WE NEED BOLDNESS to get into the Garden Status of Adam – his place he held before he fell into sin.
We need boldness to enter this rest – like returning the Garden where Adam had dominion.
- Recall John mentioned that GIDEON’S ARMY broke their clay vessels holding torches, and blew trumpets TO TRANSFER FEAR.
- GIDEON represents Jesus.
- He told them to watch what he did and repeat after him.
- This represents seeing what JESUS EXPERIENCED in HIS DEATH and SEEING IT IN OUR LIVES AS WELL.
- What he did is repeated in us.
- What he experienced is repeated in us.
- When we TRULY SEE what happened to Him with the understanding that IT IS REPEATED AND THEREFORE TRUE IN US, IT REMOVES FEAR!
Judges 7:16-22 MKJV And he divided the three hundred men into three companies. And he put a ram's horn in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. (17) And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise. And, behold, when I come to the edge of the camp, it shall be, as I do, so you shall do. (18) When I blow with a ram's horn, I and all who are with me, then you blow the ram's horns also on every side of all the camp, and shout, For Jehovah and for Gideon! (19) So Gideon and the hundred men with him came to the edge of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch. And they had but newly set the watch. And they blew the ram's horns and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. (20) And the three companies blew the ram's horns and broke the pitchers and held the torches in their left hands and the ram's horns in their right hands to blow. And they cried, A sword for Jehovah and for Gideon! (21) And they stood, each man in his place, all around the camp. And all the army ran, and cried, and fled. (22) And the three hundred blew the ram's horns. And Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the army. And the army fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, to the border of Abel-meholah, to Tabbath.
The enemy is afraid of the power of the cross.
- He actually knows more of what happened to us than we do.
- He is afraid of us learning this truth.
- He knows when we learn of it that it will give us the boldness we need and absolutely remove all fear from our lives.
So our fear is removed by seeing what is true of Jesus is true of us… looking at Him and in our hearts seeing us experience the same thing.
- The reason fear is transferred is because we see how awesome our position really is by grasping the fact Christ’s death to sin is our death to sin, and the devil becomes afraid because he knows WE KNOW OUR STATUS NOW!
- And the devils know the degree that our status holds quite well.
2 Corinthians 4:6-10 MKJV (6) For it is God who said, "Out of darkness Light shall shine;" who shone in our hearts to give the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us; (8) in every way having been troubled, but not having been hemmed in; having been perplexed, but not utterly at a loss; (9) having been persecuted, but not having been forsaken; having been thrown down, but not having been destroyed; (10) always bearing about the dying of the Lord Jesus in the body, so that the life of Jesus also might be revealed in our body.
Break the jar so the torch might shine out!
- The life of Jesus is the resurrection life that comes after the breaking of the flesh and body, represented by the jars of clay.
The ark of the covenant was marched around Jericho which represents the blood shed and atonement that shows the same thing as the broken jars showing the fire from Gideon’s army.
The faith in the cross builds up our boldness and transfers fear the devil.
While we are ignorant of the cross, we fear and the devils know they can overcome.
- But they know when we learn of the cross as they know of it, we lose fear and they become afraid.
- The devils are bold when we are ignorant and we fear.
- We are bold when we learn, and the devils fear.
- We are destroyed for lack of knowledge, but devils are destroyed through abundance of knowledge.
Separate the BUSHEL OF THE SOUL FROM THE CANDLE OF THE LORD, THE SPIRIT.
Proverbs 20:27 MKJV The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Matthew 5:14-16 KJV Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Recall what we mentioned recently…
Hebrews 4:3 MKJV For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:10 MKJV For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
Hebrews 4:11 MKJV Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief.
If we are told that those who believe enter this rest, and then are told to labour into the rest, how is it that believing is a labour?
LABOUR TO ENTER = BELIEVE TO ENTER.
Recall Jesus said the same thing…
John 6:27-29 MKJV Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for that food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you. For God the Father sealed Him. (28) Then they said to Him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? (29) Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.
When 4:9 mentions a LABOUR to enter rest, it said that AFTER TELLING US IN VERSE 2 that Israel FAILED TO MIX THE WORD WITH FAITH.
