strife.
{6:17} Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath
{6:18} That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay holdupon the hope set before us
{6:19} Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil
{6:20} Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
*Anchor of the soul!Anchor of the soul!
Who among us doesn't want an anchor upon us holding us stedfast? Who doesn't want assurance of safety with an anchor on our souls? Christ is that anchor! Christ is our hope! Christ Jesus entered within the veil, Jesus our high priest. We have an anchor, we have a surety, we have a hope in our High Priest, our Savior Jesus.
What good is an anchor if it's not attached to that which needs anchoring? We need Christ attached to our lives, we need to live in the Spirit He sends to us, keeping close to our Lord and Savior now and always the anchor of our souls.
Amen.

Hebrews 5

Hebrews
{5:1} For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: {5:2} Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.{5:3} And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. {5:4} And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron. {5:5} So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. {5:6} As he saith also in another [place,] Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. {5:7} Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; {5:8} Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; {5:9} And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;{5:10} Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.{5:11} Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.{5:12} For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. {5:13} For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.{5:14} But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
*
Ordained for men in things pertaining to God.
Offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He that is called of God.
We know throughtout the Bible God called various men and woman to His work in a special way. These weren't the only ones called- those written about. There are many called of God in fact we are all called by God to come to Him, to fellowship with Him, to follow Him.
In the Old Testament prior to Christ's birth, life, and death, there are kings, prophets, and priests God used, speaking though many of them. In the New Testament we are given Jesus the great High Priest, Son of God, King of Kings, prophesying of the world to come.
Jesus who was given the infirmaties of being lowered into human form taking on our likeness and our inherited propensity to sin is the Greatest High Priest ever called by God. He sacrificed His glory and took on flesh, He sacrficed life eternal to take on a body of death, a body of daily decay. Outwardly He had the appearance of an ordinary man He lowered Himself to that level, to our level.
Any who doubt Jesus wasn't touched by our infirmities needs to explain how He could cry, how he could cry heartbrokenly. If He weren't moved by our plight, if he didn't have our human flesh encompassing Him, He wouldn't have cried and Jesus cried more than once from the depths of His heart He cried. He cried until blood fell from his forehead to the ground. He cried for all humanity. His grief was for us, for our pain, for what we endure.
We suffer the chastisment of the Lord over and over as He teaches us, guides us, reminds us of humanity and the love we must have for all. Christ suffered and learned in human form the obedience to His Father.
Obeying His Father perfectly, Christ was able to offer us eternal salvation if we obey Him.
All too often people harden their hearts and refuse to hear. All too often the very men of God, those claiming to be called of Him need to be as babes to truly understand Christ's message for them. When we think so many should be able to have the strong meat of the gospel, in truth many are babes needing to be treated as babes to regain the first principles of the message of our Lord and Savior.
Strong meat given by the Lord to those who have already drank the milk and are now ready for more... ready to have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
We need to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord.
2 Pet. {3:18} But grow in grace, and [in] theknowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him[be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.

Hebrews 4

Hebrews
{4:1} Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
*We need to be concerned. A promise was left to us. The promise of eternal life for that is truly 'his rest'. We need to be concerned that we might come short of obtaining that promise. It's possible to come short we know it is. Time and again I've mentioned that particular Bible verse that states there will be a people at the end when Christ comes and He says to them, 'get away from me, I never knew you'. Those people REALLY THINK they're doing God's work, they really believe they know Christ and Christ knows them. It is possible to come short of the promise. We don't like to think that it is, who wants to believe that a 'loving God' would keep us from obtaining the promise. Well, a 'loving God' won't keep us from obtaining the promise only WE keep ourselves from doing so. How can we be sure we won't come short of entering into Christ's rest? We need FAITH.
{4:2} For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it.
*Two types of people heard the same message.
A glass of water is held up and a person says- Is this glass half full or half empty.
People see things differently. They say if you see the glass as half full then you are an optimist, if you see if half empty you're a pessemist.
A group of people all hear the same message of the gospel preached to them, for some the word profited them and for others it didn't. What was the one thing those who profited from the message had the others didn't? FAITH.
{4:3} For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
The faithful will enter into Christ's rest. From the beginning of the world all that was created was finished on the sixth day and God rested the seventh. It was finished. FINISHED. Finished to the point God rested. Think about that. When you finish a task if it is something monumental what do you do next? You usually celebrate. God's rest is an amazing celebration of all that was created in six days. The work was finished. The wonder of it all, the majesty of creation was now to be enjoyed and a day of rest was created so that forever and ever no one would ever forgot the wonder of God's creation. Each seven days a reminder of the glorious creation would be made. God rested and that in itself is remarkable because if ever a person didn't have to rest it would be God. Yet he rested in honor of all that had been made it was that amazingly spectacular. That rest that mankind shared in, being part of the creation that God wrought was something so totally blissful and amazing its nearly incomprehensible.
{4:4} For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
{4:5} And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest.
*If they shall enter into my rest. By entering into God's rest by faith is believing in Him as our Creator, our redeemer. We can claim eternal life in Christ Jesus by His grace and mercy. We can enter into God's rest if we believe, only if we believe. There will not be a single person entering God's rest that does so without faith, without believing- it's impossible.
{4:6} Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief
*Unbelief will keep anyone out. There are commands we have been given by God from the foundation of the world one of the was to rest. It's because we believe in our Creator, the Father and the Son, that we enter into the rest of Jesus. We enter into it now through faith. We musn't harden our hearts but believe.
{4:7} Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
{4:8} For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
{4:9} There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
{4:10} For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.
{4:11} Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
*Labour to enter into rest.
Is that contradictory? Work to enter into rest. Not to people who work five days a week to get two days off. The concept is understandable. Our labour to enter into God's rest is a labour of faith. We have to cease believing that we can work to our own salvation, we have to trust wholly in Christ, entering His rest, believing fully in His ability to save us. Our work is our faith. And our faith is what will allow us to enter into the rest of Christ.
{4:12} For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
{4:13} Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
*We can hide nothing from God, nothing! God is quick, God is powerful, God is sharper than a twoedged sword. God can divide the soul from the spirit, the joint from the marrow, God is the discerner of our very thoughts and knows the intents of our hearts!
{4:14} Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.
Jesus Christ is our great high priest!
Jesus as our high priest has entered into heaven!
Jesus as our high priest the Son of God!
We have to hold fast to our belief in Jesus, we have to cling to Jesus.
{4:15} For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.
*Jesus understands us! Jesus became man and He knows intimately how our infirmaties feel. Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted, He understands the power of temptation yet Jesus chose NOT to fall into sin, He was able to keep the temptation from causing Him to sin. He knows the agony of temptation, he knows.
{4:16} Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
*We have to by faith and faith alone go boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
May God help us all, may we find mercy and grace, may we labour to enter into the rest promised, may our faith grow and grow. We believe Lord! We believe! Help us our unbelief!
Praise and glory to God now and always through the grace and mercy of his Son now and foreer.
Amen.

