The Blessing (Hebrew: Bir'chat Strong's# 1293) of the LORD, it makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22
The Hebrew word for Blessing comes from the Hebrew root word meaning to kneel down. We see this in the story of the servant of Abraham when he goes to find a bride for Isaac. And he made his camels to kneel down (Hebrew:Bar'akh Strong's #1288) Genesis 24:1. We also see this in 2 Chronicles 6:13 where Solomon is standing upon his brass platform and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. This word in Hebrew for blessing has a concrete picture of kneeling down before someone to show respect. In the eastern cultures, we still see this as many Japanese peoples will bow their head in respect to another or how in the monarchies of the world a lady will bend her knee while bowing before a member of the Royal family.
Back to the story of Abraham's servant, we see that he brought with him ten camels of the camels of his master. The word for camel in Hebrew is Hebrew: Gah'mool which sounds very similar to our English word camel. Camels are able to travel many distances without water for many days due to water storage in the humps on their back. They are also strong animals that are able to carry heavy burdens. A Hebrew word which comes from this same root word, camel, is used in Psalm 103:2: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (Hebrew: Gah'moo'laiv). It is the Hebrew masculine plural possessive tense. In a literal since you might read this verse as, Kneel before the LORD, oh my soul, and forget not all His camels. How interesting that Abraham's servant brought ten camels, but no word is mentioned of anyone else coming with him. Were all those camels used to bring gifts to the future bride of Isaac and her family? For in verse 53, we read: And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. Genesis 24:53
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Another place in the book of Psalms, we find this root word "Gah'mool" used. It is in Psalm 119:17 Bestow upon Your servant that I should live, and guard Your word. Therefore, I conclude that the Hebrew word for blessing and camel are both linked together.
Although, the New Testament was preserved in Greek, we know that most of the writers of the New Testament were first Hebrew/Aramaic speakers and their thought processes were Hebrew. When the Apostle Paul, who was born and raised as a strict, Hebrew speaking Jew was writing to the Ephesians, he wrote: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Ephesians 1:3
In light of our new understanding of the words blessing/kneel, camel/bestow, may I propose a different translation of this verse: Kneel before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who has bestowed on us all spiritual benefits and abundant gifts in heavenly places in Christ. I do wonder when the Apostle Paul was penning these words, did his mind think of Abraham's servant and Rebekah?
Gamaliel (pronounced GAHM'Lee'el in Hebrew) was a great grandson to Manasseh. We also find that the Apostle Paul was taught under one, Gamaliel, who was a very respected sage and rabbi in Talmudic times, quoted very often throughout Jewish writings. He was a grandson of Gamaliel the Great. This name in Hebrew means "God is my reward", but more literally would mean, "God is my Camel".
In the United States, you might hear someone on Wednesday wish another, "Happy Hump Day". This is often represented with a camel. Wednesday is the middle of the work-week, therefore the HUMP day. In light of this, I wish each of you all God's blessings and store for your lives, on this day.
Original posting 12/27/2021
In my most recent post, I mentioned how I have been meeting with a group of believers about one and a half hour's drive from where I live. Their Sunday morning worship service starts at 8:30am and then they have an evening worship and prayer service at 6:30pm. Due to the time, I am not always able to stay for the evening service, but I recently made a comment to one of the brothers: "Well, if I didn't have to work on Mondays I would certainly stay for the evening service." The Lord heard my confession and when I looked at my work schedule, I had been given Mondays off for several weeks in advance.
This past Sunday, I woke up at 5am with only about 4-5 hours of sleep. I was quite tired and sleepy as I was getting ready for church. I contemplated that it might be best not to stay for the evening service, so I could get some rest. After getting dressed, I sat down in my prayer closet and began to sing Psalms. I started reading from Psalm 66. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit highlighted some verses to me: I will go into Thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay to Thee my vows. Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. Although, I felt rebuked by the Lord, I couldn't help, but to laugh thinking that the Lord spoke so directly to me.
