PSALM 23VS 4 THE
LORD IS MY SHEPERD.
SO THE WRITER
OF PSAM 91 SAYS “I WILL SAY OF THE OWNER OF THE UNIVERSE, THE MASTER, THE ONE
IN CHARGE….HE IS MY REFUGE AND FORTRESS.
WHAT
IS A REFUGE?, WHAT DOES THE WORD MEAN?
IN SOME PLACES THE
WORD IS TRANSLATED AS SHELTER, OR HIDING PLACE.
REFUGE-ref·uge
noun
1.
shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.: to take refuge
from a storm.
2.
a place of shelter, protection, or safety.
3.
ref·uge <a ref-yooj] Show IPA noun, verb, ref·uged,
ref·ug·ing.
noun
1.
shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.: to take refuge
from a storm.
2.
a place of shelter, protection, or safety.
3.
verb (used with object)
4.
Archaic . to afford refuge to.
Synonyms
1. security, safety. 2. asylum, retreat,
sanctuary, haven, stronghold.
World
English Dictionary
refuge (ˈrɛfjuːdʒ)
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— n
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1.
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shelter or
protection, as from
the weather or danger
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2.
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any place, person,
action, or
thing that offers or appears to offer protection, help,
or relief:
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3
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archaic to
take refuge or give refuge to
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SHELTER.noun
1.
something beneath, behind, or within which a person,
animal, or thing is protected from storms, missiles, adverse conditions, etc.;
refuge.
2.
the protection or refuge afforded by such a thing: He took shelter
in a nearby barn.
3.
protection from blame, incrimination, etc.
4.
a dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the
elements: Everyone's basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter.
5.
a building serving as a temporary refuge or residence for
homeless persons, abandoned animals, etc.
verb (used with object)
7.
to be a shelter for; afford shelter to: The old barn
sheltered him from the rain.
8.
to provide with a shelter; place under cover.
9.
to protect, as by shelter; take under one's protection: Parents should
not try to shelter their children from normal childhood disappointment
10.
Synonyms
1. retreat, asylum, sanctuary, shield, haven, harbor.
See cover. 7. harbor, house. 9. guard,
safeguard, shield, defend.
LETS DO A STUDY
OF THE WORD FORTRESS
WHAT
IS A FORTRESS?
for·tress <a
noun
1.
a large fortified place; a fort or group of forts, often
including a town; citadel.
2.
any place of exceptional security; stronghold.
World English Dictionary
fortress (ˈfɔːtrɪs)
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— n
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1.
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a large fort or fortified
town
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2.
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a place
or source
of refuge or support
|
— vb
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3.
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( tr ) to protect with or as if with a fortress
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AFTER STUDYING THE
TWO WORDS REFUGE AND FORTRESS, WHAT IS THE WRITER SAYING ABOUT THE LORD? DO A
WORD STUDY SUBSTITUTING WORDS; YOU WILL DISCOVER A PROFOUND TRUTH. THE WRITER
OF THIS PSALM IS SAYING…
1-THE LORD, MASTER, LANDLORD OF THE
UNIVERSE IS HIS- SHELTER, MEANING, - SHELTER.noun
1.
something beneath, behind, or within which a
person, animal, or thing is protected from storms, missiles, adverse conditions,
etc.; refuge.
2.
the protection or refuge afforded by such a thing: He took
shelter in a nearby barn.
3.
protection from blame, incrimination, etc.
4.
a dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the
elements: Everyone's basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter.
· HE ALSO SAYS THE LORD IS HIS REFUGE MEANING—
1.
shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.: to take refuge
from a storm.
2.
a place of shelter, protection, or safety.
3.
· SYNONYMS OF THE WORD REFUGE.
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1. retreat, asylum, sanctuary, shield, haven, harbor.
See cover. 7. harbor, house. 9. guard,
safeguard, shield, defend.
STILL IN VERSE
2 DAVID, AS I CHOSE TO CALL HIM SAYS THE LORD IS HIS FORTRESS.
WE SAW THAT THE
WORD FORTRESS MEANS….
fortress (ˈfɔːtrɪs)
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— n
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1.
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a large fort or fortified
town
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2.
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a place or source of
refuge or support
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I PERSONALY GOT
EXCITED WHEN I LEANT THAT THE LORD WAS ALL, AND IS ALL THESE THINGS TO HIS
PEOPLE. THE LORD IS EVERYTHING TO HIS CHILDREN. MAXIMUM PROTECTION AND
PROVISION IS WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING A SON AND BEING IN THE SECRET PLACE. REMEMBER WE ARE STILL PERSUING WHY DAVID WOULD SAY I WILL
FEAR NO EVIL, FOR THOU ART WITH ME. THAT’S WHY HE SAYS MY GOD IN HIM I
WILL TRUST. WHAT MORE CAN YOU SAY. THIS APPEARS TO BE A STATEMENT OF CONFIDENCE
AFTER SOMEBODY HAS JUST DISCOVERED A TRUTH ABOUT GOD, YOU CAN DO NOTHING BUT
DECLARE THAT YOU WILL TRUST IN GOD.
LETS GO TO VERSE 3.
3.Surely He shall deliver you from
the snare of the fowler[a]
And from the perilous pestilence.
