by py thomas
© August 5, 2013
It is my prayer that this study, enriches,
encourages; and dismantles any strongholds that have encroached and hidden in
your faith. The enemy of our souls is
very strategic in his assault against the sons and daughters of the covenant of
salvation; and typically hides where we least expect him – in our faith. May all the praise and glory go to YHVH
continuously, because He alone is worthy!
The Word of YHVH teaches us about the necessity of the poor
in the world and the scales of YHVH’s justice and spiritual economy. The English word poor has several meanings in
the original covenant (Old Testament) and when studied in the original language these
scriptures were written in, biblical Hebrew, we learn that the word poor
carries several definitions and thoughts.
There are three definitions of poor that wisdom points us to consider:
1.
The materially and monetarily poor
2.
Those that are poor in spirit; and
3.
Those who are poor, i.e. spiritually bankrupt.
The Materially & Monetarily (Financially) Poor. YHVH tells us in Deuteronomy
11:7-11 that we’ll always have the poor among us, and how and what our
response is suppose to be towards them.
7 “If
there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your
land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut
your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand
wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 9
Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh
year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor
brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you. 10 You shall
surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him,
because for this thing the Lord your God
will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. 11
For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you,
saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your
needy, in your land.’ (Deuteronomy 11:7-11)
So how should we respond to this command? What type of attitude in our giving to Him
and the poor is acceptable to YHVH? Is a
boastful attitude acceptable? Do and
should we receive recognition and accolades by others because of our
giving? Do we have the right to feel
annoyed because it seems like it’s always the same people who need our help;
and why can’t they get their act together?
Have you considered the attitude of a lazy man as it relates
to giving? A lazy person will not give, but instead has an excessive and corrupt
desire of greed for what others have, instead of desiring to labor so that he
can give to others. This type of
attitude kills a person spiritually.
Just as we should be willing to forgive
because we have received forgiveness of sin through Yeshua’s shed blood,
likewise we should be willing to give; because Yeshua gave His life that we
might live.
25 The
desire of the lazy man kills him,
For his hands refuse to labor.
26 He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and does not spare. (Proverbs 21:25-26)
For his hands refuse to labor.
26 He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and does not spare. (Proverbs 21:25-26)
Sadly, one’s unwillingness to allow themselves to be positioned
as a giver by laboring/working (whether volunteer or paid) is a choice to
reject the love of YHVH. We learn from Galatians 6:6-8 that the nature and character of
giving should be reciprocal.
6 But
whoever is being instructed in the Word should share all the good things he has
with his instructor. 7 Don’t delude yourselves: no one makes a fool
of God! A person reaps what he sows. 8 Those who keep sowing in the
field of their old nature, in order to meet its demands, will eventually reap
ruin; but those who keep sowing in the field of the Spirit will reap from the
Spirit everlasting life. (Galatians 6:6-8)
If we choose to be willing and learn, we are taught in the
Word of YHVH:
7 Each
should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Our willingness to labor for the benefit of
others is another way of leading by example, as noted in the example provided
by the Apostle Paul. He was not envious
or covetous in that he wanted what he saw that others had. He did not mind laboring with his own hands, was
content with what he had; and with what he had he made provision for
others. It’s not out of our abundance
that we should only give, but more importantly, be willing to give out of our
own need – being willing to give and share that which we DO have. But when we don’t, we are in essence hoarding
that which the LORD has blessed us with, thereby killing the blessing by
putting a shroud of darkness around it.
Selah.
33 “I
have not wanted for myself anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You
yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided not only for my own
needs, but for the needs of my co-workers as well. 35 I have shown
you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And
remember the words of the Lord Yeshua, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:33-35)
The Poor in Spirit. Being
made poor in our flesh is a good thing.
The more we (self) decreases (dies), the more the Lord Yeshua increases
in us (see John 3:30) – it’s the putting to
death our carnal sin nature, so the life of Yeshua is resurrected in us, just
as He was resurrected from the dead.
