October 2000

[Part Seven]

                 Faith is the first door of Life, the first glimpse of Glory, that is opened to the man of spirit. Faith is the Gatekeeper of the Tabernacle of Truth. It is Faith’s task to guard the Throne of Grace; to “test and assay every spirit (that comes to us) to see if they are emissaries of God, or just one of many false prophets gone out in the world!” (1 Jn 4:1) He must carefully appraise each one for “There are not only false prophets, but there shall also arise false Christs who will show us such great signs and wonders, they could deceive the very elect if it were possible!” (Mt 24:24) But this “very Elect” are a totally Christ-centered people that cannot be deceived or led astray! Praise God! But those whose Swords of Truth are not yet fully sharpened on the Rock of Salvation are at risk! For faith that is not yet firmly fixed on Christ may still be beguiled by “great signs and wonders”! What if Moses had been unpersuaded by the Words of “I AM”, that All-Consuming Fire, Who spoke from a drought-ridden bushthat burned but was not consumed! (Ex 3:2) When this stammering prophet, was told to confront his new Hebrew brethren with a message from God, then face his former Egyptian brother, the Pharaoh, and command him to “Let God’s people go free” in the Name of God, it would have been an intimidating experience. But when the time came to tell his brother, Aaron, to cast his rod before Pharaoh’s throne and it turned into a serpent, he might well have expected Pharaoh to leap up with great fear- as he did when God first demonstrated this very miracle for him up on Mount Sinai (Ex 4:3-4), and Pharaoh would instantly let all Israel go! What a shock it would have been when Pharaoh calmly ordered his court magicians to cast down their rods and they also became serpents! But, Moses was prepared for their counterfeit signs and wonders!! God had forewarned him, “I AM SURE the King of Egypt will NOT LET YOU GO; not by any mighty man’s hand; so I will stretch out My Hand and *smite Egypt with all My Wonders...and AFTERWARD, He WILL LET YOU GO! (Ex 3:19-20) So Moses simply waited expectantly for “The Rod of God to swallow up the other rods!” (Ex 7:9-12)

*SMITE (Heb 5221) means: “To strike (lightly or severely); to beat, cast forth, **clap, go forward, give wounds, punish, give stripes, indeed kill, slay, slaughter and murder.”

                **The congratulatory word, clap, seems out of place in the midst of mortal affliction. To be certain of its usual meaning, we sought out its one usage in Scripture where “Jehoiada revealed the (assassinated) king’s (rescued) son and set the crown on his head (as the heir to the usurped throne). Then they gave him the Tablets of Testimony (Mosaic Law) and (officially) declared and anointed him as king of Israel. They clapped their hands saying, ‘God save the king’!”(2 Kgs 11:12) From this context it is clear the word, clapping, is definitely one of celebratory approval! It may vex carnal minds to imagine “clapping” for the Plagues of Egypt, but God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts; nor are your ways My ways ...for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts! ” (Isa 5:8-9) The spared son in the above account was a baby when the rest of the royal seed were massacred. He had to be hid for 6 years from the murderous woman that orphaned him. Afterward, he was revealed and declared king in his 7th year! We see many types here. For 6 days of creation, God’s Royal Son has been hid in the earth to be revealed as King in His 7th day! [6 = man’s weak, sinful nature; and 7 = perfection] Israel’s own rebellion resulted in their 400 year servitude to Egypt, but their oppressors were not guiltless before God, so He sent plagues to correct them while freeing His people. Heb 12:11 says, “No chastening, for the present, seems joyous, but grievous; yet afterward, it yields the fruit of Righteousness and Peace to all exercised by it!” The harlot woman has orphaned many in today’s religious systems and they must be rescued. God will yet do “great signs and wonders” both to save them and punish the Babylonish Beast at the same time!!

[TO BE CONTINUED]