Lets look at the word, deliver
so that we can substitute. Surely he shall (Word Origin
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FROM THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER. A SNARE IS A
TRAP MEANT TO SUDDENLY CATCH YOU UN AWARE, WITH THE INTENTION TO CAUSE HARM, OR
DAMAGE.IN HEBREW THE WORD MEANS CALAMITIES OR PLOTS. AND A FOWLER IS A TRAPPER. THE
WORD ALSO MEANS TO BE PROPERLY ENTANGLED.
SO WE CAN SAFELY CONCLUDE THAT DAVID IS SAYING GOD WILL..FROM THE TRAPS
OF A FOWLER OR TRAPER. WHAT WILL GOD DO? FROM THE BOX
ABOVE WE CAN USE WORDS LIKE, …DEFEND, RESCUE, SNATCH AWAY, RECOVER, PRESERVE,
TAKE AWAY…AND MANY MORE INCLUDED IN THE BOX ABOVE.
VERSE 3 CONTINUES, AND FROM THE PERILIOUS PESTILENCE.
WHAT IS THAT? PERILIOUS MEANS DEADLY (dead·ly adjective, dead·li·er, dead·li·est, adverb
adjective
1.
causing or tending to cause death; fatal; lethal: a deadly poison.
2.
aiming to kill or destroy; implacable: a deadly enemy. Synonyms
of deadly.
deleterious, destructive, unrelenting, pernicious, dangerous, malignant anpoisonous.) AND DANGEROUS.HERE
ARE SOME OF ITS …Synonyms
WHAT IS A PESTILENCE? -
1.
a deadly or virulent epidemic disease.
2.
3.
something that is considered harmful, destructive, or evil.
Synonyms of
the word PESTILENCE
DAVID SAYS THE LORD GOD SHALL DELIVER FROM ALL THESE DEADLY WORKS OF
THE ENEMY MENTIONED ABOVE. INFECTIONS,SICKNESS,DISEASE,ENDEMIC,SCOURGE,
PLAGUE AND VIRUSES, JUST TO MENTION A FEW. GLORY TO GOD. WE GIVE
HIM PRAISE.
WE
NOW GO TO VERSE 4.
4
He shall cover
you with His feathers,
And
under His wings you
shall take refuge;
His
truth shall
be your shield and buckler.
WHAT DAVID IS SAYING
HERE IS THAT GOD , THE LORD WILL COVER…(protect, inbox ,
shelter ,cover, defense,
defend, hedge in, join together, set, shut up a primitive root; properly, to
entwine as a screen; by implication, to fence in, cover over, (figuratively)
protect -- cover, defence, defend, hedge in, join together, set, shut up.
Definition
wing, extremity
NASB Translation
bird* (1), corner (1), corners (4), covering (1),
each other (1), edge (5), edges (1), ends (3), fold (2), garment (1), kind (3),
skirt (3), skirts (1), sorts (1), wing (14), winged (5), wings (58), wings were
each other (1), wingspan (1).
REFUGE.
ref·uge (r
 f y j)
n.
1. Protection or shelter, as from danger or hardship.
2. A place providing protection or shelter.
v. ref·uged, ref·ug·ing, ref·ug·es Archaic
v.tr.
To give refuge to.
v.intr.
To take refuge.
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LETS LOOK AT VERSE 4 SO FAR, THE LORD WILL COVER YOU,
PROTECT YOU. INBOX YOU, DEFEND YOU, WITH HIS FEATHERS, AND UNDER HIS WINGS,
SKIRTS, PROTECTION, GARMENTS, YOU SHALL TAKE REFUGE.(THE WORD REFUGE IS
EXPLAINED JUSY ABOVE). WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT UNDER HIS WINGS, CLOSENESS,
COMFORT, WHICH IS REPRESENTED BY FEATHERS, AND WINGS REALLY MEAN YOU ARE
FAMILY. CLOSE RELATIONSHIP. A CHICKEN WILL ONLY HIDE FAMILY OR ITS CHICKS UNDER
ITS WINGS WHEN IT’S DANGER. IF ANY OTHER CHIC FROM ANOTHER HEN TRIES TO HIDE
UNDER ITS WINGS IT PUSHES IT OUT. IT DOESN’T ACKNOWLEDGE IT. NOW THE CHICKS
THEMSELVES KNOW THAT WHEN THERE IS DANGER THEY NEED TO RUN UNDER ITS MOTHER’S
WINGS, AND HIDE UNDER HER FEATHERS. THEY KNOW THEY ARE PROTECTED THERE NO
DANGER CAN COME TO THEM. DAVID IN PSALM 91:4 SAYS THE LORD WILL PROTECT YOU
FROM DANGER AS A CHICKEN DOES BUT YOU HAVE TO BE KNOWN, YOU HAVE TO BE FAMILY.
YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP THROUGH DWELLING IN THE SECRET PLACE.
4B.. His truth shall
be your shield and buckler.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Sanctify them by the
truth; your word is truth. JOHN 17:17. Psalm 119:160
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
160
The
sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is
everlasting.
