Continuing: when as in the previous post we examine and reexamine our founding principles it is to accomplish what the LORD has said, now confirmed, of these as wherein our strength abides. The LORD began today in Habakkuk 3 and its description asking if we thought He was angry at the rivers. This is said to ask if we understand His displeasure is actually with the corrupted information that is flowing deception and death to His and all people. It is His telling of the mass fraud that is being perpetrated against us by the news media and the enemies of our foundations: this troop of godless insurgents laying siege to our Judeo-Christian culture and the nation it has produced. The verse asking this goes on to tell of it as part of the LORD riding into this battle for our Salvation.
Habakkuk 3
8 Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was Your anger against the rivers? was Your wrath against the sea, that You didst ride upon Your horses and Your chariots of salvation?
9 Your bow was made quite naked, (according to the oaths of the tribes, even Your word). Selah. You did cleave the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered His voice, and lifted up His hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of Your arrows they went, and at the shining of Your glittering spear.
12 You did march through the land in indignation, You did thresh the heathen in anger.
13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people, even for salvation with Your anointed; You wounded the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
14 You didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 You didst walk through the sea with Your horses, through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when He comes up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
When verse 9 parenthetically mentions this will be in accordance with the “oath of the tribes,” it is speaking of what is written in Genesis 49 of the tribes of Israel and what “shall befall them in the latter days.”
The specific mention of the “bow,” we are told of in Habakkuk 3:9, that will be made “quite naked” according to the oath and the word, is described in Genesis 49:24 as the bow wherein abides strength. This description is followed and refined by another parenthetical statement telling us, “from there [abiding in this strength] will come the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.” The Hebrew word used to tell of this “abode” is the same word rendered “sit,” in Psalms 110:1, “The LORD said unto my LORD, Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
Genesis 49 tells of it as the time of judgment and begins this portion in verse 16 & 17 with Dan. It tells of him as the judge, and he will be as a serpent at the heels of the horse. It is telling of judgment being against what has been the strength of God’s people, speaking of what they are relying upon (riding) to carry them (corrupted principles – stoicheion). The verse ends with telling of this causing the rider to fall backward; followed immediately in verse 18 with the definitive statement of this being the salvation waited for.
Genesis 49
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for Your salvation, O LORD.
The phrase “fall backward” is later used in Isaiah 28:13 to tell of what we read in Habakkuk 3:9, parenthetically, of this strength being according to the word of the LORD. The statement in Habakkuk is followed by telling the LORD cleaving the earth with [His own] rivers, and in Isaiah we see these as rivers of information and teaching coming from the LORD, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little, that they may be taken and snared, and “fall backward.” These are the same rivers we read of in Revelation 22 flowing as pure waters from the throne of God, and of the Lamb.
Psalm 110
1 The LORD said unto my LORD, Sit you at my right hand, until I make Your enemies your footstool.
2 The LORD shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion: rule you in the midst of Your enemies.
3 Your people shall be willing in the day of your power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: you have the dew of your youth.
4 The LORD has sworn, and will not repent, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5 The LORD at your right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Isaiah 28
1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the LORD has a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looks upon it sees, while it is yet in his hand he eats it up.
5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,
6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sits in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus says the LORD God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then you shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goes forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
20 For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.
21 For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
22 Now therefore be you not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the LORD God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.
23 Give you ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
25 When he has made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?
26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
29 This also comes forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.
Isaiah 28:16 also tells of this as the work of the foundation Stone laid is Zion by the LORD: the same Stone we read of in Genesis 49:24 as the Shepherd who is the Stone of Israel. It is what we also read of in Habakkuk3:9 as the strength in the bow that is made “quite naked.” It is telling this bow of salvation as awaking us, our finding all things naked and all is seen.
Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye-salve, that you may see.
We know Revelation 3 tells of those who gain their sight being those who overcome and are set down with the LORD in His throne. We also read of this in Genesis 49 as Gad overcoming, and of Asher being partaker in the things of royals [on their thrones].
This is followed in Genesis 49 by telling of Naphtali loosed and giving good words. We know form our discussion this is telling of the Holy Spirit loosing the meaning of His word, and giving us understanding according to God’s timing. This is a product of the work coming before it in overcoming.
What comes next is Joseph, the one separated from His brothers, hidden there in plain site until the blessing comes through Him as the strength revealed, and he is seen as God’s providential Shepherd and stone laid there by the LORD.
Genesis 49
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD.
19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he gives goodly words.
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
25 Even by the God of your father, who shall help you; and by the Almighty, who shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
2 Timothy 2
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit you to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that labors must be first partaker of the fruits.
7 Consider what I say; and the LORD give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
13 If we believe not, yet he abides faithful: he cannot deny himself.
14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the LORD that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
15 Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The LORD knows them that are his. And, let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the LORD out of a pure heart.
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they are meant to produce strife.
24 And the servant of the LORD must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
