Stranger In A Foreign Land

I wonder how many of you are beginning to feel like me; like I've woken from a long sleep to find myself in a strange place I no longer recognize. I know that, according to the world, I am a citizen of the United States. But I also know that on a higher level, my citizenship is in Heaven. Until recently, I have been satisfied that those two identities could co-exist in harmony. But increasingly, I am coming to understand that compromise is the only way my heavenly citizenship can comply with my national residency -- and my spirit finds that intolerable. 

It's hard to believe but it was less than two years ago that I wrote this for my book, Through A Kingdom Lens: Rediscovering What the Church Lost  --  "I think we can all agree that, as citizens of the United States, we have rights, privileges, and responsibilities. On a civil and public level, we are called upon to respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others; even if we think they are extreme, outrageous, or morally wrong. We know that if we are born in the United States, we legally belong to this country and we have the rights and protection of this country."  

Sadly, I'm not so sure I can say that today. Therefore, my citizenship in Heaven has become that much more precious to me. In fact, my identity and value as a citizen of Heaven is more valuable and costly to me than my recognition as an American. In fact, I find it harder and harder to recognize my native land. It's as if I clearly see the foreign and spiritual influences which are eroding the foundation of our moral underpinning. Our cornerstone of freedom and liberty is being chipped away, and I'm not sure we still possess an imperishable faith in God that will withstand the assault on our way of life.

I can't help but think of what it must have been like for the ancient Israelites to be carried into bondage in Babylon. I know it took approximately 50 years for the fullness of the exile to be completed, but I wonder if they recognized the slow slide of their nation into captivity, or did they willingly allow compromise and disobedience to lead them away from God? The rebelliousness in the House of David continued through Solomon and his son, and eventually led to the tribes of Israel carried into captivity in Assyria and Babylon. They abandoned their covenant with God -- who takes His covenants very seriously -- and their apostasy delivered them into His righteous judgment.

It seems to me that we have followed the same path, ignoring the covenant made by God with men He chose to set the spiritual destiny of this nation. One of these men was John Winthrop, a Puritan and leading figure in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Here are his prophetic words: "Thus stands the cause between God and us. We are entered into covenant with Him for this work. The Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth … We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies.” But there came a warning with this prophecy. Winthrop also said this: “If we shall deal falsely with our God; if our hearts shall turn away so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship other Gods, and serve them, then our blessings will cease to exist”. 

It is not difficult to discern those "gods" which are so evident in our society: profit, greed, power, material possessions, lust, etc. The rebelliousness has led to altars being built to worship abortion, sex trafficking, false religions, and more. And it's not hard to see that our blessings are in grave danger of being eradicated. In ancient Israel, the entire national structure of the kingdom, which was thought to be ordained by God Himself, came crashing down. It certainly seems as if we are on the precipice of experiencing such destruction ourselves. As the Bible Project website records, "The event [in Israel] fulfilled centuries of prophetic warnings, as hundreds of years of tradition, culture, and history was destroyed in just one year. This was their Day of the Lord, and it left them absolutely devastated."

Our country is far less established; not yet 250 years old. How much quicker can we be destroyed? And I want to be clear ... we serve a God who remains committed to His promises to us, even as we have been unfaithful to our covenant obligations to Him. So, even in the midst of our despair over the current situation in our nation, I believe that IF God ordains that our national structure will crumble and fall, He will empower a remnant of the truly faithful to carry forth His Word. Although He is a righteous God, whose nature calls for punishment and discipline for the disobedient, He is also a God of compassion and restoration. It is not His will to leave this nation barren and unfruitful. That long-ago covenant has deep roots, and I believe new seeds of holiness can sprout from the ashes of whatever is in store for our future. 

