SEASONS - THINKING OF EARLY FIRST FRUITS AND TRANSFORMATION

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

We have been talking a lot about The Holy Days of God.  I wish to spend the next few days pondering the Hebraic celebration of Early Firstfruits, the day that many begin counting the 50 days of the omer while waiting on Pentecost.  This is how the ancients knew the day. They did not look at a calendar or ask Google as we do today; they counted the omer. 

 Have you ever considered this practice or pondered the wisdom of these days?  The idea of counting each day represents spiritual preparation and anticipation for the giving of the Torah.  It is how the people traditionally prepared their hearts for God to reveal things to them.  

The most important thing to remember about Passover is that Early First Fruits represented the resurrection of Christ.   Early First Fruits is celebrated on the second day of The Seven Days of Unleavened Bread; 3 days after the Passover Seder.  It is one of the seven days of Unleavened Bread during the Passover season.  The three days (Passover plus the first two days of Unleavened Bread) represent the time of Christ in the grave.  On Early First Fruits He is risen!   The Passover Seder tells in symbols of how Jesus died, was buried and rose on the third day.  Hence, it is very important that a family observe the Passover to understand all the details of the history of the people that God used to bring us Messiah and to understand how everything that God did with them led to the sacrifice of the Messiah in our place.  



There is more to the progression of this victory.  The proof was in the Resurrection of Christ.  This is what Early First Fruits symbolizes; the Resurrection.  The barley loaf that is waived on Early First Fruits is symbolic of Jesus and how He was resurrected a victorioius Savior of the the World.  He was the "first" of a full harvest for The Kingdom of God.  This is what one must understand in order to understand the further progression, the giving of the Holy Spirit of God to His people on Pentecost.


The first miracle of Pentecost was with Moses when God gave the Torah.  The Holy Spirit is the personification of the Torah living in God's people.  God told the people to count from Passover to Pentecost from the offering of the early first fruits sheaf of barley grain.  They counted 50 days and that brought them to the day that the wheat harvest was ready to be offered.  The wheat harvest was the larger crop, the most valuable crop of the year.  If the barley crop was good and the wave sheaf was offered first at early first fruits, the latter first fruits offering of the wheat crop would be abundant!  The symbolism is that Jesus was our early first fruit offering, and we are the latter first fruit offering.  These offerings are brought into the storehouse of God and The Kingdom of God thrives!  

You start counting the 50 days on the day of the early first fruits offering.  That is how you know which day is going to be Pentecost.  

This is an ancient custom and a very old tradition of Israel.   Knowing this, I want to simply contemplate the reasons and the original purpose for the custom of "counting the Omer."

The first thought that comes to mind is that this practice, done properly, (without the intention of using it for self gain or magic) helps us to grow as individuals.   The fifty days are days that we should be meditating on our purpose and our growth before God.  

It has been noted by some that the formula for staying young is to always continue growing.  Losing that capacity to continue growing at any age is tragic.  Yet, when you stop to think about it, any time we're not growing and changing, we're not living; we're just existing.  The proper counting of the omer is actually about moving to a spiritual place that is higher than "just existing." It is looking forward to what God is going to do next with us.  It is NOT the practice of elevating ourselves, but it IS the process of letting God work inside of us to bring us to a better plane of existence in our lives in His Kingdom. 

I love this much often misquoted passage of scripture found in Genesis 24:1:

"Abraham was old; he came with his days" 

"He came with his days" teaches us that Abraham used each of his days to the fullest extent.  At the end of his life, he came to old age "with all his days" in hand.  No day was without its own unique growth.   In other words, Abraham had something to show for all his days of living.  He had produced spiritual fruit from the labor of his soul on this earth.  This is what we hope to achieve in the counting of the omer; to number our days for the goodness of God's Kingdom in our lives.

This all sounds great, but it isn't always easy.  Some people do not want to move any further spiritually than reaching the place of knowing there is a Messiah, believing in Him and receiving and enjoying the gift of salvation.  Salvation is, after all, the greatest gift ever given and by all means the most important gift.   

It surprises many to learn that fact that there are even more gifts!  Why is this such a surprise and so hard to understand?  When you married your husband, did your life end with the marriage on your wedding day, or was that day only the beginning?  There is so much more!  God is such a giver!  Going further with God is a choice we all have to make for ourselves.  Do we want to stay warm and cozy with all we have already attained through the granting of the greatest gift, or do we want to keep moving on into even more adventures with God?  Salvation is an awesome, most important gift, and it is free for the taking, but if you value it, you will more than likely also value another gift called sanctification.  Sanctification can only come after Salvation.

Unlike salvation, sanctification is not free.  Salvation required no effort on our part. Sanctification does.  Jesus gives us both gifts; salvation and sanctification.  It is only Him working inside of us that makes either gift possible.   His blood is ALL that makes us holy before God.  Make no mistake that it is His blood that saves us and only His blood that makes us holy before God.  None of our own works will ever attain our salvation or sanctification.  Our own efforts are like filthy rags, but that doesn't mean that we should not make an effort.  

God desires for us to want to be holy like Him.  Sanctification will cost you your attitude!  You will have to surrender your will and succumb to the will and nature of God.  God wants us to turn from the old man and begin to be the new man.   This process of being made new after salvation is called sanctification.   Once we are covered with the blood of Jesus, this process becomes possible.  It is impossible without the blood of Jesus.  Please hear me out on this; once we have been saved, it is sanctification that makes new life begin in us.  Growing closer to God through sanctification increases the working of God's Holy Spirit that resides inside our soul.  Sanctification is how God transforms us from the old person we were to the new person He actually created us to be.  It is again, like a harvesting.  A seed must die to itself, be buried in the ground and endure until the sun and water and nutrients that make it grow do their work.  We are counting the omer during this time of lying dormant, the time that is unseen, the time that the little seed becomes a small plant and begins to push itself to the surface and come into the world a new plant.       

