When we think of horses today we often admire them as one of the most beautiful and noble creatures on the face of the earth.  Have you ever thought it strange that the Israelites never used horses in their many battles against warring nations in their conquest of the Holy Land prior to the reign of Solomon?

You will find over 188 Bible verses that refer to horses in the Old Testament, so they were well known to the Jews.  The question begs, why did they never use horses to defend themselves against the cavalry and war-horses of their enemies?  Consider how horses are described by God in the Book of Job:

“Hast thou given the horse strength?  Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?  The glory of his nostrils is terrible.  He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.  He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.  The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.  He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.”  (Job 39:19-24)

Archeological digs consistently show that horses were commonly used by armies of the ancient nations of the Middle East, with the exception of Israel, until the reign of King Solomon around 970 B.C.

Even the Ten Commandments prohibit the Jews from coveting an ox or ass, but there is no mention of horses.  “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.”  (Exodus 20:17)

You will read in the Book of Judges that donkeys were the main mode of transportation for Israel rather than horses.  When the daughter of Caleb came to visit Othniel in Joshua 15:18 she used an ass or donkey, not a horse.  Later, we read that Saul was searching for the lost asses of his father.  Even when warring against King David, the Scriptures tell us that his son Absalom was killed by riding his mule under the branches of a tree proving that even royal princes did not ride horses in that time.

The only horses that are mentioned are those of the enemies of Israel such as the 900 chariots of cavalry of the Caananite King Jabin (Judges 4).  Even when the Philistines seized the Ark of the Covenant the Bible tells us that Israel lost 30,000 foot soldiers, but not a single mention of cavalry. (1^st Samuel 4)

Why did Israel not use horses for their cavalry when all of the foreign armies had the advantages of chariots and war-horses?  We find the answer in Deuteronomy 17:16.  “But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, ‘Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.’”

The primary reason that God forbade the Israelites from owning/multiplying horses was that it would have forced their correspondence and reliance upon Egypt, the premier provider of horses in the Middle East at that time.  God knew that Israel would be tempted to enter into alliances with Egypt by acquiring their horses much like the international trading of advanced arms and weaponry today.  In the conduct of their monopoly it was quite normal that Egypt would additionally require client states to enter into alliances or defensive treaties with them in exchange for their war-horses.  It was God’s desire that Israel would not become entangled with Egypt and other foreign alliances rather than trust the power of God alone to save her.  He also wanted to separate Israel from Egypt over concerns that they would be infected with the idolatries of Eqypt to which they were very prone.  According to the Lord, if Israel was not to return to Egypt, they must not trade with Egypt in any form.

Another important reason is that despite the fact that Israel had excellent soldiers who won astonishing victories over superior enemies, they achieved these victories through the supernatural power of God. In acknowledging that they won so many battles through God’s miraculous interventions, it was the Lord who received the glory and not the men of Israel.  Otherwise, war horses and cavalry might compel the wrongful sense of pride that it was their personal might that prevailed over the enemy.

By forcing the Israelites to fight defensive battles on foot to defend the Holy Land that God had given them also precluded them from becoming aggressive to conquer foreign lands.  War horses and cavalry would have given them that mobility to acquire foreign lands far beyond the borders of the Promised Land.  This was not God’s will for Israel, even though David and his armies had subjugated all of the world that mattered at one time. (Psalm 18:43-44)   Remarkably, Israel did not begin to acquire horses until the apostasy that followed King Solomon’s reign. (1^st Kings 10:26)

God wanted His people to rely solely upon Him.  Sadly, Solomon surely knew this, since he wrote in Proverbs 21:31, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle: but deliverance is of the Lord.”  For concerning his compromise on war-horses, by the end of his reign, Solomon also had a substantial harem.  It appears from Scripture that his compromise on this issue began his slow separation from God.

If we are wise enough to heed to God’s word, it is these examples of compromise that we can learn.  “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

This is a great lesson on separation from the world.  God has given us the victory and we are allowed to defend it.  The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2^nd Corinthians 10:3-5).  We are taught to trust the Lord for the victories and not use the world’s ways to accomplish His purposes.  We are not to use the world as a means to obtain peace of mind for “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Have you allowed yourself by commerce or conversation to be drawn into a potential sin?