Nearly a year ago, I shared a prayer that a Messianic pastor in Israel had written for America. He spoke from his own national history of seeing restoration rise from captivity. He declared that America was birthed out of covenant with the Lord and we have justice and righteousness engraved in our foundation. He declared that the Lord's purposes and dreams [for America] would be fulfilled. Oh, how I pray that his prophetic words will come true! Lord, let me part of the remnant that sees the kingdoms of the world become the Kingdom of God. Make no mistake, I fear it will become worse before it becomes better. But our God never abandons His promises! Let us invite the Most High God to once again establish His statutes, ordinances, and laws in this great nation, and declare that He is our God and we are His people. We stand at a very critical crossroads.... for our nation; for our society and culture; for the world's population; for the Body of Christ. In my flesh, I may feel like a stranger in a foreign land, but my spirit is strong and confident in identifying my true Homeland where my King intercedes for us. Stay committed to your personal covenant with Him, and pray that our time of disobedience is soon over.

Psalm 106:45   And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And relented [rescinding their sentence] according to the greatness of His lovingkindness [when they cried out to Him],

Joseph and Jesus: Their Non-Canonical Connection and What Do We Do With That?

     I wanted to take a break from the chaos and events of the world for a day or so, and dive into the examination of Scripture. So, I hope you're willing to take this little journey with me. The first question you should be asking is, "Why would we consider anything non-canonical when it comes to Jesus?" Here is my answer, which may differ from yours, and that is okay. I believe that everything in the Bible is about Jesus. But I don't think that everything there is to know about Jesus is in the Bible. And I give you John 21:25 as evidence ... Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would [have to] be written. I'm not sure we could lift the immense and massive book our Bible would be if everything about Jesus was contained within its pages. Therefore, I surmise that we if we believe that God loves it when we search for His truth (Proverbs 25:2), then I am permitted to use the discernment I receive from the Holy Spirit to examine and consider if other texts align with our Holy Scripture. So, I simply ask for a few minutes of your time to consider some interesting aspects of Scripture that I have come across. 

     I am now on my third serious analysis of the Bible; this time from a Kingdom perspective. I am currently in the 37th Chapter of Genesis, which begins the saga of Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob, and the first-born of Rachel, Jacob's great love. The story of Joseph begins 3600 to 3700 years ago, in the land of Canaan, which is modern day Palestine, Syria, and Israel. We see in the Bible that Joseph was an arrogant and prideful 17-year-old when he has dreams that predict his preeminence over his older brothers, and even his father and mother. The result is that his brothers sell him into slavery, where he eventually ends up in Egypt. We are familiar with the tradition of his coat of many colors and the jealousy of his brothers that drives them to throw him into a pit, sell him, and report to their father that he has been killed by wild animals. This portion of Joseph's story is covered in a mere 36 verses in the Bible.

     But there is a non-canonical history book that sheds much more light on this segment of Joseph's life, and which has some interesting connections to words spoken by our Lord and recorded in the Bible. It is called the Book of Jasher. It is thought to have been written over 3500 years ago, and much of its writings were the basis for the Talmud and Mishna in the Jewish religion. There have been many forgeries throughout the centuries, and corrupt versions have tarnished its relevance. But many acknowledged first century historians and theologians quoted from it, and its mention in the Bible gives it credibility, in my opinion. Through careful analysis, I have chosen a book titled Ancient Book of Jasher by author Ken Johnson, a Doctor of Theology, who writes and lectures on a variety of issues related to Bible prophecy, ancient history, and the coming apostasy.

     And before anyone thinks that I am calling Jasher equal to the Bible, I assure you that I am not. I do not consider it to be inspired by God. But I do think it is a reliable history source for understanding more of what the Bible reveals to us. Couple that with the fact that the Bible, itself, references the Book of Jasher three times, and I believe God intends for us to pursue more revelation from it as long as it confirms Scripture. (NOTE: these references include Joshua 10:12-14; 2nd Samuel 1:17-18; and 2 Timothy 3:8, where the names of Jannes and Jambres are mentioned. These men were among the magicians who challenged Moses and Aaron in Pharaohs's court, and are referenced in Exodus 1:15 and 7:10-12. But they are not named. It is only in Jasher 79:27 that we find out who and why Timothy mentions them in the Bible).

