Carved in Stone 04

UNTOUCHED STONES

Deuteronomy 27:5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God: 7 And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God. 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.

You cannot make God perfect, He is perfect already.  When God killed animals to make Adam and Eve’s clothing to wear He was making the most important point mankind could ever understand and know (Genesis 3:21).  First, the wages of sin are death.  Romans 6:23 said it best and explained the part of Jesus in it all, but the point was well made in Genesis 3:21.  You can’t cover yourself with vegetables or fig leaves for that matter.  You can’t offer vegetables to God as a sin offering (Genesis 4:1-5) as Cain did.  It had to be a living animal just like Abel offered and whom Cain killed because God wouldn’t accept his sacrifice. 

Because God is perfect He needs a perfect sacrifice.  The animals used had to be without noticeable flaws.  If they were flawed, they were rejected.  Sadly, due to the greed of many priests it came to be that almost every animal brought to the temple was considered flawed and the people had to purchase “acceptable” animals from the priests.  They made extra income by selling animals to the people at a profit.  Jesus discussed this problem with them in John 2:13-16. 

The altar itself had to be holy.  It couldn’t have been built by the pride of man so the stones had to be in a natural state.  The law had to be written upon the stones used so it would not be forgotten.  This altar is another type of the Christ.  Not only is He our sacrifice, but He is also the altar.  He is made without human hands, He IS the Word of God and like the altar upon which the sacrifice is burned, surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted (Isaiah 53:4) just like the other sacrifices.  Jesus is both altar and sacrifice.  We used to lay our prayers at the altar, and now we pray in Jesus name.

FALSE STONES

Deuteronomy 29:16 (For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by; 17 And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:) 18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; 19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: 20 The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.

What is the great ‘stone’ in YOUR life?  For some it’s the love of money and for others giving and sacrifice.  It can be lust or prayer but there has to be some thing in our life that we believe in and pray to.  My stone is Christ Jesus.  I cast my prayers at HIS feet and not to some non-existent made up god.  If I had other stones in my life I would cast them at His feet as well.  Why?  Because all those false stones will burn up at the power and truth of God.  An example of this is found in 1 Kings 18:36-39 which says,

1 Kings 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

I’ll just bet they did!

Notice verse 20 above.  It says that those who worship idols (of any sort) will reap all the curses written for those who curse Israel and his name shall be blotted out of God’s book.  What are those curses?  It tells of them in Deuteronomy 28:16-68 (and you REALLY need to read them).  The blessings are from verses 3-14 but the curses go from verse 16-68, that is fifty two verses of curses. 

You know what?  I’ll go ahead and add them here.  I’d hate for you to miss God’s opinion of those who worship idols of stone (and other objects and materials).

Beginning in Deuteronomy 28:16 God says:  Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me. The Lord will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess. The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away. The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart. And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you. You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes. Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually. So you shall be driven mad because of the sight which your eyes see. The Lord will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. The Lord will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods; wood and stone. And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the Lord will drive you. You shall carry much seed out to the field but gather little in, for the locust shall consume it. You shall plant vineyards and tend them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off. You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity. Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land. The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever. Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the Lord your God has given you. You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you. The sensitive and very refined man among you will be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the rest of his children whom he leaves behind, so that he will not give any of them the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates. The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and sensitivity, will refuse to the husband of her bosom, and to her son and her daughter, her placenta which comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of everything in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates. If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, The Lord Your God, then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues; great and prolonged plagues; and serious and prolonged sicknesses. Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed. You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known; wood and stone. And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a resting place; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul. Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life. In the morning you shall say, “Oh, that it were evening!” And at evening you shall say, “Oh, that it were morning!” because of the fear which terrifies your heart, and because of the sight which your eyes see. And the Lord will take you back to Egypt in ships, by the way of which I said to you, “You shall never see it again.” And there you shall be offered for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.

There is only ONE way given for man to be saved and that way, that door is JESUS the Son of the Living God.  This is written to His beloved upon their faithlessness.  How much worse will it be for those who do not know God.  Worship God faithfully.  Do not allow any other thing to come between you and your God.  Sadly I can see portions that mark this and other nations even today.  We must pray beloved.

REMEMBRANCE STONES

Joshua 4:2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests 'feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

Has God ever done something for you that was incredible, amazing and miraculous?  What did you do to make sure you remembered it?  You might think, I’ll never forget what He did or what  I saw, but time causes all things to fade.  In Israel’s case, Joshua prayed and God piled the Jordan up in heaps until they all made it across.  It must have been incredible to see the bottom of a river that had been hidden for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.  The priests stood on dry ground holding the Ark of the Covenant above their shoulders. 

