Class 2 from this series was used in GCT Episode 290.
Slides from this class can be found HERE.
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Morning, my dear brothers and
sisters in the Lord Jesus
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Christ.
This morning, in our
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consideration of the geography
of the Holy Land, we’d like to
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make a journey from north to
South, or more specifically,
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from top to bottom.
We’ve mentioned in our studies
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that the geography of the Holy
Land in the Land’s attributes
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reinforce the principles of the
truth.
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And one of the first principles
that we have to come to grips
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with in a knowledge of the truth
is is that man is mortal, that
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we are heading down towards
death, and that apart from the
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offering of the Lord Jesus
Christ and our identification
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with that, there can be no hope
for mankind.
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And that is reinforced, brothers
and sisters, by the principles
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of the land.
On a journey from Mount Hermon
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to the Dead Sea, we just look at
some of the topography of the
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land.
Here.
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Mount Hermon is all the way up
in the north, right at the top.
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Here it’s 9000 feet above sea
level.
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It sticks out in the land of
Israel like a head.
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But the moment that you come
down from Hermon and the waters
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of the Jordan River are formed
by the melting snows of Hermann,
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the land begins to descend.
So you start at the top, and you
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go down and down and down and
down.
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And it’s a journey from Hermann
to the Dead Sea that emphasizes
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the principle of man’s
inevitable decline.
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He starts up here at the top.
Very good.
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God made man upright, but man
sought out many devices, and
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that’s going to be reinforced on
our journey this morning from
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Mount Hermon to the Dead Sea.
Mount Hermon is 9000 feet
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roughly above sea level.
The Dead Sea, which is not quite
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on this map but it is a little
bit lower than here, is the
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lowest point on the Earth’s
surface, 14192 feet below sea
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level.
So we go 11,000 feet down from
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there, down on this little map
here to there to the Dead Sea.
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It reinforces the important
principle that we all must come
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to grips with that we are
mortal, that we are dying, and
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that without the Lord Jesus
Christ there can be no hope for
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mankind.
So if we come to Psalm 133, we’d
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first like to identify the
significance of Mount Hermon.
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In Psalm 133, which we have in
the words of the hymn that we
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just sang, we see the
significance of Mount Hermon.
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Mount Hermon, significantly, is
aligned with the head of the
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high priest, and we know about
the head of the high priest.
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The high priest was the ideal
Israelite.
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All of the garments which he
wore bespoke holiness and
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righteousness, and particularly
the the mitre of the High
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Priest.
Whereupon were the words
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HOLINESS to Yahweh inscribed?
And Herman is linked with the
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thinking of the High Priest,
which was holiness to Yahweh in
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Psalm 133 We read in this very
short Psalm, Behold how good and
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how pleasant it is for brethren
to dwell together in unity.
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Unity.
Now what’s that like?
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What’s this unity like?
Well, he gives 2 examples.
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He says it’s like the precious
ointment that ran down upon the
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head that ran down upon the
beard, even Aaron’s beard that
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went down to the skirts of his
garments.
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Now, the first thing that we
need to understand about that
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verse is, is that the word
skirts does not mean skirts.
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As we understand it, the word
skirts there is the word collar.
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So it ran down the head onto the
beard.
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It went to his collar and it
stopped.
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The same word is used if you
just keep your hand in Psalm
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133.
Come back to Exodus 28.
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It’s used for the top of the
robe of the ephod of the High
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priest.
The oil went down to this
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particular point and it stopped.
Exodus chapter 28 and verse 31.
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Appropriately, there were seven
particular pieces of material in
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Aaron’s garments, and one of
them was the robe of the ephod,
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which was all of blue, All of
blue.
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Speaking of righteousness
intact, verse 31 of Exodus 28.
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And thou shalt make the robe of
the ephod all of blue, and there
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shall be a hole in the top of
it.
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That word, their whole is our
word.
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Skirts in Psalm 133.
In the midst thereof it shall
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have a binding of woven work
round about the whole.
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The collar of it, as it were the
whole of a Hoberjon, that it be
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not rent.
So this robe of the ephod was
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taken, and it was stitched, and
it was stitched to the collar so
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that it could not be torn.
And the oil, as it was put upon
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Aaron’s head, it ran down the
head, onto the beard, to the
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collar and stopped.
Now what did the body of the
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high priest represent?
Well, it represented the nation.
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It represented the ecclesia,
which was to be connected to the
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head of the high priest.
And because the robe of the
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ephod was created in such a way
that it could not be torn, the
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anointing oil, although it
stopped at the collar, it united
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head with body.
And the Psalmist says that’s
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unity.
How are we ever going to have
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unity in our collegius or in the
brotherhood at large?
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It’s only if the body has the
thinking of the head.
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And the Psalmist says that’s
unity.
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Well, he gives us another
illustration.
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Come back to Psalm 133, Psalm
133, he says in verse three as
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the dew of Herman.
And you can cross out the words
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in italics that descended upon
the mountains of Zion.
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For there Yahweh commanded the
blessing, even life forevermore.
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You know, it’s a simple fact of
geography, brothers and sisters,
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that the dew of Herman doesn’t
get anywhere near the mountains
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of Zion.
You know, the mountains of Zion
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are right down the central
spine, as we’ve seen in our
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studies.
Mount Herman.
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Here the dew comes off of
Herman, goes down and forms the
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Jordan River, which is several,
100 feet below sea level.
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It gets nowhere near the
mountains of Zion, just like the
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anointing oil which was poured
down Aaron’s head got to the
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collar and it stopped.
It didn’t get to the body, it
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got to the collar and it
stopped.
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But because the robe of the
ephod was connected with the
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head, it shared in the benefits
of the separation of the head.
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And so it is with Mount Hermon.
The dew that falls upon Hermon
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is then taken and it’s passed
down to the body so that the
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rest of the land shares in the
benefits of what’s going on up
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here at Mount Hermon.
And the the the Psalmist here
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says that’s unity, so that if
the land were ever detached from
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Herman, it couldn’t enjoy any of
the blessings that come from off
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of its mountain.
And if we were ever to detach
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ourselves from our high peace,
high priest, brothers and
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sisters, we could never, ever
share in the benefits that come
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from his thinking being
separated.
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How is it that brethren dwell
together in unity?
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Only by having the thinking of
their high priest might I say
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brothers and sisters.
And it may sound like an
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oversimplification, but it’s
true that most ecclesial
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problems begin when people do
not think like Christ.
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If we all thought and acted like
our head, we would be a
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harmonious group.
But of course, sadly, often
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that’s not the case.
But that’s how we get unity.
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So the mountain of harmony is
aligned with the high priest of
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Israel.
He was anointed upon the head.
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And as that dew ran down the
beard, the beard being a symbol
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of maturity, it gave every
appearance of being like Mount
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Hermon.
You know, if you were to look at
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the land of Israel and you were
to see it as a body with the the
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Negev in the South, with the
Hill Country in the middle, If
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you were to look at the land of
Israel and you were to to
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picture it as a body, where’s
the head?
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Well, the head of the land of
Israel is Mount Hermon, right
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here.
It could be seen from 30 or 40
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miles away, and it sticks up
there like a head.
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And the beauty of that head was
meant to remind the land of the
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beauty that goes on in the
thinking of our high priest,
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which is holiness unto Yahweh.
Do you know what the name Herman
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means?
Well, actually means the nose.
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It’s linked with the Hebrew word
for nose coat.
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So it’s like a head.
This is the ideal, This is
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purity, this is unity.
This is where man in the
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beginning was.
He was in harmony with the
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Elohim.
But of course we know that they
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lost that.
And that’s what the River Jordan
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is going to tell us all about.