Have you unwittingly entered into an “unholy alliance” whereby you have positioned your adversary to undermine you in your faith walk?

Are you making decisions based upon your “wealth” or your “might” or by what you alone have “achieved” or “acquired?”

If so, turn away from your “war-horses of Egypt.”  For if they are there, you will be tempted to return back to your “Egypt.”

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1^st Corinthians 10:11)

(Sources: Grant Jeffrey, Martin Collins, John Reid, Dr. Earl White)

The results would be disastrous.  Have you ever entertained the notion of releasing captive zoo animals back into the wild?  Recent studies have shown this is not only disastrous but unethical. Most zoo animals are born into captivity, and when released back into the wild they do not cope and die.  Many starve to death because they have not learned how to hunt.  Zoo-raised predators also underperform socially in the wild and do not reproduce, nor do they enjoy the protection of a pack.  Most importantly, they are not discerning of their enemies, often displaying a lack of fear of large carnivores and they do not have the experience to defend themselves.  Not surprisingly, they are often shot or poisoned because they are too trusting of human activity.

Taken out of their natural element, these captive-born animals lose their innate skills, senses and behavioral attributes.  Likewise, when the Church becomes unmoored from the Word of God, lacking knowledge of the truths of God, and lacking discernment on spiritual matters, then they are more vulnerable and susceptible to the wiles of our adversary.  Deception is very definitely here today, it is not only in the world, it is in the Church.

What we have been taught and led to believe from the Bible is now under open attack.  The truths which we have long embraced from Scripture are now in the crosshairs of society and the world-at-large.

This latter-day deception in the Church is also a direct byproduct of a lack of knowledge and Scriptural illiteracy.  Many Christians today simply do not spend any time studying their Bibles and, as a result, are open to deception and become prey of wolves in sheep’s clothing.  They are tossed back and forth with every wind of doctrine that comes along.  Satan is crafty and subtle in the way he deceives and today his efforts to deceive are intensified against the Church targeted specifically to undermine the truths of the Bible.

As just one example, simple questions today with your children about the difference between a man and a woman can invite a whole host of answers that never before would have been considered…”assignment of gender as a social construct…differences based on biased societies???”

“And Jesus answered them and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.” (Matthew 24:4)  In these last days, we need to hear this passage loudly.  Throughout the New Testament we are warned by Jesus and His apostles about being deceived.

“Let no man deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not be partakers with them.  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:6-11)

Although I am not in agreement with him on all issues, this quote from John MacArthur is powerful:

“…truth itself does not change just because our point of view does.  As we mature in our ability to perceive truth, truth itself remains fixed. Our duty is to conform all our thoughts to the truth, we are not entitled to redefine “truth” to fit it to our own personal viewpoints, preferences, or desires.  We must not ignore or discard selected truths just because we might find them hard to receive or difficult to believe.  Above all, we can’t get apathetic or lazy about the truth when the price of understanding or defending the truth turns out to be demanding or costly.”  (John MacArthur, quoted in The Truth War)

Many Christians today find themselves embracing the spirit of this world that is steadily turning and twisting Biblical truth into a lie.  We must understand that there is a major price to be paid when we choose deception over the truth of God’s word.  God has established the boundaries of truth and we must stay firm within those boundaries.  When we depart from established truth, we are setting ourselves up for spiritual destruction.

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools….Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator…” (Romans 1:22,25)

We have a rebellion against God’s truth today.

Sadly, many in the Church today are Scripturally illiterate.  Genuine Bible studies are now hard to find in many churches, instead topical studies dominate.  They know their favorite football team’s record and stats, favorite celebrities, songs, enamored with emojis and memes, social media…but they don’t know anything about the Bible.  And because they don’t know, they are open to deception.

