Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death - Part One

Lessons In The Valleys:
The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death
Part One

Before he was a king, David was a shepherd. He knew all the responsibilities and requirements of a shepherd. He knew how to care for and protect his own sheep. As a believer, he knew the contentment and satisfaction of being one of the Lord's sheep. The Lord was David's Shepherd. Like an earthly shepherd cares for his sheep in all ways - feeding, watering, leading, protecting from the dangers of the wild, nurturing - so too does the Lord God care for His sheep.

Psalms 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

In order for the Lord to be your Shepherd, you must be one of His sheep.

Has there ever been a time and place in your life when you have repented of your sin (turned from sin in your heart, turned from going your way) and turned to the Saviour to save you?

The Bible teaches in Leviticus 17:11, that the blood of an animal sacrifice must be shed to cover our sins, "for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." The Biblical requirement for the sacrifice was for a lamb to be slain and its blood poured on the altar, a lamb without blemish or defect. All of the Old Testament sacrifices pictured Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb) who would one day die for the sins of all mankind.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

When Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross, He paid the complete penalty for sin that we deserved. He was our substitute - He suffered the wrath of God for sin in our place. He was buried in a borrowed tomb and then arose triumphantly three days later. He is alive forevermore, willing to save all those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Have you received God's free gift of salvation? (See John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23) Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour? If you have, from that moment on the Lord made you a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) - you became one of His sheep and He became your Shepherd.

The Lamb of God who died and arose is also the Shepherd of His sheep.

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him (Christ) the iniquity of us all.

1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

"...one property of a good shepherd is, skill to know and judge aright of his sheep, and hence is it that it is a usual thing to set mark upon sheep, to the end that if they go astray (as of all creatures they are most subject to wander), the shepherd may seek them up and bring them home again. The same thing is affirmed of Christ, or rather indeed Christ affirms the same thing of himself, "I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27. Yea, doubtless, he that hath numbered the stars, and calleth them all by their names, yea, the very hairs of our head, taketh special notice of his own children, "the sheep of his pasture", that they may be provided for and protected from all danger it is the property of a good shepherd, that if any of his sheep be weak and feeble, or his lambs young, for their safety and recovery he will bear them in his arms. The Lord is not wanting to us herein. Isaiah 40:11. And lastly, it is the property of a good shepherd to rejoice when the strayed sheep is brought home. The Lord doth thus rejoice at the conversion of a sinner. Luke 15:7." (Quote from Samuel Smith on Psalm 23:1, The Treasury Of David, C.H. Spurgeon)

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Jesus has compassion on the lost and longs to be their Shepherd. During His public ministry, He wanted to teach them the Gospel (the good news of salvation - see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16); He wanted to seek and to save that which was lost; He wanted to gather the lost sheep and bring them into His fold. He still does!

Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Luke 15:3-7 And He spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

The Shepherd loves and cares for His sheep. The word want - as used here in the King James Bible - means to lack, to go without. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Shepherd, has promised to meet all the needs of His sheep when they walk with Him and do His will. (See Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:32; Psalm 34:9; 84:11; Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 13:5; 2 Corinthians 9:8; 2 Peter 1:3-4)

Psalms 23:2-3 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

With Jesus Christ the Shepherd leading the way in the paths of righteousness, it is our duty simply to follow Him. Therein lies full assurance and safety. No one can ever take us away from the Shepherd or separate us from His love!

John 10:4 And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice.

John 10:27-30 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Green pastures of abundance and blessings, still waters of peace and contentment. There is a saying that "still waters run deep," and it is so true - there is no turbulence within. The peace that Jesus gives passes all understanding, is perfect (complete), and is not of this world. (See Philippians 4:6-7; Isaiah 26:3-4; John 14:27 and 16:33) His is a spiritual peace within, regardless of outward circumstances. When you have His peace within your heart and mind, you can face all that He allows into your life, knowing that the Lord has a purpose and plan to it, and that He is working out all things for your good in order to make you more like Himself. (See Romans 8:28-29)

There may indeed be times in our lives where the waters are temporarily stirred up by outward or inward strife, but when we put our eyes back on Jesus, He will calm the waters again. "Peace, be still!" (See Mark 4:37-39; Psalm 107:23-32; 46:10)

Charles Spurgeon has made this refreshing application of the green pastures: "What are these green pastures but the Scriptures of truth -- always fresh, always rich, and never exhausted? There is no fear of biting the bare ground where the grass is long enough for the flock to lie down in it. Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass is natural nutriment for sheep. When by faith we are enabled to find rest in the promises, we are like the sheep that lie down in the midst of the pasture; we find at the same moment both provender and peace, rest and refreshment, serenity and satisfaction. But observe: He maketh me to lie down. It is the Lord who graciously enables us to perceive the preciousness of his truth, and to feed upon it. How grateful ought we to be for the power to appropriate the promises!" (Comments on Psalm 23:2, The Treasury Of David, C.H. Spurgeon)

When we walk with the Saviour, He gives us rest and refreshing. He also quickens and revives us when our spirits get cold, when sin has cooled our fervour for the Lord. He brings us back to Him, and draws us ever closer. Upon true repentance and confession of our sin, He freely pardons His childrens' waywardness.