Some of us are afraid of walking down this path of sanctification and new growth.  We are often afraid of failure, but we must  continuously keep in mind that we are covered by the blood of Jesus.  We must remember the fact that His blood is so righteous that it cannot fail.  So many are afraid of failing in life that they refuse to ever start to live.  How ironic!  This is so sad.  It causes people to settle for dust when they could obtain pure gold.  

Setting too lofty and unattainable goals is often the biggest reason people fail. When we set our goals too high and too soon, we inevitably fall short and get discouraged. Things are easier and less frustrating if you take them one day at a time. This is the method used in “counting the omer.”  This is how God teaches us to be holy; one day at a time, one life experience at a time.  Each lesson builds as we go through the 50 days meditating on God's nature and determining to imitate Him as best we can.




We are told in the scriptures to count the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost) beginning on the day of Early First Fruits and ending on The Day of Pentecost.  
Like most events in life we tend to be more aware of the beginning and the end, but it is the part in the middle that is required to bring about true and lasting transformation. Therefore the counting of the days from Passover to Pentecost is very much an effort in which THE PROCESS is in and of itself of great value. 



Counting the omer is how we learn to "number" our days. The word for "number" in Hebrew is “mispar.” Its root is closely related to our English word for "story" ― “sipur.” Can you see the relationship between the two?

A collection of events (or days) becomes a story ― as opposed to a random anthology of events. Each day builds on the day before as we go along creating God's story for each of us.  You will have a beginning in which the characters are introduced, a middle in which conflict takes place, and an end in which there is resolution. There is a full story eventually, but it happens, unfolds and builds in increments of time.

Unfortunately today our lives flow by so quickly that we frequently lose awareness of the awesome power of our own stories. The metamorphosis of today into tomorrow is subtle enough for us to lose consciousness of time, how it began, what lay in the middle and how it all ends.  The commandment to count each day after we have experienced a "passing over" teaches us mindfulness.  It re-opens our hearts to hearing stories.  The stories of God help us to count out the days of our lives, showing us how to live in each moment.   From Passover to Pentecost there are two stories which are intertwined.  One is the story of a transformation of a people who at Passover become physically free into a people who at Shavuot become spiritually free.

The Passover story tells us of the day the People of God left Egypt.  This was a day in which they rejected the Egyptian definition of what their lives would hold.  They learned through the power of God they were free to be exactly who they truly were created to be.

But they did not yet know their own stories.  

It was only when they received the Torah that they found the channels that could give their souls expression.  Always with the onslaught of total freedom comes a process of learning.  It is unexpected, but it always shows up.  It is through the learning process that the people of God learned the mechanics of meeting those real challenges they faced in the wilderness, challenges that were genuine and enduring.  We each face our own wilderness circumstances and we each have our own challenges in this life.  Through this process of living out time day-to-day the stories of the people of God in the wilderness began to evolve.  Without this process of time and learning they would have simply remained slaves forever.  There would have been no stories to tell.  Salvation brings us life and freedom.  Sanctification gives our life stories.  

 

By living through the time of transition (in the wilderness) The Israelites evolved into a people that would be used by God.  

                          

All evolution eventually involves change.  God gave the people the ritual of the early first fruits sacrifice to follow so they would recognize this.   Even this ritual defining the time of year for them reflected change.   The sacrifice that was offered on Passover was made out of barley.   In ancient times, barley was used as fodder for animals.  The sacrifice that was offered on Pentecost was made of wheat.  Wheat is often used as an allegory for the human capacity of intelligence.  While an animal can eat a fruit or a leaf (the early sacrifice), it requires human intelligence and creativity to make bread (the later sacrifice.)  This pictures the growing process from the sacrifice of early first fruits to the sacrifice of latter first fruits.

Here in this process of time from the Passover and leaving Egypt until arriving in the promised land and eventually experiencing Pentecost, we begin to see the amazing transformation of God's people from a people who are defined by the strife and yearnings of the sort of freedom shared by animals; to the freedom of becoming truly evolved human beings.  The time between Passover and Pentecost and the counting of the omer is all about transformation and progression to a higher form of life.  God desires that we have this gift!  

Only God can bring about our transformation!

Left to ourselves we would remain depraved animals.  God has a way of transforming us if we let him.  Upon leaving Egypt, those who were transformed had to be obedient in putting the blood of the lamb over their door posts.  This was the first step to total freedom yet they hardly noticed what they were doing; they were simply acting in faith and obedience.   Sometimes the transformation from slavery to freedom is gradual and unnoticed as time marches on and on, but it happens when we are obedient enough to trust God and let it happen.    

What makes us truly human? Some think it is the bond that we share with God that makes us human beings.  These bonds are called "sefirot," a name which also has the same root word as "number" and "story." This common root conveys the fact that our beginnings, middles and ends are ultimately measured and finite, but nonetheless our time is touched by the infinite spark of godliness within us.  The earliest mention of this concept is presented in the Kabbalistic work called Sefer Yetzirah, literally; the "Book of Formation."  This book has been attributed to Abraham by the sages of old.                  

 Do you know or understand that some Kabbalistic work evolved from Abraham?  It was a long time before I discovered this fact.  The very word Kabbala sounded very spooky and strange to me.  I avoided it.  Most of the time it is still strange and spooky!  This is one of those times to discern what is scriptural from what has been added to scripture.  Be careful where you go, especially with mystic Kabbalistic teachings.  Because of this, it took me some time to come around to the truth of counting the omer.  

                                                                                                                                   I thought about the fact that God attributed righteousness to Abraham.  Maybe he (Abraham)  knew something that I had not yet thought of and I began to study the parts of the puzzle in Kabbalistic thinking that were attributed to Abraham only.  Hmmmm.....  Be careful though not to be mislead.  Do not to mix the interest in biblical Hebrew roots with the wrong kind of Kabbala that practices magic and sorcery.  Magic and sorcery are an abomination to God!  Abraham did not participate in such things.

