A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver

Proverbs 25:11
11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

I have read this proverb many times and I like it a lot. I like it a lot because it not only sounds very poetic, but also paints a beautiful picture. I imagine a big table with a red satin sheet, all kinds of gleaming silver cutlery and golden apples taking centre stage -- a bit Christmasy.

Of course, I like it because it is a wise saying too -- say the right thing at the right time and your hearer is most blessed. How true when counselling a depressed soul.

But this morning (25 November 2008 -- 25:11), after praying in tongues for a while, the Holy Spirit showed me something new about this scripture. It came in a flash the moment I read it. (Praying in the Spirit first really does open up the Scriptures to you!)

I saw in a moment this truth: If you want to have divine fruit in your life, you must speak the rhema word of Christ, resting on the foundation of redemption.

We know that gold in the Bible speaks of divinity and silver, the redemptive work of Christ. A word fitly or aptly spoken is not just any scripture you pick off the Bible, but the scripture the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Christ speaks to you for your unique situation. Also, our foundation has to be the finished work of Christ -- He has done it all.

So to bear fruit that is of God, speak the word that the Holy Spirit has quickened in your spirit and rest in the finished work of Christ!

'That life is in you!'

John 21:25
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

When I read this last verse in the book of John, I thought to myself, "Isn't John exaggerating here?" I mean, Jesus earthly ministry only lasted three years. No doubt He accomplished a great deal, but certainly not to the point that if the deeds He did were recorded one by one, "even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written".

But I know that the Holy Spirit, in inspiring the Gospel of John, did not exaggerate or lie. Jesus' life must really have been so full -- of accomplishments, so infinite, that it was just too big to be contained in books.

So I said, "Wow, what a life!" Then, I believe the Spirit said, "That life is in you!" That blew my mind. You mean that perfect, infinite life that is so full of achievements, miracles, power, love and wisdom is in me? Well, isn't Christ in me? (Colossians 1:27) Am I not in Christ? (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This means that all the life and power of Christ to live a life that is so full and so infinite resides in me. Did not Jesus say, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father"?

Son of the Father

Matthew 27:20-22, 26
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said,"Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"…
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Barabbas was a rebel, murderer and robber. But he was set free instead of Jesus.

Barabbas is actually a picture of the sinner. Without Christ, we were all once, a Barabbas. We were all rebels, murderers and robbers, if not outwardly, then inwardly. But Christ took our place at the cross, so that we could be set free.

I believe that Barabbas became a believer after he was set free. When he saw Jesus standing there, he must have thought, "This is a holy Man. He is innocent and I am guilty. Yet, because of Him, I am being set free. There is something about this Man. I must know who He is."

Why do I believe that Barabbas became a believer?

Because of his name. Barabbas means "son of (bar) father (abba)". Obviously, his parents did not bother to give him a proper name as every man is a son of his father!

But I believe that in his case, because Jesus took his place, he became a son of not just any earthly father, but our heavenly Abba Father!

John 1:12-13
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Killing in the name of their god

Religious extremists often kill in the name of their god, thinking that they are doing their god a service. For example, a Muslim extremist might cry, "Allahu akbar!" or "Allah akbar!" (which basically means "God is great") just before he blows himself and others up, or when he has just decapitated a Christian or Jew.

Above: Religious extremists killing in the name of their god.

John 16:2
2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

Jesus warned His disciples that "the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service". Although He was referring mainly to the religious Jews (such as Saul), who would persecute His disciples and throw them out of the synagogues, I find it interesting that in the post September 11 era, this warning still applies.

What else did Jesus say about these people?

John 16:3
3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

He said that these people "have not known the Father nor Me".

So if you are a religious extremist and you are reading this, according to Jesus (whom Islam regards as a prophet), you do not know the Father nor do you know Jesus.

The opposite is true

In Christianity, God does not require you to die for Him. However, He requires you to believe that He died for you.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The world hates you

John 15:19-20
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.

As Christians, we are in the world but not of the world. There is a big difference between what is of the world and what is of God and His kingdom. 

For example, the world says, "If you want more money, work harder and save more." But God says, "Tithe and give to others." The world says, "By this age, expect to have this disease." God says, "By Jesus’ stripes you have been healed."

An element of hate in worldly systems

I find it interesting that Jesus said, "The world hates you." To me, this means that it is not just a matter of different systems and beliefs, but that there is also an element of hate for the Christian in the world's systems. In other words, the systems of the world are not designed to love God's people, but to "hate" them, and as Christians, we must bear that in mind when we use the world's systems. [I know that in the context of the verse quoted, Jesus was talking about hate in terms of being persecuted. (Verse 20) But I believe that it goes beyond that.]

Let me illustrate. When you are sick and you go to a hospital for treatment, though the procedures, treatments and policies may have been designed to help you, bear in mind that they are still of the world, and hence there exists an element of hate for the believer.

Am I being extreme here?

Well, doesn't the Bible say that Satan is the god of this world? (2 Corinthians 4:4, KJV) And if he is the god of this world and its systems, surely he does not have your best interests at heart. In fact, his job is to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

A reminder of sickness

So what is the element of hate in my hospital example?