Hebrews 3

{3:1} Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus
Partakers of the heavenly calling. Doesn't that sound amazing.
Partakers.
partake (pär-tâk´) verbpartook (-t¢k´) partaken (-tâ´ken) partaking, patakes verb, intransitive1. To take or have a part or share; participate.2. To take or be given part or portion: The guests partook of a delicious dinner.3. To have part of the quality, nature, or character of something.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
To take part in, to share, to participate, to take a given portion, to have the quality, character of...the heavenly calling.
The heavenly calling.
We are ALL able to be partakers of the heavenly calling right? Jesus died to save all that would be saved, He died so we could all be partakers of the heavenly calling.
We need to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.
consider (ken-sîd´er) verbconsidered, considering, considers verb, transitive1. To think carefully about.2. To think or deem to be; regard as. See Usage Note at as1.3. To form an opinion about; judge: considers waste to be criminal.4. To take into account; bear in mind: Her success is not surprising if you consider her excellent training.5. To show consideration for: failed to consider the feelings of others.6. To esteem; regard.7. To look at thoughtfully.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Consider, to think carefully about Jesus, our High Priest.Consider, to esteem Jesus, our High Priest.Consider, to take into account, our High Priest, Jesus.
Jesus isn't supposed to be thought of lightly, He is our High Priest, our Savior and Lord deserving of our consideration.
{3:2} Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all his house.
Jesus was faithful to His Father who appointed Him.Moses was faithful in all his house.
Moses was a revered man, highly esteemed, considered very thoughtfully, a Godly man, a man whose teachings were held very important and none would doubt Moses' faithfulness. Jesus was faithful as well. Jesus deserving of consideration, Jesus our High Priest was faithful to His calling.
{3:3} For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. {3:4} For every house is builded by some [man;] but he that built all things [is] God.
Jesus worthy of more glory than the highly esteemed and revered Moses. Jesus the builder of all things.Moses was a creation of the Creator.The Creator is more worthy for His ability to create.
{3:5} And Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after{3:6} But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Moses was a faithful creation, a servant to the Creator. Moses faithful to God.Christ a son over His own creation, His own house.We are Christ's house- IF we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.We have to believe, we have to have faith, we have to rejoice, we have to have our hope firm to the end...to...the...end.
{3:7} Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice{3:8} Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness{3:9} When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.{3:10} Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. {3:11} So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
History reveals that people can harden their hearts against God, people tempt God, people try to prove God. People see the miracles of the Lord their God and they still question Him. The faith is gone, it's lacking, they find that taking the stance that God has to prove to them His worth makes them somehow savvy and smart, some how on top of things so they're not duped and yet their lack of faith- their consistent lack of faith - is what roused God's ire. God knew that in their hearts they refused to know Him for what He was and so they were not allowed into God's rest. We can't harden our hearts like they have. It's possible, don't think it's not. We can't try God, we can't tempt Him, we need to trust, to have faith. We don't have to understand God's ways to believe in God. There are many, many things that we don't understand and yet we believe. God deserves that faith and trust more than any other thing in all the world.
{3:12} Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Evil hearts of unbelief.Unbelief is evil because it doesn't allow for the faith needed to belief in God. The hope needed. Someone who is always skeptical finds little happiness in life, they are too busy picking it apart to pieces having no faith in anything. People says they won't be duped, they want hard, cold facts not flights of fancy and yet when they cut out the faith and those flights of fancy they limit their imaginations, their belief that the unbelievable is believable and the impossible is possible. Without faith, without hope if THIS is all there is to life it truly is a sad state of affairs. We have to have hearts filled with hope, filled with belief in God allowing that we cannot understand everything, we just can't. {3:13} But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Daily we are to help each other in our lives, keeping our faith strong. Deceit is something sly and insidious it will slip in and harden our hearts to God and we can't let that happen- we can't! We have to believe and help others look beyond the trap that is spread all around us trying to snare us daily in its grasp to get us to lose hope and belief. Satan will spare nothing to encourage unbelief, to encourage our lack of faith, to harden our hearts to God. Satan will do everything within his power to decieve us, if he can get us to harden our hearts to God he's won another to his side. It's so real, all of this is so real and we need to help each other as much as we can.
{3:14} For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end{3:15} While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. {3:16} For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.{3:17} But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? {3:18} And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? {3:19} So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief
We want to enter into God's rest. We want to enter the land promised to us. Not all will, but only those who believe. Without faith it is impossible to please God. We have to believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Heb. {11:6} Butwithout faith [it is] impossible to please [him:] for he thatcometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is arewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Faith we need faith, Lord I believe! Help thou my unbelief!
Amen!

Hebrews 2

Hebrews
{2:1} Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
*We have to listen. We have to give MORE earnest heed to the things we know so we don't forget them.
{2:2} For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward.
*God's angels speak true, God's angels can't lie. Every single sin, every disobedience is accounted for. As soon as we sin there is a record of that sin and an accounting will be made unless our sins are covered in the blood of the Lamb and He claims us as His and our names are written in the book of life.
{2:3} How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.
*Salvation is in Christ and only in Christ. We can neglect salvation. We can. Salvation isn't ours automatically we have to accept it. We can neglect is and there is no escape if we do, none.
{2:4} God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
*God used signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. There can be no mistaking the fact that God made manifest all these things that weren't typical, special, amazing gifts that could only come from Him. Healing, delivering people possessed of evil spirits, juice into wine, fish where there were no fish, bread where there was no bread. Miracles that didn't promote selfish gain in any way but rather turned the minds, the thoughts to God to eternal life, to Jesus our Lord and Savior, to salvation.
{2:5} For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
{2:6} But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
{2:7} Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands
{2:8} Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
Psalms {8:4} What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man,that thou visitest him?{8:5} For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hastcrowned him with glory and honour.{8:6} Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;thou hast put all [things] under his feet:
{2:9} But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
*Jesus became man.Jesus became a little lower than the angels.God's own son lowered himself to our level so that he could suffer death. That his death would leave him crowned with glory and honor. His death allows us to have His grace and mercy. Jesus died for all of us, every single person that will accept His great sacrifice.
{2:10} For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
{2:11} For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren
{2:12} Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
{2:13} And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
{2:14} Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he mightdestroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil
{2:15} And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
{2:16} For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.
{2:17} Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
{2:18} For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
*That is so incredibly beautiful.
We tend to admire people we classify as high and lofty, superstars in movie, theater, sports, financial savvy, those who deign to lower themselves to get down and work with ordinary people. We call them humanitarians when they travel to foreign countries and lend their status to a cause to bring awareness and help to that cause. Our admiration isn't completely misplaced, they don't *have* to lower themselves that way, many don't. We don't know if their lowering of themselves is done with genuine goodness or self-serving but that isn't for us to judge. We do know that Christ, God's very Son, His ONLY Son lowered Himself and He did it for one reason and one reason only- for us. We know beyond a doubt that He suffered for us, each of us. That He lowered Himself to something lower than the angels. Angels are below God in status, but Jesus didn't lower Himself to be an Angel, He lowered Himself even further down to become human so He could redeem us. If we want an example of pure love, there it is we don't have to look any further. Total selflessness.
He became us, was tempted like us, and He over came for us, giving us hope, hope eternal now and forever.
He is our merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God- to make reconcilation for the sins of the people.
Worth noting, in the typical Day of Atonement right before all the sins of the forgiven were to be placed upon the scapegoat (Satan) and he is led out to the wilderness- it says of the High Priest - Lev. {16:20} And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy [place,] and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat
Jesus our faithful High Priest is making a reconcilation for the sins of the people just as the High Priest on the Day of Atonement cleansed the Sanctuary. Our world will not be cleansed fully of sin, our lives will not be cleansed until that Day of Atonement is fully complete.
May God help and keep us as we humble ourselves before Him and entreat His mercy for us, clinging to the cross and the grace offered through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our great High Priest who is reconciling us to God now and soon to be forever.
Amen.