Over the years what Abraham knew has been perverted by greedy and ungodly men using and twisting the knowledge for their own selfish reasons.    Abraham would not have been mixed up with or participated in any type of sorcery, magic or idol worship.   He was strongly opposed to the occult and idol worship; which is where all of the wrong types of Kabbala perversions lead.  That is why I probably will not even call what I am referring to here Kabbala; because it is not a part of such things, but biblical in nature and follows the scriptures.   

I am simply referring to the study of the nature of God and how it works in our lives when we recognize and count the days between Passover and Pentecost.   God was the One who commanded that we do this.  There are those who take this practice to an extreme who do not even believe in God.  That is not at all what I am talking about. 

                                                                                                                             

My only reason for considering the practice of counting the omer at all is because of God's commandment to Abraham, Moses and others in the bible.  The scriptures clearly spell out that we should count the days up to 50 days, beginning with Passover on the Day of Early First Fruits in order to know when Pentecost will arrive.

 There are over a thousand commentaries on Sefer Yetzirah.  It remains one of the most fascinating Jewish works on the nature of God.  The thing I love about it is that it helps me to know more of The Father.   In the 1500s, Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, a mystic from Egypt, settled in Safed.   He was known widely by the acrostic of his name as the Ari (literally "the Lion").   He taught the most enigmatic sections of Kabbalah to a select group of disciples.   Subsequently, the mystic teachings of Judaism became far more accessible than they had ever been in the past.   Those who knew the commandment to "count the days" could now begin to understand "why" they were counting the days.  Understanding is the birth of wisdom.  Always remember to chew up the meat and spit out the bones, or in other words weigh the wisdom written down by men against the scriptures as you go along in order to stay pure to God's will.  

The most central theme of this Rabbi's teachings is the significance of gaining an awareness of the bond that we share with God.  He calls this the "sefirot" of our spiritual souls.

It has been determined that there are seven aspects of godliness that can be displayed by human beings:

1) Chesed - which means loving kindness

2) Gevurah - which means justice and discipline

3) Tiferet - which means harmony and compassion

4) Netzach - which means endurance

5) Hod - which means gratitude and humility

6) Yesod - which means foundation and bonding

 7) Malchut - which means kingship, leadership and sovereignty.
 

These attributes of God are taught in the scriptures.  They are the things that one should meditate on in the days of counting the omer. 

I find it wonderful to see and know that the commandment which summed up all commandments - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself" is the first commandment mentioned and taught in the counting of the omer.  All other things build upon this one commandment.  This commandment describes the state called "chesed."  It seems if we don't get this "love" part of life - we miss out on everything else altogether.  It is the first aspect of godliness that is taught as we begin to count the days.  It is our first thought toward developing holiness in our day to day lives. 

Another favorite of mine is  aspect number five which represents gratitude and humnility - as the past ten years of life for me have been full of the recognition that gratitude and humility are two of the truest forms of worship. 

It is also noted in these teachings leading through the counting of the days till Pentecost that at the root of all forms of enslavement (thinking of the Israelites in Egypt as well as our own enslavement to sin), is a distortion of these attributes of God's nature.  If we are not careful with our humanness, we will distort these things of God and defeat the learning.  We must beware and stay pure to the original meanings.

Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one of these seven aspects of godliness and different combinations of each of them together.

There is something in our nature that can reach higher and learn more and be transformed for each day that we are faithful to counting the omer.  It is not at all about the salvation we have already been freely given; but it is about the sanctification process, a way of letting God sift and shape and transform our natures into what He originally created us to be now that we ARE saved.  It is about achieving our fullest destiny before God

The counting happens in its set time every year between Early First Fruits and The Day of Pentecost.   Each season is compounded upon another until, hopefully, like Abraham; we grow old and we come before God with our own days.   Let us learn to make each one count for God's Kingdom.

As we dwell on these qualities of a godly person during the seven weeks between Passover and Pentecost our own stories and purposes begin to unfold a little further each day.  If we let God work in this time He will enlighten us with more of the stories of our own destiny and purpose He created.   It is through knowing the bond that we share with God, through The indwelling of The Holy Spirit and the blood of The Lamb from Our Savior Jesus Christ, that we are transformed and begin to grow spiritually.

So, dear friends, I pray that God will lead and teach each of us as we go through this season of numbering our days after we reach the time of Early First Fruit in the season of Passover.     

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 65 - I WILL GO

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

As Abraham waited with Isaac back in the land of Canaan, his faithful servant Eliezer continued his work in a far country, seeking a perfect bride for Isaac.  He had met the beautiful Rebekah at the well and would have dinner with her family that night.  He would reveal his identity and his purpose to everyone there first, then try to woo and win Rebekah in order to bring her back to Abraham’s house where Isaac would be waiting to claim his bride.

The time had come and supper was prepared.  Eliezer went into a room where a feast had been laid out before him.  He was offered the best chair at the table and offered the best wine.  It was all very pleasant and tempting, but Eliezer knew he could not participate in this meal any further until he explained exactly who he was and why he was there.  He must tell his story in order for them to understand his mission.  It is very similar to the Passover meal when we reach the portion of the meal and come to the telling of the story.  There is much to be understood before the meal can continue.  The details must be laid out for everyone to hear.  The story must be told.

The position of Eliezer here reminds us of Jesus in the Passover observance with his disciples at The Last Supper.  In this service we get to the third cup and remember that Jesus said to His disciples that he would not partake of the third cup, the cup of redemption and the cup of a new covenant, until He could do so with them in the coming Kingdom of God.  It was customary in the wooing of a bride for a cup of wine to be set before her by the advocate of the groom.  If she drank the wine, her answer was "yes."  If she did not there would be no marriage.  If her answer was yes on this occasion, she would drink another cup with the groom to toast their marriage on their wedding day.  The groom did not drink until that time.  

There will be a marriage supper in heaven one day.  Until then, the bride of Christ will drink the cup of communion that signifies redemption and her covenant with her groom.  

