Bible Study at Surabaya - Monday, February 11, 2008

Today we will still be learning Exodus 32, which is in Tabernacle structure referred to the veil (http://www.gptkk.org/tirai-en.php), which speaks of the tearing of the flesh.
As a whole, Exodus 32 is divided into five parts as follows:

1. vs. 1 – 6 about golden calf
2. vs. 7 – 14 about God’s wrath
3. vs. 15 – 20 about the two tablets of stone being broken (signifying redemption)
4. vs. 21 – 29 about the wrath of Moses toward Aaron and the people of Israel (signifying sanctification)
5. vs. 30 – 35 about the prayer of Moses over the people of Israel (signifying the ministry of reconciliation)

Previously we have learned verses 1-3 about the delay of Jesus’ second coming, which is meant to test our obedience. A woman, symbolizing the Church of God as well as a female, is the number one commandment breaker, who wants to become the head by teaching and having authority over a man.
Now let us continue with Exodus 32:4
4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"
Israel (especially the women) put off their golden earrings to make a molded calf. Why was it a calf and not another animal? Here is the answer:

Jeremiah 46:14-15
14 "Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; Proclaim in Noph and in Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Stand fast and prepare yourselves, For the sword devours all around you.
15 Why are your valiant men (Indonesian: Apis) swept away? They did not stand. Because the LORD drove them away!

While the people of Israel were in Egypt, they dwelt near Noph and Tahpanhes, in which they saw the Egyptians worshiping god Apis, which was a bull. Thus, Israel remembered something left in the past. This means to us: the mind is not sanctified from the past sins.

There are three kinds of unsanctified mind as follows:

1. Worldly mind
   Philippians 3:18-19
   18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
   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 worldly mind means rejecting the Cross or becoming the enemy of the Cross. Very often I tell you these opinions which do seem to be reasonable:
   • In this world we have been very exhausted of earning money. If we go to church and are taught about the Cross, we will get more and more exhausted. When will we enjoy pleasures then?
   • Jesus had been crucified and torn the veil; we thus do not need to be crucified.
     A man whose mind is of the world and not sanctified becomes the enemy of the Cross. Take notice to this term: whose god is their belly. The word “god” shows that they are churchgoers and not atheists. However, their god is their belly; meaning they do have a form of godliness only with the purpose of seeking earthly things, or on the contrary, they forsake godliness to seek earthly things. Now we see that they whose mind is of the world do worldly things.
   Once again I tell you, it does not mean that we may not work or pursue education, but lest we be unfaithful and forsake godliness just because of worldly activities; or else, we commit idolatry. We feel worshiping God, but we actually worship the golden calf. Please be careful and serious in godliness!
2. Carnal mind
   Romans 8:5-7
   5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
   6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
   7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
   The carnal mind is set only on fleshly matters and lusts. No carnal-minded man is subject to the law of God, but always contrary to the word of God. Those who pursue the lust of the flesh will get no satisfaction, even live in curses.
   Deuteronomy 28:15
   15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
   A carnal-minded man will live in curses: troubles, worries, and sorrows.
3. Evil and unclean mind
   Jeremiah 3:3
   3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s forehead; You refuse to be ashamed.
   the showers have been withheld = being dry ; harlot = the woman of Babylon ; a harlot’s forehead = evil and unclean mind, which encourages evil and unclean deeds:
   • Evil deed is to be bound with money, being stingy and greedy.
   • Unclean deed is to commit sexual sins and eating-drinking (being drunk, consuming narcotics).
   Even though a man has a form of godliness, but his mind is not sanctified, he exactly becomes the main target of antichrist to be sealed with 666 and possessed by antichrist. Nothing is other than eternal destruction for such.
   We have to be careful now because it happens in the house of the Lord.
   Revelation 13:16, 18
   16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
   18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
   There is an inseparable connection between forehead (mind) and hand (deed): worldly mind results in worldly deeds; fleshly mind results in fleshly deeds; and lewd mind results in lewd deeds. These three ungodly minds are the major target of antichrist’s signet, 666.
   2 Timothy 3:1-5
   1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
   2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
   3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self–control, brutal, despisers of good,
   4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
   5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
   It is written eighteen (666) sins and the sinners are churchgoers, who serve and minister God. We must be careful lest we become as Israelites God had chosen and confessed as His people even His priests and kings but they had unholy mind bringing them to idolatry and perdition.