Hebrews 1

Hebrews {1:1} God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets
God at various times- God in different ways-
-spoke in the past to the fathers by the prophets.
{1:2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son,
God recently has spoken to us by Jesus
{1:2}...whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Jesus who God made heir of all things.Jesus who God made the worlds with.
{1:3} Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
Jesus the brightness of God's glory.Jesus the very image of His Father.
{1:3} ...and upholding all things by the word of his power,
All things are kept in place by God's Power, by Jesus' Power.
{1:3} ...when he had by himself purged our sins
Jesus purged our sins by himself. It is ONLY by Jesus and His sacrifice that our sins can be purged.
{1:3} ...sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Jesus at the right hand of God.
{1:4} Being made so much better than the angels,
Jesus better than the angels.
{1:4} ...as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Jesus by His inheritance from God has a better name than angels.
{1:5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?
To what angels has God told they are His Son, that He has begotten them?
{1:5}...And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
To what angels has God said He will be a Father, and they His Sons?
{1:6} And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
All the angels of God worship Jesus- the firstbegotton of the Father. {1:7} And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Angels are spirits, angels are ministers, angels flames of fire.
{1:8} But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
Jesus' throne is forever.
{1:8}...a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Jesus' righteousness is the power of His kingdom.
{1:9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Jesus loves righteousness, hates sin- and God has made Him better than all else.
{1:10} And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
Jesus in the beginning created the earth and heavens.
{1:11} They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
The earth and the heavens will be destroyed, bue Jesus will remain. The earth and heavens will get old as a garment wears away over time.
{1:12} And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
As folded clothes the earth will be changed, but Jesus will forever and ever be the same.
{1:13} But to which of the angels said he at any times, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
To what angels did God ever say sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies beneath thee? None.
{1:14} Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
All the angels are ministering spirits.
All the angels are sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation.
*******
Jesus was with God in the beginning. By Jesus all things were made, by Jesus all things are saved, by God's angels we are ministered, and those angels are not God's only begotten Son, those angels are willingly in subjection to God and help us who will inherit salvation through Jesus.
May we all seek to know Jesus more fully, to be known of him more fully and find Salvation in Jesus realizing that we are not in this battle on our own. We do receive help in Christ's ministering angels.
May God bless and keep us forever His.
Amen.

And when he hath made an end of reconciling

{16:1} And the LORD spake unto Moses after the deathof the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before theLORD, and died;
{16:2} And the LORD said unto Moses,Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all timesinto the holy [place] within the vail before the mercy seat,which [is] upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear inthe cloud upon the mercy seat.
{16:3} Thus shall Aaroncome into the holy [place:] with a young bullock for a sinoffering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
{16:4} He shall puton the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breechesupon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, andwith the linen mitre shall he be attired: these [are] holygarments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and[so] put them on.
{16:5} And he shall take of thecongregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goatsfor a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
Year - 1844 ******* (Then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed) The cleansing of the Sanctuary took place one day a year- the Day of Atonement. Sacrifices were made every day- a morning and evening sacrifice but one day a year on the Day of Atonement the Sanctuary would be cleansed.
Recap- The High Priest when He goes into the Most Holy Place (within veil) won't do so often but when He does He has to prepare.
He has to be clothed in pure holy garments (Christ's Righteousness) after he bathes (Washed in the Blood of the Lamb made pure).
{16:6}And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which[is] for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and forhis house.
Recap- The High Priest offers the bull for a sin offering for himself and for his house. (Altar - Cross)
{16:7} And he shall take the two goats, andpresent them before the LORD [at] the door of thetabernacle of the congregation.
Recap- the two goat will be presented before the Lord to the Holy Place. (The sin problem good (Lord's) and evil (Satan's) standing before God)
{16:8} And Aaron shall castlots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the otherlot for the scapegoat. {16:9} And Aaron shall bring the goatupon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him [for] a sinoffering.
Recap- The goat of the Lord is offered as a sin offering (Jesus died for us sinners)
{16:10} But the goat, on which the lot fell to bethe scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, tomake an atonement with him, [and] to let him go for ascapegoat into the wilderness.
Recap- The goat of Satan was kept alive and would be sent into the wilderness. (Satan will bear the sins of all, getting back all that he evil caused)
{16:11} And Aaron shallbring the bullock of the sin offering, which [is] for himself,and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house,and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which [is] forhimself:
Recap- The High Priest kills the bull making an atonement for himself and his people. (Jesus died to save us. Without that Sacrifice we could never have been saved- never. Jesus made Himself an acceptable Sacrifice.)
{16:12} And he shall take a censer full of burningcoals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and hishands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it]within the vail:
Recap- After the sacrifice the High Priest will take a censer full of burning coals (purifying from sin) from the altar in the Holy Place and He will take incense (prayers) and He goes into the Most Holy Place. The purifying begins as the prayers are offered.
{16:13} And he shall put the incense uponthe fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense maycover the mercy seat that [is] upon the testimony, that he dienot:
Recap- The prayers (incense) will go upon the purifying fire (burning coals) before the Mercy Seat bringing that which is acceptable to God because He is worthy. Only with by the mercy and grace of the Lord, only through His sacrifice are the prayers and purfying possible.
{16:14} And he shall take of the blood of the bullock,and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy seateastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of theblood with his finger seven times.
Recap- Taking the blood of the sacrfice for Himself and His family it is sprinkled on the mercy seat. His sacrifice is acceptable.
{16:15} Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that[is] for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, anddo with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock,and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercyseat: {16:16} And he shall make an atonement for the holy[place,] because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel,and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and soshall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, thatremaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
Recap- The goat chosen to be the Lord's goat will be killed and the blood taken into the Most Holy Place and the blood like the blood for the sacrifice for Himself and His family is sprinkled on the mercy seat- this blood is for those not in the High Priest's immediate family but for those who are God's children nonetheless.
Also He will use the blood for the Holy Place, getting rid of the sin throughout the Sanctuary, that which makes up the House of God.
{16:17} And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of thecongregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in theholy [place,] until he come out, and have made anatonement for himself, and for his household, and for all thecongregation of Israel.
Recap- Alone He offers up these sacrifices to God.
Year 1980******* (Times of the Gentiles Fulfilled- corporately the children of God have been cleansed those who are God's truly are now being called out of the corporate guilt so that they won't be found wanting with those who turned their back on God's truth, just as the Jews did in Jesus' day. The truth left them and went to the Gentiles, and now that the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled all that is left is the 'reconciling of all that has been done' and those who are found guilty will be guilty still, and those who have been found just will be just still.
{16:18} And he shall go out unto thealtar that [is] before the LORD, and make an atonement forit; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of theblood of the goat, and put [it] upon the horns of the altarround about.
Recap- He shall finally go out to the altar in the court before the Holy place and offer the blood there.
{16:19} And he shall sprinkle of the bloodupon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, andhallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
{16:20} And when he hath made an end of reconciling theholy [place,] and the tabernacle of the congregation, and thealtar, he shall bring the live goat:
Recap- WHEN (SOON) He makes an end of reconciling the Most Holy place, the Holy place and the Court...only then will the live goat be brought into play.
{16:21} And Aaron shalllay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, andconfess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel,and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting themupon the head of the goat, and shall send [him] away by thehand of a fit man into the wilderness: {16:22} And the goatshall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land notinhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Recap- Satan recieves ALL the sins taken from the forgiven and then is taken out of power for 1000 years to wander about the earth with no one to deceive a wilderness far, far removed from the children of God, until the 1000 years is over and the rest of the dead (those not dead in Christ who have been taken to heaven) will live again and he's loosed from his prison of circumstances to deceive them one last time.
Rev. {20:1} And I saw an angel come down from heaven,having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in hishand. {20:2} And he laid hold on the dragon, that oldserpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him athousand years, {20:3} And cast him into the bottomless pit,and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he shoulddeceive the nations no more, till the thousand years shouldbe fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev. {20:6} Blessed and holy [is] hethat hath part in the first resurrection: on such the seconddeath hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and ofChrist, and shall reign with him a thousand years
Rev. {20:7}And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall beloosed out of his prison, {20:8} And shall go out to deceivethe nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gogand Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number ofwhom [is] as the sand of the sea. {20:9} And they went upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of thesaints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down fromGod out of heaven, and devoured them.

