who were a group of 37 men who fought with King David?
To answer this question we must journey back to a confrontation recorded in:
1 Samuel 4:6 On hearing the noise of the shout, the Philistines asked, “What is this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?” And when they realized that the ark of the LORD had entered the camp,
I Samuel 4:7: And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp and they said Woe unto us
And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! for there has not been such a thing heretofore.
JPS Tanakh 1917 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said: ‘God is come into the camp.’ And they said: ‘Woe unto us! for there was not such a thing yesterday and the day before.
What the Philistines knew but the Hebrew Israelites didn’t realize was that the Hebrews had with them
joined the ranks of the Israelites and the Philistines recognized when He did and they cried out in terror!
The Philistines were in fact saying that:
They were standing before the Third/Ultimate Warrior.
The use of the feminine pronoun, SHE, gives a picture of a mother fighting to protect her young.
This is a picture of an
ultimate warrior,
one who will fight to the death for someone or something,
and was the same in ancient times as it is today.
This is how the Philistines saw the Hebrew God; as a mother protectively wrapping her young in her arms and glaring at them and threatening that, if you touched her little ones you will have to deal with her, and the Philistines did not want to deal with “Her.”
This account is more than just the Philistines fear of the Israelites Hebrew God; it is about taking the physical ark they could see and touch in the natural to give them victory and not trusting in God and His spiritual power to intervene.
They were relying on
the power of an object,
instead of Who and Whom it represented.
Here it is interesting to note that it was the Philistines who recognized the difference; they said
GOD has come into the camp
not
the ark has come into our camp!!
The fact that the Philistines declared that God had come into the camp is profound because in verse 3, the children of Israel declared that “it”, referring to the ark, would save them.
And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, {c} Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
(c) Before we fought against men, and now God has come to fight against us.
Israel was defeated before the Philistines.
Why?
Because sin, was in the camp, and it gave their enemies all the advantage they could desire.
The hand of God was there for them but, instead of submitting, they spoke in anger, as if they were not aware of any action they had done to provoke Him.
The foolishness of man perverts his way, and then his heart frets against the Lord, Proverbs 19:3, and finds fault with him.
They supposed that they could compel God to appear and help them, by bringing the ark into the camp.
Those who have gone back into a life of religious doctrine and men’s traditions, sometimes end up loving and preferring all the outward observances, thinking these things will save them.
The Israelites thought that by bringing the Ark, God’s throne, into the camp, it would bring heavens help to them.
Whatever we place our trust in, whether it’s our Heavenly Father or the world and the flesh, this is what is really on the throne of the heart. This is what we have faith in.
The people of Israel said
the ark would save them
and the enemy, the Philistines, their godless, pagan enemies, said
“God” would save Israel!
There are occasions when the people of the world have greater clarity and can see things that we just don’t see.
The Parable of the Unjust Steward in
Luke 16:1–13 is referring to this.
Israel represented a strong and notable faith, one that was feared and respected by the Philistines, yet as events unfolded, it was shown that they may have represented a true faith, but in action, they had no faith at all.
They did not walk the walk, or talk the talk, and were defeated. Their failing was a lack of trust in the Lord which was caused by a lack of knowledge of Who He is, usually as a result of having no intimate relationship with the One they said they represented.
That last phrase: “Woe to us for there has not been such a thing heretofore” is a very strange statement. Most translations will render this phrase in a similar fashion, however, in Hebrew, it says literally:
“Woe to us for she has not come as this yesterday three days.” and it doesn’t seem to make sense.
Possibly what we are reading is a combination of the thoughts and feelings of all the Philistines? There is no single translation to this phrase.
The word yesterday is really an adverb which means before or heretofore.
The word thing is also very interesting.
As already noted, it’s the word
shaleshim
used in extra-Biblical literature for the
third warrior or the ultimate warrior.
The Philistines are saying that
they stand before the ultimate warrior.
The next time we are challenged or confronted by a spiritual Philistine, as they stand there laughing at us, they will see something behind us that we may not really be paying attention to, and they will run in terror because our Heavenly Father is right behind us; just like the mother bear, ready to rip that Philistine to shreds if they try to touch a hair on our heads.
Each translation renders this phrase a little differently but with much the same meaning, this is because its a difficult passage to translate and there aren’t appropriate words in the English language suitable to insert in here.
However it could read:
nothing like this has happened before.
But something like that had happened before… because in the Hebrew it literally says:
“Woe to us for she has not come as this yesterday three days.”
Yesterdayis an adverb and is correctly translated as
Heretofore …this three days.
Ancient Jewish literature provides insight into this phrase, as this is an ancient Semitic expression/ an idiom.
This Semitic idiom has its roots in the picture of picking up a chick/baby bird /equivalent to the first warrior; and then facing the wrath of the male/father bird /equivalent to the second warrior.
It is easy to deal with a baby bird, and the male father bird may show some increased resistance, but is not overwhelming. It is the reaction of the female mother bird that will be the problem, because she will fight to the death to protect her little chick/equivalent to the third warrior.
As already noted as an interesting point, that the Philistines used she, a feminine pronoun, to represent God and maybe the use of the feminine pronoun would be appropriate because this idiomatic expression pictures this ultimate warrior as a mother fighting to protect her young.
As ancient Semitic languages had only two genders, male and female and there was no neuter gender this was not unusual in those times.
However scholars note that in ancient pagan religions, many of these pagan gods and goddesses demanded an end to gender identity and the Priests of goddess religions had to be castrated and therefore rendered gender-neutral and homosexuality was also encouraged. It is clear that the enemy, unclean and fallen spirits were at the root of these pagan religions and were trying to destroy humanity; and there are certainly similarities to the gender-neutral movement we have today, to that of ancient paganism. Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun!
The word thing in this verse, which in Hebrew is the word
shaleshim and really means three days,
also carries the idea of a
third element.