South Herman with its Whitehead,
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is likened to the high priest
wearing his mitre.
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It’s blue lace, and you see
these little laces of blue is
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like the robe of the Ephod, and
Herman’s triangular strips of
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snow give every appearance of
the beard of maturity.
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You know, when the snow covers
that mountain and the snow is
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there, even in summer, it looks
for all the world like a frosty
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beard that’s been saturated with
the anointing oil that comes
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from heaven And their brothers
and sisters is the ideal, the
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head of our high Priest, from
which unity and separateness and
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heavenliness can be derived.
Now the interesting thing about
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Herman is it has two other names
in Scripture, and they’re both
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significant.
They come to Deuteronomy Chapter
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3, Deuteronomy Chapter 3.
The Gentiles gave Herman a
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couple of other names,
Deuteronomy Chapter 3 and verse
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8, and we took at that time out
of the hand of the two kings of
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the Amorites, the land that was
on this side of Jordan from the
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river of Arnon onto Mount
Hermon, which Hermon the
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Cydonians call Sirion and the
Amorites call it Shenyun.
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So the Gentiles gave Herman
these other names, The Cydonians
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called it Sirion and the
Amorites call it Shenir.
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And again, when names like that
are specified, brothers and
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sisters, the record is inviting
us to grab our concordance and
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to check the meanings of the
names.
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Well, it just so happens that
Sirion comes from the same root
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as the word Haberjan that we
just read in Exodus 28, used in
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respect to the collar of the
EFA.
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And the word shenir, which means
to clatter or to glisten, is
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just like the high priestly
garments.
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The word Sirion means to
glitter, which when you looked
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at the high priest and you saw
all those beautiful garments, it
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would remind you of the glitter
and the beauty of Mount Hermon.
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So Mount Hermon is linked,
brothers and sisters, with the
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ideal, the thinking of our high
Priest, which we if we want
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unity in our lives and unity in
our colleges, we must embrace
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and assimilate to.
Now there was one other famous
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event that took place at Mount
Hermon, and this gives us the
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key indicator to what Herman
stands for.
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It’s over in the New Testament
in Matthew chapter 17, Matthew
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chapter 17, the Lord has just
told his disciples that they’re
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going to Jerusalem.
He’s going to be taken with
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wicked hands, crucified and
slain.
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Well, God wanted to
counterbalance that, and he
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counterbalanced that in the very
next section of Matthew with a
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Transfiguration.
The transfiguration was the
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glory which would follow the
suffering.
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And Matthew, chapter 17.
And after six days Jesus taketh,
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Peter and James and John his
brother, and bringeth them up
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into an high mountain apart.
Now what was that particular
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mountain?
Now where was the Lord on on
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this occasion?
Well, if you just back up to
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Matthew chapter 16 and verse 13,
we’re told quite clearly where
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he was.
He was in the coast of Caesarea
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Philippi, which Caesarea
Philippi is just below Mount
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Hermon.
So if the Lord was in Caesarea
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Philippi and he wanted to ascend
into a very high mountain,
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there’s only one mountain in
that area that it could be, and
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that would of course be Mount
Hermon.
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And there in Mount Hermon he had
the vision of the
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transfiguration where his face,
Matthew 17, verse two did shine
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as the sun and his raiment was
white as the light.
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It’s just like these meanings up
here for hermit to to glitter,
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to clatter.
Like the beauty and the glory of
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the high priestly garments, the
disciples saw the Lord in his
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immortal glory.
So the record of Luke says that
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no fuller on earth could ever
attempt to white them like that
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00:14:59,720 –> 00:15:03,800
because these were the garments
of immortality which the
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00:15:03,800 –> 00:15:06,440
garments of the high priests
spoke of.
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00:15:07,840 –> 00:15:12,200
So in Herman, brothers and
sisters, we have the ideal where
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00:15:12,200 –> 00:15:16,680
man was in the beginning and
harmony with the Elohim in
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00:15:16,680 –> 00:15:21,640
fellowship with his God.
But of course we know that man
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00:15:21,640 –> 00:15:23,280
does not remain in that
condition.
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00:15:24,160 –> 00:15:28,120
His thinking is corrupted by the
world.
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00:15:28,560 –> 00:15:32,800
His thinking begins to lead him
into sin, and the wages of sin
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00:15:32,800 –> 00:15:37,000
inevitably will produce death.
And So what starts up on Mount
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00:15:37,000 –> 00:15:42,480
Hermon is this glorious picture
of these melting snows which
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00:15:42,480 –> 00:15:48,880
form the river Jordan descends
down and down and down until
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00:15:48,880 –> 00:15:55,000
finally it reaches the Dead Sea.
But that decline, brothers and
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00:15:55,000 –> 00:15:58,440
sisters, doesn’t always happen.
Immediately you look at some of
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00:15:58,440 –> 00:16:01,200
the area around Hermon.
Look at the water.
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00:16:02,080 –> 00:16:03,880
This is taken from Caesarea
Philippi.
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00:16:03,880 –> 00:16:06,280
You see the dew melts on
Hermann.
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00:16:07,680 –> 00:16:11,680
Those dews flow down that large
mountain and it forms the river
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00:16:11,680 –> 00:16:14,360
Jordan.
This is a picture of Caesarea
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00:16:14,360 –> 00:16:18,160
Philippi called today Banias.
It’s where the River Jordan
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00:16:18,160 –> 00:16:21,960
starts and it’s a glorious piece
of territory.
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00:16:22,600 –> 00:16:26,880
You can go for a hike in this
area and the water is Aqua blue.
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00:16:27,360 –> 00:16:30,760
It’s like the waters that you’ll
see either in New Zealand or out
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00:16:30,760 –> 00:16:34,040
West in British Columbia.
And it speaks about where man
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00:16:34,040 –> 00:16:38,320
started.
This is just down the hill, Same
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00:16:38,320 –> 00:16:44,000
park, this beautiful Crystal
Clearwater.
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00:16:44,000 –> 00:16:47,640
That’s the River Jordan at its
origins there in Banias.
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00:16:48,000 –> 00:16:51,200
As the dew comes off of Hermann
and it flows down that mountain,
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00:16:51,200 –> 00:16:55,520
it is crystal clear.
Here’s another one just right
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00:16:55,520 –> 00:16:59,840
down the hill there at Banius.
That’s the beginnings of man.
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00:17:00,440 –> 00:17:07,040
He begins in the beginning in
harmony and fellowship with his
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00:17:07,040 –> 00:17:08,400
God.
You know, just like when we’re
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00:17:08,400 –> 00:17:11,440
born, you know, there’s, there’s
this bundle of joy in your arms.
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00:17:11,440 –> 00:17:14,560
But as Brother Roberts points
out, it’s also a bundle of
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00:17:14,560 –> 00:17:17,240
propensities.
And those propensities, of
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00:17:17,240 –> 00:17:21,599
course, will will be reminded of
as we go down the river.
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00:17:21,599 –> 00:17:26,200
So that’s man’s beginning.
Now let’s go about 20 to 25
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00:17:26,200 –> 00:17:30,680
miles South.
And this is where what it is at
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00:17:30,680 –> 00:17:36,120
the top.
That’s about 25 miles South.
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00:17:38,360 –> 00:17:42,720
This is around Bethsaida.
This is the the bridge Highway
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00:17:42,720 –> 00:17:48,000
888 goes right over and you can
already see the water has
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00:17:48,000 –> 00:17:50,520
changed.
It’s now brown.
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00:17:51,440 –> 00:17:56,200
It’s now murky over a short
distance of about 30 miles to
258
00:17:56,200 –> 00:17:59,000
the South.