Psalms 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments. (See also verses 67, 71, 75, 107)

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

1 John 1:6-7, 9 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When Christians walk in sin, the mud and filth of the world gets on us, and we need to turn from the sin and confess it to the Lord in order to have the mud washed off again. The word cleanseth in the verse above is in the present tense and means continual cleansing. As we walk with Jesus Christ in the light of His Word, His blood will continually cleanse us, and the filth of the world will not cling to us.

Here is a picture that will help get the idea across: Imagine your life as a small stone lying on a muddy riverbank. When you allow sin into your life, it is as if the mud was clinging to you. Confession of sin results in the mud being washed off again, but you are still lying on the riverbank where the mud abounds. If we walk in the light of God's Word day by day, and maintain our fellowship with our Heavenly Father, then it is as if we were in the midst of the flowing river - sure, there is mud there, but it does not cling to us, we are continually being cleansed through the water of the Word of God. (See Ephesians 5:25-27)

Surely Goodness And Mercy
(Lyrics: John W. Peterson and Alfred B. Smith)

A pilgrim was I and a-wand'ring,
In the cold night of sin I did roam,
When Jesus the kind Shepherd found me,
And now I am on my way home.

Chorus:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever,
And I shall feast at the table spread for me;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.

He restoreth my soul when I'm weary,
He giveth me strength day by day;
He leads me beside the still waters,
He guards me each step of the way.

When I walk thro' the dark lonesome valley,
My Savior will walk with me there;
And safely His great hand will lead me
To the mansions He's gone to prepare.

Study written February, 2004
Jerry Bouey

The Rock Of Horeb

The Rock Of Horeb

Water Out Of The Rock - Living Water

Exodus 17:1-6 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

As the nation of Israel wandered through the wilderness, they became parched, thirsty, desperate for water, but there was no water to be found for the people to drink. They came to the rock in Horeb, which means "desolate" from a root word meaning "to parch (through drought)". Truly, it was an arid, hot, barren land that they wandered in! They began to complain and argue with the man of God, Moses. He, in turn, cried unto the Lord, and the Lord responded with a beautiful picture of the salvation found in Jesus Christ - water from the Rock. What did all this mean?

Moses was commanded to smite the rock of Horeb with his rod and the water would flow forth. He promptly did so in the sight of the people, and there was enough water to quench the thirst of all the nation of Israel.

In the New Testament, we learn that the Rock represented Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 10:4. And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. Drinking the living water from the Rock pictured salvation.

What had to happen first before the living water could flow forth from the Rock and the people could partake of it? It needed to be smitten! This word means to "strike severely," and is also translated in other passages as "kill, slay, slaughter." (You will understand in a moment why I am emphasizing the definition of this word!) What had to happen before Jesus could freely offer the gift of eternal salvation found only in Him? He needed to die for our sins - He needed to be smitten on the cruel cross of Calvary! Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was sacrificed once for all! His sacrifice paid the complete price for our salvation, and now His gift of salvation is freely offered to all who will receive it by faith. Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.

Have you come to Jesus Christ for salvation? Have you turned from your sins and accepted His free gift of eternal life believing that He died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and three days later physically arose from the grave? Have you tasted of the Living Water? If you come to Him, Jesus will fill the aching void - the emptiness - you have inside. You need never thirst again! Come to Jesus today.

We have another incident recorded in Scripture where water was to flow forth from a rock. But this situation is a little different than the first. Here Moses is only commanded to speak to the rock:

Numbers 20:2, 7-12 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

In both of these situations, the Lord was attempting to teach the Israelites something about the coming Messiah. Moses obeyed the Lord's command in the first case, and clearly brought across the picture that the Lord wanted to give. The second time he disobeyed, with tragic consequences - being barred from entering the Promised Land. What was the type being illustrated, and why were the consequences so serious?

Where did Moses go wrong the second time? This time he was commanded to only speak to the rock, and the rock would bring forth water. Instead, he disobeyed and struck the rock. Why just speak to the Rock this time? Because it had already been smitten! Jesus has already died for our sins - once for all - and He doesn't need to be offered again and again! The New Testament, especially the book of Hebrews, makes this fact so plain to all who will see.

Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 26-28; 10:10, 12, 14 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people's: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Jesus Himself said in John 19:30 It is finished. The salvation He offers is full and complete! You cannot add to or take away from His finished work upon the cross!

The second time, the water flowed forth from the rock abundantly. Now, to receive the blessings of salvation and to drink of the abundant life in Jesus Christ, the Rock, we only need to speak to Him in faith (call on His name, cry out in prayer); we don't need Him to be sacrificed for us again. He already paid the full price for our redemption! This was the beautiful picture that Moses had marred. No wonder the terrible consequences! The Lord wanted to emphasize that salvation (and the Bible's pictures of it) was a serious matter.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Have you called upon the Lord for salvation? Have you received Jesus' gift of eternal life by believing that He paid the complete penalty for your sin and trusting Him to save you? If not, please come to the Saviour today. The Living Water is available for whosoever will come.

