DO I KNOW HIM,, continued

CONTINUING…. DO I KNOW HIM???

I am continuing down this path of KNOWING MY LORD, I hope that you will join me on this wonderful adventure into the LIFE of the SAINT.

Today we are going to explore the COVENANT RELATIONSHIP, the Blessings and the chastisements of the LORD.

LEV 26: 46 These [are] the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

I think it is important to NOTE that at MOUNT SINAI, there was not only a large portion of ISRAEL there, but there was also a vast number of sojourners.

EVERYONE there was involved in and INVITED INTO the COVENANT RELATIONSHIP with the FATHER.

VOWING to keep the statutes and the commandments that the LORD passed down through the hand of MOSES.

EVERY “FORESHADOW” of JESUS CHRIST was involved in this RELATIONSHIP COVENANT between GOD and HIS PEOPLE, even before HE was BORN.

HERE IS SOMETHING FOR YOU TO SERIOUSLY MEDITATE UPON:

GOD the FATHER was so “JEALOUS” of these foreshadows of HIS SON, that it was NEVER MORE DANGEROUS than to profane or abominate these FORESHADOWS OF CHRIST. 

HE LITERALLY protected them, above “ALL” else. THEY WERE “HOLY/SET APART, because they were the VERY WITNESS and TESTIMONY of the SAVIOR TO COME..

EXAMPLE:

MOSES stood in the position of CHRIST, as the mediator at the time.

The SACRIFICES and the FEAST were all IMAGES/foreshadows of the MESSIAH to COME.

ABRAHAM, ISRAEL, DAVID, the PATRIARCHS  etc, were SAVED BY FAITH in JESUS CHRIST, through the PROMISE of the ONE TO COME.

What they did not LIVE to see, was ACCOUNTED TO THEM for RIGHTEOUSNESS, by “FAITH” in the ONE TO COME, their MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST.

LET’S EXPLORE the RELATIONSHIP and the COVENANT that GOD made with HIS PEOPLE THEN and the COVENANT the LORD has made with us today.

ON WITH THE STUDY: LEV 26:

There certainly were a LOT of promises and blessings involved in this COVENANT between GOD and those that VOWED to maintain the COVENANT through OBEDIENCE.

(Ok just a side note, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this…though it is not a discussion for today..WHOSE SABBATH was being talked about here???)

LEV 26: 2  Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I [am] the LORD

LEV 26: 3  If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

LEV 26: 4-13, is a LONG LIST OF BLESSINGS and PROMISES that come to a COVENANT PEOPLE of OBEDIENCE.

LEV 26: And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

LEV 26: 14-38 has a LONG LIST Of chastisements and judgments that come to a people that have not HEARKEN unto the LORD or turned their face from the LIVING GOD..

LEV 26: 14  But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;

Today I wanted to take a closer look at the CHASTISEMENTS that was involved with NOT KEEPING the statutes and judgments and laws

LEV 26: 15  And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, [but] that ye break my covenant:

HERE is a FEW QUESTIONS to meditate upon as we go through this:

Who broke the COVENANT and HOW was the covenant broken?

WHAT WAS GOD’S RESPONSE to the BREAKING OF HIS COVENANT??

The WHY of the CHASTISEMENT and the JUDGMENTS:

LEV 26: 28  Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

If you despise my STATUES

IF you abhor my judgments,

IF you will NOT be REFORMED BY ME,  

IF you will not HEARKEN unto me,

If you WALK contrary to me

GOD'S RESPONSE to the BREAKING of the COVENANT:

THEN I WILL ABHOR YOU and WALK CONTRARY TO YOU IN FURY

BREAKING a COVENANT with GOD, results in the BLESSINGS of OUR LAND, AND OUR LIVES ending in great judgment and chastisement:

I will send…

pestilence among you

scatter you, send a sword after you

deliver you into the hand of the enemy

I will make your cities waste and desolate

You will flee, you will have no power to stand, and you shall perish

I WILL NOT SMELL THE SAVOUR OF YOUR SWEET ODOR

HOW COULD RESTORATION COME TO THOSE THAT BROKE THE COVENANT WITH GOD:

FOR RESTORATION:

CONFESSION and REPENTANCE we involved, ALSO AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT that LORD was involved in the CHASTISEMENT and the JUDGMENT!!

CONFESSION of the trespasses and the walking contrary to HIM.

LEV 26: 40   If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;

ACKNOWLEDGMENT that the ALMIGHTY HAND OF GOD WAS INVOLVED:

LEV 26: 41  And [that] I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

I find it very interesting today, that we perceive this judgment that is in our LAND, as though it was completely from the “STRENGTH and POWER” of the WICKED ONE. 

Satan has power and dominion over this earth.

But SATAN does not have POWER or AUTHORITY Over the BODY OF CHRIST, 

SO IN REALITY the judgment and chastisement on us as INDIVIDUALS is coming from GOD HIMSELF.

AS the HEDGE of our protection is being removed, due to our involvement and compromises with the WORLD, and our TURNING away from GOD'S PRECEPTS and PRINCIPLES, the influence the enemy has on our lives is increased.

ONLY THROUGH HUMILITY before HIM, repentance, and acknowledgment of HIM, will any of this NATIONS BLESSINGS BE RESTORED.

LEV 26: 42  Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

CONCLUSION:

There are SO many EXCITING THINGS that we could learn from LEV 26.

But for me AT LEAST For TODAY, I find it encouraging to know that the LORD MIGHTY HAND is involved in the JUDGMENTS and the CHASTISEMENTS that are in MY PERSONAL  LIFE.

I will TURN to HIM, when bad things come my way... 

LIKE DAVID.. 

I say I would rather be in YOUR hand of judgment OH LORD, than at the HANDS of man, for YOU are merciful!!!

WE are a COVENANT PEOPLE, our WRITTEN COVENANT is the BIBLE and OUR MEDIATOR IS JESUS CHRIST.

WHEN we became NEW BEINGS in JESUS CHRIST, WE in essences AGREED to a COVENANT RELATIONSHIP between HIM and us.

WE HAVE PROFESSED:  HE IS LORD and KING of our lives.

HE gave us the HOLY SPIRIT, as part of HIS COVENANT WITH US. “OUR WEDDING RING, if you will”

BUT do not think that our FREEDOM in CHRIST means we have freedom to do anything we want and desire.

THE AUTHOR OF OUR SALVATION IS FROM ABOVE:

WE HAVE A NEW HEAD, a NEW KING, ONE that has been EXALTED above ALL THINGS, with POWER and AUTHORITY ABOVE, on EARTH and BELOW. WHO has EVERY INTENTION of bringing the PROMISE TO HIS PEOPLE and bringing HIS ENEMIES under HIS FEET…

OUR LAWS and COMMANDS are written straight from the HEART OF THE FATHER. AND THEY ALL “THREE” agree.

The FATHER, THE SON/WORD, and the HOLY SPIRIT  They work in HARMONY of one another.

JESUS CHRIST bled and died to PURCHASE US INTO “HIS KINGDOM”.  The COST of the PURCHASE from the CONDEMNATION of the LAW, death in the lake of fire, AND IT WAS NOT CHEAP. 

GOD the FATHER LIVED according to HIS OWN JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

IT took the “BLOOD” of a MAN to purchase MAN BACK to RESTORATION.

HE WILL NOT BE MOCKED for “HIS NAME SAKE”.

THE PURCHASE WAS MADE,, not so we could continue in SIN, but that would be RESTORED and BE conformed and transformed into the very IMAGE of JESUS CHRIST.

THROUGH HIS/JESUS CHRIST “DIVINE POWER” we are being TRANSFORMED and CONFORMED into the very character of HIS IMAGE. OUR very LIFE STYLE should give WITNESS, to HIS CHARACTER, HIS HOLINESS, and BEARING HIS NAME!!!

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

2 PETER 1: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue

THE BIBLE IS NOT JUST A HISTORY BOOK!!!

THE WORD OF GOD/BIBLE is a “WITNESS and a TESTIMONY  of the CHARACTER OF GOD, HIS WAYS and HIS PRECEPTS, JUDGMENTS, and STATUTES.   

A “WITNESS” of the RELATIONSHIP between GOD and A “COVENANT PEOPLE”

IT is FILLED with INSTRUCTION, WARNINGS, BLESSINGS and PROMISES OF GOD towards “HIS PEOPLE”.

THE WARNINGS are JUST as  CLEAR!!!!

HE is a JEALOUS GOD, of HIS OWN NAME and HIS HOLINESS, and CHARACTER.

AND for  “HIS NAME SAKE”.. HE WILL NOT BE MOCKED.

Those that REJECT HIM or TURN THEIR BACK ON this COVENANT RELATIONSHIP, those that REFUSE to acknowledge HIS COUNSEL; JUDGMENT, STATUES, and LAWS, will reap what they have sown, through chastisement and punishment.

OUR FAITH IS IN JESUS CHRIST.  Satan has no HOLD upon us.

IT IS FAR MORE FEARFUL to stand in the JUDGMENTS and CHASTISEMENTS of GOD, than anything that SATAN can do to you!!

AMEN and AMEN