The water is brown and it’s
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00:17:59,000 –> 00:18:03,720
murky, indicating man’s sure and
certain decline.
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00:18:03,720 –> 00:18:07,640
You know the word Jordan means
the descender.
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00:18:09,480 –> 00:18:12,720
It starts in all of its beauty
and elegance, but it goes down
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00:18:12,720 –> 00:18:17,480
and down and down into death.
This is the land, brothers and
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00:18:17,480 –> 00:18:20,160
sisters, reminding us of the
principle that we all know to be
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00:18:20,160 –> 00:18:23,080
true.
That man is mortal, that we are
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00:18:23,080 –> 00:18:25,520
dying.
We think that life goes on and
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00:18:25,520 –> 00:18:26,880
on and on.
It it doesn’t.
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00:18:27,800 –> 00:18:30,800
We we’ve got to accept our
condition and the nature that we
268
00:18:30,800 –> 00:18:32,520
inherit.
And the Jordan River here
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00:18:32,960 –> 00:18:35,680
reminds us of that.
Just show you where we’ve come
270
00:18:35,680 –> 00:18:37,200
from.
We were just up here at Caesarea
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00:18:37,200 –> 00:18:39,680
Philippi.
This is Bannius.
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00:18:39,680 –> 00:18:42,080
Where those pictures were taken
from.
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00:18:42,200 –> 00:18:45,000
Here’s Mount Hermon.
And this last picture that we
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00:18:45,000 –> 00:18:48,040
saw is right about here near
Best.
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00:18:48,040 –> 00:18:51,800
Say it right as the Jordan River
is about to go into the Sea of
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00:18:51,800 –> 00:18:58,320
Galilee, where it is already
about 500 feet below sea level
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00:18:59,600 –> 00:19:04,760
at Galilee here, So we’ve gone
from 9000 feet above sea level
278
00:19:05,200 –> 00:19:10,920
to about 500 feet below in just
the space of about 25 miles.
279
00:19:12,200 –> 00:19:15,760
Man’s decline is sure and it is
certain.
280
00:19:15,760 –> 00:19:18,760
And the Jordan River, as you may
know it goes into the top of the
281
00:19:18,760 –> 00:19:24,120
Sea of Galilee here and then it
comes out the bottom down here.
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00:19:24,640 –> 00:19:28,960
So we’ll have a thing or two to
say then about the the Sea of
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00:19:28,960 –> 00:19:31,600
Galilee.
Here’s the river Jordan, best
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00:19:31,600 –> 00:19:33,920
say it where the picture, the
last picture was taken is up in
285
00:19:33,920 –> 00:19:37,920
here and it sort of winds its
way down in into the top of the
286
00:19:37,920 –> 00:19:40,360
Sea of Galilee.
And this is already about 500
287
00:19:40,360 –> 00:19:44,200
feet below sea level.
So there must be then some
288
00:19:44,200 –> 00:19:49,920
significance to Galilee, because
Galilee is is on this journey
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00:19:50,160 –> 00:19:56,080
downward towards the Dead Sea.
What was Galilee of course known
290
00:19:56,080 –> 00:19:58,120
for?
Well, it was backwards
291
00:19:58,120 –> 00:20:00,720
territory.
It was where the people sat in
292
00:20:00,720 –> 00:20:04,760
darkness.
Galilee signifies the ring, and
293
00:20:04,760 –> 00:20:08,600
you can see sort of the ringed
shape to that.
294
00:20:08,600 –> 00:20:12,240
Lake Galilee in the scriptures
has about four different names.
295
00:20:12,600 –> 00:20:15,840
It’s called the Sea of Galilee,
which means the ring.
296
00:20:16,240 –> 00:20:19,480
It’s also called Kinereth, which
means harp.
297
00:20:20,120 –> 00:20:25,240
You can see kind of the harp
shape to this particular lake.
298
00:20:26,080 –> 00:20:27,600
But it’s also called something
else.
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00:20:27,960 –> 00:20:32,040
If you come to John Chapter 21,
it’s called something else.
300
00:20:36,400 –> 00:20:38,840
You know Galilee is a very
interesting lake.
301
00:20:38,840 –> 00:20:43,840
It’s it’s like a bowl.
There are hills all around it
302
00:20:43,840 –> 00:20:46,840
and sometimes the wind gets
sucked into a vortex so that the
303
00:20:47,400 –> 00:20:52,040
the sea can be very, very calm
one minute and then 10 minutes
304
00:20:52,040 –> 00:20:54,440
later it’s very, very turbulent.
You remember the disciples
305
00:20:54,440 –> 00:20:56,360
experienced that on the lake.
They were out there.
306
00:20:56,360 –> 00:20:58,800
The Lord pushed them out.
He went into one of these
307
00:20:58,800 –> 00:21:01,640
mountains to pray.
And then all of a sudden the
308
00:21:01,640 –> 00:21:05,080
lake became very stormy, very
turbulent because of this.
309
00:21:05,280 –> 00:21:09,320
The way that Galilee is placed,
it’s like a bowl with hills on
310
00:21:09,400 –> 00:21:12,760
either side.
It’s like the nations that are
311
00:21:12,760 –> 00:21:16,560
casting up mire and dirt that
are prone to storm, that are
312
00:21:16,560 –> 00:21:21,800
prone to difficulty, and it’s
the Lord Jesus Christ alone that
313
00:21:21,800 –> 00:21:25,920
can calm that particular sea.
In John chapter 21 it’s called
314
00:21:25,920 –> 00:21:28,880
something else.
In verse one after these things,
315
00:21:28,880 –> 00:21:32,040
Jesus showed himself again to
his disciples at the Sea of
316
00:21:32,920 –> 00:21:36,800
Tiberius.
So it’s called Galilee, it’s
317
00:21:36,800 –> 00:21:41,280
called Kinneret, it’s called
Genesaret, and it’s also called
318
00:21:41,600 –> 00:21:46,920
Tiberius, which was the name of
the Emperor representing by that
319
00:21:46,920 –> 00:21:51,720
the Sea of Nations, the Roman
emperor Tiberius, the river
320
00:21:51,720 –> 00:21:56,680
Tiber that flows through Rome.
It’s also the name of this
321
00:21:56,680 –> 00:21:59,200
particular sea.
And the major city today along
322
00:21:59,200 –> 00:22:03,000
the Sea of Galilee is Tiberius,
which is right here on the
323
00:22:03,400 –> 00:22:06,320
western side.
So it represents the Sea of
324
00:22:06,320 –> 00:22:09,440
Nations.
We’ve come down from Herman the
325
00:22:09,440 –> 00:22:14,640
Ideal.
The water was glorious in blue.
326
00:22:15,600 –> 00:22:19,000
Now it’s dirty, it’s murky, it’s
casting up mire and dirt.
327
00:22:19,000 –> 00:22:26,440
It’s the Sea of the Nations, the
River Jordan, meaning descender
328
00:22:27,320 –> 00:22:31,400
representing man’s sure and
certain decline.
329
00:22:32,880 –> 00:22:35,600
Well, here’s the river as it
comes out from the Sea of
330
00:22:35,600 –> 00:22:37,640
Galilee.
We were just at the top where it
331
00:22:37,640 –> 00:22:41,520
went into the Sea of Galilee.
Now it’s coming out of the
332
00:22:41,520 –> 00:22:43,520
bottom.
I think we’re beginning to see
333
00:22:43,520 –> 00:22:46,120
some of the significance for
which Jordan stands, brothers
334
00:22:46,120 –> 00:22:48,720
and sisters.
It stands for the flesh.