In the midst of this glorious miracle Joshua had the twelve greatest princes of the people build a heap of stones right where they stood.  They then took another twelve stones, as great as they could carry, and brought them to their camp.  Not one adult or child would ever forget the pile of stones now hidden as the waters reclaimed their channel.  They would look upon the placid waters of the river and know the honored altar below awaited a time when God might stop the river again to prove His Word. 

When they arrived in camp they built another pillar of stones and those stones would serve as a visible reminder of God’s miraculous passage.  God performs many miracles in our lives and He expects us to remember them and rejoice in them during the times of dryness and doubt.  There are pillars of stone in my life.  I’m a terrible journal keeper but I try from time to time to do so.  At one dark time in my life I discovered one dusty journal in my night stand.  As I read the pages that told of God’s miraculous love I was encouraged and able to press on with even greater faith.

I hope you will keep these markers in your life, whether journals or history quilts or heaps of stone in the yard.  It honors both God and our faith when we keep these treasures of the glorious and can help you make it across the desert times of your life. 

STONE OF OFFENSE

Joshua 7:24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

If you don’t know the event well, you should read Joshua 7:1-26.  Saints in many churches sing a song about Joshua who fought the battle of Jericho but that song is not fully correct.  Israel obeyed God and destroyed the evil of the people within Jericho, but GOD destroyed the city wall itself by pressing it flat into the earth so the people could walk right in.  I often hear the ignorant complain of Israel’s evil in destroying every man, woman and child within the city walls.  These people worshipped many false god’s and idols, and as we learned in FALSE STONES, God’s curses are not to be laughed at.  He was not willing to leave any poisonous pagan influences behind to act like leaven in His people.

Because God fought the battle, everything within the town was devoted to Him.  They were not allowed to save the young virgins for brides or keep any of the gold, silver or other items of any value.  Those objects were to be placed into the tabernacle treasury for the maintenance of the priests.  God was their lot and He cared for their needs.  What was given to God and devoted to God was considered holy and unpolluted.  If any idols were made of gold or silver they would have been smashed and melted down.

Achan was one of the warriors who fought valiantly that day.  God will often allow us to come across our temptations to strengthen us though He Himself does not tempt us (James 1:13).  Upon entering one of the businesses or homes Achan discovered a beautiful garment that was probably made of silks and encrusted with gems.  There was a wedge of gold and other items as well.

Rather than placing these items in the church treasury he coveted them longingly and hid them in his tent.  His wife and children had to have known.  Women in Israel usually remained in or near their tents and she must have been anxious to see her husband return from the battle.  On that day she might have become one of the women of faith in Israel had she spoken to Joshua or one of the tribal princes, or even tried to talk her husband out of the theft, but she did not.  Her husband’s covetous greed had infected her as well.  The curses of God would poison their household as well as the skill and courage of the nation.

When they moved on to their next town of Ai, it seemed to be a simple thing to destroy it.  They picked out only a few thousand men to destroy this small village and after the battle 36 men of Israel lay dead.  This was a shocking thing for a people who had not endured a single death destroying the great Jericho.  They immediately did what they should have done before the battle.  Joshua had the priests speak to God and discovered there was sin in the camp.  Someone had trespassed against God. 

As it says in Malachi 3:8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this WHOLE NATION. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

The very curse God warned them of in Deuteronomy had settled over the WHOLE NATION because of one man’s sin.  I’m sure many were saying, “If Achan realized his error, why wasn’t he allowed to repent and get right with God?”  His actions were directly responsible for thirty six of his fellow men dying on the battlefield.  His wife and children bore his sin as it said in Deuteronomy 5:9.  Ezekiel 18:2 speaks of a proverb that says the father’s have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.  This was changed when Christ came and spoken of in Jeremiah 31:29-30.  After this mankind was responsible for his sins alone, but here God was trying to teach his people that they were responsible for one another.

We are to fall upon Christ and be broken, contrite and obedient.  If we refuse the stone will fall upon us and crush us to powder.  Achan refused to control his own lust for wealth and the stone fell upon him and his family.  God’s mercy is not unlimited.  We would do well to bear that in mind when we choose to sin against Him by our actions or our heart.

WITNESS STONE

Joshua 24:26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God. 28 So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance. 29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

In Luke 19:40 Jesus Himself stated that if the people refused to shout Hosanna the stones themselves would cry out.  When Cain slew Abel his blood cried out.  When someone’s ear was held against the doorpost of the house, the door and doorpost bore silent witness on behalf of the house that someone had permanently sold themselves into service of the house.  In this case Joshua (a type of Christ), had just finished writing down the blessings, miracles and glory of God toward the children of Israel and he took a great stone to be a marker and a witness between God and Israel.

