Giants and Grasshoppers - Part Three May 02, 2021 by: John Herbert | Series: Giants and Grasshoppers Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T049_20210502.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Ex17:10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. It's not just about fighting the battle but where you fight it from. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday May 2nd 2021 Giants and Grasshoppers Part Three 1). Ex 17:8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. We had seen last time how the battle with Amalek at Rephidim provides a type of the battle between the man of the flesh and the man of the spirit, the old man, and the new man in the life of the Christian in pursuit of the Kingdom. a). And we had also seen in the type, that Israel received the manna in Exodus Chapter 16 and the water coming from the Rock at the beginning of Chapter 17 – 1 Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. Although they ate literal manna and drank literal water the Scripture is clear that this was spiritual food and drink given to them in relation to their calling. And that pictured through the eating of the manna and the drinking of the water finds its fulfillment in Christ – Jn 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” The Christian in pursuit of the Kingdom, in the antitype of that seen through eating and drinking of spiritual food and drink, is to continually eat the Lord’s flesh and drink His blood. And this is accomplished through properly engaging with the written Word, as a result of seeing, understanding, and believing that which is the central message of all of Scripture, the Word of the Kingdom. b). The Lord is ‘the Word made flesh’, and so it is easy to see how, in a figurative sense, we eat His flesh and drink His blood through the written Word which is itself alive – Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful…. And in Colossians Chapter 3 this process of eating His flesh and drinking His blood is described in the phrase – Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom….. It is ‘the Word of Christ’ that we must eat and drink. This is not a reference to the Scriptures in a generic sense but is specifically referring to the Word that was given to Paul by Christ to take to the Gentiles. It is that which Paul variously calls, my gospel, our gospel, the gospel of the glory of Christ – the mystery that has been revealed that shows the participation of those coming out of the Gentile nations, through eternal redemption, in the promises of God given to Abraham – Col 1:26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you [Lit. Christ proclaimed among you], the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. It is the Word of Christ, the Word of the Kingdom, the gospel of the glory of Christ that constitutes the Lord’s flesh and blood which we are to eat, if we are to have life in the age to come. And it is the same eating and drinking imagery that is figuratively seen as the precursor to the overcomers’ promise given to the Laodicean Church – Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ” In Colossians, it is the Christ, the One anointed Prophet, Priest and King, proclaimed among the eternally saved that gives them the hope of glory. And it is the proclamation of Christ that can bring them to completion, to that place of spiritual maturity ‘in Christ’, that their hope may be realized in that future Day. c). And it is Christ the Word, with whom and on whom, the Christian is to dine if he is to sit down with Christ on His throne as an overcomer. And in the context of the Laodicean Church this would necessitate firstly, a change of mind with respect to the Christian’s lukewarmness towards the Word of the Kingdom, a change of mind from believing he is rich, wealthy and in need of nothing, to the realization of being wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. d). The key that we might find here then has to do with what is going on inside our head. Is our thinking aligned with the Word of Christ or with the things of the world? – Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Our transformation, the metamorphosis, can only be accomplished by the renewing of our mind and our mind can only be renewed through the ‘epignosis’ knowledge of the Son of God through the Word of the Kingdom. And this inward change, our transformation through the renewing of our mind, will bring to fulfillment, our hope of glory – Ro 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Now, we have spent some time on this because of what we find in – 1 Co 10:3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our types…….. The whole of the first generation of Israel to come out of Egypt ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink and according to Heb 4:2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. The spiritual food and spiritual drink they had is the same spiritual food and spiritual drink, the gospel, that has been preached to us. But, except for Joshua and Caleb, there was no transformation, no renewing of the mind, in this first generation. Rather they continued to be conformed to this world, with their focus back in Egypt rather than forward to the land of Canaan – Nu 14:3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” And if we take all this back to Exodus Chapter 17, where we began today, it is because of the lack of transformation on Israel’s part that Amalek, the man of the flesh, came and fought with them at Rephidim, forming the type for us. 2). Because all the experiences of this first generation of Israel have been given to us as types, the Lord has also provided the type to show how Amalek, the man of the flesh, is to be defeated in the life of the Christian. a). In the battle with Amalek at Rephidim we see a single battle