335
00:22:49,440 –> 00:22:53,440
And there were three men in the
Scriptures that were manifested
336
00:22:53,440 –> 00:22:56,240
to Israel coming out of this
river.
337
00:22:56,960 –> 00:22:59,960
And it was at this particular
river, which represents the
338
00:22:59,960 –> 00:23:04,160
flesh and all of its ugliness,
that God chose to manifest these
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00:23:04,160 –> 00:23:06,920
men to Israel.
And those men were Joshua,
340
00:23:07,960 –> 00:23:10,840
Elisha, and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
341
00:23:11,360 –> 00:23:13,880
Let’s look at the first case in
Joshua chapter 3.
342
00:23:16,280 –> 00:23:20,520
We’ll look at these three men
and then we’ll explain why these
343
00:23:20,520 –> 00:23:30,080
three men in Joshua Chapter 3.
Moses has passed off the scene
344
00:23:30,080 –> 00:23:34,080
and now it’s time for his
replacement to be magnified.
345
00:23:34,080 –> 00:23:36,360
But there there may have been
some in the nation, brothers and
346
00:23:36,360 –> 00:23:38,560
sisters, who had doubts about
that.
347
00:23:39,720 –> 00:23:43,280
So when it came time for Joshua
to be magnified in the sight of
348
00:23:43,280 –> 00:23:45,600
all Israel, this is what God
wanted them to do.
349
00:23:46,120 –> 00:23:50,080
Joshua chapter 3 and verse 7.
And Yahweh said unto Joshua,
350
00:23:50,080 –> 00:23:55,200
This day will I begin to magnify
thee in the sight of all Israel
351
00:23:55,200 –> 00:23:58,800
that they may know, which of
course implies that there were
352
00:23:58,800 –> 00:24:03,080
some who doubted that they may
know that as I was with Moses,
353
00:24:03,440 –> 00:24:07,000
so I will be with thee.
And thou shalt command the
354
00:24:07,000 –> 00:24:10,240
priest that bear the ark of the
covenant, saying, when you’re
355
00:24:10,240 –> 00:24:13,400
come to the brink of the water
of Jordan, you shall stand still
356
00:24:13,400 –> 00:24:15,680
in Jordan.
So you see what God was doing
357
00:24:15,680 –> 00:24:17,680
here.
By these instructions to Joshua,
358
00:24:17,840 –> 00:24:21,800
Joshua, this day I’m going to
magnify you in the sight of all
359
00:24:21,800 –> 00:24:23,600
Israel.
Now go and tell the priest to
360
00:24:23,600 –> 00:24:28,960
put their feet in Jordan.
And when the ark goes across
361
00:24:30,120 –> 00:24:34,160
verse 11, Behold the ark of the
covenant of the Lord of all the
362
00:24:34,160 –> 00:24:37,280
earth passeth over before you
into Jordan.
363
00:24:37,520 –> 00:24:41,360
That ark, of course, represented
the leadership to which Joshua
364
00:24:41,360 –> 00:24:45,280
was connected.
And when that ark goes over
365
00:24:45,280 –> 00:24:48,480
Jordan, you will be magnified in
the sight of all Israel.
366
00:24:48,480 –> 00:24:51,640
Now the phrase there, the Lord
of all the earth.
367
00:24:51,640 –> 00:24:54,560
In verse 11, you’ll know that
it’s in small print.
368
00:24:55,720 –> 00:24:59,840
It’s not in small capitals as it
is in verse 7, where of course
369
00:24:59,840 –> 00:25:03,840
it is the Hebrew name of our
Heavenly Father, He who will be.
370
00:25:04,320 –> 00:25:09,080
But the word Lord in verse 11 is
a dog, the ruler of all the
371
00:25:09,120 –> 00:25:11,880
earth.
This day, Joshua, I will magnify
372
00:25:11,880 –> 00:25:15,280
you in the sight of all Israel.
The ruler of all the earth will
373
00:25:15,520 –> 00:25:20,080
go over Jordan.
So Yahweh manifested his
374
00:25:20,080 –> 00:25:24,040
acceptance of Joshua to Israel
by connecting him with going
375
00:25:24,040 –> 00:25:29,360
across the river Jordan.
Let’s come to the next example
376
00:25:29,360 –> 00:25:34,200
in Second Kings 2, who begin to
see why God would manifest men
377
00:25:34,200 –> 00:25:36,560
by getting them across this
river.
378
00:25:37,320 –> 00:25:43,680
Second Kings Chapter 2 Elijah is
about to depart and there are 50
379
00:25:43,680 –> 00:25:51,480
aspirants for the job. 51 If you
count Elijah and his successor
380
00:25:51,480 –> 00:25:56,640
now is going to be manifest, And
in order that his successor
381
00:25:56,640 –> 00:25:59,760
might be manifest, they were
taken down to the River Jordan,
382
00:26:00,440 –> 00:26:06,760
Second Kings, Chapter 2 and
verse 12 Elijah saw it, and he
383
00:26:06,760 –> 00:26:09,080
cried.
My father, my father the chariot
384
00:26:09,080 –> 00:26:12,480
of Israel, and the horsemen
thereof, and he saw him no more.
385
00:26:13,400 –> 00:26:15,920
He took hold of his own clothes,
and rent them in two pieces.
386
00:26:15,920 –> 00:26:18,800
He took up also the mantle of
Elijah that fell from him, and
387
00:26:18,800 –> 00:26:22,800
went back and stood by the Bank
of Jordan.
388
00:26:23,640 –> 00:26:27,800
So the mantle changed at
precisely the same spot where
389
00:26:28,160 –> 00:26:31,680
Moses leadership was succeeded
by Joshua.
390
00:26:32,480 –> 00:26:35,600
And it says verse 14.
He took the mantle of Elijah
391
00:26:35,600 –> 00:26:37,440
that fell from him and smote the
waters.
392
00:26:37,440 –> 00:26:40,400
And they said, where is Yahweh,
elohim of Elijah?
393
00:26:41,360 –> 00:26:43,840
Where is he?
At Jordan.
394
00:26:45,600 –> 00:26:48,280
And when he had smitten the
waters they parted, hit her and
395
00:26:48,280 –> 00:26:52,000
thither and Elijah went over.
And when the sons of the
396
00:26:52,000 –> 00:26:55,840
prophets which were to view at
Jericho saw him, they said the
397
00:26:55,840 –> 00:27:01,320
spirit of Elijah doth rest upon
Elijah, and they came to meet
398
00:27:01,320 –> 00:27:05,040
him and bowed themselves to the
ground before him.
399
00:27:05,320 –> 00:27:13,120
So when Elijah was manifested to
Israel at the river Jordan, and
400
00:27:13,120 –> 00:27:16,240
it became apparent to all that
Yahweh was with Elijah, they
401
00:27:16,240 –> 00:27:20,360
bowed themselves to the ground
before him at the river Jordan.
402
00:27:21,840 –> 00:27:25,040
The third case is in Matthew
chapter 3.
403
00:27:25,040 –> 00:27:28,120
Now we’ll we’ll tie all these
together after looking at this
404
00:27:28,120 –> 00:27:31,280
very famous reference in Matthew
chapter 3.
405
00:27:33,080 –> 00:27:35,960
John, of course, has been
baptizing and it’s time for the
406
00:27:35,960 –> 00:27:42,280
Forerunner to end his course.
Even after John was in prison,
407
00:27:42,280 –> 00:27:44,640
there were still disciples
following after John.
408
00:27:44,640 –> 00:27:48,160
So there was some reservation in
their minds as to whether they
409
00:27:48,160 –> 00:27:51,520
should continue to follow John,
or whether they should follow
410
00:27:52,360 –> 00:27:57,200
the one whom John ran before.