Did you know that according to Hebrew tradition, the oak tree that Joshua attached the stone beneath was the same oak tree that Jacob buried all his household’s false gods in Genesis 35:1-4 when he promised to follow and obey all God’s commandments.  Joshua has chosen to build upon that testimony and link his scriptural account of God’s power and providence toward Israel to the very tree that Jacob, one of the three great patriarchs, had chosen to bury his past.  One day someone may find that specific tree and locate the wealth buried beneath it. 

Joshua stated that not only did the stone bear witness of their vow to continue serving God and obeying His Words, but that God Himself would hold them responsible for their obedience to keep that word.  I can imagine it was a bittersweet moment in the life of Joshua.  He knew he was too old to continue and that God had not prepared a replacement.  It was time to release those who wished to return home, especially those from the other side of the Jordan river.  I imagine there was more than a bit of sadness on his part that he had done all he could but the rest was up to them.  With that in mind Joshua died, at the age of one hundred and ten.

After Joshua had been buried and everyone went to their own cities, the great stone pillar remained behind to bear mute witness to the vows made on that final day.  It is equally true that God would hold the people responsible for their vows and that the Lord can probably read and hear their every word through His own experience having been there as well as recorded within the structure of the stone.  Their very words were captured, recorded as if upon a magnetic tape, within the great stone.  Perhaps only God could read those words, but God alone is the one who will hold us responsible for our every word and in His grace and mercy will also remind us of them and stir us to action on His behalf.

Jesus is the chief corner stone.  He is the stone that the builders’ rejected.  Throughout Israel’s history, the stone has been an implement of truth, lies, judgment and honor.  

Are you a stone of honor beloved?

Bishop J

Carved In Stone 03

JUDGMENT STONE

Leviticus 20:26 And ye shall be holy unto me :for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine 27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.

Notice that it says that we are to be holy as God is holy and that He has SEVERED us from other people.  The Hebrew word used is badal, which means utter separation.  When Christian or even Jewish churches and temples lower their standards of holiness or adherence to God’s Word they also lower their anointing (power) and their witness and effect upon those outside the church.  For all their complaining of Christian ideals and beliefs, people who need a change in their lives will come to a church that is truly different from where they currently are.  They need a change and recognize that someone with the same lifestyle as they are currently living cannot help them make that change.  They need a holiness church, a church of power.

As much as they might like to avoid it or even disagree, my children behave a lot like I do in various life circumstances.  It is certain that we will behave like those who taught us our most important life lessons.  God wants you to learn these life lessons to the uttermost of His Word so we will behave like Him during difficult seasons.  He is absolutely insistent that we would study to show ourselves approved and unashamed.  To do this we must have our minds renewed by His Word.

What about those who say they want to be a part of us, to live with us and obtain the blessings and rewards of this lifestyle.  What about those who say they do but actually do not?  What do we do when they bring in familiar and demonic spirits by their disobedience and even threaten the sanctity of the church?  How do we protect ourselves from their destructive influences? 

According to God these people have forfeited their lives by bringing these demonic influences into the house of God.  In Old Testament times these bringers of filth, destruction and demonic spirits would have been stoned to death (remember we are speaking of those in the household of faith as in the nation of Israel).  In Christ, God insists they be forcibly removed from the fellowship and sent out for ‘the destruction of their flesh’ until they can learn not to blaspheme or hold false doctrines.  As you can see, God’s punishment for this sin has not changed.  We do have a higher level of grace through Christ and complete repentance can bring renewed fellowship.

The diverse communities of unsaved men and women living among us are not included in this commandment; only we who dwell in the household of faith in God.  He has never changed the ultimate outcome for those who sin and if they continue and fail to repent, their blood remains upon their own heads.  Remember … either we fall on the stone and are broken, saved and made profitable, or the stone will fall and crush the life out of us.  This is the final end of ALL mankind.

Just to make a point I would like to revisit the previous (last) paragraph.  Did you notice the unsaved among us are not included in this commandment?  There is no holiness in them and cannot be no matter how much they try to act good (Isaiah 64:6).  Did you notice that the ultimate outcome for sinners has never changed (death and hell) and that their blood remains (as it has always rested) upon their own heads?  Did you notice that ALL mankind must fall upon the stone (which is Christ, Isaiah 28:16-17), or else they cannot be saved (Acts 4:11-12)? 

I am not God, and yet every sentence I write in these lessons is important and makes an important point because the Lord impressed them upon my heart.  Depending on how much someone consecrates and studies, the levels deepen and grow.  How much more does every sentence, every name, number, letter, color and every breath that God puts into His scriptures matter?  God is forever anointed and deeper than the universe we live in.  His Torah, His Scripture is equally deep.  Be attentive to every scripture you study to discover the uttermost.