^“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2^nd Timothy 4:3-4)

Our faith comes from hearing the Word of God.  Today, the Church has become bashful about God’s word.  We can’t become bashful, we must preach it and proclaim the truth.  Powerlessness has come in part to some, because the name of Jesus Christ has been avoided by so many Christians today.

I am absolutely convinced that the reestablishment of the PREEMINENCE OF GOD’S WORD is paramount for the Church in these days. 

There are many pastors, evangelists, youth ministers and teachers who are subscribers to this blog.  I hope and pray that you will not stop preaching the Word as you have been called to do.  The Church needs a strong Word in these latter days.  If you are making your congregation squirm and uncomfortable from time to time, then that may very well be a good thing.

Lastly, I have often heard that Millennials are “unreachable” for the Gospel, and that is a lie!  Many of my generation (baby boomers) have shied away from sharing their personal testimony of Jesus Christ with this age group because they are uncomfortable with them socially.  Not only is this wrong and bearing horrible outcomes (check Pew Research data) but, despite the fact that as a generation they are bombarded with information and technological distractions like no other, they are very definitely seeking genuine truth and they want to hear it.  And they are seeking and desiring community.  The Millennials are very definitely “reachable” for the Gospel, just as any prior generation.

As Paul imparts this to Timothy, so I share the instruction:

¹¹ These things command and teach.

¹² Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

¹³ Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

¹⁴ Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

¹⁵ Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

¹⁶ Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1^st Timothy 4:11-16)

(Burdened for this message, many sources to cite: Don Perkins, Terry James, Jan Markell, Bud Hancock, Geri Ungurean, John MacArthur, Steve Quayle)

Often, God uses small things to accomplish His greater purposes. We, on the other hand, all too often will look at something small or obsolete and render it to be useless or unimportant.  But God does not measure things the way we do.  There was such a reminder in an event recently at the Sons of Thunder Farm in Zambia.

“The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” (Exodus 4:2)  From a Scriptural perspective, it is remarkable to consider how God used the staff of Moses.  It was not just used as a prop.  Although inanimate it became a lead character as an instrument of the Lord placed in the hands of His servant.  God used Moses’ staff to part the Red Sea and defeat the pursuing armies of Egypt.  Later, Moses used the staff during a battle between Israel and the Amalekites and when it was lifted up, the armies of the Israelites prevailed in victory.

The Bible also tells us that faithfulness in the small things will lead to greater blessings.  Rahab used a piece of crimson rope and it saved her entire family.  God used a young shepherd boy to destroy the Philistine giant.  In fact, David proved himself faithful in taking care of his father’s sheep, and God gave him the whole nation of Israel to shepherd.

And who cannot recall the moment, when facing multitudes of people coming to hear Jesus speak, when a disciple turns to Him and says, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” (John 6:9) All four gospel accounts tell us that Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people through only five loaves of bread and two fish.

“For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10)

It serves as an instructive reminder to us that the small things, the insignificant things, and the obsolete things are not to be despised.  For God willingly uses small things to achieve greater purposes.  On a personal basis, you may think of yourself as insignificant in God’s greater plans, but you are not.  Not only did Christ die for you but with the infilling of the Holy Spirit you are a vital part of the Body of Christ and He has a role for you to fulfill.   You may seem very small in your own eyes and this is good, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  (Proverbs 3:34; 1^st Peter 5:5-6; James 4:6-7)   But, don’t let your humility become sin by believing you can do nothing for the Lord.

For many years the old swimming pool at the Sons of Thunder Farm had been left to lay obsolete, dry and cracking under the Zambian sun.  It is estimated to have been built in the 1960s or 70s by the original farm owner before it was purchased by Sons of Thunder Ministries.  On a cost basis it was prohibitive and controversial to refurbish, for others it was an eyesore, for most it was just a wasted and unusable corner of the main compound.

However, earlier this spring after attending an agricultural exhibition in the nation’s capital of Lusaka, SOT Farm Manager Alexander Mubanga and several other men from the Farm became acquainted with the concept of an aquaponic pond for fish farming.  As you can see in the photo, the concept became reality this past month when they decided to convert the old swimming pool into a fish farm for raising tilapia fish!  Sons of Thunder dammed up one side of the pool for breeding young fish before transferring them over to the larger pool side.   An aquaponic pond specialist was brought over to train those in charge of the newly created fish farm, the first supply of fish was cast into the water, and we are now hoping to have the first harvest of tilapia in October and November of this year.

