Meditations for the Nine Days Part III

 For an explanation of this series, please see Part I. 

Day 6 – Av 6

Spiritual Gift: Prophecy 

Fruit: Goodness

The rabbis have assigned a letter to each Hebrew month.[1] Interestingly, the letter for Av is tet. If you haven’t read the recommended articles from Part I on the number nine and Tet, please do so now. In the creation week, the first occurrence of the letter tet is in the word tov or good. On Day One of creation, the “light was good.” Something tov functions in its intended purpose. When one functions in the fruit of goodness, they are like the pure light of creation. They GIVE Light to the earth, and separate the light from the darkness. Goodness doesn’t take from another, it gives of itself freely.

In the acrostic of Psalm 119, David wrote eight verses for each of the twenty-two Hebrew letters to extol Adonai and His Torah. Though this poetic devise doesn’t appear in its fullness in English, it shines brightly in the original Hebrew. Notice how David’s choice word was tov or good in the eight verses for the letter tet:

Ps. 119:65-72 (LITV) טTET: You have done good with Your servant, O Jehovah, by Your Word. 66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed Your Commands. 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I have kept Your Word. 68 You are good and do good; teach me Your Statutes. 69 The proud have forged a lie against me; I will keep Your Precepts with all my heart. 70 Their heart is like fat, without feeling; I delight in Your Law (Torah). 71 For my good it was for me that I was afflicted, to learn Your Statutes. 72 The Law (Torah) of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver.

 Something good or functioning in goodness, doesn’t neglect correction when needed. The Greek word for goodness in Galatians 5:22 is agathōsunē. The Hebrew Word Dictionary defines it as: good and benevolent, profitable, useful. Something that “feels” good isn’t necessarily Biblically tov or agathosune if it is not profitable or useful in Adonai’s eyes. Thus, correction might be needed so one can adjust their course to realign with Adonai’s standards, which is the Torah (Law) that David speaks about in the above verses.

The Greek word for the gift of prophecy is prophēteías, which is the ability to receive a divinely inspired message and deliver it to others in the assembly. Such messages can vary from exhortation, correction, comfort, inspiration to revelation. All are meant for the equipping and edification of the Body of Messiah. (1 Cor. 14:3-6) It is for our good.

Before the destruction of the first and second Temple (of which this season commemorates), Adonai warned His people that the result of their idolatry and disobedience would bring judgment from heaven. A siege would be laid on the walls of Jerusalem, resulting in a breach that would lead to the complete destruction of the Holy City. The prophets foretold of this destruction, and called for the people to repent and return Adonai. If they had of obeyed the voice of the prophets, things would have gone much differently. Sadly, man often prefers to do what is right in his/her own eyes, even when God graciously warns what is to come.

Someone with the gift of prophecy can be shown a vision, picture, or dream that is meant to guide, edify, or change the perspective of someone that “thinks” they are on the correct course, when in reality they are in opposition to Adonai. In this way, prophecy and prophesying keeps the Body in check. It does the Body good.

In modern vernacular, it’s like having a well visit with the Great Physician. However, some caution is in order. Like the letter tet, prophecy can be good or evil, true or false. Thus, prophets and prophecies are to be well received, but also tested. If found to be tov, prophecies are vital for the spiritual health of the Body.

1 Th. 5:19-24 (NASB) Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

1 Cor. 14:31-33 (NASB) For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Questions

1. Do you fear, ignore, or deny modern day prophets or gifts of prophecy? Why or Why not?

2. How does goodness relate to the gift of prophecy?

3. Can you name a prophet that was called tov? (Hint: You will find him in the Torah. – Ex. 2)

4. Since we are in the last Nine Days of the Dire Straits, ask Adonai if He has sent a prophet or one with the gift of prophecy to bring you correction that you rejected. If so, you have an opportunity to repent, and perhaps your house will be restored.

Day 7 – Av 7

Spiritual Gift: Discerning of Spirits  

Fruit: Faithfulness

To remain faithful to Adonai, one must be able to separate, distinguish, discern, and judge between “spirits.” This is a broad topic that deserves a much deeper treatment than what will be offered in this meditation. For our purpose, we will examine how discerning of spirits or the lack thereof affects one’s faithfulness to Adonai and His Body.

In the meditation for day three, we looked at the spiritual gift of faith, emunah. Faith and faithfulness are rooted in what is firm, stable, and trustworthy. Emunah has substance and evidence. According to James, the evidence of faith is works or one’s deeds. (James 2:18-21) One acts out what they truly believe. Thus, the fruit of faithfulness is revealed through action or acting upon belief.