Springs Of Living Water
(John W. Peterson)

I thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame,
And nothing satisfying there I found;
But to the blessed cross of Christ one day I came,
Where springs of living water did abound.

Chorus:
Drinking at the springs of living water,
Happy now am I, my soul they satisfy.
Drinking at the springs of living water,
O wonderful and bountiful supply.

How sweet the living water from the hills of God!
It makes me glad and happy all the way.
Now glory, grace, and blessing mark the path I've trod
I'm shouting "Hallelujah" every day.

0 sinner, won't you come today to Calvary?
A fountain there is flowing deep and wide.
The Saviour now invites you to the water free,
Where thirsting spirits can be satisfied.

The Cleft Of The Rock

Exodus 33:18-23 And he (Moses) said, I beseech Thee, shew me Thy glory. And He (the LORD) said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: And I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen.

Moses asked to see the glory of the Lord. The Lord agreed to give him his request, but he first needed to be hid in the cleft of the rock. Hidden within this cleft, he would then be able to see the glory of the Lord.

A careful studying of this and related passages reveals that this is the same Rock, which is Christ. The Bible teaches that God is a Spirit and that no man can see the Father at any time. It is only in Jesus Christ that we can see God, because He is in fact God manifested in the flesh.

Hebrews 1:1-3 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him. (See Colossians 2:9) Jesus said in John 14:9 He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.

If you want to know God the Father, you must come to Him through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. In order to see the Lord's glory, we must first be hid in Christ. There is no other way. When we come to Jesus for salvation, we are then placed in Christ forever, and no one (not even ourselves) can separate us from His love.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Some of our most loved hymns are based on Exodus 33:22, including the two wonderful ones I quote below:

He Hideth My Soul
(Fanny Crosby)

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Chorus:
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I'll shout with the millions on high.

Rock Of Ages
(Augustus Toplady)

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save me from its guilt and power.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Are you trusting in Jesus' payment for your sin? The moment you turn to Him for salvation, the Father hides you in Christ, the Rock.

Are you hidden in the cleft of the Rock?

For those who are interested in a little more in-depth study on Mount Horeb, read Exodus 3, about Moses' call to service and the burning bush where the Angel of the Lord revealed Himself. (See especially verses 1 and 12) Also read 1 Kings 19, about the account of Elijah's flight from Jezebel. The mountain that he fled to was Horeb. (See verse 8)

Written February 4th, 2003
By Jerry Bouey

Saved To The Uttermost! - Part Two

Saved To The Uttermost! - Part Two

This devotional builds upon one I wrote a long time ago, Cities Of Refuge. Please read that first for context.

Hebrews 7:22-28 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this Man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people's: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our great High Priest. It might be helpful to read all of Hebrews 7 if you need a refresher on what it says, though the passage above is the part I will primarily be focusing on.

Jesus, the Son of God, became a Man so He could die for our sins. As the Bible reveals, He has never sinned; therefore, His one sacrifice on the cross of Calvary paid the complete penalty that was needed to forgive and remove our sins forever. And because He was tempted in all points as we are, but He has never given in to sin, He knows the struggles we face, He knows our weaknesses, and is the person most qualified to help us in our day to day struggles. He is the only person that can give us the grace and spiritual strength we need to conquer the sins and temptations we face in our own lives.

Hebrews 2:17-18 Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

One of the Old Testament types is the Cities of Refuge. If an Israelite or a stranger in their land killed another person unintentionally (ie. without premeditation or by accident), he was able to flee to the nearest city of refuge to find sanctuary until the death of the current high priest.

Numbers 35:25-28 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

Once the high priest died, the sin was wiped away and the manslayer was able to return to his own land again, safe from any further retaliation or future harm from the revenger of blood. Almost 2000 years ago, our great High Priest - our Refuge - died upon the cross, and our sins were wiped away by His shed blood, but after three days and nights in the grave, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, never to die again! Not only was our sin debt fully paid for upon the cross, now we are free forever from any spiritual revenger of blood, from the accuser of the brethren, from the guilt and penalty of our own sins, from the wrath of God - Jesus paid it all, and the proof of that fact is that He is now alive forevermore.

Romans 1:3-4 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 

Revelation 1:17-18 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

All that the high priests in the Old Testament pictured was (and is!) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Now He ever liveth, never to die again; therefore, not only is He the perfect Refuge, He is forever our own High Priest, who is able to intercede for all His spiritual brethren, all those believers who have placed their faith in His finished work of redemption.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines uttermost as: Extreme; being in the furthest, greatest or highest degree; as the uttermost extent or end; the uttermost distress.

Strong's Concordance gives this definition for the word uttermost: from G3956 and G5056; full-ended, i.e. entire (neuter as noun, completion).

Strong's 5056: from a primary τέλλω téllō (to set out for a definite point or goal); properly, the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state (termination (literally, figuratively or indefinitely), result (immediate, ultimate or prophetic), purpose); specially, an impost or levy (as paid).

