Session 2: Week 3

Genesis 2:4-7

Last week we looked at these verses, with a particular focus on יהוה Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey/Elohim, the Creator’s personal name. This week we’ll look at this passage from some other angles.

⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven.

In Session 1 we talked about God creating the spiritual realm before the physical realm and there being three heavens.  Remember that the Hebrew word for the heavens is plural הַשָּׁמַיִם (Ha Shamayim) – a “plural” word. Heavens is mentioned 127 times in the Bible and heaven 551.

The first heaven is the firmament or expanse. This heaven is the closest to the Earth. (Genesis 1:8)

The second heaven is the space is where the sun, moon and stars are located. (Deuteronomy 4:19) The second heaven is also the place where demonic beings exist. (Ephesians 6:12)

In the area of spiritual warfare, one very controversial issue you’ll come across is whether or not we, as born-again believers, have the power and authority to try and attempt to engage with demons who are in the 2nd heaven, who are in what the Bible calls the “heavenly places.” Scripture teaches that we wrestle with them. Wrestling is a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck. In the context of our spiritual battles our victory comes by our using the Word of God against our opponent, as modeled to us by Jesus in the wilderness temptation we read about in Matthew 4. This is different to how some people “pray against” these demonic entities in heavenly places.

After researching both sides of this very controversial issue, it is my opinion that unless God Himself directly authorizes and commissions you to engage in this kind of very special, high level type of spiritual warfare, that you stay completely away from this kind of activity. If you try to step into this kind of arena without God’s direct approval and protection, you could open both yourself and possibly the members of your immediate family to major attacks from these higher-ranking demons.

There are also many demons working down here in the first heaven (the spiritual dimension most closely connected with the earthly realm), which gives them direct access to people here on earth. Many call these “earthbound” demons. These are the demons who want to get us to believe lies that cause us to abdicate the Kingdom authority we’ve been given on earth.  They also try to  attach to people, whether it be to get  inside of their bodies, or follow them around like a dark cloud trying to cause as much trouble and mayhem as they possibly can with them.

In the Great Commission command given to us by Jesus right before He left us, He told us to “cast out demons. The way Jesus was wording this command, you can tell that He was referring to demons who are attached to people, not to demons who are operating in 2nd heaven positions. He also does not give us any words or commands to “cast down” demons from the 2nd heaven positions. He’s our model and guide and we only saw Him interacting with demonic entities that were either harassing Him or other people; never ones in the heavenly realms. As such, I believe that for our own safety we should stay completely away from these kind of prayers and spiritual warfare.

The third heaven is the location of God’s throne. According to the Apostle Paul he was caught up to the third heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:2)

Let’s move on in Genesis 2.

 ⁵ Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.

It’s interesting that the Scriptures tell us that plants sprouting (producing fruit) are the result of rain and man’s cultivation of the ground.

How does this correlate to the production of spiritual fruit in our lives?

⁶ But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.

Vaporous water (mist) came from the earth itself.

 Does anyone have thoughts about this? Why would God want us to know this?

Maybe the mist is referring to the Word. Ephesians 5:26  John 1:1-3

This is interesting to me.  A mist rose up from the earth to water the ground.  There was a connection here to water and earth.  When I read this I thought about Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus that we read about in John 3. In that conversation Jesus shows us that there’s a direct correlation between entering the Kingdom of God (the third heaven) to being born of Spirit and water.

⁴ Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

From the beginning of creation, as we saw in Genesis 1:2, God showed us a relationship between His Spirit and water.

…the spirit of God hovered (floated in the air) over the face of the waters.

Now in Genesis 2 we’re shown mist coming from the earth to produce water for the ground.

Maybe God wants us to see the co-existence of two very different substances (mist and earth); one passing through the other – giving us a view into the multi-dimensional aspects of creation.