Thing, third day, third warrior, ultimate warrior.
The Philistines are saying is that this is the first time
the third warrior or the ultimate warrior
has appeared or joined the Hebrew armies.
We could look at it in this way:
When Israel faced their enemy the first time, they were nothing more than a mere baby chick /first warrior, and were easily defeated by their attackers.
God later raised up judges who would lead a powerful army /second warrior.
The point to remember is what the Israelites didn’t fully comprehend but what the enemy knew, was that the Hebrews had a Shaleshim,
a Third or Ultimate Warrior
join their army and the Philistines recognized when He did; and this is why they cried out in terror because they knew that the equivalent of a ferocious mother bear had shown up to protect her cubs!
Everyone of us face difficult situations alone, and in the times when we face the enemy and are defeated/first warrior, we run to the local assembly and join forces with other believers/ second warriors, but sometimes the enemy will still attack and defeat us. However, when the appearance of that third warrior, Shaleshim, Who is Jesus/Yeshua, the more than equal of any ferocious mother defending her young, then the enemy flees in terror.
Resist the devil and he will flee.. James 4:7-8 and only when we submit ourselves to our Heavenly Father.
However, our complete and ultimate victory comes when we allow the Shaleshim, the Third Warrior, Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach to join us, that our victory is absolutely assured. The truth is that we can call upon that Third Warrior anytime we need Him. We may not always see the spiritual power behind our Shaleshim, but the enemy certainly does and flees in terror at the very sound of the Name of this Third Warrior.
Messiah Jesus/Yeshua crushed demonic power continually throughout His ministry. Our real enemy is the spirit behind the attack, our fight is not against flesh and blood.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, the rulers, against powers, the authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
This is referring to the enemies that confront us in the spiritual realm. This present dark kingdom could be using a co-worker who is always difficult to deal with and causes us to constantly lose our peace and joy and then we react to them in an ungodly way. Another example could be someone reacting rudely to us while driving in traffic simply provoking us to react back at them. The dark kingdom continually uses people, situations and circumstances to attack us in the spiritual realm. It is at these times that Messiah teaches us how to connect and stay joined with Him, and deny ourselves and our fleshly, carnal, old man ways. Even when it’s painful, we are to daily carry our cross, deny those ways,
follow Him, think, speak and do as He would.
When we surrender our will to the Lord’s will within ourselves, He will come in power and demonstration in and through us as the Third Warrior. When He does, then His love flows through us to that unkind co-worker and begins a transformation in them too, because that change begins when we allow Yeshua/Jesus to first change us by the power of His Spirit of Holiness.
Only when our will is surrendered to His will can He use us as His vessel to flow in us, and through us, to affect and influence our circumstances in a powerful way as the Third Warrior.
All that Messiah imparted to His disciples includes entering the ongoing battle against the demonic powers, and in His name we are to set free those in bondage, He is our Deliverer, the Liberating King.
This is the truth that strengthens us to face the attack and enter the battle without fear.
Mark 16:15-20
15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.
In ancient warfare,
Goliath was known as
the 3rd Warrior
the best of the best – the elite!
OurHeavenly Father/Yeshua/Jesus is
the 3rd and ultimate warrior.
We can appear to the devil to be easy prey and seemingly powerless at times; but the Lord is NOT powerless and we should remember that when we trust in Him …
Who is it that the adversary sees coming? us?
or the shaleshim we serve??
Remember!
There is nothing wrong with a first warrior attempt to defeat the enemy, nor with that of a second warrior. God expects us to confront our enemies, but our ultimate victory comes when we are joined with the Shaleshim, the Third Warrior, Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach, then victory is really assured.
Also remember the fact that we can call upon that third warrior anytime we need Him; and though we may not see the power behind our Shaleshim, the enemy certainly does and he will flee in terror at the very sound of the Name of the Third Warrior.
Whatever we do, let us do it as unto the third warrior,
the Shaleshim, Messiah, Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha Mashiach.
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Original Word: אֶשֶׁר Part of Speech:Noun Masculine Transliteration:esher Phonetic Spelling: eh’-sher Definition:happiness, blessedness
Word Origin from ashar Definition
happiness, blessedness NASB Translation blessed (41), happy (4).
Deuteronomy 33:29 HEB:אַשְׁרֶ֨יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל מִ֣י NAS:Blessed are you, O Israel; Who KJV:Happy [art] thou, O Israel: INT:Blessed Israel Who
Makarios
was a powerful word to those who heard Jesus/Yeshua speak that day, because to them it meant:
divine joy and perfect happiness.
They were under Roman oppressors and this word gave them HOPE.
Matthew 5:5 Amplified Bible.
5 Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect]
Matthew 5:3-11 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition 3
Blessed (happy, [ a]to be envied, and [ b]spiritually prosperous —[ c]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied)
Amplified Bible “Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.
James reiterates 1:25 But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an ACTIVE DOER [who obeys], he will be BLESSEDand favored by God in what he DOES [in his life of OBEDIENCE].
Romans 2:13 For it is NOT the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous. If we are hearing but not doingwhat we hear then
we will NOT be declared righteous!!!
Read that again!
‘Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’ Deut. 5:27.
16 Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
The Words that are so very important here are
Knowing, Doing and Being.
Our ability to hear the voice of God is dulled by our over involvement in unnecessary and many unimportant things including pleasures, hobbies and interests. Our Heavenly Father needs our full attention on Him and not on ourselves or what our old carnal/fleshly, nature wants to do. He is looking for complete dedication and total submission, not part-time participation, a personal commitment on a level we have not yet chosen.