The element of hate is a consciousness of sickness. As long as you are still going to the doctor, still taking medicine, still undergoing medical procedures, you will have a consciousness of sickness instead of health. Every visit to the doctor or every pill you take is a reminder of sickness, just as every sacrifice in the Old Testament was a reminder of sins. (Hebrews 10:3)

This system of the world keeps you in a consciousness of sickness. Its newspaper reports, magazines, TV programmes and the like make you very conscious of sickness. Singaporeans are thus not health conscious but sickness conscious. Remember that when man first sinned, a new consciousness entered, and from henceforth, all the ill effects of that negative consciousness.

Am I against, doctors, hospitals and medicine? Yes and no. Yes, because there still exists the element of hate. And no, because of obvious reasons, one being that most of us are not at a level of faith where we can confidently exclude doctors and medicine.

Why did Jesus want to be baptised by John the Baptist?

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him, he said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Why did John use the words "the Lamb of God"? Why didn't he say, "Behold! The Lion of Judah who takes away the sin of the world"?

It is because the Lamb facet of Jesus speaks of His death. He is the final sacrifice -- the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His one perfect sacrifice brought an end to the repeated animal sacrifices of Judaism, which served to point the Israelites to the true Lamb, who was to come at the appointed time.

What did the people behold?

John said, "Behold!" If you were there at the Jordan river, what would you have beheld?

The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

You would have seen Jesus go into the water of the Jordan river and then rise out of it. What is this a picture of? It is a picture of His death, burial and resurrection. We know that water baptism speaks of our death and burial with Jesus, as well as our resurrection with Him into a new life. (Romans 6:3-11, Colossians 2:11-14, 2 Timothy 2:11)

So today, how do we behold the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world? We remember and meditate on the Lord's death and resurrection for us. And one of the most biblical ways we do that is by partaking of the Holy Communion, for when we partake of the Communion, we proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)

Jesus was also glorified

Right after Jesus was baptised, the heavens were opened to Him and the Holy Spirit in the likeness of a dove descended and remained on Him. God the Father then spoke audibly, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

This is a picture of the glorification of Jesus. Our Lord wasn't just raised from the dead by the Father. He was also glorified. The Father "seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come". (Ephesians 1:20-21)

To fulfil all righteousness

Now, John's baptism was a baptism for sins. People who came to him to be baptised also confessed their sins. (Matthew 3:5) So why did Jesus go to John to be baptised when He was without sin?

Jesus gave this answer to John, who was puzzled as to why Jesus would want to be baptised by him: "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness." (Matthew 3:15, NIV)

Jesus was not being baptised for His sins, but for the sins of the whole world -- "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." In order for the righteous requirements of the law to be fulfilled, and in order for us to be able to receive freely the gift of righteousness apart from our works, Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins. Hence, He received John's baptism, which is a picture of Him dying for our sins, a most necessary sacrifice to "fulfil all righteousness"! 


Post revelation note:

There is another beholding of our Lord in the Bible. It is found in the Old Testament. I am talking about the bronze serpent on a pole in the wilderness. The Israelites had been bitten by fiery serpents and many were dying. God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Those who beheld it instead of their wounds were healed.

The bronze serpent (bronze speaks of judgment and the serpent symbolises the curse) on the pole is a type of Jesus becoming a curse for us on the cross. (More on the bronze serpent on the pole here.) He redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), which includes being redeemed from all kinds of diseases. (Deuteronomy 28:61)

So one is a "wet" beholding while the other is a "dry" beholding, in the sense that one took place in water and the other in the desert under the scorching sun. The "wet" one took away sins while the "dry" one took away diseases.

What is my point? When you take the Holy Communion, there are also two elements to behold. One is the "dry" scorched bread (the matzah bread must be made with burnt marks) for our healing and the other is the "wet" wine for the forgiveness of sins.

So when you hold the bread in your hands, behold Jesus on the pole cursed with your disease. See your disease taken away from you and placed on His body. Surely He has borne your sicknesses and carried your pains. (Isaiah 53:4, YLT) And when you hold the cup of wine in your hands, behold Jesus going into the watery grave of the Jordan river -- behold the Lamb who shed His blood to take away your sins!

The sign of sign and wonder of wonders -- when I survey the wondrous cross

All these thoughts that I am about to share came to me one morning, I believe, by the Spirit.

I woke up early that morning and was unable to go back to sleep. Thoughts were flying across my mind. Not good thoughts -- problems, worries, fears… So I said to myself, "I need to replace these thoughts or I'll go crazy. I need to meditate on something good. I will meditate on the majesty of Christ. He's the best subject to meditate on." That's my way of "beholding" Him.

So which story in the Bible should I meditate on, I asked myself.

The healing of the nobleman's son

I had read the first five chapters of the book of John the night before but nothing got in. So I just decided to recall one thing that Jesus did: The healing of the nobleman’s son in chapter 4.

The healing of the nobleman's son

Jesus was in Galilee when a nobleman from Capernaum came imploring Him to heal his son who was sick at home, actually, at the point of death. I thought about the two things which Jesus said:

John 4:48
48… "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."

