December 2003

HINDS’ FEET IN HIGH PLACES

Part 24

“He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
and sets me on my high places!”

(2 Sa 22:34)

         In Jer 7:11, the Lord asked Israel, “Do you see that this house which is called by My Name is become a den of robbers? Behold, I have seen it...therefore, I will cast you out of My sight!...Do not bother to pray for this people, or lift up your voice to cry out in prayer for them, nor intercede for them to Me, for I will not hear you!”
          What a terrible place to be! Having God expose our sin is bad enough, but for Him to reject our prayer is the greatest tragedy imaginable! Facing a non-negotiable chastisement is a terrifyingly hopeless proposition. From a fleshly viewpoint, it looks like God is mad and bad to do this to His people; but with the mind of the spirit, we understand that “God chastens those whom He loves!!” (Heb 12:6) He says, “Only those whom I dearly and tenderly love, do I tell their faults- convicting, convincing, reproving, chastening; that is, I discipline and instruct them! So be enthusiastic and be in earnest; burn with zeal to repent- that is, change your mind and attitude; for behold, I stand at the door (of your house) and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My Voice, and opens the door, I will come into him and sup with him, and he shall sup with Me. And he that overcomes (is victorious over his flesh nature), as I, Myself, overcame (was victorious over My flesh nature), I will permit to sit beside Me on My throne, as I have sat down beside My Father on His Throne! Let him whose spiritual ear has been opened, hear what the Spirit is saying to all His churches!” (Rev 3:19)
          In every test, our merciful God sets before His people the same two choices: spirit or flesh! As far back as Adam, God offered the fruits of two trees- one of Life, the other of death! Of course, He knew that the lusts of natural man, if given a choice, would always opt for the poison fruit of the carnal mind rather than the pure fruit of the Mind of Spirit, so He provided the perfect “Antidote” to save not only Adam, but all of his posterity! That “Antidote” is the Blood of His sacrificed Son! For “We ALL are like sheep who have gone astray; each turned to his own way; so the Lord laid on HIM (Jesus Christ) the iniquity of us ALL!” (Isa 53:6) “My people have been LOST SHEEP whose shepherds have caused them to go astray by turning them aside upon the mountains. Now they wander from mountain to hill, having forgotten where is their own restingplace!” (Jer 50:6) But “The Son of Man came to save that which was lost! So what are you thinking? If a man has 100 sheep, and even one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 at home to go up into the mountains and search for that one which has gone astray?! And if He finds it, He rejoices more over that one redeemed sheep than the 99 who never strayed! IT IS NOT THE WILL OF YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER THAT ONE SHOULD PERISH!” (Mt 18:11-13) “The God of peace Who resurrected our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, will perfect you by the Blood of the Eternal Covenant to do His Will in every good work! By Jesus Christ, He will do in you what is wellpleasing in His sight, to Him be glory forever and ever, Amen!” (Heb 13:20)

SHAME BE ON THOSE WHO CLAIM THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST
WILL NOT WASH CLEAN EVERY LAST, LOST, SIN-SOILED SHEEP!

         God’s lush mountainous “High Places” were created as the feeding place for His sheep before He permitted them to be led astray by an evil heart of unbelief which prevents them from entering their restingplace! (Heb 3:12; 4:6) Unbelief deprives man’s soul of necessary faith in the Sovereignty of God’s Will. The natural man cannot receive spiritual things (1 Co 2:14), and an unquestioning Faith in God’s Will is one of those things! David declares in Psalm 23:1-2

“The Lord is my Shepherd, therefore, I shall not be in want;
HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES!”

         Till each sheep is ready to lie down and feed in the green pastures of their restingplace, God deals with his unbelieving heart that “has built the high places of *Tophet...to set on fire and burn his own sons and daughters! But I did not command them to do this, nor did My heart desire that they should do this!” (Jer 7:31)

*One of the primary roots of Tophet is “play drums, timbrels and tambourines!”
It is believed that the fathers made loud noise with these instruments in order to
drown out the screams of their sons and daughters as they were being burned!!
This is a perfect picture of Christendom’s assemblies where boisterous singing
and loud playing of instruments cover up the silent screams of men’s souls that
are set on fire and burned on the lofty altars of false doctrines and defiled faith!

But thank God for His Mercy which shall set each man free from his prison of
unbelief, each man in his own order, so that He, alone, shall be glorified on the
high places!

[TO BE CONTINUED]