in which Amalek is defeated, but for the Christian in pursuit of the Kingdom, the battle with the man of the flesh is an ongoing contest. The old man and the new man exist side by side and because of the sin nature, Amalek will continue to present himself for battle – Ex 17:11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” The battle against Amalek is seen to continue ‘until the going down of the sun’ and in v16 ‘the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation’. In both statements we can find the ongoing battle with the man of the flesh in the life of the Christian that has continued for the last 2000 years. b). Then if we go back to v14, there is a remarkable promise, ‘I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ In the natural this has already been accomplished. Apart from the scriptural record there is no historical or archeological evidence that the Amalekites ever existed. Their remembrance in the natural has been utterly blotted out, just as the Lord had said. But let’s take this from the natural to the spiritual – 1 Pe 1:8 …………..Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. The salvation of the soul and the accompanying redemption of the body at Christ’s Judgment Seat will restore the overcoming Christian to the image and likeness of God as experienced by Adam and the Woman before the fall. In other words, the sin nature will be gone, the man of flesh will be no more. The remembrance of Amalek in the overcoming Christian will have been blotted out from under heaven. And then – Re 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 2 Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. When the new heavens and new earth are brought into existence at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, sin will be no more. All those who dwell on the new earth throughout the endless ages will be completely apart from a sin nature, and in this way the remembrance of Amalek will have been utterly blotted out from under heaven in an absolute sense. c). But before either of these can be realized, Amalek must be dealt with now, in each one of us. He must be put to death by the edge of the sword. d). We had last week, seen the importance of the role we are to play in each other’s battle against him by providing the encouragement and exhortation that we all need as we grow weary in the battle. And this without question is a necessity – Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. But there is something to be seen in connection with this that we need to pay close attention to – Ex 17:10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. In the type, Moses is the one who grows weary, and it is Aaron and Hur who support him as the battle continues. It is important that we don’t overlook the location from which Moses, Aaron and Hur engage in the battle. We see them on ‘the top of the hill’. And we had seen last time that when the hill is used symbolically in Scripture, it is used to symbolize a kingdom. And within our present context, from a Christian perspective, this is the Kingdom of the Heavens, the location from which rulership over the earth will take place during the Millennial Kingdom by those found to be overcomers at the Judgment Seat. e). What is clear then, is that we can only gain victory over Amalek from the vantage point of the Kingdom and those who are to support us, and those we are to support must also be engaged from that same vantage point. – Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus was raised from the dead to sit at the right hand of the Father, the place of power, as He waits for the Day when His Kingdom will be established and we, being the new creation ‘in Christ’, must see ourselves separated to this same location, whereby we view all things through the certainty of the Kingdom which is the come. This is not a metaphysical concept but the reality of where our focus has to be. f). Geographically, we are here on this earth, but our lives must be conducted as if we are seated in heavenly places awaiting the Day when Satan will be overthrown, and the new order of rulers will ascend the throne with Christ. And with this as our reality, governing our lives accordingly, we will be able to have victory in the fight against Amalek time after time. And if this is not our reality we won’t. g). What does the Scripture say? – Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking [from this world] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The joy that was set before Christ is the coming Day of His power, when He, and the many sons brought to glory will rule in fulfillment of God’s purpose for creating Man. So incredible and so remarkable is this coming Day, that God Himself, in the person of Son, endured the cross and despised the shame in anticipation of it. h). And we are to look from this world to that same joy set before us and do whatever is necessary to attain it – Mt 25:23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 1 Pe 1:8 ………….yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. Col 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, [the joy set before us] not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. [Kill Amalek] 1 Pe 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul…. 3). It is our focus through a renewing mind that will keep us figuratively on the top of the hill and only from there will we have victory over Amalek and over the one with whom he has a direct connection. a). This is also taught to us through the type of David and Saul – 1 Sa 22:1 David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. Heb 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.. In hopefully what is a familiar type, David is a type of Christ and Saul a type of Satan. After feigning madness in Gath – Jn 10:20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” David then fled to the cave of Adullam, picturing Christ’s return to heaven to sit at His Father’s right hand. In the type, ‘everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him.’ For those who went to be with David at the cave of Adullam, they chose to have no further participation in the kingdom administered by Saul, they did not involve themselves with it and remained separate from it. And this was not done aimlessly but in the certain knowledge that God had anointed David to replace Saul and knowing that God would remove Saul and establish David’s kingdom at the time that God had determined. And until that time came, they remained with David and waited. b). And in the antitype, we can see that this should be the experience of us all as we align ourselves with Christ in heavenly places and separate ourselves from the world and the things in the world under the god of this age, having nothing to do with either. And this can only be done in the certain knowledge that Christ has been anointed to replace Satan as the ruler of this earth and knowing that God will remove Satan and establish Christ’s Kingdom at the precise time that God has determined. And until that time comes, we are to wait, we are to patiently endure, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and have the victory over Amalek as we stay on the top of the hill. c). And once again we must see the importance of where our focus is to be and why it needs to be there. We are, in a figurative sense, to remain seated with Christ in heavenly places, separated from the world, as we wait for the realization of our hope – Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing [Lit. the appearing of the glory] of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 4). And we can find this same picture again through the type of Abraham and Lot – Ge 19:27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. Ge 13:10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan [In the hill country], and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. The two places where we see Abraham and Lot located are diametrically opposed one another. Abraham dwelt in the hill country whereas Lot had chosen for himself the cities of the plain. Abraham then was in the high country where he stood before the Lord and Lot was to be found in the valley, at the lowest point from the mountain, engaged in the administration of the city whose name is synonymous with worldly depravity, Sodom. a). Their locations are not random but the result of their choices, a spiritual choice for Abraham and a carnal choice for Lot. And what they chose and how they chose it determined the outcome for both when the time came for the destruction of the cities of the plain – Ge 19:17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed.” This will have to continue next time though – if we remain and the Lord is willing. Giants and Grasshoppers - Part Three May 02, 2021 Speaker: John Herbert Series: Giants and Grasshoppers Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T049_20210502.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Ex17:10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. It's not just about fighting the battle but where you fight it from. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday May 2nd 2021 Giants and Grasshoppers Part Three 1). Ex 17:8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. We had seen last time how the battle with Amalek at Rephidim provides a type of the battle between the man of the flesh and the man of the spirit, the old man, and the new man in the life of the Christian in pursuit of the Kingdom. a). And we had also seen in the type, that Israel received the manna in Exodus Chapter 16 and the water coming from the Rock at the beginning of Chapter 17 – 1 Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. Although they ate literal manna and drank literal water the Scripture is clear that this was spiritual food and drink given to them in relation to their calling. And that pictured through the eating of the manna and the drinking of the water finds its fulfillment in Christ – Jn 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” The Christian in pursuit of the Kingdom, in the antitype of that seen through eating and drinking of spiritual food and drink, is to continually eat the Lord’s flesh and drink His blood. And this is accomplished through properly engaging with the written Word, as a result of seeing, understanding, and believing that which is the central message of all of Scripture, the Word of the Kingdom. b). The Lord is ‘the Word made flesh’, and so it is easy to see how, in a figurative sense, we eat His flesh and drink His blood through the written Word which is itself alive – Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful…. And in Colossians Chapter 3 this process of eating His flesh and drinking His blood is described in the phrase – Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom….. It is ‘the Word of Christ’ that we must eat and drink. This is not a reference to the Scriptures in a generic sense but is specifically referring to the Word that was given to Paul by Christ to take to the Gentiles. It is that which Paul variously calls, my gospel, our gospel, the gospel of the glory of Christ – the mystery that has been revealed that shows the participation of those coming out of the Gentile nations, through eternal redemption, in the promises of God given to Abraham – Col 1:26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you [Lit. Christ proclaimed among you], the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. It is the Word of Christ, the Word of the Kingdom, the gospel of the glory of Christ that constitutes the Lord’s flesh and blood which we are to eat, if we are to have life in