Saturday,December 27, 2003
THE SACRIFICE OF ABRAM BEFORE THE LORD. Abram had a very serious conversation with the Lord. He believed the statements of the Lord, thus exhibiting faith. The Lord promised him, promises that were impossible with man but with the Lord all things are possible. The numbers of his offering are most interesting. Because our study involves the number three we are considering the sacrifice that he laid out before the Lord. There were three animals which were divided. Being divided brought the total to six, the number of man. The Lord is seeking the surrender and sacrifice of the old man, the self man. The animals were all of the age of three. The birds were two, Christ and His church. The number of animals and birds used in the offering were five, the number of atonement. Each side of the sacrifice as it was laid out before the Lord contained four pieces, three animals and a bird or four, the number of the earth. The total sacrifice numbered eight, which is the number of resurrection, new life. The combined age of the animals was three times three, or nine, reminding us of the Holy Spirit. Nine fruit, nine gifts and nine virtues. Gen. 15:9-10
HOW DARK CAN IT GET? Three days of total absolute darkness. Light completely withdrawn. Darker than the darkest of caves. The sun, moon and stars not seen in Egypt. A time of misery and downright fear. Psychological disruption and agony. This was an act of God, displaying to a people whose main god was the sun god, that the Lord is greater than all that is worshipped. The man is foolish who would try to explain this event as a natural occurrence, like a wind storm carrying the desert sand or a thick fog. It was the ninth plague brought upon Egypt by the Lord, preparing them to loose Israel from it slavery. It was a darkness that could be felt, pressing down and certainly depressing. It continued for three days and was so oppressive that not one Egyptian moved out of their place. Wherever they were at the outset of this judgment is exactly the spot where they were found at its conclusion. Consider the mental and physical anguish of having to live in the very ultimate of darkness for three days and being entirely unable to move around. Yet, to the Israelites there was no darkness, but light. We would expect the sun to shine as usual in Goshen. They continued to function as they regularly did. Ex. 10:20-23 This darkness was displayed again at Calvary. This time not for three days but for three hours. from the sixth hour to the ninth hour the sun went into total darkness. Mt. 27:45 This darkness is an extreme punishment executed by the Lord. The fallen angels are kept in darkness. Jude 6 There is a segment of the so called religious who have found their way amongst the flock of the Lord. They however, will find themselves in eternal darkness. Jude 13 The kingdom of the antichrist which will be established on the earth will be turned into a kingdom of darkness where men will be in agonizing pain and chew their tongues. Rev. 16:10 The Lord is indeed a God of love, but for those who reject and refuse His great love there is only darkness.