     I will add one more testimony to my reasons for at least considering Jasher in my study of the Bible. The acclaimed Jewish historian Josephus, who was born shortly after Christ's crucifixion and was present during that first century when Christianity lit the world on fire, wrote this about the Book of Jasher (which was in wide use that first century)... by this book are to be understood certain records kept in some safe place on purpose, giving an account of what happened among the Hebrews from year to year, and called Jasher, or the Upright, on account of the fidelity of the annals".

     Finally, now I'm about to reveal what has fascinated me in regards to the story of Joseph and his connection to the recorded words of Jesus.... In Genesis 37:24, the Bible says, "And they (Joseph's brothers) took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was not water in it". My spirit comprehends that this pit was a region of captivity for Joseph, and it was dry and without the Living Water of God. But Jasher reveals more to this simple sentence. Jasher 41:28 reads, "And they took him and cast him into a pit, and in the pit there was no water, but serpents and scorpions. And Joseph was afraid of the serpents and scorpions in the pit. And Joseph cried out with a loud voice, and the Lord hid the serpents and scorpions in the sides of the pit, and they did no harm unto Joseph.

    Immediately, my spirit highlights Luke 10:19, in which Jesus says to His disciples, Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. To me, this is evidence of God's sovereignty in a life. He is showing us that He has been preparing for the glory of Christ and His coming Kingdom throughout redemptive history. In Joseph's case, it is the Lord's authority that rules over the serpents and scorpions in the pit. But when Jesus is our Savior and we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have been given His authority to rule against the power of the Enemy (serpents and scorpions) in our own personal pits and regions of captivity.

     Within that same passage, in Jasher 41:30-31, Joseph calls out to his brothers from the pit, "If I have sinned against you, are you not the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? If they saw an orphan, they had compassion over him, or one that was thirsty, they gave him water to drink, or one that was naked, they covered him with garments? And how then will you uphold your pity from your brother, for I am of your flesh and blood, and if I have sinned unto you, surely you will do this on account of my father!" Sound familiar? In Matthew 25:31-40, Jesus has just finished speaking to His disciples about the Parable of the Talents, and pronounces what the Final Judgment will entail: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

     Are you as amazed as I am that Jesus quotes the words of Joseph, who lived 1600-1700 years before Him? And this account was recorded in a Book written 1500 years before His crucifixion? In Matthew, Jesus is identifying the actions of a righteous man -- who is blessed by His Father -- with the same actions Joseph credits to those who are authentic sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Jesus states that those who are righteous and feed the hungry, give water to those who are thirsty (for the Living Water), welcome the stranger, and clothe the naked will inherit the Kingdom. Again, the Book of Jasher provides us with more historical information than the Book of Genesis, but it is all in the character and sovereignty of the Lord to deliver His Kingdom to those He has chosen since the foundation of the world.

     Joseph was chosen to provide and protect the nation of Israel during the 7-year famine. He went from being a prisoner in a region of captivity (Egypt; representative of Sin) to becoming a Prince within that kingdom he was sold into. Jesus delivers us from our own prisons of sin in the kingdom of darkness into our inheritance as Princes and Princesses in His Kingdom on earth. Joseph received the blessings and benefits of God's authority in the midst of his fear in the pit. As sons and daughters of the King, Jesus bestows our own authority [upon us] to battle the Enemy, where we experience no fear because we know who and whose we are.

     The Book of Jasher is not inspired. But its references in the Bible do not preclude me (or you) from gleaning deeper revelation of the magnificence of God's glory and His profound involvement in the history of the world. I am overwhelmed when I find these jewels that support Scripture and help broaden my vision of how big our God is. Does this make the Bible less relevant or somehow devalue Holy Scripture? Absolutely not! I simply believe my Father is pleased when I glorify Him by searching for more of Him. Proverbs 25:2 makes that perfectly clear ... It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. Whether you read the Book of Jasher or not is certainly your choice. Listen to your spirit; seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, and honor His counsel. Pray that the Father will reveal His desire in the matter. And then be blessed by what you hear. And I thank you for allowing me to share a little bit of my journey in seeing how God is revealing the Kingdom throughout the entire Bible. I'm only on Genesis 37 in my third pilgrimage through Scripture. I can't wait to share more of what I discover!

Isaiah 30:21     And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.