What beliefs are contrary to faith in the Word of Adonai? Fear, doubt, and unbelief are good examples. Could such beliefs be called “spirits?” In Greek, spirit is pneúma, and in Hebrew it is ruach. Both words relate to breath, wind, air, spirit, or even one’s disposition. Each definition expresses a different aspect of pneuma and ruach (spirit). In some places, the Bible uses these words to express the thoughts, beliefs, and temperament of a man. After his sin with Bathsheba, David asked Adonai to renew a steadfast (faithful) spirit within him:

Psa. 51:10 (NKJV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

In the passage below, Paul contrasts the spirit of slavery, which is fear, with the spirit of adoption, which is loving acceptance.

Rom. 8:12-17 (NASB) So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 forif you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Himso that we may also be glorified with Him.

In these examples, spirit or spirits are not speaking about demons, but flesh centered thoughts and beliefs. They are akin to worldly wisdom, or as James puts it, “wisdom from below.” This sense of the word “spirit” is deeply intertwined with belief. Understanding these high places of the mind will help one to distinguish or discern between the Spirit of God and other “spirits.”

1 Cor. 2:9-14 (LITV) 12 But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. 13 Which things we also speak, not in words taught in human wisdom, but in Words taught of the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things. 14 But a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Words from the Spirit of God are not received by the natural man. They seem to him to be foolishness. They are spiritually discerned or distinguished. Only one intimate with the Holy One and His voice can make such a distinction, because they are faithful. They believe His Word. But, even a believer can fall prey to fear, doubt, and unbelief when they fail to remain steadfast in the Word.

Tisha B’Av is landmark on the calendar that recalls one of Israel’s greatest faithless moments – the evil report of the ten spies. Ten men caused the entire nation of Israel to believe the “spirits” of fear, doubt, and unbelief rather than the promises of God. They trusted their natural eyes rather the spiritual reality.

Num. 14:11 (NASB) The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?

Unbelief or a lack of faithfulness cost an entire generation the Promised Land. The next generation suffered along with them until the last one died in the wilderness. The people failed to discern the “spirits” of the ten spies.

However, one with a “different spirit” escaped the judgement of having to die in the wilderness. Rather than doubting the promise, Caleb followed God fully. He remained faithful. He chose to believe despite seeing the giants with their fortified cities.

Num. 14:24 (NASB) “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.”

Joshua joined Caleb in encouraging the people. They tried to inspire them to faith and belief.

Num. 14:6-9 (NASB) Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”

Fearing man or circumstances is the antithesis to the Spirit of Yirat Adonai, which is reverence for the Holy One. (Is. 11:2) Dr. Hollisa Alewine teaches in The Creation Gospel that “anything we fear, we make holy.” Rather than reverencing Adonai, we are giving our homage to an unholy man, thing, or circumstance. One has essentially built a “high place” in their mind for it.

Jer. 3:6-10 (NASB) Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there.7 I thought, after she has done all these things she will return to Me; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. 9 Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the LORD.

Reverencing anything other than Adonai is harlotry or idolatry. This is one of the sins that resulted in the destruction of the first and second Temples. Rather than building high places for our fears, doubts, and unbelief, may we discern these spirits for what they are: false gods. When it is revealed by the mouth of a prophet or discerner of spirits that a lying spirit has breached the walls of our city, may we be quick to repent, repair the breach, and stand firm in our faith.

Questions

1. Can you be trusted to fulfill or keep your word? (Mt. 5:33-37) Consider that Adonai is always faithfulto keep His Word. (Is. 55:11) Resolve to do the same as one of His image bearers before the High Days approach this year.

2. Most people, including believers, have been rejected, betrayed, manipulated, or wounded in some way by another person or group. If such sins were committed by another believer, then it is very difficult to trust others within the Body. And yet, the fruit of faithfulness is rooted in trust. How can one learn to walk in the fruit of faithfulness (secure trust) when others have breached the walls of trust?

3. Do you struggle with spirits of the world such as fear, doubt, unbelief, rejection or lust? Read Luke 11:24-28. What was Yeshua’s “correction” to the woman? Based on this, what protects one from “unclean spirits?”

4. What is in the high place of your mind? Is something there that shouldn’t be? If so, repent.

[1] This comes from the Sefer Yetzirah orThe Book of Formation. (See chapter 2) This book describes how the alephbet has three mother letters (aleph, mem, shin), seven doubled (sounding) letters (bet, gimel, dalet, chaf, pay, reish, tav), and twelve simple letters (hey, tav, zayin, chet, tet, yohd, lamed, nun, sameach, ayin, tzade, kuf.) The twelve simple letters correspond to each of the twelve Hebrew months in their alphabetic order.