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Articles

Heeding the Lord’s Commandments in Faith

Pete

Heeding the Lord’s Commandments in Faith

In giving us many of His reformed commandments under the Law of Faith, the Lord asks us why do we call Him Lord if we do not do what He says [e.g., obey Him].

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 

This is a good question the Lord asks of us, and we should ask ourselves often if we find ourselves not conforming our behavior to His spoken commandments.  While we by no means save ourselves [from sin], the narrow way of truth tells us we very much will need to be focused on doing the WORD, which means being obedient to the commandments the Lord has spoken.

 This exhortation is written with great humility and godly fear, as we are fully aware of our own shortcomings and failures.  We are thankful the Lord is merciful to awaken us to our deceit and sloth that has crept into our walk of faith.  As His called, chosen, and faithful ones, we are to be saviors to those in the world, but we cannot be saviors if we do not hold onto the Lord’s law and His precious Gospel.    The Lord is waking us up and putting His light in us, and the glory of the Lord is rising up within those He is saving.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 

Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 

Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 

We all fall asleep and grow weary.  But now is the time to arise.

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

Eph 5:15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 

Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 

The resurrection of Christ in us is His very commands and words that are Spirit [Joh 6:63] rising up in power within His kingdom within us.  This is the power unto salvation to all who truly believe.  The rising up of Christ’s commandments with power is the heart of the Gospel and we are not ashamed to proclaim it to anyone.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

The further we progress with the Lord, the few disciples walking with us become even fewer.  Their falling away coincides with the increasing demands the Lord makes on us as we grow in knowledge and maturity.  Eating His flesh and drinking His blood by giving up our life in obedience to Him is not for many.

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 

When the Lord comes, He brings division and, over time, calls out a tiny escaped remnant onwards to maturity.  All Jews first believe in the Lord, but amazingly so, the Lord can quickly take away the truth, and most wander away.  We have seen this manifest before, with many mighty in the faith falling away.  The Lord has empowered us to write boldly so we may snatch those sleeping from the fire that is taking them away from the Lord.  Lord willing, some are given to continue in His word who keep and hold dear His commandments, thus becoming “disciples indeed.”

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Many have become confused over strivings over the law of Moses and how it applies under the law of faith.  If we are in Christ, that law is gone and has no application in our walk, having served its purpose of bringing us to Christ.

Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

The end of the carnal law for a carnal nation is not the end of the Lord’s reformed commandments that raise the bar for righteousness.  A walk of faith is the very beginning of the application of the new commandments of the Lord. We fear some have drifted from the truth in this age of separation and no longer believe in specific commands we must obey.  The words of Christ and the truth that is found in the “sum of the word” betray such a belief.

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Our freedom from the law of carnal ordinances that defined the Law of Moses is not a license to sin.  True worshippers in truth, need to be loving God and others, which is defined as obeying the Lord’s commandments.

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love [1Jo 5:3 – obeying the Lord’s commandments] serve one another. 

Failing to embrace the Lord’s commandments, many have departed from the Lord and reject those bringing the truth in hopes of awakening them from their slumber.  This is not a new experience as it is all warned about and foretold in the prophets.

Jer 44:10  They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers. 

Jer 44:11  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah. 

 

Isa 5:24  Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel

The eternal law of the Lord never passes away.  This law referred to the law of Moses in the shadow of the OT, but it speaks of the law of Faith and the Lord’s commandments for the true spiritual Jews to come.   The entirety of the Old Testament ministration was not for the benefit of the Jews that lived back then; instead, it was all done for our benefit [1Pe 1:9-10], who would be born of the Spirit many years later.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things [the entire OT events] happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the age are come. 

Only the carnal law and ordinances (said to be “not good” and was only a means to bring us to Christ) were done away with on the cross.  If one is dying daily with Christ on the cross, they are following the law of the Lord of hosts.  Otherwise, we become castaways, says the Lord, who will cut us off.  Paul warned about being lazy and that we need to run the race to obtain the prize that is salvation.

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

Seeing how quickly the Lord can take away the truth from His priests that were once cherished in our hearts is a fearful thing.  We have seen the Lord cut off many once mighty in the Lord, so we best be on guard to ensure the Lord’s commandments do not leave our consciousness.

Eze 7:26  Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients. 

