10/6/22
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
In last week's message we shared an introduction to a message titled "The He-Goats Before the Flocks." This message tonight is Part 2 of the same topic. I hope that these messages will be used by the Lord to increase your hunger after Him and His ways. It is difficult to improve upon my maternal grandmother's prayer that she wrote in her Bible: "Lord let me create hunger in their hearts, for until they hunger they cannot be fed." That is wisdom from above.
That verse is a commandment from the Lord to His chosen people over all of time. Last week I shared for a few minutes on the first part of that verse, which says "remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans." I could easily share with you for more than one hour the great need the church has today to obey that part of the commandment based on what the Lord has allowed me to see and hear from my personal experience. The visible church today is big business. In one church I attended for 18 months, the pastor, who was a dynamic preacher, called a special meeting of the church leaders to lay out his new church structure. At that time, I was a special advisor to the pastor and he had given me the pulpit on Sunday morning four different times. His new church structure had the pastor as the CEO and four vice-presidents under him. It looked exactly like a worldly business organizational chart. I left that church shortly after that was exposed. In the mid 1970's the Lord took me physically to the inner sanctum of one of the foremost TV evangelists in the country. I had an interview for a job in their computer division. When I saw how they operated, I told him I could not work for him if he paid me 100 thousand dollars a year. I also told him why. But many thousands of professing Christians, with no discernment, donated 150 million dollars to him every year. About 6 or 7 years later, that TV evangelist was put in jail for financial fraud. A number of "big-time" pastors make millions of dollars a year preaching their off-center message of prosperity and name-it-and claim it. Even in some of the "better" churches in America there is a real lack of discernment on the part of some church elders. No wonder the Lord shut down much strange fire church activity through the pandemic closures. Sadly, too many professing Christians can't wait to get back to the way we always did things in our Sunday services. Based on my personal experiences and the witness of the Holy Spirit to my spirit, I do not believe we can be as the he-goats before the flocks until we remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans. The Lord has His order in all things. Nevertheless, let us focus for the rest of this message on the second part of Jeremiah 50, verse 8 ... be as the he-goats before the flocks.
The first part of that phrase is the little word, "be." After the resurrection of Jesus, He appeared unto His disciples 40 days speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
The Lord's primary objective has always been that after He saves us, we might become or be made into His image ... Christ in you, the hope of glory. Sadly, after we are born-from-above our human nature and unbridled zeal sometimes kicks back in and we want to be doers rather than becomers. We don't like to tarry. We want to go out and save the world by our preaching. Of course, the Lord can save someone all by Himself. I know, because He did that for me. The Lord can speak through a jackass and He can cause the very stones to cry out. But one thing the Lord will never do is to override our will. However, if our focus is on allowing the Holy Spirit to make us into His image, then the Lord will open the right doors for us to do the works that were ordained for us to walk in from before the foundation of the world.
The next word in "be as the he-goats before the flocks" is the little word, "as." It does not say be he-goats before the flocks. We always need to pay attention to the little words in the Bible. So what are the characteristics of he-goats? To answer that question, we need to go back to the first mention of he-goats or rams in the Bible. Before we do that, we must mention that Jeremiah 34, verse 18, tells us that in ancient times, covenants between men were made by both parties passing between the pieces of dead animals.
The first mention of a he-goat is in Genesis 15, verses 7 through 17, which describe the preparations the Lord gave to Abram to set up the covenant between a smoking furnace and a burning lamp. It is very important to understand God's order as given in the animals that were sacrificed to make the most important covenant ever made. It is also important to understand the relationship between Jeremiah 50, verse 8, and those verses in Genesis 15.
The horror of great darkness that fell upon Abram was prophetic of the destiny of all those in the natural realm who have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The fowls that came to try to eat of the carcases of the divided animals represent antichrists that we must drive away from our lives.
Note that Abram never passed between those pieces because the Lord had put him to sleep. Every covenant between man and man will always be broken, sooner or later. Every covenant between God and man will never be broken from God's side but will always be broken from man's side sooner or later because no man other than Jesus has ever been perfect and holy.
Genesis 15:17 speaks of the eternal, unbreakable covenant between the Father and the Son, and that is the covenant that every born-from-above believer enters into.
Genesis 15:18 speaks of a different and second covenant between the LORD and Abram.
I assume that a piece of the heifer was on one side and a piece on the other side; a piece of the she goat was on one side and a piece on the other side; a piece of the ram was on one side and a piece on the other side. Since the birds were not divided, I assume the turtledove was on one side and the young pigeon on the other side. Why did the Lord choose those specific animals and birds? Further, why are the she goats in Genesis 15 mentioned prior to the he-goats? Hopefully we can shed a little light on that.