When we are dulled by the world and its pleasures, Mark 4 comes quickly to mind. The glamour and temptations of entertainment, cause us to relax and when it comes to vigilance in the spirit we get lazy and compromise quickly follows; and that is when sneak attacks come as tests and trials of our Faith walk. We are living in the closing hour of this age, which we call the age of grace/chen and many of us have stretched the grace/chen of God to its fullest with a sloppy, disrespectful attitude towards the spiritual things of a Holy God.
It is very sad but true that so many have become people of entitled expectation, thinking that we don’t have to make any effort because God is a God of love and He understands and makes allowances for our apathy. The Spirit of God is calling ALL His chosen to
put off the self life
and to walk in the spirit;
and this is by no means a new message. It was the message of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua, His disciples, His apostles, His sent ones.
It was also the message of the Psalms and the Proverbs in that they all emphasized
uncompromising loyalty to the truth
and
outward actions that are consistent with inward convictions.
When we don’t have these elements in divine order in our lives we are stunting our spiritual growth. This is because when we say one thing, declaring our position, and then do another to appease flesh and the old carnal nature, we compromise our position in the spirit and give the enemy a way into our lives.
We are to give no place to the devil.
Eph. 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
Place or room = opportunity and scope for acting in and through you.
We are not supposed to give the devil any opportunity to influence our lives. He should not have any place in our lives because he is an enemy of God and wants to destroy God’s people.
The apostle Paul told us,
Neither give place to the devil.
The Greek makes it clear that we must choose to give the devil no territory …we have a choice.
Anywhere we have had a victory or found freedom we can be sure he will test that new position. Where there is a weakness he will exploit it. We are not to yield 1 inch/1 centimeter, because compromise is the language of the devil.
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart.
They do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways
You have ordained Your precepts, That we should follow them with [careful] diligence. Psalm 119:3-5.
Lucifers rhetoric has not changed since the days in the garden, when he first posed the question.. did God say? and followed it by inventing the lie – He didn’t mean you would really/ surely die!
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Gen. 3:1-19.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44.
We are not to be swayed by emotions and feelings, they will always lie to and confuse us. The devil will always work in the realm of the physical senses, which is why we are
to walk in and by the spirit of the living God and operate by our spiritual senses.
We say God is love and He is, but not by our standards of the human emotional love. Human love is notoriously selfish. His love is TRUTH and uncompromising.
1 John 3:18 Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
We struggle to reconcile our picture of our Heavenly Father when for example we read accounts in Numbers 16 and 17 of His dealings with rebellion in the camp. This is a picture of His wrath against sin and is quite violent. Our Heavenly Father would not be loving, nor would He be just, if He allowed the arrogant challenging of His authority to go unanswered. How often do we witness destruction in the lives of those who challenge Him and yet fail to learn the lesson? To witness Gods judgment and still defy His authority, and in Korah’s case, this was behavior that could not be excused. As disciples of Messiah we do not need to live in fear of His hasty judgment however, we would also be wise not to flaunt the authority we have in Jesus/Yeshua as if we were no longer subject to the authority of our Heavenly Father.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23
The Lord God established Moses and the priesthood for this reason:
to separate the people from God for their own protection.
Sin cannot approach a Holy God and the Holiness of His set apart priests who were the mediators between the sinful people and God Himself. This was given to them to show them how to approach a Holy God, to establish relationship.
Now we have Messiah Yeshua/Jesus and His shed blood that cries Mercy for us and mediates on our behalf; and we are able to approach the Father ONLY on that basis. Let us not make the same fatal mistake Korah did; and approach the Lord God Almighty Creator of the universe in unprotected arrogance, forgetting Who is really in charge and control of everything. In Messiah we have perfect protection from the advances of the enemy but when the people of God oppose their protector, who will be that defense against Him?
Pride was the original sin and we are all born with original sin.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins. Eph. 2:1.
Original sin: the condition or state of sin into which each human being is born;
the sin nature of fallen man;
the tendency to sin is innate in all human beings, inherited from Adam in consequence of the Fall;
the nature of sin in which humanity has existed since the fall of man.
Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Romans 3:10-18 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
1 John 1:8-10 – If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us
Psalms 51:5 – Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Eph. 2:1-3 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
And the holy one of Israel is the judge of all hearts. His judgments are just and his wrath is poured out in righteousness.
Let’s take a moment here and do a spiritual heart check-up…
Father in Jesus/Yeshuas’ Name, search my heart and consume my rebellious ways. In holiness alone may I approach You and not die. I worship You in grateful humility, may You alone be exalted in praise. Cut away and remove from my life all arrogance and pride that I may live in the joy of your presence. I bless you Father, Savior, King and Lord of my life.
If ye KNOW these things, HAPPY are ye if ye DO them.
We are to be DOERS of what we KNOW…
we are to apply His words,
His instructions to our lives EVERY DAY.
Head knowledge will not save us…
neither will intellectual agreement to a truth.
John 13:17
If ye KNOW these things, HAPPY are ye IF ye DO them!
This is the Secret of Being Happy.
Note the condition in this verse IF, there’s the option, the choice to direct our free will….in obedience to the Fathers will.
Only the truth that you KNOW, understand and apply/DO
will make you free..
because mental assent does not help or increase our spiritual maturity.
If ye KNOW these things, HAPPY are ye IF ye DO them!
This is the Secret of Being Happy!
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Are we really sure of what we are supposed to be doing?
Messiah was very clear in His instructions.
First we are to follow Him… and next to
Go therefore and make DISCIPLES of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and OBEY My words], immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 Amplified Bible
We are to become MORE THAN just believers in Him,
we are to become disciples/talmidim ourselves; for only disciples can make disciples. We will never be greater than our Master/Messiah but we can become like Him.
yet this way is both narrow and difficult.
Matthew 7:13-14.
If we are going to live as disciples of Messiah we have to be obedient to ALL His words and remember that all efforts that are of worth and excellence are difficult. We were never promised an easy life and the difficulties we face are not supposed to make us faint, they are to stir us up to become overcomers.
