God Assessment

Job 10:12.  You have granted me life and favor, and your visitation has preserved my spirit.       

The word visitation-pekuddah (H6486) from pakad (H6485)-to visit, provides a basis for understanding the nature of covenant promises and the hope of prophecy. The Israelites for 400 years in Egypt clung to this prophetic word from Joseph:

Genesis 50:25.  And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel saying God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here.                                 

This covenant oath and promise between Joseph and his descendants continued as a memorial and became the words used by God to introduce Moses as their deliverer. The fulfillment of this promise becomes a remembrance of God and is prominent in the narrative.

Exodus 3:16.  Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say unto them….”I have surely visited you and that which is done to you in Egypt.”

Exodus 4:31.  And the people believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.  

 Exodus 13:19.  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath saying “God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”                       

A deeper understanding of this word is necessary to grasp the statement “your visitation has preserved my spirit” in Job 10:12.

Pakad appears 90 times in the book Numbers, and is the basis for the title. The first four chapters of Numbers recounts a series of censuses that God commanded Moses and Aaron to make of the congregation of Israel.

Numbers 1:2 & 3.   Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of names, every male by their polls. From twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel you and Aaron shall number them by their armies.         

Verse two describes a numerical count (take the sum) and means a head count; “by their polls” literally means “by their skulls”. Verse three uses the word pakad “number them by their armies”.

So what is the relationship between “to visit” and “to number” when the word pakad appears? Pakad actually means to make an assessment, to observe to determine your physical, mental and spiritual state.

The key here is the phrase “that are able to go forth to war”. This is more than a head count, but also an assessment. And so in Exodus 4:31 “He looked upon their affliction”, the visitation is concerned with the state of being.

This correct understanding of “to number or to visit” forms the basis for both ministry and fellowship.

James 1:27.   Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction to remain unspotted from the world.    

This verse doesn’t limit ministry to widows and orphans, the emphasis is upon all who are afflicted with these two as prominent examples. Visitation also defines the role of leadership in the church.

Matthew 24:45.    Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his lord has made ruler (more correct is caretaker) over his household (congregation) to give them meat [spiritual sustenance– “I have meat you know not of… -John 4:32-34] in due season. (as the need arises) 

Ministering to the saints is a visitation to preserve the spirit of the church.

Friend or Foe?

James 4:4b.   Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Man must accept responsibility for the fact that his nature has corrupted the world.

Genesis 6:11, 12. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all mankind had corrupted his way upon the earth.

The spirit of the world is common and familiar to the human spirit. We must be sanctified to serve the Lord in newness of life by the Spirit of Truth.

1 John 2:15-17.  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing  away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.

All creation groans under the burden of man’s fall from grace.

Romans 8:19-21.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

Jesus Christ restores our relationship with God, that was severed by sin.

Isaiah 59:1, 2.  Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Man’s nature is hostile to the divine nature, which must be received as a gift of God.

2 Peter 1:4. Thereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

To be delivered from that nature, man must be separated from the world into the Kingdom of God; to experience deliverance from corruption.

Romans 5:10. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

The divine nature is not obtained by genetics, personal improvement or education.

John 1:12, 13. As many as received Him, He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Life in Christ by the Will of God separates us to be useful to His purpose. Many have placed their hope in the Grace of God, but grace without purpose leads into error.

2 Timothy 1:8, 9.  Who has saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

We must be born from above by the Grace of God through Jesus Christ, and receive the Holy Spirit to truly love God, and one another.

The Message: God Is Love.

1 John 4. 

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.  My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love! This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.

Set Free from sin, set free to Love

 

With A Strong Hand

Exodus 12:14.  So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.    

The first memorial found in the Law of Moses is to perpetuate the memory of the night The Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, while ‘passing over’ the houses of Israel having the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintel.                          The intent and purpose of this memorial feast is given as an answer to a question anticipated from the children of the household.

Exodus 12:26&27.  And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 

In passing over the firstborn of man and beast among the people of Israel, a special relationship was established between the Lord and the firstborn, and the consideration of this fact carries over to the feast of unleavened bread.

Exodus 13:1, 12,13.  Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.  And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s.              

Thus, the firstborn males who open the womb became the purchased possession of the Lord. This also was established as a memorial for every generation.  The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are linked for this purpose, to perpetuate this memory. 

Exodus 13:8-10.  And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.  It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.  You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. 

Many consider that the observance of the Passover is to commemorate the deliverance of the children of Israel  from the bondage of slavery. This is actually given as the basis for keeping the Sabbath.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15.  Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.  And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.   

The feasts include special Sabbath Days for this observance. This makes the following exchange between Jesus Christ and the Jewish citizens of Jerusalem all the more fascinating.

The Truth Shall Make You Free

John 8:31-36. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered Him, We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free?  Jesus answered them,  Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but the son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 

The intended memory to perpetuate in the keeping of the Sabbath failed to produce the desired remembrance!

The Voice of the Spirit

John 17:1-3.   He said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, so the Son may glorify You. Even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, so may He give eternal life to all those You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua the Messiah, the One You sent.

How do we come to know God and obtain this eternal life? The ones we know; we recognize their voice.

John 10:4.    The shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them; and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Whether we are listening to the spoken Word or studying devotionals, praising God or meditating in His presence, the one goal remains constant: to know His voice.  One of the  earliest ways that the priesthood referred to the Lord was “The Voice.”

Numbers 7:89, JPS Tanakh.     And when Moses went into the tent of meeting that He might speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the ark-cover that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and He spoke unto him.

