The Holy Arks

The Ark of Noah, and the Ark of the Covenant, and the mind… are all the same. The similarities between the three are striking.

First, let’s notice the choice involved. Noah had a right to refuse to build the ark. It would have cost him his life.

Moses had a right to refuse to build the Ark of the Testimony, but this, too, would have cost him his life.

The two physical arks hold the means to life. They are very nearly a means to an end – a means of arriving at a different level. Noah’s ark brought all that was required to start a new life. Because of his ark, he and his family lived out their lives in a different environment. With the Ark of Moses, the people also had a means to live in a different environment! What did this ark hold? Their instructions for living (Torah)! Their sustenance (manna)! Their promise (Aaron’s budding staff)!

The two physical arks were HOLY. How so? By definition, holy means: Set apart to the service or worship of God. These two arks were of one purpose – to preserve the people. The Ark of the Covenant was the very seat of God! But without God in our midst, we will not be preserved. Once God closed the door to Noah’s Ark, the rains came. When the rains came, you can bet that many, many pounded on the sides of the wooden ark. It was Uzza who put his hand out to steady the Ark of the Covenant, which killed him. The arks were holy.

Noah’s ark was pitched with pitch – inside, and out (Gen 6:14). The Ark of the Covenant was coated with gold – inside, and out. In the midst of both was wood (flesh). It might be said that it is not about the flesh… it’s about the ‘covering’. It’s not just about the appearance from the outside… but what about the appearance on the inside?

From the Ark of Noah went forth a dove. Yes, peace was ‘released’ from this ark. Israel, too, had peace because the Ark of the Covenant went before them. God’s Presence with His people will always release peace to His people, because He is Peace.

Now… our mind. We also must choose to renew our minds daily to conform to the likeness of Jesus:

Rom 12:2 ESV
(2) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

If our minds are conformed to the mind of Jesus, then we carry the means of life. This is not just a key to get us into heaven. This is something we can give away! Noah was said to be righteous. His family was ‘never’ described this way. Because of the righteousness of Noah, his family had life. He gave it away!

Our mind is holy.

2Ti 2:20-21 ESV
(20) Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.
(21) Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

The scripture says that as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. (Proverbs 23:7) We can only release what we carry. If we have peace in our hearts, then we can impart peace, just as the dove flew from the ark.

Being pitched on the inside and the out, once we have made our mind to think the thoughts of Christ, we are designed to rise above the troubles that come our way. Do we avoid them altogether? No – we feel the rain, and the waves, but we do not perish because we are pitched – inside and out. In Genesis 7:18, it says the ark floated “upon the face of the waters”. The Hebrew word for float is ‘al’, which is the same word that is used in Genesis 1:2 when it said God’s Spirit ‘floated’ over the face of the waters. If we dwell in the Spirit of God, we dwell above the chaos, and we wait upon His WORD to come and create peace where before there was none. Can we sleep in the boat with Jesus?

Blessings today!

Devouring the Holy

These are perilous times. Most nations are not doing well - few are thriving, if any. We have seen prosperous times in the last couple of decades, but those seem very distant. What gives?

There is a precept in scripture that basically says that how well you deal with Israel determines how well you live, thrive, and prosper. Most of us are familiar with the passage in Genesis 12:3 which says God will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel. Jeremiah gives us another reason blessings and curses fall:

Jer 2:3 HNV
(3) Yisra'el [was] holiness to the LORD, the first fruits of his increase: all who devour him shall be held guilty; evil shall come on them, says the LORD.

Israel was God's First Fruits! All First Fruits given to God are Holy, and if you devour that which is Holy, you had better be a priest - also Holy. If not, then evil comes, according to the word of God.

David stumbled into the tabernacle - starving - and ate the shew bread that was reserved for the priests. It was holy to God - set apart. But David's life was spared because He, too, had set himself apart for God. He danced into Jerusalem wearing a linen ephod (priestly garment), an early picture of Jesus - both king and priest. We were also made kings and priests by God, a HOLY nation. We must bless Israel, God's First Fruits, because we are growing upon them. They are the stump which sprouted that we were grafted into.

The nations act in ignorance. They are like children in a lion's den - captivated by something deadly. We, as Christians, are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the salvation of Israel. Lets be diligent in doing that! Be blessed!

Is Our Bread Really Unleavened?

Exo 13:6-7 KJV
(6) Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
(7) Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.

The week of Unleavened Bread is a week-long festival that was instituted by God. This festival began with Passover, included the days of Unleavened Bread, and concluded with First Fruits. This was quite a week! The Jewish people took this extremely seriously, as if the above command from God left much room for otherwise. This was a time of introspection for the Hebrews. They removed all traces of yeast from their homes. They removed anything that 'might' ferment. Many even change the feed for their livestock in order to make the milk more kosher. This is serious!

The first thing we might think as western Christians is 'silliness'. Or 'what legalism!'

To me, this is what we, as western believers, have missed in our walk with Jesus. In our pious quests for righteousness, we have become more like the rich young ruler who was looking for a bare minimum requirement for inheriting the kingdom. (Matt 19:16) We put in our time and we 'call it good'. To the Hebrew, this is a flawed perspective. It fails to treat God as who He really is - Holy. Zephaniah said this:

Zep 1:12 KJV
(12) And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

The Hebrew reads this and concludes in his heart that God is not one to be trifled with. He is one who searches the hearts of men meticulously. The Christian reads this passage and might conclude that God sure had it out for Israel back then. Aren't we grateful for grace!

So we play our grace card... and go back to our lives of part-time righteousness and sin-management.

In my own heart, I find it a travesty to think that we can be saved as of by fire, living life as if God does not care while next to us stands a Jewish man who does not believe Jesus was Messiah yet strains with all his might to walk as his father Abraham did - in faith and purity - believing that God is good and Holy and will keep His promises. This is very difficult for me to reconcile. Salvation is by faith. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Somewhere, however, many of us as Christians have MISSED holiness. We should look to the examples others have set and learn from them.