We may need to rethink our understanding of being an obedient follower of Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach.
Jesus/Yeshua gives a parable about life and death. He urges His disciples to
seek life
by entering through the narrow gate the one that runs opposite to the way of the world.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Only one way leads to life!
Matthew 7:13
His gospel, His Truth, has been so watered down and In western society the focus is too much on blessing, comfort and physical prosperity rather than that of life in the Spirit.
Do we really, seriously appreciate the miraculous free gift of salvation offered to us? We are saved by His grace only through the atoning work of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua, which cost Him everything. Philippians 2:13
It is God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure. NOT ours!
Then it is up to us to work out that salvation in our practical daily life. Philippians 2:12.
We will find out that we can do it, if we will only begin on the basis of His redemption and to do what He commands.
“If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments. John 14:15
If we do not put into practice what our Heavenly Father has placed within us, that‘s when we fail; and a crisis will show whether or not we have been doing so. It’s not what we think we know that will save us or make us free.; its only the Truth we know, believe and act on that will. Mental assent does not help us to reach spiritual maturity.
If we will obey the Holy Spirit of our Heavenly Father and practice in our physical life that which He has placed within us by that same spirit; when a crisis comes, we will find that our own nature as well as His Grace/chen will cause us to stand strong in Him and the power of His might. Eph. 6:10.
He told us that in this life we will have tribulation and it will test us for all we are worth.
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] John 16:33 Amplified Bible
Why?
Hebrews 2:10 tells us why ….. it is because He is
bringing
and He will not shield us from the necessary requirements of son-ship, that of being His child. We should rejoice that He gives us difficult things to do because His salvation is a thing of joy and
the joy of the Lord is our strength. Neh. 8:10.
At the same time it also requires of us much bravery, courage and holiness. The work of our Heavenly Father’s grace within our lives is to produce men and women who display a strong family resemblance to Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus Christ.
We are not to be spoiled, pampered, entitled, complaining, weaklings. We should not be deceived, because it takes a huge amount of personal discipline to live the life of a disciple. One that is worthy and excellent, while facing the realities of a life in this world; however that’s what we are called to do.
We looked at the example of Daniel and an excellent spirit in a previous post.
It is a daily choice, every day.. it is not a one time thing and then we go on our merry way! Its ongoing and lasts as long as we are here on earth, we are to daily take up our cross ….
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. Luke 9:23. Amplified.
Are we truly willing to daily take up our cross..even if it means enduring pain loss and physical torture and death???
Are we willing to do so for Him?
Many around this world already are…
It is up to us to choose, because
an individual’s will is embodied in the actions of the whole person.
We must exercise our will, putting it in to action; because we cannot give up our will, we must choose to obey, we must set our will to obey and we must will to receive our Heavenly Father’s spirit and those who are obedient will receive His spirit.
And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”NAS Bible Acts 5:32
When the truth is revealed to us, the only question is what will we do, not what the Father will do. When God places big plans in front of us, a wise thing to do is to remember what we did before He touched our lives. If we can remember when we first received Messiah or had a truth revealed to us, it was easy to yield our will to Him and it will help us when His spirit brings something new before us.
Joshua 24:15 choose for YOUR SELVES this day…
Our Heavenly Father does not choose for us, we are to choose for ourselves. It’s not something which we’ll automatically slide into, it is a deliberate determination to choose our Heavenly Father’s Way over our personal way, or what someone else is telling us to do. Galatians 1:16 do not confer with flesh and blood.
The choice is between our Heavenly Father and ourselves, and everything in our lives will be on hold, paused, until we make a decision. In these situations, tension can develop and He allows other believers opinions to matter to us and yet we sometimes wonder if they really understand the steps we are taking; and this makes those around us seem to become more and more separated from us. Faith demands that we have to stop trying to figure out when and where His Spirit is leading; we just have to declare that we will be faithful.
Joshua reminds us in chapter 24:22 that even in this, as soon as we make that choice, we become witnesses against ourselves.
The choice to serve the Lord is personal, we are to will to be faithful, this choice is not something we need to consult with other believers, nor rely on anything or anyone other than the Fathers’ spirit and that includes ourselves. We cannot live a holy life without His Spirit, but we can decide to submit for Him make us holy. Joshua 24:19 reminds us also that neither can we serve the Lord in our own strength, but we can put ourselves in the correct position so that His power will flow through us; and that is all dependent on relationship and requires setting our will to align with His.
Obedience takes faith
and
faithful people are obedient.
In Joshua 24:21 when the people said to him we will serve the Lord.
It was not an impulsive action but a deliberate commitment. It is high time that we make that choice, no more wavering. We must be quick to obey as David said:
I will be quick to obey your commands Ps 119:60
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will OBEY my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. John 14:23
James 1:19 And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger
We are to be slow to speak, quick to hear and in hearing be a doer.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22
To be quick to hear and slow to speak means, having both humility and respect for others as well as for Messiah. It means we take the necessary time to listen to people instead of just speaking our opinion.
The moving of the Father’s Spirit of Holiness is many times inconvenient to our flesh and it’s often completely opposite to reason or what we sometimes call common sense. We are to obey Him regardless of the cost, yet He will never force us to make the choice; and there will always be an easier away out open to us which will seem more sensible and have less risk involved. All the challenges He places in front of us are to test and develop our faith as well as our obedience, which is needed for the choosing process and to reveal just how much we love Him.
Matthew 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and MANY enter through it.
This is the gate of true conversion, of self-denial, dying to the self life, and of walking the way of holiness; the gate which few, comparatively speaking, are inclined to choose.
This Way, this gate, cannot be entered into without
teshuvah-repentance.
