COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 36 - SOME HIDDEN MODERN DAY PROPHECIES IN THE STORY OF ABRAM AND LOT

I love the Old Testament!

One thing a lot of people overlook while studying the book of Genesis is how much prophecy is in this  very first book of the bible.  

When we come to the story of Abram rescuing Lot from those who battled against the Jordanian Kings in The War of Nine Kings we can’t help but pause and look at the prophetic significance of the story.  There is much more than I will say today - but I have chosen to chew on these passages for a bit and ponder them over several more lessons.  I keep feeling like there is a message of prophecy for today hiding here.  There is definitely more prophecy than I will discuss immediately.  There will be a few more lessons after this one to expand on these thoughts.  

So excuse me for getting sidetracked from the chronological order of our study, but let’s look first at the Hebrew meanings for the names of the kings that were involved in this war.

Here is a brief list that summarizes the facts about each king on both sides of the battle that will help us to grasp a few more interesting facts about them.  

FOUR KINGS THAT FOUGHT FIVE KINGS:

       Amraphel – King of Shinar:  His Hebrew name means:  “sayer of darkness.”  Shinar was the area called Babylon and it exists today as modern Iraq and Syria.  This king represents Satan and The Spirit of Antichrist in prophecy.

            Arioch – King of Ellasar.  His Hebrew name means “lion-like.”  Ellasar was a city located in Babylon.  The word Ellasar in Hebrew means:  “God is chastener.”  (We read of another interesting Arioch later in the book of Daniel who was the Captain and executioner of King Nebuchadnezzar’s army.  He persecuted the wise men of Babylon.   These two are not the same person. King Arioch was born first, the other Captain Arioch came much later.)  King Arioch represents Antichrist in prophecy.

      Chedorlaomer-King of Elam.  We have mentioned in a previous lesson that his Hebrew names means “handful of sheaves.”  This was a very pagan king serving a female goddess named Lagamar who was the head goddess of the Elamite pantheon.    Elam was what is now know as modern day Iran.

      Tidal – King of Nations.  This king was an ally to Chedorlaomer.  The “nations” he ruled over were the Arab nations.  His Hebrew name means “great son.”

FIVE KINGS OF THE JORDAN PLAIN THAT FOUGHT THE FOUR KINGS (ALSO KNOWN AS THE MONARCHS OF PENTAPOLIS):

      Bera-King of Sodom.  His Hebrew name means “son of evil.”  He ruled over the city of Sodom in the Jordanian Plain.  The name Jordan in Hebrew means “burning.”  The King of Sodom also represents The Antichrist in prophecy.

      Birsha – King of Gomorrah.  His Hebrew name means “with iniquity.”  Gomorrah was another city located in the Jordanian plain.  The Hebrew translation for Gomorrah is “submersion.”  In prophecy Birsha represents The Man of Sin.

      Shinab – King of Admah.  His Hebrew name translates as “splendor of the father.”    The city of Admah wa s located in the Siddim Valley south of The Dead Sea. The word Amdah in Hebrew translates to mean “red earth.”  The prophetic  Shinab represents, The Son, The Messiah, The King of The Earth.

         Shemeber-King of Zeboiim.  His Hebrew name means “lofty flight.”  He was an ally to The King of Sodom.  Zeboiim was another city in The Jordanian plain south of The Dead Sea. Zeboiim translates in Hebrew to mean “gazelles.”  In prophecy King Shemeber represents one who is “strong and fast” like a gazelle.

           Bela – King of Zoar.  In Hebrew his name means “destruction.”  He was the king of the city of Zoar.  Zoar in Hebrew means “insignificant”  or “smallness.”  or "the little one."   Zoar was the area that is now modern day Saudi Arabia.   It is said that two generations before Abraham lived a man named Armonius who had two sons named Sodom and Gomorrah.  This man formed three cities and named two of them after his sons.  The third city he named Zoar - after the mother of his two sons.  Later in our study we will find that Zoar is the place where Lot and his daughters fled and hid in a cave while Sodom and Gomorrah were being destroyed.  This city was like a tropical oasis full of palm trees that flourished from the waters that flowed from the mountains of Moab.  It was known to be popular on the trade route for balsam, indigo and very sweet dates.

Taking all the Hebraic names of these last five kings that fought in this war and won the victory, we can come up with a prophetic meaning for a similar war that will most likely happen in the last days:

Here is the paraphrase:

The son of evil with iniquity will come, but the splendor of the Father who is the King of the earth and strong and fast like a gazelle will destroy him who is insignificant and small.

SEASONS - ELUL - LIVING FACE TO FACE AND MEETING THE KING IN THE FIELD

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

On this last month of the Hebraic calendar called Elul, many of us try to focus on the past year of our lives.  It is a time to bring before our Beloved our misdeeds, mistakes, and wrong actions so that He can show us how we can make changes for the new year coming up.  If you follow the first calendar that God gave in the scriptures, the Hebraic calender, you will note that the new year actually starts in the fall.

Perhaps it is easier to imagine what Elul is all about if you look at this season the same way you would if you were preparing for a wedding.   How do these shoes work? (How am I walking?)  What veil should I wear?  (How am I seeing?)    Is my dress ready? (How have I prepared?)  Have I spoken to the groom about everything?  (How is my contribution to this relationship going?)