Our professed faith is dead without the accompanying good works, and those works the Lord has purposed is that we obey His commandments.  New Testament witnesses also show that we must diligently walk the walk of faith [evidenced by our obedient works/deeds] all the way to the end, or else we will not make it.  Our love waxing cold is our obedience waxing cold; thus, we fall away slowly but surely.  Be on guard.

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love [obedience] of many shall wax cold. 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

All the Apostle letters and the Gospels consistently warn us that we must stay the course and be careful how we walk.  It is fearful seeing how such an essential truth and understanding as “we must obey the Lord’s commandments” can be taken out of one’s mind.

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 

Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 

Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 

Do not forget the lessons we have been given to learn.

Jud 1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 

We are called to do everything in the ability the Lord has given us to be conformed to His righteousness.   If we lose the zeal to engage in the fight, we have fallen from grace, and our faith is now dead and devoid of works.  Our obedience is a key part of the light others see in us when we exemplify Christ in our behavior.   We are to be a light unto the world, and here is how that is done.  Christ says to love all men as He has loved us, which means giving to all who ask.  Here more specifics are provided in a commandment that lives to this day.

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

Mat 5:46  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  do not even the publicans the same? 

Mat 5:47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?  do not even the publicans so? 

James gives an example of the commandment to do good to others, witnessing that our obedience to that command is the work the Lord seeks to prove our faith.   Faith in action manifests these works, which is the fruit of obedience.

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?  can faith save him? 

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 

Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 

Some want to argue that we do not save ourselves through our own works.  That is absolutely true, but we must embrace the sum of the Scriptures to find the whole truth that in harmony.  Yes, It is true that whether we rise or fall in obedience or disobedience, ultimately, that is still His work as salvation is of the Lord!  Yet we are admonished to strive/work for the higher calling.  The harmony of this is exemplified well in these verses.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

We work out our own salvation [Phi 2:12] under the greater truth that the Lord is working all things, even our salvation [Phi 2:13].  Admonishing one another to be holy and resist that which causes us to disobey the Lord is the truth that is not contrary to the sum of the word.  Christ, Paul, John, Peter, and James all said that if our faith is true, we strive to be holy and obedient.  A sampling of Scriptures that are part of the sum of the word:

Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 

Luk 6:40  The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 

Rom 1:5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 

Yes, “Christ living in us” gives us the overcoming in due season.  Yet the same Apostle tells us we have to work to manifest our obedience to Christ actively.  We have to walk and war in the Spirit; it is called the fight of faith to obey the Lord.

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

 

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

 

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

1Pe 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 

1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 

1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

 

How can we obey without knowing or thinking about our Master’s commandments?  We pray all are awakened to the same error and sloth we were shown in ourselves.  Only by His mercy were we awakened and in obedience to Him, we now boldly speak this word.

Whether we accept the Lord’s truth and obey is all up to Him in the end.  But it is an egregious error to say we are free from commandments, and it is a subtle way of turning grace into a justification for a slothful walk (lasciviousness).  The error comes by twisting the Scriptures, confusing the law of Moses with the eternal words and commandments of the Lord.  Peter warned of this for our remembrance, as it takes just a few subtle lies to pervert the Gospel if we are not on guard.  We must always remain steadfast and zeroed in on obeying the Lord, defined as loving God and our brothers.

2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 

We should remember Christ suffered all the same temptations we face yet was without sin and, by doing so, provided us the prime example to follow.

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 

Dwelling in obedience is dwelling in love, which is the same as dwelling in God and is how we are perfected in this age.

1Jn 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

Paul aptly addressed the misunderstandings of those coming out from the law of Moses into the law of Faith.  The lesson applies to all who come out of the carnal law and walk under the law of Faith.  We are not earning our salvation but proving our faith as we strive to obey the Lord and are given the overcoming in due time.

Rom 6:15  What then?  shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?  God forbid. 

Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 

Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine [Christ’s commands] which was delivered you

These warnings from John take on a new understanding once we are mercifully awakened from our sleep in Christ.   We must remain vigilant and guard against deception and a slow drift into a spiritual sleep that has us departing from the Lord’s commands.