The fish will be made available for purchase by those living on the Sons of Thunder Farm and will also be used for feeding attendees of meetings and conferences at the SOT Conference Center.  An additional market may also be identified in Livingston as this story unfolds.  This is yet another small business that was seeded with a loan from Sons of Thunder as part of the micro business community that exists there.

There has been a horrific drought in southern Africa this past year and, as prior blog posts have attested, the Sons of Thunder Farm harvest this year was most productive despite the drought conditions.  More importantly, this bountiful harvest is a testimony of God’s grace to the Farm and its utility of the Farming God’s Way farming techniques.  As a source of protein, there are also chickens that are being raised both commercially and individually on the Farm, but fish has never been available until now!

Please pray for Joseph as he manages the fish farm and the efficiency of this new aquaponic system that has been introduced.  The swimming pool was considered obsolete and useless for years but having committed this project over to the Lord for His blessings, we are now very excited at the potential outcome for this fish farm.

Speaking with Alexander earlier this week, the reduced crop yields this year due to the drought has caused much hunger and suffering in the southern and western regions of Zambia.  Many continue to come and ask for food and other assistance as the Farm can provide.  But the demand is far more than Sons of Thunder is able to supply.  Your prayers and financial support are vitally needed right now to meet those suffering from malnutrition and hunger with bags of mealy meal.  On the blog menu select “contribute” for instructions to make a donation to Sons of Thunder.  It is all made possible through the support of friends like you who share the vision and passion for God’s Kingdom work.  We are grateful for your prayerful support!

In churches today the two most widely celebrated holidays are Christmas and Easter Sunday. Sadly, it has now become routine that many Christians only attend church on those two days. But in the early Church, the two most emphasized holidays were Resurrection Day (Easter) and Pentecost.  Even in Israel today, “Shavuot” (Pentecost) is a major and much celebrated two-day holiday.  What is it about Pentecost that is overlooked by the Church today?  What is the hidden meaning of Pentecost that seems to have been lost?

Last week we saw how our resurrected Jesus Christ is depicted in the Feast of Firstfruits, which is the start of the 50-day countdown towards the day of Pentecost.  Scripture tells us that Pentecost is one of three feast dates that all Hebrew males were required to attend in Jerusalem.  Paul reminds us that these holy days and feast dates are “a foreshadowing of events to come” (Colossians 2:16-7).   Not only are the feast dates predictive, but they are fulfilled on the date they are observed. With that in mind, let’s consider the historical context.

The Bible tells us that, after leaving Egypt, the Jews completed 50 days of wandering from Ramses into the wilderness of Sinai and that on the third day of the month of Sivan they arrived at the base of Mount Sinai.  Here in approximately 1491 B.C., Israel waited for three days for Moses to return from conversing with God.  The Lord told the people, “Be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai.” (Exodus 19:11)  According to the Exodus account, it was on this day (the 6^th of Sivan) that having chosen Israel by His grace through Abraham, that the Lord now confirmed this covenant 430 years later, by presenting His Law on the Feast of Pentecost.  (430 years-Genesis 15:13 to Exodus 12:41)

It was on this day of Pentecost that God implemented the Dispensation of Law and which transformed all human moral law.  A new era was born of spiritual stewardship as a further revelation of the will of God.  The book, The Jewish Holidays-A Guide and Commentary, describes this feast this way: “Shavuot (Pentecost-Feast of Weeks) occurs on the sixth day of Sivan.  It celebrates the giving of the Torah, God’s gift to the Jewish people.”  Most observant Jews consider this date to depict the marriage of Israel to God.

Remarkably, it was on this same 6^th of Sivan around 32 A.D. that the Church was born.  Precisely fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, the day the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, that 120 disciples gathered “together in one place” to await the promise of Christ when He prophesied that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1).  On the sixth day of Sivan the Holy Spirit manifested Himself and “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (verse 4).

