The Act that Stands Perpetually

1Sa 12:16-25

(16) Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

(17) Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

Whenever we substitute anything for the Lord, it is a wicked thing.

(18) So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

(19) And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

When the Lord sent thunder and rain that the mediator proclaimed would come, the people greatly feared and acknowledged their sin. They asked their mediator to plead to the Lord to forgive them.

(20) And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

(21) And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

God responds through the mediator admonishing them to not turn aside from following the Lord and serving Him with all their heart. “Do not turn after vain things (idols) which cannot bless and deliver like I can”, says the Lord.

(22) For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

God then promises to not forsake His people for his great name’s sake. Moses always reminded Him to not deal terminally harshly with His people because it would ruin his reputation amongst all the neighboring nations that saw the glory of the Lord in His deliverance of His people. There are times in our life that I don’t believe we recognize and understand the honor and the privilege that has been bestowed upon us to be God’s chosen people. It pleased Him to have chosen us!

There’s something in these next few verses that caught my attention…

(23) Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

(24) Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

(25) But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

The mediator, Samuel, said, “God forbid” that I should cease to pray for you, intercede for you and teach you the good and right way. After meditating on this word for awhile it occurred to me that Samuel is a type… of an unceasing intercessor/mediator for the people of the Lord.

These next set of scriptures are prophetic of the man Jesus Christ, His work and purpose as the Son of God.

Isa 22:20-25

(20) And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

Let me reread this with the meaning of the names in its place… “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call MY SERVANT “God raises” (the one whom God raises or God sets up) the son of “my portion of Jehovah” (my inheritance of God).

(21) And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

(22) And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

The key of David speaks to an authority being given to this servant, like that given to David. Remember David was not a Levite, but from the lineage of Judah. When the ark had returned from the Philistines it was placed in the house of Obed-edom. When David became king, he pitched a tent/tabernacle for the Ark in Mt. Zion, where the throne of David was located. David then placed certain priests and Levites to minister in as singers and musicians before the Ark daily. Hence, a Davidic order of worship was established.

Remember in Acts 15 the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ came to embracing the revelation that Jesus fulfilled the prophetic scriptures that “After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things" (Act 15:16-17).

David did something that seemed contrary to what God had already established, but in fact David was doing something that actually revealed that God’s heart has always been the redemption of ALL mankind, not just a chosen few. Jesus opened up a door to the Gentiles, though they tried in the 1st century and still do today by our various denominations… no man can shut it.

(23) And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.

(24) And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

When the Lord makes this prophetic decree, I am reminded of something in particular that Jesus prayed on the night of the Last Supper with His disciples. “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was" (Joh 17:5).

(25) In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

What is this speaking of now? This nail that was fastened in the sure place shall be removed and cut down and the burden that was upon Him shall be cut off? Dark saying indeed… I believe the answer is found within the volume of the book.

Isa 63:4-5

(4) For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

(5) And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

When the Lord looked to and fro throughout the earth and found none to help and uphold those taken advantage of, He declares, that He sees the day of His redeemed. The redeemed is His own arm that would bring salvation to rectify the situation of injustices that He sees throughout the land.

Isa 63:11-13

(11) Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?

(12) That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?

(13) That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?

Moses was a type of the glorious arm of the Lord in bringing deliverance, healing, and salvation to the people of God.

Isa 59:15-21

(15) Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

(16) And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

(17) For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

These verses speak of the ministry of the man Jesus Christ in a nutshell. He came with righteousness as a protection covering and the salvation of many was upon his mind. He also had garments ready for vengeance. The ministry of the man Jesus Christ is two-fold in this description in that He came in righteousness to save the unrighteous. And the latter part of His ministry consists of taking vengeance on all those who will not accept His work of salvation for themselves. It says very clearly in two New Covenant scriptures that He’s returning to take vengeance on them that don’t know God and have not obeyed the gospel and that His judgment will begin in the house of God first and end with those who have not obeyed the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ (1 Thess 1:8, 1 Pet4:17).

(18) According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

(19) So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

(20) And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

This word Zion has been used countless of times in the scriptures to refer to His people. “The Redeemer” shall come to His people and those that turn from their transgression… to those that repent.

(21) As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

This last verse is prophetic not only of the man Jesus Christ, but His body (them) as well.

Isa 53:1-12

(1) Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

(2) For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

The arm of the Lord is revealed to whomsoever the Father reveals Him to (Amos 3:7; Matt 13:11; Mark 4:11 Luke 8:10). “Root out of a dry ground” speaks of two things: dry ground refers back to Adam when he was fashioned of the dust of the ground… the arm of the Lord will be a hu-man, a man of humus, a man of the earth, a man of clay and become a part of the land of the living. “The root” refers to His essence or beginning… a root begins primarily as a seed sown in the ground and according to the parable of the sower, the seed is the Word of God.

Remember He said, “I am the root and offspring of David” (Rev. 22:16). This human would not have an attractive appearance physically that would call any undue attention to himself.

(3) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

When Jesus reveals Himself to us we see His face, we behold His glory, and we bask in His presence and attention. But when He came unto His own, His own received Him not. We hid our faces from Him. We paid him no reverence or respect. We did not give our attention to Him. In essence, we rejected the King of Glory, the Father, who in love created us to be loved by Him.

(4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

(5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

(6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Remember the nail that was fastened in a sure place? Here we begin to understand the burden that was placed upon Him… our griefs, our sorrows, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, chastised, striped with whips because the iniquity of us all was placed upon Him.

(7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

(8) He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Apparently, this human would willingly bear the brunt of the sins of all God’s people and die. That nail that was fastened in a secure place (the land of the living) would be removed… by being cut off from the land of living, by death.

(9) And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

(10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

(11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

(12) Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

This man poured out his soul unto death, willingly. He bore the shame, the wounding, the bruising, the stripes, the grief’s, the sorrows, the chastisements, the rejection, the transgressions, the iniquity, and the sin of all the people of God. This man did so willingly because He had received an understanding and revelation that if He was willing to lay down his innocent and perfect life that He would save the lives of a great many more, justifying them, bearing their iniquities and paying the penalty for their sins. The man realized that God was looking at Him as the sacrificial lamb.

We have taught in this house that the Spirit of Christ was the Spirit of God that rested on the prophets of old:

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

(1Pe 1:10-11)

Now notice what the Spirit of Christ said through David:

Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. (Psa 7:5)

As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. (Joh 10:15)

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (Joh 10:17)

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (Joh 15:13)

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1Jn 3:16)

The man Jesus Christ had received the revelation and embraced the idea that by His sacrifice He would bring many sons to glory (Heb 2:10). This act of sacrifice in laying down His life would be the act that stands perpetually in intercession for all those that have sinned.

1Pe 2:24-25

(24) Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

(25) For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

He bore our sins in his own body as he hung on that tree dying so that we should live to righteousness.

Rom 8:34

(34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Christ came this first time not to condemn in order to be our intercessor. But when He returns He will come again in vengeance.

Heb 7:14-28

(14) For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

In Hebrews, the author states that our Lord came out of Judah, not Levi. Yet Moses spoke of nothing concerning anyone coming out of Judah in regards to the priesthood.

(15) And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

(16) Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Jesus, after the similitude of Melchisedec, was risen by God as another priest, not after the law of a carnal commandment of the Levites, but out risen out of the power of an endless life, resurrected after a wrongful death.

(17) For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

(18) For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

(19) For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

The Word of God testifies that the man Jesus Christ is a priest after the order or similitude of Melchisedec. The law had not the power to make men perfect, therefore there was a disannulling of the commandment, which brought man a better hope of being able to draw nigh unto God.

(20) And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

(21) (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

Priest of old, were not made priest by an oath, but rather the law. Yes this priest was made priest by an oath… an oath by Him who is the Word of God alone has declared that He is a priest after the order of Melchisedec.

(22) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

(23) And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

(24) But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

This man Jesus was a pledge of a better covenant because all other priest before Him, of the law, were imperfect and died. This man, however, continues forever in an unchangeable priesthood.

(25) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

And since He is a man, that resurrected, alive forevermore, is now able to save all those before Him and after Him to the uttermost because His act stands perpetually in making intercession for them.

(26) For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

(27) Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

(28) For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

This man Jesus Christ is the high priest who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners and made higher than the heavens for He has been place in a position of preeminence having been glorified with His Father’s own Self, the glory He had initially before the foundation of the world (John 17:5, Acts 3:13). Since, He did not need to offer up a sacrifice for his own sins, He died once and for all men, once for all time and has been made a perpetual High Priest by the Word of oath, not by the law, and is found consecrated for evermore.

The Son of God is a title, that refers to the office of redemption, and this office of God stands as a perpetual intercessor advocating for the people of God (just as Samuel would not cease to pray for them and teach them the good and right way). This act of redemption by the man Jesus Christ stands perpetually as the agent of intercession for the people of God who will do as was admonished 3,000 years ago by Samuel to the people of God, “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart;”

Joh 1:29

(29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Do we realize that gravity of this act? He didn’t just take upon Himself the sins of His people… He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world. Can we imagine the countless numbers of people that have ever lived and all of their sins were placed upon Him? Have we ever sat down to consider that every one of our own sins were paid for by a man who willingly died and paid the penalty of death for us? Can you fathom the weight of not just carrying one’s man sin, but the sins of every man that has ever lived from the first man, Adam to the 6 billion people alive in the world today?

Consider all the Sins/Works of the flesh:

Adultery – (see murders below)
Fornication – any type of sexual perversion
Uncleanness – impure physical or moral act
Lasciviousness - filthy words, unchaste movements of the body
Idolatry – the very act of stubbornness to maintain your own ways contrary to just instruction
Witchcraft – the very act of rebellion in any form is this
Hatred
Variance – debating, quarreling, strife
Emulations – extreme jealousy or envy or indignation
Wrath – passionate fierceness
Strife – creating factions of contention
Seditions – causing division or rebellion
Heresies
Enyings
Murders [But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Mat 5:28)]
Drunkenness
Revellings – rioting
Theft
Covetousness
Deceit
Evil eye – working mischief or ill will toward others
Blasphemy – speaking evil against God or others
Pride
Foolishness

All of these sins have caused a great injustice in the earth and for this reason, God Himself brought justice.

2Co 5:19-21

(19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

(20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

(21) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

It was God Himself, who was in the man Jesus Christ, reconciling the world to Himself as the Son of God. He did not come to condemn or impute trespasses unto men, but to minister reconciliation through Jesus Christ to the Father. He made this man sin, who knew no sin, so that we would be make the righteousness of God in Him.

The choices are simple:

Accept His act of sacrifice as payment for your sins and live accordingly from now on by His example in work and word…
Or don’t accept it and pay the penalty yourself.

1Jn 2:1-2

(1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

(2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Remember what Samuel said to the people of God, “But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.” To this end, we should have so great an appreciation for the work of redemption that we should be compelled to honor that work with our life of sacrifice in doing His will above our own, living righteously all the rest of our days. To do otherwise is a slap to His face.

Heb 10:26-27

(26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

(27) But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

But, “If we confess our sins…” and walk in them no more, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Amen.

The Act that Stands Perpetually - Jesus M. Ruiz

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