Note that the heifer, the she goat, and the ram were killed, but nothing is said about the birds being killed. A heifer is a female calf, nearly grown, which has not yet had any offspring. The fact that those three animals were divided might speak of the church at Corinth, where the very first error that Paul addresses is that there were divisions among them (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). When divisions occur in the church, that opens the door for all sorts of further errors and works of the flesh, just as that which occurred in the church at Corinth. Perhaps a more plausible answer is that the division of the pieces speaks of Jew and Gentile.
Concerning the order of the animals listed in Genesis 15:9 ...
There is no question in my mind. My wife, Linda, has been a she goat to me as unto the Lord for the past 50 years.
The third animal mentioned in Genesis 15, verse 9 is a he-goat or a ram. A ram is a male sheep aged over 1 year; a ewe is a female sheep aged over 1 year. Any sheep under the age of 1 year is called a lamb. Every Christian knows that Jesus is the Lamb of God. In John, chapter 1, John the Baptist two times calls Jesus the Lamb of God, and in Revelation, Christ again is referred to as the victorious Lamb who was and is to come. Jesus is not only the Lamb of God; He also is the Great He-goat.
In the natural world a ram rarely "leads" a flock of sheep. That function is usually fulfilled by an ewe. A spiritual he-goat is a full-grown ram which speaks of a God-given leader of the people. All true he-goats have spiritual authority. In the world, women have increasingly become more prominent as CEOs of business corporations and as political leaders. The church has slowly been moving that way also, with more tolerance for female pastors, elders, and deacons. I have absolutely no doubt that some women can teach or preach the truth. Actually, 1 have believed for a long time that anyone, with a bit of preparation, can present a good message in a Christian fellowship. However, it is never what anyone can do; it is a question of whether the Lord will honor what we do and bring forth fruit. The preponderance of scripture indicates that teaching and preaching in assemblies of believers is the function of the he-goats. Jeremiah 50:8 says, "be as the he-goats before the flocks."
Note that the word "he-goats" is plural. Although Jesus is the Great He-goat, there are 7,000 more he-goats that we don't know about because they are "nobodies" who have never tried to make a name for themselves. Elijah never met another of the 7,000 of the remnant that the Lord still had, with the possible exception of Elisha, although it appears that Elisha never had the inner character that the Lord had worked into Elijah. When Elijah heard of the 7,000, I am sure he never thought, "Oh boy! Wouldn't it be great if I could get together with all of those 7,000? We could have a wonderful meeting together!" Yet that is exactly what some folks historically have tried to do. In like manner, the LORD today is scattering His remnant such that they cannot "get together" physically, but only spiritually.
Last week we shared that whenever it is God's timetable to make a significant move in the earth, He always looks for a man through whom He can work. Today the Lord is looking for he-goats before the flock. A he-goat is a trail blazer; a pioneer; someone who goes before; someone who dares to speak the pure word of God with no thought of the consequences. The Man, Jesus, was and is the premiere Master of all he-goats. A modern-day he-goat is one, who like Jesus, comes to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. He comes to call into line those who are out of line; he comes to upset that which man has set up. He marches to a different drummer. He is ordained by God but disdained by man. He has no price tags and will not compromise. Like Jeremiah, the word of the Lord is in his heart as a burning fire shut up in his bones, and he cannot stay (Jeremiah 20:9).
In Genesis 15:10, "birds" means "little birds," like a sparrow. However, from Verse 9, "birds" apparently refers to a turtledove and a young pigeon. Since they were not divided, perhaps the turtledove was on one side and the young pigeon on the other side. These birds speak of believers who are little in their own sight. They speak of overcomers.
Pigeons and doves are related but are not difficult to distinguish one from another. In practice, "dove" tends to be used for the smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones. We believers are not of this world; we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We are in the world but not of the world. We are passing through an earthly Jerusalem, being tested and proven and prepared to walk with God for eternity in the heavenly Jerusalem. On earth, in time, we go in and out (John 10:9), but in that day the overcomers will go no more out (Revelation 3:12). In other words, because we are not yet perfected, we sometimes sin or revert back to our human nature approach to the God-ordained works that He has foreordained for us to walk in.
The turtle dove is also called a "mourning dove" or a "rain dove." Mourning doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. They do not call attention to themselves. Its plaintive woo-OO-oo-oo-oo call gives the bird its name. We hear turtledoves mourning at least several times a week. Turtledoves are noted for their love and faithfulness. They are also a symbol of peace.
Now let us try to understand, in Genesis 15:9-10, the significance of the turtledove and the young pigeon; and why the birds were not divided. The word used for a young pigeon means a nestling, as being comparatively nude of feathers. Feathers are a feature unique to birds. Feathers facilitate flight, provide insulation from heat and cold, and are used in camouflage and signaling. It should be no surprise that there are many believers, born from above, who are still young pigeons, with no defense mechanisms ... no feathers.