IT MEANS HIS TRUTH (WORD) SHALL BE YOU PROTECTION, OR WEAPON
OF PROTECTION WHICH PROTECTS BY PIECING THE ENEMY. THE WORD OF GOD, TRUTH, WHO
IS ALSO IN THE PERSON OF JESUS WILL PROTECT YOU.
5
You shall not be afraid of the terror
by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
YOU SHALL HAVE NO
FEAR NIGHT OR DAY BECAUSE GOD WILL BE WITH YOU ALL THE TIME.
6
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the
destruction that lays waste at noonday.
WE HAVE DISCUSSED ABOVE THE WORDS PESTILENCE AND DISTRUCTION
AND WE KNOW THEY HAVE NO PLACE IF YOU DWELL IN THE SECRET PLACE.
7
A thousand may fall at your side,
And
ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.(PROTECTION.)
8
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And
see the reward of the wicked.(REVENGE ON YOUR
ENEMIES).
9
Because you have made the Lord, who
is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
VERSE 9 IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE HERE WE GET THE
EXPLANATION AS TO WHY WE GET ALL THESE BENEFITS. THEY ARE ACCESSED ONLY IN THE
SECRET PLACE… BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE THE LORD, WHO
IS MY REFUGE EVEN THE MOST HIGH YOU DWELLING PLACE. LOOK AT
VERSE 10!
10
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall
any plague come near your dwelling; VERSE 10 LED US TO THE STUDY
OF PSALM 91 BECAUSE WE WERE PURSUING THE STATEMENT WHICH SAYS NO EVIL SHALL
BEFALL YOU ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. WE IDENTIFIED THAT PSALM 91 SUPPORTS
PSALM 23. WE CAME TO PSALM 91 TO STUDY THE CONDITIONS THAT CAN LEAD SOMEBODY TO
CONFIDENTLY SAY NO EVIL SHALL BEFALL YOU ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. IN PSALM
91:1-2, 9,AND 10 WE DISCOVER THAT THE ANSWER IS WHEN YOU DWELL IN THE SECRET
PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH. WE ALSO DISCOVERED THERE ARE MORE BENEFITS TO DWELLING
IN THE SECRET PLACE. AS YOU STUDY VERSE BY VERSE OF PSALM 91, YOU DISCOVER
PROFOUND TRUTHS THAT BELONG TO THOSE WHO COME TO MAKE GOD THEIR HOME. IF WE
WERE TO CONTINUE DOING VERSE-BY-VERSE ANALYSIS SOME MAY LOSE FORCUS. WE WILL
SUMMARISE THE REMAINDER OF THE VERSES IN ONE LINE IR WORD.
11
For He shall give His angels charge
over you,
To keep you in all your ways. (PROTECTION)
12
In their hands they shall bear
you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone. (PROTECTION)
13
You shall tread upon the lion and the
cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. (YOU
WILL BE EMPOWERED TO DESTROY ALL THE DEMONIC ARMIES OF THE DEVIL.)
14
“Because he has set his love upon Me,
therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
ANOTHER EXPLANATION AS TO WHY ALL THIS DELIVERANCE AND PROTECTION, YOU HAVE
DELIBERATELY SET YOUR LOVE ON GOD, (DELIBERATE ACTION), ITS BEEN A CHOICE WITH
AN EFFORT TO KNOW GOD AND HIS NAME. WE HAVE DISCUSSED NAMES OF GOD HERE, AND
THAT THEY ARE FUNCTIONAL, SO GOD REQUIRES THAT YOU MAKE AN EFFORT TO KNOW HIS
NAMES AND HIS PERSON. HE NEEDS TO SEE THAT CHOICE AND EFFORT. YOU CAN NOT JUST
SCHEME THROUGH LIFE QUORTING PSALM 91 AND ALL THESE BENEFITS IF YOU OVERLOOK
THE KNOWING AND DWELLING PART WHICH IS REQUIRED BY GOD. GOD HAS NO SHORT CUTS
TO RELATIONSHIPS. HE HAS CLOSE FRIENDS THAT HE TELLS HIS FRIENDS. THE WORD
TELLS US OF MOSES AND ABRAHAM WHO WERE CLOSE FRIENDS OF GOD. Exodus 33:11
New King James Version (NKJV)
11 So the Lord spoke to Moses
face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp,
but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the
tabernacle.
James 2:23
New King James Version (NKJV)
23 And
the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted
to him for righteousness.”[a] And he was called the friend of God.
2 Chronicles 20:7
New King James Version (NKJV)
7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land
before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your
friend forever?
