The Book Of Judges Part 4

!" # In Chapter 5 we read how Deborah sang a song and praised YHVH for the victory He gave Israel, saving His people and for giving them rest. There was 40 years of rest during Deborah’s ruling. We see that the victory came when the people offered themselves willingly. The phrase, “willingly offered themselves” is one Hebrew word “nadab” and was first used in Ex 25:2 where the people of Israel willingly brought offerings for the construction of the Tabernacle. $% !"

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Back in the time of Moses they brought ‘offerings’ to build the House of YHVH, but here we see that the people were the ‘offerings’, who forms the House of YHVH. They willingly give themselves for His presence to indwell, making their bodies His Tabernacle. + & , -. 0 $

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The Axe of Destruction The verse in 1 Cor 3:17 says that if anyone I think you are sinful destroys the Tabernacle/ Temple or and you cannot do the Dwelling Place of Elohim, that person will work of YHVH! be destroyed. What does this mean? He I love you. refers to the whole Body, not only to you as an individual who needs to take care and look after your body, not sinning; he also referred to the assembly. It means that; if the unity in the Assembly is destroyed by a person, that that person will be destroyed or will be taken away from the assembly and be dealt with on the outside. We as individuals are described as trees [Ps 1] and Y’shua will put and axe to the root of the tree that does not bear fruit.

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0 This is a warning to all of us, not to destroy the unity, so that we will not be removed from His Assembly. YHVH wants unity, with or without you. It said that YHVH would put an axe to the root of those trees that do not bear fruit (of the Spirit). What does the axe represent? The word axe is the word “garzen”

An Axe instead of a Sword

and it sprouts from the family word “gare”

The word axe has a Zayin

that means

stranger. You can see that “gare” or stranger is found within the word “garzen” or axe and YHVH will use ‘strangers’ to remove people from the assembly if they destroy the unity. These strangers are people in the world who will influence YHVH’s people negatively (remember the Four Giants in Part 1), and cause them to move away from YHVH if they allow this. These strangers are ‘people in the world’ or ‘people who believe different than you’ who are the ‘axes’. YHVH will use these Giants as ‘axes’ to cut down these people who are disturbing the Unity. We are supposed to be set-apart and not allow ‘Giants’ (unbelievers and religious people) inside our inner circle of trust and counsel. This is a very serious warning because these people can end up back in the world among the strangers ”gare” or unbelievers. The word ‘axe’ is first found in Scripture in Deut 19:5.

(Word) and a Nun (fruitfulness) combined with the ways of the “gare”

stranger. Axe = The “tool” that will separate people from the Unity in the Assembly due to their weaknesses and stubbornness. These people will end up in among the strangers. They will loose their Sword (Zayin) and fruitfulness (Nun).

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The person causing disunity is like the man chopping down trees (fellow believers) from the assembly (wood) through his actions and words. His intentions may be pure (the axe’s head slipped and it was an accident), but he was not supposed to use an axe in the first place. He may cause the death of a fellow believer, causing them to leave the assembly and go somewhere else, but he himself will also be removed by YHVH and send to one of the cities of refuge. What do these cities represent? It is a place where YHVH will deal with the proud so that the person can repent and live. Paul gave us a bit more insight into this in 1 Cor 5:2 +

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This is where the flesh and pride will be broken down in isolation of fellow believers but will be done among strangers. Their sin will become their enemy and will gain strength and make them to fall and bump their heads so that they will wake up and repent and live. This is dealt with in this manner so that that person can be sorted out without destroying the Dwelling Place of YHVH (UNITY) so that YHVH can still work in the midst of the assembly that are left. If the person still do not want to repent after this, 1 Cor 3:17 teaches us that this person may loose his salvation at the end.

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The Body of Messiah This is what Paul teaches us in 1 Cor 12, that we are the Temple of YHVH and the Body of Messiah [Rom 12:5], the dwelling place of His presence. In 1 Cor 12 he describes this body with different members because of the different Gifts the Spirit given to each individual. We can only represent the Messiah in His full stature in the Assembly through His Gifts because the fullness of Him lies within the Gifts He gave to His people. YHVH takes the unity of His people very seriously because His effectiveness relies on the love and unity of the people who represent Him. Y’shua is the Head of the Body and if we do not have this unity and love amongst the brothers, He may not have hands or feet and only a head and we will represent a Paraplegic Y’shua to the world. YOU on your own is not the body of Messiah, His Body is his people Unified together in love, operating in His Gifts. How can the Messiah fully function and do His work with no fingers, hands, arms or legs? We have looked at the phrase “…the people gave themselves willingly…”, that is the word “nadab” and it has the following meanings: The word “nadab”