The Washington Post, Tuesday, September 2, 2014, page E2, had a very interesting article titled, "Without feathers, future is bleak." The subtitle to that article reads, "Rare condition leaves Antarctic chicks with reduced protection." The article states, "Although penguins can't fly, they still need feathers. Without them, the birds risk disease and even death, which is why researchers are concerned about the recent reappearance of a rare disorder causing the feathers of young penguins to fall out." The article also includes a large picture of a penguin chick which is missing large patches of feathers. It is simply amazing how the Lord can speak to us in so many different ways ... if only we can be sensitive to our surroundings.
Every true believer is called to be a priest, but not all priests are ministers of the Lord Ezekiel 44). The turtledove, or mourning dove, represents those priests who minister to the Lord as distinct from the priests who minister to the house, where "ministering to the Lord" means much more than just singing praises in the Spirit. Many are called but few are chosen because few choose. But the exhortation in Joel 2:17 is for the priests, the ministers of the Lord, to weep between the porch and the altar. The porch represents the people of God. The altar represents the Lord Himself. That is real intercession. That will be done by the turtledoves, the mourning doves, the priests, the ministers of the Lord.
Now why are the turtledoves mourning? and for what? They are not mourning for themselves; they are mourning for the will of God to be done ... for the body of Christ to come into maturity ... they are mourning for the Lord to have His way.
The implication of Verse 8 is that the watchmen will see eye to eye only when the LORD brings again Zion. Make no mistake. The Lord Himself is bringing forth spiritual Zion, which are the turtledoves. It is largely a hidden work, just as Moses was hidden away as a baby for a season and later hidden away for 40 years in preparation for his work on earth. The turtledoves are likewise hidden away until the Lord chooses to make them manifest, just as Elijah suddenly appears on the scene in 1 Kings 17:1. The turtledove and the young pigeon may also correspond to the Lord's two witnesses spoken of in Revelation 11.
Now perhaps it is clearer why the birds were not divided. The turtledoves must be in one accord just as the watchmen will see eye to eye. The birds were not divided because,
In Jeremiah 8:7, the word "turtle" is the same Hebrew word as "turtledove" in Genesis 15:9.
Turtledoves or young pigeons were included for poor people who could not afford bigger animals in sacrifices. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Although there are many "conferences" of Christian believers at many levels, there will never be a physical gathering or conference of the turtledoves. The Lord will not allow it. That way, no man can take the glory. They are hidden away; but they will do that which is ordained for them. They will intercede for the young pigeons that the body of Christ may come into fullness ... that the Lord may be glorified. We are fast approaching the time when the turtledoves ... the sons of God ... will be caught up in the realm of the Spirit and will bring forth the young pigeons. That will be the real rapture.
The Lord always wants to challenge His people. The sequence of events in these end times is:
(1) those who have eyes to see and ears to hear pray fervently that the Lord will quickly raise up His turtledoves;
In order to understand the "sheepfold" we must understand the difference between a "fold" and a "flock." A "fold" is basically a natural enclosure or entity; it confines and restricts sheep (people). A "flock" speaks of a spiritual entity. Unlike sheep in a fold, sheep in a flock are not unified by things that are external and tangible. They are kept together by something internal and organic. In those days, there were many shepherds, each with their own sheep, but all the sheep were mixed together within the one fold. Each sheep hears his own shepherd's voice and follows Him. As the sheep jointly follow the good Shepherd, they are constituted as a flock. The sheepfold speaks about all of human nature. In Luke 12:32, Jesus says, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." The flock that belongs to Jesus is little in numbers, as in Gideon's army of 300, but little in their own sight ... characterized by humility.
In those days, a sheepfold was a court surrounded by 10-feet high walls but open to the sky, and with only one entrance ... one way in and one way out. The walls kept the sheep from wandering and protected them from some wild animals. The sheep recognize the voice of their own shepherd and respond only unto Him. The shepherd does not call His sheep randomly, but only those that belong to him. The true Shepherd goes before His sheep; He does not drive them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. Inside the good Shepherd's flock there is safety, and whosoever enters in by the door is able to find pasture, or the supply of all of his needs.
The KJV translates incorrectly the phrase "there shall be one fold." It definitely should read "there shall be one flock."
In Young's literal translation of the Bible, Psalm 78, verse 70 says, "And He fixeth on David His servant, and taketh him from the folds of a flock." Scripture is very clear ... there are many folds but only one true flock and one Shepherd. The one flock consists of all those whom the Father has given to Jesus. The one true Shepherd is the Lord Jesus.
Now what does all of that mean for us? First, we should go back and read the context of Jeremiah 50:8.
History always repeats itself because human nature never changes. "They have gone from mountain to hill in verse 6 means they have backslidden. Why? because our shepherds have caused us to go astray, hopefully out of ignorance and not deliberately.
Certainly, the Christian community today consists of many flocks. Those many flocks are caused by the divisions within the Christian community. Fifty years ago, one good brother told me that there were more than 500 different denominations or flocks in the Christian community.
What is important is that the Lord is glorified and that His chosen vessels come forth. May the Lord quickly bring forth His turtledoves in our time! And may the Lord add feathers to our lean vessel and meat to the bones of this word! Amen and Amen.