If you were engaged to be married, you would need to discuss all the skeletons in your closet in the time before the wedding.  You would not want your loved one to discover your deepest hidden secrets from someone else, or to be surprised and hurt by them later after your marriage.  You need to confess everything that your future spouse might not yet have heard about you, so you will know for certain that all past mistakes are forgiven and forgotten, and you are safe with the one that you have chosen to live your life with.  

You would, of course, promise them never to revisit these things.  With the love between the two of you, it is possible to begin a fresh new page of life.  This is how I have learned to speak to my Beloved, Jesus, during the season of Elul.  He knows I am not perfect.  He loves me anyway.  He doesn't care that I have sinned and made mistakes, but He does care if I do not confess these things to Him.

In the great love story portrayed in The Song of Songs, Solomon speaks of the conversation that is held between two lovers.  They are not afraid of one another.  They are comfortable enough in their love that they can speak of their faults and mistakes.  They are humble enough and so much a part of each other that one can come to the other and ask forgiveness for things done wrong because this one knows that anything they have done will have an instant effect on the other.  No sin is a sin all alone.  Every sin we commit hurts our Beloved.  

This is a time for the healing of this pain.  Healing begins with honesty and confession.  Healing always comes before joy.  It is definitely a time to say “I want to change for you and never put you through such pain again.”   The honesty, love, truthfulness of this confession only makes the bond of love stronger.  The stronger the bond between lovers, the less likely it will ever be broken.  

It is a time of the weaker seeking strength from the stronger.  We are looking up to Jesus, accepting the mercy of God and calling on Our Lord to help us be stronger.  There will be encouragement that comes from the stronger lover that will change the spirit of the weaker lover from sadness to joy; from being ashamed to being confident and sure of their love.  As our hearts unite with God in prayer during this season, together we will be capable of things we could never achieve apart from one another.    

Elul is definitely a relational time period.  It is a time to be spent totally in tune to the desires of The One we love the most, looking to see what He will show us, listening to hear what He will tell us.   If we are out of step with His leading of the dance of our days, He will help us pick back up on the beat of the dance through the rhythms of life.   It is the perfect time for bearing our souls to the only One who truly understands our souls.  He truly loves us as we are, and accepts us with all our flaws; even enough that He died for us and all our imperfections;  but He has a loving desire to help us change into the people that He created us to be.  

So, our goal at the end of the month of Elul is to begin to walk face to face.  When we seek His face and ask His forgiveness, He loves us, flaws and all.  He reaches out to us to pull us up and help us to change.  When we spend this time we can truly come to know the meaning of the phrase "I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.”   

To utter the words “I am my Beloved’s”  is to cry out to God, to communicate our love and loyalty to Him.    This is to be the activity of our hearts.  It is how our souls are speaking.  The second part; “And my Beloved is mine,’ hints to God’s activity toward us during this time.  This negates our act of listening.  Good communications involve both speaking and listening.

We speak joyfully to our Beloved during this month, not simply because we are about to begin a new sacred year, but because God is shining forth his attributes of mercy toward us.  We know that we need to use this time to atone and work on our selves, and God empowers us to do so when we approach Him humbly seeking forgiveness.

This is the time for us to express our desire for complete atonement to God.  At the end of the time, when we reach Yom Kippur, that is the time He will express His complete desire to atone us, so much so that He died to redeem us.  Rosh Hashanah is all about redemption.  Yom Kippur is all about atonement.  

There is a beautiful Jewish parable that speaks of this very act. 

THE PARABLE OF THE KING IN THE FIELD

A King returns to his city following a long absence. The city's inhabitants stream out to the countryside to greet him. When the king enters the field a new phenomenon occurs. The field equalizes everyone who is found there. Now, for the first time, virtually everyone is empowered and permitted to greet the king. All partitions which usually separate him from the populace are nullified. The king, in turn, graciously receives each and every one. This phenomenon does not take place outside the field. For, within the capital, and surely within the palace, only select dignitaries can access the king.

Is this parable not a beautiful portrait of how Jesus loves us? 

He went up to Heaven to send His Holy Spirit so that we could communicate better with Him and The Father.  So many times when we pray, we are looking up to heaven, seeing him on a royal throne, knowing His kingly power is at work constantly redeeming us, but often it seems we are at a distance, further away than we want to be from Him. We tend to see Him like a King of a city who went away.  We know He is still in control. 

We know He still exists and is coming back, but then one day He does come back!  He walks through the fields of the city.  These are the fields where the common workers toil and labor every day.  This is where they have broken the ground, planted the seeds provided by Him, watered them, weeded them, watched the crop grow to be ripe and ready for harvesting.  The citizens are so proud of the harvest that is just ripe for the picking!  They can’t wait to tell the Master about how beautiful and bountiful it is; then they look up and see Him actually walking through the fields!  They are overcome with joy!  It is Him, The One they have been laboring for all along!  He has returned!  They run to greet him.

As the everyday ordinary people run to great their King who has come down to walk in the field, they all seem somehow the same.  Their differences are not showing.  No one is more important.  No one voice is heard above the other.  All are equal in the field.  It is not formal here, like it might be in the royal palace.  No one is announced, or proclaimed.  They all just come toward Him, one at a time, each one special and unique, yet everyone sharing the same honor of greeting the King and having the King recognize them and speak to them of their own particular tasks.