Melody in your heart to the Lord

Eph.
{5:19} Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
{5:20} Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
{5:21} Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
When was the last time you spoke to anyone in a psalm, or a hymn, or a spiritual song? When was the last time you made a melody in your heart to the Lord?
That last question is fairly easy to answer right? We sing all the time, or some of us do. I know I do, I love the various Christian songs out there and almost everytime I'm in the car I have the radio on and I sing along. My heart is making melody to the Lord and often- but do we speak in psalms and hymns, spiritual songs?
Would we even know how to speak in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs? It's a question I think that bears considering.
No, I'm not saying we start going around singing at each other, but there is an element in what is being encouraged that needs to be incorporated into our lives. Uplifting one another is important and all too often we're more about what is depressing and makes our lives anxious not what uplifts. We'll more often than not have unhappy things to speak about and it does give us something to talk about, in fact some peoples lives are most active when they're engaging in discussing things that aren't so pleasant.
Spiritual songs, singing, making melody in our hearts to the Lord.
Giving thanks always....
How often?
Always.
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Giving thanks for all things.
We can't understand all things, we just can't. But we can trust that our lack of understanding won't change God's love for us. We want to believe that God stops loving us when horrible things happen to us. Satan wants us to think that, it's his way of maligning God and gaining more and more to Him. But wait, we don't like to think like that. We don't like to believe that there are only two sides. We want to believe there are many sides and if we linger on those sides close to God then we are going to be Gods. Unfortunately, that's not true it's something we've made up so we can soothe our conscience and make excuses for our bad behavior.
Whenever we are upset by life's hardships- and there are tons of them- we have to cry out to God but not in such a way that put doubts to His love for us.
Giving thanks always even when we don't understand.
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Do we do that? It would make us subservient right? Who wants to be subservient? We grow up being taught to stand up for ourselves, to be those who have others *working* for us, not us working for them. Rich means having housekeepers, having servants. Yet Christ wants us to be servants to all. The greatest is the one who is servant to all. The greatest is the least. It's no wonder that Satan has us mostly believing that the least is the worst. The servant is the lowest. That submitting ourselves ont to another, not for our own glory, but in the fear of God. Out of reference for God. We do it because it is God's will that we serve and submit that we are those who give and aren't those who just take. Love is giving. Love is graciously accepting.
Love is God and if we are to be God's we need to be loving knowing that sin isn't something God enjoys, that He never intended things to be how they are and yet rather than give up on us and wipe us out of existence he's allowed us to live and made a way for redemption in Him through the greatest sacrifice of all - His Son.
May God bless and keep us, may we learn to make melodies in our hearts to the Lord and give thanks always, and to submit ourselves to one another. By the will and grace of our Lord now and forever.
Amen.