Leviticus 24:10 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; 11 And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. 12 And they brought him unto Moses:(and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) 13 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 14 Bring forth him that hath cursed (the Lord) without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.  16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death. 17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

Remember, this is written to Israelites; not sinners from other nations and certainly not to Christians…it’s written to Israelites.  I feel impressed to stress this comment.  The Jews had certain laws that were for them and them alone, and then they had laws for anyone living in Israel, Jew or Gentile.  This passage actually begins in verse 10 where a young man who was half Israelite and half Gentile cursed God.  God had him put to death because he cursed God within the camp of God while arguing with another Israelite. 

I find it telling that the young man’s name was not given but his mother, grandfather and tribal names were.  When you place them together they say that, ‘Peaceableness’ is the daughter of ‘My Word’ which is ‘The Judge.’  The young man did not heed the peaceable law of God and began to fight and blaspheme in his anger.  Had he been gracious or more calm he might have simply been chastened.  Instead he not only rose up against his brother Israelite but against God.  Perhaps he was taunted for his half Egyptian heritage but that is no excuse before God.  You might ask why his name was not given.  Perhaps it does not matter.  When God sends someone to Hell He forgets about them.  To Him they no longer exist.  To themselves they are in torment.

After the accusation they waited until the next day to receive God’s ruling.  Once the judgment was given he was taken outside the camp so his sins would not infect the camp.  He was judged by God’s law and put to death.  God’s punishment for cursing His name is the same yesterday, today and forever.  That is correct.  God will send you to Hell for blaspheming today just as He has for all human history.  During this time of grace you have an opportunity to repent and be saved, but if you choose not to you will pay the final, awful price. 

It is said that the death penalty is no deterrent to crime.  I disagree.  The death penalty is 100% effective in preventing repeat offenses and it serves as a warning to others that especially vicious crimes will not be tolerated.  There are always reasons (excuses) for committing crimes or killing your fellow man.  There are also reasons (valid and necessary) for killing your fellow man.  In many parts of the world the reasons are religious and questionable and in others it is for true crimes such as murder or child molestation.  A nation that winks at and ignores crime and sin is a nation that will grow worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:12-13).

God’s punishment for abominable acts like homosexuality or bearing false witness is the same yesterday, today and forever…but…it is in abeyance, put on hold during this time of grace.  Christ died for us to be saved.  God is willing to suffer our disrespect and evil words during this dispensation of grace so we might repent and be forgiven.  When Christ came to the synagogue and read the prophet Isaiah, He did not finish the passage He was reading.  The passage read:

Luke 4:20 (Referencing Isaiah 61:1-2).  “1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD,”

The comma that Jesus used to pause there has lasted two thousand years since Jesus said it.  There will come a time when God decides enough grace has been offered and Jesus will come, standing upon the mount of Olives and destroying all those who have for so long ignored and opposed God’s will.  On that day He will finish that verse by saying, “…and THE day of vengeance of our God.”  When that happens, all those who say it doesn’t take holiness or that God is too loving to punish their unrepentant sins will discover just how HOLY God is.  They will die in their sins.

In the passage above (Leviticus 24:14) we see the people laying their hands upon the head of the one they heard speaking blasphemous words.  The reason for this is to transfer what they heard and experienced upon the one who committed the sins and to profess before all that they did indeed hear the accused blaspheming God and their witness was true.  I imagine God’s punishment for someone who bears false witness is extreme.  Once you had lain hands upon them and placed the blame for what you heard upon the one who sinned, you were expected to follow through and together with the others, stone that man or woman to death.

PERFECT STONES

Deuteronomy 9:9 When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: 10 And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

Fasting is a powerful, life changing tool in the life of the believer.  In this case there were no animals upon the mountain or even water to be a temptation.  Without the miraculous working power of God, Moses would have died.  Jesus fasted forty days and nights but scripture says He was hungry afterwards, not thirsty.  Moses dwelt in the presence of God until his face glowed, his body became almost glorified.  The companion scripture for this is Exodus 34:28-35.  The people were terrified by the presence of God on the mountain and frightened by the glow on Moses’ face when he came down forcing him to wear a veil.  He was a symbol, a remez of the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17:1-7.  God not only carved the two stone tablets and wrote on them, but he birthed the entire Torah and the plans for the Tabernacle into Moses heart so perfectly that Moses wrote them down breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat, letter by letter and space by space, as he received it from God.