Acts 3:19 “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:3
In the Hebrew Alefbet/alphabet,
the letter Hei
is the 5th letter and
a symbol of repentance
HEY or HEI ה is the letter H
Rabbis in the time of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua, would often illustrate spiritual truths using Hebrew letters.
The letter hei makes the sound of the H. Jewish literature teaches that Moses could not speak properly because ‘he was thick of tongue.’ Having an unusually ‘thick tongue’ would make it very difficult for someone to pronounce a name of God that necessitated having to use their tongue to say it; so it is said that our Heavenly Father gave Moses a name for Himself which had letters in it that he didn’t need to use his tongue in order to pronounce.
The letters yod making a Y sound
and the letter vav which makes a V (waw) sound
and the letter Hei which makes the H sound.
The name Yod Hei Vav Hei -YHVH or YHWH
is the name which could be spoken out loud with breath only
and without needing to move the tongue.
Traditionally the letter
hei represents:
the breath and the presence of God.
Some Hebrew scholars teach that our Heavenly Father created the world with the letter hei, H,
meaning:
that He created the world with His breath and presence. He breathed His own life into His creation.
The letter Hei was known as the broken letter.
It is almost identical to the letter Cheth
CHETH (or HETH) kāth ח ḥeṭ .
Sometimes written Chet, but more accurately Ḥet.
As the 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet
it represents the number 8.
This letter looks the same except that there is a narrow space, a brokenness in the upper left hand corner of the letter hei /H.
This space was known as
the narrow or strait gate
that leads to the Heavenly Father’s presence.
The bottom of the letter is open
and is known as:
the wide or broad gate.
As the Hei represents the breath of God,
and through brokenness which leads to teshuvah/repentance;
an individual will find
the breath of God
which will blow through the narrow gate.
Without repentance we cannot find the Hei,the breath of God which will sustain us so and then we will fall to destructionthrough the wide gate at the bottom of the letter.
The rabbis taught that the letter Hei represents:
the presence and breath of God and that it is very hard to climb to the narrow gate; and few there are who can rise to that narrow gate and achieve such a state of righteousness that they are able to pass through that narrow gate to the Shekinah or the presence of God, but many are those who pass through the broad gate that leads to destruction.
It is possible that Messiah was making reference to this when He said “Enter the narrow gate, for the gate, is wide and the road is spacious which leads to destruction, and many are those who are going in it.” Matthew 7:13?
One thing is certain, our walk with Messiah is a daily walk along the Way that leads to life and to be in His presence for eternity. He is our righteousness and so the climb to the narrow gate is made easier.
However it takes faith to obey, to trust.
Sometimes the simplest statements are the most profound!
Trust and obey for there’s no other way …
as little children would say and sing,
simple and uncomplicated to
trust in,to have faith in
and
obey His commands
because
we truly do love Him above all else
and
put Him 1st in everything we do.
If we truly love Him then we will be truly obedient
and we will be sure of what we are supposed to be doing!
We are to be MORE THAN just believers we are to be
His obedient Disciples/talmidim.
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him Ps 98:1
Praise the LORD! Sing a new song to the LORD; praise him in the assembly of his faithful people! Ps 149:1
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Ps. 96:1,2.
When we think of songs and singing in worship and praise to the Lord, we probably think of hymns and in modern times, choruses.
The most well known songs in the Bible are probably the
150Psalms /Tehillim /תהילים
and then the
Song of Solomon or
The Song of Songs שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים : Shīr Hashīrīm.
The Hebrew title for the book of Psalms is Tehillim/תהילים, meaning “songs of praise,” and individual psalms are referred to as Mizmorim: Mizmor Aleph (Psalm 1), Mizmor Bet (Psalm 2), and so on.
We looked at the Song of Solomon in an earlier post.
However these are not the only songs recorded in the scriptures. There are many more, some we may not have read or even realized they were songs.
We usually associate songs or singing with musical accompaniment but it can also be simply voices without instruments: a cappella, (Italian: “in the church style”), performance of a polyphonic (multipart) musical work by unaccompanied voices, a performance by a singer or a singing group without instruments.
What was a song was in ancient times?
There were a number of words for singing and songs but the word used for SONG inExodus 15:2:
This is why one translation (the NIV), does not render this as a song at all but as a defense. Here however a basic English translation cannot tell the history because in ancient times songs were really stories.
The lyrics in modern Christian music don’t tell stories like the old hymns and Gospel songs did, so the younger generation may find it difficult to understand what it means to say that
God is our song….
which is in fact telling a story, the History of what He has done for us.
Exodus 15:2: “The LORD [is] my strength and song.”
There are several words for song in Hebrew.
זִמְרָה – zimrah – melody, song in praise of Yahweh
song שִׁיר as a noun:
poem, chant, hymn, poetry, ditty.
zimrah: melody, song (in praise of Yah)
Strongs# 2172 Original Word: זִמְרָה Part of Speech: Noun Feminine Transliteration:zimrah Phonetic Spelling: zim-raw‘ Definition: melody, song (in praise of Yah)
Exodus 15:1 HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־ הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה NAS: sang this song to the LORD, and said, KJV: of Israel this song unto the LORD, INT: and the sons of Israel song likewise to the LORD
It was sung after one of the greatest and most well known miracles, when God parted the Red Sea, allowing the children of Israel to cross on dry ground, escaping Pharaoh’s army. When the Egyptians pursued them, God closed the sea over them, washing away the chariots and horsemen.
Moses led the men in a song of praise to God, while Miriam leads the women singing the chorus:
Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea. Ex.15:20,21
There are at least 185 songs in the Bible which include songs about battles, coronations, funerals, cities being destroyed, and seas being parted. The book of Psalms contains 150, being a collection of songs written over the centuries by different leaders of Israel. 6 are from the Song of Solomon and Lamentations. However there are some 35 other songs, chants, dirges, and hymns spread throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Some of the songs are very similar to Psalms, the other pieces of poetry may or may not have been sung or set to music. A list below includes many of them.