the age to come. And it is the same eating and drinking imagery that is figuratively seen as the precursor to the overcomers’ promise given to the Laodicean Church – Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ” In Colossians, it is the Christ, the One anointed Prophet, Priest and King, proclaimed among the eternally saved that gives them the hope of glory. And it is the proclamation of Christ that can bring them to completion, to that place of spiritual maturity ‘in Christ’, that their hope may be realized in that future Day. c). And it is Christ the Word, with whom and on whom, the Christian is to dine if he is to sit down with Christ on His throne as an overcomer. And in the context of the Laodicean Church this would necessitate firstly, a change of mind with respect to the Christian’s lukewarmness towards the Word of the Kingdom, a change of mind from believing he is rich, wealthy and in need of nothing, to the realization of being wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. d). The key that we might find here then has to do with what is going on inside our head. Is our thinking aligned with the Word of Christ or with the things of the world? – Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Our transformation, the metamorphosis, can only be accomplished by the renewing of our mind and our mind can only be renewed through the ‘epignosis’ knowledge of the Son of God through the Word of the Kingdom. And this inward change, our transformation through the renewing of our mind, will bring to fulfillment, our hope of glory – Ro 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Now, we have spent some time on this because of what we find in – 1 Co 10:3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our types…….. The whole of the first generation of Israel to come out of Egypt ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink and according to Heb 4:2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. The spiritual food and spiritual drink they had is the same spiritual food and spiritual drink, the gospel, that has been preached to us. But, except for Joshua and Caleb, there was no transformation, no renewing of the mind, in this first generation. Rather they continued to be conformed to this world, with their focus back in Egypt rather than forward to the land of Canaan – Nu 14:3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” And if we take all this back to Exodus Chapter 17, where we began today, it is because of the lack of transformation on Israel’s part that Amalek, the man of the flesh, came and fought with them at Rephidim, forming the type for us. 2). Because all the experiences of this first generation of Israel have been given to us as types, the Lord has also provided the type to show how Amalek, the man of the flesh, is to be defeated in the life of the Christian. a). In the battle with Amalek at Rephidim we see a single battle in which Amalek is defeated, but for the Christian in pursuit of the Kingdom, the battle with the man of the flesh is an ongoing contest. The old man and the new man exist side by side and because of the sin nature, Amalek will continue to present himself for battle – Ex 17:11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” The battle against Amalek is seen to continue ‘until the going down of the sun’ and in v16 ‘the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation’. In both statements we can find the ongoing battle with the man of the flesh in the life of the Christian that has continued for the last 2000 years. b). Then if we go back to v14, there is a remarkable promise, ‘I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ In the natural this has already been accomplished. Apart from the scriptural record there is no historical or archeological evidence that the Amalekites ever existed. Their remembrance in the natural has been utterly blotted out, just as the Lord had said. But let’s take this from the natural to the spiritual – 1 Pe 1:8 …………..Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. The salvation of the soul and the accompanying redemption of the body at Christ’s Judgment Seat will restore the overcoming Christian to the image and likeness of God as experienced by Adam and the Woman before the fall. In other words, the sin nature will be gone, the man of flesh will be no more. The remembrance of Amalek in the overcoming Christian will have been blotted out from under heaven. And then – Re 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 2 Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. When the new heavens and new earth are brought into existence at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, sin will be no more. All those who dwell on the new earth throughout the endless ages will be completely apart from a sin nature, and in this way the remembrance of Amalek will have been utterly blotted out from under heaven in an absolute sense. c). But before either of these can be realized, Amalek must be dealt with now, in each one of us. He must be put to death by the edge of the sword. d). We had last week, seen the importance of the role we are to play in each other’s battle against him by providing the encouragement and exhortation that we all need as we grow weary in the battle. And this without question is a necessity – Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. But there is something to be seen in connection with this that we need to pay close attention to – Ex 17:10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. In the type, Moses is the one who grows weary, and it is Aaron and Hur who support him as the battle continues. It is important that we don’t overlook the location from which Moses, Aaron and Hur engage in the battle. We see them on ‘the top of the hill’. And we had seen last time that when