REPLACEMENT STONES

Deuteronomy 10:1 At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. 2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. 3 And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. 4 And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gave them unto me.  5 And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the Lord commanded me. 6 And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera:there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead. 7 From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbath, a land of rivers of waters. 8 At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day. 9 Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him

The first stones God gave to Moses were freely given and open for all to see.  Had Israel not sinned they may have been placed where the men could look upon them and remind themselves of God’s law and it would have made walking before God much easier.  It is possible that Moses broke the tablets in a fit of rage but more likely that God chose to have them broken as Israel broke their covenant with the golden calf.  God knew they would sin.  In scripture we often see God’s people (Christian or Jew) do something foolish and then God is forced to deal with that situation.  We ought to remember that God always knows in advance what we are going to do and has prepared our chastening AND our redemption in advance.

Never forget that the first time God offers His assistance or blessings they are usually obtained without difficulty.  When we fail Him there is a period of silence where He lets us consider our failure after which He makes a way out of our predicament.  The way out, the redemption if you will, is almost always more difficult than the first blessing.  God tests us to see if we are going to obey this time and the test is ALWAYS harder than the original way.  Before you blame the Jews for being hard heads and difficult, failing to follow the 613 laws of the Torah, remember that all mankind was cursed because Adam and Eve could not follow one simple law.  God told them not to partake of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and they disobeyed. 

In this case God had Moses hew two brand new tablets exactly like the first and then create a box to place them in.  From this time on the tablets would not be where the people of God could actually see them.  They had to learn the laws and keep them on their hearts without that external reminder.  Eventually the tablets themselves would be housed in an ornate box along with Aaron’s rod that budded and a bowl of manna.  An even more ornate golden Mercy Seat would be built to cover the ark and not even the High Priest would be allowed to look upon the sacred objects.  Our God is an invisible God and expects us to obey by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

I have often said that there is always a reason for how God places words in His Torah.  In this case the passage continues with verse six and if you continue reading you will see that immediately after this Israel moved on from Beeroth-bene-jaakan (the wells of the sons of Jaakan) to Moserah (bonds).  Aaron was taken down as High Priest and died.  What is the significance of this?  Some sources say that Ja-akan means twisted or wrested from Akan.  They went to Moserah which means bonds.

Another way of stating this would be that the wells of water were wrested away from Aaron and he was brought to bonds for his sins with the golden calf.  God could no longer use him as High Priest and wrested the ephod from him and gave it to his son Eleazar (God has helped/Comforter).  God took the priesthood from a weak High Priest and gave it to the Comforter.  Jesus is our great High Priest and has also given us the Comforter to dwell with us and help us. 

From here Israel traveled from Gudgodah (The Slashing Place) to Jotbath (Pleasant Place).  To put this all together, God FREELY gave Israel His law and they smashed it before they had even received it from Moses through their idolatry.  He made a way of repentance but the law was hidden from their eyes and He took Aaron from the wells of water to bonds and death.  The people also were chastened at Gudgodah the slashing place before God relented and brought them to Jotbath, a pleasant place with running waters.  All this pain and grief could have been prevented had they been faithful in the first place. 

God originally wanted Israel to be a nation of priests but they abdicated that honor when they told Moses they could not bear to hear God’s voice (Exodus 20:19-20).  Because of Aaron’s sin Levi was forever kept on a short leash.  They would not inherit as the rest of Israel did but would live day by day in faith believing God for their sustenance.  This caused some difficulties during the times when Israel was living in sin and failed to pay their tithes and offerings.  There were times when the priests were hungry and destitute and God’s house was laid waste.  One might consider this a terrible price to pay but it became a symbol of the Christian lifestyle.  We gentiles are the worst sinners and God expects us to live by faith.  If we do so and obey we will be cared and provided for.

God acknowledges that we are always weak and unable to follow His commandments without help.  He has provided help in the guise of the Holy Spirit and the redemptive power of Christ.  Proverbs 24:16 says that a righteous man may fall seven times but he gets back up.  Have you struggled?  Have you failed the test and missed the mark?  Get back up beloved and press on again.  You can make it.

Bishop J

Carved In Stone 02

UNPOLLUTED STONE

Exodus 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

God is Holy.  When we press hard to make something beautiful for Him and create something special it isn’t the object that impresses God; it is our heart.  David wasn’t allowed to build the first temple because his hands were bloody from all his years as a soldier.  God was impressed by his desire to build it but could not allow someone with his violent past to do so.  David provided millions of dollars worth of gold, silver, bronze and precious gems for the building but they all were unworked, uncut and unpolluted.  Cleaner hands than his would build a house for the ark of the covenant. 

