KNOCK BEFORE YOUR ENTER

This may seem like a minor point – but could any point be minor when it has to do with Yeshua (Jesus)?  I was listening to a rabbi speaking from Israel yesterday in a class I often join online. He was speaking about the Old Testament High Priest, the cohen gadol, having bells on the hem of his blue garment. The reason he said, presumably from the Talmud, is so that a sound would be made before entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, that one day each year when he was to offer a sacrifice for all the people of Israel, for the nation as a whole.  The sound of the bells, he said, are like a response to, “Knock before you enter.”

 

He was letting God know that it was he, the high priest, who alone was allowed to enter this holy place of atonement.  Anyone entering there without the sound of the bells would, it was expected, die immediately in God’s holy presence.  Only one man as the high priest was sanctified and anointed for the task of so great an atonement, for the whole nation, for an entire year. 

My thoughts went immediately to Revelation 3:20 which says, “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.”  Here is prophesy fulfilled. Yeshua is letting us know that He is the fulfillment of all the High Priest was to be to Israel. As we are told, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Messiah Yeshua” (Hebrews 3:1). And it is He who is doing the knocking, now on our hearts, having been the only Holy One who could both fully enter God’s holy presence and who accomplished the ultimate and final sacrifice. 

This is one more Messianic prophesy in which we can recognize the Messiah in the Tenach, the Older Covenant, hidden in the bells on the high priest’s outer garment.  And as we know, He accomplished that final and holy, though horrible atonement not just for Israel but for the whole world for whosoever would receive it for themselves.  And not for just a year but forever!! 

I believe He knocks not only once for what might be an initial response to Him, to invite Him in to our lives, but a friend doesn’t just come once. They knock to let us know that they are there and wish to come in to our homes to ‘fellowship’ with us.  And so with Yeshua. It is a continual “knocking.” Always wanting us to know Him in a new and more precious and meaningful way… as our High Priest, as just one way to know Him.  So next time you even have a suspicion that He’s knocking, open the Door!       

WHAT ABOUT THE ARMOR OF GOD?

A discussion arose about the armor of God. The question was asked of someone going through a hard time, "Did you put your armor on?" Someone else said, "I put it on daily."  Another said, "I never take it off."  I've heard discussions like this for years. Perhaps you have too.

All this meant, of course, the armor Paul spoke about in Ephesians 6:10-17, beginning with: 

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." And goes on to say, "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."    

So is this a matter of saying we're putting on our armor so we're supposedly impervious to the enemy's attacks? Or are we to picture ourselves in this armor so we're safe?  Did Paul mean for his readers to take this literally?  Or is there something else more sure that's meant here.

Paul lived in a Roman society which was largely a military society with soldiers everywhere ... in their armor. So he appropriated the familiar images of a soldier's uniform and weapons to describe how we are to disarm our enemy's attempts to harm us. 

 

Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth (See the diagram above on how to gird up your loins), having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.... "  

Years ago a pastor friend had come to town to speak somewhere and as I was praying for him, I had the sense that somewhere his armor had a chink in it, a vulnerable place.  So I told him, thinking it might warn him of some impending attack. His response put this whole issue in place for me where it has remained since.  My friend, whose name was Neil, began to "check his armor" in a way I had never considered before. I never forgot Neil's input on the armor. Since then I have gained some additional perspectives on this armor issue you might find helpful. Or come up with more on your own.

First of all, it says, "Stand."  Don't cower, or run, or bow to the enemy in some kind of intimidation or fear. Stand, confident that God is there for you and will help you in any situation. Stand up straight and tall. It's amazing how much more in control we feel when we stand like that. And don't forget to breathe. Shallow breathing increases our stress level. Breathe like you're free of any threats. 

Girding one's waist is how the soldiers would tuck up their togas in order to run or be ready for battle as you can see from the diagram above. To gird up your loins is to be sure you're ready for battle with the enemy so nothing trips you up, literally. Spiritually speaking it is to be sure that whatever battle you're taking on, wherever you are running toward, had better be based in truth. 

Where would you expect the breastplate to be?  Over your heart, right?  Our hearts are where our righteousness sits. It is with our hearts that we are aligned with God's own heart. If there's any chink in your armor where your heart is concerned, you're likely to be vulnerable to the enemy's lies or temptations. Be sure as well that your heart is not heavy with all that can make a heart heavy.  We aren't to stay or pray in "woe mode" but in alignment with His Word.  That also means in expectation of the fulfillment of God's promises and His answers to our prayers as we pray according to His will. What's the condition of your heart today?  Is part of your armor parked some place else with unbelief or sadness or unforgiveness? Do you need to go get it and maybe polish it so it gleams with the reflection of the face of Yeshua?

Did you ever notice that our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We are to prepare ahead of time - like now -- so that whatever comes, no matter who or what comes at me unkindly or worse, I'm going to walk in the forgiveness of God, in the kindness of Holy Spirit. The reason it says preparation is that when things come at us and we're blindsighted with the likes of  rejection or emotional pain, it's hard to not to react but when we've already prepared, should such occur, we've already made that "prep" in our minds, so wherever our feet may take us that we're confronted with, we're going to walk in love. 

Roman shields were usually six feet tall and made of leather. The way they are kept from becoming dry and cracked is to oil them often with olive oil.  Olive oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's anointing. We all need to be under a fresh anointing from the Lord, which comes from spending time with Him, developing a relationship with Him so that we know that we know that He is there with us and for us, no matter what comes to us. Our shield of trust in Him is to be taller than we are. It might also be helpful to know that often a flank of soldiers would hold their shields above their heads when enemy weapons were coming against them from above.  Sheilds of faith are good for whatever direction something threatening to harm you is coming from. God is there wherever needed.

And lastly, though certainly, not least of all, the sword of the Spirit will do serious damage to the enemy when we use the Word of God against the devil and any situation he seems to be behind. When I began to write this and felt sad as I mentioned above, I yanked out my sword of the Word and changed my thinking based on what God had to say rather than what my feelings were which aren't always based on truth, are they? 

  

To sum this up, the armor of God isn't about whether you speak it into being effective, or can picture it on you, it's a matter of godly character!  Never taking it off means staying in line with God's ways, the way He taught Israel to remain in relatinship with Him, and, of course, being like Yeshua always.