Eliezer could not allow Rebekah to come to the table and drink the wine unless she knew his true mission!  He told them he was the servant of Abraham.  That little bit of information alone would have been enough to keep the dinner conversation going all night long, but Eliezer had more.  He explained that Abraham had been very, very prosperous in the far away land and he explained that Abraham was very old now and would not be with them much longer.  Knowing this, Abraham had deeded all he owned to his son, Isaac, who had been born to Abraham from his wife Sarah when she was too old to have a child.  Isaac had grown into a fine young man and Abraham had turned everything he had over to Isaac. 

Eliezer went on to tell them that Abraham had expressed his desire for Isaac to have a bride from the land of his own people.  Abraham had asked Eliezer to go and find this bride.  Eliezer explained his prayer to God when he arrived at the well for a young girl to come and offer him water and also offer to water his camels.  When Rebekah came along and did exactly that, Eliezer knew she was the one that God had intended for Isaac.  When Rebekah had explained that she was the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, Eliezer knew for sure. 

There is deep hidden symbolism in this story that represents The Marriage Supper of The Lamb and The Bride of Christ.  The dinner where Eliezer asks the family for Rebekah to be Isaac's bride is symbolic of The Marriage Supper of the Lamb that will happen in heaven one day.  The meeting of Rebekah at the well is symbolic of how The Holy Spirit of God finds the Bride of Christ by the well of water from which you will never thirst again, the spring of  the water of everlasting life supplied by God's Holy Spirit.    We know Jesus used the same words in greeting the Samaritan woman at the well at a later time in history when he asked her "Please give me a drink of water from your jar. " Jesus was offering her a whole new life, just as Eliezer was offering Rebekah.  That woman was one of the first to be claimed for The Kingdom of God from all of the lost and wondering sheep of Israel, much like Rebekah, a long lost relative, is being claimed as a bride for Isaac in this story.  

It would have been fun to have been in the room to watch the changes of the expressions on all of their faces as Eliezer revealed his story, gave his true identity, and explained the whole truth of his mission.  They all must have been astounded at his words; especially Rebekah.  Do you think it is possible that she had been praying for such a thing to happen?  Like all young girls she might have been seeking the will of God for her life and asking Him to provide a very special husband intended just for her.  We do not know any of these specifics, all we know is that Eliezer revealed his identity and laid out the story just as it transpired and they all were probably very silent for awhile as they pondered these facts with sincere amazement.

With all of the truth out now; Eliezer got right down to business!  His very words were: “Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.  In modern day terms this might sound like:  “So give me your answer right away so that I can either take her back with me for Isaac, or go on searching for the right bride in another place.”  

Again, we see a shadow and type in Eliezer of The Good Shepherd.  He is going out as far as necessary, hunting, searching, trying to find that long lost lamb.  When he finds the little lamb that belongs to his master, he wants to quickly bring her home in order to return her to the fold where she belongs.

Eliezer had done his job, he had located the bride.  Just as God woos us with The Holy Spirit and gives us the invitation to be a part of the Kingdom; He also gives us free will.  We, like Rebekah, have a choice.  We can accept or reject the offer.  That one piece of the puzzle is always up to the individual with the invitation.  The rest of this story was up to Rebekah and her family, but Eliezer was not a man to waste time and he was ready to move on!

It isn't discussed, but by now you have to realize that night at dinner that Rebekah drank the cup.  She said "yes" through her actions and deeds without even having to say the words out loud.  When dinner was over Eliezer knew the answer from Rebekah's heart.  

After the lengthy explanation of all that had happened, it did not take Laban and Bethuel and Rebekah's Mother long to answer either.  They had the authority to speak for Rebekah.  They said “This thing comes from the LORD, we cannot speak to you bad or good.  Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.”

Can’t you just hear Rebekah’s heart pounding? One minute she is a simple village girl going about her daily tasks, and the next moment she is going to live in a foreign land and be the wife to a man that she had never even met.

At that point Eliezer and his men enjoyed the luscious feast spread before them.  They had a good nights sleep in a comfortable bed and rose the next morning refreshed and ready to go on their way.  Eliezer thanked Rebekah’s family for their hospitality and asked them to send him on his way back to his master.  The family was a bit reluctant to let Rebekah go so soon.  They tried to reason with Eliezer.  “Let the maiden remain with us a while, at least ten days, after that she may go.”  Eliezer did not give in to this but said he needed to be on his way and about his master’s business.  He felt it was the LORD’s will for him to return right away.  So they called Rebekah and asked her if she was willing to go right away.  

Rebekah’s answer was “I will go.”

Any time God calls us to something, there must be a complete surrender of our will to His.  Rebekah gave the perfect answer for this situation in her life.  It was not an easy choice that she was asked to make.  Her life was instantly changing, never to be the same again.  All her life she had been sheltered and cared for by a loving family, now she was being asked to go immediately to an unknown place to live as the wife of an unknown man.  All she knew of this man was what had been told to her by his father's servant.  It was as if Rebekah was being asked to grow up and leave her childhood behind in one day, in one hour, in one moment of time.  She had decided and she would go.

Here it becomes obvious that Rebekah’s heart was in the same place as Abraham’s when God told him to go to an unknown land and trust Him with the details.  She and Abraham were kindred spirits in these decisions.  Both of their reactions were the same.

  

Rebekah had already committed her heart to this purpose.  She was ready to go.  She said goodbye to the only family that she had ever known and took her seat in the caravan of the servant of her future husband's father.  They left with many camels that carried all the gifts specifically designated to be hers (although some other gifts were also given to her family); gifts from a groom she had not yet met.  

Can you imagine the thoughts in her head as they trod through the desert and headed toward her new home?  I'm sure the biggest question that Rebekah pondered over and over on the journey was the same as any young girl about to be married.

She must have wondered all the way; 

What will HE be like?

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 64 - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WATER A STRANGER'S CAMELS

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

We have seen such a beautiful picture of the early beginnings of God’s family in our study of Abraham and Isaac.  It is through their stories that we really begin to see a clearer and closer picture of the true love a Father can have for His Son.

The relationship that we see between Abraham and Isaac is clearly the relationship that The True Church should desire to share with God The Father.  When we hold a mirror up to Abraham and Isaac we see a shadow of their relationship that is to be our example of how to live out our own lives, knowing the ways of The One True God that their relationship reflects.  We see in them a beautiful, full colored type of that holy relationship between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.    