Numbers 21:17 HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־ הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עֲלִ֥י NAS: sang this song: Spring up, O well! KJV: sang this song, Spring up, INT: sang Israel song likewise Spring
As Israel wanders through the wilderness they come to a place called Beer. Beer is a Hebrew word for well, and there the whole nation refills its’ supply of water; and being a very happy occasion, the Israelites break into song:
Spring up, O well! Sing to it! The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter and with their staffs.
Deuteronomy 31:22 HEB: מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־ הַשִּׁירָ֥ההַזֹּ֖את בַּיּ֣וֹם NAS: wrote this song the same day, KJV: therefore wrote this song the same day, INT: wrote Moses song likewise day
Deuteronomy 31:30 HEB: אֶת־ דִּבְרֵ֥י הַשִּׁירָ֖ההַזֹּ֑את עַ֖ד NAS: of this song, until KJV: the words of this song, until they were ended. INT: of Israel the words song likewise until
Moses instructs the nation of Israel to love and obey the Lord when they enter the promised land; reaffirming the law. He then appoints Joshua as the new leader, and calls the people to pledge their allegiance to their God.
Moses puts it all together into a song, which he and Joshua teach to the people.
It is a well known fact that people remember things easier when in the form of a song or poem. Children especially learn quicker with for example the alphabet songs. This was a method employed by many cultures, where the majority could not read or write; stories were passed down through generations and were often accompanied with music or sung. Although it seemed like entertainment, it was a way to ensure that tribal history was remembered, when word of mouth was all people had to pass on information to future generations.
Here in Deuteronomy, it is a covenant song of God’s faithfulness: He is the righteous Rock of Israel and the song reminds Israel of the Lord’s blessings; and warns them of the consequences of disobeying Him.
The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.
The Song of Deborah and Baruk.
Another victory song, and one of the oldest texts in Scripture.
Judges 5:12 HEB: ע֖וּרִי דַּבְּרִי־ שִׁ֑יר ק֥וּם בָּרָ֛ק NAS: awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, KJV: awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, INT: awake sing As
Deborah, a prophetess, leads a small Israeli militia against their Canaanite overlord’s well-armed forces. Her field officer Baruk meets the enemy commander, Sisera, on the battle field. Baruk wipes out Sisera’s forces, but Sisera escapes on foot.
He doesn’t get too far. Sisera stops to rest and sleeps in a nearby tent, and the woman whose tent it was nails his head to the ground.
After the battle was won, Deborah and Baruk wrote a song of praise to God, rejoicing over His deliverance. They also sing about the battle heroes,
Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.
After young David kills Goliath, he and king Saul triumphantly return from the battle. The women of the cities are very happy about the victory, and they meet King Saul with musical instruments, dancing, and singing a new song:
Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
The song becomes popular and even, Israel’s enemies, the Philistines know it 1 Sa 21:11. Saul becomes jealous of David, and this song becomes a problem for Saul driving a wedge between the two of them for the rest of Saul’s life.
We have read the songs about victory, covenant and wells, but this is the first of many sad songs in Scripture called a lament.
David writes the song of the bow when he learns that both Saul and Jonathan have died in battle. It’s a sad day for David and for the whole Hebrew nation: Jonathan was David’s best friend, and Saul was the anointed king of Israel. David chants this lament or dirge forSaul and Jonathan and has the sons of Judah learn it.Its possible David may have named it in honor of Jonathan, who was a skilled archer.
2 Samuel 22:1 HEB: אֶת־ דִּבְרֵ֖י הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את בְּיוֹם֩ NAS: of this song to the LORD KJV: the words of this song in the day INT: to the LORD the words song in the day
Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!
After Saul died there was a 7-year civil war between Judah and the rest of Israel. Judah names David their king, while the rest of the country serves Saul’s son Ish-bosheth. However, Ish-bosheth upsets his own general, who was a warrior named Abner. Abner defects to David, swearing to make him king of all Israel. David accepts Abner’s alliance, and it looks like the war will finally come to an end. However, there’s just one problem: Abner killed one of David’s men in an earlier battle, and now that man’s brother Joab wants revenge. Joab pulls Abner aside at the city gate and murders him. Horrified, David writes a funeral chant for Abner.
Should Abner die as a fool dies? Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.
Song of David’s Deliverance
2 Samuel 22, Ps 18
We looked at the song of victory above where it gave Saul real problems when he realizes that his kingdom will pass to David.
Because of this Saul spends much of his reign hunting chasing after David. Eventually, God delivers David from Saul and he writes a psalm of praise to his Savior. This song is actually recorded twice in the Bible: first in 2nd Samuel, and again in Psalms 18.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.
When David commissions the building of the temple, he ordains the house of Asaph to be a family of worship leaders. Asaph and his sons are faithful to their duties for hundreds of years and his family wrote 12 of the Psalms. As the temple was commissioned, David asked them to sing and like David’s psalm of deliverance, this one is in both 1 Chron. and Psalms 105.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
Asaph’s Song for the Temple’s Completion
2 Chronicles 5:13 HEB: וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֜יִם וּבִכְלֵ֣י הַשִּׁ֗יר וּבְהַלֵּ֤ל לַיהוָה֙ NAS: and instruments of music, and when they praised KJV: and instruments of musick, and praised INT: and cymbals and instruments of music praised the LORD
The shortest song in the original Hebrew text is only 5 words in length.
The temple construction is finished, and the ark of the covenant is brought to the Holy of Holies. The sons of Asaph praise the Lord, and God’s glory fills the temple.
Saying for He is good forever His mercy/loving kindness endures.
