Your Eliezer

 

Gen 24:2-4

And Abraham said to the eldest servant of his house [Eliezer of Damascus], who ruled over all that he had, …… But you shall go to my country and to my relatives and take a wife for my son Isaac.

This longest chapter in Genesis is devoted to the searching for a bride. It is the beginning of God showing us that this is the most important theme threading all through the Bible and holding everything together: the love that God has for His bride! Let us first examine the Old Testament: we see Eliezer searching for a bride for Isaac; and Hosea having to marry a prostitute and take her back repeatedly to show God’s faithfulness toward His wife, Israel. We read about the Bride of Christ’s journey to accept her Bridegroom’s love for her in Song of Songs; and Esther winning the love of the pagan king Ahasuerus. Boaz married Ruth and became her kinsman redeemer. All of these are examples of how God wishes to establish the closest relationship with us possible, as embodied in the marriage covenant.

The New Testament abounds with references to us as the Bride of Christ. Jesus begins His earthly ministry at a wedding banquet, turning water into wine. He then often refers to weddings in His teachings, for example in the Parables of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14); the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24); the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25). Paul directly compares the relationship between husbands and wives to the relationship between Christ and His church in Eph 5:22-23 and continues the theme in 2 Corinthians 11:2. Of course, in Revelation 19:7 we read that at the end of the age, we will be the bride at the wedding feast of the Lamb!

Our quoted verse above comes from the remarkable chapter 24 in Genesis that shows us the role that Holy Spirit plays in bringing the Bride into this close relationship with the Bridegroom. The story begins with the outstanding servant of Abraham, called Eliezer, being tasked by his master to find a bride for Isaac. This mirrors the love our Heavenly Father has for us, that He is always sending Holy Spirit out to search for us. Eliezer then gently hovers around Rebekah, waiting for her to respond to his promptings, already giving gifts to assure her that he is genuine. This shows Holy Spirit’s selfless heart – his one aim is to win the future bride’s heart for his master’s son! As soon as she agrees to go with Him, He showers her with more gifts of the Spirit, then accompanies her on the long journey to meet her Bridegroom - Who had been waiting for her all this time, preparing a place for her to stay with Him.

Pearls to ponder:

Have you become aware of your Eliezer yet? This name means “my God is the helper” – and we know that Holy Spirit is also known as our Helper (John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.) Let us live today knowing that He is in and around us, that we are not alone on this journey through life. Be aware that He is constantly by your side, guiding you towards your Bridegroom, just follow His lead!

In His Presence

The Gift

 

John 1:32

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

In Old Testament times, Holy Spirit did not abide in people permanently, He would only come on an individual to strengthen and equip him or her to do a certain task for the Lord.

Here are a few examples of this: Judges 3:9-10 But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war…

Ex 31:2-4 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,

Deut 34:9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.

These persons then would stand out among others as especially gifted from the Lord to excel in the duties that they had been selected for. It would be apparent to all that they had something special, a desirable attribute that others were lacking.

The New Testament started with the death and resurrection of Jesus, not His birth (the meaning of the word testament is a legal will, a covenant between God and His people). Therefore, Jesus received Holy Spirit from His Father at His baptism (as was the case in the Old Testament up until then), to empower Him for His public ministry.

But then something wonderful happened:  Holy Spirit remained on Him! Not only was this the sign that God gave John the Baptist that Jesus was the Messiah (John 1:33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’), but it also was a foreshadow of the wonderful Gift all believers in Jesus would later receive – the Gift of the Holy Spirit!

 He would now not only come upon us occasionally but remain and dwell in all of us who believe, to equip and empower us for our tasks here on earth. (Eph 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit).

Pearls to ponder:

Is it apparent to all around you that you have Someone special, some extraordinary Gift that sets you apart for your assignment? Are you allowing Holy Spirit to work in you, to transform you so that His power can flow through you to accomplish His work here on earth?

Holy Spirit Breath of God

The hidden King

 

Matthew 25:40

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

We are all acquainted with the story of the Prince and the Pauper, wherein a certain prince and a poor beggar boy switched places and lived each other’s lives for a while.