In the section of their story where we studied the Akadah, we learned further how Abraham was a type and shadow of God and Isaac was a type and shadow of Yeshua, The Messiah.   In watching Abraham allow Isaac to be a living sacrifice to God we felt along with them some of the anguish that our Father in Heaven must have felt as He gave His only Son on the altar of the cross so that we might have eternal life.  God was willing to do that for us, just as Abraham was willing to give his son for all of mankind.  Abraham truly pondered whether Isaac could be the One promised to take away the sins of the world, but God decided to give His Own Son, Yeshua instead, and God spared the broken heart of Abraham and allowed His own heart to be broken instead.  As good as Isaac was, he was not the prefect sacrifice.  No One could do this but Jesus, Our Messiah.  Through the picture of God leading Abraham through this test, we see what all good fathers do for their sons; they would much rather feel the pain themselves than to see pain inflicted onto their sons.  Abraham was willing to offer up all he loved to God, as God eventually offered to Abraham.  

  God the Father loved this son from earth named Abraham too.  God loved all of Abraham's descendants so much that He was willing to sacrifice the best part of Himself in order to save them.  He also knew because this Son was perfect that He would obtain resurrection and live again.   Just like Isaac, Yeshua displayed that same awesome love of God for the children of the earth; a willingness to suffer pain for redemption out of love, a type of love where One is willing to lay down their life and put themselves aside for the sake of another.

  

Jesus was willing to lay His life down for us, just as Isaac was willing to be bound and slain on an altar.  They both acted out of the purest highest form of love that can exist.   It is the love that brings God and mankind together.  They both, along with their Fathers, understood the noble cause of great love and the necessity of sacrifice and redemption.  Abraham and Isaac acted on what they understood, what God had shown them in their limited humanity; that One would come and become the promised sacrifice to restore mankind to God and repair the rift between the great love of God for His creation.  All their lives they had longed to see this.  All that was done was done with wisdom and understanding and mostly with great love.   This fact of a need to repair the breach between God and man by offering sacrifice and redemption had been passed down through time from Adam and Eve, who learned it directly from God.  This Promised One who would come to be the perfect sacrifice would be the first step to bringing all of creation back to the abundant life man had enjoyed in the Garden of Eden with God.  It all had to happen to restore things, since evil had brought so much sin and death to the world, but God decided to play the sacrificial role instead of allowing men to keep trying to offer imperfect sacrifices that would never be enough to conquer the sins of mankind.  God allowed men grace and took the task unto Himself in love.  

If you ever learn anything at all about God, know that the thing that matters the most to Him is love.  Love is the answer to everything, and love is what He has given to us in all the highest forms that exist.  It was even condensed down to one final commandment; love God and love mankind.  

 

In these great stories of Abraham and Isaac, Father and Son, we are constantly reminded of the fact that there is nothing more wonderful than the love of a Father for a Son; except maybe that of the love of a Man for his Wife.  This is an even higher love.  It is a different kind of love.  It is a love that God wants us to understand.
  

As we follow the searching paths of Eliezer, that wise and faithful servant of Abraham, on his journey to find a wife for Isaac; we will see another great love story unfold.  This story shows the love of a Groom for His Bride.  It is beautiful in every aspect, and Eliezer is clearly a type of God's Holy Spirit doing the work of bringing about God's will, of making love happen in impossible circumstances and unexpected places.  

We do not want to go fast through these stories, but to take our time.  Every detail given is a shinning jewel to behold as a part of a beautiful story-necklace that shadows the love of Yeshua for His Bride; the true church.  

The preparation of the Bride of Christ begins with knowing and understanding this story of Rebekah and Isaac.  The story comes to us appropriately, during a time and season when we are counting the Omer and numbering the days that lead us up to Pentecost.  In these days and in this story God is showing us a picture of the working of The Holy Spirit in our own daily lives by showing us the lives of Isaac and Rebekah.  

It all starts with a servant going into a far country to seek a wife for the Son of his Master.  Is that not how God brings us all to Him?  He sends His servant, The Holy Spirit to draw us unto Him.  

The story takes place in a beautiful time of life for Isaac and Rebekah.  They were old enough to be wise adults, but young enough to enjoy the enticements of true love.  If you belong to God, you too have experienced such a time in your life and may even still be going through that time.  It is a period of courtship.  I am speaking of the time in a Christian’s walk with God that leads to the receiving of The Holy Spirit; the time when they become committed and officially “engaged” to Yeshua.  It is such a love story.  It is a love story very comparable to the story of Rebekah and Isaac.  So let us look deeply into their stories and let God begin to show us ourselves and exactly what He desires from us. 

The Bride for the Promised Son had to come from Abraham’s true family.  God seeks out those who are truly of His family too.  Isaac’s bride could not be one who would rebel against his ways and customs of worship; but one who could be taught by God to forsake the pagan customs of her birth and come into the ways of God that had been shown to Abraham by God, then taught to Isaac by Abraham and Sarah. 

Abraham stressed this one most important point over and over to Eliezer before he left to find Isaac a bride.  God's people cannot be birthed in paganism.  The descendant's of Abraham and Isaac were to be God's people. The perfect bride for the promised son could not and can not have a pagan heart.  She must be able to conform to and keep the ways of God and not the traditions of man and the world.  She must be willing to leave behind the traditions that she once knew in order to follow the traditions of God.  She must be able to set herself apart from those who follow the crowd and are so easily swayed in the wrong directions.  She must learn to follow God and God only.  Her traditions must be God's traditions and her ways must be God's ways.  

Abraham explained to Eliezer again and again that Isaac should never be allowed to leave the promised land where God had promised to bless him; and his bride should not be a pagan idol worshiper, but she should desire to stay close to her husband's side and believe in His God and follow His ways.  She should come from Abraham’s true family tree and be a teachable woman who would be true to the inspirations and ways that Isaac had learned from God.  