And so they went down to the
411
00:27:57,200 –> 00:28:01,400
river Jordan.
Verse 13.
412
00:28:02,280 –> 00:28:06,520
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee
to Jordan unto John.
413
00:28:06,520 –> 00:28:08,920
Now that’s the same journey that
we’ve just traversed from
414
00:28:08,920 –> 00:28:13,720
Galilee to Jordan unto John to
be baptized of him.
415
00:28:14,880 –> 00:28:18,840
Verse 16 And Jesus, when he was
baptized, went up straightway
416
00:28:18,840 –> 00:28:23,840
out of the water, the water of
Jordan, And, lo, the heavens
417
00:28:23,840 –> 00:28:27,400
were open unto him.
And he saw the Spirit of God
418
00:28:27,400 –> 00:28:30,720
descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him, or as the
419
00:28:30,760 –> 00:28:34,840
Greek is remaining on him.
And lo, a voice from heaven
420
00:28:34,840 –> 00:28:39,880
saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.
421
00:28:40,360 –> 00:28:44,160
At the river Jordan there was
that manifestation, that this
422
00:28:44,160 –> 00:28:47,120
was the one that they now were
to follow.
423
00:28:47,120 –> 00:28:51,360
So with Joshua this day will I
begin to magnify thee in the
424
00:28:51,360 –> 00:28:55,560
sight of all, all Israel.
Where is Yahweh Elohim of Elijah
425
00:28:55,760 –> 00:29:01,120
and Elijah went over?
This is my beloved Son, in whom
426
00:29:01,120 –> 00:29:03,240
I am well pleased.
Now why brothers and sisters,
427
00:29:03,240 –> 00:29:11,600
those three men?
Well, Joshua Yahashua is of
428
00:29:11,600 –> 00:29:13,880
course the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
429
00:29:14,520 –> 00:29:18,840
Jesus is but the Greek
equivalent, and it means the
430
00:29:18,840 –> 00:29:25,440
salvation of God.
And Elisha also means the same
431
00:29:25,440 –> 00:29:29,200
thing, the salvation of gods.
They had very similar names.
432
00:29:29,560 –> 00:29:32,080
And why was it that they were
able to get through that river?
433
00:29:33,280 –> 00:29:39,360
Because it was God’s salvation
that was at work in all three of
434
00:29:39,360 –> 00:29:41,160
them.
And because they were able to
435
00:29:41,160 –> 00:29:44,720
get through that river and to be
manifested out of that river
436
00:29:44,720 –> 00:29:49,680
which so stood for the flesh.
It was apparent then to all that
437
00:29:49,680 –> 00:29:55,120
this was the one that God had
chosen, in whose authority there
438
00:29:55,120 –> 00:29:59,000
would now be vested.
So Jordan, brothers and sisters,
439
00:29:59,000 –> 00:30:04,080
stands for the flesh and it’s
come from Mount Hermon.
440
00:30:05,000 –> 00:30:09,200
Man begins upright.
But man of course, has sought
441
00:30:09,200 –> 00:30:12,080
out many devices.
He’s he’s gone down the way of
442
00:30:12,080 –> 00:30:14,400
sin.
And that is what the Jordan
443
00:30:14,400 –> 00:30:17,640
speaks of.
This is an overhead shot of
444
00:30:17,640 –> 00:30:21,040
Jordan as we make our way
towards the Dead Sea.
445
00:30:21,040 –> 00:30:25,080
And what does it look like?
Looks like the winding of a
446
00:30:25,080 –> 00:30:28,600
snake, doesn’t it?
If you look at Jordan on a map
447
00:30:28,840 –> 00:30:33,600
between the Sea of Galilee and
the Dead Sea, you’ll see a lot
448
00:30:33,600 –> 00:30:35,200
of this.
It’s like the winding of a
449
00:30:35,200 –> 00:30:38,720
snake.
It’s the serpent thinking, going
450
00:30:38,720 –> 00:30:43,080
down and down and down into
death.
451
00:30:43,560 –> 00:30:49,840
If the water was dirty up there,
north of the Sea of Galilee, it
452
00:30:49,840 –> 00:30:54,200
gets even dirtier.
As the water approaches the Dead
453
00:30:54,200 –> 00:30:59,040
Sea, the waters of Jordan become
more stagnant and turgid,
454
00:30:59,600 –> 00:31:02,600
demonstrating man’s inevitable
destiny.
455
00:31:02,600 –> 00:31:06,680
The water begins to flow slower
and slower and slower.
456
00:31:06,920 –> 00:31:09,560
It gets dirtier and dirtier and
dirtier.
457
00:31:09,640 –> 00:31:13,840
And isn’t that the way man gets?
You know, the longer he goes on,
458
00:31:14,400 –> 00:31:17,480
he just gets more and more
disgusting.
459
00:31:19,000 –> 00:31:22,040
These people in the world that
think that they’re, you know,
460
00:31:22,040 –> 00:31:25,480
glorious in their appearance and
and they’re all macho, well, you
461
00:31:25,480 –> 00:31:30,640
know, in God’s eyes they look
like that disgusting, grotesque.
462
00:31:31,040 –> 00:31:33,880
This is our nature, brothers and
sisters.
463
00:31:34,880 –> 00:31:38,080
How are we spending our time?
Do we realize that this is what
464
00:31:38,080 –> 00:31:40,480
we really are?
And that apart from the
465
00:31:40,480 –> 00:31:44,760
salvation of God that is offered
in Yahashua, there can be no
466
00:31:44,760 –> 00:31:49,120
life at all for us?
It demonstrates man’s inevitable
467
00:31:49,120 –> 00:31:55,080
destiny.
So we’ve come from there to
468
00:31:55,080 –> 00:31:58,280
there in a very, very short
distance.
469
00:31:58,320 –> 00:32:01,520
Look at the water.
You see why Naaman wanted no
470
00:32:01,520 –> 00:32:03,520
part of it.
Look at that.
471
00:32:04,320 –> 00:32:09,920
It’s brown, it’s dirty.
And it was also brothers and
472
00:32:09,920 –> 00:32:13,240
sisters in the days of the
prophets.
473
00:32:13,960 –> 00:32:18,600
Jordan, quite appropriately, was
a very dangerous place.
474
00:32:20,120 –> 00:32:22,520
You know there’s references we
won’t we won’t look at.
475
00:32:22,520 –> 00:32:29,000
But in Jeremiah chapter 49 and
verse 19, Jordan was noted for
476
00:32:29,000 –> 00:32:33,520
having lions.
Matthew, Chapter 3 John the
477
00:32:33,520 –> 00:32:36,000
Baptist was drawing on the
language of the territory when
478
00:32:36,000 –> 00:32:39,000
he warned, O serpents and
generation of Vipers who has
479
00:32:39,000 –> 00:32:40,960
warned you to flee from the
wrath to come.
480
00:32:41,360 –> 00:32:45,080
You know, Jordan every year
overflowed its banks.
481
00:32:46,400 –> 00:32:49,360
It overflows its banks all the
time of harvest, we’re told,
482
00:32:50,000 –> 00:32:53,000
because the melting snows on
Hermann when they melt in the
483
00:32:53,000 –> 00:32:55,800
summer, they they send that
water cascading down the
484
00:32:55,800 –> 00:33:00,600
mountain and it flows down the
river Jordan and into the sea of
485
00:33:00,600 –> 00:33:03,800
Galilee and then out the bottom
and it overflows its banks.