John 4:50
50… "Go your way; your son lives."

I thought to the Lord, "Wow, Jesus, You are so awesome -- just one simple sentence out of your mouth and the life-threatening problem was solved. You didn't even have to go to the man's house to lay hands on his dying son. You only had to speak six words. And those powerful words of yours -- every syllable -- transcended time and space, and blasted resurrection life into the boy. Big problem solved, just like that! No wonder you are God! No question about it! That’s so cool!"

I continued, "You know, for us, we can pray and pray, command and command till the cows come home, confess and confess till we're blue in the face, and the problem still persists! Gosh, how is it You can do it and we can't seem to do it?"

Why did Jesus have all the faith in the universe?

So I wondered why Jesus was so confident that what He said just once would surely come to pass. I mean, how is it that He had all the faith in the universe, not doubting even once?

The answer came in a short while. It was so simple: Because He knew without a doubt that He Himself was going to the cross to die for the sins and the sicknesses of that boy. He was going to die so that that boy could live. He was going to die young at the age of 33, so that that boy could live to a ripe old age, full of years. And as far as Jesus was concerned, His sacrifice was already a done deal. Doesn't the Bible talk about the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? The cross indeed transcends time and space.

I then said to myself, "Well, if we are going to have any faith to do anything, like pray for healing, we need to have a some degree of revelation that Jesus indeed went to the cross and died for our sins and sicknesses. That has to be our rock-solid foundation for believing for any miracle or blessing."

But how are we going to get that? We weren't there at the cross. It's not fair. We didn't see Him die. All that was more than 2,000 years ago! We live in the here and now.

Then, I thought about the other thing Jesus said: "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."

Hmmm… Jesus wasn't exactly in a "good mood" if I may put it that way. Yet, He could still perform the miracle. That itself was awesome to me. And isn't what He said so true? Before we can believe, we need to see a sign, and then probably another, and another, just to reconfirm and double-reconfirm! We need to see, hear or feel something. "Show me a sign! Then, I'll believe!" That's our human nature. That's our flesh.

While I was meditating on all this, I wondered how what I was receiving could be linked to the Holy Communion, since I sometimes have to lead the Holy Communion after our department lunch on Tuesdays. We take turns and I don't like to just go through the motion if I can help it. So was there something of value that I could share that would help my colleagues believe?

The elements are your proof

Then, this came to my mind: "The elements you hold in your hand during Communion -- the bread and the wine -- are all the physical evidences you need today. They are the 'signs and wonders' that I went to the cross and died for your sins and sicknesses."

In other words, my friend, when you partake of the Holy Communion, you hold in your hands the "signs and wonders" to help you believe for your miracle. Many of us would prefer God to split the ceiling, descend with lightning and thunder, and speak to us audibly. But that doesn't seem to happen, does it, no matter how much we pray for it!

No, God is telling us that all we need to see, taste, touch and smell are the bread and wine. So partake seeing and believing, and "Go your way".

Go and live!

What does "Go your way mean"? Go! Live out the dreams that God has birthed in your heart. Go! and enjoy life. Go! and do what you have always wanted to do. Go your way! Why can you do that? Because "your son shall live". That near-death situation in your life shall have life!

Here's one last thought: You know, that man could have gone shopping in Galilee or had St Peter's fish for lunch at a nice restaurant. Why not? His son was already healed the moment Jesus spoke those words. He didn't have to worry about it. The Bible says that "the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way". So if you believe, you will go your way. You will not argue, reason and question -- "but… but… but…" -- till you are paralysed by analyses. No, you will go your way. So go! Having partaken, having seen, having believed, go and live life to the fullest for the glory of God!

A God principle in lightning and thunder

A loud blast of thunder woke me up on the morning of Tuesday, 5 September 2006. It happened just before 6am. It was still dark outside and it was raining lightly. 
 

There were five to six more loud bangs. I could see the bright flashes through my window. And with each lightning flash came the accompanying thunder blast within a second or two.

The light of God's Word is followed by sound.

I love the sound of thunder. Whenever I hear thunder, I am reminded of the hymn How Great Thou Art:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

To me, it is God's power displayed throughout the universe. The splendour and power of the lightning bolt, and the majestic sound of the thunder reverberating through the skies and walls, remind me of how awesome a God I serve.

As I lay on my bed, I wondered why the thunder came after the lightning. Why does sound come after light? As I thought about it, I received this revelation: The light of God's Word is followed by sound.

In other words, when you receive light for a dark situation in your life in the form of God's Word, you ought to give voice to it. You ought to speak it or confess it.

These verses then came to mind:

Romans 10:10
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

2 Corinthians 4:13
13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,

Revelation 12:11
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…

If you really believe the Word in your heart, it is only natural you speak it forth. It is as natural as thunder coming after lightning. It is as natural as a golfing enthusiast talking about golf with his friends in a coffee shop.

I wondered about the rain too. Rain in the Bible is likened to God's Word coming down from heaven and going forth.

Deuteronomy 32:1–2
1 "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, as raindrops on the tender herb, and as showers on the grass.