AMOS 3: Amos 3:7
New King James Version (NKJV)
7
Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He
reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
Psalm 103:7
New King James Version (NKJV)
7
He made known His ways to Moses;
His acts to the
children of Israel. NOW I HAVE INCLUDED THESE SCRIPTURES
SO THAT YOU SEE THAT IF YOU MAKE AN EFFORT TO GROW CLOSER TO GOD, AND LEARN HIS
WAYS AND NAMES, GOD WILL ALSO MAKE THE EFFORT AND GIVE YOU BENEFITS THAT OTHERS
DO NOT HAVE AND GIVE YOU A STATUS OF A FRIEND WHILE OTHERS ARE CHILDREN AND
THEN HE DISCUSSES KINGDOM BUSINESS WITH YOU. THE LORD GOD WILL SEEK YOUR
COUNSEL IN SOME MATTERS CONCERNING THE KINGDOM. HE ASKED ABRAHAM WHEN HE WAS ON
HIS WAY TO DESTROY SODOM AND GOMORRAH. THE FOLLOWING VERSES ARE A DIALOGUE BETWEEN
GOD AND ABRAHAM. IN VS 17 GOD SAYS SHALL I HIDE FROM ABRAHAM WHAT IM ABOUT TO
DO? THEN ABRAHAM GETS INTO A DIALOGUE BY QUIZING GOD ON HIS INTETIONS. YOU CAN
ONLY DO THAT IF YOU ARE A FRIEND OF GOD AND ARE CLOSE. THOSE WHO NEVER MAKE AN
EFFORT A CHILDREN BUT SOME GROW TO BE BOTH TRUSTED CHILDREN AND FRIENDS WHO CAN
HANDLE KINGDOM BUSINESS. IF YOU STUDY THE HISTORY OF THESE FRIENDS OF GOD, YOU
WILL DISCOVER THAT GOD FOUGHT FOR THEM AND DELIVERED THEM FROM THE HAND OF
THEIR ENEMIES. GOD HELPED ABRAHAM EVEN THOUGH HE HAD LIED. Genesis 20:1-7
New King James Version (NKJV)
Abraham and Abimelech
20 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between
Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And
Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3 But
God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are
a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s
wife.”
4 But
Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous
nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my
sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the
integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”
6 And
God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of
your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did
not let you touch her. 7 Now
therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray
for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you
shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” READ
ABRAHAM’S DIALOGUE WITH GOD.
Genesis 18:16-26
New King James Version (NKJV)
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
16 Then
the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to
send them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am
doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and
all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his
children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do
righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has
spoken to him.” 20 And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is
great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according
to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
22 Then
the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood
before the Lord. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the
righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also
destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in
it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the
righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far
be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 So the Lord said, “If I find
in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for
their sakes.” LETS CONTINUE WITH THE PSALM…
15
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be
with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him. IN VERSE
15 WE FIND A BENEFIT THAT EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR, ANSWERED PRAYER! DAVID SAYS
WHEN YOU DWELL IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH, YOU GET THE BENEFIT OF
HAVING YOUR PRAYER ANSWERED EVRYTIME YOU CALL. YOU ALSO GET DELIVERANCE AND
HONOR. GOD WILL HONOR YOU. WHAT IS HONOR?
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GOD WILL HONOR YOU BY MAKING
YOU ALL THESE THINGS WRITTEN ABOVE. THEY ARE GLORY, RESPECT, WEIGHTINESS,
WEALTHY, E.T.C. GLORY!
16
With long life I will satisfy him,
And
show him My salvation.” YOU ALSO GET LONG LIFE, SATISFACTION AND SALVATION.MEANING
OF SALVATION…..
Word Origin
Definition
salvation
NASB Translation
deeds of deliverance (1), deliverance (6), help (4), prosperity
(1), salvation (61), save (1), saving (1), security (1), victories (1), victory
(1).
SALVATION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT COMES FROM THE WORD SOZO MEANING-
Word
Origin
from sós
(safe, well)
Definition
to save
NASB
Translation
bring...safely
(1), cured (1), ensure salvation (1), get (1), get well (2), made...well (6),
made well (5), preserved (1), recover (1), restore (1), save (36), saved
(50), saves (1), saving (1).
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CONCLUSION
PSALM 91 HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN LETTING YOU
KNOW THE BENEFITS OF THE SECRET PLACE, WHICH LEAD TO A LIFE WITHOUT ANY FORM OF EVIL. STRIVE TO
DWELL IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH IF YOU WANT TO BOLDLY DECLARE, NO
EVIL SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE.ITS NOT FOR EVERYONE AS THIS STUDY
SHOWS, ITS FOR THOSE WHO WILL TAKE THE EFFORT AND MAKE THE CHOICE TO DISCIPLINE
THEMSELVES TO GO AND DWELL IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH. IT’S FOR THOSE
WHO HAVE TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD, MOVING FROM THE STATUS OF
A CHILD TO A SON AND FRIEND.
Footnotes:
a.
Psalm 91:3 That is,
one who catches birds in a trap or snare
THE
FOLLOWING VERSES WERE INCLUDED TO HELP
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT DAVID LOVED THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH AND THAT HE
VIED IT AS A PLACE OF PROTECTION FROM ENEMIES. THESE SCRIPTURES MAY EXPLAIN WHY
DAVID BELIVED THAT IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH NO EVIL BEFALS YOU.
Psalm 31:20
New King James Version (NKJV)
20
You shall hide them in the
secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them
secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
Psalm 27:5-7
New King James Version (NKJV)
5
For in the time of
trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His
tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6
And now my head shall be
lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of
joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7
Hear, O Lord, when I
cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
PSALM 23:4C FOR YOU ARE
WITH ME. THIS CAN ONLY MEAN IN THE SECRET PLACE. WE HAVE READ THAT IF YOU DWELL
IN THE SECRET PLACE GOD IS ALWAYS WITH YOU. BUT WHY DOES HE SAY….YOUR ROD AND
STAFF THEY COMFORT ME? WHAT ARE THEY? HOW AND WHY DO THEY COMFORT HIM?
