Who wants God to be ANGRY with them?
Kindling the Anger of the Lord (Part Two) is a continuation in depth of The First Battle for Our Promised Land (Part One). Part one tells the natural story plus a few highlights of the direction I was heading.
Part two starts to put into practice HOW to identify the Amorite spirit, what it considers to be of value and why God chooses our defeat of it as the first critical thing if we choose to be part of His plan for mankind.
Not only is there a correlation between the Children of Israel taking the Promised Land and our spiritual journey in overcoming our lower nature, but their story is THE GUIDEBOOK God has given us. We should not take it lightly. It is a step-by-step road map of our current journey complete with warnings and cautions. May God give us grace to avoid the hazards that would befall us.
Before you go on, please read:
"A Warning - Straight From My Heart" if you haven't already.
Jericho was a city, a stronghold of the Amorite. The Amorite represents the first thing that God hates in Proverbs 6:16-17, a "proud look".
Proverbs 6:16-19
16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
It is this Amorite spirit of self-importance and self-love that makes a person think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, many times at the expense of their brother.
Romans 12:3
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
When preparing to conquer Jericho, the first stronghold of the Amorite, this is what God told his people:
Joshua 6:17-18
17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
Joshua 6:17-18 shows us what God thought of the Amorite and how much influence He wanted the Amorite to have with His people. Every part of Jericho was cursed (except for a few specific things...i.e. certain vessels and of course Rahab and her family). There were to be no spoils of war, but there was covetousness in Achan. Once again, by one man, sin entered the arena. This caused Israel to fail in God's plan for them; covetousness lost them the next battle for the Promised Land against more Amorites at the battle for Ai.
In our correlative journey, can we avoid this sin?
Yes, I think we can.
Avoiding Spiritual Pitfalls
These stories are a warning to us. Why else would they be in the Bible?
1 Corinthians 10:11-12
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
The key to avoiding the spiritual pitfalls and our resulting failure is to identify what God is telling us from the specifics that have survived for thousands of years. It is not coincidence they have survived in such great detail. I believe it is God's plan to help us to NOT repeat the mistakes of our predecessors.
I also firmly believe that God will cease to be with us if we keep the desires of an Amorite.
Joshua 7:12
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
Now is the turning point, people. God wants a decision. It is the difference between whether we become the people of God or become part of Mystery Babylon in the book of Revelation.
So, what cursed things did the Amorite consider of great value?
Joshua 7:20-21
"And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it."
A Goodly Babylonish Garment
A garment is a covering, something to hide nakedness, something to improve the way you look in the eyes of men.
When one mentions the term "Babylonish", we tend to think back to the city of Babylon with Nebuchadnezzar as king, but the city of Babylon that Nebuchadnezzar ruled did not appear fully until much later in history. We forget the king who was a "great hunter hunter before the Lord".
Genesis 10:8-10 speaks about Nimrod who began the kingdom of Babel. It is said that Nimrod was a "hunter of men". He was good at gathering men to rule over and worked them into a cohesive unit at the Tower of Babel, an affront to God.
The only way Nimrod could do this was to invent a structure, a hierarchy or ORDER of responsibility, accountability and control. A man would dominate over other men, but was dominated by another man. Man over man over man...
Revelation 13:18
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
The roots go even further back than the Tower of Babel. The "accursed thing" in Joshua 6:18 actually begins with a curse. See The Curse of Cain in What Happens When You Decide to Follow God Instead of Men? Man was originally given dominion over the animals, but was not given dominion over his brother... that was a curse. A man vying for dominion amongst others of the same nature is a mark or identifying feature of a beast. See Adam Naming the Animals in What Good Is A Woman?This curse has followed mankind all down through the ages changing God’s ideal into His second best. A man ruling over other men in place of God is not what God originally intended.
2 Chronicles 6:5
5 Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:
The Curse Becomes A Covering
The apostle Paul recognized this problem and tried to re-direct us back to God's original plan when he wrote 1 Corinthians 11:1-3. Paul fought against the curse of Cain and strove for God's ideal when he said "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ" and "Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head"... that means dishonouring Christ.
Nowadays a man, the head of a household, is primarily fed his spiritual nourishment from another man, most commonly known as a priest or pastor. As an entity or group, these intermediaries are called the clergy, or ministry. If you consider them responsible for your relationship with God, you are "under their covering". This has become accepted as normal in Christianity today.