“It is no coincidence that, on the same day of Pentecost in which God appeared to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai and revealed to man a new relationship based upon His sacred Law, He again revealed to man a new relationship based on the Holy Spirit.  The mystical union of God and Israel that occurred on the Feast of Pentecost at the foot of Mount Sinai is exactly mirrored in the union of God’s Holy Spirit with Christ’s Bride, the Church, on Pentecost, fifty days after Christ rose from the dead.”

                              -Grant Jeffrey (1948-2012), former Canadian pastor, writer and Biblical archeologist

Thus, it was on this same day of Pentecost that God also implemented the Dispensation of Grace, that is the Age of Grace or Church age.

Ever since, Jews have adopted Pentecost and the giving of the Law, as taken from the Exodus 19 account, to commemorate the symbolism of the marriage between God, the Groom, and Israel, the bride.  They view Mt. Sinai as an enormous “ketubah”, or wedding canopy and see the two tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain to represent the marriage contract.  For most Christians, this is quite remarkable to discover as we know that the Church is the Bride of Christ.

Many observant Jews therefore stay up the night before Shavuot in their synagogue’s house of study, poring over “tikkun” which consists of small sections from each book of the Torah and the Talmud.  In view of how the Israelites of Sinai, according to tradition, slept late that morning, this practice of staying up all night in preparation is heightened by a mystical tradition that the skies open for a brief moment, and God will answer any prayer.  Therefore, this practice of staying up all night before Pentecost is known as “decorating the bride.”

And, according to Jewish tradition, David was born and died on the 6^th of Sivan and Enoch was born on this date.  Also, Moses was pulled up as a baby from the basket in the Nile by a daughter of Pharoah on this date.

Again, these Feasts of Moses are not only commemorative but prophetic.  The first three feasts in the month of Nisan (Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits) are predictive of the First Coming of Jesus Christ.  The last three (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles) are associated with His Second Coming.  It is the one feast date in between, Pentecost, which is associated with the Church.

In agricultural terms it is also important to remember that the Old Testament has always revealed three distinct harvests: firstfruits, the main harvest, and the gleanings.  This translates prophetically as Jesus the Firstfruits, the Rapture of the Church as the main harvest, and the tribulation saints and the saved remnant of Israel as the gleanings.  Thus, Pentecost points directly to the main harvest, the Rapture of the Church.

In Judaism, the Book of Ruth, a beautiful love story, is always read during Shavuot.  It is the story of a “goel” or kinsmen redeemer named Boaz who returns land lost to Naomi by performing requirements for redemption.  He also takes himself a Gentile bride (Ruth) who we know is destined to appear in the family tree of David and of Jesus Christ.  In terms of Bible typology, the parallels are obvious: Naomi (typifying Israel) returning to the Land, Ruth (typifying the Bride of Christ) each established by the act of redemption by the kinsmen redeemer.  Just as the redemption of Ruth occurred in the middle of the night likewise, we know that the Rapture will come “like a thief in the night.”  And this aligns succinctly with the ancient rites of a Jewish wedding when traditionally, the groom accompanied by his groomsmen, would come down the streets in the middle of the night shouting for his bride and her bridesmaids to come out.

Finally, just as God descended upon Mount Sinai to confirm His covenant with Israel with a voice sounding like a trumpet (Exodus 19:19; 20:18-19), so to will Jesus descend to call up His bride with a shout, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1^st Thessalonians 4:16-17)(Revelation 1:10; 4:1)

Does this mean the Rapture occurs on Pentecost?  It could be on this date or any other, but no one knows the date, and history has proven it counterproductive to speculate.  The Levitical feast dates are a beautiful demonstration by God showing how He will gather all of His people together over a sequence of time.

Pentecost is observed by the Church this year on June 9^th.  In Israel, the two-day celebration of Shavuot is June 9-10 and is a national holiday.

“And every man who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1^st John 3:3)