means to offer freely, to volunteer, to give freely, to be

generous and free will offering (“olah” - which is also pointing to the three free will offerings; elevation offering, peace offering and meal offering). “Nadab” has a very interesting meaning if we look at the meanings of each letter. “Bet”

means ‘house’ and is on the left hand side,

meaning physical house, The assemblies came together in houses. “Dalet”

means Door and represents Y’shua. They all

had Y’shua in common and that faith drew them together as one Body. “Nun”

means fruitfulness and is on the right or spiritual

side. They operated in the Gifts of the Spirit and represented the Messiah to the world and many came to faith, in other words; they were fruitful. To be spiritually fruitful (Nun), making an impact in this world, winning battles, you have to represent Y’shua (Dalet) in your midst through unity with fellow believers, which will make up the house (Bet) for His presence in this world.

Unity = Whole Body = Y’shua You cannot serve YHVH on your own in isolation, not wanting to fellowship with others. The people are the ‘medium’ of your faith, living out His Commandments. Just like you need water to swim in, you need people to live out His Commandments. Without a Body that is ONE, Y’shua will not be present in His fullness among you.

As we saw in Judges Chapter 5, the people gave themselves willingly as sacrifices to do battle for YHVH. This is also true in our lives where we have to be part of YHVH’s army who will stand up and fight against the enemies in our lives (internal enemies) and enemies in this world (external enemies). This understanding gives more meaning to the following passage: 8 $ $ 0

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You are to present your body as a living sacrifice, unto service, to serve the Body of Messiah. In other words, your should walk in holiness, renewing your mind, living humbly and in faith, because this is not for your self, but for the benefit of others in the assembly (in your area), to help to build them up into full maturity so that you as an Assembly can represent the Dwelling Place of YHVH, and the presence of Y’shua in your midst. Y’shua cannot be represented in His fullness unless there are unity operating in His Gifts. This takes commitment of each person to be willing to give them selves to help build Y’shua’s presence and full Body among them. Then you as a whole Body will be effective in doing the work of the Messiah and win souls for the Kingdom in your area. When Israel left Egypt, they brought gifts with them and gave it to Moses for the construction of the Tabernacle, in the same way you came out of Egypt (sin) and need to give your body for a vessel that will contain one or more Gifts, for the edification and build up of His Temple in you (Assembly). As we have seen in Judges, they have won the victory and destroyed the enemy when they GAVE themselves as offerings and to service and then YHVH manifested His Presence through unity, defeating the external enemy. When He showed up, the enemy had to flee. External enemies are strongholds and bondages on people in the world and the only way these enemies can be defeated is through the presence of YHVH in your midst. How do we overcome the external enemies? By being in unity allowing YHVH to show up in our midst, then these enemies will flee. As we have seen previously, we have enemies on the inside and on the outside. You have to deal with the enemies on the inside, and if these enemies are sorted, you will be able to give yourself willingly to be part of the ‘bigger picture’ and assist in fighting the enemies on the outside. You will be spiritually mature, filled with the Spirit and have received some of His Gifts so that you are can commit yourself to serve others and be One with your ‘brothers’ and then those enemies on the outside will flee from the presence of YHVH. We saw this time and again in the history of Israel where they rage battles against their enemies and YHVH gave them the victory. How do we overcome these two types of enemies? The Enemies Inside - We overcome these enemies by studying and learning the Word, washing ourselves clean and living set-apart lives. You are personally responsible for your own life regarding sin, and you have to overcome these enemies through discipline and dependence on YHVH through consultation of His Spirit. The Enemies Outside - We overcome these enemies by committing to serve one another in love and being in unity through commitment and humility. YHVH will then give you the victory and you will be able to function and mean something for His Kingdom. Remember, you are not the Body of Messiah; it is through Unity of His people and the collating of His Gifts that His Body is established in you all.

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The Higher Calling If you are part of an assembly, you should pursue unity and the higher calling of YHVH; manifesting His Plan and Purpose through you in a collated Body. $

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Patience will put out the fire of arguments among you and humility will kill offence. Choose to do this and the Spirit will help you to achieve it. The Spirit is the “Glue” that keeps us together and we will have the Spirit in our midst if we pursue Unity. Without unity the Dwelling Place of YHVH will fall apart. It is like magnets attracting each other, if you bring it close, aligned in polarity (unity), it will attract with a great force and nothing will pull it apart. If you have disunity, the polarities will not be in the same direction and that same force will work in the opposite and force the people away from each other. * * *

