God’s Covenanted Blessings Amid The Economic Crisis

- A Look At The Table Of Showbread And Lampstand

preached by Pastor Joseph Prince

noted by Yeo Choon Meng Terence from CD only [the CD is of the 4th service of 9 November 2008]

Layout of Tabernacle of Moses aka Wilderness Tabernacle

We are living in exciting terms

Some of us may be in the midst of storm but don’t allow storm in your midst or your hearts. Jesus Christ and his disciples were caught in a storm. The disciples were affected by the storm. But the difference is that Jesus did not allow the storm to enter his heart. Unlike his disciples who were worried and cried, He was at Rest, He was asleep. Because Jesus was at peace on the inside, He could subdue the storm raging on the outside, and the real storm — the storm which was raging in the hearts of the disciples (Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 4:40 “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”). It was not the storm that woke Jesus but it was the cry of his disciples. Jesus at all times remained in perfect peace. Only when you have peace inside, can you bring peace to your situation, your family, etc.

This economic downturn did not catch God by surprise. He has the beginning and the final word in crisis. He knows how everything is going to turn out.

Recollection of April 2008 prophesy

March 2008 was a very deceptive month. Many people in Singapore jumped in the stock market as stock market surged in March-April 2008.

Pastor then played excerpts of the prophesy he made in April of 2008.

<BEGIN QUOTE>

“What is God saying to us now? In fact, I talked about the shaking early this year. So are you saying, Pastor Prince what is God’s word – I already told you earlier this year. The very first Sunday I said, I saw this coming year, if your are investing or putting money in the stock market, if you can, get out of it, because I said, in first week of January this year, I see a volatile market.”

<END QUOTE>

[Editor: The above is only my best efforts in transcribing. I thought it was important enough for the prophesy to be transcribed word for word rather than paraphrased.]

Pastor said that he played this excerpt of his past sermon for accountability.

[Editor: You can see that in the months since April (when things still seemed well) when the prophesy was given, global stock markets have since nose-dived and the end of the slide is still not in sight.]

Pastor then played some excerpts from the prophesy which he had given on 7 October 2005, which prophesy can be found under the CD titled:

The Spirit Of Prophesy Under The New Covenant

[Editor: Again, what follows below is only my best efforts in transcribing. I thought it was important enough for the prophesy to be transcribed word for word rather than paraphrased.]

<BEGIN QUOTE>

“Let me just say this to you, what is going to happen in the future will be things that; there will be great prosperity in many places and yet deep poverty in many places. There is a switching of roles it seems in the world today and what I see is Singapore will not be affected by US or other forces as it used to be in times past. What I see is great prosperity ahead for Singapore. I see great prosperity for Singapore. For some reason, God is putting his hand on this nation, because, I believe, the Gospel has to forth around this region, and what I see in the future, Singapore more resilient, more and more immune to things that are going on.

So do not look at the nations to judge what will happen to Singapore or investing on things based on what you see because it is a very funny thing that is happening. I can’t explain it. It is spiritual but I see our nation prospering. Now, it can be good or it can be bad depending on the individuals and how they become good stewards over what God has done. But I am telling you church, what God prophesied about this church a number of years ago — that we will be stewards of plenty — is coming to past.

I am a steward of portions of the Master’s house. Reminds me of that verse that Jesus says, who then is the wise and faithful steward that I will appoint over my house to give my servants their meat in due season? [Editor: This a reference to Luke 12:42] I feel so privileged. Not only am I giving the meat of God’s Word, I am giving finances to many in Israel, to many around the world, and we are a church that is becoming a strong store-house, a treasure-house, not just of finances but of food — revelation knowledge.

And many of you are stewards and because you are parked right here, you are in this house, God will use you. If He can get things through you, He will get the things to you. If God can trust you that you are someone who would allow the blessing to go through, He will get it to you.

And I say to you that the days are on us. Those people who are still prophesying the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous — I am already seeing it happening to people in our church. It is already happening.

But I see a mystery in the future. Countries that we thought will be so prosperous will be all of a sudden experience financial hardship and countries that used to struggle will all of a sudden become prosperous and I am telling you church, Singapore will be on the prosperous side. I see that in the spirit. Amen!