Spiritual Darkness - Spiritual Light

Eph. {5:14} Whereforehe saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,and Christ shall give thee light.
* If we wake from our sleep and rouse ourselves from our course of life leading only to death-- Christ will give us light. We have a new life in Christ.
Matthew. {25:1} Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened untoten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meetthe bridegroom. {25:2} And five of them were wise, andfive [were] foolish. {25:3} They that [were] foolish tooktheir lamps, and took no oil with them: {25:4} But the wisetook oil in their vessels with their lamps. {25:5} While thebridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. {25:6}And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, theKing James Bible Matthew Page 568bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. {25:7} Then allthose virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. {25:8} Andthe foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for ourlamps are gone out. {25:9} But the wise answered, saying,[Not so;] lest there be not enough for us and you: but go yerather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. {25:10}And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and theythat were ready went in with him to the marriage: and thedoor was shut. {25:11} Afterward came also the othervirgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. {25:12} But heanswered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.{25:13} Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day northe hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
*All will sleep but some will sleep prepared, others will sleep and they won't be prepared for the Lord's return. All will wake up but for some it will be too late. Some will want to take the preparations made by the wise but the wise will tell them no, they have to go get their own because no one is saved or made ready by another- Christ alone prepares us with His light, His righteousness.
Heb. {1:9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hatediniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed theewith the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
*We need the oil of gladness in our lives, we need to love righteousness and hate sin...HATE SIN...not make excuses for it, but loathe it completely. Not accept it, but detest it. Not condone it as our lot, but despise that it is our lot.
Rev. {4:5} And outof the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings andvoices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning beforethe throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
*Lamps burn before the thrown. Lamp which are the seven Spirits of God. Lamps in a parable are what the wise will have and have extra oil for. We need the Spirit of God in us, we need to be ready to constantly accept the Spirit of God as it leads us in paths of Christ's righteousness. There is one unforgivable sin and that is ultimately- dying without having heeded the Spirit of God.
Zech. {4:1} And the angel that talked with me came again, andwaked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, {4:2}And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I havelooked, and behold a candlestick all [of] gold, with a bowlupon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and sevenpipes to the seven lamps, which [are] upon the top thereof:{4:3} And two olive trees by it, one upon the right [side] ofthe bowl, and the other upon the left [side] thereof. {4:4} SoI answered and spake to the angel that talked with me,saying, What [are] these, my lord? {4:5} Then the angelthat talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowestthou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. {4:6}Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] theword of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might,nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.{4:7} Who [art] thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel[thou shalt become] a plain: and he shall bring forth theheadstone [thereof with] shoutings, [crying,] Grace, graceunto it. {4:8} Moreover the word of the LORD came untome, saying, {4:9} The hands of Zerubbabel have laid thefoundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; andthou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me untoyou. {4:10} For who hath despised the day of small things?for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the handof Zerubbabel [with] those seven; they [are] the eyes of theLORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.{4:11} Then answered I, and said unto him, What [are]these two olive trees upon the right [side] of the candlestickand upon the left [side] thereof? {4:12} And I answeredagain, and said unto him, What [be these] two olivebranches which through the two golden pipes empty thegolden [oil] out of themselves? {4:13} And he answered meand said, Knowest thou not what these [be?] And I said, No,my lord. {4:14} Then said he, These [are] the two anointedones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.
*This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Not by might, not by power, but by GOD'S Spirit!
Christ promised to send us a comforter. No, He could not physically remain with us, His work as our High Priest demanded that He minister the blood He shed, the sacrifice He made in the Heavenly Sanctuary not made with hands. That the work of our redemption including not only the forgiveness of sin but of the cleansing of it once and for all be made by Him. So Christ promised to send us a Comforter, the Holy Spirit to be a reality to us here and now in our lives guiding us, lighting our way to Christ and His righteousness. The Spirit of God, the light of the world, our Comforter. We HAVE to live with the Holy Spirit as a reality in our lives, as with us just as Christ would be with us guiding us.
The Light of the Lord is real and it is a light we can keep out of our lives if we choose. We are not forced to have the light, we can choose to live in darkness. We make the choice and we make it all the time...all the time.
Can we choose to physically live in darkness? Yes. We can. Would most people ever do so? No. Why wouldn't they? For one thing you can't see anything in darkness. Even those who are blind and we can say live in darkness don't physically live in the dark. Would it be detrimental to live in the darkness? Yes. Health-wise it's proven that for the majority of people complete darkness isn't good for us physically. Yes, some could argue there are people allergic to the sunlight, people sensitive to it, for them darkness is good, but if they don't get enough sunlight can their be deficiencies in their health? Yes there can be and often deficiencies can be made up with vitamins and getting what the sun gives in another manner.
We can go back and forth on this and yet in the end most people would choose to live in light, not in darkness if they were given a choice. Even those blind will often long to see, some will go to great lengths to have a chance at seeing again.
Note I said most people, because you'll always have a few that defy the rest with good intentions or not.
Light is equated with goodness, darkness with evil.
And this is in a spiritual sense.
Odd isn't it how most people will want to live in spiritual darkness- the complete opposite of the physical light where most want to live with light in their lives.
If a light is too bright it hurts.
If a light is present it's hard to hide things.
If light pushes away the darkness it's not allowing us to hide in the cloak of darkness, it's revealing us.
Spiritual light reveals us for what we are, it reveals our sin-filled state and our sinful actions.
When we sin we shouldn't like it but we have to see that we sin and for that we need the light of Christ to show us, the Spiritual light needs to shine on us to show us the sin. So is it any wonder that people wish to remain in spiritual darkness, they don't want their sins revealed for what they are. They want to live in their sins without any reprimanding, without any reproving. When we don't see that we are covered in filth then we can fool ourselves into believing that we are clean. When we don't associate with those who can see we are covered in filth then it can't be pointed out to us. We like the darkness, we like our filthiness hidden from us.
It is my prayer, my earnest prayer that the Holy Spirit illuminates us all! That we will see the filthiness of our sinfilled selves and be drawn to the only One who can cleanse us of the filth, Christ Jesus. May the Holy Spirit shine all around us, may the darkness in our lives be exposed to the light of the Holy Spirit, may we see...and no longer be blind so that we may run to the foot of the cross and beg forgiveness for our sinfulness and choose to walk with Christ in the light now and forever.
Amen.

Walk circumspectly, not as fools,

Eph. {5:14} Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. {5:15} See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, {5:16} Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. {5:17} Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is. ]

Christ shall give thee light.

One we are awakened from our sleep of ignorance, once we rise up from the life that only leads to death, we are filled with the light of Christ.

When we awake to new life in Christ we have to walk in that new life.

Walk circumspectly- not as fools but as wise. That’s straight forward enough isn’t it. Walking circumspectly. Surely we don’t honestly expect a follower of Christ to walk any other way, do we?

Dict. cir·cum·spect (sûr¹kem-spèkt´) adjective
Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent.

Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences. We know that our actions have consequences. When we turn to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we know that our actions have consequences. The greatest of these being the death of one who was completely innocent and deserved not even the smallest of punishments let alone death.

We feel outrage when we’re watching tv shows depicting the death of innocents. It’s even worse when we know the star of the show is innocent and yet framed for the crimes of another. We may even see them be put to death. No, they aren’t crucified, but seeing them laid flat out on a table with tubes around them and needles going into their body as they are pumped full of chemicals to induce death, it outrageous’ us to watch and we might even scream at our tvs that it’s wrong! They’re innocent! That feeling there of outrage is deserved right? An innocent put to death. But wait… we aren’t really fully innocent are we? Unlike Christ we are not sin-free. While that person might be innocent of that particular crime they’re put to death for they’re not totally innocent. Our outrage over the death of Christ should be so much greater, outrage turned into the knowledge that He allowed it to happen so He could save our lives, so He could give us life eternal, so we could be found worthy through Him and only through Him to be saved.