God's Spiritual Economy?
Just as the Curse of Cain specifies, one man must please another to be accepted and gain favor. Things done "decently and in order" are accomplished through "earning" the permission or blessing from the next level up: in doing so, you are "covered". The permission and acceptance of the men above you becomes your covering. It is said this is how business is conducted in a "spiritual economy".
In this kind of economy, one buys by giving the seller something the seller wants or needs. In this case, respect, power, and authority over your life often work quite well.
But is this a good thing?
Revelation 13:16-17
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
But why does the Bible say, "Buy the truth and sell it not" if this economy is evil? Doesn't it take both buying and selling to make an economy? A market will come to a screeching halt and the economy will crash if there is no flow. It will become a stagnant pond if people keep the truth for themselves. Why say, "Sell it not"?
It's because you're supposed to
GIVE IT AWAY!
Thought: So if you buy and don't sell, is it really an economy? This seems to be the way God wants it.
Crashing Babylon's Economy
When a preacher says that you have to "buy the truth" and "put in the time" by being in service every time the doors are open, you may be buying, but he is selling. He gets something out of the process. The Babylonish garment acts as a filter and takes something that is freely given and exacts a tax for re-distribution. I seem to remember that Jesus got upset at this kind of thing.
Matthew 21:12-14
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Proverbs 23:23
For preachers...
2 Timothy 1:6-8
Buying the Truth
How do you buy the truth?
After buying something that is free, how could one then have the audacity to sell what God freely gave? You should not force people to buy things through fear or intimidation. What God gives you, you need to pass on WITHOUT being paid in power or respect or even recognition. If others want or need what you have, they can buy it the same way you did... by choosing to use it. If you "don't buy it", then you don't use it. If you don't use it, you haven't bought it; period... that simple. When a person says, "I don't buy it", they haven't...and they are not responsible for it until they do.
See Manna, Old Corn & the Fruit of the Land
I suppose this means that some preachers are selling what they don't own. There are a couple of words for that too.
John 10:1
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
For preachers...
2 Timothy 1:6-8
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (Don't try to get more than that by selling through fear.)
See Sustaining Excitement Through Fear in The Shaking of the Body of Christ.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
God's Way of Commerce
God's way is completely different than Babylon's: First of all, we have nothing God either wants or needs... He has/owns it all. Therefore what God gives, He gives freely for the asking.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (Don't try to get more than that by selling through fear.)
See Sustaining Excitement Through Fear in The Shaking of the Body of Christ.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
God's Way of Commerce
God's way is completely different than Babylon's: First of all, we have nothing God either wants or needs... He has/owns it all. Therefore what God gives, He gives freely for the asking.
Romans 8:32
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Buying the Truth
How do you buy the truth?
To buy the truth, you have to use it. 'Tain't no good any other way. You gotta put your money where your mouth is.
After buying something that is free, how could one then have the audacity to sell what God freely gave? You should not force people to buy things through fear or intimidation. What God gives you, you need to pass on WITHOUT being paid in power or respect or even recognition. If others want or need what you have, they can buy it the same way you did... by choosing to use it. If you "don't buy it", then you don't use it. If you don't use it, you haven't bought it; period... that simple. When a person says, "I don't buy it", they haven't...and they are not responsible for it until they do.
See Manna, Old Corn & the Fruit of the Land
I suppose this means that some preachers are selling what they don't own. There are a couple of words for that too.
John 10:1
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
In regards to John 10:1, I've heard preachers say that they themselves are the "door" to their church...perhaps they are. Nobody gets in or out without going through them. In fact, if you leave and try to come back, you still have to go through them.
Who is the real "door" to Christ's church? Jesus is. If it has anything to do with God's way, His truth or any kind of life, it has to go through Jesus. Any man calling himself the 'door of this church' and has the power to decide if you can come in or not is usurping Jesus' place.
Remember it is the harlot who waits at the door of her house and controls who comes in or goes out.
Proverbs 9:13-18
In contrast to selling the truth for profit, we should be servants of the most high God, but not toot our own horn. Remember they conquered the Amorite by not saying anything; they were in complete silence.
Acts 16:17-19
In regards to John 10:1, I've heard preachers say that they themselves are the "door" to their church...perhaps they are. Nobody gets in or out without going through them. In fact, if you leave and try to come back, you still have to go through them.