Now what you do with it, praise the Lord, we will pray. We will pray for our leadership, our leaders.

And there will be all over the world, I am not saying the world is going to get better. Even in Singapore, we will battle with things but the financial side of things is going to rise. Now, the world will see new strains of disease and that is why God has prepared each one of us under the shelter of the Most High. The greatest problem in the days’ ahead will not be terrorism, it will be disease, and that’s why every time the word comes forth, the Lord is saying, I giving you double portion power for these last days. I am giving you the communion to battle against the forces of darkness and spirit of infirmities.

Because one day this treasure-house will be open. Maybe it is no accident that my name is Joseph and God will open the treasure-house and release great funds to all of God’s people struggling all over the world. Not only great funds but great food — spiritual revelation that will cause them to grow and be financially independent wherever they are. Amen!

This church will be a store-house. It is already a store-house. Amen! And because you are here, you will be part of this dream that God has for New Creation. Amen!

Lift your hands all over this place!“

<END QUOTE>

Pastor reminded us that the 2005 prophesy was in 2 parts. The first part was about Singapore in 2005-2007 and Singapore did in 2005-2007 enjoy unprecedented prosperity fueled by amongst other things, the boom in real estate development especially en-bloc sales of estates for redevelopment as higher density condominiums. As for the second part of the prophesy, Pastor speculated that USA and other nations prosperous in 2005 will face financial hardship, and nations which were not so prominent in 2005 (perhaps China and India) will now come up so strong. Perhaps, China and India may even bail out the world. There is an inversion of the financial powers. All these were far-fetched when the prophesy was given in 2005.

God is on our side

God is on our side. Regardless of what is happening now, do not translate it as God is against you even if you have made mistakes, even if you have lost money. God is on your side. He is out to bail you out. God is out to help you. That is why forgiveness of sins is the main clause in the New Covenant.

God wants the Church rich – who better to help suffering humanity?

God wants the Church rich. Who better than the Church to help suffering humanity? People who are un-selfish, people who are focused on God and not their own vain-glory. People who are unselfish. People who have a heart of God, a heart of the Father. People who genuinely have love of Jesus in their hearts.

We, the Church, need to be rich to do so. The poor cannot help the poor.

Who better to entrust with great wealth? So that we will be a great blessing to suffering humanity. Why trust the boys from Wall Street who brought us into this situation? Why trust them with the wealth?

People who want the Church to be poor are running with the devil. The devil knows what you the church is going to do with wealth. That is why devil wants you to receive the idea that we should not talk about money.

Maths Teacher & Child Illustration

A child was asked by his maths teacher: If you ask your father for $6 and your father has $10, how much does your father have left. The child replies $10. The teacher tells the child that he does not know maths. The child says to the teacher: you don’t know my Father!

Our heavenly father has a BIG heart! He has limit-less resources!

Table of Showbread

[Editor: This part of the sermon is a continuation from the 5 October 2008 message on "God’s Protection Plan Against The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse "]

The evil spirits described in Revelation and Zechariah and represented by the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse (Revelation 6).

Pastor shared that the placing of the furniture also has significance is countering the horsemen.

Take for instance, the table of showbread which is placed on the north side of the tabernacle.

There were 12 showbread placed on the table of showbread representing the 12 tribes of Israel and the Lord amongst His people. Today, we also understand that the showbread represents Jesus as the Bread of Life to us and He indwells in us His Church. The showbread is thus also a picture of the Holy Communion. The spirit of Death (pale horse – Rev 6:8) is coming from the the north and going towards the south and it therefore faces off with Jesus as typified in the table of showbread on the north. Jesus, the Bread of Life, as our Communion effectively wards off death and disease!

In the early Church, the people came together on “the first day of the week” not so much to hear Paul but to “break bread” (i.e. to have Communion, Acts 20:7 is an example) and they practised Communion from “house to house” (Acts 2:46-47) because Jesus had asked His people to do this often in remembrance of Him (1 Cr 11:24-26).

In fact the truth of the Communion was so important that Jesus gave a personal revelation of the Communion to Paul (1 Cr 11:23: “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.”). Paul could have easily spoken to Peter or any of the other disciples who partook at the first Communion on the night that Jesus was betrayed but Jesus chose to reveal the truths of Communion to Paul directly.

