Leadership Link

Article #9

Sep 30, 2022

Hebrews 4:9, 10 — “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.”

We are continuing our discussion on Joshua and the three levels of experience represented by Egypt, the wilderness and Canaan. In the wilderness the children of Israel wandered around Kadesh Barnea in a circle of weakness only to see the promise of Canaan before them and not enter. Wilderness life will cause you to wander and see but never enter the land of promise. The third level of experience is Canaan. Canaan is the land of promise and the land of rest. The rest is neither the relaxation of sleep nor the apathy of non- action, it is the opposite. It is the assurance of conquest in conflict, overcoming in opposition, and triumph in trial. It is the divine witness that there is provision in the time of problems. Hebrews 4:9, 10 states, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.” This is the rest from the efforts of self and the leadership of the flesh. It is knowing that God has gone before you and the battle has already been won. Hebrews 4:10 says we have ceased from our own works. This was the reason that before they entered Canaan they had to tarry at the river Jordan for three days. The period of three days always speaks of death, burial and resurrection. They descended into the river and rose up on the other side. It is time to enter Canaan and rest in these closing days of time.

Article #8

Sep 26, 2022

Exodus 1:11 — “Therefore they did set over the taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.”

Joshua and the people are about to enter Canaan as they have come out of Egypt and through the wilderness. I submit to you that these three places represent three levels of spiritual experience that are occupied by men and women. The land of Egypt represents the land of oppression and bondage where the taskmaster extracts from you all he can to build the cities of Egypt. The cracking of his whip is a constant reminder that freedoms have been abolished and the will of the oppressor becomes my life. Exodus 1:11 gives a six-fold definition of this bondage in Egypt that we will discuss at a different time. Now comes the wandering of the wilderness. This represents the domination of the flesh or carnality in the life of the believer. Now that the land of bondage, the whip of Pharaoh, is behind, the enemy tries to afflict their lives in the wilderness with the enemy of self, flesh, or the I life. This creates the wandering in a circle of non-accomplishment, and the absolute lack of spiritual growth. This is the life that tries to accomplish in the flesh or self-effort the things that can only be done in the spirit.