Smite Me, I pray Thee...

I ended early this thought about 1 Kings 20:36-43 (see Lion and Lamb), and now return to the pinacle of Jesus ministry in this passage. The prophet who is not named finds another man, and by the word of the Lord commands 'strike', and is wounded. Now again, if this were simply for a disguise later, the reasonable thing to do, even the natural thing would be to dump some animal blood on your clothes and be done with it. And if that were not authentic enough, why not self inflict, preventing the aparent pain and guilt placed upon another. Even the natural man can figure that one out.

And this is precisely the point. This is a picture, from God, by God, of the character of the love He has. It is not graspable by the natural man, it does not make sense. And this is glorious in the Spirit! Praise God for revealing to us the nature of Christ. Now our prophet went to wait for the king by the way, with a disguise upon his head.

The king had been instructed by God to destroy the enemy, that God would deliver them into his hand. Yet he simply took them captive and let them go. Even in the regard that the enemy was human, a person just like the king, and he had 'compassion' for them and released them. This is not a matter of everybody loving one another, it is not about peace between the peoples. The Eternal declared what direction to go, even to destroy the enemies of God's people, and this king did not fulfill that. Yet the real enemy is the natural man himself, the corrupt flesh and soul that rejects the council of God.

The king was unable to submit his soul unto God's word. Unable to perform the destruction of the enemy. He jugded for himself peace, and had compassion. Yet it was not the peace that comes by God, or the compassion that the Lord has for all people. This king, beset by this enemy twice, and given a great victory by the Lord each time replied when told of opposing kings capture, "Is he yet alive? he is my brother."

Now the prophet stood by the way, and the king passed by. In the prophet's parable of keeping the captured enemy, there is a fantastic description of the daliance which leads to escape. In the ASV it reads, "... thy servant was busy here and there ..." A more terse litteral reading would be 'servant did nothing', which I find applicable in this situation. The doing is not about this or that, it is simply hearing the word of God. Responding to the word, and walking in that, is the doing. It matters not what the natural man thinks of the action, or what the circumstance is. Anything else is actually 'doing nothing' if veiwed from a heavenly perspective.

Of course the hapless king of Israel can not percieve the prophet, or the word of God, and decrees justice just as described in the parable. The prophet then reveals himself by removing the covering, the headband. In this the messenger of God is revealed. The king percieves that it is one of the prophets who has spoken. The judgement is come. "Your life for his life, your people for his people." At this the king was depressed. But what of the parable? Is there not something more here?

We know that all have sinned, no one has been able to acheive righteousness, no one can claim glory. And in that failure, judgement falls upon the natural man. Death is his reward for inequity. Yet in the prophet's parable, there is this interesting alternative. "Your life for his life, or a talent of silver ..." was the prophesy. Now equating monetary value between epochs and societal context is frought with errors, but we can place a rough value that one talent of silver was perhaps enough to pay 20 wariors for a year. Whatever the value, it was far more than a commoner could pay.

Silver is a prophetic metal in its own right, signifying redemption. Our Lord was sold for silver, as was Joseph. The Eternal leaves nothing hidden! Failure has a price, and that price is beyond what we can pay. That is where Jesus ministry excells any other. He paid a price uncountable. There is no equivalent to what He lay down for us. He is the lamb upon the throne. He is our redemption payment, the finest silver doesn't come close!

Even in the display of the prophet, the revealing of the judgement of God, there was more. Yet the king of Israel could not hear the word. He would not turn to God inside. Our Lord was treated to a similar response. His proclamations of destruction, the great prophecy of covenant change, were rejected, even mocked. The leaders of Israel in that day could not hear the word of redemption, would not turn to God. As He walked in the flesh, as a man, His head was 'covered', by that I mean His authority was not evident. His rule over all things, His mantle as God was held by the Father, invisible to the stif necked.

Jesus rose from the dead. He was struck down, even to death. Yet rose up, His head fully uncovered, His countenance beaming forth. And with the eyes of my heart opened, I can see Him even now, His body standing upon the earth. There is nothing covering Him now. He is King, fully revealed and glorified. Ever leading us to walk in the prepared works, increasing His glory imesurably within each one. Praise God for revelation, praise Him for eternal life. He loved us before we were known, and fills us with that love even now.

As Stephen proclaimed, "I see the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." Godhead revealed indeed! There was no escape from the Law then, even though they stoned Stephen. Just the amazing gospel of the Messiah, the way to eternal life.

How wonderous You are! "Smite me, I pray thee..." Oh my Lord, fill me with the love You have, even to the greatest works for Your glory.