Isaiah 55:10–11
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Just as rain falls to the earth, lightning falls to the earth. His Word comes down to us from heaven like rain and lightning. The wetness of His Word cleanses, refreshes and nourishes us. The light of His Word drives away darkness and shows us the way. And the thunder of His Word just sends the enemy fleeing in seven directions.

Isn't it wonderful that God can speak to us about His ways through nature? Indeed, Paul said:

Romans 1:20
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead…

Praise God!

God was smiling down on me -- rainbow around the sun

Have you ever seen a rainbow encircling the sun?

I saw this awesome phenomenon in the sky once sometime in 2000. I was having a lunch picnic with my colleagues at the beach. After a while, I happened to look up and there it was, right above my head -- a perfect, circular rainbow around a bright noon sun!

While the rainbow here is not the one I saw, it is nonetheless very similar.

I enjoyed the special moment. I have seen many rainbows, but it was the first time I was seeing a rainbow around the sun. And I just felt like the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus, was on His throne looking down at me and smiling.

Revelation 4:3
3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

I saw a double rainbow once too, while having my honeymoon in Mauritius. It was a beautiful morning on the beach. One for me, one for my wife!

Do you know what the rainbow in the Bible symbolises? Why did I say earlier that I felt that God was smiling on me?

Because the rainbow symbolises God's promise: "I will never be angry with you again, nor condemn you!" It reminds us of His new covenant of grace and peace with us.

Genesis 9:11-13
11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."
12 And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

Isaiah 54:9-10
9 "For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,"

So the next time you see a rainbow, just remember this: God is not angry with you, nor does He condemn you. Mountains and hills may be removed, but His kindness will never depart from you!

Turning water into wine

John 2:1-10
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
4 Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."
5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.
7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it.
9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
10 And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"

The six waterpots speak of man. The number six in Bible numerics is the number of man as man was created on the sixth day. (Genesis 1:26, 31) Also, man is likened to earthen vessels. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

Water in the Bible speaks of the Word of God. (Ephesians 5:26) Wine speaks of the blood of Jesus which has washed away our sins -- salvation. (Matthew 26:27-28) It also speaks of joy and celebration. (Ecclesiastes 9:7)

The master of the ceremony speaks of the people of the world, who are ignorant of the Word of God and salvation through the blood of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) They do not know about the water or the wine.

Revelation: When the believer (waterpot) is full of the Word (water), and he takes it to the people of the world (master of the ceremony), that is, he preaches it to them, there is a quickening of the Word to produce the miraculous, the chief of which is salvation through the blood of Christ. With salvation there is, of course, also joy and celebration. Doesn’t the Bible say that the preaching of the gospel is the power of God unto salvation? (Romans 1:15-16)

There are two types of wine here. The inferior quality wine is man-made. The top-quality wine is God-made. One speaks of the works of man, the other, the work of Christ at Calvary.

Revelation: When does the miraculous take place? When we cease from our works and depend on God’s work. If we apply this to the Holy Communion, when does the ordinary cup of wine become the life-giving, miracle-working wine or blood of Christ? When we cease from our works and remember His work at Calvary!

Man's righteousness cast down before the Christ

Mark 11:7-8
7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.
8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

This passage talks about the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But as we already know, the Messiah was not entering Jerusalem to wipe out the Romans and rule over the Israelites as their earthly King. On the contrary, He would be humiliated and crucifed not many days later. He would become the final sin offering for man.

But why did the people spread their clothes and leafy branches on the road?

The most obvious answer is that they were laying down a "red carpet" for a "VIP". But there is a deeper truth here.

The clothes of these people represent man's own righteousness, as opposed to Jesus' robe of righteousness or God's own righteousness. The leafy branches also speak of man's self-righteousness. Remember how Adam tried to cover his nakedness with fig leaves? That was not acceptable and God had to clothe him with the skin of an animal. (Genesis 3:21) This means that an animal had to be killed. In other words, blood had to be shed for without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sins. (Hebrews 9:22)

So a righteousness that far superseded man's righteousness was in their midst. And man's righteousness had to be cast down on the ground, as it was far beneath God's righteousness.

The beauty of all this is that when man casts down his own righteousness before the Christ, God would clothe him with Jesus' robe of righteousness. The prophet Isaiah said:

Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness..." (Isaiah 61:10)

And this is all possible because of the sacrifice of Christ!

Release 'Jonah' into your situation

Jonah 1:4
4 But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

Do you feel like you are "about to be broken up" in the storms of life?

Jonah 1:5
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load…

Who are you crying out to? And are you trying to "lighten the load" through your own human efforts (the flesh)?

Jonah 1:5
5 … But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

Jonah means "dove". The dove is a picture of the Holy Spirit and of peace. Remember how the Holy Spirit descended like a dove on Jesus at His baptism (Mathew 3:16), and how Noah released a dove which came back with an olive leaf in its mouth (Genesis 8:10-11) -- the symbol of peace today?

Where is the Holy Spirit in your situation? Have you chucked Him in the lowest part of your ship? Is He lying there dormant waiting for you to release Him into your situation?