1Jn 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 

Whether or not we complete our journey to overcome in this age is truly up to the Lord.  Yet we are always admonished to do everything we can to stand and resist the devil and the lusts of our flesh.   If we fail, we are to get right back up, keep walking, and pray to the Lord to overcome and that His kingdom comes to us.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Christ’s Words and commandments are the light that cleanses us in our journey and brings others to the light of Christ in us.  To be a light unto the world, we need to walk in the light of Christ’s Words, including His commandments.  We hide that light from others when we are not following His commands yet continue to call Him Lord.  We are to show our good works (our obedience, our Godly Love) to others, which brings glory to our Father.  That is the light others will see.

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

If we do not know His commandments, we cannot keep them.  And if we do not keep them, we are told we do not know the Lord and His truth is not in us despite what we proclaim.  These are some humbling verses when we examine our walk and see ourselves falling way short of the Lord’s commandments.

1Jn 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

1Jn 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

I could provide numerous warnings about falling away and being overcome if we do not walk with vigilance and guard against the deceitfulness of disobedience.   We are told that not all given faith overcomes (makes it} in this age, and we best do all we can to ensure our calling and election.  Here is just one warning from Peter’s epistle for brevity.

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 

2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 

One may ask, What is the Holy Commandment?  It is the one commandment the Lord gives that encapsulates all the others.  We must not turn from this but instead press into the details of the Holy commandment to become like Christ.  We all have been asleep.

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

 

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

What is love, one may ask?  Scripture answers this key question.

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 

2Jn 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.  This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 

 

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. [of Moses and the law of Faith]

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

Paul gives a broader definition of Love [Charity] to the Corinthians that helps us examine our walk to see if we are doing these things increasingly in our walk.  The first and last verses of 1 Cor 13 are key, and remember that love is more important than faith and hope.  Love is greater because it is the fruit, or said another way, the result or the PROOF of living by faith.  Without love (obedience to Christ) in our walk, our ministry is nothing but a clanging cymbal.  Nothing is more important than Love.

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 

1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 

1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come [Christ in our Day of the Lord], then that which is in part shall be done away. 

1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

Obedience to the commandments is directly tied to loving our brothers and sisters inside and outside the faith.  Laying down our lives for others is a commandment from the Lord in following His example.  We cannot exhibit these behaviors Paul uses to describe LOVE (i.e., be patient, kind, and bearing all things, etc.] without holding them close to our hearts as commandments by which we shall live.

In closing, it is by faith that we are being justified in the eyes of the Lord; it is not by our own works that are just filthy rags.  Our obedience is the good works that are pleasing to our Lord and bring glory to His name.  We should strive to please Him and bring glory to the God we say we love.

2Th 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2Th 2:15  Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 

When we fast from our fleshly lust and pray for the Lord to come, which themselves are commandments, He is faithful to reward us with overcoming our sins.  The result is we grow in Christ, and the glory of the Lord, our obedience, and the true light arise within us.

Isa 58:8  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 

The faithful in Christ will not be sleeping; they actively work on their salvation and strive to be like our Holy and perfect heavenly Father.  It is not enough to be a hearer only and claim our freedom by our faith, we must indeed become a doer and obeyers of the Word of the Lord.

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

Lord willing, we prove ourselves as followers of Christ and hold precious His commandments, that is His law.  It is on those commandments that we put our thoughts day and night.

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 
Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

When we do this, the fruits of the Spirit will spring forth, and we shall prosper in the Lord.  But the ungodly, who cast away the law of the Lord (in error), will be driven away by the winds of deceit.

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 
Psa 1:4  The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Beware that one is not driven away from the living God by forsaking His eternal commandments.

May the Lord give an understanding of these words of truth which have been boldly proclaimed in this letter.  We pray for all and that the Lord’s will be done and that His blessing falls upon us as we admit our faults to Him.

Blessed be the Lord of our salvation.

Pete & Ronel

peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Studies

Pursuing After the Midianites

Pete

For Our Admonition Part 18

“Pursuing After the Midianites”

Key Verses:  Jdg 7:16 – 7:25

The judgment of the nations and deliverance of Israel which are one and the same process commences as Gideon, as a type of God’s elect, has overcome his (our) unbelief and begins judging that which exalts itself against the Lord.  Gideon is now leading Israel by example in overcoming and putting to flight the Midianites.  Remember this is all happening in the Kingdom of God within us and these stories are here to edify and admonish us into action in waging warfare against our carnal mind and the strife and contention, the meaning of Midian, that arises from such thoughts.