The point of this is that we can listen to the Word of God being read aloud or preached, and hear the voice of the Spirit as a life giving word from what is being spoken if we abide in the Spirit. Haven’t you had the Lord drop something into your spirit while listening to preaching?

Titus 1:3.   He has made manifest His Word through preaching.

1 Corinthians 1:21.   For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

Romans 10:14&15.  How then shall they call on the One in whom they have not trusted? And how shall they trust in the One they have not heard of? And how shall they hear without someone proclaiming? And how shall they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!”

This is why the message must not deviate from what was presented by the first apostles.

John 6:63.   It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no benefit. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and are life. 

John 16:7&8.  But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment.        

It is always the work of the Holy Spirit to convict someone to repentance.
This is why Paul said:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5.    When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with excellence of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God. For I decided not to know about anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

The Message of the Messiah must register to the listener through the Voice of the Spirit, not our own. In this knowledge of God is the continual blessing.

Revelation 1:3.   Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

John 3:29     He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.

The Spirit of Meekness

The Spirit of Meekness manifests when the human spirit is yoked to the Holy Spirit, in obedience. To be directed by the Voice of the Lord.

The Gospel is unto the Meek

Isaiah 61:1.  The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.

Psalm 22:26. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek Him: your heart shall live forever.

Psalm 25:9. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Psalm 37:11. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalm 76:8 & 9. You did cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

Psalm 147:6. The Lord lifts up the meek: he casts the wicked down to the ground.

Psalm 149:4. For the Lord takes pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation.

Isaiah 11:4.  With righteousness He shall  judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.

Isaiah 29:19.  The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

The Apostle Paul and the Spirit of Meekness

2 Corinthians 10:1.   I entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

Galatians 5:22 & 23.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Galatians 6:1  if anyone is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore them in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself lest you be tempted.   

Ephesians 4:1-3. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Colossians 3:12-14.  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a quarrel against one: even as Christ forgave you, so also do.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfection.

Titus 3:2.  Speak evil of no man, be not a brawler. But be gentle, showing meekness unto all.

1 Timothy 6:11. Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life.

2 Timothy 2:24-26. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

We can only serve like Moses in the spirit of meekness.

Numbers 12:3.  Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. 

Psalm 45:4.  In your majesty ride victoriously, on behalf of truth, meekness and justice.  Let your right hand display awesome things. 

Zephaniah 2:3. Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Meekness in the Healing Ministry

Hebrews 3:1-6 compares the Lord Jesus Christ as the High Priest of our profession to the faithfulness of Moses in shepherding Israel through the wilderness. Quoting the Lord in Numbers 12, Moses is said to have been “faithful in all My House”.

Hebrews 3:5 & 6. And Moses was truly faithful in all His house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 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.                                                                                                   

Statements with the word “if” are not the most popular among many believers but Jesus himself said:

Matthew 24:13.  But he who endures unto the end shall be saved.        

The admonition is then repeated: 

Hebrews 3:14. for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.                                   

Hebrews 3:15  While it is said; today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation. 

Now quoting from Psalm 95 and again comparing the body of Christ to the “church in the wilderness”.

When Hebrews 3:5 says that Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, a unique Greek word is used, and translating as “a servant” clouds the importance of this statement.

The word doulos is used over 100 times in the New Testament to convey the idea of being a bondservant or purchased slaves of Christ. This one time the word therapon is used which means an attendant. This is the word from which is derived therapeia and the English word therapy. As the therapon to the church in the wilderness Moses attended to the needs of the people, in particular, to maintain a right relationship with the Spirit of the Lord.

To have a zeal for the church and body of Christ, we are being called like Moses to be faithful in all his house. The significance of this statement is only understood from the visitation of the Lord in Numbers 12.

Numbers 12:6-8. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all My house. With him will I speak face to face, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Hebrews goes on to say that now we all can come boldly before the throne of grace. We have the same access, the same opportunity to come into the Lord’s presence. After spending time in the sanctuary of the Lord we can speak without presumptuous error and offence. We can be faithful in all his house. Consider now the application of this word study to a correct understanding of this teaching of Christ Jesus.

Luke 12:42.  Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his lord will make ruler(?) over his household (therapeia) to give them meat in due  season?

To properly understand Jesus when he teaches on stewardship we must always remember his statements “the words that I speak to you are spirit and life” and “the flesh profits nothing”.

The concern here is not flesh, Jesus said:

John 4:32-34. I have meat to eat that you know not of, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me.                                                          

Jesus is seeking elect stewards like Moses who can be faithful in all his house, to see to the spiritual health of the congregation. To be a therapon to provide therapeia (healing) for the body of Christ.  As the two other uses of the word therapeia in Luke 9:11 and Revelations 22:2, where the word is translated healing. Does the Lord want us to rule people or heal people?

Luke 9:11.  And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received  them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. 

Revelation 22:2.   On either side of the river was a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

A Willing Heart

Exodus 35:21.  And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. 

Exodus 35:29.  The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.                                                 

1 Chronicles 29:9.  Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.                           

When the Holy Spirit fell on the day of Pentecost, a miracle occurred which had happened only briefly in the lives of God’s people in the past. The disciples numbered approximately 120 in the upper room that day. Immediately after they received the gift of the Holy Spirit corporately, there were added about 3,000 souls! Even more impressive than the numbers though, was the immediate change of heart.

Acts 2:44,45.  And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, as every man had need.     

Acts 4:32.  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.                                               

So we see the need of God’s Spirit to move for people to have a willing heart; to build the tabernacle in the wilderness, to prepare for Solomon to build a Temple, and for the saints to build a New House for God in the body of Christ.

In these last days, will our hearts be willing when God pours out His Spirit?

Psalm 110:3.  Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.