Jonah 1:6
6 So the captain came to him [Jonah], and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish."

Call on the right God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will not perish (Acts 2:21).

Jonah 1:11-13
11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?" -- for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
12 And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me."
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.

Again, your self-efforts will just not cut it. You have to do it God's way.

Jonah 1:15
15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.

Bring up the Holy Spirit from your innermost belly and release Him into your situation, and there will be peace. How do you do that? I believe it is by praying in the Holy Spirit, that is, praying in tongues.

Why can there be peace? Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights -- a picture of our Lord's death (Matthew 12:40). The chastisement for our peace was laid upon Him (Isaiah 53:5). The price has been paid!

Jesus poured out His own blood and water

2 Samuel 23:14-17
14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"
16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD.
17 And he said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.

David's three mighty men risked their lives to do a very good deed for David. In fact, it was because of this deed that they became the top three men of David.

But David would not drink the water they brought back from Bethlehem because it represented their blood. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord.

Jesus, too, would not "drink" of our best deeds done for him.

Hebrews 10:5
"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,

And instead of us risking our lives for Him, He laid down His life for us, and poured out before God His own blood and water.

John 10:15
15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

John 19:34-35
34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

How four giants came tumbling down

Names in the Bible have meanings. Sometimes, knowing what the names in a passage mean can give us a deeper revelation of the passage, or even unearth a message that the Holy Spirit has hidden there for us to discover.

Indeed, the Bible says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter." (Proverbs 25:2)

You and I are kings in Christ (1 Peter 2:9), and we are going to search out a matter (through the study of Bible names) that God has hidden in the following passage:

2 Samuel 21:15-22, NASB
15 Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.
16 Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, was girded with a new sword, and he intended to kill David.
17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him Then the men of David swore to him, saying, "You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel ."
18 Now it came about after this that there was war again with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was among the descendants of the giant.
19 There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
20 There was war at Gath again, where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also had been born to the giant.
21 When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down.
22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

It is a long passage, so I am going to summarise it for you: Basically, there were four Philistine giants who were destroyed by David's men.

What are the names of the giants and what do they mean?

Likewise, who are the men who killed the giants and what do their names mean?

First giant -- Ishbi-benob

Ishbi-benob means "his dwelling or seat is in Nob" (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon).

Nob was a town in ancient Israel in the vicinity of Jerusalem, near the Mount of Olives. In the Bible, Nob was the place David fled to and met the high priest Ahimelech, from whom he received bread and Goliath's sword, which had been kept there. (Read 1 Samuel 21 and 22 for more on what happened at Nob.)

Nob means "high place" (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). It is pronounced nobe in the Hebrew. Interestingly, the English word "noble", which means "high born", is pronounced almost the same way.

So the first giant's name, Ishbi-benob, means "his dwelling or seat is in a high place".

Sometimes, our enemy may be one whose "dwelling is in a high place". Perhaps he is someone who has a seat in the high places of society or government -- a powerful person with powerful connections, influence, authority, wealth and so on.

Indeed, the passage tells us that Ishbi-benob had powerful weapons -- a spear that weighed three hundred shekels of bronze as well as a new sword.

Now, I am not saying that the enemies here are all human in nature. No, you could also see them as demons, sicknesses, addictions or other forces of darkness.

When we face such a lofty and formidable enemy, we can't help but think that he is beyond our reach, an "untouchable". And we feel helpless and frustrated because we who are "ordinary folks" are no match for him.

Abishai destroys Ishbi-benob

Abishai means "my father is Jesse" or "my father is a gift" (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). It can also mean "the present of my father" (Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary) or "the gift of my father".

Let's go with the second meaning. What is "the gift of my father"? Well, what is the gift of your heavenly Father?

There are many gifts or blessings from our heavenly Father. But if we are talking about the gift of gifts, then it must be Jesus. After all, we are talking about personalities here.

This is most apt too because it takes one whose seat or dwelling is in a higher place to destroy one whose seat or dwelling is in a high place.

Indeed, the Bible says that God raised Jesus from the dead and...

Ephesians 1:20-21
20 ... seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

It also says of Jesus:

Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So it does not matter how "high up there" your enemy is. Jesus your "friend in high places" will bring him down because He is seated at the right hand of Almighty God Himself, "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named"!

Second giant -- Saph

Saph simply means "tall" (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Smith's Bible Dictionary).

Have you ever tried to knock down a tall person? Your fists can't reach his face! You are just throwing punches into thin air and tiring yourself out.

Sometimes, our enemy is just too tall for us, like a high mountain that it very difficult to climb and conquer. It is an uphill task and we never seem to be able to reach the top.

Wouldn't it be nice, if we could just cut down the enemy, like how Jack chopped down the beanstalk and the giant came tumbling down!

Sibbecai destroys Saph

Sibbecai means "weaver" (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). A weaver is someone who makes cloth by interlacing the threads of the weft and the warp on a loom. His skill would undoubtedly involve cutting threads and cloths.