Perhaps Abraham was afraid he might die before Eliezer returned; because he was very, very careful to emphasize these things, not once, but many times. 

Eliezer, like all faithful servants, was very determined to stay true to his Master’s wishes.  As soon as possible he quickly prepared to do the task that Abraham had given him.  He had trained many other skillful servants to work with him and under him.  He had trained them well enough to be able to leave them in charge of his tasks whenever he needed to go away on business for the family.  This freed Eliezer to go without worry, to take care of his master’s business whenever it involved long periods of travel.  Oh that our own modern homes and lives today might be in the same order!  We have much to learn from the character traits of Eliezer.  

Some things just could not be trusted to outsiders, and Eliezer was always the one Abraham called upon in these times.  Eliezer was always ready and prepared for whatever Abraham needed whenever he needed it.  He loaded down ten of Abraham’s camels with all sorts of amazing gifts for the future bride of Isaac.  He then set out for Aram Naharaim or as some call it Paddan Aram, the town where Nahor, Abraham's brother lived.

 

When Eliezer arrived in the designated area he went to the town well and had his camels to kneel down.  Those camels must have been very, very tired and very, very thirsty.  They had come a long way to bring so many special gifts to a special bride.  We could tell many stories about the gifts that Abraham's camels carried to Issac's bride; they were indeed very special and abundant, but we must continue with the story at hand.  

It was just before the sunset, the time when the women left their houses to draw water from the town well for the next day, just before the twilight of evening and the changing of one day into another.

Abraham had previously advised Eliezer that an Angel of The LORD would go before him and prepare the way to find Rebekah.  That was all Eliezer knew, it was all he had to go on; otherwise his task seemed humanly impossible. So, as he sat with his camels all loaded down with many fine gifts beside the well; he prayed for that help to come.
 

“God of my master Abraham, make me successful today.  Show kindness to Abraham.  See I am standing beside this spring where the daughters of the town of Nahor are coming to draw water.  May it be that when I say to a young woman, “please let down your jar so that I may have a drink” and she says “Drink and I’ll water your camels too” that she will be the one You have chosen for your servant Isaac.”

And that was exactly how Eliezer knew Rebekah.  It was no sooner than he had finished praying and looked up that he saw a very beautiful young virgin coming toward the well with a jar on her shoulder in order to draw water.  He did not yet know, but she was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milkah, who was the wife of Nahor; Abraham’s brother! 

Eliezer hurried to her side and asked “Please give me a drink from your jar.”

She gave him a drink, and to Eliezer’s delight she said “I’ll draw water for your camels too until they have had enough to drink.”  

She quietly filled her jar from the well, over and over, and emptied it into the trough for Abraham’s camels to drink.  Now just one camel alone can drink up to 20 gallons of water.  For ten camels to drink, Rebekah would have had to work at least an hour and probably longer.   As she did this Eliezer tried to observe everything about her to be sure that God had brought her to him for Isaac.  

Eliezer cared very little about this girl’s strikingly beautiful appearance; he was trying to discern her character.  Eliezer watched for beauty on the inside as well as beauty on the outside.  The character and beauty on the inside was definitely much more important and took high precedence over any outward appearance.  

It seems that Eliezer might have told his men not to help Rebekah so that he could see a true picture of her character.  There is no specific mention of the men during this time in the scriptures, but one can just visualize them sitting idly by, watching the beautiful Rebekah at work.

Watching her work hard to water his camels, Eliezer realized that Rebekah had a servant’s heart.  This was a very good trait in Eliezer’s opinion, and a very good qualification for the wife of Isaac.  She not only SAID she would water the camels; she moved quickly and went about the work, not waiting for Eliezer to protest her help, or for him to offer for his men to do the work. Rebekah went straight to the task, very willing to do all the work herself.  Rebekah did not even look up or question that  Eliezer's men did not leand a hand.   She did this random act of kindness straight from her heart, willingly, humbly, and as a free gift; even to a stranger.  

Eliezer knew that the gift of hospitality was very important to Abraham and Isaac.  It was the way that opened the door for them to show God's kindness, love and mercy to others.   They had practiced this godly trait throughout the land of Canaan, and Rebekah seemed to have the same natural instinct for making people feel welcomed and blessed.  

Eliezer must have watched her smile and greet the other villagers who came and went as she went about her work. He might have imagined by their attitude toward her that perhaps at one time or another she had done the same for some of these families too.    Eliezer must have seen that she put his comfort above her own, even though she did not even know him.

 

When Rebekah had finished watering his camels; Eliezer took out some very expensive jewelry and held it in his hands as he asked her; “Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”  

“Us” meant all of Eliezer's ten camels, Eliezer and the servants that tended to the camel on the journey.  After all,  there had to be one man to lead each camel, and at least one extra man to help Eliezer with loading and unloading and guiding them through the land.  There must have been at least eleven or more men who came with Eliezer to help bring the gifts of Isaac to his future bride.  

Does anything about that particular number sound familiar?  I think Yeshua also had eleven men who helped bring the gifts of God to His people!  Locating and obtaining the right bride for a noble son would involve using many loyal, well-trained and dedicated servants, all of them workmen who would follow closely and work specifically with the faithful and honored head servant of the Master.

Rebekah explained who her father and grandfather were, and she said they had plenty of room for Eliezer, his camels, and his servants to spend the night at their house.  

I have to pause here and ask a question of the reader.  What about your own house?  Do you have room for The Holy Spirit, the servant of God Most High, to come stay in your house?  Perhaps you own no house, perhaps you own nothing but  your own body; but is the body not a Tabernacle for The Holy Spirit of God to dwell in?  Is there room in the house of your soul to receive all the ways that God’s gifts come to you through this faithful servant of God called The Holy Spirit?  

Will you be a gracious receiver as Rebekah was?  When you look in the eyes of a stranger in your own hometown do you ask yourself if they are not a gift from God that may have come to bless your home?  Do you invite them to rest and be refreshed?  Are you open to hospitality like Rebekah was with Eliezer?