In closing, for further inspiration let us turn to Jesus through the inspired writing of Isaiah in Isaiah 53, which says,
If I counted correctly, the words He, Him, and His, speaking of Jesus, occur 48 times in those 12 verses. That says it all ... it is all about Jesus. May the light of our new life in Christ shine brightly for His glory and pleasure. Amen and amen.
Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."
Filled with the nature of Christ ... Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Jeremiah 50:8 says, "Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks."
That verse is a commandment from the Lord to His chosen people over all of time. Last week I shared for a few minutes on the first part of that verse, which says "remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans." I could easily share with you for more than one hour the great need the church has today to obey that part of the commandment based on what the Lord has allowed me to see and hear from my personal experience. The visible church today is big business. In one church I attended for 18 months, the pastor, who was a dynamic preacher, called a special meeting of the church leaders to lay out his new church structure. At that time, I was a special advisor to the pastor and he had given me the pulpit on Sunday morning four different times. His new church structure had the pastor as the CEO and four vice-presidents under him. It looked exactly like a worldly business organizational chart. I left that church shortly after that was exposed. In the mid 1970's the Lord took me physically to the inner sanctum of one of the foremost TV evangelists in the country. I had an interview for a job in their computer division. When I saw how they operated, I told him I could not work for him if he paid me 100 thousand dollars a year. I also told him why. But many thousands of professing Christians, with no discernment, donated 150 million dollars to him every year. About 6 or 7 years later, that TV evangelist was put in jail for financial fraud. A number of "big-time" pastors make millions of dollars a year preaching their off-center message of prosperity and name-it-and claim it. Even in some of the "better" churches in America there is a real lack of discernment on the part of some church elders. No wonder the Lord shut down much strange fire church activity through the pandemic closures. Sadly, too many professing Christians can't wait to get back to the way we always did things in our Sunday services. Based on my personal experiences and the witness of the Holy Spirit to my spirit, I do not believe we can be as the he-goats before the flocks until we remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans. The Lord has His order in all things. Nevertheless, let us focus for the rest of this message on the second part of Jeremiah 50, verse 8 ... be as the he-goats before the flocks.
The first part of that phrase is the little word, "be." After the resurrection of Jesus, He appeared unto His disciples 40 days speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
In Luke 24:29, Jesus said, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
Then, in Acts 1:8, Jesus said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
The Lord's primary objective has always been that after He saves us, we might become or be made into His image ... Christ in you, the hope of glory. Sadly, after we are born-from-above our human nature and unbridled zeal sometimes kicks back in and we want to be doers rather than becomers. We don't like to tarry. We want to go out and save the world by our preaching. Of course, the Lord can save someone all by Himself. I know, because He did that for me. The Lord can speak through a jackass and He can cause the very stones to cry out. But one thing the Lord will never do is to override our will. However, if our focus is on allowing the Holy Spirit to make us into His image, then the Lord will open the right doors for us to do the works that were ordained for us to walk in from before the foundation of the world.
The next word in "be as the he-goats before the flocks" is the little word, "as." It does not say be he-goats before the flocks. We always need to pay attention to the little words in the Bible. So what are the characteristics of he-goats? To answer that question, we need to go back to the first mention of he-goats or rams in the Bible. Before we do that, we must mention that Jeremiah 34, verse 18, tells us that in ancient times, covenants between men were made by both parties passing between the pieces of dead animals.
The first mention of a he-goat is in Genesis 15, verses 7 through 17, which describe the preparations the Lord gave to Abram to set up the covenant between a smoking furnace and a burning lamp. It is very important to understand God's order as given in the animals that were sacrificed to make the most important covenant ever made. It is also important to understand the relationship between Jeremiah 50, verse 8, and those verses in Genesis 15.
Genesis 15:9-12, "And He said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto Him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him."
The horror of great darkness that fell upon Abram was prophetic of the destiny of all those in the natural realm who have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The fowls that came to try to eat of the carcases of the divided animals represent antichrists that we must drive away from our lives.
1 John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."
Who is "them" in that verse? Verses 1-3 of 1 John 4 clearly state that "them" is anything and anyone that has the spirit of antichrist. That includes both flesh and devils.
Back to Genesis 15:17-18,
Back to Genesis 15:17-18,
"And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:"
Note that Abram never passed between those pieces because the Lord had put him to sleep. Every covenant between man and man will always be broken, sooner or later. Every covenant between God and man will never be broken from God's side but will always be broken from man's side sooner or later because no man other than Jesus has ever been perfect and holy.
Genesis 15:17 speaks of the eternal, unbreakable covenant between the Father and the Son, and that is the covenant that every born-from-above believer enters into.
Genesis 15:18 speaks of a different and second covenant between the LORD and Abram.