Jdg 7:16  And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 

Jdg 7:17  And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 

Jdg 7:18  When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 

Jdg 7:19  So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 

Jdg 7:20  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 

Gideon is now boldly leading by the example of Christ.  That is what priests and servants do in helping others and showing them the more excellent way.

1Co 11:1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Following Christ means obeying Christ (Luk 6:46) which is the love of God (1Jo 5:3) and the more excellent way that Paul devoted an entire chapter on which ends with this admonition.

1Co 13:13  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (Obedience to the commands).

The elect of God are the army of the Lord, who “is, was and will be” bringing judgment to the nations within and without in the appointed times.  The symbolism of the little flock (Luk 12:32) of 300 men signifies the process by which all men will be brought to “spiritual completion” aka maturity.

There are many ways mathematically to get to 300, yet all of them involve the judgment process (3), chastening grace (symbolized by 5) and the perfection of our flesh (symbolized by 10) with the witness (2) of God’s Elect.  Some examples:

  • 3 x 10 x 10 = 300
  • 6 x 10 x 5 = 300
  • 2 x 3 x 5 x 10 = 300
  • 5 x 2 x 3 x 10 = 300
  • 4 x 5 x 5 x 3 = 300 (double blessing of grace!)

The heathen nations of the east (our immaturity) represent our fleshly mindset and include the Midianites, the Ammonites, and the Amalekites, which cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.  This mindset and these nations within must be destroyed in fiery judgment as flesh cannot inherit the Kingdom (1Co 15:50).  Peace comes when the land is purged by our obedience and we reap the blessings of God.

Lev 26:6  And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

Lev 26:7  And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

Gideon’s (the Lord’s) army is divided into three groups and armed with trumpets and empty pitchers containing lights. It is through using these trumpets and our putting lights into empty pitchers that victory comes, and the land of Israel is delivered of its Midianite oppression.  All of these instruments and actions are highly symbolic that show us how to wage war against our own Midianites (1Pe 1:10-12).

Trumpets:  Trumpets signify judgment in the promise land (Jos 6:13) and are blown to warn of pending war.  They are blown by God’s elect (Zion) who are also His ministers and priests and angels/messengers (Rev 8:1-13)

Joe 2:1  Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants (Midianites) of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

Empty Pitchers: All men are likened unto clay jars or pitchers.  We are clay in the hands of the Potter (Isa 64:8) either holding water which is either positive (Word of God) or negative (lies and carnal thoughts – Midianites).  An empty pitcher with the light of Christ in it is spiritually a full pitcher but empty as it relates to trust and reliance upon flesh.  No flesh will glory in the presence of the Lord (1Co 1:29) so it takes pitchers emptied of the fleshly mindset to be viable for service in the fight of faith.  It is not by the might of our flesh but only by His Spirit (Zec 4:6) by which our deliverance or exaltation from sin and our carnal mindedness comes.

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

The Lord set the best example of emptying Himself to then be exalted by His Father.

Php 2:8  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Php 2:9  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

As He is, so are we in this world (1Jo 4:17) if we are His Elect.

Lam 4:2  The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

The negative side of being empty speaks to us as being carnal men in marred vessels of clay full of vanity and deceit.  Such a pitcher cannot hold the water that is the Spirit of God and we are overrun by Babylonian lies and evil spirits (Jer 51:34).  It by being filled with the Spirit of God, having the Word dwelling within us, from whence we can contend with and conquer the spiritual enemies the Lord created and put into our own house to try our faith.  We begin to overcome and rule over these nations only as we are given the Spirit of Christ in sufficient measure (the morning star).

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 2:28  And I will give him the morning star.

Putting Light into these pitchers is the judgment of God coming to us as Christ, who is the Light of this world (Joh 8:12). This, in turn, makes us, God’s chosen sons, into the Light of the world (Mat 5:14) because as the Lord was sent, He also sends us as His Christ (Joh 20:21).

Heb 1:7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

Zep 1:12  And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem (within you) with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

Broken Pitchers: 

When we are weak in the flesh, we are strong in the Spirit and that is who the Lord is using to defeat the Midianites.  The Lord breaks us of our will and our fleshly strength by many tribulations and then promises to use us mightily in Spirit.