2 Cr 11:30 “For this reason many [are] weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” This is a reference to failure to take Communion. The Bible gives only one reason (“this reason”) for there being weakness, sickness, etc. The Communion is the means to ward off death, disease and their derivatives.

The more you take Communion, the better you become until one day, you look for it, and the disease has disappeared!

The Communion is especially for us because we don’t have mountain-moving faith all the time. God will never give us something – the Communion – which is not a blessing.

Golden Lampstand

The spirit of Famine (black horse – Rev 6:5) is coming from the south and going towards the north and it therefore faces off with that aspect of Christ which is typified by the Golden Lampstand on the south of the tabernacle.

The Golden Lampstand is carved out of one solid slab of gold. The Golden Lampstand typifies the Church and Jesus is in the midst of His Church.

Rev 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

Rev 1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands [One] like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.

Eve, the bride of Adam, was taken from a rib at Adam’s side. So too the Church, was ‘birthed’ from the pierced side of Jesus at the Cross. Notice, the 3 branches each on the left and right sides of the central shaft of the Golden Lampstand. We, the Church, are cut off from the ‘old tree’ and engrafted into the ‘new tree’ and now share the same life, same worth, etc that flows from the central shaft / branch to the other branches.

The Lampstand is made of one solid piece of gold. God wants the Church wealthy so that we can bless the world. If God had wanted the church poor, He would have used a twig to typify the Church. Instead, God used one SOLID slab of gold to make the Lampstand. The branches were not fashioned elsewhere and then inserted. The whole Lampstand (Church) was hammered into shape including the branches. This typifies the hammering of Jesus on the Cross and thereby birthing the Church.

Know that Jesus is in the midst of the Church! Jesus is in our midst. God fights our enemies. If we talk about Jesus daily, preach Jesus, sing about Jesus, raise Jesus high, etc the enemies in our lives will flee. Our eye must be on Jesus and not on the storm.

Jesus said that the disciples would “go over” to the other side so how can we possible go under (Luke 8:22: “… Let us go over unto the other side of the lake…”)

What about the Golden Lampstand / Church that wards off famine and its derivatives?

The answer to the economic crisis is the Church of Jesus Christ!

In tabernacle, there is no natural light from sun, it is only the Golden Lampstand Light light that illuminates.

The light from the Lampstand speaks of God’s revelation and wisdom.

In this present world where the ‘natural’ light is failing, the Church has the revelation to understand the times that we are in.

Chanukah

חנכה

Chanukah is the Jewish festival of lights in which the menorah takes centre-stage in the celebrations. This feast is tied up with money. This is the only feast which involves giving money to children. On the first day of the festival, the candle of the menorah is lit. Then every day for the next eight days, they will give money to the children. The amount of money given is based on how well the particular child has excelled in his studies.

The menorah lighted is picture of the Golden Lampstand giving us wisdom.

Chanukah is derived from the verb חנך (pronounced as – chanak) meaning “to dedicate” or to “educate” or to “teach” [Editor Comments:

Please see Proverbs 22:6 "Train up [ie. chanak] a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”]

The Jewish people in giving money to their kids during Chanukah are telling their kids that if they excel in wisdom and education, money will come their way.

Steven Silbiger

Steven Silbiger was quoted by an adviser to President George W Bush, he writes as follows.

<BEGIN QUOTE>

“Considering the disproportionate number of Jews on the Forbes 400 list each year, it seems that Jews do possess the knowledge it takes in creating wealth. Jews constitute 2.3 per cent of the US population. That means there should be 9 Jews on the Forbes 400 list technically. But in reality, depending on the year, there are between 60 to 100 Jews on this prestigious list. Similar data for the more average population reveals that the percentage of Jewish households with income of more than 50,000 is double that of non-Jews.”

<END QUOTE>

Spiritual light and money come together. This is something the Jews are thought about from even a young age.

God will raise someone with Light

Chanak = wisdom / light of the Lord’s revelation, coming down to teach us.

The world’s financial wizards, including the likes of Alan Greenspan, are clueless about today’s financial crisis. The world can see what is happening but they cannot interpret. They have no light.

In every economic downturn or famine, God will raise someone with Light.