The consequences of our actions - watching for potential consequences- walking and living that way means we’re aware of what our actions bring forth. We’re aware that there is right and wrong and that Jesus would have us walk as He walked, in the light of life, not foolishly. We know don’t we? We know how Jesus walked and how He wants us to walk and when we aren’t walking that way we know we’re flirting with death eternal.

Eph. {5:14} Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. {5:15} See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, {5:16} Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. {5:17} Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is. ]


Redeeming the time because the days are evil.

How well we know that. The days are evil. We have to redeem the time because the days are evil.

Only through the redemption of Christ can life be anything but evil. We have to live in Christ this is emphasized over and over again. We are to be transformed from the evil that would overtake us and live as Jesus would have us live in Him.

Be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

What is the will of the Lord?

John {17:24} Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. {17:25} O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. {17:26} And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare [it:] that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

This is Christ’s will.

Titus {3:1} Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, {3:2} To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, [but] gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. {3:3} For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another. {3:4} But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, {3:5} Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; {3:6} Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; {3:7} That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. {3:8} [This is] a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. {3:9} But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings
about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. {3:10} A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; {3:11} Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

Eph. {5:14} Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. {5:15} See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, {5:16} Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. {5:17} Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is. ]

We know don’t we? We know. We might try to fool ourselves into believing we don’t know what Christ will in us, but we do. We know and when we turn away from the will of Christ in us we are walking on very dangerous ground.

Rev. {3:14} And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; {3:15} I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. {3:16} So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. {3:17} Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: {3:18} I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. {3:19} As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. {3:20}
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. {3:21} To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. {3:22} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

This is a message to us, Christ’s people living in the last time before His return.

We think we are rich and don’t need anything, but Christ knows otherwise. We have nothing in and of ourselves that merits righteousness, that makes us rich in the only way we need to be rich in Christ.

May the Lord’s mercy fill our hearts and souls, may His grace wash over each of us fully and may we walk circumspectly redeeming the time knowing that we live surrounded by evil that would ensnare us so completely that we won’t even realize it why? Because we think we are rich. Let us recognize our wretched state, let us understand how truly poor we are and know that it is only by the will, by the mercy, by the sacrifice of our Savior that we can hope to live at all.

In His holy name now and forever,
Amen.

Oil for Our Lamps

Eph. {5:14} Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Matt. {25:1} Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. {25:2} And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. {25:3} They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: {25:4} But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. {25:5} While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. {25:6} And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. {25:7} Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. {25:8} And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. {25:9} But the wise answered, saying, [Not so;] lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. {25:10} And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. {25:11} Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. {25:12} But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. {25:13} Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.


While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

We think that Jesus tarries don't we? Every single day that goes by we think that. We want Him to come, we want Him to take us home with Him. We long for this and yet we sleep.

ALL slumber and sleep.

In this parable there isn't one who is waiting for Christ to come that isn't sleeping. Reminescent of the disciples falling asleep when Christ himself asked them to stay awake with him isn't it? They fell asleep not once but twice...three times... does it matter the number of times? They were asked to stay awake and they didn't. Is it because they didn't want to? Is it because they thought so little of their master's request that they felt it was easier to sleep than it was to stay awake? Have you ever wanted desperately to stay awake and been unable to do so? Have you ever pushed through that desperate need to sleep and some how remained awake? You've most likely done both, I know I have. Sometimes we fall asleep when it's the very last thing we want to do. We are made that way our bodies are, we are made to need sleep as well as other things. Being made to need sleep it's a natural thing so fighting it seems pointless. Yet one surety with sleep is the fact we wake from sleep. We wake refreshed and we don't need any sleep, at least not until we're run down and get tired again.

Jesus gives us a parable on those waiting right before He returns. All those waiting fall asleep. Yet some fall asleep with extra oil while others fall asleep without any extra oil.

The question here is do we have extra oil?

What is oil?

How do we get the oil?

Is it as easy as buying oil from somewhere to keep in our lamps, to have extra by oursides?

Eph. {5:14} Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

We want light in our lamps, we want extra oil to keep the light there so we're well supplied and ready for Christ.

Christ will give us this light, we have to wake up and get it. Arise from our dead, sluggish, states that aren't waiting, that aren't ready. We have a role to play and anyone who thinks we don't are sadly mistaken. Those who think we have nothing to do but wait won't have extra oil, they'll think they have enough but they won't. There are going to be many that don't have oil and they're going to want ours. They're going to ask us for ours and we can't give it to them because then we won't have enough, but we tell them where to get their own oil. It'll be too late then, but we can risk not having enough oil an not meeting Christ.

Let us awake, let us find the oil and have it with us, the extra oil. May God bless us and help us to find oil and a lot of it so we have extra. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever.

Amen.

Light of God

I'm studying the word ‘light’ as I seek a deeper understanding of its meaning to me.

I posted on one blog but not any others about a strange occurrence in my life recently.

The short version is that my hubby in the darkness of our bedroom as he came to bed where I was already sleeping went to put his hand in mind and stopped when he saw a light in my hand. He tried to figure out where it was coming from but couldn’t. It was so odd that he remarked on it to me the next day and since then has reaffirmed that it was something ‘he’d never seen before’.

I didn’t see the light, I had no part in producing the light, I was sleeping.
I don’t understand the why of it and I could just blow it off as nothing, but it’s not everyday you get told something like that, right?

Since then I’ve been studying, talking to various people, praying, studying, talking to more people, more studying just trying to understand.

There has been the mention of ‘healing’ an idea that came about from someone who uses laying on of hands healing. There has been mention of enlightenment and spiritual growth. There’s been mention also of spreading the word, the truth.

I don’t feel compelled towards ‘healing’ simply because I just wouldn’t know what to do or how. I’ve been told I could try to heal someone and then likewise told that if it doesn’t work it could be my lack of faith or maybe it’s that God doesn’t always heal all those that are treated that way for reasons of his own. So it would seem like trying to heal someone is scary business- it would bring my own faith into question, and it would possibly leave me floundering more because if God doesn’t heal all by those He gives the gift of healing to, how do we know if any of it is really really? How do we know a person wouldn’t have been healed naturally? How do we know it’s not a psychological healing? So many questions.

I was told by someone that a very devout person once warned that seeking to perform miracles in the last days is dangerous because the devil will be using miracles as his tools of deception so widely that it could be a trap for those who would otherwise be God’s. Meaning that the devil is going about seeking to devour whom he may and he will deceive ALL but the very elect.

That is scary stuff there. We have to be rooted and grounded in Christ so completely that we aren’t deceived.

This light in my hand, this inexplicable light has thrown me into a bit of confusion but I’m not going to let it confuse me to the point I get lost in it all and lose my way with Christ, I can’t.

Is it for healing? Is it for spreading the word of God? Does it mean anything at all? I’m going to continue to study for a bit, but after awhile I will just let it all go and wait for something more if God wants me to know more, if this is to mean something He will show me I have to have faith in that, in Him.