Strong's 5055 (a related word) is defined as such: to end, i.e. complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt):—accomplish, make an end, expire, fill up, finish, go over, pay, perform.

We can see this last word used in John 19:30, in the phrase, "It is finished!"

From the uttermost and to the uttermost - that's from the farthest reaches to the furthest extent. As some have stated in the past: from the guttermost to the uttermost. Not only did He save us and blot out our sins forever, He gave us an inheritance in Him, a relationship with Him, a home in His presence for all eternity. What more could we ask for? To the uttermost!

...He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him...

October 26, 2024
Jerry Bouey

Saved To The Uttermost!

Saved To The Uttermost!

Saved To The Uttermost!

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

The Greek word for uttermost is panteles. The root word pan means “all, every.” Teles and the word Jesus used in John 19:30 for “It is finished” come from the same root word meaning “(to set out for a definite point or goal); properly, the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state).”

Just as everything needed to save us was done at Calvary (ie. by our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, shedding His blood, bearing our sins and suffering God’s wrath in our place) - It is finished! - even so, will all be done in and through us (the process of calling us, justifying us, sanctifying us, glorifying us - in fact, every single thing that our Lord promises to do for us in regards to our salvation) will be done by Jesus. Just as He finished the work of dying for our sins on Calvary, even so will He do all things needed to make us fit to dwell eternally with Him - from the guttermost to the uttermost, as they say.

July 31/2021
Jerry Bouey

Cities Of Refuge
Saved To The Uttermost! - Part Two

Reading The Scriptures

Reading The Scriptures

There are two main words for know (and its forms) in the New Testament.

1) Strong’s #1492, eido. This word basically has the idea of head knowledge, knowing about something.

2) Strong’s #1097, ginosko (from the root word, gnosis, knowledge). This word has the idea of knowing about something personally, personally experiencing what you know about.

Looking up every time the word know (or a form thereof) occurs in the NT (with these basic definitions) is a worthwhile study - to see what true believers then and now know personally, and what other things the NT talks about that were known (via head knowledge as compared to personal knowledge).

All that said, I am now pointing out a related word: anaginosko (#314) - the main word used for reading in the New Testament.

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Ana basically means again - like the first part of the Greek word for resurrection (anastasis, to stand up again).

So anaginosko means to (personally) know again. It is used in 30 verses in the NT, most of the references are about reading the Scriptures.

1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Reading here is #320, a slightly different form of the same word.

You know how we are to read, study and meditate on God’s Word daily, right? It is like Jesus and the Apostles are saying , Read, reread, become personally familiar with the Scriptures again - and like Revelation 1:3 states when we read and heed the Bible, the Lord blesses us.

February 2, 2023
Jerry Bouey

Power For Preaching And Serving The Lord

Power For Preaching And Serving The Lord

This is an awesome promise to claim whenever we need boldness or strength to do God’s will. I have literally claimed it hundreds and hundreds of times when preaching at the Gospel Mission.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The word for fear means timidity, cowardice. God says that this kind of fear does not come from Him. If you ever have fear (or even hesitation) in doing what is right or what God has called you to do, you just need to acknowledge your fear to God - knowing it does not come from Him - and ask Him to take it away and fill you with His Holy Spirit. See also James 4:7. A good cross reference for 2 Timothy 1:7 is Romans 8:15. We are not given the spirit of fear - but the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of adoption.

The word for power is dunamis, where we get dynamite from - spiritual power. This is the spiritual power to make an impact for the Lord and it works through you to touch the lives of others.

The word love here is agape - the selfless love of God, love for God and love for man. This love is what gives us the motivation to serve the Lord faithfully, to witness to and preach to the lost. See Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 5:14; and 1 John 4:18.

A sound mind is being self-controlled and sober in your thinking, in control of your thoughts. If you are in control of your thoughts, you will also have self-control in regards to your body, your actions, your words. When you are filled (controlled or influenced by) the Holy Spirit, you are able to do God’s will and say or do what He would have you to do. See Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:6.

God’s love and power will give you the strength and ability you need to fulfill God’s will for you, will remove your fear and enable you to step out in faith to do whatever He has called you to do.

August 10th, 2023
Jerry Bouey

Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of Strength (Elah)

Lessons In The Valleys:
The Valley Of Strength (Elah) - 1 Samuel 17

Read 1 Samuel 17:1-3. Define mountains and valleys in our lives. Some examples: The Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23), The Valley Of Trouble (Hosea 2), the Valley of Baca (Weeping, Psalm 84).

Then 1 Samuel 17:16.

40 is symbolic of a time of testing. Examples:

- Spies checking out the promised land. Numbers 13:25-33.

- 40 years wandering in the wilderness.

- Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness.

- After Jesus’ resurrection, time spent showing He was alive.

 

Giants of Gath - Anakim:

- See Numbers 13:25-33; Joshua 11:21-22; 1 Chronicles 20:4-8. If the Israelites had destroyed the Canaanites as the Lord had commanded them to do, there would never have been this battle. As the verses in this section show, Goliath and his four brothers came from one of the cities that they did not conquer by faith.

