Grace and peace to you from the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are studying about the betrayal to the Lamb of God.
Matthew 26:14-16
26:14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
26:15 and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
26:16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Judas Iscariot sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Exodus 21:32
21:32 "If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
Thirty pieces of silver is the price of an ox goring men, referring to antichrist and false prophet, or rebellious/cursed men who must be perished.
Who are antichrist and false prophet? They are people who are not serious, but negligent in shepherding, or intruders.
Jude 1:4
1:4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
For example in the New Testament, Judas Iscariot was not serious, but he was negligent although he was shepherded by Jesus.
For example in the Old Testament, Jannes and Jambres who were Egyptians or Gentiles resisting Moses.
2 Timothy 3:6-9
3:6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
3:7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
3:9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
Exodus 7:10-12
7:10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
7:11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
7:12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
It equals to resisting the rod. There are two meanings of the rod as follows:
We are studying about the betrayal to the Lamb of God.
Matthew 26:14-16
26:14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
26:15 and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
26:16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Judas Iscariot sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Exodus 21:32
21:32 "If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
Thirty pieces of silver is the price of an ox goring men, referring to antichrist and false prophet, or rebellious/cursed men who must be perished.
Who are antichrist and false prophet? They are people who are not serious, but negligent in shepherding, or intruders.
Jude 1:4
1:4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
For example in the New Testament, Judas Iscariot was not serious, but he was negligent although he was shepherded by Jesus.
For example in the Old Testament, Jannes and Jambres who were Egyptians or Gentiles resisting Moses.
2 Timothy 3:6-9
3:6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
3:7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
3:9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
Exodus 7:10-12
7:10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
7:11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
7:12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
It equals to resisting the rod. There are two meanings of the rod as follows:
- Cross or narrow gate; the tearing of flesh.
Philippians 3:18-19
3:18 For manywalk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.
The weeping of Paul was caused by there were many sons of God or servants of God, especially from Gentiles, who became the enemy of the cross. They did not want to pass through the narrow gate and experience the tearing of flesh.
The fact found in being the enemy of the cross is serving and ministering for seeking flesh interest or worldly things that are comfortable to the flesh as if entering through wide gate.
The wide gate denotes independence for committing sins to fulfill flesh interest. In such condition, one lives in sins up to the peak, namely eating, drinking sin (smoking, being drunk, gambling, drugs abuse) and marrying and being given in marriage (sexuality sin with all its variety, sexuality deviation, sexuality to oneself, mixed-marriage, marrying-divorce, et cetera).
The consequence is everlasting death. - The rod of shepherding or shepherding Word.
There are many servants of God from the Gentiles who reject the shepherding Word. If one rejects the cross or the narrow gate, s/he will reject the shepherding because entering through the narrow gate is the requirement of entering the shepherding.
The shepherding Word is the true teaching Word God trusts to a pastor to preach to the congregation faithfully and repetitively to become their food as well as their guidance.
Zechariah 11:7
11:7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.
There are two functions of the shepherding rod as follows:- Beauty.
Ezekiel 20:37
20:37 "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
It is the shepherding Word leading the sheep to enter the shepherding pen. Who is the sheep of God?
Matthew 15:24-27
15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
15:25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
15:26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
15:27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
The sheep of God is Israel. The Gentiles are dogs, common or unclean animals having no relationship with God but with Satan so there is wicked and unclean life.
Jesus has come into the world to seek the lost sheep of Israelites. Nevertheless, a part of the Israelites has rejected Him, so a chance is opened for the Gentiles to be saved and lifted up as the sheep of God through eating the crumbs, referring to Jesus' sacrifice.
Therefore, the Gentiles should not be arrogant because we are only as dogs if we have no Christ's sacrifice.
John 19:32-34
19:32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.
19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
Actually Jesus has died with four main wounds, those are two wounds in hands and two wounds in feet, to redeem the lost sheep of Israelites. Nevertheless, there is the fifth wound in His side, that is the biggest wound a Gentile makes. Water and blood come out of it as the chance and mercy of God to the dogs or the Gentiles to be lifted up as sheep. The process is as follows:- Repenting (the sign of blood), being dead to sin.
