DON’T
COME NEAR!!
Last
month we talked a lot about Shittim. Remembering that in the Septuagint
shittim wood is always translated ‘incorruptible wood,’
and that the place of Shittim was the last place that God brought Israel before
he led them to the banks of Jordan.
In Ex. 25:10, we find the ark of God being made from "shittim wood." This vs. speaks of the wood. Josh. 3:1 speaks of the place, but in both cases, "shittim wood" and the place "Shittim" have the same Hebrew root. The point we made last month was that God has us in the place of Shittim, or "An incorruptible place."
The word incorruptible means to be free from error. In Ps. 95:10, the word speaks of the generation that died off in the wilderness as a generation that did "err" in their heart. Thus grieving God. He's teaching us to hold fast to the promises concerning this hour that he has made to us.
We
left off last month in Ps. 95:10 with God saying, "this people have not known my ways."
That's what we want to discuss this month.
"There
is a way that seems right unto a man, but in the end thereof is the way of
death." Prov.16:25.
Without
God, we'll not know the right way.
Without
the Holy Ghost we will be lost, as it relates to what The Father of life is up
to in the hour we live.
God
had this great and intimate relationship with Moses. Matter of fact, I'm
not sure there were to many folks that talked with God face to face as a man
talks with a friend. The scripture says, "He made known his ways
unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel." Ps. 103:7.
Israel
knew about God; Moses KNEW Him!
Beloved
the only way to have victory today is to know the Lord, and recognize His
voice. He still speaks to His sheep, and they still respond to the voice of the
Shepard. We must know him, INTIMATELY! We must know his voice
today.
Why?
Josh. 3:4, "....for ye have not passed this way heretofore."
He's
getting ready to take us in a direction that we've not gone before. He's
getting ready to say some things He's not said before. He's getting ready to
reveal what Kings and prophets longed to see and hear and experience in years
gone by; and the God of heaven and earth has reserved them for this time.
Sweetheart,
strap on your boots, cause things are aimin' to get extremely interesting!
God
is getting ready to show His glory in a way that is fresh and new. He's
getting ready to show a side of Himself we've never seen before. Just as in the
days of Jesus, again today, there will be those that will witness the glory of
God, and look right past it only to become critical about what the spirit of
God is doing. If we don’t know His voice, we will not recognize His ways!
Go
back to the garden, God could have created anything he wanted - In Gen. 1
and 2. You won't find a church; You
won't find pastors or prophets; You can't find church boards, men's
groups, youth programs deacons, elders. You don't find any of that.
Why
not? So glad you asked!
Because
that's not what God wanted! If that's what He had wanted, that's what He
would have created!
You
know what you find? You find God creating a man - in his image and
likeness. Giving that man a job: "dress and keep the
garden" and then, giving that man a wife. And saying to
them: "be fruitful and multiply." That's what he wanted,
so that's what He created.
All
that other business of churches and pastors and so forth is a direct result of
the fall of the man.
Remember, God had
to create someone in such a way, "his image, his likeness" so
that the person would be able to walk and talk with Him in the cool of the
day. If Adam was gonna' to walk, talk and have an intimate relationship
with God, he had to be able to stand Gods glory.
God
created Adam because God longed for, as He does today, an intimate relationship
and fellowship with His creation. What makes us think He's changed His
mind about that? He still longs for that same intimacy with us
today. He still longs for us to know Him, and to know His ways. He longs to reveal what He's about to do in
the earth. Psalms 25:14.
God
is about to take us a way we've never gone before; we'd better learn to know
his voice!
Josh.
3:4 "Yet there shall be a space between you and the ark, about two
thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know
the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way
heretofore."
One
more example of how our God is! Listen to what he says to Noah: "If
you want to know the way to go, if you want to know what I'm getting
ready to do, If you want me to let you in on the secrets of my heart,
then don't get close, in any way, don't come near to this ark."
Remembering
that the ark of God was where God chose to dwell. The ark is a picture,
and more than a picture of His presence. Why then would God not
want Israel to come close? How could they, by staying at a
distance, know the way God was taking them?
Kinda'
messes up everything we've endeavored to communicate over the last several
paragraphs, don't you think?
The
key to this statement is found in the word "near." Kaw-rab in the Hebrew language. You'll
like this one: "The basic meaning is being near, or coming
very near (ie) into intimate proximity, or mere spatial proximity, WITH NO
SENSE OF INTIMACY. In general, Kaw-rab signifies an approaching of coming
near someone or something apart from any sense or any desire for
intimacy."
Short
and sweet: No longer will our Father tolerate us coming to Him with
an attitude of, "I'm coming close to God to see what I can get out
of it."
How
many of us only approach Him when we're in need of something? Jesus tells
us that our Father already knows what we need.
That's
not to say we can't or shouldn't ask for things, people, healing and etc.
But do I come to Him, only for reasons outside of a desire to know him; outside
of the desire to be intimate with him; To sing to him and tell him how
wonderful and beautiful he is? If I'm only seeking Him for what I can get out
of the deal, I'll miss God!
He
says in vs. 4: "Don't come NEAR (Kaw-rab) me with that
attitude!" "If you're seeking my hand and not my face,
If you're not coming to me for the purpose of knowing me and being close to me,
you'll miss what I'm about to do!"
He
said to Israel: "Folks, I'm about to do something you've never dreamed
of, and if you'll stay close to me for the purpose of knowing me, and my truths
and ways, then you'll make it. But if you only come near me to see
what you can get out of this deal, If you only come near me so that you can get
ahead in the game; and are not interested in a love relationship with me, you
may as well pack up camp and head home, cause' you won't understand my purposes
for you, neither will you know my heart."
Beloved,
it's high time to seek His face, and not His hand. He wants us to have a
love affair with Him as He takes us on into destiny.
Let
me encourage you: This week, find the secret place, and crawl up into the lap
of God. He's waiting for you!