 

Comparison between Goliath, Saul, and David, and their strengths:

 

Size: Goliath – 9 ½ feet or taller. (The main cubit used in Bible times was a foot and a half long.)

Saul – Head and shoulders above everyone else. 1 Samuel 9:2.

David – Average size.

 

Armour: Goliath – Coat of mail (approximately 125 pounds), helmet, brass leg greaves, shield, target (means either a small shield – as extra protection for his back - or a javelin).

Saul – Coat of mail, helmet, perhaps more. 1 Samuel 17:38-39.

David – none. 1 Samuel 17:40-47, 50. The problem with Saul’s armour was that to David it was untried in battle, not that it was too big.

 

Weapons: Goliath – Sword, spear (head weighed about 15 pounds). (Sword later used by David – See 1 Samuel 21:9.)

Saul – Sword.

David – Sling and five stones, staff.

 

Age: Goliath – Perhaps middle age. 1 Samuel 17:33.

Saul – Approximately 60-70 years old. We do not know how old he was when he became king, but he reigned for 40 years, and at this point in time it was about 30 years into his reign. (See next point.)

David – Around 20 years old. 1 Samuel 17:33-37. Israels’ soldiers were usually 20 years old and up. After this point in time, David becomes part of Saul’s army. Saul’s daughter was offered to him (so he could not have been any younger than mid to late teens). The history of the rest of the book of 1 Samuel (ie. David serving in Saul’s court, in the Israelite army, and fleeing from king Saul) does not seem to cover more than approximately ten years, and David was 30 when Saul died and he became king – so this would again make him somewhere around 20 (ie. late teens to early twenties).

 

Status: Goliath – Seasoned Warrior, Philistines’ Champion.

Saul – King, Warrior.

David – Musician, Shepherd, Armourbearer.

 

Military Might: Goliath – Whole Philistine army, shield bearer.

Saul – Israelite army, Valiant men, David’s 3 oldest brothers, Jonathan. 1 Samuel 14:47-48, 52.

David – All alone… (With the Lord!!)

 

Mental State: Goliath – Fierce, scornful.

Saul – Fearful. 1 Samuel 17:11.

David – Full of faith, bold, courageous. 1 Samuel 17:23-24, 26, 29. We see his love for the Lord, and his desire to defend the Lord’s honour.

 

Spiritual State: Goliath – Lost, wicked.

Saul – Backslidden, Holy Spirit departed from him. 1 Samuel 16:14.

David – The Holy Spirit came upon him (like the Judges). 1 Samuel 16:13.

 

Spiritual Might/Strength:

Zechariah 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

- Might: from Strong's # 2342; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Joshua 23:9-10  For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

Proverbs 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Ephesians 6:10-12  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

- Strong: empowered, enabled.

- Power: vigor, strengthened.

 

November 3rd, 2010
Jerry Bouey

See also:

Lessons In The Valleys:

The Valley Of Trouble

The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death - Part One

The Lily Of The Valleys

True Worship

 True Worship

Many people in our day call attending a church service or listening to some music (for example, a Christian rock concert) as worshipping the Lord (ie. a worship service, praise and worship). While we certainly can worship the Lord through our singing (ie. praising Him and giving Him glory through song - of course, through God-honouring music!), but worship is not primarily that or limited to that. Many can go through the motions; and getting some feeling (or emotional high) through the music is not worship.

Basic definitions of worship, based on the words used in the Bible: to bow down or prostrate onself in humble submission/homage; glorifying the Lord through praise, prayer, and song; to serve; to kiss or adore; to revere (to have Godly fear of the Lord); to be pious towards (ie. devoted to).

Way Of Life Encyclopedia gives this definition: "To bow down; to honor; to exalt; to pay homage; to reverence."

The word worship basically means to give worth to something. What do you give worth to in your life?

As mentioned, worship involves serving, spending time with, adoration. What do you spend all your time and focus on? There are people that worship their possessions, their money and cars, themselves.

One of the words for worship in the Bible is latreuo or latreia, which means "to serve." We get our word "idolatry" from this - which is serving or revering idols (false gods), whether physical or spiritual.

Ways Of Worship:

A) Praise: Job 1:20-21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

This is something the Bible refers to as "the sacrifice of praise" - praising the Lord when it is not easy. That is real worship.

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

See also Jeremiah 33:11.

B) Adoration: Matthew 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Worship - "(meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)."

- In a negative sense, regarding the world following the Antichrist:

2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Worshipped - "something adored, i.e. an object of worship (god, altar, etc):--devotion, that is worshipped."

C) Service: Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

D) Fear/Reverence: Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

Worshipped - "to revere, i.e. adore:--devout, religious, worship."

- Notice: Lydia did not yet know the Lord, but her reverence (fear of God) led her to pay attention to the Word of God when she heard it. Before I got saved, my fear of the Lord led me to cast off certain sins that were in my life when I was younger - but I still needed the knowledge of the truth and understanding/reception of the Gospel to worship the Lord in a manner that would please Him.