486
00:33:03,800 –> 00:33:06,640
And of course you, if you’ve
ever seen a river overflow its
487
00:33:06,640 –> 00:33:10,480
banks and then recede, you’ll
see that when it recedes, it
488
00:33:10,480 –> 00:33:15,400
leaves behind all the mud and
all the debris and all this
489
00:33:15,400 –> 00:33:17,800
bracket.
And of course, what would happen
490
00:33:17,800 –> 00:33:23,320
is as that began to dry, it
became a resting ground for
491
00:33:23,320 –> 00:33:28,960
snakes and for all sorts of
harmful creatures.
492
00:33:30,120 –> 00:33:33,880
So that in the books of the
prophets in Jeremiah and in
493
00:33:33,880 –> 00:33:35,800
Zechariah, they warn people
about that.
494
00:33:35,800 –> 00:33:38,720
Jordan, you know, if you look
down from the hills of Judea
495
00:33:39,320 –> 00:33:42,440
upon Jordan, it looks like a a
very, very nice place.
496
00:33:43,360 –> 00:33:46,600
You can see some green, you see
the winding of the water all the
497
00:33:46,600 –> 00:33:48,360
way through there, and it looks
like a glorious place.
498
00:33:48,360 –> 00:33:51,840
But when you get down in there,
when you get bogged down in
499
00:33:51,840 –> 00:33:55,640
there, it can become very, very
difficult.
500
00:33:56,360 –> 00:33:58,400
I’d like you to turn to that one
reference we have on the screen
501
00:33:58,400 –> 00:34:02,400
in Jeremiah chapter 12.
Jeremiah chapter 12.
502
00:34:04,720 –> 00:34:06,760
Jeremiah had about a 40 year
prophecy.
503
00:34:08,159 –> 00:34:13,440
The 1st 17 years or so was with
King Josiah where Jeremiah had
504
00:34:13,440 –> 00:34:16,480
royal protection.
He didn’t have to worry as much
505
00:34:16,480 –> 00:34:22,199
about persecution because as
long as Josiah was king, he had
506
00:34:22,199 –> 00:34:26,920
some royal protection.
Then tragically, Josiah has
507
00:34:26,920 –> 00:34:30,400
taken him to death.
And Jeremiah 12, Jeremiah’s
508
00:34:30,400 –> 00:34:33,480
complaining about his lot,
complaining about the evil
509
00:34:33,480 –> 00:34:35,120
doers.
You know, for the 1st 23 years
510
00:34:35,120 –> 00:34:39,000
of Jeremiah’s prophecy, not one
single prediction he made came
511
00:34:39,000 –> 00:34:42,320
to pass.
And he’s complaining in Jeremiah
512
00:34:42,320 –> 00:34:47,080
chapter 12 about his lot
righteous art thou, O Yahweh,
513
00:34:47,080 –> 00:34:51,560
Jeremiah 12 verse one when I
plead with thee, yeah, let me
514
00:34:51,560 –> 00:34:55,520
talk with thee of thy judgement.
You see the margin for talk in
515
00:34:55,520 –> 00:34:59,200
verse one.
Let me reason the case with you.
516
00:35:00,200 –> 00:35:03,000
Thou hast planted them verse 2.
Yet they have taken root.
517
00:35:03,160 –> 00:35:05,400
You know you’ve you’ve promised
that all of these things are
518
00:35:05,400 –> 00:35:07,280
going to come to pass upon these
evil doers.
519
00:35:07,280 –> 00:35:11,920
Yet they continue to take root.
They continue to prosper.
520
00:35:12,920 –> 00:35:15,160
Please let something happen.
Verse 4.
521
00:35:15,160 –> 00:35:18,720
How long shall the land mourn?
And the herbs of every field,
522
00:35:18,720 –> 00:35:21,040
whether for the wickedness of
them that dwell therein?
523
00:35:21,120 –> 00:35:26,040
And he’s complaining with God
about his law, and God responds
524
00:35:26,040 –> 00:35:28,000
to his complaining.
And you know, this is so
525
00:35:28,000 –> 00:35:30,320
different, brothers and sisters,
to how we might respond in
526
00:35:30,320 –> 00:35:32,320
narclesias to someone who’s
complaining.
527
00:35:33,600 –> 00:35:35,240
Look at what God says in verse
5.
528
00:35:35,920 –> 00:35:40,080
If thou hast run with the
footmen, and they have wearied
529
00:35:40,080 –> 00:35:43,400
thee, how are you going to
contend with horses?
530
00:35:44,720 –> 00:35:48,280
And if in the land of peace, if
in the days of Josiah you found
531
00:35:48,280 –> 00:35:52,760
it hard going wherein thou
trustest they were thee, how are
532
00:35:52,760 –> 00:35:55,240
you going to get along in the
swelling of Jordan?
533
00:35:55,240 –> 00:35:59,480
In other words, God’s telling
Jeremiah here we’re just getting
534
00:35:59,480 –> 00:36:02,680
started.
If you think it’s difficult in
535
00:36:02,680 –> 00:36:05,120
the days of Josiah, when you
were running on flat level
536
00:36:05,120 –> 00:36:09,960
ground, grow up your loins.
Now, Jeremiah, because we’re
537
00:36:09,960 –> 00:36:13,440
running against horses, you’re
going down into the swelling of
538
00:36:13,440 –> 00:36:17,280
Jordan, where you’re running
against Jehoiachim and some evil
539
00:36:17,280 –> 00:36:21,400
kings and some wicked Princess.
And you’ll see how the swelling
540
00:36:21,400 –> 00:36:25,520
of Jordan is linked with
probably some of the hardest
541
00:36:25,560 –> 00:36:27,680
experiences that we could have
in our lives.
542
00:36:27,680 –> 00:36:30,440
And that is when our own family
rebels against us.
543
00:36:30,920 –> 00:36:35,120
Verse 6.
For even thy brethren and the
544
00:36:35,120 –> 00:36:38,920
House of thy father, even they
that have dwelt treacherously
545
00:36:38,920 –> 00:36:41,240
with thee, yeah, they have
called a multitude after thee.
546
00:36:41,840 –> 00:36:44,520
Believe them not, though they
speak fair words unto thee,
547
00:36:44,520 –> 00:36:50,000
because his own brethren now not
just the people in the ecclesia,
548
00:36:50,000 –> 00:36:52,800
his own brethren now will be
fighting against them.
549
00:36:52,800 –> 00:36:56,920
And how is that compared?
To what analogy does God give
550
00:36:56,920 –> 00:36:58,040
Jeremiah?
He says it’s just like the
551
00:36:58,040 –> 00:37:03,160
swelling of Jordan.
Jordan was a difficult place.
552
00:37:03,400 –> 00:37:06,400
It was a dangerous place.
In the times of the prophet
553
00:37:06,400 –> 00:37:07,960
there were lions, there were
snakes.
554
00:37:08,120 –> 00:37:10,840
And Jeremiah, if you found it
hard running on flat level
555
00:37:10,840 –> 00:37:14,520
ground in the days of Josiah,
what’s going to happen when
556
00:37:14,520 –> 00:37:18,400
Josiah is gone and you’re down
here in the swelling of Jordan,
557
00:37:19,960 –> 00:37:23,720
Jordan ever stood, brothers and
sisters, for the flesh and all
558
00:37:23,720 –> 00:37:26,320
of its savagery and all of its
difficulty?
559
00:37:27,640 –> 00:37:29,320
What’s going to redeem us from
that?
560
00:37:31,520 –> 00:37:34,960
Because this is where we’re
going eventually.
561
00:37:34,960 –> 00:37:37,120
Here’s the River Jordans that
goes into the Dead Sea.