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The Gifts of the Sprit and the Twelve Tribes of Israel Why do we look at the Gifts and the Fruit of the Spirit studying Judges? As you have noticed, every time a Judge was raised up to rule the people, YHVH’s Spirit came upon them and gave them the ability to do what they needed to do. YHVH’s Spirit is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. We are in a privileged time to have the detail of the Gifts and the Fruits recorded by Paul in Eph & 1 Cor, so that we can understand what it means when the Spirit comes upon you. There are a total of 23 Gifts listed with some duplication and if you group them, you will find a total of 12 Gifts of the Spirit through the combination of these passages: Rom 12:6-8, Eph 4:11-12 & 1Cor 12:8-12. As in everything YHVH does, the number 12 has a lot of significance and meaning. There were 12 Tribes, 12 Judges, 12 Disciples and now we see that there are 12 Gifts as well. The number 12 is made up of adding 2 to 10, 2 means; ‘Restoration of Relationships’ and 10 means; ‘Completion and fullness’. By giving these people the Anointing of Gifts, He equips them to complete the restoration process between man and YHVH and man and man, through the Body of the Messiah. Lets look at these 12 Gifts, putting them against the 12 Tribes and Moses’ blessing for each tribe to get some insights. YHVH gave the Gifts to His people to equip them as leaders to serve His people. One person would not have all the Gifts, He will give it to His people as He pleases and where it is needed to fill the gap in leadership.

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As we have seen in the previous sections, we are all leaders or leaders in training, being in a process so that we will be equipped and able to disciple His people. Discipleship is the means of being trained and everybody has that responsibility as a spiritual mature believer, to help and train others so that they will know how to follow YHVH. YHVH chose Israel to be the light of the World and to lead the nations unto Restoration back to Him. In the same way are we equipped by the Gifts of the Spirit to be the light of the world and to lead the people into the Kingdom.

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12 Tribes of Israel

12 Gifts of the Spirit

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:5& < 1. Reuben – He who sees the vision 4 You are my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable (reckless) as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father' s bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch. 2. Simeon – He that hears and obeys - Simeon and Levi are brothers; tools of violence are their weapons. Oh my soul, do not come into their secret. Let not my honor be united with their assembly. For in their anger they killed a man, and in their self-will they hamstrung a bull. Let their anger be cursed, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

3. Levi – Interweave - Simeon and Levi are brothers; tools of violence are their weapons. Oh my soul, do not come into their secret. Let not my honor be united with their assembly. For in their

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1. Apostles – Sent one - They are the people

who have the vision and who break open new ground and who support and chain all the assemblies together with a higher overseeing function. They can be reckless with their words at times because of their knowledge of the Word, and should take heed not to cause confusion like Paul did. 2. Prophets – Hearing and speaking YHVH’s Words - Prophets are the people who hears the words of YHVH and obey by speaking it over the people. There is a lot of reproof to these people for they can kill people spiritually by their words if they speak their own words because the they are accused of being self-willed. This is one of the reasons why false prophets exits today, people taking the gift of YHVH and misuse it producing spiritual death in stead of spiritual edification. They will be divided against one another in the last days and will be scattered within the earth among the believers. The main function of a prophet is to establish the spiritual boundaries and to remind the people to repent if they have crossed the line to bring them back into safety of His Word. 3. Evangelists – Preachers of the Gospel These people are similar to the prophets and have the same impact on the people if they are not based on the foundation of the Word. They are in the public eye end can lead or mislead people

anger they killed a man, and in their self-will they hamstrung a bull. Let their anger be cursed, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. People that were Levites: Moses, Aaron, Eli, John the Baptist.

4. Judah – Praise of YHVH - may your brothers praise you. May your hand be in the neck of your enemies. May your father' s sons bow before s whelp. My son, you have you. Judah is a lion' gone up from the prey. He stooped, he crouched like a lion; and like a lioness, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. And the obedience of the peoples to him. Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass' s colt to the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes shall be sparkling with wine, and his teeth white from milk. Descendants that came from Judah: Caleb, King David, Solomon and Y’shua the Messiah. 7. Dan – He that judges - He shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse' s heels, so that its rider shall fall backward. I have waited for Your salvation, O YHVH.

very easily because of their gift. The Levites existed to serve the people and teach the people and evangelists are to interweave new believers, which they find in the world, bringing them into the kingdom and hand them over to the shepherds and teachers to establish them in the faith. Moses was an evangelist who led the people out of Egypt (sin & bondage)

4. Pastors & Shepherds – They will be

people who maintain the standard of the Torah and guard it so that the flock can be fed. They protect and guard the flock like a lion, the king of the animals, ruling over them. Pastors and Shepherds are needed inside the Promised Land to govern the people. David was a good King who established YHVH’s Government in the land of Israel and Y’shua will be the King who will rule over the earth forever.

5. Teachers – Teachers are to present the

word in order to govern the assembly in right ruling and truth. They are to judge certain situations and oversee the flock that there may be unity and peace. They support the Shepherds and does basically the same function.