King Jehoshaphat is outnumbered by his enemies, so he pleads with God for help. A man of the tribe of Levi brings Jehoshaphat a message from God:
“Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s”.
So the next day when they go to battle, they put singers on the front lines not soldiers, and the singers cry out:
Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
The Lord ambushes Jehoshaphat’s enemies, and once again saves His people.
The Song of Songs
Solomon is credited with 1,005 songs; 1 Ki 4:32, but there is one which stands higher than the rest. Mentioned earlier, we know it as the Song of Solomon, or the Song of Songs. A love song between a man and a woman, and their wedding.
I am my beloved’s, And his desire is for me.
There are 3 songbooks in the Bible, the documents made up entirely of lyrics.
The 1st and by far the biggest is Psalms.
The 2nd is Song of Solomon.
The 3rd is Lamentations.
Unlike Psalms and Song of Solomon, Lamentations does not state itself as being a songbook. However, when the book was translated into Greek (the Septuagint), it was called a book of dirges. This book mourns Jerusalem after the fall to Babylon. Each of the 5 chapters begins a new poem and 4 are acrostics using the Hebrew alef bet.
How lonely sits the city That was full of people! She has become like a widow Who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces Has become a forced laborer!
The prophet Isaiah was called to preach to the people of Israel with both judgment and comfort and one of his messages uses a song as a parable.
My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.
It is a metaphor:
the Lord is the one who built Israel, just as a man builds a vineyard. And instead of following the ways of God, Israel killed the innocents and perverted justice.(Is 5:7).
Isaiah is prophesying that the nearby land of Tyre will be forgotten and desolate for 70 years. The Babylonians will plunder her, and her harbors and fortresses will be ruined; but after that time, Tyre will engage in trade again, like an old harlot trying to be remembered by her suitors.
Take your harp, walk about the city, O forgotten harlot; Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs, That you may be remembered.
Not all of Isaiah’s songs are sad. The prophet says that there will come a time when the Lord will once again protect Judah from her enemies and in that day, the people will sing of how God shields and protects their cities.
We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.
Ezekiel mourns Israel’s captivity as the lion-like nation has been hunted, captured, and dragged away into exile.
They put him in a cage with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would be heard no more On the mountains of Israel.
The book of Ezekiel tells of God’s judgment on the Ancient Near East nations. Tyre, a rich city for sailors and traders is one city that will fall to the Babylonians; and when Tyre is ransacked, Ezekiel predicts that the princes of the world will sing a song of lamentation for the fallen city.
How you have perished, O inhabited one, From the seas, O renowned city, Which was mighty on the sea, She and her inhabitants, Who imposed her terror On all her inhabitants! Now the coastlands will tremble On the day of your fall; Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea Will be terrified at your passing.
Ezekiel’s lament over Tyre
Ezek. 27
Ezekiel is told by the Lord to give another dirge/lament for Tyre, one which describes her downfall more completely.
Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, Your sailors and your pilots, Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise And all your men of war who are in you, With all your company that is in your midst, Will fall into the heart of the seas On the day of your overthrow.
This is a song within a song. Ezekiel is making his own lament for the city of Tyre, he says that the sailors and captains of the sea will sing their own song about their fallen city.
Who is like Tyre, Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea?
Ezekiel’s second lamentation over the king of Tyre.
Ezekiel isn’t finished with his sad news for Tyre and God has him take up yet another lamentation for the king.
Some read the lyrics of this song as a judgment on the human ruler of Tyre. Other scholars see this as the story of lucifer’s fall from grace, since Ezekiel describes the king as: an anointing cherub who covers who was in Eden, the garden of God.
As an interpretation, it can refer to both.
Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you.
When Tyre seems to get a break, it is only because God is also bringing judgment on Egypt; and the Lord tells Ezekiel to take up a lamentation song over Pharaoh as well.
You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations, Yet you are like the monster in the seas; And you burst forth in your rivers And muddied the waters with your feet And fouled their rivers.
The Lord sends a shepherd named Amos with a message for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Israel must pay for the way they’ve mistreated the poor in the land, there are consequences and the Lord speaks forth His message of justice which is a harsh one, and Amos sings a dirge/lamentation over Israel.
She has fallen, she will not rise again— The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up.
Habakkuk’s song
Habakkuk 3.
There are only 3 chapters in the book of Habakkuk the prophet; in the first two, God and Habakkuk speak back and forth about how God will deal with the violence and injustice in the land of Judah.
Then Habakkuk writes the last song of the Old Testament: a psalm that praises God and begs for his compassion.
LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
There are some other songs mentioned in the Scriptures but the lyrics are not included:
Solomon wrote 1,005 songs. 1 Kings 4:32. not all are recorded.
When king Hezekiah repairs the temple, the trumpeters sound a song to the Lord. 2 Ch. 29:27.
Some of the Levites who return from exile in Babylon are specifically responsible for songs of thanksgiving. Neh. 12:8.
Jesus/Yeshua and the disciples sing the hallel in the upper room after supper. Matt. 26:30.
Paul and Silas sing a hymn when they’re in prison before God releases them.Acts 16:25.
The 144,000 redeemed witnesses in John’s revelation sing a song before the throne of God, the living creatures, and the elders this is a song only the 144,000 know. Rev. 14:3.
Our Heavenly Father created music as a means for Believers to express our heartfelt adoration in worship toward Him and to share His praiseworthy deeds with others. The Bible contains over 180 songs that bear witness to His character, power, plans and purposes, and not all are found in the Book of Psalms. From hymns and prophetic songs to chants and dirges, throughout the scriptures there are examples of our Biblical ancestors lifting their voices to honor our Heavenly Father, Creator and King.
Victory Songs and Battle Songs
“Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!” Psalm 118:15
Biblical heroes have theme songs in Scripture that declare God’s victories.
