WHAT IS TRUE PROSPERITY?

RETURN TO CANAAN…PROSPERED BY JEHOVAH

Gloria Phifer

Genesis 13:1-18. Abram has prospered. Is it God's will that we prosper?

Deut 29:9, Joshua 1:8, Ps 1. (In both of these last scriptures it speaks of meditating on the Word.)  What are your thoughts? When you meditate on the Word and obey it, your way will be prosperous and have good success. And you will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. You will bring forth fruit "in his season" (sow-Time-harvest.) Whatever you do will prosper.

   I had a dream one night. I saw a beautiful, mature tree. It was covered with leaves. Hanging from the tree were thick, gold ovals. One of the gold ovals turned and a light shone on it.  Peace was written on the jewel. This scripture, Ps. 1, came to me and also Galatians 5:22…the fruit of the Spirit. Years later I painted a picture of what I had seen.

   As we stay in the Word it renews our mind, it prospers our thinking. Rom. 12:2, Eph. 4:23.-24. To meditate. Meditate in Hebrew is "hagah"(daw-gaw)".To murmur (in pleasure or anger.) To ponder, imagine, meditate, mutter, roar, speak, study, talk, utter. To roar, growl, groan. To utter, speak. To meditate, devise, muse, imagine. To mutter or utter..." (If you can worry…you can meditate.)

   As we've seen before: the Word also washes us. Eph 5:26.

    3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers." Greek for prosper "erodoo" (-yoo-od-o-o)."To help on the road. Succeed in reaching. Figuratively: to succeed in business affairs: - have a prosperous journey. Prosper in Hebrew "tsaclach(-tsaw-lakh)" To push forward, in various senses (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive): Break out, come (mightily) go over, be good, be meet, be profitable, (cause to, effect, make to, send) prosper (ity,-ous-ously.) To rush. To advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, and be profitable. To make prosperous, bring to successful issue, cause to prosper. To show or experience prosperity. Prosper.

    One of my favorite scriptures: Ps. 35:27. Let the Lord be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

   What are your thoughts on the Lord having pleasure in your prosperity? Are you surprised? The Israelites prayed for prosperity Ps. 118:25.

    (It was interesting…I was wondering why we were studying prospering? I turned on a video by Joseph Prince and he was speaking on God wanting to prosper us…the Tree planted by the water in Ps. 1. And meditating on God's word…so ladies looks like we're on the right track.)

    Gen. 13:5-11. Not only has Abram prospered but so has his nephew Lot.  There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot's herdsmen.

What was Abram's solution to this problem?

Abram did not want any strife between him and Lot. In your opinion what was his concern about strife?

   Joyce Meyer says that strife is dangerous. Why is strife dangerous?  How should we handle strife? Matt. 5:9 blessed are the peacekeepers. What do we do if the other person does not want peace? Romans 12:18.

  Why do you think Abram gave Lot the choice of land? Vs.8-13.

   Vs. 14:-18. Why did the Lord speak to Abram at this time and renew His promises?

   This land was given to Abram and his descendents…an Everlasting Covenant.

   He is to walk the length and breath of the land.  Ps. 37:23. (Put it under his feet as his possession from God.)  In Mamre' Abram made another altar. "Hebrew for Mamre =strength or fatness. An oak grove on Mamre's land in Palestine where Abraham dwelt. A place near Abraham's burial place apparently identified with Hebron."

    We don't know much about Lot. He is Abrams nephew. He has chosen the land toward Sodom and Gomorrah. He has pitched his tent toward Sodom.  Lot has chosen to go toward an evil place. In the next chapter we find that he has moved into Sodom. In the Old Testament we do not have a glimpse of his relationship with the Lord.

    We won't read all of chapter 14… but there was a big battle Chedorlaomer the King of Elam with four other kings came against the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Chedorlaomer was a Persian king. Five kings had served Chedorlaomer for 12 years now they rebel and there is war.  Lot and his family were captured along with others that lived in Sodom and Gomorrah.