Now in Jewish history there is a similar story, a legend of Solomon’s exile. In this story, King Solomon decides to dabble in the occult. Through this foolish behaviour he encounters a demon who flings him out of Jerusalem, takes on his form and reigns in his place. The real King Solomon starts wandering from city to city, begging for food. Some have pity on him and feed him, others drive him away. The king of Ammon employs him as a kitchen help, but then later throws him out into the desert to starve. The Sanhedrin in Jerusalem get suspicious about the king’s apparent behaviour changes, and when they realize what has happened, they search for the real King Solomon, reinstate him on the throne, and banish the imposter. This gives Solomon the opportunity to reward those who had been kind to him and punish those who had mistreated him.

According to D. Thomas Lancaster, this legend is referred to often and shows up in a variety of sources, so it must have been well-known by the time Jesus spoke of rewarding the just and upright and punishing the evil doers in Matthew 25:34-46. Upon reading these verses, we could rightly ask ourselves: When was the King hidden from his subjects so that they did not recognise him? How this came about is not written down for us. It could well be that this legend was the background which Jesus used when He spoke about rewarding the just and upright with their inheritance of the Kingdom, because they had shown the King acts of kindness when He was hidden or disguised from them. Just so, the evil doers were punished by being thrown in the eternal fire for not doing this.

 Feeding the hungry, sating the thirsty, showing hospitality to strangers, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and the imprisoned are acts of kindness that Jesus singled out here. To whom was He referring? He spoke to ‘all nations gathered before Him’ (verse 32), so I believe that when He said, “whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine”, He was not only speaking of His spiritual family (those who are believers in Him), but also of His real earthly family, the Jews. Nations will one day be judged on how they treated Israel.

Pearls to ponder:

The King is among us today, disguised in the form of the aged, the sick, the infirm, the hungry. He is to be seen in the famine-faced children we see in the posts of charitable organisations. He is hidden as the persecuted church; He is among us as the Jewish people. Can you recognize His disguises? Remember, whatever we do for the least of His brothers, we are doing for Him! Let us put aside our own selfish desires and start looking for ways to meet the needs of those less fortunate than us.

Good deeds every day

Evaluate truth

 

John 9:7

“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

This well-known account of the healing of the man who was blind from birth, contains many interesting points of contemplation for us.

It is certainly one of the strangest ways of healing that Jesus used, even though using spit as medicine on the eyes was common in ancient times (classical writers like Pliny the Elder and Celsus noted saliva's healing properties). Jesus actually used His saliva to do two other healings as well, as recorded in Mark 7:33 Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. And in Mark 8:23 Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”

What made this healing different from others is that it is the only recorded instance where someone who had been born blind, was healed. It sent a very clear message to the learned men of the time that Jesus was indeed God Himself, as they knew Ps 146:8 the LORD gives sight to the blind… Further proof lay in the fact that opening the eyes of the blind was a sign of the coming Messiah, according to prophecies like Isaiah 35:5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. No wonder they were running around in confusion – the evidence that Jesus was the promised Messiah was mounting up before their very eyes! It is the same situation today. Even when confronted with the undeniable truth that Jesus is God, people choose not to believe what is clearly shown in the Bible.

I have often thought that this man showed determination and courage to obey Jesus. Firstly, Jesus did not explicitly promise him his healing – He only commanded him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. Then, while still not being able to see, he had to grope his way to the Pool, find the steps and go down them to reach the water, all the while probably wondering what people thought about the mud layers on his eyes. His faith was rewarded, and he could see!

Pearls to ponder:

What would your reaction be if you had to receive the treatment that Jesus applied to bring about the healing of this man? Would you be offended by His ‘method’; would you rather not obey because you thought, “What would people say if they saw me now?” Would you have walked all the way to the Pool, or stopped halfway thinking, “What am I doing here, this is ridiculous!” Also, when confronted with truth that conflicts with your education/culture/religious upbringing – would you search for your own answers based on the Word of God, or would you stubbornly cling to old beliefs?

Healing the blind

A ruined partnership

 

Gen 27:28-29

“From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed.”

These are the blessings which Isaac spoke over Jacob, whom he believed to be Esau. He had called in his oldest son, Esau, and asked him to hunt game and prepare it for him, so that he could give him his blessing before he (Isaac) died. Rebekah overheard this conversation and took action. Jacob, obeying his mother Rebekah’s instructions, slaughtered two kids from their flock for her to prepare an appetizing meal for his father. He then put on his brother Esau’s best clothes (so that his aging father, who could not see properly, would smell Esau when he approached him) and covered his smooth hands and neck with the skins of those kids, so that he would feel as hairy as Esau to his father’s touch.