An example was Joseph. Pharaoh had dream but Joseph was the one with Light – revelation of that dream. With that Light, came prosperity for Pharaoh, Egypt and Joseph.

No Light, no money. No Money, no honey. Your life is not sweet.

It all comes with Light / revelation.

In every situation, God will raise someone with Light. Joseph (and also Pastor Prince) are not trained as economists but they are in touch with the One with knowledge of everything. Even all those with all the earthly knowledge could not save their wealth in this time of crisis.

Joseph was not trained in economics of the school of dream interpretation. He was a shepherd and in touch with God. God just gave a word of Wisdom to Joseph and it brought untold prosperity to Egypt. Imagine, what paragraph of Wisdom from God can do!

It is the Light that brings revelation that brings money. God wants us to prosper!

Story of the leader from NCC

Pastor relates the story of a leader from NCC. This leader made lots of money in the earlier years through Godly wisdom and the stock market. For some reason, the door to the stock market closed this year for him. The leader was concerned for his family.

Not everything which appears bad is of the devil. If the traffic light is red. Don’t loose green and bind red. God probably wants to lower your blood pressure, develop the fruit of patience in you or prevent an accident! God love us.

Not everything is of the devil. For Believers, all things work together for good.

Now for this leader, these past 3 months are most relaxing. He sees his family, etc. At the same time, he watches his peers falling (Psalm 91:7 “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand”) like flies. Now this leader is grateful that God closed the door to stock market for him. Daddy God indeed had better plans for this leader.

Some of us are wishing God closed our doors to the stock market. But will we allow God to what He wants in our lives?

Even when we don’t understand Him. God loves us so much, He does not mind being misunderstood for the moment. He will still love you to the place where He wants you to be.

Sometimes, we will complain. We will ask “Why God?!” But one day we will say “Thank you God!” and we may say for example “Thank God I did not marry him or her” etc.

Tithe

Luke 15 tells the parables of 3 missing items, the lost sheep, missing coin (the central parable) and lost son.

In the parable of the lost sheep, the hero is Jesus (the shepherd). In the parable of the lost prodigal son, the hero is the Father (Daddy God). In the parable of the missing coin, the hero is the Holy Spirit in the Church, typified in the woman, who has lost the tenth silver coin. The Church is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit today.

The Church is the Bride of Christ. What Jesus has, the Church – His Bride – also has.

Males have the privilege of being husbands to their wives as well as being part of the Church – the Bride of Christ.

The woman in Luke 15:8 had 10 silver coins. Losing one coin is one tenth of the coins. It is the TITHE!

Pastor preached this revelation here in NCC first before sharing it to the world at large.

Hapto

άπτῃ is Greek and transliterated into English as Hapto. Strong’s Number 681.

Hapto means: to 1. fasten to, adhere to

a. to fasten fire to a thing, kindle, set of fire

Luke 15 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?”

The English word translated as “light” in Luke 15:8 is Hapto which can also be fook in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) version of Exodus 30:8 in

Exodus 30:8

καὶ ὅταν ἐξάπτῃ Ααρων τοὺς λύχνους ὀψέ θυμιάσει ἐπ αὐτοῦ θυμίαμα ἐνδελεχισμοῦ διὰ παντὸς ἔναντι κυρίου εἰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν

And when Aaron lights [Editor: HAPTO is used to translate the Hebrew for lights here] the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout

[Editor: Greek LXX version of Exodus 30:8 found here http://www.zhubert.com/bible?source=greek&verseref=exodus+30%3A8 ]

So we can see from here that lighting the lampstand, helps us have revelation to be prosperous in end-times and that this revelation is wrapped up in revelation of the tithe.

Silver is a type of redemption in the Bible. Therefore, the tithe has power to redeem our material lives. It has the power to reddem the 9 other “coins”.

Where was the church before lamp lit?

Answer: The Church / woman in Luke 15:8 was in darkness. If she did not light the lamp, she would not have seen the revelation of the tithe. It was with the revelation through and from the lamp (Jesus!) that showed her the tithe!

The lamp is burning bright here in NCC!

Never teach tithing in such a way to cause people to fear not to tithe i.e. that if you don’t tithe, you will end up ‘tithing’ to the doctors, lawyers etc.