Lion and Lamb

I love the the Lion of the tribe of Judah. I love the lamb upon the throne. What does it all mean? How is the Spirit teaching us, growing up these character traits in us? What are the spiritual realities associated with the lion and the lamb? I don't know all the answers, even all the historic details, or cultural significance. I am not a farmer or big game hunter. Have no great knowledge of zoology. But I did hear something from the Lord the other day, something amazing about this picture of our Lord. Jesus is the lamb, and the lion. And there is a glorious example depicting His character in 1 Kings 20:35-43. I suggest you read this passage now, though I will cover the necessary details.

First there is this concept "sons of the prophets", descendants or progeny of those who bring forth God's word. These are in the fold so to speak. Ones set apart for His purpose. From this assembly there is a 'certain man', not named or described in any way. Just a son of a prophet. What else is necessary? Do I need to know your name? Or the name of anyone besides Jesus? Now I say this in the Spirit, and of truth as pertaining to glory and honor. What He works in us, through us, even what is given to us is based upon His righteousness, not ours. Let it be said of me, "The Lord worked through him." My name is meaningless, the authority in Heaven, even to all the Universe, is given to Jesus. In Him I walk, and am known, to His glory.

Now it is by this unknown (to us) prophet that the word of the Lord came, "strike". What do we respond to this? Let the hearing be renewed in us, transformed to hear the speaking of God. The natural man would (and did) refuse to hurt his companion, his brother. Our natural man cannot comprehend this, that God would speak through one commanding the striking. Ponder your own response to these passages, in my heart there was the conflict between the Spirit and the natural man. Yet if it were just to have a wound, as part of the disguise, why did the prophet not self inflict?

Yes, the prophet is walking under the hand of God. This striking is necessary, and by a brothers hand. And yet by doing what was 'right', even the compassionate thing, in not striking, the natural man who is also a "son of the prophets" comes under condemnation. What is his reward for 'loving his brother' naturally? A lion becomes manifest, and strikes him. Ease yourself into the the anointing here. The word of God was manifest. Yet he (the natural man) could not hear it. He decided within his own heart what was correct. This is the condition of the natural man. He must decide based upon his own knowledge, experience, even emotion.

Perhaps it was his best friend, or even his closest natural brother. Driven by love, he refuses to strike. Oh, the natural man can love, respect, honor, cherish. Our person, without Christ, can be devoted, kind, charitable, loving, peaceable, and many other very good things. All is worthless if one cannot hear God. And is even transgression itself if we are living in such a good way based upon our own judgement, based upon the self ruling the heart. What you judge as good may be, yet you are the judge, and inherently flawed. Only He is impartial and fully righteous in judgement. Furthermore, He has spoken, and whether we agree with the word or not is irrelevant. Of great importance is hearing that word and recognizing the Lord. Fear God in this, and seek Him fervently.

For a moment let me ponder, and by this I mean I see partially. There was a people, under the law, who refused to strike. The priest and leaders who delivered up our Lord to be crucified, refused to kill him themselves. Oh, they were responsible for His death, and in that fulfilling the will of the Father, yet they did not want Jesus blood on their hands so to speak. The prophesy of this un-named one is remarkable in this regard. God speaks the word, ever that which will bring forth life, but it is in direct opposition to the natural man. The natural man is in the camp, in the congregation, part of God's chosen people. But he can not hear the God, and rejects the council of God. The end result is judgement, even the wrath of God poured out.

How did the judgement come about for our un-hearing one? A lion appeared and struck him. As soon as he left the presence of his companion. Can we turn this around a bit? Is there a difference between leaving the presence of God, and the manifest presence of God leaving? I wondered about this a bit, and in my spirit there is a anchor in the heavens, in the source of life. That throne, that source of life does not move. We experience His presence, we turn toward Him for the life. In that, I would say it is the same for the one who can not hear God. He has turned away, and departed from God. The priests who delivered up our Lord rejected the very word of life. In that, they departed from God. They left.

How does the lion strike? Clearly as a picture of the judgement a lion appeared suddenly and struck the un-hearing one. Yet we know that the judgement of God is by his own time. This people had turned from Him as told in the prophets, and now at the fullness of time, when He had sent His son, it was due. Jesus prophesied that within one generation (forty years), not a stone would be left upon another in regards to the temple. The very pinnacle of this people, the focus of the promise from God under Moses, by David, through the fathers. Yet they had departed Him. And the lion came. In the form of Roman legions who annihilated Jerusalem.

How glorious is our God! Jesus is the lion and the lamb. He lay down willingly, and allowed the wrath of God to be poured out upon His flesh. Yet conquered death itself and ascended to the right hand of the Father. And He is the lion, the exacter of perfect judgement. The measure against those stiff necked people was full, and they were destroyed. All the while He saved the remnant and brought salvation unto the whole world. What can we do but walk in His plan? What can we do but lay down our selves and fervently seek His voice?

Praise God most high, and listen closely for the anointing. I expected to consider the whole message in one sitting, but there is so much more, I will leave it for later. Pray that God opens our ears to hear the word.