Yeshua tells us:
2 Then He opened His
mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are
the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:2-4)
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:2-4)
The more the life of Yeshua is growing in us, the more we
develop a servant’s heart – the more loving we are, the more willing we are to
do for others; and the more our submission to be formed into the pattern of
Yeshua. This is the transforming power
of the Holy Spirit and the Word of YHVH active and alive in sons and daughters
in the covenant of salvation.
The Poor & Spiritually Bankrupt. YHVH uses the poor among us to test the
hearts of His sons and daughters who have monetary and material resources to
see if they are willing to give as it was given to them from YHVH, for we don’t
own anything – it all belongs to Him. Like
all things with YHVH, it’s about the choices we make and the consequences that
goes with those choices. Consider this:
“27 He who gives
to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27)
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27)
So what’s more
important, do we need YHVH to live, or money to live? When our appointed time to die and leave this
earth happens, we will not be able to take one thing with us. Have you considered that we were born into
this world with nothing, and will leave with nothing? We were born with nothing, because we didn’t
create anything. The Creator, ELOHIM,
owns everything – He made it and it is His.
Even for those who have stolen, cheated and robbed to get “things,” we
see that at the end of their lives, they are still unable to take those things
with them because those things were never theirs either.
When Poverty Shows Up
in our Own Backyards. When those among us have been made to be financially poor, that many times
it is for the benefit of others? Here’s
why:
1.
YHVH tests our obedience in the principles of
giving when we obey His command to tithe – our willingness to give one-tenth of
the first fruits of our increase to Him.
Our tithing is suppose to be given to make provision for those who
dedicate their lives to serving Him through the studying and subsequent
teaching of His word; to make provision for the widows and orphans; and to make
provision for the resources needed for the teaching and sharing of the Gospel
of Salvation. How soon we forget that we were also beneficiaries of someone else’s
labor of love before the LORD for our sakes to come to faith, to be godly
sorrowful that it yields repentance of sin in our lives. And yet sadly, some rob and withhold from the
LORD that which belongs to Him, unwilling to give back. These are the “hit n’ run spiritual thieves”
among us – taking and then running away instead of helping others.
For those who rightfully have discerned that some of the storehouses are overseen by corrupt men and women, you can always give directly to those in need – the poor among you. However, this requires one to become the “poor in spirit” – the dying to self, which results in the increasing of Yeshua in you, that you are led by the Holy Spirit on who and what to sow your seed/plant your tithe and offerings with.
For those who rightfully have discerned that some of the storehouses are overseen by corrupt men and women, you can always give directly to those in need – the poor among you. However, this requires one to become the “poor in spirit” – the dying to self, which results in the increasing of Yeshua in you, that you are led by the Holy Spirit on who and what to sow your seed/plant your tithe and offerings with.
2.
Others are benefited because they have an
opportunity to see YHVH’s divine grace
operate in lives of His sons and daughters in the covenant of salvation with
Him because they see His constant and
supernatural provisions for what they need, day-by-day…from the smallest need
to the greatest. In this, HE (YHVH) is
magnified and glorified; and both the
observer and recipient receive the blessing of bearing witness to His
testimonies that He has given them.
3.
The sons and daughters of the covenant who are
on the receiving end give YHVH great praise and glory when their fellow
brothers and sisters of the covenant of salvation remember and consider them!
4.
YHVH uses
the poor among us to test the hearts of His sons and daughters who have
monetary/financial and material resources to see if they are willing to give as
it was given to them from YHVH, for we don’t own anything – it all belongs to
YHVH – so who are we to say “no we won’t?”
Like all things with YHVH, it’s about the choices we make and the
consequences that goes with those choices.
Consider this:
“27 He who gives
to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27)
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27)
So what’s more
important, do we need YHVH to live, or money to live? Doesn’t the Holy Scriptures teach us that,
“Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of YHVH?”
The principle of our reliance upon YHVH our Deliverer is
first seen as He delivers His chosen people of covenant out of the bondage of
their oppressors in Egypt in Deuteronomy 8:3, “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which
you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know
that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of ADONAI.”
Yeshua’s Poor in Spirit Examples.
