Today we consider two bedrock key principles of salvation; “Grace and Faith”. We do so to get an understanding that Grace is given to strengthen for the press; as Faith, cometh to rebuke the mess! So, getting the revelation of this concept beloveds; is absolutely key!
Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith; likely to remain small; unable to rebuke subtility so we’d behave wisely in trials. Such was Adam and woman’s problem.
Genesis 3:8 Apostle-phrased!
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid from the presence of the Lord God; among the trees of the garden.
“They Heard the Voice of the Lord God Walking”
They Heard signifies they intelligently heard the clear unmistakable sound both were intimately familiar with. It signifies this “sound heard” called unto attention in recognizing; time and opportunity to come; obediently turning to present themselves to report in; to talk with God; as habit does; in walking with Him.
Voice Walking signifies the sound of the presence of the Lord God coming; calling aloud by name as the sound of thunder heard and lightening flashing; piercing through any present darkness, or hesitation in knowing He calls us; to come unto.
The revelatory is; this was indeed the unmistakable voice of the Lord’s grace walking. For we know the Lord God; in being an infinite Spirit cannot be confined to any form.
Consider; this God walking; is also expressed as the eyes of the Lord going to and fro in the earth to shew Himself as strong; full of grace towards those He knows; despite themselves; do love, so trust in Him. Yet understand; the Lord took on no preincarnate physical appearance, and still, the attributes of His very presence” were and remain; tangible and seen. 2 Chronicles 16:9
Again, God’s voice “walking”; signifies it was a sight and sound heard so seen. It literally was felt, as in the mighty rushing wind of His Spirit; as in the encouraging whisper His sufficient more than enough grace is; as in His unconditional love and perfect peace. It is all “key” in the sight and sound of more than, His grace is; that’s so well able to keep us.
His voice walking; reassuring us He’s there; knowing, brooding over; moving upon our behalf. Even if angry; knowing we’ve done foolishly; He won’t forsake those walking with Him; especially while the weakness of our flesh is still fully exposed; though we think to hide it.
Consider; this walking is spiritually a reciprocal thing. For as we draw nigh Him; He draws nigh us. It is conversant; communicative, conciliatory; based in truth and honesty; full of protective, strengthening, enabling grace that says; when we hear His voice; harden not our heart thinking to hide; but to stick, stay and wisely abide!
Now remember; Adam and woman already knew all; the voice and presence of the Lord; walking in the garden in the cool of the day signified; for again walking with Him so, had been made habitual; thus, it was all they’d ever known. But because they’d eaten the lying fruit of the “more subtil”; which artfully uses misdirection to sift and so conflict us; we turn aside out of ordered steps; the first couple frustrated the work of grace inherent in also walking with God. Galatian 2:21
For consider; instead of running to Him to seek forgiveness and mercy; in knowing they were out of order; they behaved unwisely. What they reacted to do; reveals they’d completely lost sight of their dominion key in their sifting and had no clue about faith.
So, what did the first couple foolishly do, that was the spiritual opposite of walking with God circumspectly? And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; Adam and his wife “hid from the “presence of the Lord”; among the trees of the garden.
“Hid From His Presence”
Hid from His Presence signifies they’d now become fearfully secretive. They tried to hide themselves away from; to make their own way to escape His face; His sound; His presence; His intimate knowledge of what had now become; their conflicted heart issues.
Genesis 3:9-21 Apostle-phrased!
And the Lord God called unto Adam asking; “Where are you?” Adam answered; “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so, I hid. And the Lord asked; “Well who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, I commanded you not to? And Adam said; The woman You gave to be with me; she gave me of the tree, that’s why I did eat!” So, the Lord God said to woman; “What is this you’ve done?” And she said; “Well the serpent “beguiled me”; therefore, I did eat.
And the Lord God said unto the serpent; “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow, thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt, thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. And in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and unto dust, you shall return.
And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. But then notice; how even in judgment the Lord God still extends grace; to be strength; despite our weaknesses.
Genesis 3:21-24 Apostle-phrased!
And the Lord God made Adam and his wife coats of skins to clothe them. And the Lord God said; “The man who was like one of us in purity and wisdom is now fallen and robbed of his excellence. By his transgression he’s now become as one of Us; he’s added to his knowledge of the good; the knowledge of the evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand, take also of the tree of life; eat and live forever in his miserable state; I will remove him, and set a guard on this place; lest he should try to re-enter to reclaim his dominion. Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. His new assignment; was to go till the ground from which he’d been taken, but now do so; utilizing his own strength.
But, the Lord to do so; literally “drove out” the man; as he was unwilling to walk away to leave all he’d ever known. Thus, the Lord God assigned His “Cherubim” to stand guard over the east entrance of the Garden of Eden. He also set a flaming sword in place; its assignment was to turn every way, to “keep the way” of the tree of life.
“Sent Him forth vs. Drove Him Out”
Sent Him Forth signifies the Lord God sent Adam and His wife reassigned to go now be out on his own; as he’d prophesied, he’d chosen to be cleaved away from; unto his woman. The revelatory is; it signifies God was leaving Adam to his permissive will; separated from any further ability to walk intimately with Him; as His son. For Adam had chosen to put his faith in and extend her grace; by their going down in disobedience; together.
Drove Him Out signifies to drive away from a former place occupied, a possession had, or position once achieved. It is also literally to cast out violently; expel forcibly; surely drive away; so, to trouble by banishing; thrusting out; expatriating as in a bad divorce.
“Keep the Way Of!”
Keep the Way Of is to hedge the way about as if bordering with thorns every which way; setting a carefully possessive, circumspect guard over. The revelatory is; this was all done to continually preserve from; so, reserve specifically for; as totally protected and strategically attended unto.