 Here all feel free and comfortable to discuss the physical aspects of the harvest with the King.  Who would know more about harvesting than a King who is also A Creator?  Who could possibly know more about preparing for a good harvest?  They drink in His advice.  They sit at His feet to listen to His instructions.  They freely admit their mistakes and short-comings to Him because they can look into His eyes and see how much He loves them.  It is not hard.  They are not afraid.  They all feel safe. 

The King looks happier here, in the field amongst the people of His city, maybe even happier than He ever looks on His Royal Throne.  He is glad to be here.  Is it not what He has purposed to do all along?  He is smiling and gracious and generous.  He uses the ordinary existence in the field to explain to all the important principles of His Kingdom and here in the field the lowest realms of existence are transformed into a dwelling place for a King.  Everyone is excited to know that The King is in the field!

It is the strangest thing to think about, but even when the King is walking through the field the primary mundane matters of life must still be carried out!   It is a time for pausing, but not stopping.  It is a time of reflecting while still working.  In our daily lives we concern ourselves with many activities that are not in and of themselves holy, but these things are performed “for the sake of the King.”  Now when we see the King walking through the field, He may stop and talk to us of our activities.   We find out that “little things” are very important to Him.  He has noted everything, every action, every task that we have done during the times of the seasons before the harvest.  They HAVE mattered to Him.  He has not overlooked us, or forgotten us when we could not see Him or reach out and touch Him.  He has noticed every little thing.  Suddenly we recognize that in seeking His will in all things, we have made a part of our world His dwelling place, a place where He may come down and walk with us, even in our imperfections, even into the day-to-day activities of “the field.”

Hence, to continue looking after the field of The King in the best possible manner, during Elul we chose to put special emphasis on study of the Holy Scriptures and prayer, because even while The King is walking through His field, we recognize that it IS His field and we honor Him by continuing on with our work for Him. 

SEASONS - THE MONTH OF ELUL - A TIME OF TURNING

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Every fall season brings us to the beautiful time of Elul.  This year the last month of the Hebraic calendar starts at sunset of August 26^th, 2014 and lasts until sunset on September 24^th, 2014.  It is one of my favorite seasons.   I usually find myself singing that old song called “Turn, Turn, Turn” made famous by a group called The Byrds back in the 70’s.  The song uses the words of Solomon in the lyrics.  They ring so true during the month of Elul. 

It is a time for turning around and embracing the love of a God who was willing to die for us.  It is a time for paying attention to a God who loved us enough to give His only begotten Son to ransom us from our sins.  It is a time of changing from a relationship of “back-to-back” and turning to a better higher place of “face-to-face” with our Creator.

I think it is this very aspect of the season of Elul that keeps the lyrics of the song and the words of Solomon on my mind and in my spirit in the early parts of each fall.  Elul is the time that teaches us the necessity of being willing to turn.

In the mystial thoughts of Jewish literature it is explained that at the beginning of the Hebraic season of Elul we are “anchor el achor” which means in English; “back-to-back.”  By the end of this season of Elul we are said to be “panim el panim” which means “face-to-face.” 

The concept could be more beautifully explained in a dance, perhaps a lovely ballet production, but since those resources are not readily available, I will try to use mere words.

Let’s paint the picture, like an artist using words:  First of all one must ask the obvious question.  How can it be that we (us and God) are back to back?  Wouldn’t this statement imply that God has His back turned to us?  Wouldn’t it also imply that we have our back turned to God?  How can we say such a thing when this is the month it is said that “The King Is In The Field” , or the God of Heaven has come down to the lowest parts of earth offering mercy and forgiveness to all who are seeking him?  Many teachings and teachers have taught us that this is the very month when God is more accessible than ever, when He is waiting for us to come out to the harvest and greet him in the “field.”  We have learned that this is a time when He is there for us waiting in the “fields” of our everyday lives.  So how could we possibly be “back-to-back?”

The concept is much easier to grasp if you think of it like this; just recall all of the old classic love stoires that you have watched in the movies.  A loving couple has to part for one reason or another.  We see them beginning to walk away from each other with their faces both turned in opposite directions.  Almost always, at some point the man turns around and looks back at the woman.  You can see in his face that he is wanting to call out her name, that he longs to ask for another chance, or beg for forgiveness, or make a way for them to still be together.  In these scenes he is always just about to speak, just about to call out her name, but then he realizes that her back is turned and she is walking away from him.  He tells himself that it is too late, that she just doesn’t care.  He thinks that there is nothing that he can do.  So he turns back around. 

Seconds later the woman turns to look back at the man.  She knows that she doesn’t want this relationship to end.  She stalls for time, walking away slowly  More than anyting she wants to say something to mend the situation, but doesn’t have the right words.  She just can’t muster up the courage or doesn’t have the strength to speak up.  She is in great dispair.  After all, why should she try to speak when his back is turned away from her?  She assumes he just doesn’t care as she sees him continue to walk away from her.

And we, the viewers watch this touching scene, sitting on the edge of our seats, hoping against hope that they will both suddenly turn around in the same second and finally realize that the other does care enough to turn and step back into the other’s arms.  We keep watching, hoping to see if maybe one of them will suddenly realize that though they both appear to be back to back, they really and truly want to be face to face. 

Sometimes we get the happy ending.  

Sometimes they both continue to walk right out of each other’s lives.  