In fact, in the book of Isaiah, King Hezekiah said:

Isaiah 38:12
12 My life span is gone, taken from me like a shepherd's tent; I have cut off my life like a weaver. He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night you make an end of me.

Isn't it apt then, that God chose a weaver to cut down a tall enemy?

Also, if you study where the word "weaver" appears in the Bible (NKJV), you will find that other than in Isaiah 38:12, it only appears six more times in Exodus. And each time, it is in reference to a highly skilled weaver of blue, purple and scarlet thread, and of fine linen, for the screen (door) of the tabernacle and the priestly garments (Exodus 26:36, 27:16, 35:35, 36:37, 38:23, 39:29).

We know that the details in the construction of the tabernacle of Moses speak of Jesus, His work at the cross and His love for the church. There are many websites that talk about this. See www.domini.org/tabern/outrdoor.htm for instance.

So where the weaver of blue, purple and scarlet thread is concerned, blue speaks of God's grace -- Jesus coming down from heaven (the blue skies) in love to save us and not condemn us. It also speaks of Jesus as being fully God because He is from heaven.

Scarlet or red speaks of the humanity of Jesus because red symbolises blood, and the first man, Adam, means "red earth". Scarlet also speaks of the blood of Jesus shed for us.

So Jesus came down as Man. Though fully God, He was also fully Man so that He could identify with our infirmities, and represent and redeem man.

Purple is a royal colour and it speaks of Jesus' kingship. He is the King of kings.

What about the fine linen? Linen is white in colour so it speaks of Jesus' absolute purity and righteousness. He is the spotless Lamb without blemish, without sin.

A lot more can be said about the colours and what they represent, but the main thing to grasp here is that they all speak of Jesus and His work.

I said earlier that it is apt that a weaver cuts down a tall enemy. But what is so special about this weaver?

Well, he interlaces the different coloured threads into a beautiful piece of cloth.

To me, he is someone who is able to understand and present the different aspects of Jesus coherently, harmoniously and beautifully. In short, a skilled preacher of Jesus, His beauty and His work.

What am I trying to say?

When you face a tall giant, get a weaver, a preacher of Jesus, His beauty and His work. Hear him and let him cut down your tall giant. Don't listen to preachers who talk about you, your ugliness and what you must do, making you focus on you. No, listen to preachers who will point you to Jesus and His beauty, and what He has done for you!

Third giant -- Goliath

Goliath means "splendour" (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). And splendour means having the quality of being grand, magnificent, glorious -- outshining the usual.

Our enemies may be huge and powerful, as well as magnificently attractive. People are attracted to them. They have fame, beauty, brains and brawn.

Next to them, you feel inferior, overshadowed, overlooked. You can't hold a candle next to such an enemy! He outshines you. The people love him. He has favour with them, but you do not because you are just a face in the crowd compared to him.

Have you ever felt that way?

David must have. He might have been handsome, but he was conveniently ignored and left out of the picture when Samuel the prophet came to his father's house to anoint the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). His father and brothers obviously did not think much of him.

What about Esther? Although a beautiful girl, she must have felt plain in the midst of all the other beautiful young virgins. Being a Jewess did not help either, and she had to conceal her race (Esther 2:1-18).

Then there is Gideon. He was so afraid of the Midianites that he threshed wheat in the winepress to hide it from them. And when the Lord appeared to him and called him "a mighty man of valour", and told him to deliver Israel from the hands of the Midianites, he told the Lord, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." He even asked the Lord for a sign. (Judges 6:11-21)

But when God's anointing and grace came upon these people, they overcame their enemies and became very successful.

Elhanan destroys Goliath

Elhanan means "God has been gracious" (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). His name speaks of the grace of God, which can be defined as the unmerited, unearned favour of God.

The grace of God is higher than mercy. Mercy means not getting the punishment you deserve. Grace means not only not getting the punishment you deserve, but getting the blessings you don't deserve! That is grace. That is the unmerited favour of God.

So when God's favour is on you, you don't get the bad things you deserve, and you get the good things you don't deserve. You may be nowhere as smart and beautiful as the other person, but when God's favour is on you, people choose you. They offer you the job. They give you the promotion. They want to do business with you.

You, may even have done something wrong, but people are willing to look past the mistake and still give you the votes. In short, you have favour with people and you become very successful in life without having to work hard for it. Besides David, Esther and Gideon, consider Joseph too. He went from being a naked slave to the second most important man in Egypt because God was with him and God gave him favour.

Isn't it apt then, that you outshine and snuff out the splendour of your enemy when God's grace or favour is on you?

Fourth giant -- unnamed

There is no name given for the fourth giant. He is simply called "a man of great stature".

Stature means "height" or "an achieved status". So this unnamed giant, having a great stature, is like a combination of the first two giants -- Ishbi-benob (his dwelling is in a high place) and Saph (tall). This enemy is both tall as well as high up there in the hierarchy.

But what is more interesting is that he has 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot, 24 (6x4) in total. The norm is to have 5 fingers on each hand and 5 toes on each foot.