When it came time for Moses and Aaron to build an altar, God understood that they would one day wish to build a more permanent one for their sacrifices.  We should look at verse 25 closely because it is important.  My late apostle always kept his car clean and treated his office and the church he built the same way.  Why?  Because they were a gift from God and he wanted God to know he was appreciative of that gift.  Israel, the people of God, were saved by faith just as we are but the saving work of Jesus had not yet taken place. 

We are holy before God by Christ’s sacrifice and when we do a work for God He sees Jesus in us and withholds judgment.  Since the holy work of Jesus abides (lives) within us, God can abide within us.  Jews were holy only if they kept the law perfectly and nobody could ever fully keep the law.  A Jewish man once told me that the only time a Jew could feel truly ‘safe’ with God was on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  Jesus died for us (our own Yom Kippur Sacrifice) one time…forever (1 Peter 3:18).  His sacrifice was perfect and freed us from this body of flesh by faith.  Because we are eternally holy by faith in the sacrifice of Christ, the Spirit of God is able to dwell in this temple of our bodies.  God’s Spirit did not dwell in the Jews because their bodies were not perfected in Christ.  Any work they did had to be made ceremonially clean by ceremonial means before being accepted in God’s presence.

Since the bodies of the Jews were not cleansed perfectly in Christ, the work they did was not perfect either.  A sacrifice had to be CEREMONIALLY perfect to be accepted by God and if the altar was polluted the sacrifice was polluted.  The stones, if stones were to be used, had to be holy, in the same state that God created them when He created the earth.  You could build a fire pit out of stones, but not using dressed or man shaped stones.  They had to be raw stones.  In the same manner God would not allow the stones that built the actual temple to be dressed (cut) at the site of the temple because the temple SITE was holy.  They had to be perfectly measured and cut hundreds of miles away and shipped to the site for assembly. 

God will not accept or inhabit polluted stones.  The High Priests from Aaron to Caiaphas (John 11:45) had to wear their ephod perfectly.  It had to be clean, flawless in its arrangement and each item had to be correct.  The High Priest wore two onyx stones as clasps over his shoulder and each stone had the names of six of the tribes of Israel inscribed upon them.  In this manner he carried Israel upon his shoulders at all times.  The breastplate he wore had twelve stones upon it.  Each of those stones were engraved with a tribe name so Israel would always be upon his heart.  A final plate of pure gold was tied to his hat and HOLY UNTO THE LORD was inscribed on it.  When God saw those items, especially the golden plate, He did not look further into the heart of the High Priest.  At that point any sins or pollution in the High Priest’s own heart were winked at and ignored for the sake of the office he held. 

This is why God did not strike down Aaron in Numbers 12 though He struck Miriam with leprosy for her sin.  He did not strike him down for creating a golden calf in Exodus 32 either, but as soon as Moses removed his priestly garments and gave them to Aaron’s son Eleazar, Aaron died.  In spite of all his flaws and sins, God would not punish him as long as he stood in the office of High Priest.  When he died, his sins were covered because of the works of the next High Priest, but his life ended.  This continuing parade of High Priests throughout Israel’s history prevented God from sending those who trusted in blood sacrifice to Hell.  The ceremonial office with the ceremonial ‘forgiveness’ allowed God to set judgment aside until Christ came and filled the actual office and through His blood brought REAL salvation.

TABLES OF STONE

Exodus 24:12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.  13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.

I would like to have seen the first two stones God carved the ten commandments upon.  Were they smooth or rough, perfect in their straightness or with an organic flowing look?  We don’t know because Moses did not describe them other than to tell us about the ten laws.  Most pictures I have seen show them flat on the bottom and curved on top.  Some describe them as rectangular but rough edged.  At this time in history most people wrote upon clay tablets because the soft clay was easy to inscribe and would be hard and durable when dry. 

Few used stone because of the work involved inscribing it.  Our God is also Lord of the subatomic.  He might have used a figurative finger to inscribe the two tablets or He might have simply released the molecular bonds of the stone where He wanted the words to appear.  Such an act would have released great heat and light.  That same heat and light upon the mount of God caused Moses to say, “I exceedingly fear and tremble (Hebrews 12:18-21).”  Jewish tradition states the stone tablets were rectangular and that the letters were bored completely through the tablets so they could never be worn down.  The tablets are said to be made of sapphire stone or lapis lazuli.  When I consider that my watch has a sapphire crystal over the hands because of its hardness and strength, it makes me want to see the originals even more.

You have to wonder if God’s tablets were smoother or rougher than the ones Moses carved.  Few things in nature are alike, people, trees, rocks, etc.  God seems to revel in diversity and I can imagine the original stone tablets were each unique and peculiar to God in some manner.  Ultimately those broken God given stones were placed within the ark of the covenant along with the unbroken stones cut by Moses.  I would have loved to see them.