PSALM23:4B, THY ROD AND
STAFF THEY COMFORT ME.
A CAREFULSTUDY
SHOWS THAT ALTHOUGH THESE TWO WORDS ARE USED INTERCHANGEABLY THE ARE NOT THE
SAME. THEY ARE ALSO DIFFERENT IN APPEARANCE. THE STAFF USUALLY CARRIED BY A
SHEPERED IS LONGER THAN THE ROAD AND HAS A HOOK AT THE END.THE ROD IS SAID TO
BE SHORTER AMD HAS A ROUND HARD HEAD.
I AM GOING TO
INCLUDE TWO ARTICLES FROM WIKIPEDIA FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA. ON
THE STUDY ASSOCIATED WITH RODS AND STAFF. I REFERENCE THE WORK TO WIKIPEDIA AS ITS
NOT MY WORK. I CAME ACROSS
IT STUDYING. WHAT IS FASCINATING IS THAT ALTHOUGH FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES THE
USES ARE SIMILAR. ONE IS FROM AFRICA, THE OTHER IS FROM IRELAND. NOT ONLY ARE
THEY SIMILAR THEY ARE ALSO SIMILAR TO THE USE OF THE ROD AND STAFF IN THE BIBLE
AND ANCIENT JEWISH TRADITION. READ ON.
Shillelagh
(club)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation,
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Assorted shillelaghs.
A shillelagh (
/ʃɨˈleɪli/ shi-lay-lee or /ʃɨˈleɪlə/ shi-lay-lə; Irish:
sail éille [ˈsalʲ ˈeːl̠ʲə], a cudgel with a strap) is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the
top, that is associated with Ireland
and Irish folklore.
/ʃɨˈleɪli/ shi-lay-lee or /ʃɨˈleɪlə/ shi-lay-lə; Irish:
sail éille [ˈsalʲ ˈeːl̠ʲə], a cudgel with a strap) is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the
top, that is associated with Ireland
and Irish folklore.
Contents [show]
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Construction
Shillelaghs are traditionally made
from blackthorn (sloe) wood (Prunus spinosa) or oak.[1] The wood would be smeared with
butter and placed up a chimney to cure, giving the shillelagh its typical black
shiny appearance. Shillelaghs may be hollowed at the heavy "hitting"
end and filled with molten lead to increase the weight beyond the typical two
pounds; this sort of shillelagh is known as a 'loaded stick'.[1] They are commonly the
length of a walking stick (distance from the floor to one's wrist with elbow
slightly bent). Most also have a heavy knob for a handle which can be used for
striking as well as parrying and disarming an opponent. Many shillelaghs also
have a strap attached (hence the Irish name), similar to commercially made
walking sticks, to place around the holder's wrist.
History
The name, an Anglophone corruption of the Irish sail éille, appears to have become convolved
with that of the village and barony in County Wicklow.[2][3]
The shillelagh was originally used
for settling disputes in a gentlemanly manner—like pistols in colonial America,
or the katana in Japan.
Modern practitioners of bataireacht
study the use of the shillelagh for self defense and as a martial art. Of the practice, researcher J. W. Hurley writes:
Methods of shillelagh fighting have
evolved over a period of thousands of years, from the spear, staff, axe and
sword fighting of the Irish. There is some evidence which suggests that the
use of Irish stick weapons may have evolved in a progression from a reliance on
long spears and wattles, to shorter spears and wattles, to the shillelagh,
alpeen, blackthorn (walking-stick) and short cudgel. By the 19th century Irish
shillelagh-fighting had evolved into a practice which involved the use of three
basic types of weapons, sticks which were long, medium or short in length.[4]
Knobkierrie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A simple knobkierrie
Knobkierrie, also spelled knobkerrie, knopkierie or knobkerry,
are African clubs used mainly in Southern and Eastern Africa. Typically
they have a large knob at one end and can be used for throwing at animals in
hunting or for clubbing an enemy's head. This knob is carved out of
a tree trunk and the shaft is simply the branch that protruded from the tree at
that point.
The name derives from the Afrikaans word knop, meaning knot or ball and the word kierie,
meaning cane or walking stick. The name has been extended to similar weapons
used by the natives of Australia, the Pacific islands and other places.
Knobkierries were an indispensable
weapon of war, particularly among southern Nguni
tribes such as the Zulu
and the Xhosa.
During the apartheid
era in South Africa
they were often carried and used by protesters and sometimes by the police
opposing them.[1][2]
Knobkierries are still widely
carried, especially in rural areas. The weapon is employed at close quarters,
or as a missile, and in time of peace may serve as a walking-stick.
The head, or knob, is often ornately
carved with faces or shapes that have symbolic meaning. The knobkierie itself
serves this function in the crest of the 2000 new coat of Arms of South
Africa[3] and also features on the Order of Mendi for
Bravery.[4]
The term knobkierrie is sometimes
shortened to just "kierrie" or "kierie", as in the book
title Ken op die kierie (Knowing the Stick) by P.H. Nortje. This
term is also used as a nickname among Afrikaans speaking people, typically for
someone lean or with a thinly shaped body at some point in their lives.[citation needed]
NOW BACK TO THE STUDY OF THE BIBLICAL STUDY
OF ROD AND STAFF.