6 in the Bible is the number of man. It speaks of fallen man and his fleshly self-efforts. 5 is the number of grace. It speaks of God's grace, His undeserved favour. So having 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot, instead of 5, means that grace is replaced by human effort -- and the result is a mutation, a freakish creation of man. Incidentally, 4 (limbs) is the number of creation in the Bible. Having 6s on the hands and feet also speak of works and a walk that is born out of human effort rather than God's grace. (For more on Bible numerics visit www.vic.australis.com.au/hazz/Introduction.html)

The fact that this enemy has no name is also interesting. Sometimes, you can't put a finger on the problem. You don't know what is wrong. You have no idea what is making you depressed. It could be an unknown disease, a new mutated virus that has no name or cure, or a financial or marital problem you have never faced before.

How can you defeat such an enemy when you don't even know who or what it is? He or it is nothing like you have ever encountered before -- 6 digits on each limb instead of the normal 5.

When an unknown enemy throws you a curve ball, when the challenge you face is new and you are not sure what to do, the answer is faith.

Jonathan destroys the unnamed giant

Jonathan means "Jehovah (Yahweh) has given" (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon).

To me, the name speaks of faith because faith is saying that "God has given". It is saying that you already have what you asked God for even though you do not see it yet.

Mark 11:22-24
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I am reminded of the story in Numbers 13 and 14. God had given the children of Israel the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. But their unbelief caused them not to possess the land. They saw the giants there and were afraid.

Instead of trusting God's promise that He had given them the land, they doubted. And because of their spirit of unbelief, they could not enter the land, but wandered for 40 years in the desert, finally perishing there.

Only Caleb and Joshua, and the younger generation, could enter the land because they had a different spirit -- a spirit of faith. They believed that God had already given them the land and victory over the giants there.

So when we face an enemy who is not only tall and high up there, but also unknown and new to us, we need faith. We need to simply trust God that He has already given us the victory. Don't go by what you see or don't see, go by faith!

Where is David?

There is no mention of David helping his men destroy the four giants. He was probably just watching the battle from a distance or resting in his palace.

This tells me that the battle does not belong to us but the Lord. It is He who will fight our battles and deliver us from our enemies. It is not our smarts or strength. We are to simply stand still and see the salvation of our Lord.

2 Chronicles 20:17
17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!'

But isn't it interesting that at the end of it, the Holy Spirt gives credit to David too?

2 Samuel 21:22
22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

The Lord is gracious. He fights our battles for us, then He says well done!

Moses' secret to victory

Exodus 17:8-13
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand."
10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

As long as Moses remained standing, and depended on his own strength and stamina to keep his hands up, victory was not sure, for the Amalekites prevailed whenever Moses got tired and lowered his hands.

When we are in a spiritual battle, if we are depending on our own strength, we will win some and lose some, and the battle will be long-drawn with many casualties.

So how do we win all the time and ensure a steady and speedy victory?

Look at verse 12. Moses sat and rested on a stone. Aaron and Hur held both Moses' hands up for him. The result was that Joshua defeated the Amalekites.

The stone represents Christ the Rock. Aaron represents our High Priest Jesus, for Aaron was the high priest. Hur means "hole" in Hebrew and speaks of the nail-pierced hands of our High Priest. The hill which Moses stood on represents Calvary.

In other words, when you rest on Christ and His finished work accomplished at Calvary's hill, when you sit down with Christ in heavenly places and let His finished work uphold you, victory is surely yours!

Partake with your belt and shoes on, staff in one hand

Exodus 12:11
11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover.

You don't eat your dinner with your belt and shoes on, and staff in one hand -- unless you are in a hurry to go somewhere.

The Lord told the children of Israel to eat their first Passover in this manner because they were indeed going on a journey the next morning. They were leaving Egypt, the land in which they had become slaves oppressed by a cruel Pharaoh, a type of Satan, for a land flowing with milk and honey. They were going to leave behind their ruthless task masters (a picture of demons), chains, bondages, heavy yokes, sicknesses and poverty.

On the morning of their departure, God gave them so much grace (God's undeserved favour) that their Egyptians neighbours gladly gave them all their silver and gold items. All they had to do was ask for them! (Exodus 12:36)

And the Bible tells us that not one of them was feeble when they left because they had fed on the flesh of the roasted lamb (Psalm 105:37), which represents the Lamb of God judged for our sins by the fire and wrath of God. Young or old, they all left healthy -- and wealthy!

How does this apply to us today? When we partake of the Lord's Supper, we are to eat with our belts and shoes on, and staff in our hands. That is a picture of partaking in faith! We are to eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood expecting our miracle to happen and ready for it! That should be the spirit in which we partake of the Lord's Supper.

And we are to eat in this manner even though the circumstances around us may be totally negative and frightening. There was death, wailing and screaming that dark night in Egypt when the firstborn sons who were not covered by the lamb's blood were being struck down by the angel of death.

Egypt represents the world in the Bible. Even when everyone else around you is dying, even when there is fear everywhere, you are to feed on the Lamb's body in faith because you are in this world but not of this world. (John 17:16)

You are to eat the bread and drink the wine expecting and prepared to receive your miracle! For you will soon leave behind oppression, bondages, addictions, depression, sicknesses, poverty -- the works of Satan in your life -- for the promised land that God will show you.