I think we all could take a lesson from Rebekah, I know I could.  This beautiful woman with the sincere servant's heart and the gift of hospitality was becoming more and more intriguing to Eliezer.

When Rebekah indicated that her father and grandfather were relatives of Abraham, Eliezer immediately bowed down to the ground and gave praise to God for leading him directly to the house of Abraham’s brother.  Rebekah was standing right beside him as he offered this prayer of thanks, and she was delighted to find that this stranger she had met was the servant of a member of her own family!  She quickly realized this could not be a coincidence.  She could not wait to tell her family this good news; for they would be pleased to know more of the life of Uncle Abraham who lived so far away!  Long distance communications were very hard in those days.  They had not heard from The House of Abraham in a long, long time.  Rebekah filled her jar one last time and went quickly to tell her family this good news.

Eliezer waited beside the spring while Rebekah ran to tell her family about the important visitors that were coming to stay with them.  She told them he was a servant of Abraham, and she showed them the expensive jewelry he had given to her.  She must have explained to them how he had bowed down to God and thanked God for leading him to the house of his master Abraham’s family.  

   

The jewels Eliezer gave to Rebekah were made of silver and gold; a nose ring and some bracelets that dangled daintily from Rebekah's arm.

Rebekah had an older brother named Laban.  As soon as he heard this news and saw the expensive jewelry that Rebekah was now wearing, Laban, went out to the well to greet Eliezer with a warm welcome.  “Come you who are blessed of the LORD.  Why are you standing here?  I have prepared the house for you and your camels. “

Have you ever had the exciting experience of telling your own brother about a new guest that comes from your Father's people, who lives in a distance land? Or let me put it this way:  Have you ever had the pleasure of telling someone that you loved about God's Holy Spirit?  How awesome is that?  Rebekah got to do that in a similar way when she told Laban about Eliezer.  Isn’t it fun, to relate the interesting circumstances around how you found each other at the well, and to introduce the guest to your brother and watch each of them slowly understand the importance of the visit?  

Isn’t it fun to know that the presence of this faithful servant who often arrives unexpectedly as you go about your daily tasks could totally change everything about your life in an instant?  Or eventually even the life of your brother too?  

So it was in the case of Rebekah.  It was an exciting unanticipated surprise in the middle of a mundane day of daily chores.  God had brought hope, joy and anticipation into the everyday.

Laban led Eliezer to the house of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.  Eliezer's camels were housed in a clean, well cared for barn, and they were well fed by the servants of Nahor, who helped Eliezer's men unload and guard the treasures he brought from Abraham.  

The servants of Nahor must have been amazed at the richness of the things that were loaded on Eliezer’s camels backs.  Laban must have used his most trusted servants to help with this task, in order to prevent theft of the gifts which were exceedingly wonderful and exquisite.  

The servants of Laban and Nahor must have wondered where Eleizer was taking these valuable gifts, and why he had them loaded on the backs of his camels on such a long journey.

 

Eliezer was taken inside to the family's best quarters and made to be very comfortable.  He and the men with him received fresh clean water to wash their feet.  They were given time to rest and be refreshed from their journey.  

Eliezer was invited to a lavish dinner that evening.

It surely seemed that all things were going well with Eliezer's quest of finding a bride for his master's son.  Eliezer could clearly see God's will and help in every direction he turned, and he was feeling like this was the right place to be.    

Eliezer, still being a good and very cautious servant, decided to still be carefully cautious and to throw in a few more little tests to determine and confirm his good feelings about Rebekah.  He prayed about these things as he rested before dinner and he waited for further conversations with her family. 

The extra precautions were not unusual traits for this good servant of Abraham.  Eliezer was always very careful in how he proceeded to go about his master's business.  He used great wisdom and sought out God's help each time, in every large or small task.  It would have been totally foolish for him to have blurted out the facts about his mission when he first met Rebekah at the well.  She might have thought he was crazy, and she might not have led him to her family.  The way Eliezer had shown her respect, and given her nice gifts, and waited patiently on her to confirm his signs were less obvious, more respectful and much easier for Rebekah to understand and relate to.  

When Rebekah saw Eliezer bow down and worship God for leading him to the home of his master’s relatives, she must have realized that she too had seen a sign from God.  Eliezer had earned her trust, and she perceived him to be an honest and sincere noble man.  

Now he would continue the process of confirmations that evening when he joined the family for dinner by being totally honest about exactly who he was and exactly why he was there.  It was time for him to reveal the rest of the story.

Eliezer would see what type of reaction Rebekah’s family gave to the whole purpose surrounding his journey, and then if all went well; he would proceed to make the arrangements for Rebekah with great caution, all the time following God’s lead as he went on through the process of securing a bride for Isaac.

SEASONS - RESURRECTION DAY

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:  He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed.  And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher.  Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again.  Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, least his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead; so the last error shall be worse than the first.  Pilot said unto them Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as ye can.  So they went and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.    In the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for the Angel of The Lord descended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it.  His countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow.  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.  And the angel answered and said unto the woman, "Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here; for He has risen as He said.  Come see the place where the Lord lay; and go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and behold, He goeth before you unto Galilee; there shall ye see Him; lo, I have told you."  And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples word.  And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "All hail."  And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshiped Him.  Then said Jesus unto them, "Be not afraid:  go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.  Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.  And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, "Say ye His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.  And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you."  So, they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him.  But some doubted.  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I AM with you always, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.  (Matthew 27:57 - 28:20)

It is true!  He is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

Jesus is risen from the dead; and we, the disciples left on the earth today, the Mary Magdalene's and other Mary's and Joseph of Arimathaea's, and Peter's and John's of today, are to proclaim this good news loud and clear!  He told the disciples who had seen him after the Resurrection to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all people. 

Time is short.  Do it now.  Tell everyone you know of the power of our Risen Lord and the story of Resurrection! 

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 63 - ELIEZER HAS A NEW ASSIGNMENT

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf) 

If you ever need an example of a great servant take a look at Eliezer, the 
servant of Abraham.

Eliezer was Abraham’s oldest and most trusted servant.  Abraham had trusted Eliezer with all that he owned from the very beginning of their time in Hebron.