I assume that a piece of the heifer was on one side and a piece on the other side; a piece of the she goat was on one side and a piece on the other side; a piece of the ram was on one side and a piece on the other side. Since the birds were not divided, I assume the turtledove was on one side and the young pigeon on the other side. Why did the Lord choose those specific animals and birds? Further, why are the she goats in Genesis 15 mentioned prior to the he-goats? Hopefully we can shed a little light on that.
Note that the heifer, the she goat, and the ram were killed, but nothing is said about the birds being killed. A heifer is a female calf, nearly grown, which has not yet had any offspring. The fact that those three animals were divided might speak of the church at Corinth, where the very first error that Paul addresses is that there were divisions among them (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). When divisions occur in the church, that opens the door for all sorts of further errors and works of the flesh, just as that which occurred in the church at Corinth. Perhaps a more plausible answer is that the division of the pieces speaks of Jew and Gentile.
Concerning the order of the animals listed in Genesis 15:9 ...
Leviticus 16:11, "And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:"
Aaron, of course, was the first high priest in the natural realm.
Jesus is our High Priest. He brought Himself for a sin offering. He who knew no sin became sin on the cross and died for the sins of His house, whose house are we, those who have received Him as our Lord and Savior.
Next in order were the she-goats.
Jesus is our High Priest. He brought Himself for a sin offering. He who knew no sin became sin on the cross and died for the sins of His house, whose house are we, those who have received Him as our Lord and Savior.
Next in order were the she-goats.
Ruth 4:11-12 says, "And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman."
Pharez or Phares was in the direct lineage of Jesus.
How did Rachel and Leah build the house of Israel? by their behavior and by their intercession for their husband, Jacob. The fruit of their ministry was a he-goat, named Israel.
The process is the same as a Christian wife who prays and intercedes for her husband to come forth spiritually; then the husband performs the same function for his wife. I quote part of Linda's testimony, as recorded in our marriage book.
How did Rachel and Leah build the house of Israel? by their behavior and by their intercession for their husband, Jacob. The fruit of their ministry was a he-goat, named Israel.
The process is the same as a Christian wife who prays and intercedes for her husband to come forth spiritually; then the husband performs the same function for his wife. I quote part of Linda's testimony, as recorded in our marriage book.
"In the early days in our Christian church fellowship, I was more vocal; Bob was more quiet. Then all I can say is that the Lord opened my eyes to see my help meet ministry. He lit a fire within me and it burned brighter and brighter. The Lord began teaching me. Just as it is written about Lydia in Acts 16, the Lord opened my heart to respond to the things spoken by Him. The Lord gave me a sure word from 1 Thessalonians 1:8, "you [Linda] have no need to say anything." However, in that environment of quietness the Lord had much work to do within me.No man taught me about my ministry to my husband and I never read any book but the Bible. When we don't know anything about some area, we are very teachable by the Lord. We don't have to unlearn anything.And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9The Lord began to show me His call upon my husband and that He desired to use me as His primary vessel to bring forth His ministry within my husband. The Lord, over the years, has revealed a number of spiritual truths to me through gardening, which I dearly love. He showed me that I was like a garden hose. The garden hose has to be connected to the water source in order to be used to water plants and shrubs. The Source is the Lord; I was the garden hose; and I was to be used by the Lord to pour forth spiritual water to my husband.
Whatever the Lord would show me, I would pray fervently, intercede, and groan in the spirit that the Lord's purpose for Bob might come forth. I made a conscious decision that my words, manner, and behavior would line up with what the Lord revealed. At church meetings I changed drastically and became quiet in order for Bob to come forth, while praying fervently for him. I was NOT passive. I was very active in my quietness. I did not become quiet because I had no truth to share but because I saw a principle that was MORE important than my sharing some truth. I saw that it was more important for Bob to come into maturity in the Lord than for me to share some truth. I had been allowed to see the help meet ministry of a wife to her husband.My drastic change caused quite a stir in the local church environment. Others in the church saw that I became very quiet during the formal meetings. Many felt that I was in bondage and/or manipulated by my husband. One out-of-town leader, after hearing rumors, called me "stiff-necked" in the most gentle way he could. However, I never tried to defend myself for I knew what the Lord had made real in my heart ... a higher way.The result of my actions? the Lord honored His word and Bob began to come forth. At some point the Lord showed Bob what He was about through me. Then Bob, being greatly impressed, began teaching about a woman's help meet ministry.
In March of 1973 the Lord also opened up a scripture to me concerning the end times in which we now live.
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! Matthew 24:19
Most Christians probably interpret that verse in the natural realm. It is certainly true that a pregnant woman or a woman with a small child will experience great difficulty in those days of great tribulation that Jesus spoke about. But the Lord revealed to me the spiritual significance of that verse. Woe unto the Christian wife in those days whose husband has not yet been birthed into Christ or who is an immature babe in Christ, for he will be unable to provide the proper spiritual covering for his wife.
I also longed for my husband to love me as Christ loves the Church. I told the Lord early on that I did not want anything from my husband unless it was born of the Spirit. Therefore, I did not talk about my needs with my husband. Instead, I would run weeping to the throne of grace.