Who is the real "door" to Christ's church? Jesus is. If it has anything to do with God's way, His truth or any kind of life, it has to go through Jesus. Any man calling himself the 'door of this church' and has the power to decide if you can come in or not is usurping Jesus' place.
Remember it is the harlot who waits at the door of her house and controls who comes in or goes out.
Proverbs 9:13-18
13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:
16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:
16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
In contrast to selling the truth for profit, we should be servants of the most high God, but not toot our own horn. Remember they conquered the Amorite by not saying anything; they were in complete silence.
Acts 16:17-19
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
Job 7:2
2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:
A servant does not want or need recognition; it is part of who they are. Their service is their identity and they are happy to stay in the background; the "shadow".
How do you buy something that is free? You pay a price by using it... putting it to practice in your own life, it becomes part of you, you chose it... you own it and you are responsible for it.
The Effects of a Babylonish Garment
What does a Babylonish garment actually do? The order that puts the ministry between Christ and the man blocks the glory of God. It’s an extra step. It is something that prevents Jesus direct access in planting His seed in His people.
A Babylonish garment is a spiritual condom.
1 Corinthians 11:7
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
Did Jesus ever break a commandment of God? When you have a Babylonish garment, you prevent Jesus from participating in God's plan for creation. You disallow Jesus to fulfill scripture. God is interested in a "Godly seed"; if Jesus had a child, wouldn't the child be a Godly seed by definition? What about the man child in
Revelation 12:5
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Malachi 2:15
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Revelation 12:17
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
This seed is the reason for everything, the reason God created the universe, the reason for the Bible, the reason He sent Jesus to die on the cross. Having a Babylonish Garment is an attempt to block God's purpose.
Man = Minister, Woman = Church?
Some have "typed and shadowed" the relationship between a man and a woman as the man being the minister and the woman being the church, but it doesn’t work this way. The type is incorrect for this reason:
The ministry was given to help God's church; given for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the Body of Christ. These gifts were given as helps. It doesn’t say anything about producing seed which is a main purpose for a man and part of a man's first commandment to be fruitful and multiply that was never rescinded. These five types of ministries were given as helps... not husbands.
A ministry is a service, not an entity
I am still having a hard time wrapping my brain around the concept that the ministry was NOT supposed to be a group of men, it is a work... a service to God's people. (...for the WORK of the ministry), i.e. for the work accomlished through ministering. The ministering is the important thing because it furthers God's goal. The job is important no matter who does it.
Instead, we have created "The Ministry" as an entity, much like we have "professional polititians" today that sometimes have their own agenda and do not represent or work for the people. We have changed the word "ministry" from a lower case verb to an upper case plural noun and the person is exalted rather than the service to mankind or to the church. Diplomats are sometimes called ministers, i.e. "Minister to China" etc... we capitalize the word and consider it a position of great power but to the country he is from, it is the service to his country that is important, not the prestige the man gets from the position.
To God, the ministering is the important thing. I cannot say He is pleased when a man takes pride in a position of authority and derives his identity from it. The wrong perspective allows a man to separate and set his peer group above his brother and opens the pathway towards abuse of God's people. It is the spirit of the Amorite.
I always hated it when "the ministry" were dismissed for dinner at conventions and "normal people" were "not allowed to eat" with them. I felt it would be an excellent use of their gifts to be allowed to mingle among the people to whom they were supposed to ministering. Even Jesus ate with publicans and sinners.
Those that minister are supposed to be eunuchs that can NOT pass on their own seed… ministering was given as a help to God's church, not an excuse for a man to become the head of God's church; the church already has a husband, Jesus. The men themselves are not the gift, the ministering is.
God is a jealous God. Having a Babylonish garment is the same thing as preventing Jesus access to His bride. Beware the man that treats Christ's church as his own and tries to plant his own seed. This is serious stuff.
God the head of Christ, Christ the head of the ministry, the ministry the head of the man and the man the head of the woman??? Using this perversion of order enabled religion to control and gain power over the saints that belong to God. God is a jealous God and this change of God’s plan changes the fact that a man that should be the spiritual leader for his family.
Having a Babylonish garment is the first thing that "kindles the anger of the Lord".