Not only was he a servant who looked after Abraham’s household, Eliezer headed up the band of adopted sons (over 300 trained men) who lived with Abraham and Sarah and protected and defended them when they were in danger.  He was both a great servant and a mighty warrior.  He was also a close friend and advisor.  He was like a member of the family and was treated as such with great respect.  

Eliezer looked after the welfare of Abraham’s family as if they were his own.  All of the above and more are true of Eliezer, yet he was very humble and always remembered his place of servanthood.  He had an outstanding resume, but if asked, the one credential he always gave was “I am a servant of Abraham.”

Early on it was thought that Eliezer might be the one to inherit Abraham’s vast wealth; but that was not his motivation for his faithfulness.  He proved this by the way he stayed with Abraham and looked after his best interest even many more years after the birth of Ishmael and Isaac.  

Abraham loved Eliezer like a brother and would have gladly given him full freedom; but Eliezer did not desire to ever leave the service of Abraham.  He had died to his own life and he lived specifically to be a good and faithful servant to Abraham.

Is it any wonder, when Abraham decided it was time for Isaac to marry that he chose Eliezer to go and find his bride?  

There would be no one better than Eliezer to accomplish this task successfully. He was very wise,  and he would carefully choose a bride that would please both Abraham and Isaac.
   

Abraham thought it very important that Isaac find the right woman to marry.  Abraham had become very wealthy.  God had blessed him tremendously.  Now that Abraham was old and it was well established that Isaac would be his rightful heir, he wished for his son to be happily married to a type of woman deserving of what Isaac would have to offer.    She would not be from the country which they dwelt in now, as it was still full of pagan worship and idols, in spite of the fact that Abraham and Sarah had turned many in the land toward God.   

Isaac’s wife needed to come from the people that Abraham and Sarah had left behind, the original family of Abraham.  The heirs of Isaac would not be from the women of this land.  The LORD would make a distinguished nation from Isaac and they must be a separate and set apart people.

Genesis 22 speaks to us about Abraham receiving word from his brother Nahor, who still dewelt in the land of Abraham’s origin, Aram Naharaim, an area we now know as modern day northern Syria.  Nahor now had many children, one of them being a young daughter named Rebekkah.  We are not sure if Abraham had Rebekkah in mind when he told Eliezer to go and find a wife for Isaac among his people, but perhaps Abraham knew of her and wondered if she was the one for Isaac.

 

Perhaps he thought sending Eliezer would be a good test to confirm that she was the right one.  If Abraham did not tell Eliezer whom he sought, and Eliezer was led to Rebekkah by God, Abraham would know that his suspicions about her were correct.

So Abraham called Eliezer to him and, saying nothing at all about Rebekkah, told him to go to the land where his family dwelled and find a suitable wife for Isaac.  Isaac’s wife must not be one of the idol worshipping women in the land of Canaan; but a godly woman with the same heritage and fear of God as Isaac’s Mother, Sarah.  Eliezer knew this was not an easy request. All of the people living in Aram Naharaim were not godly.  What if he did not find such a woman?  Why did Abraham not go himself or send Isaac?
 

These questions became clearer to Eliezer as he discussed the details of this important task with Abraham.  God had brought them out of a foreign land and and planted them here in the land of Canaan.  He had promised this land to them one day.  They were never to go back or return out of the promised land.

 Abraham took great care to make sure that Eliezer understood that Isaac was never to leave the land of God’s promise.  All of his blessings were tied to the place where God had planted him.  Eliezer understood and swore to Abraham that he would never allow Isaac to leave the land of Canaan. 

This promise from Eliezer must have given Abraham comfort in his old age.  He knew he would not always be around to protect Isaac and to remind him of the great promises that God had given.  Isaac was very obedient, but what if that should change?  Abraham knew he could trust Eliezer to correct Isaac in his absence.  Isaac had respect for this great and mighty servant, and he would see reason when Eliezer pointed it out to him if needed.

The bond between Isaac and Sarah had been very, very strong.  No mother had ever loved a son more that Sarah loved Isaac.  When Sarah died, Isaac mourned even more than Abraham.  The old stories have mentioned from time to time that the ties between Isaac and Sarah were so strong that they had kept Isaac uninterested in finding a wife until after Sarah’s death.  It wasn’t that Isaac did not desire a wife, but finding a woman who could live up to the standards that Sarah had modeled to her son would be very, very difficult.  Sarah would be a hard act for any young maid to try to follow.  It would take a woman of great spirit, faith and beauty, one who was very wise, to attract such a man as Isaac.

Eliezer had a great task before him, not so different from our own task as children of God, which is to go out into the world and bring strangers to the knowledge of their bridegroom Jesus Christ.  

Yes, in a sense, we too are all Eliezer’s making our way through a foreign land, looking for the perfect bride, bringing the creation unto The Creator, all the time in the name of our Master acting as His servants.  God is preparing a wedding for His Son and The Church.  The Bride must be made ready.  The Eliezer’s of this world play a huge part in getting the bride ready for the wedding.  A good servant of God will do the same as Eliezer, they will stay focused on the task at hand and be sure to keep the Master’s work first priority.  The Messiah is returning and the Eliezer’s of God must acquaint His bride with who she is to marry.  She must know all about him.  He must tell her how wonderful her husband will be and what a grand marriage they will have.  He must make room and allow for the infinite wisdom of God to work among the finite logic of men.

When we look at the life of Eliezer, we can also see how God's Holy Spirit works in our own life, like the faithful Eliezer, bringing us to our Master who will give us away to our Bridegroom.

 Eliezer knew he had his work cut out for him, but he swore to Abraham to not let Isaac leave the land.  Eliezer would be the one to go to the original home of Abraham and seek a perfect wife for Isaac among Abraham’s brother’s people.  How different Abraham’s people were from Abraham and Sarah and Isaac!  This would not be easy.   

It was a long, long journey, so Eliezer hastened to perform his task.  God went ahead of him, preparing the way for exactly what needed to happen next.