Until the day dawned and the day star arose in my husband's heart in this area, the Lord ministered to my every need. He became all things to me that my husband, at that time, could not give me. He is our Provision. He is our all. We never lack for anything! During my most difficult times, some verses that gave me much strength were the following:
The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it? John 18:11The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Psalm 138:8The end of the matter is better than the beginning. Ecclesiastes 7:8
After a long period of waiting, I never thought that my husband would ever even begin to love me as Christ loves the Church. However, the Lord is faithful! The first book my husband wrote is called, "The Love of a Man for His Wife." Both he and I thought he would be the last person to write such a book. But nothing is impossible with God! (end of Linda's quote)
There is no question in my mind. My wife, Linda, has been a she goat to me as unto the Lord for the past 50 years.
The third animal mentioned in Genesis 15, verse 9 is a he-goat or a ram. A ram is a male sheep aged over 1 year; a ewe is a female sheep aged over 1 year. Any sheep under the age of 1 year is called a lamb. Every Christian knows that Jesus is the Lamb of God. In John, chapter 1, John the Baptist two times calls Jesus the Lamb of God, and in Revelation, Christ again is referred to as the victorious Lamb who was and is to come. Jesus is not only the Lamb of God; He also is the Great He-goat.
In the natural world a ram rarely "leads" a flock of sheep. That function is usually fulfilled by an ewe. A spiritual he-goat is a full-grown ram which speaks of a God-given leader of the people. All true he-goats have spiritual authority. In the world, women have increasingly become more prominent as CEOs of business corporations and as political leaders. The church has slowly been moving that way also, with more tolerance for female pastors, elders, and deacons. I have absolutely no doubt that some women can teach or preach the truth. Actually, 1 have believed for a long time that anyone, with a bit of preparation, can present a good message in a Christian fellowship. However, it is never what anyone can do; it is a question of whether the Lord will honor what we do and bring forth fruit. The preponderance of scripture indicates that teaching and preaching in assemblies of believers is the function of the he-goats. Jeremiah 50:8 says, "be as the he-goats before the flocks."
Note that the word "he-goats" is plural. Although Jesus is the Great He-goat, there are 7,000 more he-goats that we don't know about because they are "nobodies" who have never tried to make a name for themselves. Elijah never met another of the 7,000 of the remnant that the Lord still had, with the possible exception of Elisha, although it appears that Elisha never had the inner character that the Lord had worked into Elijah. When Elijah heard of the 7,000, I am sure he never thought, "Oh boy! Wouldn't it be great if I could get together with all of those 7,000? We could have a wonderful meeting together!" Yet that is exactly what some folks historically have tried to do. In like manner, the LORD today is scattering His remnant such that they cannot "get together" physically, but only spiritually.
Last week we shared that whenever it is God's timetable to make a significant move in the earth, He always looks for a man through whom He can work. Today the Lord is looking for he-goats before the flock. A he-goat is a trail blazer; a pioneer; someone who goes before; someone who dares to speak the pure word of God with no thought of the consequences. The Man, Jesus, was and is the premiere Master of all he-goats. A modern-day he-goat is one, who like Jesus, comes to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. He comes to call into line those who are out of line; he comes to upset that which man has set up. He marches to a different drummer. He is ordained by God but disdained by man. He has no price tags and will not compromise. Like Jeremiah, the word of the Lord is in his heart as a burning fire shut up in his bones, and he cannot stay (Jeremiah 20:9).
In Genesis 15:10, "birds" means "little birds," like a sparrow. However, from Verse 9, "birds" apparently refers to a turtledove and a young pigeon. Since they were not divided, perhaps the turtledove was on one side and the young pigeon on the other side. These birds speak of believers who are little in their own sight. They speak of overcomers.
Pigeons and doves are related but are not difficult to distinguish one from another. In practice, "dove" tends to be used for the smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones. We believers are not of this world; we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We are in the world but not of the world. We are passing through an earthly Jerusalem, being tested and proven and prepared to walk with God for eternity in the heavenly Jerusalem. On earth, in time, we go in and out (John 10:9), but in that day the overcomers will go no more out (Revelation 3:12). In other words, because we are not yet perfected, we sometimes sin or revert back to our human nature approach to the God-ordained works that He has foreordained for us to walk in.
The turtle dove is also called a "mourning dove" or a "rain dove." Mourning doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. They do not call attention to themselves. Its plaintive woo-OO-oo-oo-oo call gives the bird its name. We hear turtledoves mourning at least several times a week. Turtledoves are noted for their love and faithfulness. They are also a symbol of peace.
Now let us try to understand, in Genesis 15:9-10, the significance of the turtledove and the young pigeon; and why the birds were not divided. The word used for a young pigeon means a nestling, as being comparatively nude of feathers. Feathers are a feature unique to birds. Feathers facilitate flight, provide insulation from heat and cold, and are used in camouflage and signaling. It should be no surprise that there are many believers, born from above, who are still young pigeons, with no defense mechanisms ... no feathers.