562
00:37:38,400 –> 00:37:43,960
So we’ve come from life, from
beauty, all the way down now
563
00:37:45,400 –> 00:37:47,000
into death.
If you see on this little map
564
00:37:47,000 –> 00:37:49,120
here, this is where this
photograph is taken from right
565
00:37:49,120 –> 00:37:50,840
here.
We’ve come all the way from up
566
00:37:50,840 –> 00:37:54,000
here.
Mount hermon life, beauty.
567
00:37:54,000 –> 00:37:57,480
But it’s come down and down and
down, down this Serpentine
568
00:37:57,480 –> 00:38:01,960
course until finally it goes
into the Dead Sea.
569
00:38:01,960 –> 00:38:04,320
And when it goes into the Dead
Sea it’s stagnating.
570
00:38:04,480 –> 00:38:08,240
I think they even use machines
now in some parts of the land to
571
00:38:08,240 –> 00:38:11,320
push the water along because
it’s so difficult.
572
00:38:13,160 –> 00:38:19,800
And this is man’s in down here
in the bottom having made its
573
00:38:19,800 –> 00:38:22,080
way to the Dead Sea.
Man’s ultimate end is now
574
00:38:22,080 –> 00:38:26,600
realized in death in the lowest
parts of the earth.
575
00:38:26,600 –> 00:38:28,600
And that’s where we’re all
going, brothers and sisters.
576
00:38:29,960 –> 00:38:33,200
We all have to come to grips
with that at some point that
577
00:38:33,200 –> 00:38:36,080
this is the reality of the
nature that we bear.
578
00:38:37,400 –> 00:38:40,720
So what’s going to deliver us
from that?
579
00:38:41,360 –> 00:38:44,680
What’s going to get us out of
the waters of Jordan?
580
00:38:44,680 –> 00:38:47,320
Get us a cross into the promised
land?
581
00:38:49,120 –> 00:38:52,600
If we come to Joshua Chapter 3,
we’re told exactly what that is,
582
00:38:53,120 –> 00:38:54,960
because we all know what
happened in the days when the
583
00:38:54,960 –> 00:38:58,560
children of Israel crossed in
Joshua Chapter 3.
584
00:38:58,560 –> 00:39:02,600
And this is part of why Joshua
was magnified in the sight of
585
00:39:02,600 –> 00:39:10,120
all Israel.
Joshua Chapter 3.
586
00:39:10,120 –> 00:39:11,640
And this is when Jordan was in
flood.
587
00:39:13,360 –> 00:39:15,000
OK.
If you’ve seen photographs of
588
00:39:15,000 –> 00:39:18,600
Jordan in flood, it’s it’s a lot
wider than it is in the pictures
589
00:39:18,600 –> 00:39:21,520
that we just showed.
In order for the people to get
590
00:39:21,520 –> 00:39:26,120
across that something had to
happen, some miracle had to take
591
00:39:26,120 –> 00:39:29,040
place that that they might be
able to Passover into the
592
00:39:29,040 –> 00:39:30,920
promised land.
And we’re told about that in
593
00:39:30,920 –> 00:39:35,400
Joshua chapter 3 and verse 14.
And it came to pass, when the
594
00:39:35,400 –> 00:39:38,240
people removed from their tents
to Passover, Jordan and the
595
00:39:38,240 –> 00:39:40,840
priest bearing the ark of the
covenant before the people.
596
00:39:41,600 –> 00:39:44,280
And as they came to bear the
ark, they were coming to Jordan.
597
00:39:44,880 –> 00:39:47,920
And the feet of the priests that
bear the ark were dipped in the
598
00:39:47,920 –> 00:39:50,760
brim of the water.
For Jordan overfloweth all his
599
00:39:50,760 –> 00:39:54,320
banks, all the time of harvest,
that the waters which came down
600
00:39:54,320 –> 00:40:00,200
from above, so that would be
these waters here, these waters
601
00:40:00,200 –> 00:40:06,440
that come down from above, stood
and rose up upon a heap very far
602
00:40:06,440 –> 00:40:11,720
from the city of Adam.
So as the Jordan River made its
603
00:40:12,000 –> 00:40:19,040
way down into its shore, and
certain death right in the
604
00:40:19,040 –> 00:40:26,160
middle, appropriately there’s a
city called Adam, from whence
605
00:40:26,200 –> 00:40:32,960
all men have derived their
mortality By one man.
606
00:40:32,960 –> 00:40:37,280
Sin entered into the world, and
death by sin.
607
00:40:37,280 –> 00:40:40,400
So death passed upon all men
because all have sinned.
608
00:40:40,640 –> 00:40:46,640
And there was a city here called
Adam, almost as if to explain
609
00:40:46,640 –> 00:40:51,040
the reason why the Jordan is in
the condition that it is in.
610
00:40:51,920 –> 00:40:57,680
And it says there also in verse
16 that is beside Zaratan and
611
00:40:57,680 –> 00:41:00,120
those that came down from the
sea of the plain.
612
00:41:00,480 –> 00:41:04,200
The word is Arabah.
So the waters that came down
613
00:41:04,200 –> 00:41:07,640
from the sea of Arabah, this
little line here is right about
614
00:41:07,640 –> 00:41:09,040
where they were when they
crossed.
615
00:41:10,400 –> 00:41:13,200
So the waters that came down
from the sea of the Arabah, the
616
00:41:13,200 –> 00:41:17,720
Dead Sea, they were cut off and
the waters that came from above
617
00:41:18,000 –> 00:41:24,960
were pushed back beyond Adam to
a place called in verse 16.
618
00:41:24,960 –> 00:41:31,120
Zaratan and Zaratan means
distress, one of the effects of
619
00:41:31,120 –> 00:41:34,200
our mortality.
The waters were able to be
620
00:41:34,200 –> 00:41:39,800
pushed back beyond Adam.
Now what does the Ark of the
621
00:41:39,800 –> 00:41:43,320
Covenant represent?
How did they transport the Ark
622
00:41:43,320 –> 00:41:46,880
of the Covenant?
By the way, what did they put
623
00:41:46,880 –> 00:41:50,600
over top of it?
When they transported it, they
624
00:41:50,600 –> 00:41:53,040
put the veil.
That was how the Ark was
625
00:41:53,040 –> 00:41:55,680
transported.
They put the veil over the ark
626
00:41:55,680 –> 00:41:57,920
of the covenant.
So as it would have gone over
627
00:41:57,920 –> 00:42:01,040
the the dry stream of Jordan,
the veil would have been draped
628
00:42:01,040 –> 00:42:04,600
over the top of that ark.
Now that veil, Paul says in
629
00:42:04,600 –> 00:42:09,720
Hebrews chapter 10, represents
his flesh, his flesh.
630
00:42:10,000 –> 00:42:13,720
And so it’s by the death of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and only by
631
00:42:13,720 –> 00:42:17,960
that, that the waters of Jordan,
which surely and certainly are
632
00:42:17,960 –> 00:42:23,080
heading down into death, can be
pushed back beyond Adam, back
633
00:42:23,080 –> 00:42:27,120
beyond our current distress, so
that we can be changed for the
634
00:42:27,120 –> 00:42:30,480
Kingdom of God.
And apart from any sort of
635
00:42:30,480 –> 00:42:33,880
identification with our High
Priest.
636
00:42:34,280 –> 00:42:37,440
The sure and certain sentence of
death could never be reversed.
637
00:42:37,680 –> 00:42:40,840
But the Lord Jesus Christ,
through his sacrifice, has the
638
00:42:40,840 –> 00:42:46,240
ability to drive those waters
back beyond Adam and change us
639
00:42:46,240 –> 00:42:50,280
for the Kingdom of God so that
then we can Passover, as the
640
00:42:50,280 –> 00:42:55,040
people did in verse 17, onto dry
land, into the Promised land,
641
00:42:55,280 –> 00:43:00,960
and into immortality itself.
