Month: December 2010

Rhythm of the Spirit

I had a dream a few years ago remarkably contrasting the rhythm of the flesh versus the rhythm of the spirit.  I’ve been hearing a scripture in my spirit which I believe points to the rhythm of the spirit.  If we look at scripture and the life Jesus lived and modeled, I see something interesting.  In John chapter 10, Jesus has caused someone who was blind to be able to see.  He proceeds to describe himself as the “door” and “the good shepherd,” and then he says this:

John 10:17-18

“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.  No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

The commandment Jesus received from God was to lay his life down and to take it up again.  This is to be done in accordance with the spirit.  God loves a cheerful giver.  OK, Daddy, what do you want me to be doing right now?  Should I lay my life down for someone else [love your neighbor]?  Or, should I take it back in order to establish place a healthy boundary [love God and self].

I see both in the life of Jesus.  Most of the time, we see Jesus laying his life down for someone else.  There were also times he established healthy boundaries in accordance with the spirit and in obedience to God.  Think about the times he just went away to be alone with God [take it up again] or when it seemed that God had another plan.

We see a similar picture with Moses in Exodus chapter 4.

Exodus 4:2-5

The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.”  Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. But the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

The Hebrew word for staff has it root word as ‘natah’, meaning to be stretched out, extend, or an offering.  A staff would represent someone’s authority and the things they lean upon for life.

In obedience to God, Moses was to lay his life down for the sake of others.  Moses reaction in the natural was to run from it.

What do I see symbolically?  Moses would take up his life again by laying hold of what was at the end of the sign.  I believe the sign points to the life of Christ, laying His life down and becoming a curse for us.  He had to willingly become the tail so he could become the head and we could become the body.

The Hebrew word for caught is the word ‘chazaq’, meaning to strengthen, be resolute, become courageous.  Laying hold of Christ would be what would make him strong and allow him to take up a resurrected life.

So what does this mean for me?  I believe a life lesson in learning the rhythm of the spirit.

God, what would you have me do right now?  Lay down my life, or take it up again?

 

The scriptures testify of Me

Midrash is the Jewish practice where the Jews would discuss and reason together about the deeper meaning of the scriptures.  Let us reason together.  I named the Facebook group after this Hebrew word.

John 5:39 (NLT) says:

You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

We need a spirit of revelation to open up our understanding so that we see Jesus in old covenant scriptures.  They reveal Jesus in some intriguing and beautiful ways.

I use Blue Letter Bible and print out scripture with the Strong’s numbers shown.  I then take an expanded Strong’s dictionary and study out the Hebrew words that catch my attention.  I’ve listed the Strong’s numbers below (Hxxxx).

Take a look at this verse in Nehemiah 8:15 (NASB):

So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

The picture of building a booth is a wonderful picture of Christ being built in us.  We are a spiritual house or Tabernacle in Jesus.  Christ in us, the hope of glory.  Do you see it in the text?

Here are some interesting words in the Hebrew text:

  • Zayith (Olive) H2132; forms an oil for illumination and anointing when crushed.
  • · Aleh (leaf – translated branches in the English text) H5929, leaf or leafage also means to ascend, or go up. We ascend to be with Christ, seated with Him in heavenly places.  The leaves were for the healing of the nations.
  • · Shemen (wild olive, pine in KJV which is incorrect) H8081, means fat, fatness, or the oil of anointing.  The oil of anointing makes us fat spiritually.  The anointing [fatness] breaks the yoke of bondage [makes our necks fat].
  • · Hadac (myrtle) H1918, is where the Hebrew name Hadassa comes from meaning bride and joy.  Hadassa was Esther’s Jewish name in scripture.  We are the bride of Jesus and His joy is our strength.  How about bride of joy as being part of the walls of our spiritual house?
  • · Tamar (palm) H8558; is a symbol of righteousness (stands upright).  We carry the righteousness of Christ in our spiritual houses as part of His righteousness being imputed to us.
  • · Ets (tree) H6086, Jesus is the tree of life.  We ascend in Him for life, love, and that which satisfies.
  • · Ribowth (thick or other) H5687; actually is translated as intertwined.  Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are all intertwined and wrapped up in each other.
  • · Cukkah (booth) H5521; this is a temporary tabernacle like our earthen vessels where the habitation of God is to dwell.  Christ in us, the hope of glory.

 

If I were to paraphrase this somehow with some of the deeper meaning, I might try something like this as a deeper understanding of Nehemiah 8:15:

 

Make a declaration to the people of God that they are to ascend in Christ and be seated with me in heavenly places.  Build up your spiritual house by pouring yourself out to demonstrate my love.  Seek my anointing so that you will be spiritually rich.  Seek my righteousness and be my Bride of Joy all wrapped up in me.  I desire to make a habitation with you forever.