People that descended from Dan: Samson

10. Naphtali – Struggles or fights -

Naphtali is a deer let loose. He gives goodly words.

8. Gad – Good Fortune - Gad, raiders shall attack him, and he shall attack their heel. 9. Asher – Blessed - Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

6. Issachar – Reward - He is a strong ass crouching down between the sheepfolds. And he saw that rest

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6. Helper, Encouragement & Show mercy – Words of encouragement for those who

are confused (let loose) and who struggles and fights in their life to get things right. Encouragement is their main Gift to uplift those who are weary and their words will bring strength. 7. Wisdom – Wisdom is like a weapon that can be used to confront your enemy from a place they would not expect it. Wisdom will give good fortune and great blessing, as you will find in the Book of Proverbs of Solomon. 8. Knowledge – Knowledge is the beginning of everything – the understanding of YHVH. To know His Word is Bread for our life and we shall be satisfied and blessed. People blessed with this Gift are usually Teachers who know the Word and who has the ability to teach. 9. Faith – Faith is like a strong Ass that can bear a lot without complaining. People of faith are an example to others when things get tough because

was good and that the land was pleasant. And he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a tribute-slave.

5. Zebulon – Dwelling - You shall live at the sea shore. And he shall be a haven for ships, and his border beside Sidon.

11. Joseph -Ephraim & Manasseh – Increase - He is a

fruitful son, a fruitful son by a well, whose branches run over the wall. The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and an archer lurks for him. But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty Elohim of Jacob (from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel); by the Elohim of your father, who shall help you. And may the Almighty bless you with blessings of Heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are above the blessings of my ancestors, to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him, the ruler, the leader of his brothers. People that descended from Joseph: Joshua, Gideon (Menasseh) 12. Benjamin – Son of my right hand - He is a wolf that tears in pieces. In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. People that descended from Benjamin: King Saul.

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they trust in YHVH. This is a Gift everybody can have and must ask for – the ability to stand and to trust, no matter what.

10. Working of miracles & Healing –

Y’shua did miracles by the sea which represents the nation. People in the world needs signs to bring them in but people of faith needs the Word to be equipped to disciple them. If Believers pursue signs and wonders they will become ineffective and miss their calling and stagnate. People who are Apostles and Evangelists normally have this Gift as well to bring in people from the Nations into the Kingdom of YHVH. 11. Discerning of spirits – Which spirits are there to discern? Joseph is a picture of the “Lost Tribes” found in the Church following Christ who have received the Gifts of the Spirit and who are fruitful. Their branches run over the wall, into all nations. The archers (words spoken against) have shot these people who try to follow YHVH in Truth. YHVH gave them ‘ammo’ (truth) to shoot back and defend their faith. Among these followers, there will be deceiving spirits that will lead the people away from total restoration, away from the Torah. These spirits are: Balaam, Jezebel and the Spirit of the Antichrist/AntiMessiah. These people with this gift are aware of these things and can discern which spirit operated in an assembly and what to pray for.

12. Tongues & interpretation of tongues – Wolves are a sheep’s enemy and putting the

emphasis only on certain gifts can devourer chase the sheep away, especially the gift of tongues because people do not understand it. Those who have this gift must be careful how to apply it to edify the flock without chasing them away. People can use this Gift as “Wild Fire” that will cause confusion if it is not done orderly. Prophets normally have this Gift and it is of the same kind.

The Fruit of the Spirit Not all people have all the Gifts of the Spirit and we will look into this at a later stage, but all of us should pursue to have all the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. 8

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The biggest one of all these fruits is love. Without love your motive for following YHVH and His Torah will be wrong and you will end up destroying people with the Torah and not building people up. + &, 0 '

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The fruits are designed by YHVH to help us to live out His Torah with the right attitude, without the Fruits, the Torah will only be a set of rules and a dead letter that kills. We will be made competent if we apply the Word (letter) with the Spirit (Fruits) and this will build people up and give life. This is why the Ark of the Covenant has a Mercy Seat, giving access to the Ten Commandments. You have to have mercy before you can apply the Commandments correctly and this “Mercy” is made up out of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Conclusion In context of this study, the Fruits of the Spirit are there to build up and maintain the Unity in YHVH’s Body here on the earth. With love, peace, joy, gentleness, selfcontrol, goodness and patience in an Assembly, who would not fit right in and enjoy being part of Y’shua’s Body? If these things are missing in an Assembly, there will be fighting, turmoil, division, sadness, selfishness and hate, and no Messiah. Pray and ask YHVH to give you the Gifts that He wants to give you so that you can give yourself as a living sacrifice willingly to serve His people. Then you will be part of the Collected Judge and Bride, Deborah that will manifest His Presence that will defeat your external enemies so that people will come into the Kingdom.

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