Here now is a bit of study on the word light—courtesy of the internet.


*******

LIGHT
lit ('or, ma'or; phos; many other words):

The creation of light was the initial step in the creation of life. "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3) was the first word of God spoken after His creative Spirit "moved" upon the primary material out of which He created the heavens and the earth, and which lay, until the utterance of that word, in the chaos of darkness and desolation. Something akin, possibly, to the all-pervasive electro-magnetic activity of the aurora borealis penetrated the chaotic night of the world. The ultimate focusing of light (on the 4th day of creation, Genesis 1:14) in suns, stars, and solar systems brought the initial creative process to completion, as the essential condition of all organic life. The origin of light thus finds its explanation in the purpose and very nature of God whom John defines as not only the Author of light but, in an all-inclusive sense, as light itself:

"God is light" (1John 1:5).

{1:5} This then is the message which we have heard of
him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is
no darkness at all.

2. A Comprehensive Term:

The word "light" is Divinely rich in its comprehensiveness and meaning. Its material splendor is used throughout the Scriptures as the symbol and synonym of all that is luminous and radiant in the mental, moral and spiritual life of men and angels; while the eternal God, because of His holiness and moral perfection, is pictured as "dwelling in light unapproachable" (1 Timothy 6:16). Every phase of the word, from the original light in the natural world to the spiritual glory of the celestial, is found in Holy Writ.

{6:14} That thou keep [this] commandment
without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ: {6:15} Which in his times he shall shew, [who
is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and
Lord of lords; {6:16} Who only hath immortality, dwelling
in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man
hath seen, nor can see: to whom [be] honour and power
everlasting. Amen.

(1) Natural Light.

The light of day (Genesis 1:5);

{1:5} And God
called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And
the evening and the morning were the first day.

of sun, moon and stars; "lights in the firmament" (Genesis 1:14-18;

{1:14} And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament
of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them
be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
{1:15} And let them be for lights in the firmament of the
heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. {1:16}
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars
also. {1:17} And God set them in the firmament of the
heaven to give light upon the earth, {1:18} And to rule over
the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the
darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.

Psalms 74:16;

{74:16} The day [is] thine, the night also [is] thine: thou hast
prepared the light and the sun.

Ps. 136:7;

{136:7} To him that made great lights: for his mercy [endureth] for
ever:

Ps. 148:3;

{148:3} Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

Ecclesiastes 12:2;

{12:2} While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars,
be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

Revelation 22:5)

{22:5} And there
shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither
light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and
they shall reign for ever and ever.

Its characteristics are beauty, radiance, utility. It "rejoiceth the heart" (Proverbs 15:30);

{15:30} The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart:
[and] a good report maketh the bones fat

"Truly the light is sweet" (Ecclesiastes 11:7

{11:7} Truly the light [is] sweet, and a pleasant [thing it
is] for the eyes to behold the sun:

without it men stumble and are helpless (John 11:9,10)

{11:9} Jesus answered, Are
there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the
day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this
world. {11:10} But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth,
because there is no light in him.

; it is something for which they wait with inexpressible longing (Job 30:26;

{30:26}
When I looked for good, then evil came [unto me:] and
when I waited for light, there came darkness.

compare Psalms 130:6).

{130:6} My soul [waiteth] for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning: [I say, more than] they that watch for the morning.

Life, joy, activity and all blessings are dependent upon light.

Light and life are almost synonymous to the inhabitants of Palestine, and in the same way darkness and death. Theirs is the land of sunshine. When they go to other lands of clouded skies their only thought is to return to the brightness and sunshine of their native land. In Palestine there is hardly a day in the whole year when the sun does not shine for some part of it, while for five months of the year there is scarcely an interruption of the sunshine. Time is reckoned from sunset to sunset. The day's labor closes with the coming of darkness. "Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labor until the evening" (Psalms 104:23).

The suddenness of the change from darkness to light with the rising sun and the disappearance of the sun in the evening is more striking than in more northern countries, and it is not strange that in the ancient days there should have arisen a worship of the sun as the giver of light and happiness, and that Job should mention the enticement of sun-worship when he "beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness" (Job 31:26). The severest plague in Egypt next to the slaying of the firstborn was the plague of darkness which fell upon the Egyptians (Exodus 10:23). This love of light finds expression in both Old Testament and New Testament in a very extensive use of the word to express those things which are most to be desired and most helpful to man, and in this connection we find some of the most beautiful figures in the Bible.

(2) Artificial Light.

When natural light fails, man by discovery or invention provides himself with some temporary substitute, however dim and inadequate. The ancient Hebrews had "oil for the light" (Exodus 25:6; 35:8; Leviticus 24:2) and lamps (Exodus 35:14; Matthew 5:15).

{5:13} Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost
his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth
good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under
foot of men. {5:14} Ye are the light of the world. A city that
is set on an hill cannot be hid. {5:15} Neither do men light a
candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it
giveth light unto all that are in the house. {5:16} Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

"There were many lights. (lampas) in the upper chamber" at Troas, where Paul preached until midnight (Acts 20:8); so Jeremiah 25:10 the Revised Version (British and American), "light of the lamp;" the King James Version, "candle."

(3) Miraculous Light.

When the appalling plague of "thick darkness," for three days, enveloped the Egyptians, terrified and rendered them helpless, "all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings" (Exodus 10:23). Whether the darkness was due to a Divinely-ordered natural cause or the light was the natural light of day, the process that preserved the interspersed Israelites from the encompassing darkness was supernatural. Miraculous, also, even though through natural agency, was the "pillar of fire" that gave light to the Israelites escaping from Pharaoh (Exodus 13:21; 14:20; Psalms 78:14), "He led them .... all the night with a light of fire." Supernatural was the effulgence at Christ's transfiguration that made "his garments .... white as the light" (Matthew 17:2). Under the same category Paul classifies `the great light' that `suddenly shone round about him from heaven' on the way to Damascus (Acts 22:6; compare Acts 9:3).

{22:6} And
it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come
nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from
heaven a great light round about me.

{9:3} And as he journeyed, he came near
Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a
light from heaven:

In these rare instances the supernatural light was not only symbolic of an inner spiritual light, but instrumental, in part at least, in revealing or preparing the way for it.

(4) Mental, Moral, Spiritual Light.

The phenomena of natural light have their counterpart in the inner life of man. Few words lend themselves with such beauty and appropriateness to the experiences, conditions, and radiance of the spiritual life. For this reason the Scriptures use "light" largely in the figurative sense. Borrowed from the natural world, it is, nevertheless, inherently suited to portray spiritual realities. In secular life a distinct line of demarcation is drawn between intellectual and spiritual knowledge and illumination.

Education that enlightens the mind may leave the moral man untouched.