And I am reminded every year that Elul is the time that God uses to remind us to turn.  We must be willing to turn around and face God, willing to turn around and face those who have hurt us.  We must offer forgiveness and move back into the loving embrace of the God who loves us beyond all reason.  We must find ourselves with Him once again, living face-to-face. 

It is a beautiful season.  It is the most wonderful love story ever written.

SEASONS - LOOKING FOR REAL FATHERS ON FATHER'S DAY

SEASONS - A TIME FOR HONORING OUR FATHERS
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

 I want to wish every true father in America a Happy Father’s Day!

It is time to wake up America and realize how much our fathers really matter.  If you are one of the many brave fathers with strong convictions and morals who may have been forced to take a stand in the public schools, or your local community activities, or push for some governmental changes to take place, or serve in the leadership of your local church congregation, then you understand very well how important your actions are for the benefit and well being of all.  

Sometimes the role of a father is a very lonely, unrewarding place to be, but the importance of input from mature wise men that have learned how to raise decent families is critical at this time in America's history.   The fathers who step up, take charge and act will make a huge difference in the future of our nation.  It may be a very long, hard battle sometimes, but thank God for men who are willing to stay in the trenches and fight for their families.

I know they still exist.  There are still a lot of selfless, bold, courageous men out there; we just aren’t hearing about them from the media anymore.  My own Dad is one of those individuals.  I have always been very proud of his honesty and his ability to stand alone if needed in making hard decisions for our family.  I’ve always known I could count on his integrity and his ability to distinguish right from wrong.   My husband is also from this special breed of men who puts the needs of others before his own personal needs and gain.  His "Pop" was of the same good character.  Both my husband and I are blessed with brothers who have strived to be good fathers and to do the right things for their families.  We are among the blessed.  I am forever thankful for this fact.  I also fear, we are among the minority.

They are rare these days, the good fathers; but these men are still out there fighting their daily battles and working very hard to keep the dying dreams of America alive and well.  So much is different and unique in the world of true fathers.  These men actually work for a living.  They don’t depend on the government for handouts. 

Instead they serve the government honorably by taking jobs that promote the welfare of all.  Their hard earned tax money is the money that goes into the government's tills and takes care of all those who aren't able to provide for their own.  They actually want it to be useful, fair and beneficial to all people.  They very seriously go to the polls and vote for good men that they think will best handle the huge responsibility of our government and our freedom.  Yes, they work even in this strange economy where jobs are not plentiful, these men still get up and go out every day and look for ways to make a living for their families.  They don't throw up their hands and give up.  If their field of expertise isn’t hiring anymore, and most of them are not, they are not ashamed to get their hands dirty and do hard labor in order to feed those that they love.  Men over fifty have never worked so hard for so little as right now in America.  They take what work they can find and they gladly do a good job.  They look for honest ways to make ends meet.  In the middle of this whole process, you might see them often doing without so that others may have what they need.  You won't hear them complaining about not having enough. They keep their eyes open, they are always searching for ways to make things better.

The true Fathers of our country have learned to appreciate the things in life that have no price tags, and they teach their children to do the same.  They expect their children to have comparable work ethics.  They teach them to appreciate the value of a dollar, and they also teach them to balance that with a Sabbath rest.  They learned from their true fathers to set aside one day in seven to honor the Father of All.  They give a tenth of all they have, even if it is not much, to the work that The Father is blessing.   These brave men aren’t afraid to speak up and say “I believe in God .”  They do not have qualms about praying out loud in public places, and they can’t understand how anyone could be offended by their Great and Awesome God, or not want to hear the Name of Jesus at the end of their prayers. 

None of these fathers minded fighting for this country, and risking their lives for our freedom.  They can see the downward spiral of America taking place, but they still pray for change, they act on change and they still dream of a better day to come.  They believe that sometimes the impossible is possible.  They will defend your right to speak your mind, and they will uphold the law of the land. They believe in being fair and just.  They don’t see colors when they look at people’s skin, instead they see hearts.  They have a code of honor and respect for treating all of God’s creatures with dignity.  They do not tolerate violence.  They do everything possible to make the world a safe place.  They know there are good people out there with overwhelming problems and they are always there to share and lend a helping hand.  They understand hard circumstances; they have lived there for a long time too.  They show kindness and mercy to all.  They will give you the shirt off their back if they think you need it.  They understand what it is like to be young and inexperienced and not know what to do next.  They are wise from experience and they gladly share their wisdom with those willing to listen.

These good mature men are slow to speak and quick to listen.  They use their hands and feet to put action to their words.  They won’t let you walk alone.   They are not critical and judgmental with their help; but they love with the same mercy and kindness shown by the Father that they serve from heaven.  They know that sometimes the only thing that works is tough love.  They grit their teeth and enforce this tough love, even if sometimes it tears them apart inside.  They do whatever it takes to accomplish the right end.  They never give up.

Yes, some of these honorable and true fathers are still out there.    You may not hear about them in the news, and they may be quiet as they go through their days, and you may not always notice what is going on with them.  They are men of action, and they let their actions speak for themselves.  They don’t need your approval nor will they seek it.  They don’t need you to remind them what to do; it comes naturally with the title.  They take the title of "Father" seriously. 