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

Breaking these pitchers symbolizes us coming to life in the Spirit through death to our flesh (Joh 12:24).  The trumpets bring judgment which brings the Word that is Christ.   This revelation of Jesus Christ within us, comes little by little by the ongoing process of warfare that we are fighting on this walk of faith for the rest of our physical lives.

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

 As we grow in faith, the fire (trials) gets hotter and more of our old man is burned up and Christ is revealed.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

It was interesting that Gideon’s army (elect) only comes into our spiritual life in the middle watch of our witness for Christ.  The first half of our witness ends poorly as we are overcome by our sins, the Midianites and our beast.

Rev 11:7  When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.

The Midianite wars speaks to the same spiritual war in how we are raised with Christ and then empowered by His Word and His Army to put fear into our inward enemies and overcome.

Rev 11:11  Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

Rev 11:12  And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.

The instructions to yell “the sword of the Lord and of Gideon” after blowing the trumpets and breaking the pitchers symbolizes us identifying with Christ and claiming His Name.

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Identifying with Christ, we tie our name to His Name.  We are coming in His Name with His Truths and doctrines.  It is the Lord’s sword, but that sword has now become our sword as we believe and act out our faith.

Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Col 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

The entire army of 300 men doing this in unison signifies our oneness with the Lord.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 

It is an ongoing process in fighting against the Midianites.  That is what makes it a war and a lifelong good fight of faith versus a one and done battle.  All of our inward enemies are to be destroyed leaving nothing alive or else we are being led astray from the narrow way.

Deu 20:16  But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 

Deu 20:17  But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

Deu 20:18  That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God. 

The NT version of this law would be these:

1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

It is by standing on faith in the spot the Lord puts us that our enemies flee from the land and our bondage to strife and contention cease.

Jdg 7:21  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

This is the same as Paul’s admonition on how to wage the war.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Standing in faith with the armor of God is blowing the trumpets and breaking the clay pitchers that begins the breaking up of the Midianite strongholds.

Jdg 7:22  NKJV When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

While the war may seem to be over with the initial dispersing of the Midianites, it is really just the beginning.  We must endure the war to the end to be saved  (Mat 24:13).  Putting our inward enemies to flight is a great beginning, yet they must be tracked down and pursued throughout the whole land.  There are many nooks and valleys for carnal thoughts to hide within us and they will all be rooted out and destroyed in due time.  As we shall see, there are two princes and two kings (Jdg 8:10) to be taken along with the fleeing Midianites.

A house divided is the Midianite house that cannot stand (Mat 12:25-26) in the day of the Lord and is being put to flight by the sword of the Lord.

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The Midianites who have as their father, the father of lies, being of the flesh, are turned one against another as Christ brings divisions within their ranks (Luk 12:51-52).  The Midianite host (army) is dispersed further into the Promised Land.   

Beth-Shittah, at Zererath (YLT/CLV):  BethShittah or BethAcacia means house of Shittim or House of Acacia, speaking of the name of the wood by the same name.  We know from the Awesome Hands studies #95 and #96 that Acacia wood is the common hardwood that Moses was commanded to build the Ark of the Covenant that is then covered in fine gold (the word of God). Such wood represents God’s elect who are the Ark in which the Word dwells and is carried to this very day.  Acacia wood is rooted in “those who run to and fro” with there being a positive and negative side of to and fro. Carnal thoughts have us reasoning going to and fro versus standing on the Word.

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

To stop going “to and fro”, the army of God needs to go “to and fro” (i.e. Rev 5:6)  in the land seeking out and destroying all things that exalt themselves against the Truth.  Thus, the pursuit by Gideon of the princes and kings of the Midianites is so important to bringing lasting peace to the land.  Zererath represents the place where Solomon erected the metal foundries to make the many instruments to construct the first physical temple (1Ki 7:46).  It is within the elect, the House of Acacia wood, where the fiery furnace and refiners of metals are found to this very day (1Pe 4:13, Psa 12:7, Rev 3:18).