Unholy does not mean atheistic, but mixing up religions. I formerly thought that “unholy” means desiring no more religion, but after I read vs. 5, they do actually have a form of godliness. It thus means they are religious people, but they generalize all religions. I have two testimonies about this matter:

1. While I was teaching in PETRA, a Christian private school in Surabaya (East Java, Indonesia), two religion teachers, who were experts in Bible, called and asked me about the way to heaven: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” I was asked, “What do you think about this statement?” And I answered, “It is true that Jesus is the only way.” Suddenly, they became very angry.
   Therefore, the word of God cannot be learned from the scientific point of view, for it will deviate from the truth.
2. Last week a student studying in a prominent university in Indonesia told me that he became lazy to attend religion class because the lecturer taught that Jesus is not the only way, the truth, and the life.
   How could this happen? It is because the lecturer always compared our teaching with the others, so that he finally concludes all the same. Let any of us not do this! Or else, you will someday doubt about Jesus, the only way to heaven.

It is written in vs. 5 “having a form of godliness”. Thus, they are truly Christians/pastors/ministers of God, but they remain in the flesh and get no life change. They will be sealed with 666 at last.

Now the question is: how could ministers of God not sanctified and renewed (so that they are sealed with the mark of antichrist)? Because they have a form of godliness but denying its power, which is the teaching word / the word sharper than any two-edged sword, able to sanctify our foreheads. If the forehead is sanctified, there must be life renewal and antichrist surely cannot sear us with his mark.

In former times, Israel remembered bulls in Egypt because their foreheads were not sanctified, and so they made a golden calf and worship it. Likewise will it be at the end of the age; those whose foreheads are not sanctified by the true teaching word will:

• receive the mark of antichrist, 666
• remain in the flesh and get no renewal of life, and finally,
• worship antichrist

Even if we proclaim we are churchgoers, but our foreheads are not sanctified because the word of sanctification (the word shaper than any two-edged sword) is rejected, we will remain fleshly men and become the worshipers of antichrist.

Revelation 13:8
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
It happened that Israel rejected Moses; Moses on the mountain did not have fun, but he earnestly prayed to receive two things: two tablets of stone and tabernacle, both of which are now called the teaching word (tabernacle teaching and the Bride Tidings).

Thus, Israel served without Moses (without the teaching word), so that they actually committed idolatry. We have to pray earnestly about this. Do not judge other church but ourselves. Do we have the true teaching word? Do we have the sanctification and renewal of life? If we do not have such matters, there will be idolatry only.

Exodus 32:4
4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

Israel worshiped a golden calf, but they proclaimed that it was the amazing god. That was a real blindness, and the bad news, it was said by Aaron, who portrays a pastor. The golden calf, which was said as amazing god truly able to do amazing physical miracles, such as the poor were made rich, but not miracles of sanctification and life renewal. Remember, Satan is able to work miracles, without the true teaching word. I am so sure if God works a miracle, it begins with the spiritual ones, that is, sanctification and renewal of life, and continues with physical ones (done to confirm the word).

Here is the consequence of committing idolatry:

Revelation 13:8
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

“name is not written in the Book of Life” = being destroyed forever.

Revelation 20:14-15
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

(being cast into the lake of fire = being destroyed)
It is an irony to see the servants and ministers of God seared with antichrist’s mark and cast into hell due to their unholy foreheads.

God will not let His people, who have been redeemed by the Blood of Jesus be seared with the mark 6.6.6.; as we can see in 2 Timothy and Luke 13 (a woman in the temple being bent over for eighteen years). The Church rejecting the word sharper than any two-edged sword (because of focusing on the quantity of churchgoers) faces a danger because the mind is not sanctified although the praise and offering seem so great.

God will not let His people, who have been redeemed by the Blood of Jesus and made priests and kings, even becomes the full-time servants of God, be seared with the mark of antichrist and cast into hell fire. For that reason, God by the service and ministry wants to sear and possess us with these two signets:

1. the signet of the word sharper than any two-edged sword bound on hand and forehead
   Deuteronomy 6:6-8
   6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
   7 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
   8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
   Hebrews 10:16-17
   16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"
   17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
   (mind = forehead).
   God repeats His promise in Deuteronomy to bind the word on our forehead and hand that in Hebrews He Himself will write on our whole life “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them."
   Hebrews 4:12
   12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
   The word sharper than any two-edged sword pierces our hearts and minds. The term “pierce” means being written on. Thus, it is not the common word written on our foreheads and the whole life, but the word sharper than any two-edged sword, namely, the teaching word as the continuation of the word of gospel. The word of gospel is intended to draw sinners to have faith in Christ, repent, serve and minister God. However, even if a man serves and ministers God, but his forehead is not pierced or sanctified by the teaching word, he will receive the mark of antichrist. He does seem to worship the amazing god, but he is actually worshiping antichrist.
   The word sharper than any two-edged sword sanctifies not only heart and mind, but also our hand.
   Acts 2:36-37
   36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
   37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
   Everytime the word sharper than any two-edged sword is being preached, we must give positive responses:
   • know assuredly = listen to the word carefully and understand it.
     When we understand the word, the word is written on, pierces and sanctifies our foreheads, so that antichrist gets no chance to sear his mark on our foreheads.
   • cut to the heart = believe and be sure of the word.
     When we believe, the word pierces our hearts, so that we become aware of our sins and confess them. Unlike Judas, who was never cut to the heart and let his belly get dirty until it was burst open and he died.
   • what shall we do = practice the word
     When we practice the word, the word cuts and purifies our sinful hands.
   Where does the word of sanctification begin to work?
   Philippians 3:12-14
   12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
   13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
   14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
   The word sanctifies firstly our memory from the past sins and prides (“I do, forgetting those things which are behind”). Then we can press toward the goal that is perfection. As long as we keep old memories, we will never reach the perfection, but receive the antichrist’s mark.
   It was said that Israel served and Aaron declared: ”This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” but they actually committed idolatry by worshiping a golden calf. Similar to this, the church will proclaim, “This is our amazing god whom we worship.” Nonetheless, it is false as their foreheads are not sanctified. They are not worshiping the Lord, but antichrist.
   Apostle Paul said that he did forget those things which were behind; it means he had been sanctified from his past sins and prides. Afterward, he reached forward to those things which are ahead; it implies that he was sanctified until perfected to become as glorious as Jesus is. Formerly, we were Gentiles outside the temple but now we have been redeemed by Jesus’ blood and God wants to sear us. Both of God and Antichrist want to sear men.
   As Apostle Paul said, we are indeed not perfect yet and we must be continuously sanctified. In the meantime, God is ready to sear us with the second signet.
2. the signet of the name of the Lord
   Exodus 28:36
   36 "You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
   In former times, the high priest wore a turban with a plate on it and the name of the Lord was written. Only the saints might wear the signet of the name of the Lord.
   Speaking broadly, it is written in the New Testament, Revelation 7:3
   3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
   Revelation 14:1
   1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty–four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
   The signet is given to the servants of God sanctified by His sharp word and about to become the Bride of God. (Note: Revelation 14:1 is the core of the Bride whom the name of the Lord is written on). What is the signet for?
   • that we always remember and become faithful to God anywhere, anytime, and in any situation. Soon after we forget God, the signet of the name of God is erased and the signet of antichrist is seared on our foreheads.
   • that we are able to love God above all.
   As a baby carried and kept in his mother’s arm, we will also be carried if the word sharper than any two-edged sword and the name of the Lord is sealed on our whole life (forehead, heart, and hand). Surely God will never forget us.
   Song of Solomon 8:6
   6 THE SHULAMITE TO HER BELOVED Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame.
   Isaiah 49:14-15
   14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me."
   15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.
   Verse 14 is to show Israel in deep distress and desperation. To say the truth, many mothers throw away their babies, but God promises He will never forget us; He will carry and posses us still. We can’t imagine how sad God will be when we, His people redeemed through the Blood of Jesus, go to church but receive antichrist’s mark.

All of us get troubles but nothing is worse than a baby’s being thrown away by his mother. If you are the baby, God never forgets you. What can a baby thrown away by his mother do? Baby Moses, for example, was forsaken and cast into the Nile; he was to have no life strength and in death threats. Being weaned by his mother, my nephew became fussy. His mother drew the picture of skull on her breast in order to make him afraid but it was not so. At the last, his mother put something bitter on her breast and the baby could be weaned. A baby becomes shaken because of being weaned; what about being left by his mother? There is death only.
Do you feel the same? You may feel like being weaned that you lost your job or your income. You do not need to worry as long as you have the name of the Lord (holiness). If we always remember God, no matter what happens, God will always remember us also. We are joyful to be at His feet and we surrender in full to Him. No matter the threat of death may come, the Lord keeps embracing us.

What will we get if God carries us?

• the merciful Hands will care, protect, and give marvelous help. A baby who can do nothing may eat. It is a marvelous thing. A kid can do nothing but the parents do. Thus, do not resist parents or God. God will do anything that we cannot do.
• the merciful Hands will exalt us in the world (we will not be ashamed) until we are taken up into heaven (we will belong to and worship God forever more).
  Revelation 22:3-4
  3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
  4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

Youth do not need to be afraid of future provided they are willing to be sealed with God. Do not do the abomination of Israel, who seemed to serve the Lord but actually worshiped the golden calf (being seared with antichrist).

Therefore, we must be sure of being seared with the teaching word, the word sharper than any two-edged sword, so that:

• our memories and the whole life (deeds and sayings) are sanctified.
• we are seared with the name of Jesus; we always remember and become faithful and love God more than anything by becoming obedient. We are in His embrace.
• God cares, protects, gives help, and does anything we need.
• God exalts us in earth and heaven; we are taken up into the New Jerusalem, to become the Bride of God and worship Him day and night, forever.

God bless you!