Tithing is for those who have lit a lamp. It is for those with revelation. If you do not have revelation to tithe, don’t! Only if the Lord has given revelation to you on the tithe, then there will be tangible and visiable results from your tithing.

If you tithe without revelation and then there are no results, you end up discouraging yourself.

We are reminded in the scriptures to search diligently after wisdom. Here, we are to search the Word (like the woman in Luke 15) for the revelation of the tithe and to search diligently and carefully.

Senior Partner – God

No senior partner asks for ten per cent only. At the very least, it would be 51 per cent. God is so gracious. He asks for only 10% and blesses the remaining 90%.

Some don’t tithe because they say that all they have belongs to God. This is a ‘cop-out’ when you think about it.

10 camels as gift to Isaac’s Bride

Gen 24:10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master [were] in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

How can it be that all of Abraham’s wealth were on those 10 camels? Abraham had many more flocks, servants, etc. There was no way they could all fit on those camels.

You see, in middle east culture, the 10 camels, were representative of the whole of Abraham’s wealth. When the servant arrived at the village, the father of Isaac’s prospective bride knows that when she marries the son of Abraham, she gets all of Abraham’s wealth.

10 is a picture of the whole!

The Lord wants your one-tenth, that is how God claims you entirely. But the Lord is gracious, He leaves us to enjoy the blessing on the remaining 90%.

God gives us light to read bible. Whereas when non-believers read the boble, they fail to understand. No light for them.

Money is not amoral

Everywhere in Bible, money seems to be described as “filthy lucre” or “unrighteous mammon”. Money is unclean. The earth was cursed after the fall of Man. Therefore, everything out of the earth is cursed. The paper used to make money is from the bark of tree which is cursed. Even the salaries we receive has been cursed and has been used for unclean or Un-Godly purposes before it comes into your hand.

We as Believers in Christ are righteous by His Blood. Note however, that money is dirty.

How do we clean the money?

Rom 11:16 For if the firstfruit [be] holy, the lump [is] also [holy]: and if the root [be] holy, so [are] the branches.

What is holy, the devil cannot touch or claim. What is holy, the ecomomic downturn cannot take away as it has been set apart for the Lord.

Brains

Experts in the world tell us that the average human being uses only 10 per cent of his brains. This is in contrast to the first human – Adam. Adam had the ability to name all the species of creation and then recall them later. If we were to give 10 per cent of our minds to God’s word e.g. by meditating on His Word, filling it with His thoughts, etc, the remaining 90 per cent of our minds will be activated.

Pastor relates his own experience. It is well known that Pastor preaches without notes. He can see and hear his message before he preaches them before the congregation. From young, he has meditated on Bible verses.

God wants us rich, so that Singapore can be rich. Blessed to be a blessing. Prosperity for a purpose.

God is concerned about everything, even your physical material life. Why? The moment you have a toothache, are you thinking of the suffering in Africa? No! You are thinking about yourself! God wants us whole so that we can think and bless others!

Cheer your wife

Deu 24:5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: [but] he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

Under Law, when a Israeli man marries, he is not to engage in the customary business or to go to war for one year. He is supposed to stay at home to “cheer up” his wife that he just married, to be a blessing to her. In other words, he is exempted from war in the first year. What’s the rationale behind this law? After the one year of cheering her up, God knows He does not need to be concerned about this Israeli man in this respect of his life, He knows that this man will now love his wife throughout the marriage. It has become second-nature for the man after one year. If the man can “cheer up” his wife for the first year, it is the first fruits of the entire marriage.

Guys – In, the first year of your marriage, focus on your wife and not your band of brothers.

Abraham and Melchizedek

When Melchizedek (ie. pre-incarnate form of Jesus), the king of righteousness, approached Abraham after his victory (Gen 14:18), he brought bread and wine to Abraham (i.e. the Holy Communion) to sustain Abraham after his depleting, energy consuming warfare against the 3 nations that had kidnapped his newphew, Lot.

You can see in the Gen 14:20 account that Abraham gave a tithe of the spoils of the war to Melchizedek. ALL THIS TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE LAW WAS GIVEN.

There was no compulsion in Abraham giving the tithe.

Never intimidate people that if they don’t tithe, they will tithe to the doctor, etc.