How To Worship:

1) In The Beauty Of Holiness:

Psalms 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Beauty - decoration, from a word meaning "magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendor."

Holiness - "from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary."

6942: "to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally)."

Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

Kneel - "to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration)." Also, "praise."

2) In Spirit/Sincerity And Truth:

John 4:20-24 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

In spirit - means that our worship of God is not to be some external show, but coming from our heart, from our inner man.

- God is not limited by location. We can seek Him and worship Him anywhere.

- He is not some physical object that we make offerings or pray towards. He is a Spirit.

Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Joshua 24:14-15 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Sincerity - "entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth:--without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright(-ly), whole."

In truth - means that our worship of the Lord God must be according to His Word - His way. That means our worship of God the Father must be through the Son. We can't worship the Lord any old way we choose.

3) By Our Whole Life And Our Daily Service:

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Reasonable - rational, logical.

Service - Latreia, "from 3000; ministration of God, i.e. worship."

3000: "from latris (a hired menial); to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage:--serve, do the service, worship(-per)."

In Heaven for all eternity, we will be worshipping the Lord:

Revelation 4:8-11 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 5:11-14 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Revelation 7:9-12 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 11:15-17 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

Revelation 19:1-4 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

On My Knees

On my knees I will worship
the King of heaven and earth.
Lord of all creation,
You alone are worth
More than a million diamonds,
or pearls from the sea,
For they will pass away, my Lord,
but You will always be.

When troubles come, my God,
I know You will conquer all.
You will heal my heart and rescue me
every time I fall.
In the darkest night of despair,
my Jesus, You'll pull me through.
There is no other Saviour, Lord,
there is only You.

When my heart is tempted away, Lord,
I know You will pull me back.
When riches start to sway me,
remind me there's no lack
Of Your glorious blessings.
I have no use for greed.
You are love eternal;
that is all I really need.

When the world grabs at my attention
don't let me be lured away.
All the money I can dream of
is not worth one single day
Of being without You,
my Lord, my God, my King.
You alone are worth forever,
You're worth everything!

Poem May 18th, 1994
Outline June 7, 2010
Jerry Bouey

How Many Souls Went Into Egypt With Jacob?

How Many Souls Went Into Egypt With Jacob?

One interesting Bible difficulty is how many souls actually went into Egypt with Jacob? The three main passages are:

Genesis 46:26-27 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

Exodus 1:5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

Acts 7:14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

How many people moved to Egypt with Jacob when Joseph sent for his father and the rest of his family to come and live with him? Was it 66 people, 70 people, or 75? Can these passages be reconciled?

According to some commentators favouring the Critical Text, the solution can be found in the Septuagint which lists nine more sons of Joseph living with him in Egypt. Hm, 66 descendants of Jacob moving into Egypt, plus 9 more sons makes 75. Problem solved, so they say. But that solution makes the Masoretic Hebrew Text behind our King James Bible faulty. Is there a Biblical solution found within our King James Bible that does not question or correct the Bible and yet still reasonably reconciles the passages in question? There is.

Let’s take an in-depth look at the primary passage and break it down.

Genesis 46:6-7 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

Genesis 46:8-15 And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.

And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.

And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.

And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.

These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

From the above passage, we see the breakdown of Jacob’s children with Leah - six sons (and their children), and one daughter, Dinah, going with Jacob into Egypt - totalling 33 souls:

Jacob (1 soul)
Reuben - Hanoch, Phallu, Hezron, and Carmi (5 souls)
Simeon - Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul (7 souls)
Levi - Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (4 souls)
Judah - Shelah, Pharez, and Zerah
- Grandchildren through Pharez: Hezron, and Hamul (6 souls)
Issachar - Tola, Phuvah, Job, and Shimron (5 souls)
Zebulon - Sered, Elon, Jahleel (4 souls)
Dinah (1 soul)

Add that all up and that equals 33 people. We know Leah is not included because she was already dead. See Genesis 49:31. So far so good.

Genesis 46:16-18 And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.

And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.

These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.

The sons and granddaughter of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, which came into Egypt with him (16 souls):

Gad - Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli (8 souls)
Asher - Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah
Grandchildren through Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel (8 souls)

16 children and grandchildren through Zilpah. There are reasons to believe Zilpah was also no longer alive. More on that later.

Genesis 46:19-22 The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.

And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

The sons and grandsons of Jacob by Rachel that came into Egypt with him (14 souls):

Joseph - Manasseh, and Ephraim (3 souls) - already in Egypt by this time

Benjamin - Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard (11 souls)

Rachel was already dead by this time, according to Genesis 35:19. So here we see the number agreeing, 14 souls, children and grandchildren through Rachel.

Genesis 46:23-25 And the sons of Dan; Hushim.

And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.

These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.

The sons of Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, that came into Egypt with him (7 souls):

Dan - Hushim (2 souls)
Naphtali - Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem (5 souls)

There are reasons to believe Bilhah is no longer alive, but her children and grandchildren equal 14 souls.