Yeshua completely epitomized “poor in spirit.” He did not let the sinful flesh He took on
when He came into the earth to increase in Him.
Instead, He completely surrendered to the authority of the Great
Authority, ELOHIM, which was His Father.
Yeshua’s submission to obedience to His Father, ELOHIM, is also symbolic
of how we are called to “honor our fathers and mothers, that it will be well
with us, and our days long on the earth”
- noting their God-appointed authority over us.
Yeshua’s submission to the Father is what He used to defeat
the temptation that the Devil presented to Yeshua when He was in the wilderness
of preparation. Yeshua had just
completed a season of fasting and praying for 40 days, and His natural flesh
was extremely weakened; thereby putting His flesh in a position of
vulnerability. Although Yeshua’s flesh
had been denied nourishment from food, His spirit man had been strengthened by
denying His flesh, and focusing on His Heavenly Father, YHVH. This is an excellent example of decreasing
in self, so that the Spirit of YHVH increases all the more in us. Yeshua responded to the temptation that the
Devil (tempter) presented to Him in his natural weakened state,
“Now when the tempter came to Him,
he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He [Yeshua] answered and
said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took
Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple…” (Matthew 4:3-5)
Matthew 4:4, “But He
[Yeshua] answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God.’”
The Difference Between Being Broke & Spiritually Broken. The beauty of brokenness that surrounds
me is the pre-cursor to the testimonies of the LORD that He has given me. There is no public humiliation in the life of
the sons and daughters in the covenant of salvation, for they are being
positioned to receive YHVH’s vindication and restoration. In this, HE is glorified for HIS namesake;
and I become the recipient of HIS shalom (peace), joy, mercy, grace and
blessings. A-mein!
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed. (Psalms 103:6)
For the last 8 years the Holy Spirit has placed in my heart
during my time of intercession the song, “LORD of the Breakthrough.” It was not until August 4, 2013 at 1:15AM
that it dawned on me to research this phrase in scripture (talk about singing with understanding…the Holy Spirit was talking and
I heard Him). I did not realize
until today that I have been singing prophetically about what is needed and
about to occur in my life, the breakthrough of YHVH against the strongest enemy
in my life. He has promised to prepare a
table before me in the presence of my enemies.
YHVH is about to come in like a flood and completely wash the enemy’s
stronghold in my life away.
In diligently seeking YHVH, I was rewarded as I searched for
the word “breakthrough” in scripture and was led to 2 Samuel 5:20
and 1 Chronicles 14:11.
“20 So David went to Ba’al
Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken
through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he
called the name of that place Baal Perazim.”[a] (2
Samuel 5:20, NKJV)
Footnotes:
“11 So
they went up to Ba‘al-P’ratzim, and David defeated them there. David said, “God
has broken through my enemies by my power like a river breaking through its
banks.” This is why they called the place Ba‘al-P’ratzim [Lord of breaking
through].” (1 Chronicles 14:11, CJB)
“David is describing the natural
power of flooding. When waters break out of their banks great power is
displayed washing everything away in its path and he describes the power of God
in a similar way because when God unleashed His power there was nothing that
could stop it.
Before the breakthrough the scene in the scripture is called - Valley of Rephaim meaning house of the giant. After the breakthrough it is called - Baal Perazim - possessor of breaches
Why was this place renamed after Baal a god of the Philistines and not after the Lord? Because at this place the enemy thought he was the strongest – so David called it Baal Perazim meaning that YHVH broke through in the strongest place of the enemy - YHVH wants to give you a breakthrough in those areas of your life that the enemy is the strongest.”
Before the breakthrough the scene in the scripture is called - Valley of Rephaim meaning house of the giant. After the breakthrough it is called - Baal Perazim - possessor of breaches
Why was this place renamed after Baal a god of the Philistines and not after the Lord? Because at this place the enemy thought he was the strongest – so David called it Baal Perazim meaning that YHVH broke through in the strongest place of the enemy - YHVH wants to give you a breakthrough in those areas of your life that the enemy is the strongest.”
HalleluYAH!
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