The plan worked perfectly, and Jacob received the blessings intended for Esau. This is where it gets interesting to take note of what the blessings entailed. We see from the quoted verse that Isaac had perceived that Esau would be a ruler of note, a world-class leader – he would have riches in abuncance (abundant harvests and boutiful new wine); be seen as a leader among many nations (many nations become your servants and bow down to you) as well as a national king (may your mother’s sons bow down to you); and who would also be seen as divinely protected (all who curse you will be cursed, and who bless you will be blessed).

The characters of the two brothers seem to indicate that a divine partnership had been intended for them, a ruler (Esau) making the way for a shepherd of the flock of God (Jacob) to operate, protecting him from their enemies and allowing the instructions of the Lord to be taught and followed in the land. We see other such partnerships in Israel – David and Samuel, for example.

Where did it all go wrong? Esau unfortunately chose to give in to his baser physical instincts more than honouring the moral implications of his position in the family – trading his birthright as firstborn (with all the benefits and responsibilities thereof) for a meal of bread and lentil stew in a moment of self-gratification. Given the important implications of this trade, we can assume that this was not the first of such decisions in his life thus far, it must already have been a character trait by that time.

Esau’s decisions had devastating effects on the future of his family, but also on his descendants. His generational line became known as the Amalekites and the Edomites, and it was Herod of Esau’s race that tried to destroy Jesus as an infant by having the male children of Bethelehem slain.

Pearls to ponder:

Let us be constantly aware of the inner fight between our physical and spiritual natures and refrain from making impusive decisions to gratify our flesh. In those moments, pause and ask direction and discernment from Holy Spirit before taking action. It will take dedication and lots of practice to consistently do so, for before submitting to Jesus as Lord of our life, we had been so used to selfishly only give heed to our own inner needs!

What we sow

God's Throne Room

 

Rev 4:2

At once I was in [special communication with] the Spirit; and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne.

Not long ago I watched a video showing the interior of Buckingham Palace, which included the throne room of the king. On first glance, the opulence and grandeur of all these rooms are too much to take in - I can imagine that if you actually stood there, you would not know where to start looking! Hundreds of rare and costly ornaments are displayed on every available surface; so many objects are gilded or made of marble; cut glass and crystal reflect the light throughout the rooms. Not to mention the authentic art portraits, antique and more modern, adorning the walls. Remarkable indeed!

And yet….there is no perception of life and emotion here, it feels like a spectacular display of wealth meant to impress, not to draw one into a community of warmth and shared human experiences. The throne room is used only on rare occasions, and then with scripted pomp and ceremony that has been left unchanged for centuries, meant only to impress and convey superiority. So different from our Father’s Throne Room in heaven!

This Throne Room, (we know from eyewitnesses who wrote about it in the Bible), is more spectacular than anything found on earth. We read about God being present here, sitting on His Throne, and His appearance is bright like jasper and sardius. We read about the bow of emerald encircling that Throne, and flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder emanating from it. Arranged around the Throne are more thrones, upon which elders sit wearing white clothing and golden crowns upon their heads, and in front of it are the seven Spirits of God blazing like torches. There is a sea of glass in front of the Throne, and around it four living creatures as guardians. And these creatures never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and Who is and Who is to come’, upon which the elders prostrate themselves before Him, throwing down their crowns before Him in worship.

The description above speaks of life, and majesty, and supreme authority! But also of warmth and love and compassion without end - we know this from the fact that we are invited to enter that very same Throne Room whenever we want, or need, to (Heb 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.)

Pearls to ponder:

Let us meditate on the wonder of this, that we have unlimited access to the Throne Room of the All-Powerful Creator of the Universe! Unlike here on earth, where people may only enter earthly throne rooms by invitation, an event most will never experience in their lifetime. We can be sure that this Throne Room exists, as several people, whose lives were separated by hundreds of years, wrote about their visitations there (Ez 1:26-28; Dan 7:9-10; Is 6:1-4; Micaiah in 1Kings 22:19; Jesus in Matthew 19:28 and 25:31, Stephen in Acts 7:55 to name a few). Come then, and enter the Throne Room of our Abba in absolute faith that we will be warmly received and welcomed there!