DAVID SAYS OF THE LORD, THY ROD AND STAFF THEY COMFORT ME.
WHAT IS A ROD? LETS LOOK AT THE WORD.
shebet: rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe
Original
Word: שָׁ֫בֶט
Part of
Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration:
shebet
Phonetic
Spelling: (shay'-bet)
Short
Definition: tribes
Word
Origin
from an
unused word
Definition
rod,
staff, club, scepter, tribe
NASB
Translation
club (4),
correction (1), half-tribe* (22), rod (27), scepter (11), scepters (1),
staffpears (1), staff (1), tribe (40), tribes (83).
THE DEFINITION
USED ABOVE HIGHLIGHTS THE SIMILARITIES OF THESE TWO WORDS.
How ever
careful study of each reveals that there are differences.
We will
choose the uses that can be supported by scripture since the aim is to
understand psalm 23.
One of
the main uses of the ROD is for Authority. So many scriptures can support
this. It appears in Israel people in AUTHORITY had either a rod, short stick
with a head or staff, the Longer stick with a hook at the end. The first
story which we will look at is the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah had not
kept his obligations of providing a husband to Tamar as a Father in Law, so
that Tamar resorted to crafty means. It was by the production of Judah’s
staff that Tamar was saved from being stoned. It appears the authority
associated with the staff helped. Lets look at the story.
GENESIS
38:1-30.
Genesis 38
New King James Version (NKJV)
Judah
and Tamar
38 It came to pass
at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain
Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite
whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived
and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his
name Onan. 5 And she conceived
yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when
she bore him.
6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was
Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s
firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. 8 And Judah said to
Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to
your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass,
when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he
should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore
He killed him also.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a
widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest
he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s
house.
12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s
wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at
Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law
is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself
with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on
the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given
to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because
she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in
to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.
So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.”
So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”
18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”
So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is
in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived
by him. 19 So she arose and
went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend
the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he
did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot
who was openly by the roadside?”
And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”
22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her.
Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”
23 Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself,
lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”
24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah
was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot;
furthermore she is with child by harlotry.”
So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”
25 When she was brought out, she sent to her
father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with
child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and
cord, and staff.”
26 So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been
more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he
never knew her again.
27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that
behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one
put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and
bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 Then it happened,
as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she
said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!”
Therefore his name was called Perez.[a] 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread
on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.
Now what is fascinating
by this story is that the symbols used are symbols of authority. THE SIGNET
AND CORD AND HIS STAFF.Judah knew that those were important possessions and
if found anywhere would point to him.He couldn’t deny the act as sinful as it
was because of the two symbols. Fascinating further is the Fact that Perez
the Son born to Judah under these circumstances went on to appear in the
LINEAGE of Jesus, through David’s line. The staff and the signet ENSURED
Tamar became Jesus’s great great…grandmother. The use of the staff here is
associated with Judah and Royalty. Later on Jacob prophesies about the Royal
scepter in association with JESUS AND RULERSHIP.
GENESIS
49:10 (NIV)
The
scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his
feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is
his.
The
scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his
descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all
nations will honor.(NLT)
The
scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh come; and to him shall the gathering of the people be.( AMERICAN
KING JAMES VERSION.)
Another
scripture that associates both staff and scepter with Rulership.
Esther 5:1-3
New King James Version (NKJV)
Esther’s Banquet
5 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.[a] 2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
3 And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
Isaiah 14:5-6
New King James Version (NKJV)
5
The Lord has broken the staff
of the wicked,
The scepter of the rulers;
6
He who struck the people in wrath
with a continual stroke,
He who ruled the nations in anger,
Is persecuted and
no one hinders.
In
this scripture both words staff and scepter are used interchangeably. They are referred to as
the instrument used for ruling. (Although its wicked rule).
IN
the story of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt to Cannan, God chose Moses to
lead the whole nation out of Bondage. The First thing God gave Moses was a
staff or rod. With this staff God explained to Moses that He will be able to
perform miracles using the staff. Lets look at the scriptures that support
this point.
Exodus
4:1-5
Exodus 4:1-5
New King James Version (NKJV)
Miraculous
Signs for Pharaoh
4 Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me
or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”
2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
He
said, “A rod.”
3 And
He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became
a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it
by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod
in his hand), 5 “that
they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Exodus 4:6-18
New King James Version (NKJV)
6 Furthermore the Lord said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.”
And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was
leprous, like snow. 7 And
He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom
again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other
flesh. 8 “Then it will be, if they
do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may
believe the message of the latter sign. 9 And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or
listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river[a]
and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the
river will become blood on the dry land.”
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent,
neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am
slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the
mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what
you shall say.”
13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else
You may send.”
14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is
not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look,
he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his
heart. 15 Now you shall speak to him
and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his
mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. 16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be
as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. 17 And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you
shall do the signs.”
Moses
Goes to Egypt
18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to
him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and
see whether they are still alive.”