You will come out of the world, out of Satan's stranglehold, healthy and wealthy, by the flesh and blood of the Lamb who was slain for your freedom, and move to a land flowing with milk and honey, where you will drink from wells you did not dig, and live in houses you did not build -- a picture of God's perfect rest, which is you resting in His Son's finished work at Calvary! (Hebrews 4:3)

Why the butler lived while the baker died

When Joseph was in prison, he interpreted the dreams of two fellow inmates, who were Pharaoh's officials. They were Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker.

The dream of the chief butler was this:

"Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. Then Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand." (Genesis 40:9-11)

Joseph interpreted his dream to mean this:

"The three branches are three days. Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler." (Genesis 40:12-13)

The dream of the chief baker was this:

"I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head." (Genesis 40:16-17)

Joseph interpreted his dream to mean this:

"The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you." (Genesis 40:18-19)

And it happened just as Joseph had told them:

Genesis 40:20-22
20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.
22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

So why was the chief butler saved and the chief baker hanged?

What I was shown

The chief butler's dream speaks of the redemptive work of Christ. He saw a grape vine. That is a symbol of Christ. Jesus said, "I am the vine." (John 15:5) The vine produced grapes and in his dream, the chief butler took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup. That is a picture of Christ suffering and shedding His blood for our sins. He was crushed for our iniquities. (Isaiah 53:5) He died our death so that we could live. That the vine budded, blossomed and brought forth fruit speaks of Jesus' willingness to go to the cross for us, for He said, "I lay down My life for the sheep." (John 10:15)

On the other hand, the chief baker's dream speaks of his efforts to be justified by his own works. The "all kinds of baked goods" symbolises all types of dead works done by his arm of flesh to earn salvation. The Bible says that cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength. (Jeremiah 17:5) His works were also a "bloodless sacrifice". Without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Worse, the baked goods were probably leavened. Leaven in the Bible speaks of sin and erroneous doctrines (Matthew 16:12) So even his works were tainted with sin and a faulty understanding of salvation. Finally, that the baskets were on his head speaks of his reliance on his intelligence, another indication that he was trusting in his smarts, his own strength.

So the chief butler lived because he was justified by the blood and work of Christ. The chief baker died because no one can be justified by his own works.

Galatians 2:16
16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

The two dreams parallel grace and law, Spirit and flesh, faith and works -- themes consistent throughout the Bible.

The healing of the man born blind

Part I

John 9:1-5
1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.
2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Hidden in this passage is a picture of the salvation of man. A man born blind sees darkness from birth. He is in this darkness from birth. David says that he was already a sinner at the point of his conception.

Psalm 51:5 (NIV)
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Every man is born in this state of darkness not because he sinned nor because his parents sinned, but because of Adam's sin.

Romans 5:18
18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

But Jesus is the "light of the world" (verse 5). He brings man out of this darkness into His light. He opens our blind spiritual eyes.

1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

John 9:39
39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."

Part II

But why was this man born blind? So that "the work of God might be displayed in his life" (NIV). What is the "work of God"? Salvation!

John 6:29
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Everyone is born (albeit in sin) for this purpose of God -- to be gloriously saved. That is God's will. You were born that you may be saved, that God may be shown in your life!

Part III

John 9:6-7
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
7 And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

At creation, man was plunged into blindness and darkness (mud on the eyes) through Adam's sin. This Adamic sin and blindness can only be washed off at the pool of "Sent", implying the washing away of our sins by Jesus, who is sent by God (verse 4), through His Word and shed blood, so that we can come home seeing.

John 9:4
4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

Ephesians 5:25,26
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Titus 3:5
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

1 John 1:7
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Part IV

John 9:8-9
8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"
9 Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he."

Your friends and relatives may not recognise you after you are born again because it is a new you!

2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Part V

The blind man who was healed didn't know who Jesus was. In verse 36, he says, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"

This tells us that salvation is truly a grace gift. Jesus did not save us because we knew who He was. In fact, He saved us while we were yet sinners.

Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

But our knowledge of Jesus after our new birth will increase. The healed man's confession of Jesus progresses from "a man called Jesus" (verse 11) to "He is a prophet" (verse 17) to "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing" (verse 33) to "Lord, I believe" (verse 38).

2 Peter 3:18
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Part VI

John 9:16,24,28,29
16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.
24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner."
28 Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.
29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."

The religious who are concerned with laws, customs and works will question and doubt the simplicity -- salvation apart from the law (Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath) -- of your salvation. They also seem to focus on sin and who is a sinner. They are sin-conscious and not Son-conscious.

Part VII

John 9:32
32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.

Salvation is the unique work of Jesus. No one else can save man.

Acts 4:12
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Part VIII

John 9:34
34 They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.

The Pharisees scolded the man for lecturing them. And yes, we were all sinners at conception.

Psalm 51:5 (NIV)
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

But now that we are made the righteousness of God in Christ (our righteousness is from Jesus), we can "lecture" those who question our righteousness in Christ!

Isaiah 54:17
17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD.