- Jan 26, 2017
- 9,669
- 7,923
- 113
- Faith
- Christian
- Country
- United States
Without Form
Genesis 1:2 says, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” The word without used in Genesis is defined as such in the bible concordance: Without: formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness, chaos, desolation, futile, meaningless, nothing.. waste.
But God divides the light from the dark.
(Genesis 1: 3-4) “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” The Spirit’s entrance is never subtle. There is no other power in the universe that can be compared to God’s power, and once His Spirit comes into a person’s life… a dead man (or woman) once without form—lives anew. The Spirit of God does not sneak in during a simple prayer and set up residence and simply go unnoticed. I have heard it said that you cannot be plowed over by a logging truck on the freeway and walk away unchanged. So how can we expect to be touched by God and not be changed.
Jacob went to sleep and dreamed, seeing a ladder set up on the earth, the top of the ladder reaching to heaven. Angels ascended and descended upon the ladder. The Lord stood above the ladder. Genesis 28:16-18 says: And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.”
Notice the words of Jacob “How dreadful is this place!” What a peculiar word—dreadful.
(Matthew 4: 16-17) “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
To fully grasp dark and light and the great lengths God will go to gather a redeemed people for His Holy city we must explore that simple yet complicated word: without.
-Commands from God to set table without vail, candlesticks over against table.
-Tabernacle of the congregation without the vail which is before the testimony.
-Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camp; everyone who sought the Lord sought Him without the camp.
-All the days of plague shall be in him, he shall be defiled; he is unclean; he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his inhabitation be.
-He shall put off his garments and put on other garments and carry forth the ashes without the camp to a clean place.
-Unclean dust swept up; scrape off without city.
-Bring pure oil beaten for the light, and cause lamps to burn continually without vail of testimony.
-Bring him that cursed without the camp. Let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
-(Numbers) Lepers and whosoever is defiled by the dead: both male and female shall be put without camp.
-Man gathering stick upon the Sabbath day. The Lord said to Moses, stone him with stones without the camp.
-And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water.
-Slaughter of Midiaities: And they brought the Captives, and the prey, and the spoil. And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
-Rahab, her father, her mother, and her brethren sat without camp of Israel.
In the old testament that which was unclean was to be set outside of the camp. Notice Moses met the captives without the camp. It sounds harsh, orders to put those sick and unclean outside the camp but God was preparing something marvelous. A marvelous sacrifice without spot. A marvelous Lamb without blemish. God was collecting a people without the camp. Because without the camp is where the Lord meets those that are His. The Lord meets us in the desert. The Lord meets us in the wilderness. The Lord came for those, unclean and without the camp.
(Matthew 5: 3-12) "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
Blessed are those without! Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. What a marvelous work Christ has completed!! (Hebrews 12: 2) "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
(Hebrews 13: 11-14) says, “For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, and burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”