HEART FULL OF STONES

Exodus 28:17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

We normally consider someone to be sensitive if they have a tender heart and not a heart of stone; in fact Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26 says that God will take our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh.  In the case of the High Priest however it is a matter of remembrance and not actual heart.  He is to hold each individual tribe in his heart as if they are his children and he is their father.  The stones are arranged in four rows of three stones which represents the complete authority of God and His triune nature.

There are four directions, North, South, East and West; four seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.  The four winds blow throughout the earth and four faces upon the cherubim who carry the throne of God (Ezekiel 1).  Three represents the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  It also represents prophet, priest and king.  The High Priest stood in Christ’s position until they were replaced by Jesus our Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 5:6, 10, 6:20, 7:11, 17, 21).  In that position Christ is prophet, priest and king over all the earth. 

There has been some question whether the twelve tribes include Levi or if Joseph is represented by Manasseh and Ephraim and Levi is left out.  I believe there is good reason to understand the twelve tribes represented are the very twelve sons born to Jacob which include Levi and Joseph.  The High Priest is expected to pray for all Israel and that includes Levi too.  Remember, God does things in many levels and the stones used and their layout means something.  It is the honor of kings to search out a matter (Proverbs 25:2).  Keep searching.  When you study ask yourself what significance the numbers mean or what do the names mean.  It’s important and most Bible helps don’t translate proper names so you have to be diligent.

STONE OF WISDOM

Exodus 31:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you

See, I have called…place your name here…and filled him with the Spirit of God, ability, intelligence, knowledge and all craftsmanship.  Sometimes in your life God tells your pastor or church leader what your calling is and sometimes He just tells you.  Moses had a task to perform but he couldn’t do it himself.  Bezalel the son of Uri and Hur was a master craftsman.  God did not like tool marks marring the stones used for ephods or in the sanctuary.  They had to be flawless and express the beauty of God and His holiness.  Moses was a statesman, priest, prophet  and lawgiver.  He had an ear to hear so God could speak to him and lead him while he lead Israel.  Sadly, he had a temper and was impulsive too which kept him from the promised land until after his death.  In spite of those flaws God said he was more meek than any man (Numbers 12:3) which allowed him to walk without pride or haughtiness. 

Moses had a flaw that we should all be aware of and take care for.  He misread a situation and disobeyed God while trying to defend God.  There are churches today that preach hatred and anger to those of other religions.  They seem to be defending God rather than allowing God to defend Himself.  Even in the Old Testament when God ordered His people to destroy certain nations down to their last man, woman and child, it wasn’t because God was unable to act against wayward souls.  Israel was tasked with destroying those with flawed soresh (souls).  Noah had a perfect soresh and was considered tamim (perfect) in all his generations.  That means he had no demonic or angelic pollution in his family tree.  Satan had not polluted them as he had so many others.

When we today try to live our lives by Old Testament standards of the Law (Torah), we fail to acknowledge the great work of Christ to draw all mankind to Him.  Jesus does not want the Muslims and Hindus of the world destroyed, He wants them converted.  You do not draw souls to the love of God by murder, anger and outrage.  You draw them by love.  False religions, homosexuality, rampant sexuality and sin are all attacks against God and His Holiness, but they are challenges to be met with love, grace, mercy and overcome by the power and miraculous life changing ability of God.  When we respond in fear, anger or outrage we fail God.  He has placed great abilities within us and expects us to discover them and embrace them for His kingdom.

It’s obvious from Exodus 6:30 that Moses had no faith in himself or his speaking abilities.  In the beginning of his ministry he leaned heavily on his brother but Aaron lacked Moses’ integrity.  Shortly after Moses first encounters with Pharaoh you don’t hear Aaron speaking again.  The Spirit of God rose up within him and he was greater than any other because of it.  That same Spirit and anointing did not apply to carpentry and gem cutting.  Joshua and Caleb were great men of war but they were never the statesmen that Moses was.  Each of us have the gifts God has placed in our lives and should stick to them.

Notice what God says in the passage above:  …I have called…I have filled …I have appointed.  GOD CHOSE.  GOD EMPOWERED.  GOD MADE THE CONNECTIONS.  Moses never had a labor pool problem.  God had perfected the lively stones who were supposed to work with him.  Because he heard God he knew who the workers in his midst were.  His father-in-law came and offered Moses some good advice because that was his gift.  He taught him how to delegate the load of providing counsel to the nation to others of wisdom.  Moses taught the leaders and the leaders taught the people.  Has God called you to be a lively stone in His kingdom?  Has He called you to a place of wisdom? 