It’s marvelous, brothers and
642
00:43:00,960 –> 00:43:04,320
sisters, how the land is able to
demonstrate some of these
643
00:43:04,320 –> 00:43:07,880
glorious lessons, lessons that
we all know to be true.
644
00:43:08,600 –> 00:43:10,920
We all know the principle that
man is mortal, but the land and
645
00:43:11,520 –> 00:43:17,600
its pictures and its geography
is there to remind us of our
646
00:43:17,600 –> 00:43:20,040
condition.
Let us never think that time
647
00:43:20,040 –> 00:43:22,760
will just go on and on.
If we’ve got things that we need
648
00:43:22,760 –> 00:43:27,400
to do in the truth, let’s not
say well, we’ll do this When
649
00:43:27,400 –> 00:43:30,600
circumstances look right to us,
they may never look right to us.
650
00:43:31,040 –> 00:43:34,440
This is our end.
It’s by coming to grips with
651
00:43:34,440 –> 00:43:37,520
that, that you use your time
wisely, that you don’t waste
652
00:43:37,520 –> 00:43:39,720
time, that you feel
uncomfortable when you are
653
00:43:39,720 –> 00:43:44,400
wasting time, and the waters of
Jordan remind us of that.
654
00:43:44,760 –> 00:43:47,320
In conclusion, let’s just look
at one other case that happened
655
00:43:47,320 –> 00:43:53,200
at the Jordan Second Kings
Chapter 6, and this is
656
00:43:54,320 –> 00:43:57,200
appropriately, with Elijah, the
man of God.
657
00:43:57,280 –> 00:44:01,480
So we’ve seen the three men,
Joshua, the waters were driven
658
00:44:02,800 –> 00:44:07,640
beyond Adam, back towards
Hermann where Manch was meant to
659
00:44:07,640 –> 00:44:11,360
be in the beginning.
And now we see a case with
660
00:44:11,360 –> 00:44:13,080
Elijah.
You know, Elijah had an event
661
00:44:13,720 –> 00:44:17,640
that happened at the river
Jordan too, when his servants
662
00:44:17,640 –> 00:44:20,800
were cutting down trees.
The sons of the prophets, the
663
00:44:20,800 –> 00:44:23,800
ecclesia of the day, was
beginning to expand, and they
664
00:44:23,800 –> 00:44:25,640
had to make extra accommodation
for them.
665
00:44:25,640 –> 00:44:27,640
So they had to go down to the
Jordan, and they had to cut down
666
00:44:27,640 –> 00:44:32,880
some trees.
And 2nd Kings, chapter six, we
667
00:44:32,880 –> 00:44:36,280
read in verse one the sons of
the prophets sent unto Elijah.
668
00:44:36,280 –> 00:44:39,160
Behold now the place where we
dwell with these two straight
669
00:44:39,160 –> 00:44:42,080
for us, the halls too small.
Let us go.
670
00:44:42,080 –> 00:44:46,120
We pray thee unto Jordan, and
take thence every man a beam,
671
00:44:46,520 –> 00:44:48,760
and let us make us a place there
where we may dwell.
672
00:44:49,160 –> 00:44:55,520
And he said, Gogi verse five,
they begin to cut down the wood
673
00:44:56,360 –> 00:45:01,640
and says, But as one was felling
a beam the axe head fell into
674
00:45:01,640 –> 00:45:04,320
the water and he cried.
Alas, master, if it was borrowed
675
00:45:05,880 –> 00:45:08,200
and Elijah says, well where did
it fall?
676
00:45:09,640 –> 00:45:12,200
He showed him the place and he
cut down.
677
00:45:12,200 –> 00:45:15,920
That is Elijah cut down a stick
and cast it into there.
678
00:45:15,920 –> 00:45:20,160
And the iron did swim, therefore
said he take it up to thee, and
679
00:45:20,160 –> 00:45:21,480
he put it in his hand and he
took it.
680
00:45:21,480 –> 00:45:23,320
Now, if you ever wondered,
brothers and sisters, what that
681
00:45:23,320 –> 00:45:27,840
story is all about, this man is
just out, you know, cutting down
682
00:45:27,840 –> 00:45:32,520
wood, and the axe head flies off
and it lands in the Jordan and
683
00:45:32,520 –> 00:45:34,840
it’s lost.
You know, looking at that water,
684
00:45:35,400 –> 00:45:37,560
it’s understandable why he
couldn’t find it.
685
00:45:38,720 –> 00:45:41,360
So what does that represent?
What does the Jordan represent?
686
00:45:41,360 –> 00:45:42,840
Well, the Jordan represents,
doesn’t it?
687
00:45:42,840 –> 00:45:47,280
The flesh in all its ugliness,
in all its grotesqueness.
688
00:45:47,560 –> 00:45:52,800
And it’s Elisha, the man of God
who was able to recover that
689
00:45:52,800 –> 00:45:58,440
which was lost in the Jordan.
Those people that are lost in
690
00:45:58,440 –> 00:46:03,240
the world are able to be
recovered by the influence of
691
00:46:03,240 –> 00:46:06,920
Elijah, the man of God.
Now the word that we want to
692
00:46:06,920 –> 00:46:12,520
focus on is Word.
In verse 6, when he’d been shown
693
00:46:12,520 –> 00:46:15,760
the place, it says that he cut
down a stick.
694
00:46:15,760 –> 00:46:18,320
Now that word there stick.
It’s probably one of the only
695
00:46:18,320 –> 00:46:23,920
times where this word is
rendered by that phrase stick.
696
00:46:24,800 –> 00:46:29,520
What’s the very word that’s used
throughout the law for the word
697
00:46:29,800 –> 00:46:32,880
tree?
And it’s the word used, for
698
00:46:32,880 –> 00:46:36,000
instance, in Deuteronomy where
it says cursed is everyone that
699
00:46:36,000 –> 00:46:43,120
hangeth on a tree.
So it’s by the Lord’s sacrifice,
700
00:46:43,560 –> 00:46:47,200
by identifying ourselves with
the Lord’s offering upon the
701
00:46:47,200 –> 00:46:50,760
tree that that which is lost is
able to be recovered.
702
00:46:50,760 –> 00:46:53,720
And you know, the reaction of
this man as Elijah shows him
703
00:46:53,720 –> 00:46:56,000
where it is in the water, has
got to be ours.
704
00:46:56,000 –> 00:46:58,360
It says, verse 7, take it up to
thee.
705
00:46:58,800 –> 00:47:02,080
And he put out his hand and he
took it.
706
00:47:04,800 –> 00:47:07,720
The redemption that the Lord
Jesus Christ has offered us, we
707
00:47:07,720 –> 00:47:10,200
don’t deserve.
We’ve we’ve lost it in the
708
00:47:10,200 –> 00:47:13,680
Jordan.
It’s been borrowed, but it’s
709
00:47:13,680 –> 00:47:16,640
through the work of the Lord
Jesus Christ in his offering
710
00:47:18,840 –> 00:47:23,320
that we can be recovered.
And our reaction is to reach out
711
00:47:23,320 –> 00:47:27,320
and take it, to take hold of it
and grasp hold of it and never
712
00:47:27,320 –> 00:47:30,400
let it go.
Because it’s the only way that
713
00:47:30,400 –> 00:47:35,240
we’ll ever get across that
Jordan, the brothers and
714
00:47:35,240 –> 00:47:40,960
sisters, our consideration of
the land is not yet complete.
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