While the Lord was present in our Sunday morning service, the Sunday evening service seemed a bit hindered. Finally, one of the elders spoke up and said that he felt the Lord wanted to minister to those who were "weary from the battle". We gathered round and begin to pray one for another for about 2-3 hours. After the last person had received personal ministry, I begin to lead the song, "Victory is mine. Victory is mine. Victory today is mine. I told satan to get thee behind. For the victory today is mine." Suddenly, the place came alive and we began to dance. This started around 11pm and we danced before the Lord for some time. Finally, someone began to lead a song of worship, "We exalt Thee." The Presence of the Lord came in such a way that people begin to fall on their faces. It was such a tangible Glory that you could hardly stand (most didn't). This continued until after midnight. Young and old alike were weeping in the Presence of God. The roar of worship was so loud, my ears were ringing. Their was a stringed instrument laying beside me on the bench and the strings were vibrating with the sound.
One young lady fell on her face in the middle of the room. Just as she did, I saw it as Mary who anointed the feet of our Lord Jesus with her tears and the spikenard from the alabaster container. Suddenly, a young man begin to lead the worship chorus, "Like oil upon Your feet, like wine for You to drink, like water from my heart, I pour my love on You. If praise is like perfume, I lavish mine on You, till every drop is gone, I pour my love on You."
I realized just how much I could have missed if I had not stayed for the evening service. While some are driving distances to be in a revival, the Lord Jesus wants us to meet with Him right where we're at. He can and will breakout among those Who seek Him.
This past Sunday evening (2/12/22), I gathered with some believers at their house church about an hour and half from where I live. I only met them about 4 months ago, but it is as if I have known them my whole life. They are a group of believers who formerly were of the Amish faith, but accepted the full revelation of Jesus Christ and believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I normally only am able to meet with them on Sunday mornings for their service, but the Lord made it possible for me to join them this past Sunday for their worship and prayer service.
Immediately, as we began to sing worship songs, the Presence of the the Lord filled the room. As I was sitting there, I led out the chorus, "I Exalt Thee". I felt like I was carried away into the Spirit, but I was still conscience of those around me. Suddenly, I felt the Glory of the Lord fill the room like a great big tire or wheel spinning in front of me. I didn't see it with my natural eyes, but I could see it in my spirit like a Fire. The Holy Spirit reminded me of the Scripture from Ezekiel 1:4 - "a whirlwind came...a fire infolding itself". Then I realized that the very Throne of God was in our midst - the four living creatures, the elders about the Throne. Suddenly, the people in the room begin to sing, "Holy, Holy, Holy". A young sister led us in The Revelation Song, "Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, Holy, Holy is He. Sing a new song, to Him Who sits on Heaven's mercy seat. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come. With all creation I sing, Praise to the King of Kings, You are my everything, and I will adore You. Clothed in rainbows of Living color; flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder. Blessing and honor strength and glory and power be to You the only wise King. Filled with wonder awestruck wonder; at the mention of Your Name. Jesus Your Name is power, breath and living water - such a marvelous mystery." I was so drunk in the Spirit, I couldn't move for sometime.
Then, on Monday and Tuesday, that same Glory filled the atmosphere around me every time I began to worship. On Tuesday, I could hardly get dressed for work. I was listening to Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah and I thought I would be raptured. Someone called my phone, while I was worshiping, and as God is my witness, the vibration of the ring was in time with Hallelujah Chorus. I got so lost in the Spirit, that I my movements were slow and retarded. My tongue felt thick, my words were scrambled, and I just kept laughing.
The world has their own version of being drunk, i.e. liquor, wine, beer, etc, but all these leave one feeling worse the next day. When one gets drunk in the Holy Spirit, it only leaves him feeling better and greater the next day. And while all these emotions feel good, there is something happening way beyond the realm of feeling and emotion. God is changing by His Spirit into the Image of His Son, from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
I had several things during the day, yesterday, that were so strange. Visions and memories that came that were so random and out of the blue. They didn't bring sorrow, but they didn't bring happiness. But it was as if I was just floating from one thought to another. All I could say about it was I was lost in the Presence of the Holy Ghost.