The Washington Post, Tuesday, September 2, 2014, page E2, had a very interesting article titled, "Without feathers, future is bleak." The subtitle to that article reads, "Rare condition leaves Antarctic chicks with reduced protection." The article states, "Although penguins can't fly, they still need feathers. Without them, the birds risk disease and even death, which is why researchers are concerned about the recent reappearance of a rare disorder causing the feathers of young penguins to fall out." The article also includes a large picture of a penguin chick which is missing large patches of feathers. It is simply amazing how the Lord can speak to us in so many different ways ... if only we can be sensitive to our surroundings.
Every true believer is called to be a priest, but not all priests are ministers of the Lord Ezekiel 44). The turtledove, or mourning dove, represents those priests who minister to the Lord as distinct from the priests who minister to the house, where "ministering to the Lord" means much more than just singing praises in the Spirit. Many are called but few are chosen because few choose. But the exhortation in Joel 2:17 is for the priests, the ministers of the Lord, to weep between the porch and the altar. The porch represents the people of God. The altar represents the Lord Himself. That is real intercession. That will be done by the turtledoves, the mourning doves, the priests, the ministers of the Lord.
Now why are the turtledoves mourning? and for what? They are not mourning for themselves; they are mourning for the will of God to be done ... for the body of Christ to come into maturity ... they are mourning for the Lord to have His way.
Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Isaiah 52:8
The implication of Verse 8 is that the watchmen will see eye to eye only when the LORD brings again Zion. Make no mistake. The Lord Himself is bringing forth spiritual Zion, which are the turtledoves. It is largely a hidden work, just as Moses was hidden away as a baby for a season and later hidden away for 40 years in preparation for his work on earth. The turtledoves are likewise hidden away until the Lord chooses to make them manifest, just as Elijah suddenly appears on the scene in 1 Kings 17:1. The turtledove and the young pigeon may also correspond to the Lord's two witnesses spoken of in Revelation 11.
Now perhaps it is clearer why the birds were not divided. The turtledoves must be in one accord just as the watchmen will see eye to eye. The birds were not divided because,
1 Corinthians 1:12-13, "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"
In Jeremiah 8:7, the word "turtle" is the same Hebrew word as "turtledove" in Genesis 15:9.
"Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD."
Turtledoves or young pigeons were included for poor people who could not afford bigger animals in sacrifices. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Although there are many "conferences" of Christian believers at many levels, there will never be a physical gathering or conference of the turtledoves. The Lord will not allow it. That way, no man can take the glory. They are hidden away; but they will do that which is ordained for them. They will intercede for the young pigeons that the body of Christ may come into fullness ... that the Lord may be glorified. We are fast approaching the time when the turtledoves ... the sons of God ... will be caught up in the realm of the Spirit and will bring forth the young pigeons. That will be the real rapture.
Song of Solomon 2:10-13, "My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [turtledove] is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."
The Lord always wants to challenge His people. The sequence of events in these end times is:
(1) those who have eyes to see and ears to hear pray fervently that the Lord will quickly raise up His turtledoves;
(2) His turtledoves intercede for the young pigeons and fulfill Joel 2:17; and
(3) the second advent of the Lord.
Note also, from Jeremiah 50;8 that the word "flocks" in the KJV is plural. However, Young's literal translation of the Bible reads, "Move ye from the midst of Babylon, and from the land of the Chaldeans go out, and be as he-goats before a flock." We should ask a question at this point ... should the scripture say "flocks" plural, or "flock" singular? This is not a trivial question.
Note also, from Jeremiah 50;8 that the word "flocks" in the KJV is plural. However, Young's literal translation of the Bible reads, "Move ye from the midst of Babylon, and from the land of the Chaldeans go out, and be as he-goats before a flock." We should ask a question at this point ... should the scripture say "flocks" plural, or "flock" singular? This is not a trivial question.
Jesus said, in John 10:1-4, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice."
In order to understand the "sheepfold" we must understand the difference between a "fold" and a "flock." A "fold" is basically a natural enclosure or entity; it confines and restricts sheep (people). A "flock" speaks of a spiritual entity. Unlike sheep in a fold, sheep in a flock are not unified by things that are external and tangible. They are kept together by something internal and organic. In those days, there were many shepherds, each with their own sheep, but all the sheep were mixed together within the one fold. Each sheep hears his own shepherd's voice and follows Him. As the sheep jointly follow the good Shepherd, they are constituted as a flock. The sheepfold speaks about all of human nature. In Luke 12:32, Jesus says, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." The flock that belongs to Jesus is little in numbers, as in Gideon's army of 300, but little in their own sight ... characterized by humility.
