Vex the Midianites and Smite them! ~ Numbers 25:17
In last weeks newsletter, we began to look at strife and the result of not eliminating it completely from our own individual lives.. We'll continue together, this week to build our offensive against this enemy called strife. Make no mistake, strife is more than annoying, tiring bickering and backbitting; because the Word of God tells us exlicitly that strife comes to steal our entrance into the promises of God. Strife will prevent you from entering into the promises God has given you and strife will steal your rest, through doubt and unbelief. Strife will harden your heart and close your ears to the Father's loving and liberating voice.
Psalms 106:32 says that Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land – because he allowed the people to provoke him to strife.
Hebrews 3:16-19 ~ For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he greieved fourty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
There are six (6) strongholds strife holds in our hearts and minds. A stronghold is defined as an internal fortress of influence from which demonic spirits agitate, oppress and afflict the soul. They arous and incline our mind, will and emotions toward attitudes and actions that are contrary to the will of God. They are identified in the account of the war wtih the Midianites found in Numbers 31. In brief, the children of Israel was told to completely destroy the Midianite nation. They did not, however, completely eliminate them from the land but kept hte women alive. Notice Moses response...
Numbers 31:14But Moses was wroth with the officers of the army, with the commanders...saying, "Why have you kept the women alive?" They are the ones who caused the children of Yisra'el to sin against God. (See Numbers 25) (paraphrased)
Now, of the Midianite men, who were killed in this war were six(6) kings of Midian, the name of each representing a stornghold of strife in our lives. Let's look at them each.
Numbers 31:8 ~ And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
1. Ewi--Meaning "my desire".
Often times it is our own selfish desire that allows strife to enter into a situation or relationship.
James 4:1-4 ~From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
2. Rekem-Meaning "variegation".
The word defined implies concern with the outward appearance of things.
In reality, living and experiencing the Kingdom Life means to be a servant in every area. Are you willing to strip down and become the servant your Lord has asked you to become---to esteem others, better than yourself?
John 13:1-17~ began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
3. The third king mentioned in Numbers 31 is Zur: Meaning "rock" with a little "r", or heathen gods. Do you recall the scripture in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus declares, ...And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this Rock...?The Rock is Yeshua (a.k.a. Jesus), the Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To identify this stronghold, we have to ask a question...Are we playing a game of thrones with the Lord Jesus? What other god's do we allow to sit on the thrones of our life while declaring Jesus is Lord with our mouth? In other words, Looking good on the outside but filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness (not obedient to the Word) .Which leads us to the fouth king mentioned...
4. Hur: Meaning "hole with white stuff"
Matthew 23:27-28 ~ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
5. Reba: Meaning four, four sided. Consider four walls representing a building or something built. Now look at Matthew 23 again, this time verse 29~ 29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets
We build "tombs" for those God sends our way...before they even arrive, we have already declared "No one is going to tell me what to do!" We have no understanding or tolerance of any type of Godly authority in our life. We cry about the 10 commandments being taken out of our society, yet, do we know them...do we follow them...live by them...teach our children these 10 instructions for righteous living?
6. Finally we come to the last king, though not a king mentioned in Numbers 31. Balaam-Meaning "not of the people" "false prophet"
Balaam represents a lying tongue and our false actions of being "for people" when we actually are not. It is that double mindedness in each of us the Lord is working in this season to remove.
There we have it. The six strongholds of strife and some instruction and teaching on how to conquer each stronghold in our life.
Sure, we can blame it on the devil for twisting words, but the truth is, the only reason Ha Satan has any authority or power to act in our lives is because we allow him to by allowing these strongholds of strife to remain in our life.
Now Go and Vex the Midianites adn smite them! (Numbers 25:17)