These real men don’t mind coming home from twelve hours of hard labor and pitching a softball for two hours with a young boy trying to make the team.   These real men still compliment their wives when they put food on the table every night, even if it is just beans and cornbread.  They often help wash the dishes.  These men are thankful for a heart willing to tend to a family and a partner who cares about the importance of making a home.  These men who are tempted everyday by the rampant evil activities of this selfish and ungodly world that we live in, the world of pornography, free and easy sex and casual affairs, and they turn their heads and walk away.  You won't find the perversions of the world creeping into their homes through the back door.  They live on a higher plane. These are not the things that motivate their hearts.  They still know the meaning of a marriage vow, and they meant it when they said “I do” on their wedding day.

I'm talking about a group of men who will sell everything they have in order to get medical treatment for a sick child; and the ones who will sacrifice the boat, the new car, the motorcycle or the second home in order to make sure their son or daughter gets a college education.   Yet you will discover that education to them is more than the stuff you can find in books and on a college campus. They teach their children the important things of life at home, and their homework assignments are extensive.  They instruct them and prepare them for a world that would love to prey on their youth.  They leave the communication lines open with their families. These real fathers are not unapproachable people.  These are men who have spent a lifetime listening to their children’s hearts, and they know how to help them when the time of their need arrives.

These are men who take in elderly parents when they come to the point in life where they can no longer help themselves.  They will give up their privacy in order to care for the aging and dying and those who need some extra care.  They will show honor and respect and decency to those who have walked life’s journey before them.  These real fathers appreciate the value of the legacy of love that others have left behind.  There is no price tag on this loyalty.  It comes with the package, totally free of charge.

On Father's Day these are the true fathers, the fathers that I look up to!  These are the men who I  chose to honor.  I also chose to honor the Greatest Father of All, the One from whom these great fathers draw their strength and wisdom.  Does it matter at all?  Yes, I think it matters most of all.

I think Sonora Smart Dodd had an excellent idea back in 1910 when she gave her father the first Father’s Day celebration.   I'm glad our country finally woke up and cooperated with her and proclaimed the day a national holiday.  I wish to see that spirit of true fathers renewed in America.  God gave us some very helpful advice when He wrote those word on stone tablets;  “ Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long upon the earth.”

I pray that every true father in America will be honored this year, not just of Father’s Day but on all days.  Thank you for being real men.  May God create more of you!   We are forever grateful for all you do.  Our future is in your hands. We have not forgotten, though we do not say it often enough.    You are loved and respected.  We appreciate all you do as well as who you are.

Happy Father's Day!

PEN ART - THE REFLECTION OF CHRIST IN NEHEMIAH - PART THREE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

 In Nehemiah's day, the beginning of all the building started  in a spot that was deemed the most important place in the wall.  The place was known as  the wall around the Sheep Gate.  This gate represents Jesus, our Good Shepherd. 

This is the gate mentioned in John 5:2,  the gate beside the pool of Bethesda.  It is the gate beside the pool with five porches, which could easily stand for five types of ministry. 

This is the gate where the sheep were washed and brought into the temple for sacrifice.  Here we are washed of our sins, just like the sheep in Nehemiah's day.  The priest who offered up the sacrifices were required to live in this area.  They had to live next to The Sheep Gate.

  At the time of Nehemiah the High Priest's name was Eliashib.  "El" means "God."  "Yashib" means "to go back."  Reading backwards as the Hebrews do - we can hear a message even in the name of the high priest who worked at this gate.  The message says "go back to God" - or REPENT.

So it is recorded by Nehemiah that the wall around the Sheep Gate was built by one whose names meant "repent."  This gate is the perfect Old Testament picture of the New Testament sacrifice of The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.  This gate shows us the cross. 

We are lead to think immediately of the prophet Isaiah's great words about Jesus, "as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth."  (Isa. 53:7).   At the Sheep Gate of our lives there is a principle of death at work.  It is the death of the natural self.  It is the way we come to our own cross.  We are called to obey Christ, to follow Him and to walk with Him.  That means that some of our desires, some of our natural longings must be put to death.  That is the principle of the cross.  This is a gate that must be kept in repair if we want to grow into a strong Christian.

 A gate is an opening.  The cross symbolized by this Sheep Gate, is an opening to God.  A beginning.

 On each side of the Sheep gate the walls lead to two towers, one tower in each direction.  The first tower is named "Meah."  "Meah" means "Hundred."  The second tower is called The Tower of Hananeel - which means - "God is gracious and merciful."  "Hanan" means "gracious and merciful."  "El" means "God."  Reading backwards we have "God is gracious and merciful."

 Reading the gate and the wall by the meaning of the names of the places in the wall we come to see an Old Testament message with a New Testament meaning:  "The walls of Salvation built by one named "repentance" stands between two tall towers that say "God is gracious and merciful to hundreds."

 In the Old Testament, in the story of Nehemiah, there is a gate of sacrifice in the middle of a wall of salvation called The Sheep Gate that opens the way to God for mankind.  This beautiful picture that God has painted for those with eyes to see, just like a thousand other Old Testament pictures of Christ, brings us hope.  It is a reason to hold on to our belief in God and to cling to our faith in all circumstances, even when we appear to be as broken as Nehemiah's walls.

SEASONS - CELEBRATING EARLY FIRST FRUITS AND RESURRECTION DURING PASSOVER WEEK

I wish to spend a little time pondering the Hebraic celebration of Early First Fruits.

Passover begins in 2014 after sunset on April 15.  The 7 days of Unleavened Bread begin with that day and go forward for the next seven days.  In that week of seven days comes the time I have come to call Early First Fruits.  It happens on the third day after Passover.  