One will keep being as a dog if s/he keeps the sins. - Being baptized of water (the sign of water), life renewal.
Romans 6:4
6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
We must be baptized in the righteous baptism according to Holy Bible or as Jesus was baptized, namely we have to die to sin or repent then we are buried in water together with Jesus to resurrect in new life.
1 Peter 3:20-21
3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
The new life means good conscience or obedient heart.
One will become as dog if there is no obedience.
Afterward, the Beauty leads the sheep to enter the sheepfold or the Holy Place, in which there are three objects as follows:- Golden Candlestick, perseverance in doing general service.
- Table of Showbread, perseverance in doing bible study service and Holy Communion.
- Golden Altar of Incense, perseverance in doing prayer service.
Entering the sheepfold equals to entering through the narrow gate or the tearing of flesh.
The result of being in the sheepfold is as follows:- We are counted by God.
Ezekiel 20:37
20:37 "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
Meaning we are cared and preserved by God. There is no God's caring outside the sheepfold. A fig tree by the way side was cursed directly soon after it did not yield any fruit. In such condition, there was no God's caring. We are protected for not being dog anymore but we are possessed by Him. - We are separated or sanctified.
Ezekiel 20:38
20:38 "I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
We are sanctified continually until we are blameless.
- Repenting (the sign of blood), being dead to sin.
- Bonds.
Zechariah 11:7
11:7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.
Ephesians 4:15-16
4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
It is the shepherding Word binding us in the unity of the ministry of building the perfect Christ's body.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
The requirements of ministering in building Christ's body are as follows:- Living in holiness.
- Having priest's offices and the gifts of Holy Spirit.
The priest's offices and the gifts of Holy Spirit are our position in Christ's body.
Not having the priest's offices equals to being outside Christ's body and entering the building of Babylon's body.
Having the priest's offices without any holiness equals to destroying Christ's body.
The priest's offices and the gifts of Holy Spirit we have may be different but we will be able to cooperate and serve one another if we are shepherded and led by the shepherding Word, until we are united in the ministry of building Christ's body.
Colossians 3:14
3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
The shepherding Word unites us in the love of God we can practice as follows:- Loving one another.
Romans 13:8
13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Owing no one anything means we do not give other people any disadvantage. - Loving God more than everything; being obedient.
The love of God unites and perfects us until we become the one perfect body of Christ or the Bride of God who is ready to welcome Jesus' second coming.
- Living in holiness.
Revelation 21:15
21:15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
The Beauty and the Bonds equals to golden rod leading us to New Jerusalem, the last shepherding.
Zechariah 11:10
11:10 And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples.
The intruders or people who are not serious but negligent in the shepherding equals to breaking the Beauty. Meaning one does not want to repent but keep living in sins; one does not want to have life renewal (not being obedient) or enter the sheepfold (not being shepherded).
The intruders also break the Bonds, meaning not ministering or ministering without faithfulness/holiness, without love.
Consequently, the covenant of God will be broken.
2 Timothy 3:8
3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
Afterward, the faith falls or it is not tested. It equals to there is neither faith nor righteousness but corrupt minds. They appear as beats or Satan, antichrist, or false prophets that will be perished.
If the rod is broken, the solution is paying the thirty pieces of silver.
Zechariah 11:12
11:12 Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
Jesus is as good ox, referring to obedient servant of God, but He was willing to be sold for thirty pieces of silver. He was willing to become goring ox or beasts. He was willing to be bad to change our bad condition to good one.
Isaiah 52:13-14
52:13. Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;
First the mouth is renewed to become good one and the deeds or the clothes are too. The results will be real as follows:- All things become good as well as the future life.
1 Peter 3:10-11
3:10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
3:11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. - The Lord blesses our family forever.
2 Samuel 7:28-29
7:28 "And now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.
7:29 "Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord GOD, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever." - Receiving the best things seven times until we are perfect as His Bride.
Deuteronomy 33:13-16
33:13 And of Joseph he said: "Blessed of the LORD is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath,
33:14 With the preciousfruits of the sun, With the preciousproduce of the months,
33:15 With the bestthings of the ancient mountains, With the preciousthings of the everlasting hills,
33:16 With the preciousthings of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come 'on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separatefrom his brothers.'
- Beauty.