Or maybe He’s showing us how His Spirit brings life to His Word that then brings life to our mortal flesh. There are a lot of interesting ways to look at this. Let’s move on…

⁷ Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Here we see God getting His hands dirty and creating man. This is the only time we’re told He didn’t speak something into creation.  That’s interesting. His hands created us from the ground.  This is seen other places in scripture that teach us that God is like a potter and we are the clay He is molding and shaping. (Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:6)

Even those numbers (6+4+8 and 1+8+6) are interesting with regard to this entire topic.  The first = 18 which is the number of life in Jewish traditions. The second = 6 which is number of man.  Both have huge significance with regard to what that verse is communicating!

After God formed man from the dust, He breathed life into Him. Our lives come from the breath of God.  What a humbling and awesome thought.

How does it make you feel to know that your life comes from the breath of God?

BRIDE MINISTRIES PRAYER RESOURCES
CHECK OUT THE FREEDOM FROM PRINCIPALITIES PRAYER

(Disclaimer: Daniel Duval (Bride Ministries) has been called by God to do 2nd heaven warfare, but I still believe most of us should steer clear of this type of spiritual warfare.) I do support and endorse this ministry for other reasons and highly recommend these prayer resources.

Session 2: Week 2

Genesis 2:4-8 God’s Name

⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven. ⁵ Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. ⁶ But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. ⁷ Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living ^[f]being. ⁸ The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. ⁹ Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In these verses we get a snapshot, or recounting of God’s creation of the earth and a view into His plan for the earth, and for mankind. We also get an introduction to the Name of the Lord, God, the supreme ruler. Notice that God’s Name is mentioned 5 times! (Remember our study on the number 5 representing ‘grace’ in Session 1)

יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים  The Lord God is the English translation for the Hebrew Yehovah Elohim

יְהוָה (the letters Yud-Hay-Vav-Hay) is God’s holy and personal name; the one He revealed to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3.

¹³ Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”¹⁴ God said to

Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” ¹⁵ God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.

This name is also called the tetragrammaton because some say it’s made up of 4 letters that are an acronym of the phrase “I am who I am”.

אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה

I will be what I will be

Religiously observant Jews and those who follow conservative Jewish traditions do not pronounce יהוה‎, either aloud or to themselves in silence, nor do they read aloud transliterated forms such as Yahweh or Jehovah; instead the word is substituted with a different term, whether used to address or to refer to the God of Israel. Common substitutions are hakadosh baruch hu (“The Holy One, Blessed Be He”), Adonai (“The Lord”), or HaShem (“The Name”). They consider this Name of God as too holy to be spoken; and also they do not pronounce it for fear of mispronouncing it.

According to actual count, יְהוָה occurs 5,410 times in the Old Testament.

Fun with numbers:  5+4+1+0=10=1

Remember the meaning of the number 1 in Scripture: There can be no doubt as to the significance of the primary number one. In all languages one is the symbol of unity. It denotes unity and primacy. Unity being indivisible, and not made up of other numbers, is therefore independent of all others, and is the source of all others. So with the Deity. The great First Cause is independent of all. All stand in need of Him, and He needs no assistance from any.

There are many differing views regarding the pronunciation of God’s holy name.  There are groups that isolate themselves around this issue declaring all others to be heretical.  For example, there’s a group of believers called the “sacred name group” who believe you can’t call God anything but Yahweh or you’re referring to an idol and foreign god.

Years ago, I was faced with people’s arguments about using God’s sacred Name and in praying about it I sensed the Lord showing me that this name is simply breath and is therefore unpronounceable; signifying the breath of God that He puts in each one of us to create the human soul. (see verse 7)

Warning: The enemy loves to divide the Body of Messiah, because in so doing we’re robbed of our anointing and influence. (see Psalm 133 and Matthew 12:25) This is just one of the issues that people, in their own pride, claim themselves as authorities and thereby bring about division.

What are some other areas that people pridefully elevate their own understanding and bring division in the Body?

In what ways can you guard against division in the Body of Messiah in your own life?

More about God’s Name.

In Exodus 3 when Moses encounters the Angel of the Lord in the burning bush the Lord spoke to Moses. Angel in Hebrew means messenger, so I’m guessing the word is used here to explain that this was a manifestation of the God of the universe to bring a message to Moses.  When Moses asked God to reveal His Name, God said in verse 14:

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה

Elohim said to Moses I shall be as I shall be

 וַיֹּאמֶר, כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶהְיֶה, שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם.

And  He said, say to the sons of Israel “I shall be” sent me to you

Elohim/God calling Himself “I shall be” has such deep implications.  It implies that God will exist; He will manifest Himself to us; He will do whatever He wants because He is God; and much more…

What does Him calling Himself “I shall be” mean to you?

In verse 15 God then tells Moses this:

וַיֹּאמֶר עוֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כֹּה-תֹאמַר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב, שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם; זֶה-שְּׁמִי לְעֹלָם, וְזֶה זִכְרִי לְדֹר דֹּר

And God also said to Moses: ‘Thus shall you say to the children of Israel: The LORD,  , יְהוָה the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you; this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial to all generations.

So, God tells us here by what Name He wants to be remembered forever.

Since Names reveal character what does this teach you about the eternal character of God?

As we move ahead in the story in the Exodus we get a glimpse into some of The Lord’s characteristics associated with His Name  יְהוָה.

Ex. 6:

I am , יְהוָה and I will deliver you; I will redeem you; I will take you as My people; I will be your God; You will know that I am , יְהוָה your God; I will bring you to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; I will give it to you as a possession; I am , יְהוָה (vs. 6-8)

God’s revelation of Himself to the people involved restoring them into relationship with Himself and setting them up to rule over the land; the same as His initial act of creation.

What does that teach you about God?

NAMES OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Session 2 – Week 1

Genesis 2:1-3

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.² By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.³ Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

The first interesting thing we see in this passage is the word hosts. צְבָאָם

וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, וְכָל-צְבָאָם

And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
When we read this we traditionally think of the host of heavens and earth and all of creation; but in Hebrew the word tsava (the root) actually means armies, wars, battles, conflicts…

God saw the end from the beginning. Once He finished creating He saw throughout all time, both in the spirit realm and the natural realm.  His plan was laid out and complete. It was a plan that involved creation, rebellion, redemption and restoration.

Also interestingly the Hebrew root word for completed וַיְכֻלּוּ is kalah.  That is the same word as the word for bride.

Now this is getting really exciting.  From the end of the 6^th day not only did God finish/complete all of creation, that spanned all time; but His perfect plan included fashioning a bride for Himself.  Wow.

 How does it make you feel to know that way back when after the 6^th day of creation God completed all this?

וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה; וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מִכָּל-מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה.

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ:  כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל-מְלַאכְתּוֹ, אֲשֶׁר-בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת.  {פ}

It’s interesting that next there are 3 mentions of the seventh day in this passage.

1. By the 7^th day God completed His work;
2. He rested on the 7^th day and
3. He blessed it.

Remember that all things that are specially complete are stamped with the number three.

Things get more fun when we multiply 7×3 and get 21, and 2+1=3.

Seven is the great number of spiritual perfection. A number which, therefore, occupies so large a place in the works, and especially in the Word of God as being inspired by the Holy Spirit.  As a number the actual word and number “SEVEN” is used as no other number is. Seven and its compounds occur in multiples of seven in the Old Testament.

Seven occurs 287 times, or 7 x 41.

“Seventh,” the fractional part, occurs 98 times, or 7 x 14.

God is teaching us here that His creation is specially and spiritually complete and perfect.

How do we see humans demonstrating their belief that creation is not complete and perfect in today’s society?

God chose to complete creation (in its entirety – physically and temporally- (historically, progressively, time-based) in just six days. That’s mind blowing!

What does that teach us about God?

OK, back to the 3 things God did on the 7^th day.

• He completed
• He rested
• He blessed

The Hebrew word for “rested” in this passage is וַיִּשְׁבֹּת  (Vayeeshbot). This is where we get the Hebrew word Shabbat / English – Sabbath.

The Hebrew word actually means bring to and end, cease, do away with, silence, stop.

Prophetically speaking the Sabbath is a picture of the time when God restores His Kingdom to the earth and there’s no more war.  Messiah is King of the world. All implements of war will be destroyed in favor of implements of productivity. Nations will no longer go to war. Disagreements between nations will be judged by Christ from Jerusalem. There will be world-wide peace.

Seeking out a fuller understanding of the Word of God through the Jewish/Hebraic lens, the Body of Christ has begun to have greater intimacy with Jesus, and a deeper understanding of the plans that God has for the Church.

The starting place for understanding the biblical worldview and value-system that God gave the children of Israel are the cycles of worship that God instituted in the Old Testament, known as the Feasts of the Lord.

Learning about these feasts doesn’t make us more holy or righteous in God’s sight. Our righteousness comes from Christ alone.

What understanding the Feasts does do is give us a greater appreciation and understanding of Christ.

Colossians 2: 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. In Leviticus 23:1-2 1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.

Convocation: a large formal assembly; Appointed: To fix or set by authority

These are not the Feasts of Israel. They’re the Lord’s feasts.  Here’s the first found in Leviticus 23.

3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.

Each week on the 7th day of the week God prescribed a day of rest. This day was to be considered holy by the children of Israel.

The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with restrictions, or as a day where all you can do is pray. To those who observe Shabbat it is a precious gift from God; a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the whole week. It’s a time that we can set aside all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves to fellowship with friends and family, and to God. In Jewish literature, poetry and music, Shabbat is described as a bride or queen. It is something that is treasured and desired.

It is said…. “more than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel.”

Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20:8-11

8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
Shabbat is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment.

The word “Shabbat” means to cease, to end, or to rest.

In modern America, we take the five-day work-week for granted. What a radical concept a day of rest was in ancient times. The weekly day of rest had no parallel in any other ancient civilization. In ancient times leisure was for the wealthy and the ruling classes only, never for the serving or laboring classes. In addition, the very idea of rest each week was unimaginable. The Greeks thought Jews were lazy because they insisted on having a “holiday” every seventh day. In today’s busy “workaholic” world the concept of rest is foreign to most people. People are busy running here and there. They don’t realize that rest is extremely important for physical and emotional health. Unhealthy work patterns have caused families to be destroyed, and for people to burn out.

But God gave the Sabbath to Israel as a gift. It is weekly gift that the people are given to help them realign with their families and with their Creator. One of the reasons that the early Church was healthy and strong was because they celebrated the Shabbat. They didn’t celebrate it out of religious obligation or a legalistic mindset – but out of a desire to want to reconnect with each other, and with God.

Jesus alluded to the benefits of the Shabbat in Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

The Sabbath, like all other Jewish days, begins at sunset, because in the story of creation in Genesis Ch. 1, it says, “And there was evening, and there was morning, one day.” From this, we infer that a day begins with evening, that is, at sunset.

Each of the feasts of the Lord are prophetic pictures of Jesus’/Yeshua’s “redemptive career” as Messiah.

It’s interesting that to usher in the Shabbat each week the woman of the house lights two candles. It’s actually a very prophetic act and is a testimony to the fact that it was a woman who was chosen by God to birth the “light of the world” 2000 years ago, when Jesus was born.

Also prophetically, some say the six days of creation parallel the six millenniums of this world. It is believed that the Shabbat is a prophetic picture of the Millennium when Yeshua/Jesus will reign for a thousand years.

The Shabbat is a beautiful day of celebration of the family, and of God. On Shabbat it’s traditional for the husband to bless his wife and children. This act of blessing is a beautiful way for the family to experience deep spirituality rooted in the Word of God and done in love, honor and respect for one another.

Sadly, many Christians have been taught that God doesn’t want the Church to celebrate the Shabbat, or any of the Feasts of the Lord. This belief is the result of the anti-semitic decrees of Constantine in the 3rd century.

Jesus says something very different in Matthew 5:17-19

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Other Scriptures that talk about the blessings resulting from keeping the Sabbath are found in Isaiah 56:1-8 and 58:13-14.

It’s important to remember that there is freedom with regard to the keeping the Feasts. We must guard against the dangers of falling into legalism, or the influences of a religious spirit, with regard to our adherence to any of the Feasts of the Lord. We are under a New Covenant now. To protect us from that, it’s essential as the New Testament Church, that we’re led by God’s Holy Spirit in our practice and adherence to God’s Word.

Let’s look at Genesis 2:1-3 again.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.² By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.³ Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

How can you walk in the blessings of the sanctified seventh day of creation each week?

YESHUA OUR SABBATH REST – HEBREW FOR CHRISTIANS

Week 7 – Session 1

CREATION AND GOD’S GRACE

God-Elohim created everything.  Our goal for this Bible study is to get to know God more. In Genesis 1 we see God-Elohim as all-powerful, wise, and masterfully creative. In the account of creation in this first chapter of Genesis there are 32 mentions of the word Elohim. I believe that nothing is in scripture by accident.  Everything is intentional and meaningful, including the numbers and the number of things mentioned.

E.W. Bullinger has a great resource called “Numbers in Scripture” from which I will pull my musings this week.

While there’s no direct link to the number 32 in his work, there certainly is for 3 and 2, and their sum of 5.

Let’s take a minute and go though some Scriptural meaning of numbers:

There can be no doubt as to the significance of the primary number one. In all languages one is the symbol of unity. It denotes unity and primacy. Unity being indivisible, and not made up of other numbers, is therefore independent of all others, and is the source of all others. So with the Deity. The great ‘First Cause’ is independent of all. All stand in need of Him, and He needs no assistance from any.

Two affirms that there is a difference—there is another.

All things that are specially complete are stamped with the number three.

Four is the number of the world, then it represents man’s weakness, and helplessness, and vanity.

Four plus one (4+1=5) (the world + divinity) is significant of Divine strength added to and made perfect in that weakness; of omnipotence combined with the impotence of earth; of Divine favour (grace) uninfluenced and invincible.

THEOLOGICALLY ACKNOWLEDGED DEFINITIONS OF GRACE

• Grace is unmerited favor
• Grace is the finished work
• Grace is divine influence upon the heart
• Grace is God’s ability

 For a more in-depth study of Grace see additional resources.

What are your thoughts about the Grace of God?

More about the number five in Scripture….

THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE BIBLE (DEUTERONOMY) magnifies the grace of God, and in it special pains, so to speak, are taken to emphasize the great fact that not for the sake of the people, but for God’s own Name’s sake had He called, and chosen, and blessed them. Read Deuteronomy 4:7, 20, 32, 37, 8:11, 17, etc.

ISRAEL CAME OUT OF EGYPT five in a rank. In Exodus 13:18 it says, “The children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.” In the margin it says they went up by five in a rank. It may be in ranks, i.e. fifties, as in 2 Kings 1:9 and Isaiah 3:5.* The point is that they went up in perfect weakness; helpless, and defenseless; but they were invincible through the presence of Yehovah in their midst.

* In Joshua 1:14, “Ye shall pass over before your brethren armed.” Margin: “Heb., marshalled by five.” This may have some reference to the fact that the number five was specially hateful to the Egyptians, if indeed it were not the cause of such hatred. Sir Gardner Wilkinson tells us that even down to the present day the number five is regarded as an evil number in modern Egypt. On their watches the fifth hour, “V,” is marked by a small circle, “o.”

“FIVE SMOOTH STONES” were chosen by David when he went to meet the giant enemy of Israel (1 Sam 17:40). They were significant of his own perfect weakness supplemented by Divine strength. And he was stronger in this weakness than in all the armor of Saul. It is worthy of note that after all he used only the one, not any of the four. That one was sufficient to conquer the mightiest foe.

THE TABERNACLE had five for its all-pervading number; nearly every measurement was a multiple of five. Before mentioning these measurements we ought to notice that worship itself is all of grace! No one can worship except those who are sought and called of the Father (John 4:23). “Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts; we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple” (Psa 65:4).

The Tabernacle has this number of grace (five) stamped upon it. The outer court was 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide. On either side were 20 pillars, and along each end were 10 pillars, or 60 in all; that is 5 x 12, or grace in governmental display before the world, 12 being the number of the Tribes.

The pillars that held up the curtains were 5 cubits apart and 5 cubits high, and the whole of the outer curtain was divided into squares of 25 cubits (5×5). Each pair of pillars thus supported an area of 5² cubits of fine white linen, thus witnessing to the perfect grace by which alone God’s people can witness for Him before the world. Their own righteousness (the fine linen) is “filthy rags” (Isa 64:6), and we can only say “by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor 15)—a sinner saved by grace. This righteousness is based on atonement, for 5 x 5 was also the measure of the brazen altar of burnt offering. This was the perfect answer of Christ to God’s righteous requirements, and to what was required of man.

THE HOLY ANOINTING OIL (Exo 30:23-25) was composed of five parts, for it was a revelation of pure grace. This five is marked by the numbers four and one. For four parts were spices, and one was oil.

The four principal species:—

1. Myrrh, 500 shekels (5×100).
2. Sweet cinnamon, 250 shekels (5×50).
3. Sweet calamus, 250 shekels (5×50).
4. Cassia, 500 shekels (5×100).

And olive oil, one hin.

THE INCENSE (Exo 30:34) also was composed of five parts. Four were “sweet spices,” and one was salt.

This incense was called by various names,—”pure,” “perpetual,” “sweet,” “holy.” No imitation of it was allowed. It indicates those precious merits of Christ through which alone our prayers can go up with acceptance before God.

In light of all this what are your thoughts about how God uses numbers in His holy Word?

These are just a few of the ways we see the number 5 manifested in Scripture.  To read more you can read the book online.

Now I want to introduce the idea of grace and creation as being tied together. I’d like to share a writing from Charles Journet who was a Swiss Roman Catholic theologian and cardinal. I’ll say here that while I don’t agree with most of the principles of the Roman Catholic church I do believe that within its framework were men and women who sincerely loved the Lord, and who had personal relationships with Him. Through their writings God exposes thoughts and ideas that are in alignment with His Scriptures, and which help us lead and guide us into all truth.

I feel confident that this excerpt is an example of that.

Excerpt:

I should like to speak to you first of the essence of grace.

1. The very first thing, one which must never be forgotten, which we shall never adequately grasp, is that the Judaeo-Christian revelation is the revelation of the love of God for us, of a love which will never cease to astonish us here below because it surpasses all we could possibly conceive, and of which we can never plumb the depths. To know the depths of God’s love for us, we should have to be God. And the effects of this love are disconcerting and surprising to us, precisely because we are unable to comprehend its Source. They are disconcerting to the purely rationalistic reason, even to reason pure and simple.

The writer is saying here that love is the essence of grace. In what ways have you seen God manifest His love in your life lately?

What does that teach you about God’s grace?

2. The first act in which God’s love pours itself out is creation. God is the Infinite, the Absolute. He possesses being, intelligence, love, beauty to an infinite degree. We should not say he has being, intelligence, love; rather, that he is Being itself, Intelligence itself, Love and Beauty themselves. He dwells in himself; he is lacking in absolutely nothing. Why, then, did he create the world?

When man acts, it is always to procure for himself some benefit; but God could gain no benefit from creation. So then we are compelled to say that, if he created the world, it was through pure superabundance, pure desire to communicate his riches, pure disinterestedness, through love. Here we border on the mystery of his presence in creation. This is a presence at once of causality and conservation; the same divine omnipotence that makes the universe emerge from nothingness keeps it above nothingness; just as I exercise the same force to lift a weight and to keep it at the height to which I have raised it.

The divine presence envelops and penetrates all creatures. It is a knowing presence, which pierces the secrets of hearts; a powerful presence, which gives beings their activity, gives to the rose-bush for example the power to produce a rose; a presence of essence, which also gives the rose-bush the power to ‘be’ what it is.

These are the three aspects of his presence in creation. It is intimate to creatures. Strictly speaking, God is more present to things than they are to themselves.  And if for one instant he were to forget the world, it would fall immediately into nothingness.

How does the thought that creation is a manifestation of the love of God make you feel?

Grace is the divine impulse which produces in us acts of free adherence to God, of free acceptance and consent. God comes to me to draw me to him. I can interrupt or destroy this divine movement; or else I can let God act in me and take possession of my free will and make it assent, without violating it.

Actual grace seeks me out in sin to bring me to justification; then, when I am there, it comes back again and again, insistently, to carry me to a higher stage of sanctifying grace. God is constantly knocking at the gate of my heart to invite me to go beyond the state I have reached, because my whole life should be a journey on the way to Love. I cannot give a renewed assent to Love, nor above all can I give a more intensified assent than hitherto, unless a divine movement comes secretly to my heart to help it ascent higher. I can refuse it. But if I let God act he will raise me further, step by step, to a greater love. ‘At the end of your life’, says St. John of the Cross, ‘you will be asked how you have loved’.

What are some of the things in your life that you see as a block to God’s love?

How can you overcome these things?

Genesis 1: 28-31

6^th Day continued…

God blessed them and God said to them “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule…

Now God is blessing mankind to be fruitful and multiply and rule…His blessing is given by His voice – His proclamation/declaration.

Normally when we think of the word “blessing” we think of prayers that we recite to God, or over one another.  In the Jewish tradition there are blessings for nearly everything in life.  There are blessings upon arising, when bathing, morning, mid-day and evening blessings, bedtime blessings, blessings over food, over different types of food, wine, before studying Torah, various Sabbath and other holy day blessings; blessings for salvation, when offering praise, for getting your focus, setting your attitude, fighting against evil; the list goes on and on.

It’s no surprise that the Apostle Paul tells us to pray unceasingly. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) God knows we need His help for everything we do in our lives. But is that really what blessing is all about?

According to these first two mentions of “blessing” in Scripture – God is the one doing the blessing and it’s all related to being fruitful and multiplying.

Perhaps the human way of looking at blessing is related to that.  Blessing refocuses our eyes on God. When we bless things or each other it’s saying that we’re looking to God to be involved in our lives; and it’s directing those with us to God. In that way we’re actively discipling them by modeling to them that our focus is on the Lord in that instant.  When discipling them we are being fruitful and multiplying, spiritually. Maybe that’s what God was teaching us when He first blessed mankind in the Garden of Eden. We’re to be actively going and making disciples; and looking to God’s blessing to be able to do that.

How can you apply this to your own life?

How can you help people understand that blessings aren’t just some dead religious act?

God also said, “Look, I have given you… food”

God also wanted us to know that He is the Provider.  In His wisdom, love and care He provides the things we need to nourish and sustain us (and all creation.) He knows what we need and He provides for it.

Whenever I sit down to eat a yummy meal I not only thank God for the food in front of me, I thank Him for the taste buds to enjoy it. What a loving Father He is to have given us taste buds. He’s the giver of good gifts!

When have you doubted God’s desire or ability to provide for you in your life?  What were the ramifications?

God saw all that He had made….

Imagine God seeing all that He had made.  What any amazing ability to see everything in creation all at once!  That’s the perspective of our God.  He is all-knowing and all-seeing!

Try to imagine God seeing everything all at once; all the animals, birds, sea creatures, insects, trees, plants, etc… God also saw you and everything pertaining to your life from His vantage point in eternity.

How does that make you feel?

….and it was very good.

This is the first time God declares creation as “very good.”  Perhaps that’s because now He’s finished His work and sees all of it intrinsically connected and working together.

Again, He acknowledges its goodness, which is a reflection of His goodness. The vast complexity and interworking of His creation may be reflecting the vastness of His own beauty and splendor.

What do you think about that?

Why do you think it’s important to remember that what God has created is very good?

What impact does that have on our ability to rule?