I recognize my strengths…writing, counseling, preaching, praying…but I also recognize my weaknesses.  I am not a financial genius or the most empathic of saints.  Those aren’t gifts God has given me and I don’t really see Him building them in at this stage of my life.  My prayer is that God will put people with those gifts in my life and link them to what God is doing in me so the work of God will not suffer for their lack. 

You cannot do it all.  There is no shame in doing your part and giving honor to someone else for doing theirs.  Giving them honor for their gifts does not lessen you in your gifts.  Bezalel will be honored forever in the Torah for his skill as will Moses but they could never have done each other’s job.  Give honor where honor is due.  Give substance to those who bless you in profound ways.  Let your gifts make room for you and let God knit you together with others in love.  If we do this we will not have lack and every task will get done.  What would have happened if Bezalel had said, “I don’t want to do that kind of stuff.  I want to sing in the choir!”  We need to know what God expects and be the best He has made us.  True fulfillment comes from the knowledge that we will one day hear, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

DISEASED STONES

Leviticus 14:39 And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house; 40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:

Leviticus 14 is full of laws for cleansing lepers.  Science would have you believe that leprosy is strictly a medical condition like AIDS or the flu but my Bible lets me know that they are all spiritual conditions that lead to medical ones.  Israel had remarkably fewer diseases and physical defects than any other nation when they were serving God faithfully.  His promise was that he would not put those diseases upon them as He did to Egypt (Exodus 15:26).  For those who serve God He is the Lord that HEALS!  I have read Exodus 15:26 in five different English translations and the Hebrew and it still reads the same.  God PUTS the diseases upon those who refuse to seek and serve Him.  It is one of His ways to chasten us.

The other day Pastor Rick Warren said that a Christian who refuses to acknowledge God’s laws and declares their intention to keep on sinning in spite of God’s clear and unambiguous word should be thrown out of the church until they repent.  He quoted 1 Corinthians 5:5 in this matter.  Why would a loving and gracious God want His own children to be cast out of the assembly until their flesh is troubled and possibly even destroyed?  That seems more than drastic, it seems mean spirited and unloving doesn’t it?

Not at all. 

In the United States the AIDS epidemic arrived through homosexuals and drug abusers.  These people in turn shared their dirty needles and sexual practices to others and transmitted the disease to those others.   In many cases men cheated on their wives with other women or even other men and gave their righteous wives the terrible diseases.  In some cases it worked the other way and cheating wives gave the disease to their honorable husbands.  This caused many women to bear children who carried a deadly disease from birth.  As a country we chose to blame nature for this disease rather than sexual practices that went completely against God’s plan for our lives.  We have turned the homosexual community from the pariah of sexual sin to a protected group through politics and slick advertisements. 

God warned us that He would allow diseases (note the word itself ‘dis=against’ and ‘ease=comfort’ or against comfort) to come upon us if we refused to obey Him fully and completely.  In other words, God will take away your comforts if you refuse to serve and obey Him, especially those who bear His name and publically declare to serve Him.  These diseases are not to destroy us but because we have refused to serve Him.  He is the God who heals us and awaits our return to do just that.  The reason we are to separate ourselves from those who have committed these sins is so their spiritual and natural consequences do not fall upon us.  If we stand with those who commit these sins, God says it is as if we are a co-partaker of these sins ourselves.

Too many Americans and probably those from other nations as well believe that God is the great cosmic lover who cares for us so much that He would not even allow difficulty to come against us.  This foolish idealistic belief in God is why so many feel they can look up to heaven and say, “Forgive me Father for I have sinned,” and then go right back to their sinning.  While it’s true that you can commit terrible sins and through repentance be cleansed of your guilt, there will be a price to pay afterward, especially if you do not actually cease. 

In Israel, leprosy first attacked those who ceased faithfully serving God and then spread to the very stones of their homes and their clothing.  It started small and spread, just like sin.  If you stayed in close proximity to them the disease would spread to you as well.  Lepers were required to cover themselves and cry “unclean” when anyone was around.  They were also put without the camp.  Mankind has a powerful desire to blame someone else for their hardships and sins.  We never want to take responsibility for our own actions but God insists that we do.  You cannot avoid the judgment of God for your sins whether you are saved or not.  If not, you are judged for all your sins and if you are saved, you are chastened as a disobedient child.  This is why God said, “Come out from among them and be ye separate (2 Corinthians 6:17).” 

Beloved, be not deceived, God is not mocked.  Whatsoever a man sows, that will he reap (Galatians 6:7)!  Sow holiness and righteousness beloved.

Bishop J