Add all those subtotals up:
33 + 16 + 14 + 7 = 70 souls, exactly like this main passage says.

How do we get the other numbers from these verses? Consider again the starting passages:

Genesis 46:26-27 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

Exodus 1:5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

All the souls that came from Jacob and went into Egypt at the same time as Jacob were 66. Joseph was already in Egypt, and he had two children there. So you have 66 souls going into Egypt - plus Jacob, Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim. That equals the 70 total given in the very next verse.

But where does the 75 come from that Stephen mentioned?

Acts 7:14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

When Joseph sent to bring his father up from Canaan to take him into Egypt, 75 souls came altogether with him. Joseph and his family were already in Egypt. Not counting Jacob, 75 people travelled down into Egypt. Subtract the 66 direct descendants already mentioned and you have nine people to account for. That means these nine are not children daughters, or grandchildren of Jacob. Who are they?

These are the wives of his sons. Dinah never married after the events of Genesis 34. Judah’s wife passed away already, according to Genesis 38.

The difference between the 66 descendants and the 75 going into Egypt that Stephen refers to in Acts 7:14 are the surviving wives of his sons and grandsons. We know that out of these 9, Rachel, Leah, Tamar, and Judah's wife were not included. Rachel, Leah, and Judah's wife had passed away (see Genesis 38:12), and Tamar did not remain with or marry Judah (see Genesis 38:26). In light of their advanced age and the fact that Jacob’s actual wives had passed away, it is reasonable to conclude that his daughters’ handmaids (Zilpah and Bilhah) had also passed away prior to this time as well.

Out of eleven sons, 9 still had living spouses (remember Judah’s wife had passed away). We do not know which of the other ten sons was missing a wife by the time they went into Egypt, but it is easy to see that Jacob’s 66 descendants, plus 9 living spouses equals the 75 souls that actually made the journey to live with Joseph in Egypt.

Bible difficulty solved by taking all relevant passages at face value, without consulting questionable commentaries, or correcting the King James Bible with corrupt manuscripts and modern versions. Nor do we need to question Stephen’s inspired sermon in Acts 7. No matter how you look at it, Stephen was not in error with his quotation of Old Testament Bible facts, nor was the Bible at fault in recording exactly what was said. Both line up and reconcile completely with all relevant passages, despite what all critical commentaries and study Bibles have to say.

The King James Bible stands the test of the critic’s pen and still holds sway. Praise the Lord for a Bible we can hold in our hand and boldly declare that it IS in fact the verbally inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God today!

March 18th, 2026
Jerry Bouey

Jesus Christ, Our Cornerstone And Our Headstone

Jesus Christ, Our Cornerstone And Our Headstone

1 Peter 2:6-7 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

Many modern versions translate the phrase, “head of the corner” in 1 Peter 2:7 as “cornerstone.” Of course, the commentaries all follow in their footsteps and treat both of these stones as one. However, there are two unique ideas being presented here, not just one. Knowing what the Bible teaches about both of the terms is actually a blessing to us in our spiritual walks.

The Corner Stone

The phrase “chief corner” is Strong’s #g0204: “akrogōniaios, belonging to the extreme corner, chief corner.”

The Complete Word Study Dictionary defines it as follows: “from ákron (G0206), extreme, and gōnía (G1137), corner. The foundation cornerstone, applied figuratively to Christ who not only sustains the whole structure of the Church, but also unites Jews and Gentiles into one mystical building.”

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary gives these definitions for foundation:

“1. The basis of an edifice; that part of a building which lies on the ground; usually a wall of stone which supports the edifice.
3. The basis or ground work, or any thing; that on which any thing stands, and by which it is supported... Christ is the foundation of the church.”

There are seven direct verses in the Bible that refer to building our lives upon the Lord Jesus Christ as our foundation (several surrounding verses added for context):

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Luke 6:47-49 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

1 Corinthians 3:10-13 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Ephesians 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

The Head Stone (ie. Capstone)

1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

Strong’s Concordance defines “head” as “#g2776. κεφαλή kephalē; from the primary κάπτω kaptō (in the sense of seizing); the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively.”

The Complete Word Study Dictionary also defines “head” as “The head, top, that which is uppermost in relation to something.”

The head stone is the final stone that is placed on a building. It is literally the capstone, the stone capping off the construction of a building, such as the temple. As the final stone placed on the building, it literally holds the walls and the roof together, preventing the walls from separating or slowly shifting apart as the building settles. It basically brings stability to the finished structure.

Psalms 118:22-23 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

According to historical and Biblical tradition, Psalm 118:22 refers to the construction of Solomon’s temple. The head stone was the first stone brought to the temple grounds and set to the side during the building of the temple. Over the course of the thirteen years it took Solomon to build his temple, this stone was neglected, despised, left alone, and gradually became overgrown with weeds and debris. But when the temple construction was almost finished, the builders realized the stone which they neglected for all those years was actually an integral part of the finished work. A search was made and the head stone was found, cleaned off, and used to put the final touch on the temple. The construction of God’s temple was at last completed.