Every man or woman that comes into this world, is born with five senses to connect with his natural surroundings - touch, taste, smell, hear, see. Now, sometimes, those five senses are distorted or crippled, such as someone who is blind, deaf, etc. Then, we also have senses in our soul (the inner man), memory, conscience, imagination, affections, memory. These connect with our physical man and our spiritual man. But deep down, on the inside of the inside, as it were, man is given a spirit. And this spirit is giving two senses to contact the spiritual world and the soul: faith and doubt.
Some years ago, I had the privilege of caring for those who suffer with dementia. I went through extensive training, not only to learn to care for those people, but to train others on how to provide excellent care to those people. I learned so much about the brain. But one of the interesting things about the brain is that inside the deepest part of our brain is the amygdala (which our brains possess two). One is the positive and the other is the negative sensory. Or we could say one is faith while the other is fear; or one is yes and the other is no. This is still a controversial subject among scientists and I am by no means qualified to make a scientific decision on this. However, when it comes to the spirit, we find there are certainly two motivations - faith or doubt.
God gave each of us the free will to choose. We can choose what clothes to wear, what food to eat, etc. We can also choose which sense that we will follow - faith or doubt (fear). Many people put their faith in a pagan god or idol. This may be a false god or it may be something like their job or another person, or even their own self. But when we come in contact with the Lord Jesus Christ and realize that He has paid the price for our sins, once we confess these sins to Him, repent (turn away from) them, and accept Him into our lives by the Holy Spirit, we are given more than a measure of faith. We are given HIS FAITH - the Faith of Jesus.
Paul said to the Roman believers, "the righteousness of God which is by FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST unto all and upon all them that believe..." Romans 3:22 And speaking of himself, he said to the believers in Philippi, "and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the FAITH OF CHRIST, the righteousness of God by faith..." Philippians 3:9
In the epistle to the Hebrews, we find, "Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through FAITH we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Hebrews 11:1-3 Faith is a revelation. It is, in fact the Revelation of Jesus Christ. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. Galatians 1:11; Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and HOPE to the end for the grace that is to be brought at the REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. 1 Peter 1:13
We cannot begin to have the faith for the supernatural unless we have the FAITH of Jesus Christ. Not our faith, but His. That's why Paul could declare boldly, "I can do ALL things THROUGH Christ Who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 When we recognize this Faith, then we can step into the fulfillment of the words of our Lord Jesus when He said, "I can of Mine own self do nothing" (John 5:30) and "but the Father that dwells in Me, He does the works... He that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than this shall He do; because I go unto My Father." (John 14:10;12)
It's not us doing the works, but the Father in us, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So, Who's faith is it, anyway? The Faith of Jesus Christ by revelation.
As I was praying recently, the Holy Spirit lifted me up in the Spirit of Revelation and showed me what the sanctification process of the believer is. This follows in line with our previous post on God's chosen place of worship. The Apostle Paul was exhorting the Thessalonian believers and prayed a blessing over them: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 5:23
The Holy Spirit showed me that the layout of the early tabernacle of Moses typed the triune being of man – Body, Soul and Spirit = Outer Court, Inner Court and Holiest of Holies. Just as Moses was instructed to sanctify the tabernacle and all the furniture and vessels used in sacrificial service, so must the believer be sanctified completely.
Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:18-23
We often think of ourselves as priests to God (which we are), however Jesus Christ is the High Priest. He is the one in charge of service. He is the One over the house of God. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22 And just to understand that baptism is an outward sign, but not meant to literally “wash away our sins”, Peter typed Noah and his family being saved in the ark to baptism: The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 3:21
We are God's workmanship – His master building. What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 He desires to live in us by the Holy Spirit. Just as our previous lesson taught us, we worship in the Spirit. No longer a literal temple or tabernacle, but “a body hast thou prepared me.” Hebrews 10:5
We worship God in the Spirit and in truth. Jesus told her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth." John 4:21-24
You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My Sanctuary. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:30
During prayer, this morning, as I was praying on the point: Hallowed (Holy) is Your Name, the Holy Spirit brought this verse to my mind. So I got out my Hebrew translation of the Bible and looked up this verse. It reads: אֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ, וּמִקְדָּשִׁי תִּירָאוּ: אֲנִי, יְהוָה which can be translated: You will guard My rests and My place of Holiness you shall reverence/awe/fear. I AM YHVH or the One who said "let there be and it was". This verse is found in the heart of the Torah. The Jewish people for hundreds of years have read through the Torah (five books of Moses or Pentateuch) each year by reading one portion a week. This verse is found in the Torah portion called Kedoshim.
Then, the Holy Spirit directed my attention to another verse found in Deuteronomy 16:6, "But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place His Name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover..." God was telling the children of Israel, "You can't just worship Me wherever you decide is best or the way you think is right." Then, He led me to John chapter 4 where Jesus is standing in a Samaritan village by the well, talking with a woman of ill repute. Although, she lived a life that was a far cry from a life of virtue, we can see that she was brought up in a religious home, because she knew what to look for in the qualities of the Messiah. During their religious dialogue, Jesus told her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth." John 4:21-24
In Isaiah 66:1-2, we read: Thus says the LORD, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that you build Me? and where is the place of My rest? For all those things has My hand made, and all those things have been, says the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at My Word. We read from Hebrews 10:5: Wherefore when He comes into the world, He says, Sacrifice and offering You would not, but a body have you prepared Me. The Apostle Paul was quoting from Psalm 40, showing how the Messiah was the fulfillment of these verses.
God once dwelt in buildings of men's hands. First, in the tabernacle of Moses and later in the Temple of Solomon. But His ultimate goal was not a house of wood and stone, but a body. Jesus told His disciples, For where two or more are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20 So many people gather together in a building to worship God, and there is nothing wrong with that. But often times, they worship the building more than the Almighty God. This is idolatry. We are encouraged to gather together in the Name of the Lord. Not in the name of our faith or denomination. Not to be seen of others or to be able to say, "I go to church every Saturday/Sunday."
I am reminded of the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus. He had taken Peter, James and John up into the mountain with Him, and while He was praying, He became transfigured before them, in that His face shone like the sun and His clothes were pure white and sparkly. Moses and Elijah also appeared talking to Him. Peter was so overwhelmed by the awe of this moment that he cried out, "Lord, it is good for us to be here: if You will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Matthew 17:4 Peter, not yet filled with the Holy Ghost, was unaware of the Eternal purposes of God. He, at that moment, thought what so many have thought over the years - This is such a great move of God that we need to start a new church or denomination based on this revelation. That was not and is not God's will.
God's will is that He lives among us by the Spirit. The next-to-the-last chapter of the Bible, we find John hearing a voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." Revelation 21:3
Yesterday, I had had the thought to go to a nature preserve several miles from my house. It’s the one I had only been to once before. Late in the evening, I really felt impressed to go, so I went. I got out of the car with my walking stick and my sandals on my feet - which I had purchased at a kibbutz in Israel.
I started out my walk singing “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.” Then, I asked the Lord to be sanctified by every step I took. As I rounded a curve, a mourning dove flew up from the path to a great oak tree and perched in the branches.
I continued on the path looking at all the wild flowers growing in the meadow and the majestic trees of the field. The trees had wild grape vines with small tender grapes draped on the trees.
The path that I was walking was at the back of a farm. To the south, there was a barn with goats and chickens in the barnyard. When I had walked about 3/4 of a mile a hawk flew up from the underbrush and startled me, as it mounted up on its wings.
The sky to the west looked dark and angry, but I walked the rest of the path and turned back. The birds of the air started to scatter and a little bunny rabbit hopped into the bushes. Suddenly, I was reminded of a song a friend of mine wrote and recorded when I was about 12 years old - I was standing on a mountain looking toward the sky when I saw a storm approaching and I feared that I would die. I saw the creatures run and seek a better place to hide, heard the thunder roll down in my soul and I bowed my head and cried. Now the clouds were moving faster, lightning flashing bright, clouds so dark they hid the sun and it seemed that it was night, but all once there was a feeling like I’d never had before up above the storm you should have heard me sing God has given me eagle’s wings. All at once the Spirit lifted me high above it all, I never even had to move my wings, the Holy Spirit had control. I was soaring high above my circumstances, my confusion and all my pain, though I had spent many years in the old barn yard I was always an eagle by His name.
Spread you’re wings little eagle and fly. You weren’t born to live in the valley, you were born to soar through the sky. Don’t let your trials bring you down or drive your spirits to the ground. Mount up with wings little eagle and fly.
By Steven Shelley
I began to see how the Holy Spirit was showing me from my youth that I was His. (I was born in a small town called Valley).
I recognized the Presence of the Holy Spirit and just then the wind began to blow through the trees so strong I thought they would topple. There came such an awe of reverence, I thought I would fall on my face! I knew that it was more than a storm - God was in all this. I begin to worship all the way back to my car.
Then I asked the Holy Spirit to give me the interpretation of all this. When I got home, He showed me all the symbols:
Dove in the oak tree- Psalm 56 The dove in distant oak is the name of the psalm in Hebrew.
The wild flowers of the field - Luke 12:27 NIV “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
Birds of the air - Matthew 6:27 NIV Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Tender grapes on the vine - John 15 I am the vine, you are the branches.
Song of Solomon 2:13 ...and the vine with tender grapes give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
The trees of the field- Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Rushing wind - Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Ezekiel 3:12 Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.
Mounting up on wings - Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Finally, after seeing all these symbols, and how the Holy Spirit walked with me physically and spiritually, I opened my evening devotional “God at Eventide” and it said, “We walk together.”
This morning, as I began to pray before the Lord, the Holy Spirit drew my attention to a phrase in Hebrew from the book of Genesis. In Hebrew, verse 3 reads: וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר A transliteration of this verse is: Vai'yom'ehr Elo'Heem, "Ye'hi Ohr, Vai'Hee Ohr" or the English translation: And God said, "Let there be light and there was light." The Name of God in Hebrew is spelled: יְהוָה which was erroneously translated into English as Jehovah. Although many scholars have tried to pronounce it, the correct translation was lost many centuries ago by the Jewish sages who were attempting to protect the usage of His holy Name.
I have always wandered at the pronunciation, however, I do not feel that pronouncing it would have some magical effect. In the ancient Hebrew thinking, it wasn't how your name sounded that identified you, rather it was the meaning behind the name. The first man's name was Adam, which in the Hebrew meant from the ground or red - as the clay man was taken from was red. Noah's name meant rest, as he would bring a rest to the earth. Many years ago, I discover a phrase in Hebrew that is recorded in the book of Revelations. The verse is found in Revelation 1:8, Jesus speaking, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," saith the Lord, "which is, and was, and which is to come, the Almighty." which read in Hebrew is: ההוה והיה ויבוא I have believed for years this was the meaning of the Name of God.
However, the Holy Spirit made real to my spirit, this morning, that while this meaning has some reflection on the Name of God, the more accurate meaning comes from the very first words of God in creation: Let there be- and there was. יְהִי - וַיְהִי Then He took me through scriptures to show me how His Name is only an extension of His Word. His Word is a creative force. His Name is a reflection of Who He is - Creator. By the Word of the LORD יְהוָה were the heavens made; and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth. Psalms 33:6. The Apostle Paul, when writing to the Hebrews, enunciated this very clearly: Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the WORD of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3
This is why Yeshua (Jesus) was the Word made flesh (John 1:14) and Who being the brightness of His glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE OF His person, and upholding all things by the WORD of His power...(Hebrews 1:3) He could clearly declare, "I Am come in My Father's Name" (John 5:43) or later in John He said, "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30). This is why He could speak to the winds and waves and His Word calmed the storm or why He could declare, "Lazarus, come forth" and a man who had been dead and buried for 4 days would arise from His death and sit down and have a meal with Him.
But for those who have been truly born again, of His Spirit, as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the WORD was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:12-14
This promise is for every believer who repents of their sins, is baptized in THE NAME of our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38) and you will receive the divine life of God - the very Spirit that dwelt inside of Jesus. For He said, "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing: the WORDS that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63 He is the WORD and His WORDS are spirit and they are LIFE.
Early in the month of March, I had decided to request off of work for Passover eve/day (April 15/16). During holy week, I had asked the Lord what He would have me to do – go to a seder (Jewish Passover meal), go out of town, host a Passover meal with my family, etc. I never felt a direct leading of the Spirit of the Lord, and have been wanting to go camping. I decided on Wednesday that that's probably what I would do. I talked with my sister who lives on a large rural property north of Indianapolis and she agreed that would be fine. So, on Friday, I headed up north, stopping on the way to get basic supplies for a small seder to commemorate the Lord's supper. It was a beautiful afternoon and I got my camp set up and shared in a small communion with my sister. I went to bed around 9pm and was awakened by a coyote pack yipping and barking in the close vicinity. I would have recorded it, except I fell back asleep to quickly because it was raining hard outside my tent.
I was awakened on Saturday morning by a variety of song birds chirping loudly in the woods. I could also distinguish about 3 or four different doves cooing to one another. After I got up and dressed, I decided to walk around the large field. When I was approaching the back corner where there is a small wooded area with tall grasses, suddenly two animals sprang to their feet and ran away from me into another nearby field. Just as they were clearing the trees, I realized it was two small coyotes, that had bedded down for the morning. It was only about a quarter of a mile from my campsite. While most people would have been alarmed, I felt God's presence and hand even in this.
When I arrived back to my campsite, I felt compelled to read the Song of Solomon. There is a verse that talks about the rain being over and the birds singing in the trees, also the voice of the dove being heard – so much of the experiences I had had that morning. The Jewish sages teach that the Song of Solomon is an allegory about the Israelites journey out of Egypt and through the wilderness. As a believer in the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), I believe it is an allegory between the Bridegroom (Yeshua) and His Bride.
After packing up my camp late in the evening, while driving back home, I glanced over to see a doe standing beside a small creek that runs beside the road. I began to weep thinking about the references to the deer in the Song of Solomon. Then I was reminded of the psalm of David, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul after You, O God.” Psalm 42:1
The next morning, after praying, I read from my devotional that I have used for many years, now – Daily Light on the Daily Path. This is a morning and evening devotion that is simply Scriptures placed together by believers from 18th century – Jonathan and Samuel Bagster. So oftentimes, the Lord has spoken directly to my situation and given me direction through this book. The morning devotion was certainly good, but I found my eyes looking down to the evening section. The headline read “Draw me, we will run after thee,” which is a line from SOS 1:4. I was ecstatic, but I decided not to get ahead of myself by reading the evening portion.
After work, on Sunday, I came home and
watched the Sunday morning service of a church. The pastor was
speaking from Song of Solomon 2:11-12, “For lo, the winter is
passed, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the dove
is heard in our land.” I could not wait until my evening prayer
time. I opened my devotions and read the rest of my evening portion.
THERE it was: Song of Solomon 2:10-13! I almost passed out in the
floor from excitement. It was as if the Great Shepherd was showing
Himself through the lattice. He was speaking to me over and over:
“Arise my love, my fair one and come away!” SOS 2:10
I am sure there is much more He will unfold to me concerning this past weekend with Him, but I am so thankful for the glimpses that He gives us of His face.