And
Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
Exodus 4:19-20
New King James Version (NKJV)
19 Now the Lord said to Moses
in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are
dead.” 20 Then Moses took
his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land
of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of
God in his hand.
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Careful study of this chapter shows
that, after a lot of doubt Moses finaly believed God because of the Rod. In verse 20 Moses
calls it the Rod of God. We understand that thoughout His journey on Earth
the Rod became his most valuable possession and was used in many miracles
including the passing of the RED SEA. EXODUS 14:13-16
Exodus 14:13-16
New King James Version (NKJV)
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and
see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For
the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
15 And
the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to
go forward. 16 But lift up your
rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children
of Israel shall go on dry ground
through the midst of the sea.
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THE ROD USED FOR
WALKING.
The Rod is used in
many countries as a walking stick, which is useful for support when one is old
or is not able to use his muscles properly. It becomes a very important leaning
tool.
Exodus 4:2
Exodus 4:2
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 So
the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
Exodus 21:19
New King James Version (NKJV)
19 if he rises again and walks
about outside with his staff, then he who struck him shall be acquitted.
He shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for him
to be thoroughly healed.
2 Samuel 3:29
New King James Version (NKJV)
29 Let it rest on the head of
Joab and on all his father’s house; and let there never fail to be in the house
of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by
the sword, or who lacks bread.”
Hebrews 11:21
New King James Version (NKJV)
21 By faith Jacob, when he was
dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the
top of his staff.
Rod and staff used for Beating, protection and
fighting.
The Rod and staff are sometimes used for a,
beating-Exodus 21:20
New King James Version (NKJV)
20 “And if a man beats his male
or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely
be punished.
FIGHTING
2 Samuel 23:21
New King James Version (NKJV)
21 And he killed an Egyptian, a
spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down
to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed
him with his own spear.
DISCIPLINE
Proverbs 13:24
New King James Version (NKJV)
24
He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who
loves him disciplines him promptly.
The Shepherd and his Rod.
This is one of the most important uses of the
Rod. It’s a very useful tool for the Shepherd. The ancient traditions say in
Israel a shephered used the Rod to count his sheep, He also used the Rod to
separate those that will be tithed, the tenth in the herd. It is said that the
shepherd would dip the head of his Rod in a liquid and touch the HEAD of the
sheep. Those that were touched were the tenth of every counted group. All those
that were counted or passed under the Rod automatically belonged to God.
Leviticus 27:32
New King James Version (NKJV)
32 And concerning the tithe of
the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be
holy to the Lord.
Ezekiel 20:35-38
New King James Version (NKJV)
35 And I
will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My
case with you face to face. 36 Just
as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt,
so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God.
37 “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the
bond of the covenant; 38 I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress
against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they
shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the
Lord.
The shepherd uses the Rod or staff to pull those
who try to stray away from him. He also uses the same STAFF or ROD to fight of
dangerous predators away from his flock.
It is clear from the WORD OF GOD, that God refers
to his people as His flock. Ezekiel 34 runs the whole chapter of this. God clearly says He will shepherd His people
with His Rod. This THEME appears again in the New Testament especially in
REVELATION.
Micah 7:14
New King James Version (NKJV)
God Will Forgive Israel
14
Shepherd Your people with Your staff,
The flock
of Your heritage,
Who dwell solitarily in a woodland,
In the midst of
Carmel;
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
As in days of old.
IN CONLUSION TO
THIS STUDY OF ROD AND STAFF, WE WILL EXAMINE HOW ALL THAT IS SAID ABOVE
PERTAINS TO US TODAY.
I would like to
dwell on the ROD as associated with Words. In the Word of God it is evident in
Scriptures that WORDS are associated with The Rod. Proverbs 14:3
Proverbs 14:3
New King James Version (NKJV)
3
In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
But
the lips of the wise will preserve them.
Paul talks of chastisement but its clear that he
sees his words as a chastising tool.
1 Corinthians 4:21
New King James Version (NKJV)
21 What do you want? Shall I
come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
It is also written that Christ shall rule the
World with a ROD OF IRON, MEANING FIRM, JUST, RIGHTEOUS RULE.
Psalm 2:9
New King James Version (NKJV)
9
You shall break[a] them with a rod of
iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
Footnotes:
Psalm 2:9
Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read rule
(compare Revelation 2:27).
Revelation 2:27
New King James Version (NKJV)
27
‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They
shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’[a]—
as I also have received from My Father;
Revelation 12:5
New King James Version (NKJV)
5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all
nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
Revelation 19:15
New King James Version (NKJV)
15 Now out of His mouth goes a
sharp[a] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will
rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God.
NOW ALL THESE SCRIPTURES SHOW THAT CHRIST WILL
RULE WITH HIS ROD OF IRON. AGAIN BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT CHRIST RULES AND DOES
EVERYTHING WITH HIS WORD
Hebrews 1:1-3
New King James Version (NKJV)
God’s Supreme Revelation
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to
the fathers by the prophets, 2 has
in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir
of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of
His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by
Himself[a] purged our[b] sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
This scripture is
supported by
John 1:1-5
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Eternal Word
1 In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made
that was made. 4 In
Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend[a] it.