. Vs. 11-17. We see from vs. 12 that Lot had been living in Sodom. (Why didn't he stay in the plains of Jordan?) What happened to his herds and herdsmen? His prosperity that he had with Abram?  We find Lot again in 2 Peter 2:6-9. Here Lot is called a righteous man. He is a mystery to me. He and his family (except his wife who turned to salt when she looked back) were delivered when the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

    In Gen 14 14-16…With Jehovah on his side, Abraham and 318 of his trained servants defeated the enemy and rescued Lot. Abraham was a warrior! With God on his side who could ever stand against him? Romans 8:31.With God on our side who can ever stand against us?

   Gen 14:17-24. King of Sodom wants to reward Abram. But Abram will take nothing from him. The King of Sodom's name was Bera…Hebrew for "son of evil." Birsha was King of Gomorrah; his name means "with iniquity."

    The King of Salem is a wonderful mystery. He arrives after Abram has had this victory.  His name is Melchizedek, King of Salem ( later known as Jerusalem). He is a type of Christ. He brings bread and wine to Abram (to me this is a type of communion.) He is also a Priest. (Later, under the law, it was unlawful to be a priest and a king. Only One holds both titles… The Messiah …Jesus King of Kings and our High Priest.) Under the Law: Levites were priests (the tribe of Levi) and Kings came from the tribe of Judah. Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God before the law was ever given. He was high priest before there were any tribes of Israel. He had the position to bless…he blesses Abram of the Most High God (Elyone), Possessor of heaven and earth.

Abram gave a tithe to this priest. (I believe this was the first tithe given). 7:1-4. Melchisedec was a priest before the tribes of Levi became priests. Jesus is from the tribe of Judah  Heb.7 vs. 14-28. What are your thoughts about Jesus being a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec?   I love the end of vs. 16…Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.  (Yea! Jesus lives forever as our High Priest.)

    Jesus is our High Priest Heb. 4:14-17. He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. What thoughts and feelings do you have about Jesus being touched by our situations? I don't know about you, but I need to be more aware of how much He cares about my everyday life...my weeknesses...my cares...everything that concerns me. To me this is so huge! Lord, help me to grasp it and hold unto that truth.

Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and our High Priest.

What are your feelings about being able to come boldly to the Throne of Grace to obtain mercy and grace in a time of need?

Hebrews 5:1-10. No one takes this honor unto himself…He is called of God to be High Priest forever. How do you feel when you realize that Jesus Christ, The Anointed One, suffered to become our High Priest…The One Who paid the price for our redemption?

   There is no record of where Melchisedec originated. He was a priest before the priesthood of Levi. Jesus has established a New Covenant. His Priesthood is not under the law but He is the Mediator of the New Covenant. Heb. 9:11-15. Eternal inheritance. "What does this mean to you to know you Have this eternal inheritance?  Heb 7:19-27. Jesus is our Faithful High Priest. Hebrews 2:14-18

 Heb. 9:11-28. In the Tabernacle and the Temple, once a year, on the Day of Atonement; the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies (dressed only in white linen (representing righteousness) and presented the blood on the Mercy Seat. A cloud of incense from his censor (filled with coals from off the altar where the sacrifice had been made) covered the Mercy seat.)

    The blood of Jesus, through the Eternal Spirit (To me this would be the Shekinah Glory Cloud…The Holy Spirit) offered Himself, without spot (as the perfect Lamb of God) to God. From this offering of His blood, our conscience is washed, so we can serve the Living God.  He entered the Holy of Holies in Heaven and through the Eternal Spirit He presented His blood and Himself at the Mercy Seat of God for you and me. He is our Atonement. Romans 3:23-26 and 1 John 2:1-2.

    There is a big word for atonement in King James…It is propitiation…this happened on the Day of Atonement once a year.  Propitiation in Greek "especially the lid of the Ark (in the Tabernacle or Temple) Mercy Seat-propitiation. Relating to an appeasing-expiating - used of the cover of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies which was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual Day of Atonement. (This rite signifying that the life of the people-the loss, of which they had merited by their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim and that God by this ceremony was appeased and their sins expiated.); hence the lid of expiation - the propitiatory."

 Hebrews 7:25…..He ever lives to make intercession for them.  (He is interceding for you and me.)  Hebrews 5:10-14…

     I think what we have been studying today is strong meat. A lot to chew on. Remember Jesus is interceding for you and me….our wonderful High Priest

Who has sprinkled His blood upon the Mercy Seat for you and me.

    We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony Rev. 12:11

   Rev. 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.  (Even so…Come Lord Jesus.).