The wording of the scriptures say “on the morrow after the Sabbath” and many people debate this date because of that vague wording.  I have come to believe that it means “in the days following Passover.”  Passover is a High Sabbath.  I believe that Early First Fruits occurs three days after Passover.  This is what would also correspond with The Resurrection of Christ.  So, for my house based on what God has shown me from the scriptures and study, Early First Fruits is Resurrection Day!  The ancient observances of Early First Fruits serve as a perfect shadow of this.

In observing the Passover, we will remember the Exodus from Egypt of the Hebrew

People, and we will think about the picture that God was painting of Jesus, Our Messiah.  We ponder many things as we observe the Passover Seder which is very similar to the one Jesus partook of with his disciples before The Crucifixion.  By the time Passover is over we have remembered how Jesus died for us, how He became the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world.

On the evening of Early First Fruits we gather again for a much more joyful celebration.  Just as the Passover helped us to remember the Crucifixion, the Day of Early First Fruits which occurs on the 3rd day of Unleavened Bread after Passover will help us to celebrate and remember the Resurrection of the Messiah.

As we celebrate the Days of Unleavened Bread after the first Seder of the Passover we are living in a home where we have removed the leaven from our homes. Have you removed the leaven from your house for this season?  More importantly; have you removed the leaven of sin from your life?  By the time for the physical early harvest the leaven should be removed from the homes.  By the time of our spiritual harvest, the sin should all be removed from our souls.  This is done by self-examination and repentance.  We can’t do this by ourselves; we need Jesus to accomplish it for us.  Hopefully everyone here has been addressing their sins and confessing before The Lord all through the days leading up to this Holy Season. 

Years ago at Early First Fruits the people had to bring a sacrifice.  Today, Jesus has become our sacrifice.  He died once for all.  He asked us to remember it and we do this at each appointed time each season. 

This sacrificial offering of First Fruits has been required since the very beginning of the days after Adam and Eve first sinned.  Once they sinned God began to talk to them and instruct them on the appointed times for making sacrifices.  It isn’t exactly spelled out, but as you began to read the Old Testament scriptures you begin to realize that Adam and Eve must have passed down God’ instructions to their children.  This is made clear to us as we read what we read about Cain and Abel.  When it was time for the Early First Fruits offering in those days, Cain and Abel showed up at the appointed place and the appointed time as well as Adam and Eve and all of their other children.  Adam and Eve had been taught by God, and they in turn had instructed their children that God wanted the best and the first fruits of their labor.   They had apparently taught their sons that God looks on the attitude of the giver and if the intent of the heart is right, He accepts the sacrifice.  When God accepted the sacrifice it was consumed by divine fire.   If the intent of the heart was wrong the sacrifice would not be accepted and it would not be consumed but would remain on the altar until someone moved it away.

  

One day the appointed time came and the family of Adam and Eve gathered to offer their First Fruits before the Lord.  Abel brought the first and best of his herd.  They were without spot or blemish, the best.  The Lord was pleased and Abel’s offering was consumed by the divine fire.  Then Cain brought the fruit of his labor, vegetables from where he had tilled the ground.  Only, Cain had eaten the first and best himself.  He brought the Lord the leftovers, the ones that he did not want.  They were withered and blemished.  God saw that Cain was selfish with his offering.  God did not consume the sacrifice.  Cain became angry and he was jealous of his brother who had pleased God.  Afterward Cain’s hatred for his brother Abel became so great that he killed him and hid his body, thinking that no one would ever know what he did.

The appointed time came again.  Cain showed up at the appointed place with his offering of vegetables, but Abel did not show up.  God asked Cain, in front of everyone else where Abel was.  Cain lied and said that he did not know.  But God KNEW the truth and he told Cain this and everyone there heard from God that Cain had killed his brother.  Cain never repented.  Adam and Eve must have been devastated.  God rejected Cain’s offering and cursed him.  Cain was cast out of the land, never to come before God again.  Because of Cain’s selfishness he lost his soul, his family and his home.

  

Cain’s children grew up to be wicked and evil.  The curse of their father followed them.  This was a case where the wrong attitude about First Fruits made a very sad story.  Cain’s family began the curse on the earth of the evil and wicked generations.  Their generations after them caused the world to be so evil that God sent a flood to destroy the earth, and only Noah and his family were saved.

 

What do you think was the first thing that Noah and his family did when the ark landed safely in the appointed place at the appointed time?  They built an altar and made an offering to the Lord.  With the whole world washed away, what do you think were the First Fruits of their labors?  It was the gift of themselves, their lives, the whole family of Noah and the animals with him that would be bringing new life to the world.  It was a gift of life, the best gift of all.  They brought themselves, all that they had to offer to start the world all over again.  It was an acceptable offering and God not only accepted it, but He gave them the promise of the rainbow.  Noah’s children taught their children about early First Fruits until the days of Abram came.

   

Abram went into battle with the King of Sodom and defeated him.  On his way back from battle Abram was met by Melchizedek, the King of Jerusalem and the High Priest of God.  Abram recognized that Melchizedek was the High Priest of God, and he gave Him an offering of the best of all of his possessions, his First Fruits.  Abram could have given him the spoils of the war against Sodom, but Abram sent those spoils back to the King of Sodom.  He did not use them as an offering.  He gave of all of his best possessions.  God was pleased with Abram’s sacrifice.  It was accepted.  Melchizedek blessed Abram and fed him bread and wine.