Malachi 3:9 simply says that “you are cursed with a curse” and then provides God’s remedy — the tithe. It did not say that the Lord personally cursed the people.The curse was already operating on the earth and emanated from the cursed ground from the fall of Adam and Eve. Another example of the curse operating from the ground was the bloodless offering of the crops grown from the ground that Cain offered and which was rejected by God.

Tithe proclaims that Jesus is alive

Heb 7:8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he [receives them], of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

The tithe witnesses or proclaims that Jesus is alive and that he has resurrected from the dead.

Holy communion is proclaiming that the death of Jesus brought us healing and forgiveness.

You don’t tithe to a dead person. Jesus is alive!

When we say that a witness testifies in court, the witness says he saw something happen.

Therefore the tithe witness that Jesus is alive and alive in our lives.

How the tithe witnesses?

This is illustrated in the story of Joseph which is the closest picture or type of Jesus in the OT.

1. Joseph was by his father to his brothers (Gen 37:13) so was Jesus to Israel and the Gentiles.

2. Joseph was especially loved by his father (Gen 37:3) so was Jesus.

3. Joseph was sent to his brothers for their good but the brothers misunderstood his purpose. The same with Jesus and Israel.

4. Jospeh was betrayed for 20 pieces of silver. Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces.

5. Joseph was rejected by his brothers and he brought bread to the Egyptians and the Gentile world. The same with Jesus who was rejected by Israel and He became bread of life to the gentiles outside Israel.

6. Joseph was named Zaphnathpaaneah, which can be understood as Saviour of the World or Age, by the king of Egypt. Jesus is our Saviour for all mankind!

7. Joseph was given Asenath, an Egyptian gentile, as his wife. The Bride of Christ is mainly non-Jewish. Both brides help their husbands ‘forget’ the travails of their soul so that they can be ultimately satisfied.

Genesis is the seed plot of the rest of the Bible. Genesis is also the seed plot of Revelation. The rest of the Bible is in the types and shadows of Genesis.

Joseph forsaw the famine. He had the key to the storehouse! He was given the revelation / lampstand to answer the problem of the famine.

All wisdom is in the Golden Lampstand for the 7 branches of the spirit of the Lord are found in the lampstand.

Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

With Joseph’s wisdom, he protected Egypt and saved many lives and Egypt was prosperous. The bible tells us that Joseph made Egypt prosperous.

At his first appearance to his brothers, they did not recognise Joseph in his Egyptian dressing. This is akin to Jesus. In Jesus first advent, His Jewish breathren did not recognise Him as Messiah. At his second appearance to his brothers, he made himself known to his brothers. This shall be the same for Jesus to his Jewish brothers in the End Times.

Joseph had wiped away the tears of his brothers and told them that what they meant for evil, God has turned for good (Gen 50:20). The same with Jesus as He will wipe away the tears of present-day Israel.

Even the word Judas is from the word Judah. However don’t ever have even a tinge of anti-semitism in your heart. It is ALL OUR sins, the sins of humankind, that sent Jesus in His love for us to the Cross.

Gen 45:18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

Gen 45:19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

Gen 45:20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt [is] yours.

Gen 45:21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

Gen 45:22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces] of silver, and five changes of raiment.

Gen 45:23 And to his father he sent after this [manner]; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

Gen 45:24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.

Gen 45:25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

Gen 45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph [is] yet alive, and he [is] governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.

Gen 45:27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:

Gen 45:28 And Israel said, [It is] enough; Joseph my son [is] yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

Joseph in Gen 45 loaded up wagons for his father with the wealth of Egypt as a gift. In Gen 45:22, he gave each of his brothers changes of raiment but to Benjamin, he gave five times more raiment !

The Benjamin Generation today receives 5 x more !

Gen 45:23 tells us that ten donkeys laden with the good things of Egypt were given to Jacob. This speaks of the material things that Jesus prospers us with today!

Gen 45:23 also tells us that ten donkeys laden with grain, bread and food were given to Jacob. This speaks of the spiritual revelation and food coming our way today via Jesus!

The goodies were transported to Jacob on the backs of donkeys. The donkey speaks of money.

Money / donkey is the instrument in which God uses to get what He wants into your life to come. It is a means of exchange and transport to bring goodies or blessings to us.

