Gideon |
Chapter 84 |
10-27-13
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We have already noted that God utilizes
every conceivable code so that His Word will become crystal clear to
we who are His intended recipients. If we individually miss one code then we can
receive another or another or another. God uses geography as a communication
code.
The Jordan river runs from north to south. This river is the
general eastern border of the land of Israel. Our understanding will be
extremely helped if we turn to a topographical map in the back of just about any
Bible, because God purposefully drew us a physical picture and we ought to
look at it. In Hebrew, Jordan means: descending, the/a descender,
flowing river, river of judgment, their descent. Thus, the water of the
river Jordan represents the Holy Spirit. The river Jordan flows through part of a
continental rift valley that runs from north to south into Africa. This
rift valley or geological fault contains the lowest body of
water on earth. Three bodies of water are connected by the Jordan river. The
Waters of Merom, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea.
In Hebrew, Merom means: high place, the
lifting up, eminences, elevations. The Waters of Merom are the headwaters of
the Jordan river. Merom is about three miles in diameter and is the
northernmost point and beginning from which the Jordan river descends. Merom
is 230 feet above sea level. From Merom, the Jordan rapidly
descends 10 miles into the Sea of Galilee at 700 feet below sea level and
then 70 miles more, as the crow flies, into the Dead Sea which is 1290 feet
below sea level. The Jordan issues forth from the "high place"
and descends to the low place.
In
Hebrew, Galilee means: circuit, wheel, revolution, heap, the circle. The
Sea of Galilee spans approximately 7 miles at its widest point by 13 miles long.
Other names for it are the Sea of Chinnereth or Chinneroth which means
"harp-shaped" in Hebrew, the Lake of Gennesaret, and the Sea of
Tiberias. The fishing industry thrived on this sea. On and around the Sea
of Galilee Jesus did most of His teaching and performed 18 of His
recorded 33 miracles.
The Dead Sea (a name not in the Bible, but originated about 200
A.D.) or Salt Sea (mentioned 9x only in the O.T., lastly in
Joshua) is approximately 10 miles wide by 50 miles long. The surface of the
Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. That is very interesting! The
water is extremely salty because of the continual evaporation that separates the
water from the hard minerals. The Dead Sea is fed by the river Jordan and by
sulfurous springs. It has no outlet, i.e., no escape. The salt and
mineral content of the Dead Sea compose about twenty-five percent of the
water as compared to six percent in the ocean. Because of the
extraordinarily high salt and mineral content, the Dead Sea is virtually dead.
Although Jesus lived His whole life within relatively a few miles of the Dead
Sea, He never went to it nor visited it on any occasion. Neither did
He ever refer to it. Isn't that interesting?
All things emanate from God.
From Him all waters flow. His is the "high place," the
headwaters from which the waters of life descend to us. His place is Merom.
The waters of the Jordan swiftly descend from God to the abode, the habitation
of men which is the Sea of Galilee. It was in and around the Sea of
Galilee that Jesus preached and taught. Men are likened unto fish in the Bible. We
are to become fishers of men. But before we can become fishers, we are first
the fish and must be caught. Lots and lots of fish want to be caught because
they all dwell under the convicting water pressure of the Holy Spirit. He
totally permeates their environment inside them and outside them. In an exact
analogy, the air (H204) that we breathe is a thinner water (H20) that permeates
our environment.
Great numbers of fish
came to Jesus through the nets of Peter, James and John on the Sea of Galilee
(Luke 5:1-10). So many fish came that both ships began to sink with the
astonishing draught of fishes taken up. These fish were eager to be caught up as
illustrated later in the ministry of Jesus when He sent Peter to the sea to
"cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when
thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money." (Matt
17:27).
***Take up, Peter, the fish
that is first in line, the one most eager among those desiring to be caught.
That fish shall bear thee a gift. That gift is his self.***
However, many fish avoid the nets and swim up near the
brightness of the surface just to take a look at the fisherman, and then swim
back down into the dark depths hidden from the light. Jesus Christ opened His
earthly ministry in Luke chapter 5 by taking up fish out of the depths of the
Sea of Galilee. He closed His earthly ministry in John chapter 21 by taking up
fish out of the depths of the Sea of Galilee, like bookends. What happens
to a fish that is caught? The fish decides to eat the bait and becomes hooked. What
bait? There are many types of bait but the worldwide universal common
denominator bait is bread. It seems that many fish are attracted to bread.
I am the living bread
which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he
shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world. (John 6:51)
A fish eats the “bread of life” and is “caught up” (Gk: harpazo) out of his or her natural realm into a much higher realm. It flops around for a while, and dies (John 12:24). Then it is used for God's purpose. Caught fish support the fisherman that he may catch more fish (John 21:9). The fish are eaten and ingested by the fisherman. Having become one with the fisherman, the fish has become the corporate fisherman. Obedient sheep support the shepherd that he may shepherd more sheep. We must die to live.
1. (John 12:24,25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn [Gk: kernal of seed] of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
2. (John 21:9,10) As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
What happens to a fish that is not caught? It
too dies but in the natural lower realm for it has “rejected judgment.” The
carcass (Matt 24:28) bloats and becomes “puffed up” and floats to the
surface of the Sea of Galilee where it is picked at by the birds and carried
away by the moving waters (Holy Spirit) of the current. From the Sea
of Galilee the river Jordan continues its flow down 70 miles as the crow
flies and into the Dead Sea from which there is no outlet or
escape. However, the dead fish is not a crow and so will be carried ever
swiftly down by “the descender, the river of judgment” 200 miles as
he weaves a winding, serpentine (snakelike) path over rushing rapids,
through curving sandbars, and into the Sea of the Dead.
1.
(Mat 24:28) For wheresoever
the carcase is, there will the eagles [“vultures” NIV] be
gathered together.
2.
Commentary: The latter verse clearly illustrates a complete difference of
interpretation and meaning regarding the Greek word for eagles (aetos),
opposite in fact, between the KJV and NIV.
The Waters of Merom, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead
Sea: life
and death for the fishes. Life flows from above and terminates below. The
only escape from eternal death is to be "caught up" (Gk:
harpazo; to take for oneself, i.e. to prefer:--choose) by the Great
Fisherman.
1. (2 Cor 12:2-4) I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven [i.e., the Most Holy Place]. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise [Gk: a park, i.e. (spec.) an Eden (place of future happiness)] [i.e., a return or restoration to Eden, a type and shadow of Heaven], and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
2.
(1 Th 4:17) Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord.
3.
(Rev 12:5) And she brought
forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and
her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Amen
A
Man of God