 

Unlike the sacrifices of Cain, the firstfruits of Noah and Abram were accepted by God.  Abram taught his descendents about the First Fruits sacrifice.  They made the offerings to God at the appointed times and the appointed place.  God blessed them and made a nation from them.  Abram became Abraham and Sarah gave him a son named Isaac.  Isaac married Rebecca and they had twin sons named Jacob and Esau. 

  

So, we could go on and on with the stories of the children of Israel and how they all brought Early First Fruit sacrifices before God in one way or another and they were either accepted or rejected.

   

In the days of Moses, as the people were leaving slavery and God was speaking to them of how to be His nation, God gave them further instructions.  Let’s look at what God asked on this day so long ago when He first met Moses on the mountain to give him the commandments.

The passage is found in Leviticus 23:10-12:

 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf a he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

This was God’s requirement for the early First Fruits offering from when Israel first entered the Promised Land.

 

So we see a picture here of the people from many generations coming every year to their first harvest of the year. It was usually a barley crop.  Barley was hardy and grew almost anywhere.  It survived well, struggling for life and abundance even in hard times and rough weather.  Barley bread was known as “the common people’s bread,” or “the bread of the poor” because it was more affordable and easier to grow and buy than the wheat that was produced later in the year. 

  

There were five loaves of barley bread that was found in the boy’s lunch that was given to Jesus to feed the multitudes.  Jesus took it, blessed it, broke it and multiplied it out until there was plenty for everyone.  How significant can the picture be of man offering up barley, the lesser of the crop, the easier of the crops, the least expensive of the crop, much like the offering of Cain.  Man’s offering could never be good enough.  Only when Jesus came into the picture could this change in the eyes of God.  There were years and years of the barley harvest presented before God.

    

At any rate, the first of every crop (usually barley) was brought to the Temple.   The very first bundle of grain they gathered would be taken to the high priest.  The priest would wave the sheaf before the Lord.  This happened after the Sabbath of the Passover during the 7 day feast of Unleavened Bread.  This was the day of the bringing of the wave sheaf that was to be offered to God before you offered or used anything else that He had blessed you with from the harvest.

We now know, unlike the Israelites who had to be obedient through totally blind faith, that Jesus was the true one that would make this wave sheaf acceptable before God.   The timing of this first fruit ritual offering established by God way before Christ came to earth, was perfectly in line and a shadow of the actions of Christ before, during and after the Resurrection.  He became our acceptable first fruit offering of the harvest of spiritual souls for the Kingdom of God.  He and those who rose with Him at the Resurrection were the Early First Fruits of the harvest of God.

 

It is said that you must give the wave sheaf in order to make the rest of the crop acceptable for use.  When Jesus presented Himself, holy and pure, before God as our offering; God accepted Him and that made us (the rest of the crop) acceptable for use in God’s Kingdom also.       

 So, we are not agricultural anymore, and Christ has come for us now and saved us from our sins.  There is no Temple in Jerusalem anymore.   Does this mean we forget these days?  Not at all, this only means that these days have an even fuller meaning than before.  We have even more to be thankful for and to honor God for on this day.   Now we have the fuller celebration that incorporates the true essence of Resurrection.  A little like the family of Noah after the flood, we have new life! 

So think about the spirit of the people here.  What was the true heart of the ancient people as they brought these offerings?  The giving of the first fruits was a reminder that everything we have is Gods. The giving of first fruits does NOT mean: this is God’s and the rest is mine. The giving of the first fruits means that I give to others to be used for God and the rest that I have is meant for a lifestyle that glorifies Him.

Making God a priority in our life pleases Him.   It fills Him with pleasure.   It is His delight and desire.  It is God’s will that we make Him a priority in our lives, that is what is meant by verses 11-13 of the passage we read in  Leviticus Chapter 23 where it says:“ to be accepted for you.”  God goes to great lengths to describe the offering that is to be given. The purpose for this offering is that it would be acceptable to God on behalf of the nation.

There are two parts to being acceptable before God. The first involves the perfect sacrifice

of Christ.  He was obedient in all things, even to the death of the cross.  Through His death, He made it possible for us to become acceptable to God in that through His death we receive His righteousness when we put our trust in Christ as the only way of salvation.  In that way, we become heirs of righteousness with Christ Jesus.  We become acceptable before God in Him, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

The second part of being acceptable before God involves living consistent with the commitment that is made through the sacrifice.  This was true in the Old Testament and it is still true today.  Obedience in this offering and other ritual offerings was demanded and commanded but not just in the ritual of the offering but in all areas of life.  Obedience was demanded.  When it comes down to the facts, there was really only one thing necessary in the Old Testament for an offering to be acceptable to God; obedience.  That is why in Jeremiah 6:20 and Malachi 2:13, God refused the offering of the people because they were disobedient before God.  They apparently thought that somehow by obeying the ritual law, they would be able to get God to look the other way during their everyday lives.

Please let this never be true of us.  Let us come before God as obedient servants bringing Him the first fruits of our labor at the appointed times.  It doesn’t have to be money, or material things.  It can be whatever you have to offer before God of your best, prayer, devotion, study, giving of time, giving of other less tangible resources in some way; but whatever it is, your gift to God should be in keeping with the fact that you are bringing Him your first and your best offering of the days of your life that have now been redeemed by the blood of Christ.  God will look on the intent of your heart.  God will see the blood of Jesus that covers you and you will be acceptable to Him. 

We also find this concept of Early First Fruits in the New Testament. Paul begged the Roman believers on the basis of the mercy of God shown to them through the death of Christ that they would “…present (their) bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which (was their) reasonable service, not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of (their) mind, that (they might) prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Romans 14:17-19 describes more exactly the type of life that is acceptable to God.  It is not arguing over what we should eat and drink but rather righteousness and peace and joy, specifically, Paul is emphasizing peace between believers in Christ.

Do you need to bring a peace offering of your first and best to God? 

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 teaches that whether our service is acceptable before God is the basis whereby believers will be judged.  We have read that in the end times God may chose to send fire on the earth.  It is good to stop and remember when we hear these words that God always consumed the acceptable sacrifices with divine fire.  One day we will walk through the fire straight into the arms of our Father, we will be able to walk through His divine fire if our bodies have been presented to God as living sacrifices.

The symbol of the sacrifice has often been individualized through the denying of one’s self. The giving of the first fruits served as a reminder against idolatry of the heart.  Many of the things that we do or should do serve as a guard against the ungodliness that is constantly lurking around our hearts.

In verses 9-14, in the Feast of First Fruits, these people have been laboring since the end of October or beginning of November when they first planted their barley.  They have watched it sprout up out of the ground, grow tall, fill out with grain. But they may not eat it until the first fruits are given to God.

The self must be denied until after God has first been honored.  This is the proper order.  Part of giving to God involves the understanding that you must deny yourself.  To deny yourself does not mean to deny your existence. That would be foolishness.  Nor does it mean that you give up some pleasure or sin for the sake of Christ.  It is simply like what is symbolized by not eating leavened bread during Unleavened Bread;  your needs, your wants, your desires take a back seat to what God commands.

The message of observance of first fruits is both to the community and to the individual.  Obedience does not mean giving God something so that you can enjoy the rest without fear of punishment.  Obedience means a denial of your importance in relation to the things of Christ.

Will you deny yourself and follow Christ? Will you make Him the priority, not a priority, but THE priority in your life? 

If you can make this decision, you are bringing to Him the first fruits of your own spiritual harvest.  Yes, it is good to give offerings of money, but the money does not matter if the soul is not right before God. 

 James 1:18 says:  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created. 

Now we must discuss further the greatest offering of Early First Fruits ever given. I Cor 15:20,23 is the scripture which will guide us on to see how the Festival of First Fruits is fulfilled in Christ.  It tells us that...Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep...Christ the first fruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ’

Early First Fruits is all about Resurrection!  

It is all about the Resurrection of Christ!

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the promise that believers, too, will receive bodies in the final harvest that will never again die.  Had Jesus not been raised from the dead, there would be no guarantee for believers to point to and rely upon when they think about the final day that the Scriptures point towards. But, as it is, the first fruit resurrection of Christ guarantees that there will be a final harvest of bodies that will be raised from the dead in similar manner to that of Christ.

Both Rom 8:23 and Eph 1:13-14 speak of this...we...who have the first fruit of the Spirit...[who is] the guarantee of our inheritance...’

The Holy Spirit that believers have received is the assurance that the future inheritance, that final harvest promised to them, will be laid hold of and reaped.  We will speak of this more in the service 50 days from now at Pentecost.  For now we must believe, prepare and wait for those days to pass  That is another thing that we will begin tonight in this celebration of Resurrection, we will begin to count the Omer, the days leading up to Pentecost, the days of The Latter First Fruits. 

Num 15:17-21:  ‘When you enter the land where I bring you, then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall lift up a heave offering to the Lord. Of the first of your dough you shall lift up a cake as a heave offering; as the heave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up. From the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord a heave offering throughout your generations’

The dough that was ‘lifted up’ to God made holy the entire lump of dough that it was taken from. In the days of the Temple, when the sacrificial system took place, the first fruit offerings were given to the Levites and they became their property (Num 18:12). After its destruction when no sacrificial system existed, the women of the house would throw a handful of the dough into the fire as the first fruit offering to the Lord so that the rest of the dough became holy to Him. In every kitchen, therefore, the hearth became an altar to YHWH.

Commenting on this passage, the apostle Paul writes (Rom 11:16)   ‘If the dough offered as first fruit is holy, so is the whole lump’

Since Jesus gave His Holy life for us, so too are we made holy before God.

And how do we KNOW He was Holy?  The proof is in the Resurrection!  He is Risen! 

So today we mark our calendars as we say the prayer for the Omer.  Concluding, therefore, lifting one’s life to God (that is, giving oneself to God for His use - indicative of the heave offering) causes a follower of Jesus to sanctify (make holy or set apart) each situation that they’re a part of, bringing the Kingdom to bear on every level of our society.

It isn’t just that figurative language is being used to speak of Jesus’ resurrection but that it took place on the exact same day as the festival of first fruits was commanded to be waved before God in the Temple. Just like the seed of barley that fell into the earth and brought forth a sheaf, so the seed of Christ’s body was sown into the earth and brought forth new life as it was raised in power.

May God bless each and every one of you and may He honor and accept the offerings of your lives before him.