This distinction rarely obtains in the Bible, which deals with man as a spiritual being and looks upon his faculties as interdependent in their action.

(a) A few passages, however, refer to the light that comes chiefly to the intellect or mind through Divine instruction, e.g. Psalms 119:130,

{119:130} The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth
understanding unto the simple.

"The opening of thy words giveth light"; so Proverbs 6:23, "The law is light." Even here the instruction includes moral as well as mental enlightenment.

{6:23} For the commandment [is] a lamp;
and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the
way of life:

(b) Moral:

Job 24:13,16 has to do exclusively with man's moral attitude to truth: "rebel against the light"; "know not the light." Isaiah 5:20 describes a moral confusion and blindness, which cannot distinguish light from darkness.

(c) For the most part, however, light and life go together. It is the product of salvation:

"Yahweh is my light and my salvation" (Psalms 27:1). "Light," figuratively used, has to do preeminently with spiritual life, including also the illumination that floods all the faculties of the soul: intellect, conscience, reason, will. In the moral realm the enlightenment of these faculties is dependent wholly on the renewal of the spirit. "In thy light .... we see light" (Psalms 36:9); "The life was the light of men" (John 1:4).

Light is an attribute of holiness, and thus a personal quality. It is the outshining of Deity.

3. An Attribute of Holiness:

(1) God.

"God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1John 1:5). Darkness is the universal symbol and condition of sin and death; light the symbol and expression of holiness. "The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame" (Isaiah 10:17). God, by His presence and grace, is to us a "marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). The glory of His holiness and presence is the "everlasting light" of the redeemed in heaven (Isaiah 60:19,20; Revelation 21:23,14; 22:5).

(2) Christ.

Christ, the eternal Word (logos, John 1:1), who said "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3), is Himself the "effulgence of (God's) glory" (Hebrews 1:3), "the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world" (John 1:9) (compare the statements concerning Wisdom in The Wisdom of Solomon 7:25 f and concerning Christ in Hebrews 1:3; and see CREEDS; LOGOS; JOHANNINE THEOLOGY; WISDOM). As the predicted Messiah, He was to be "for alight of the Gentiles" (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). His birth was the fulfillment of this prophecy (Luke 2:32). Jesus called Himself "the light of the world" (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46); As light He was "God .... manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16 the King James Version). "The Word was God" (John 1:1). Jesus as logos is the eternal expression of God as a word is the expression of a thought. In the threefold essence of His being God is Life (zoe) (John 5:26; 6:57); God is Love (agape) (1John 4:8); God is Light (phos) (1John 1:5). Thus Christ, the logos, manifesting the three aspects of the Divine Nature, is Life, Love and Light, and these three are inseparable and constitute the glory. which the disciples beheld in Him, "glory as of the only begotten from the Father" (John 1:14). In revealing and giving life, Christ becomes "the light of men" (John 1:4). God gives "the light of the knowledge of (his) glory in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6), and this salvation is called "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Christ is thus the Teacher, Enlightener ("Christ shall give thee light," Ephesians 5:14 the King James Version), Guide, Saviour of men.

{5:14} Wherefore
he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.

(3) Christians.

All who catch and reflect the light of God and of Christ are called "light," "lights."

(a) John the Baptist:

"a burning and a shining light" (John 5:35 the King James Version). It is significant that this pre-Christian prophet was termed luchnos, while the disciples of the new dispensation are called phos (Matthew 5:14): "Ye are the light of the world."

(b) Henceforth Christians and saints were called "children of light" (Luke 16:8; John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8), and were expected to be "seen as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

(c) The Jew who possessed the law mistakenly supposed he was "a light of them that are in darkness" (Romans 2:19).

(4) The Church.

Zion was to "shine" because her `light had come' (Isaiah 60:1). The Gentiles were to come to her light (Isaiah 60:3). Her mission as the enlightener of the world was symbolized in the ornamentations of her priesthood. The Urim of the high priest's breastplate signified light, and the name itself is but the plural form of the Hebrew 'or. It stood for revelation, and thummim for truth. The church of the Christian dispensation was to be even more radiant with the light of God and of Christ. The seven churches of Asia were revealed to John, by the Spirit, as seven golden candlesticks, and her ministers as seven stars, both luminous with the light of the Gospel revelation. In Ephesians, Christ, who is the Light of the world, is the Head of the church, the latter being His body through which His glory is to be manifested to the world, "to make all men see," etc. (Ephesians 3:9,10). "Unto him be the glory in the church" (Ephesians 3:21), the church bringing glory to God, by revealing His glory to men through its reproduction of the life and light of Christ.

4. Symbolism:

Light symbolizes:

(1) the eye, "The light of the body is the eye" (Matthew 6:22, the King James Version; Luke 11:34);

(2) watchfulhess, "Let your lights (the Revised Version (British and American) "lamps") be burning," the figure being taken from the parable of the Virgins;

(3) protection, "armor (Romans 13:12), the garment of a holy and Christ-like life;

(4) the sphere of the Christian's daily walk, "inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:12);

(5) heaven, for the inheritance just referred to includes the world above in which "the Lamb is the light thereof"

(6) prosperity, relief (Esther 8:16; Job 30:26), in contrast with the calamities of the wicked whose "light .... shall be put out" (Job 18:5);

(7) joy and gladness (Job 3:20; Psalms 97:11; 112:4);

(8) God's favor, the light of thy countenance" (Psalms 4:6; 44:3; 89:15), and a king's favor (Proverbs 16:15);

(9) life (Psalms 13:3; 49:19; John 1:4).

5. Expressive Terms:

Expressive terms are:

(1) "fruit of the light" (Ephesians 5:9), i.e. goodness, righteousness, truth;

(2) "light in the Lord" (Ephesians 5:8), indicating the source of light (compare Isaiah 2:5);

(3) "inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:12), a present experience issuing in heaven;

(4) "Father of lights" (James 1:17), signifying the Creator of the heavenly bodies;

(5) "marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9), the light of God's presence and fellowship;

(6) "Walk in the light" (1John 1:7), in the light of God's teaching and companionship;

(7) "abideth in the light" (1John 2:10), in love, Divine and fraternal;

(8) "Light of the glorious gospel of Christ "; "light of the knowledge of the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4,6 the King James Version).

Dwight M. Pratt
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Ephesians

{5:7} Be not ye therefore
partakers with them. {5:8} For ye were sometimes
darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as
children of light: {5:9} (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness and righteousness and truth;) {5:10} Proving what
is acceptable unto the Lord. {5:11} And have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove
[them. ]{5:12} For it is a shame even to speak of those
things which are done of them in secret. {5:13} But all
things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for
whatsoever doth make manifest is light. {5:14} Wherefore
he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.


By the Grace of God may I awake from my sleep, may I arouse my spiritual deadness and receive the light from Christ.

Amen.