The Lord Jesus Christ confirmed that this Psalm actually refers to Biblical history, and declared that just like the head stone was despised and overlooked by so many, even so He was the head stone of the corner - neglected and despised by so many in this world, yet integral to their spiritual lives if they ever hoped to be reconciled to God.

Jesus is the head stone, the capstone, the Saviour who finishes and caps off our spiritual lives. There is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ and His finished work upon the cross of Calvary. What the Lord began in those who trust in Him alone for salvation, He will complete, He will perform and perfect, He will complete eternally.

There are seven references to the “head stone” in the Bible - 6 verses directly referring to the Lord Jesus Christ, and another verse as a type of Him:

1) Psalms 118:22-23 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

2) Zechariah 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

3) Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

4) Mark 12:10-11 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

5) Luke 20:17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

6) Acts 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

7) 1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

Jesus Christ is both the Cornerstone and the Headstone (capstone) of our spiritual lives (Psalm 118:22). As the Cornerstone, He is the sure foundation, the solid foundation, we build everything upon, providing stability and support - the solid Rock that can withstand every storm we face. As the Headstone, He holds all the pieces together and completes what He started in us. He literally holds our very lives together in His hands - from beginning to end. We will never fall apart when He is our Cornerstone and our Headstone.

Just like the Lord Jesus Christ is our Corner Stone and our Head Stone, there are also various other names He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, showing He is all that His people will ever need in this life and in eternity.

Consider the following Seven All-Encompassing Names Of Jesus:

1) The Author and Finisher of our Faith (Hebrews 12:2)

2) The Cornerstone (foundation) and the Chief of the Corner (ie. capstone) (1 Peter 2:6-7)

3) Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8)

4) The Beginning and the Ending (Revelation 1:8)

5) The First and the Last (Revelation 1:11)

6) The Lion and the Lamb (Revelation 5:5-6)

7) The Root and the Offspring of David (Revelation 22:16)

March 10th, 2026
Jerry Bouey

Paved With Love

Paved With Love

Song of Songs 3:7-10

Behold his bed, which is Solomon's;

threescore valiant men are about it,

of the valiant of Israel.

They all hold swords, being expert in war:

every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

He made the pillars thereof of silver,

the bottom thereof of gold,

the covering of it of purple,

the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

The whole Song Of Solomon is a love song about fellowship between Solomon and his espoused (ie. engaged) bride. Solomon is a type or picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the espoused bride represents the believer who has placed their faith in Him. Every aspect of this song pictures our relationship and fellowship with the Lord from the moment of coming to Jesus for salvation, and ending with us eagerly awaiting His return to take His bride to the wedding feast and to the mansions He has prepared for her.

The bed/chariot that Solomon is riding in is the vehicle that carried him through this world and brought him to his espoused bride. The description is interesting because his chariot has the same materials and symbolism as the tabernacle and temple - all of which picture the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Dwelt is a Greek word that literally means “tabernacled.” It is Strong’s #4637, “from 4636; to tent or encamp, i.e. (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specially), to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion).” Strong’s #4636 means, “a hut or temporary residence, i.e. (figuratively) the human body (as the abode of the spirit): — tabernacle.”

The Son of God tabernacled among us. His physical body was the temple of God while Jesus Christ was here on earth. This was the vehicle or vessel He came to earth in and dwelt during His earthly ministry (ie. wherein His deity resides - since Jesus’ incarnation, He is now BOTH God and Man forever).

John 2:19-21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.

Song of Songs 3:9-10

King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

He made the pillars thereof of silver,

the bottom thereof of gold,

the covering of it of purple,

the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

Cedar is an aromatic wood, incorruptible, durable. His chariot is made out of the same wood as the temple. Jesus is the pure, spotless, sinless Son of God.

Hebrews 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

The pillars are made of silver - silver pictures redemption. The whole reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem was so He could grow up and die for our sins upon the cross - to redeem fallen man.

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The bottom of this chariot is made of gold - gold pictures deity. Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The covering of his chariot is purple - purple represents kingship. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The midst of this chariot is paved with love. The whole motivation for Jesus going to Calvary was His great love for us.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

The love of God. The reason for Christ coming down to earth, being born in a manger, dwelling among us, shedding His blood and dying for our sins upon the cross, and rising again from the dead. Nothing can separate His children from His love.

Romans 8:35, 37-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is the motivation for many a hymn of worship and praise. Consider the following:

The Love Of God

(Words and Music: Frederick M. Lehman)

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled,

And pardoned from his sin.

Chorus:

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,

And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men, who here refuse to pray,

On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God’s love so sure, shall still endure,

All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—

The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above,

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

Song of Songs 3:11

Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon

with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him

in the day of his espousals,

and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

One day - hopefully soon - the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back for His bride. 

Song of Songs 8:14

Make haste, my beloved,

and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart

upon the mountains of spices.

Are you ready to meet Him?

Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Devotional February 28th, 2026

Jerry Bouey