God's Throne Room

Rapture

 

Acts 1:11

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

The debate surrounding the rapture of the church is currently very topical indeed. We can hardly open YouTube without encountering someone hotly disputing what another YouTuber has posted on the subject, and there is nothing about it that is not under fire - is there a rapture; when is the rapture; who will be raptured; who will stay behind; is it pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib (referring to the tribulation), and on and on the list goes.

What I find so tragic about the whole dispute is the way that some church members go about voicing their opinions. The derogatory language that is sometimes thrown about in the comments toward one another is not only lamentable, but also so very un-Christlike. When one believer calls another believer stupid, or a moron, or uneducated, it goes against everything Jesus taught in John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

We do not have to agree with every doctrine our fellow Christians believe to be true, in order for the church to stand united in Christ. And unity in Christ is extremely important in the age that we are living in, so that the church may advance in strength of purpose and not be divided and conquered by the enemy of our souls.

What should the basis of agreement between all believers be? As Paul writes in Gal 1:8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. The pure gospel as preached all through the New Testament proclaims that God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Who died on Calvary as an offering making atonement for our sins, Who rose again on the third day and ascended to heaven where He is now seated on the right hand of the Father. He will be returning one day to gather us to Him, and to finally judge sin. Whoever believes in what Jesus did and in Who He is (with the result that he confesses this with his mouth and in his obedience to Him), will live forever, even if his body dies. The Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in us as a deposit here on earth, until we inherit everything God has promised us. On these fundamental matters there should be full agreement between believers. And if there are other doctrinal issues where there is no agreement, please voice your opinions in a humble and respectful way, harbouring a teachable spirit – you might find Holy Spirit convincing you that your thinking may be wrong!

What I personally believe about the rapture? Let me give the above verse as a clue. When the angels said that Jesus will return in the same way the disciples saw Him leave, what did they mean? Well, He left alone on clouds; without millions of white horses; and only disciples were present to witness this. Does this not imply that He will return (for His secret coming) on clouds; without white horses (these will be present for His very visible second coming); and only believers will eagerly be waiting….

Pearls to ponder:

Clues and hints concerning the rapture are scattered all through the Bible like hidden puzzle pieces. Search for them and start building the bigger picture!

Red Rocks Worship, Tyler Roberts - The King Is Coming (Official Live Video)

Pruning

 

John 15:2

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

There are a few reasons why vinedressers prune their vineyards. Pruning helps maintain the desired shape and structure of the vine, preventing uncontrolled growth. By removing some growth, pruning concentrates the vine's energy into fewer, larger, and better-quality bunches of grapes. Then also it can improve bud fruitfulness, meaning that more buds will produce fruit-bearing shoots, and removing diseased or weak wood helps prevent the spread of disease and improves overall vine health. 

We can certainly see why Jesus likened this process to us as believers being branches in Him as the True Vine. We also need to be prevented from growing wildly in all directions, instead of upward towards Him alone. Our energy also needs to be directed into better quality fruit, and we need to have fruit-bearing branches originating from even more areas in our lives until we are fully submitted to Him. Finally, those branches that are inviting disease and inner turmoil into our lives need to be removed so that we can be healthy vines in our King’s vineyard!

It might seem to us as if we are just constantly losing things during this pruning process - some things naturally disappear from our lives; some things are taken away – and indeed, many of these losses cause us heartbreak and sorrow. But here’s the thing, the purpose of pruning is not to harm, but to allow new and better growth. Our losses therefore are not meant to harm us in any way, but to make us better and stronger, to bring us closer to the perfect image that God wants to create in us.

Do not linger in past seasons; do not yearn for friendships that have clearly ended for now; do not keep looking over your shoulder to the experiences that were such highlights on your journey so far and continually long to return to them all again.

Instead, relish the good things from your past as blessings from God and thank Him for each and every one of them; keep those precious friendships as good memories to sustain you as you grow older; and keep on reminding yourself of God’s promise to let everything in your life work for your good (Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.") as you step out into the new that He is inviting you to.

Pearls to ponder:

Proverbs 4:25 Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you is good advice for us on our life’s journey. As God works in our lives to prune us for better growth in Him, let us embrace this process and let go of things that might hinder us in our new season, those things that we cling to because we would rather hold on to the familiar than venture out with God into unfamiliar territory!

Vinedresser

Manna

 Ex 16:15

When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.”

Two Hebrew words mah and nah form the word manna, and it literally means “What is it?” For the Israelites travelling in the desert had no idea what it was that was lying on the ground that first morning – they saw round and flakelike things, as fine as hoarfrost, strewn around the camp, and they had no idea that it was actually angels’ food that the Lord had sent them to eat (Ps 78:25 Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance). It tasted like coriander seed and wafers made with honey. They could ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, or boil it in pots, or make cakes of it which tasted like cakes baked with fresh oil (Num 11:8).

A wonderful supernatural blessing straight from the hand of God, and true to His promise, He kept sending it to them until they reached the border of the land of Canaan and could from then on easily find food to eat. Of course, He also sent quails in the evenings for meat as well, so that they did not have to grow food or hunt animals in the arid and hostile desert environment.

But then the day arrived that this marvellous, spectacular blessing from the Lord came to be seen by the Israelites as uninteresting, mundane, run-of-the-mill even (Num 11:6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”)

Before we respond with shock at this, it would be wise to take a very close look at our own lives – are we not doing exactly the same? We receive wonderful blessings from the Lord every day, and we do not even see them anymore. Take the beautiful sunrises and sunsets as examples. Or the way the waves of the sea come and go. What about the migration of birds across thousands of miles around the earth. Or the immeasurable variety of green leaves on plants.

Closer to home, do we still thank Him for the blessing of children and grandchildren in our lives? Or the fact that we have food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear? These are blessings from God, as He promises in Luke 12:22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Do we see it this way, or are we taking His blessings for granted?

Pearls to ponder:

Let Holy Spirit show you how God is blessing you in your life. Be open to appreciate the small happenings that you are not even thinking about, as blessings from God. Begin a habit of finding five things to thank God for every morning as you wake up, and as you write them down, you will start seeing how God’s blessings abound in your life.

Counting my blessings

Mount Moriah

 

Gen 22:2

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

God has for centuries had a plan regarding Jerusalem, a plan that will culminate in the return of the Lord to the Mount of Olives (Zech 14:4) and the thousand year long reign of Jesus here on earth from this very city. This plan started unfolding when God called Abraham to Mount Moriah to sacrifice his son Isaac.

There He provided a substitute lamb to die in Isaac’s place. The Hebrew word for provide is yireh, and Abraham called this place The Lord will Provide, or Jahwe Yireh. This is the prophetic act which pointed to the Lamb of God being sacrificed as the substitute for us, for on Mount Moriah we find Golgotha where Jesus was crucified, where God offered His only Son to die in our place.

About a thousand years after this incident, King David - who had conquered the city from the Jebusites - halted the plague that had already killed 70 000 men of Israel, by buying the threshing floor (and oxen) of Araunah the Jebusite, building an altar to the Lord and offering the oxen as burnt offerings there (2 Sam 24:24). It is important to realize that David bought this piece of land fair and square, because on this site Solomon built the first temple in Jerusalem. (2 Chron 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David.) The title deed in heaven for this property is registered in the name of David, King of the Jews, to this day. Even though the Babylonians invaded the land, followed by the Medo-Persians, then the Greeks, and the Romans after that; even though the Jews were scattered over the earth and Jerusalem suffered multiple changeovers of rulers throughout the subsequent centuries.

Jerusalem has always belonged to God, no matter who laid siege to it, conquered it, and ruled over it during history. He Himself has said that His name will always be in Jerusalem (2 Chron 33:4 …… “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.”)

Pearls to Ponder:

Jews face many accusations that they are only occupiers of the land called Israel. We need to delve into the Bible to search out the truth of the matter, not get side-tracked by arguments of men. Biblically, God promised the land to Abraham and his descendants forever. Historically, the League of Nations decided that Israel will be a Jewish state, and this was later backed up by the United Nations charter. We would do well to investigate the facts for ourselves and take our stand on this issue, for we need to stem the tide of lies thrown about by the enemy and keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem. For the Bride of Christ, this also involves praying for all innocent victims on both sides of the ongoing conflict.

Jerusalem