GENESIS CHAPTER 1
AND GOD SAID… All these scriptures are just to show you that God does
everything by his word. We never see God creating anything manually but He
speaks and it is Done. THE word says the method of His rule is the rod and the
Rod is the WORD OF GOD, IT IS THE STAFF IN HIS HAND, And And And And And And And
And And And IT IS THE SCEPTER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT HE RULES THE NATIONS WITH.
Psalm 45:6-7
New King James Version (NKJV)
6
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A
scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7
You love righteousness and hate
wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness
more than Your companions.
Psalm 98:8-9
New King James Version (NKJV)
8
Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the
hills be joyful together before the Lord,
9
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With
righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.
Hebrews 1:8-9
New King James Version (NKJV)
8 But
to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and
ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
9
You have loved righteousness and hated
lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness
more than Your companions.”[a]
Footnotes:
Hebrews 1:9 Psalm 45:6, 7
THIS IS THE SCEPTER OF RIGHTEOSNESS WHICH HE
UPHOLDS ALL THINGS, BUY THE WORD OF HIS POWER. JESUS RULES ALL AND WILL RULE
SIMPLY BY HIS ROD WHICH IS HIS WORD. IT IS ALSO THE SWORD WHICH HE WILL FIGHT
OR FIGHTS THE ENEMY WITH. REVELATION 19:15
Revelation 19:15
New King James Version (NKJV)
15 Now out of His mouth goes a
sharp[a] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will
rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God.
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. 12 For
we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a]
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand
therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate
of righteousness, 15 and
having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this
end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
NB,
HOW IS THIS EXCITING?
Well we go back to
our psalm 23:4-Thy ROD AND STAFF THEY COMFORT ME. David realized that spending
TIME in the Word, the Lord uses the Rod AND or THE STAFF TO TRAIN HIM TO BE
LIKE HIM. IN THE SECRET PLACE DAVID GETS TRAINED TO BE A SON. THE WORD OF GOD
BECOMES HIS ROD FOR CORRECTION. CORRECTION SHOWS YOU ARE LOVED, AS PROVERBS
13:24 SAYS. CORRECTION AND CHASTISEMENT
PROVES YOU ARE A SON AND THEREFORE YOU ARE NOT ILLEGITIMATE.
The Discipline of God
3 For
consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you
become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the
Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And
scourges every son whom He receives.”[a]
7 If[b] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son
is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers,
then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we
paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to
the Father of spirits and live? 10 For
they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them,
but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful;
nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those
who have been trained by it.
LOOK AT V11. When we are disciplined we are in training and we
receive a very valuable fruit, the fruit of righteousness. Well we leant that
righteousness is the scepter of God’s kingdom. His Throne is established in
Righteousness. THE word says all who overcome shall reign with Christ in His
KINGDOM. So we realize that by His words we are taught to rule in righteousness
his rod, we are taught to fight, using his rod the staff or scepter or sword of
the spirit, we lean on the Rod or staff when the going gets tough, we have
authority in His word, We can also do miracles through His word like Moses. We can be trusted with major assignments from God as Moses was assigned to lead the children of Israel, and was given the Rod as a companion and a tool with which to perform miracles. THEREFORE when David realized how important the Rod and
STAFF were in His life he could only say, THY ROD AND STAFF THEY COMFORT ME.
LETS LOOK AT THE WORD
COMFORT AND THEN SUBSTITUTE. USE THE WORDS BELOW INSTEAD OF COMFORT.
nacham: to be sorry, console oneself
Original
Word: נָחַם
Part of
Speech: Verb
Transliteration:
nacham
Phonetic
Spelling: (naw-kham')
Short
Definition: comfort
Word
Origin
a prim.
root
Definition
to be
sorry, console oneself
NASB
Translation
am sorry
(1), appeased (1), become a consolation (1), change mind (6), change minds
(1), changed mind (4), comfort (30), comforted (18), comforter (2),
comforters (4), comforts (2), console (3), consolers (1), consoling (1), give
rest (1), have compassion (2), moved to pity (1), regret (1), regretted (1),
relent (5), relented (4), relenting (3), relents (1), relieved (1), repent
(3), repented (2), sorry (6), think better (1), when the time of mourning was
ended (2).
THY ROD AND STAFF THEY,…..
HAVE BECOME A CONSOLATION, MAKE ME CHANGE MY MIND, APPEASE ME, GIVE REST, LEAD
ME TO REGRET, THEY MAKE ME THINK BETTER, COMFORT ME, LEAD ME TO RELENT, THEY
LEAD ME TO REPENT.
IN CONCLUSION PLEASE
REALISE THAT ALL THE WORDS ABOVE DESCRIBE WHAT THE WORD OF GOD, JESUS, AND OR
THE HOLY SPIRIT DO FOR US. SURELY THE ROD AND STAFF ARE GREAT TOOLS IN THE
HANDS AND LIFE OF A BELIEVER. WITHOUT THEM, WITHOUT THE WORD OF GOD, THE ROD
OR STAFF WE PERISH. AND REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TRAINING THAT HAPPENS
IN THE SECRET PLACE. THAT IS WHERE WE ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE ROD AND STAFF, THAT’S
WHERE WE WRE MADE SONS OF GOD AND VERY MUCH LOVED. GOD BLESS YOU.
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