the hill is used symbolically in Scripture, it is used to symbolize a kingdom. And within our present context, from a Christian perspective, this is the Kingdom of the Heavens, the location from which rulership over the earth will take place during the Millennial Kingdom by those found to be overcomers at the Judgment Seat. e). What is clear then, is that we can only gain victory over Amalek from the vantage point of the Kingdom and those who are to support us, and those we are to support must also be engaged from that same vantage point. – Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus was raised from the dead to sit at the right hand of the Father, the place of power, as He waits for the Day when His Kingdom will be established and we, being the new creation ‘in Christ’, must see ourselves separated to this same location, whereby we view all things through the certainty of the Kingdom which is the come. This is not a metaphysical concept but the reality of where our focus has to be. f). Geographically, we are here on this earth, but our lives must be conducted as if we are seated in heavenly places awaiting the Day when Satan will be overthrown, and the new order of rulers will ascend the throne with Christ. And with this as our reality, governing our lives accordingly, we will be able to have victory in the fight against Amalek time after time. And if this is not our reality we won’t. g). What does the Scripture say? – Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking [from this world] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The joy that was set before Christ is the coming Day of His power, when He, and the many sons brought to glory will rule in fulfillment of God’s purpose for creating Man. So incredible and so remarkable is this coming Day, that God Himself, in the person of Son, endured the cross and despised the shame in anticipation of it. h). And we are to look from this world to that same joy set before us and do whatever is necessary to attain it – Mt 25:23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 1 Pe 1:8 ………….yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. Col 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, [the joy set before us] not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. [Kill Amalek] 1 Pe 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul…. 3). It is our focus through a renewing mind that will keep us figuratively on the top of the hill and only from there will we have victory over Amalek and over the one with whom he has a direct connection. a). This is also taught to us through the type of David and Saul – 1 Sa 22:1 David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. Heb 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.. In hopefully what is a familiar type, David is a type of Christ and Saul a type of Satan. After feigning madness in Gath – Jn 10:20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” David then fled to the cave of Adullam, picturing Christ’s return to heaven to sit at His Father’s right hand. In the type, ‘everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him.’ For those who went to be with David at the cave of Adullam, they chose to have no further participation in the kingdom administered by Saul, they did not involve themselves with it and remained separate from it. And this was not done aimlessly but in the certain knowledge that God had anointed David to replace Saul and knowing that God would remove Saul and establish David’s kingdom at the time that God had determined. And until that time came, they remained with David and waited. b). And in the antitype, we can see that this should be the experience of us all as we align ourselves with Christ in heavenly places and separate ourselves from the world and the things in the world under the god of this age, having nothing to do with either. And this can only be done in the certain knowledge that Christ has been anointed to replace Satan as the ruler of this earth and knowing that God will remove Satan and establish Christ’s Kingdom at the precise time that God has determined. And until that time comes, we are to wait, we are to patiently endure, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and have the victory over Amalek as we stay on the top of the hill. c). And once again we must see the importance of where our focus is to be and why it needs to be there. We are, in a figurative sense, to remain seated with Christ in heavenly places, separated from the world, as we wait for the realization of our hope – Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing [Lit. the appearing of the glory] of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 4). And we can find this same picture again through the type of Abraham and Lot – Ge 19:27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. Ge 13:10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan [In the hill country], and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. The two places where we see Abraham and Lot located are diametrically opposed one another. Abraham dwelt in the hill country whereas Lot had chosen for himself the cities of the plain. Abraham then was in the high country where he stood before the Lord and Lot was to be found in the valley, at the lowest point from the mountain, engaged in the administration of the city whose name is synonymous with worldly depravity, Sodom. a). Their locations are not random but the result of their choices, a spiritual choice for Abraham and a carnal choice for Lot. And what they chose and how they chose it determined the outcome for both when the time came for the destruction of the cities of the plain – Ge 19:17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed.” This will have to continue next time though – if we remain and the Lord is willing.