Consider; the flaming sword and cherubim stationed were the only standard the Lord lifted up against the enemy who’d come in like a flood. Adam, choosing to hide instead of abide; “frustrated the grace” that came to strengthen him to press out of the darkness unto the marvelous light calling him. But grace requires repentant hearts to hear it.
In cleaving Adam did not retain the integrity that in faith rebukes even messes we’ve made; when we hear the voice of the Lord as grace walking and calling out to us. He was foolish to take his woman and try to hide behind the stuff of trees; from God’s love.
Beloveds remember; grace and faith are important keys to understand in our walk! They when utilized work to make us become those “standards” God will lift up against the enemy; as we overcome in all things; by trusting rather than rejecting Him in fear!
Isaiah 59:19 Apostle-phrased!
So, shall all fear the Name of the Lord; from the west; and His glory; from the rising of the sun. For when the enemy shall come in like a flood; the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. (The enemy!)
“Shall Lift Up a Standard”
Shall Lift Up Standard: as “nuwc” (noos) is only found in Isaiah 59:19 as truly the revelatory concept of the key instrument of grace and faith, the Lord alone will “lift up” specifically; “against” the enemy; a move that routs puts him into immediate flight.
The revelatory is His standard lifted; is seen in its sound being heard; thus, it causes terror in whoever it is lifted against. For “nuwc” is a God sign that can’t be denied. It speaks to as the only authorized power to call and move to action; both His own weary warriors; as well as the prowling, plundering, marauding enemy.
Consider, in God’s lifting up; it’s His power seen; that makes the enemy flit; the wind and raging storms subside and our many adversaries to hide. They appear to vanish, melt away; being impelled; provoked and driven, compelled, forced to; by “His omnipotent display”. It is also as a spectacular beacon of light seen; as well as the flutter of a banner rallying the troops to go forward; as He’s ordered.
Consider, Standards lifted by God’s hand make a peculiar sound every warrior encourages himself in. For it produces a sound that carries; that is heard as the voice of the Lord as our very present help; still moving, hovering, brooding over what He knows we face that darkness tries to cover. But He’s already separated us from darkness; so, it can’t touch us. Genesis 1:2-4
Consider, faith recognizes His sound says; in His moving; He’s seeing, saying and comes with grace to lead the charge; strengthening us; that we might then overcome. Can you see it by hearing the revelation of it? There is sight that comes in the sound of the voice of the presence of the Lord coming in a time of trouble. Remember, grace strengthens us for the press ahead, but unfailing faith lifted by the Word; discerns how to rebuke the mess.
Against the Enemy: as “be – tsar” (bee-sar) again, only Isaiah gives us the revelation that a standard God’s hand lifts up; it is a sight in sound; the enemy knows right well. His display specifically cowers the enemy; he’s backed into narrowlyconfined, tight places.
The revelatory is though the enemy thought he was magnified as being a rock higher than the Lord; he becomes revealed as a humiliated lowly pebble; lacking spiritual authority. Thus, though permitted to bruise heels as we boldly step on him; he cannot ever be our demise.
Remember; “nuwc – be – tsar”; reflects grace and faith when seen lifted is heard as the Lord, present with us; strategically positioned; sufficiently strengthening us; to as the exploits of His Word; accomplish as He pleases and prosper as He sends It in us; unto.
When His “standard lifted against the enemy” is seen; it visibly displays His power so every foe fears. For they all must come subject; must fall prostrate before, must flee it.
With this revelation of God lifting any standard He chooses to flutter in His wind come what may against us; in that spiritual snap, crackle, pop sound; heard; we also make a sound that recognizably echoes in any battle; as His redeemed learn to just say; “So”!
Such “standards God lifts up” and the principle spiritual keys grace and faith even today still remain for us; work together to cause all affliction and adversity; to virtually vanish for season in which we’re to overcome! So, what is our take away for now?
A storm of subtility was the first test of Adam’s faith. Sadly, both failed to discern the sound of its voice walk into their garden as if permitted. Thus, it clearly violated their rest; defiled the sanctity of their garden given to occupy; and stole their peace of mind. But worse was; although they both made a beguiled mess in failing to rebuke subtility’s sound; unbelievably they so soon forgot the sound the voice of God walking in that same place, but as the familiar presence of His grace; should have meant unconditionally.
Both failed to recognize and run to the familiarity of perfect peace and revelatory light His voice had always been. It had prevented darkness from ever coming anywhere near being able to touch them so; without receiving permission to sift them as wheat. And though fully equipped to; they failed to discern grace calling their name; coming to their aid; as God’s Word walking; as His presence talking; as their very present help, still willing to walk with them; despite their weakness thus, spiritual failure.
Spiritually, stormy, contrary and boisterous winds we all experience in life; will test our measures of faith. Faith is a vital key that must be found; as it will be required of all who’d walk with God. Adam experienced the first spiritual windstorm as subtility blow in to wreak absolute havoc as they ate forbidden fruit of lying, cunning, craftiness. The sad part is; their reaction to the devastation their storm brought; was to hide, not to rebuke in faith what they’d heard beguile. So, they lacked the integrity to abide; so, wait on their change as God’s grace to come; despite weaknesses exposed.
Beloveds, let us learn to be those standards; that’ll make their experiences become our learning experience. When we do; we’ll remember; in any time of trouble; God’s grace will as His voice walking; come to strengthen us to press on; as our faith but speaks up; to rebuke the mess; which is always merely circumstantial at best. So why hide gazing?
This post was taken from Kingdom Keys Series of Dr. Aikens