Deborah’s song: The song sung by the prophetess Deborah is one of the oldest victory songs recorded in Scripture, coming after she leads Barak into battle against the Canaanites, God empowers their outnumbered army to overtake the enemy. When the Canaanite commander, Sisera, escapes during the final battle, a woman called Jael completes the mission by crushing Sisera’s skull with a tent peg. Deborah and Barak sing their victory song to the Lord, giving Him all the credit for the win as they tell the story of the battle. Judges 5:1-31.
Paul and Silas’s worship: Paul and Silas cast a spirit of divination out of a servant girl while they were on their first visit to Philippi. The girl’s owners are so furious that their money-making opportunities have vanished with the unclean spirit, that they arrest Paul and Silas, strip them, beat them with rods, and throw them into prison. Paul and Silas begin worshiping God in their cell and a violent earthquake shakes the foundations of the prison, the doors swing open and all the prisoners’ chains fall off. Instead of escaping their prison cell, Paul and Silas they stay and take the opportunity to lead their prison guard and his family to Messiah. Acts 16:25-29.
Prophetic Songs
The children of God have always used music/song to mark holy events. These songs were passed down through the ages so that each new generation would remember God’s mighty acts, His loving kindness, and His supreme power. Many Biblical songs are prophetic in nature and in the Old Testament, Biblical prophecy was often accompanied by music.
“David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.” 1 Chronicles 25:1
“After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.” 1 Samuel 10:5
“Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. But now bring me a harpist.’ While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha and he said, This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water.” 2 Kings 3:14-16
“He [Saul] was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did.”1 Samuel 18:10
New Testament Songs
New Testament scriptures confirm the importance of
singing as an important act of worship.
Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19, James 5:13, Matthew 26:30.
There are the songs listed in the book of Revelation, one of the most beautiful examples of a song in the New Testament is Mary’s Song also known as the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55, most scholars believe that the format of the verses is poetic, similar to that of the Psalms. When the angel Gabriel visits Mary and announces that she will conceive a child, he also tells her that Elizabeth her elderly cousin, will soon give birth to a son. When Mary goes to visit Elizabeth, the baby in her womb leaps for joy as Mary greets her; and her response to Elizabeth’s affirmation is truly inspiring.
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
How Are Biblical Songs Important Today?
The songs in the Bible not only provide us with a better understanding of His story today, they also have a way of uniting all of God’s people in collective worship.
The first and the last song in the Bible are amazingly similar, as both are a spontaneous, praise-filled celebration of our Heavenly Fathers’ redemption.
For 400 years the children of God were enslaved by the Egyptians. and when they cried out to Him, He sent Moses to orchestrate their deliverance. However Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he had no intention of allowing his captive laborers to go free. God’s power was demonstrated and eventually Pharaoh’s heart was softened after the 10 successive plagues on Egypt. Through the first 9 Pharaoh’s grip on the slaves grew tighter, then the 10th plague was so horrific, that it finally broke Pharaoh’s resistance and he let God’s people go.
As they were leaving, Pharaoh changed his mind again and decided to chase them. There was one final obstacle which stood between children of Israel and their freedom, the Red/Reed Sea. As Pharaoh and his army got closer, the Hebrew slaves became trapped; then God’s power flowed through Moses and the huge body of water parted, allowing the Israelites to cross over on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to follow, the waves of the sea flowed back and drowned Pharaoh’s army.
As they realized the enormity of their deliverance, Moses and the Israelites burst into a spontaneous song of praise.
“I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” Exodus 15:1-2
This 18-verse song of deliverance in Exodus 15:1-18 is a detailed list of God’s miracles and His power to defeat the enemy. Even as Israel collectively sang about God’s strength, provision, mercy, and justice, the lyrics turned into a faith-filled prophetic view of God’s continued victory on their behalf.
The last song in the Bible is found in the book of Revelation.
Scripture refers to this final song as the song of Moses and of the Lamb. Revelation 15:3 In this passage of Scripture, John has just witnessed the saints overcome the power of the Beast through their faithful obedience to Messiah. 7 final tribulation plagues are administered by 7 angels, but the saints stand by a “sea” of glass and sing their song of triumph to the One who has secured their redemption.
Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.
Both the first and last song in Scripture center on
God’s redemptive power to deliver His people out of slavery
and into the promises prepared for them.
Worthy is the Lamb!
Revelation 5:9–10
In the book of Revelation, John records a scene in God’s heavenly throne room. There’s a book bound shut by 7 seals, and no one is worthy to open it.
Until a Lamb appears.
The Lamb represents Messiah Jesus/Yeshua all through Revelation, and He is able to open the book. The others in the throne room bow down before the Lamb, taking up their harps to sing a new song.
Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; For You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; And they will reign upon the earth.
The first song of Moses was in Exodus 15 after crossing the Red Sea and the last song in the Bible is similar. In Revelation 15:3, John sees the victorious body of believers in Messiah who have overcome the beast. They sing a new song of Moses, one with different words, but a similar message: Our Heavenly Father has conquered the enemy, and He deserves ALL the worship glory honor and praise.
Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before you, For your righteous acts have been revealed.
Worthy is the Lamb!
In the same way we began singing a new song to the Lord. In Rev. 14:3, they sang a new song and in the future we will join in with that singing. Until that day comes, we too can sing of all that He has done for us.
We can daily
sing a new song to the Lord
from our hearts, declaring how good He Is, how Holy and longsuffering and Almighty He is. We are to worship Him in spirit and truth, declaring the wonders of the Creator of the Universe. Singing and making melody in our hearts to the One who died for us, took our place, took our sin upon Himself so we can be forgiven and be with Him forever.
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for.
Please don’t leave this page without knowing Messiah is not only your Savior, Lord and soon returning King but He is also your beloved and His desire is for us to be His Beloved.. to have a personal relationship with Him NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
John 13:17
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