In those days, a sheepfold was a court surrounded by 10-feet high walls but open to the sky, and with only one entrance ... one way in and one way out. The walls kept the sheep from wandering and protected them from some wild animals. The sheep recognize the voice of their own shepherd and respond only unto Him. The shepherd does not call His sheep randomly, but only those that belong to him. The true Shepherd goes before His sheep; He does not drive them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. Inside the good Shepherd's flock there is safety, and whosoever enters in by the door is able to find pasture, or the supply of all of his needs.
John, Chapter 10:14-16, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
The KJV translates incorrectly the phrase "there shall be one fold." It definitely should read "there shall be one flock."
In Young's literal translation of the Bible, Psalm 78, verse 70 says, "And He fixeth on David His servant, and taketh him from the folds of a flock." Scripture is very clear ... there are many folds but only one true flock and one Shepherd. The one flock consists of all those whom the Father has given to Jesus. The one true Shepherd is the Lord Jesus.
Now what does all of that mean for us? First, we should go back and read the context of Jeremiah 50:8.
Jeremiah 50:6-7, "My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers."
History always repeats itself because human nature never changes. "They have gone from mountain to hill in verse 6 means they have backslidden. Why? because our shepherds have caused us to go astray, hopefully out of ignorance and not deliberately.
Certainly, the Christian community today consists of many flocks. Those many flocks are caused by the divisions within the Christian community. Fifty years ago, one good brother told me that there were more than 500 different denominations or flocks in the Christian community.
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3:3-4, said to us, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?"
But there is only one true Church ... the Church that the Lord is building. Note again, from John 10, verse 14, that Jesus said "there shall be one flock and one shepherd." The phrase "shall be" indicates future tense in time but an established fact in the eyes of the Lord.
One more time ... one of the most important scriptures in the Bible is Joel 2:17, which says, "Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar." The priests, the ministers of the Lord, are definitely he-goats before the flock. They are also turtledoves. That verse has not been fulfilled in our day. When it is fulfilled, the Lord does everything else sovereignly. The rest of the book of Joel confirms that truth. Andrew Murray, who was a South African writer, teacher and Christian pastor, once said, "It is in the closet, with the door shut, that the sound of abundance of rain will first be heard."
That which is woven into a Christian leader is that they have been called by God, have been sent by God, are following the Lord Jesus Christ, and have allowed the Holy Spirit to break them of selfish desires and to make them into the vessel that He desires.
A number of years ago, I ran across a poem, titled "His Plan for Me," written by Martha Snell Nicholson. She lived a life of chronic illness but her devotion to the Lord shined through her writings. Margaret was a woman who suffered from four incurable diseases. She struggled with pain more than thirty-five years, an invalid, bound to her bed. Her spirit was so transcendently triumphant through those many weary years, that she wrote some of the finest Christian poetry which has ever been written. The words to her poem, "His Plan for Me" are as follows.
One more time ... one of the most important scriptures in the Bible is Joel 2:17, which says, "Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar." The priests, the ministers of the Lord, are definitely he-goats before the flock. They are also turtledoves. That verse has not been fulfilled in our day. When it is fulfilled, the Lord does everything else sovereignly. The rest of the book of Joel confirms that truth. Andrew Murray, who was a South African writer, teacher and Christian pastor, once said, "It is in the closet, with the door shut, that the sound of abundance of rain will first be heard."
That which is woven into a Christian leader is that they have been called by God, have been sent by God, are following the Lord Jesus Christ, and have allowed the Holy Spirit to break them of selfish desires and to make them into the vessel that He desires.
A number of years ago, I ran across a poem, titled "His Plan for Me," written by Martha Snell Nicholson. She lived a life of chronic illness but her devotion to the Lord shined through her writings. Margaret was a woman who suffered from four incurable diseases. She struggled with pain more than thirty-five years, an invalid, bound to her bed. Her spirit was so transcendently triumphant through those many weary years, that she wrote some of the finest Christian poetry which has ever been written. The words to her poem, "His Plan for Me" are as follows.
When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ and He shows me His plan for me,The plan of my life as it might have been had He had His way, and I see.How I blocked Him here, and I checked Him there, and I would not yield my will,Will there be grief in my Saviour's eyes, Grief, though He loves me still?He would have made me rich, and I stand there poor, stripped of all but His grace,While memory runs like a hunted thing down the paths I cannot retrace.Then my desolate heart will well-nigh break with the tears that I cannot shed;I shall cover my face with my empty hands, I shall bow my uncrowned head.Lord, of the years that are left me, I give them to Thy hand:Take me and break me, mold me to the pattern Thou hast planned.
What is important is that the Lord is glorified and that His chosen vessels come forth. May the Lord quickly bring forth His turtledoves in our time! And may the Lord add feathers to our lean vessel and meat to the bones of this word! Amen and Amen.
In closing, for further inspiration let us turn to Jesus through the inspired writing of Isaiah in Isaiah 53, which says,
"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out his soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
If I counted correctly, the words He, Him, and His, speaking of Jesus, occur 48 times in those 12 verses. That says it all ... it is all about Jesus. May the light of our new life in Christ shine brightly for His glory and pleasure. Amen and amen.
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