Mal 3:3  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

The second set of places where the Midianites fled also support this thought and need for ongoing pursuit and endurance.  Abel-Meholah (YLT/CLV) means “meadow of dancing” according to Strong’s dictionary and is where Elisha was born and commissioned into service by Elijah (1Ki 19:16).  Tabbath is only found this one time in the Scriptures with no defined roots and is said to mean “celebrated”.   Through Christ, the victory is ensured if we are given to pursue our enemies.

Psa 118:14  The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

Psa 118:15  The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

We will always be at war with carnal thoughts and lusts of our flesh.  We must remain vigilant and pursue our enemies when we see them.  We are warned of becoming lazy.

Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

All of Israel from the three tribes rejoins the pursuit after the 300 put the remaining remnant of the Midianites to flight.

Jdg 7:23  And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. 

Jdg 7:24  And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. 

Naphtali and Asher were born of Jacob’s concubines (Bilhah and Zilpah).  Manasseh was the elder son of Joseph, who was not given the primary blessing by Jacob’s right hand.  That greater blessing was only to Ephraim, the younger, symbolizing the elect who would receive the double blessing spiritually (Gen 48:19) and bear fruit in heaven and the earth. Hence the meaning of the name of Ephraim being “double fruit” and for whom the rest of Israel (mankind) shall be broken off for our benefit (Rom 11:30).

Judges judge themselves and one another.  Sending messengers throughout all of Ephraim (the church) reminds us of this importance of the ongoing battle in our minds. Sending Ephraim to Bethbarah [H1012]  is sending us mentally to the place of guarding our gates which is the first line of defense of overcoming our enemies.   Bethbarah means “house of the ford”. A ford is crossing and entry point which spiritually symbolizes the men of Israel going there to guard their gates and entryways into their mind and heart.  As we covered in our first look into Judges (FOA Part 11), the Lord is purposeful in leaving enemies in the land to test and try our faith.  These fleshly and carnal thoughts are ever present within us to chasten and shape and mold us.  We are learning to keep watch and always be on guard.

Pro 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man

The more powerful lies and carnal minded strongholds are princes that must be destroyed for us to move onwards towards perfection and walk by faith.  The now gathered men of Ephraim bear some quick fruit in slaying Oreb And Zeeb.

Jdg 7:25  And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan. 

The names of these two princes are very significant.  Oreb means “raven” and Zeeb means “wolf”.  These two Princes represent our doctrines and deeds that are against Christ.   Oreb is what is in our heaven and Zeeb is what we walk out or do.  Both the heaven (Oreb – the bird) and the earth (Zeeb – the beast) must be cleansed.

H6159 – Oreb: “raven”, dusty and darkened, the evening. A Raven an unclean bird

A raven is an unclean bird, a false doctrine or lie that is flying in our mind (heavens) and clouding our spiritual vision and keeping us in bondage to strife and contention.

 H2061, Zeeb, From an unused root meaning to be yellow; a wolf: – wolf.

We are wolves when we are immature and lusting after significance in the congregation of Israel.  Yellow comes from the combination of red (Adam – Flesh) and green (representing new yet immature growth for God).  We are to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing (Mat 7:15) beginning with ourselves.

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

We learn a nugget on these two princes looking at their only other mention in Scripture.

Psa 83:11  Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: (the two kings of Midian)

Psa 83:12  Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.

These two princes of Midian represent our witness for Christ that is defiled by our lust for preeminence in the congregation.  Strife and contention are defined by gain-seeking and lack of contentment as we compare, measure and exalt ourselves against Christ and His Christ until the Lord in His mercy brings judgment upon those spirits and thoughts.  Ridding the land of these two princes is a double blessing that will manifest the double fruit (heavens and earth) of Ephraim.

Oreb is slain on a rock that represents, the rock and pillar of the Truth.  The rock of Christ slays the beast within us all.  Yet that beast is always there to rise back up and must be beheaded as was Goliath (1Sa 17:51) by the fiery sword of judgment (Rev 20:4).

Rev 17:8  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 

That beheading, as we are learning more each day, only comes in the winepress of judgment, by the process as we live out all seven vials of wrath against our carnal and wicked ways of the old man (Rev 15:8).  These are still the two kings of the Midianites to be pursued and killed. We will look into that next time and grow in understanding of the daily battle we face in keeping the peace in the house of God.

Questions and comments are always welcome.  You can also email me directly at peterjwilson56@gmail.com with any questions.