Why 10 donkeys? It is a picture of the WHOLE.

Joseph also told his brothers in Gen 45:24 not to fight amongst each other along the way. Jesus also tells us to forgive our brothers and sisters.

When Jacob did not believe that Joseph was alive, the bible uses his old name Jacob instead of Israel (Gen 45:26) and he stared at the brothers blankly. Likewise, when people don’t believe that Jesus is alove in our lives, they look at us blankly.

When Jacob in Gen 45:27 saw the wagons, his spirit revived and in Gen 45:28, the bible calls him Israel (the prince with God) again, and Israel believed that Joseph is alive.

The number 10 told Jacob when he saw the wagons that there was no way that the goodies were from Egypt without Joseph’s intervention. Jacob had learned from his fathers including Isaac (recall the story of Gen 24:10) that the 10 represents the WHOLE.

In the number 10, Jacob also remembered his own vow to God that “of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee” in Gen 28:22 when Jacob was fleeing Esau and only had the clothes on his back.

The English word translated as “surely” in Hebrew is simply a repeat of tithe i.e. I will tithe tithe or עשר `asar עשר `asar unto God. It is therefore a very strong word for the tithe.

The result was that many years later after that vow, Jacob was now coming in the other direction i.e. he was now moving towards Esau and reconcilation with Esau and Jacob was blessed with abundant flock, servants, children etc

Joseph in using the 10 donkeys was speaking Jacob’s language!

When people see the evidences in our lives, they will see Jesus alive in our lives.

NLT Rom 11:11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! His purpose was to make his salvation available to the Gentiles, and then the Jews would be jealous and want it for themselves.

Aim to ‘provoke’ the Jews to ‘jealousy’ when you visit Israel, be generous! Don’t ask for discounts or VAT refund.

In fact, NCC groups when visiting Israel have often been asked why they are so happy and rich and the response is “Your God has made us rich!”

Jews, people of World etc cannot discern our spiritual blessings. Therefore it is our tangible wealth from Jesus that will provoke them to embrace Jesus.

TITHE as the tithing to Jesus and as a worship to Him!

The TENTH is a representative of the WHOLE.

If you have no revelation. No Lamp lit, don’t tithe.

MAY YOUR LIFE BE BLESSED WITH EVIDENCES AND WITNESSES OF HIS GRACE AND THE GOODNESS OF HIS BOUNTY, THAT MANY WILL SEE, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF FAMINE, THAT THE LORD GOD IS ALIVE IN YOUR LIFE AND JESUS CHRIST IS TRULY BLESSING HIS PEOPLE.

Copyright © 26 November 2008 Yeo Choon Meng Terence. All Rights Reserved.

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POSTSCRIPT, MY THOUGHTS:

Pastor mentioned that even the placing of the various furniture items are there for a reason as they face-off against a particular horseman of the apocalypse. He went on to elaborate on the table of showbread and golden lampstand.

He did not go into the other furniture.

I was just thinking. The other furniture also indeed bear out this truth.

Look at the diagram below.

The spirit of False Doctrine (white horse) is coming towards the east of the camp and it therefore faces off with that aspect of Christ which is the King of Kings, the Lion (Judah is encamped on the eastside of tabernacle).

What is on the eastside?

The eastern most furniture is the Brazen Altar. The Brazen Altar speaks of the Cross — the once and for all eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ! It counters False Doctrine / White Horse which says that His work is not enough, etc. The Cross testifies it is Finished!

The spirit of War (red horse) is coming towards the west of the camp and it therefore faces off with that aspect of Christ which is the Tireless Servant, the Ox (Ephraim is encamped on the westside of tabernacle).

What is on the westside?

The Ark of the Covenant!

The Ark speaks of the presence of God with us! Indeed even in the OT, when Israel did not merely use the Ark as a ‘lucky-charm’ but saw the Ark as the dwelling place of God with them, they achieved victory in the battlefield!

Today, with the Ark / Jesus dwelling with us, we have PEACE / SHALOM, the very antidote to the spirit of War (red horse!).

Amazing! Praise Jesus!

The consistency of scripture is amazing and so beautiful!

Copyright © 26 November 2008 Yeo Choon Meng Terence. All Rights Reserved.