I must add: For "children" (those that are not mature enough yet to spiritually provide for themselves) having a man as their head, whether it is their father or a pastor is necessary, but it is considered a shame if a child never reaches maturity. For children, there is a period of grace while they grow. The ministry has this responsibility only "Till... Ephesians 4:11-13 they are no more children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
Remember, only children survived the 40 years in the wilderness and the adults could not take part in the Promised Land. Those same children had to grow up before they could cross over Jordan because only as self-responsible adults could they posess the land as an inheritance.
Crossing over Jordan as a spiritual adult responsible for your own walk with God is the first step in avoiding having the curse of Cain, the mark in Revelation 13:16-18
200 Shekels of Silver
Achan stole 200 shekels of silver. Why 200? Why be that specific? It must be important. God has dealt with me strongly in the past with numerology. For the life of me I could not remember anything in the Bible with the number 200. After asking others if they could think of anything with the number 200, I drew a blank. The only thing I could remember was that Jesus was betrayed with silver, 30 pieces to be exact. I got to wondering, "how many times can Jesus be betrayed with 200 pieces of silver?"
Try it out... 200 divided by 30 equals...
My jaw dropped as I saw the answer.
This is the second thing that "kindles the anger of the Lord".
A Wedge of Gold of Fifty Shekels Weight
The last thing Achan took was a wedge of gold. Gold represents good precious things from God; nuggets of truth. When fashioned by the hand of man into a wedge, these truths are used to divide (that’s what a wedge does) and dividing has always been the Lord’s domain. See Division and Unity. But the details go further than that.
The wedge of gold was of fifty shekels weight. The number 50 is related with the year of Jubilee when all the captives are set free, but also with the day of Pentecost when the 120 in the upper room were filled with the Holy Ghost and began speaking in tongues as the spirit gave utterance. Acts 2:4
When we use the nuggets of gold that God has given us to divide, saying “we have more of God”, or “We are better than them because we have the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, or THEY have to come to US” to reach their full potential in Christ, this is the sin of pride separating people, individuals or groups, we are committing a sin with a golden wedge. We are committing the sin of Achan. This is disobeying God’s commandment to love your brother.
"Brother David, are you telling me that my brother is more important than the gift of speaking in tongues?" Both Paul and Jesus thought so. In fact, Jesus put it in the form of a commandment.
1 Corinthians 13:8
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
A golden wedge of 50 shekels weight is the third thing that "kindles the anger of the Lord" and will cause us to fail as the people of God.
We may not be to the Battle of Jericho yet, but it is on the horizon. Things will get serious then; there won’t be any turning back.
God singled Achan out through a process that would probably baffle the statisticians by the odds. It pinpointed a man that would not admit his sin until singled out from millions of people.
Think of what the Children of Israel had to do to Achan and everything Achan had, to turn the Lord from the fierceness of His anger at the valley of Achor.
Achan was just one person; one Amorite seed left in the group that could have multiplied. That’s why it had to be destroyed.
1 Corinthians 5:6
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
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Other interesting subjects
Properties of Gold
Gold is exremely malleable. It is easy to shape by man into many different things for many different uses... all by man. God created gold, but when it is shaped by the hand of man, it looks nothing like God made in its raw form. In fact, once formed by man, it is impossible to return it to it's original state. It is ruined, but this does not mean it cannot be used for God's purposes.
There were many things made for the tabernacle and temple that were made of Gold. But in each case, very specific guidance given by God was necessary.
An Incorrect Pattern For A Church
An interesting thing I would like to point out when referring to Joshua 7:21 is that Achan duplicated a pattern for the Tabernacle in the Wilderness; silver was first with gold on top of that. Once the tabernacle had a covering of badger skins and that covering was in place, God could fill the Tabernacle.
Achan had his own tabernacle, he hid it deep in the dirt {dust thou art} in the center of his tent {heart}, but his worship was based on a foundation of silver {the betrayal of Jesus 6.66 times}, and the coins probably had the image {idol} of an Amorite on them. Matthew 22:20-21 Achan's covering was a Babylonish garment that BLOCKED the glory of the Lord.
Additional Reading: (Bonus Material)
I have never read anything about Jericho except in the Bible till after I wrote this particular Blog. Others have written about it, and I just found a few articles that were quite interesting.
Jericho, Holy Land
Jericho (Ariha in Arabic) is the oldest inhabited town in the world, dating back more than 10,000 years. It lies 260 meters (853 feet) below sea level, making it the lowest town on earth. http://www.atlastours.net/holyland/jericho.html
https://www.visionvideo.com/pdf/FallOfJericho_Script.pdf
