All About You: Gideon, Chapter 35

ALL ABOUT YOU: GIDEON, CHAPTER 35

STRETCH OUT THINE HAND (POWER, FAITH, BELIEF)

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06-13-04

(Exo 14:19,20) And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud [a column (as standing)] went from before their face [to lead them], and stood behind them [to protect them]: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these [How?]: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

1. (Exo 13:21,22) And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light [illumination]; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. [Joel 2:1,2]

THE PATHWAY OF JESUS IS THE WAY TO HEAVEN

(Exo 14:21,22) And Moses [a man of great faith – a shepherd (a type of Jesus, the good shepherd)] stretched out his hand [power, faith, belief] over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind [the Holy Spirit] all that night, and made the sea dry land [a path, avenue, road, highway to walk on], and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground [a prepared way]: and the waters were a wall [to join; a wall of protection] unto them on their right hand, and [a wall] on their left.

1. What would have happened to the children of Israel if they had refused to go into the sea, if they had refused to enter into the supernatural?

2. To the natural eyes (no faith) of the Egyptian hunters, there appeared to be a gap in the sea through which the vulnerable Israelites were fleeing in fear, and thinking themselves the same as the Israelites (equal but superior), they pursued their prey. To the spiritual eyes (little faith) of the Israelites [sheep], God had created an escape route (door) in the sea from certain death (Exo 14:9-12).

3. (John 3:7,8) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again [from above; anew]. The wind [pneuma] bloweth where it listeth [chooses, desires], and thou hearest the sound thereof [saying or language:--noise, sound, voice], but canst not tell whence [from where] it cometh, and whither [where] it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit [pneuma; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze – (wind)].

4. (John 14:1-6) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe [have faith] in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house [household, family] are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus [“and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” John 1:14] saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. [i.e. the Bible; the “way” to heaven is through Jesus – He is “the door” (John 10:7,9), He stands in “the gap” (Ezek 22:30) for us, He is the “good shepherd” (John 10:11) who leads us into heaven]

5. (Eph 5:26) That he [Jesus] might sanctify and cleanse it [the church] with the washing of water by the word [rhema; i.e. with revelations of Himself: John 1:14; the word is water – the Red (reed) sea],

6. (1 Cor 3:6,7) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

7. (2 Tim 2:15) Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [to make a straight cut, to dissect (expound) correctly (the divine message] the word of truth.

WOE UNTO THOSE WHO ENTER THE GAP (DOOR) BY VIOLENCE

(Exo 14:23) THESE HAVE ALREADY ENTERED IN: And the Egyptians [the unsaved – the world religions] pursued [to run after (usually with hostile intent):--chased, put to flight, followed, hunted, persecuted], and went in after them to the midst of the sea [i.e. worldly doctrines: false religions, and false Christian denominations – tares, have infiltrated the hedge of God’s Word, the Body of Christ, the church, “till the whole was leavened” Mat 13:33], even all Pharaoh's horses [natural things of power controlled by men], his chariots [man-built things of power controlled by men], and his horsemen [powerful controlling men (mighty men) – controlled by Pharaoh].

1. (Mat 11:12) And from the days of John the Baptist [symbol of the Old Testament] until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force [our Christian covering, the church – the hedge of God’s Word].

2. THESE SEEK TO ENTER IN: (Gen 19:9-11) And they [the homosexuals: symbolic of violent (perverted) doctrine – night: a twist away of the light, adversity] said [to Lot: a veil, covering: “that righteous man” 2 Pet 2:8], Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee [to spoil (lit. by breaking to pieces): afflict, do harm, do hurt (do violence)], than with them [the two angels]. And they pressed sore [vehemently] upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men [the two angels] put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house [of God – the true church] to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men [the homosexuals] that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves [tired: faint, grieved] to find the door. [Luke 17:26-30: denotes two major signs of the end-times - as it was in the days of Noah (preaching the Gospel of salvation - ignored), and in the days of Lot (raging homosexuality)]

3. (Mark 13:13,14) And ye shall be hated [detested (espec. persecuted)] of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not [“stand in the holy place” Mat 24:15], (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

4. abomination = Gk: a detestation, i.e. (spec.) idolatry /// (to stink); to be disgusted, i.e. (by impl.) detest (espec. of idolatry):--abhor, abominable.

5. desolation = Gk: despoliation /// to lay waste /// lonesome: desert, desolate, solitary, wilderness.

6. (Rom 1:25) [“God gave them over to a reprobate mind (rejected, worthless: castaway)” Rom 1:28] Who changed the truth of God into a lie [perverted doctrine], and [who] worshipped and served the creature [i.e. that which was created by God – man (idolatry – the abomination of desolation – Lucifer fell because of idolatry – he worshipped himself] more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

THE JUDGMENT

(Exo 14:24-31) And it came to pass, that in the morning watch [dawn, break of day] the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off [plucked away] their chariot wheels [i.e. counterfeit powers of the Holy Spirit], that they drave them heavily [difficultly /// greviously]: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand [power, faith, belief] over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand [power, faith, belief] over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared [the Son, the second advent]; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel [he will rule as God] walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and [a wall] on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and [feared and believed] his servant Moses [Obad 21].

1. (Prov 2:8,9)) He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

2. (Prov 8:20) I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

3. (Prov 12:28) In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

Amen