The Tent of Shem and the Covering of the Lamb

It is the guidance of the Holy Spirit that leads us as saints deeper into the truth of God’s Word to open up to us through His instruction the dimension of revelatory truth that the Father carries with Christ in His heart (cf. John 16:13-15).
 
John 16:13-15:
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’
 
The Spiritual Principle within the Identity of God
 
In this context, the Lord led me to the Scripture from Genesis 6:10, where it is about the three sons of Noah. Here the focus was on the names of the firstborn and the third-born.
 
Genesis 6:10:
10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
 
The name ‘Shem’ means ‘name’, which is composed of the Hebrew letters ‘Shin’ and ‘Mem’. In this, we can see a spiritual principle within the identity of God, since the LORD is also called ‘HaShem – The Name’ by the people of Israel in order to keep His name in honor.
 
The spiritual principle within the identity of God in connection with the letters of the name ‘Shem’ points to the crystal water of the throne room which is taken up from the depths of God by a water wheel.
 
The water is, among other things, the presence of the truth of the Word of God which is Christ Jesus in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (cf. Ephesians 5:26 i.c.w. Colossians 2:3).
 
Ephesians 5:26:
… 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, …
 
Colossians 2:3:
… 3 in whom (Note: Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
 
By the blood of Jesus we have been bought with a high price and called to be kings as well as priests in order to live as such by this without compromise (cf. Revelation 1:5b-6).
 
Revelation 1:5b-6:
… 5b To him (Note: Jesus Christ) who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
 
According to Proverbs 21:1, the heart of a king in the hand of the LORD is like streams of water that He directs. In this context, it is very interesting to note that the Hebrew word used for ‘kingdom’ is the word ‘mamlākāh’.

This Hebrew word begins twice with the Hebrew letter ‘Mem’, which is associated with ‘water’ among other things, as well as carrying the numerical value of ‘40’.
 
The Hebrew word used in the Word of God for ‘water’ is ‘Majim’ and is exclusively used in the plural form. It begins with the Hebrew letter ‘Mem’ and concludes with it at the same time. (Note: part excerpt from the Elberfelder Study Bible on the word ‘mamlākāh – kingdom’ with the word key number 4542).
 
Furthermore, Jesus Christ spoke of the fact that whoever believes in Him, as the Scripture says, from their body (Note: inner man/area of the belly area) will flow streams of living water (cf. John 7:38).
 
Proverbs 21:1:
1 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels towards all who please him.
 
John 7:38:
‘… 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’
 
Thus it is clear that the element of water is closely associated with the kingdom and likewise before the throne of God is the crystal sea (cf. Revelation 4:6a).
 
Revelation 4:6a:
6a Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. …
 
The Honorable Attitude of Shem and Japheth
 
The name ‘Japheth’ means ‘expansion’ which points to the dynamism of the new wine of which Jesus spoke but also to the greatness of God’s promise (cf. Mark 2:22 i.c.w. Isaiah 54:2-3).
 
Mark 2:22:
22 And no-one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.’
 
Isaiah 54:2-3:
2 ‘Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.
 
Shem and Japheth were the sons of Noah who, after learning through their brother Ham that their father was naked, approached their father with a robe, backwards and turned away respectively. They placed it on their father’s naked body so that he was honorably covered while under the influence of the ‘first sweet wine’. This state of Noah can be akin to a prophetic rapture that comes with the transparency or truthfulness of God (cf. Genesis 9:23 i.c.w. 1 Samuel 10:9-11; 1 Samuel 19:20-24; 2 Samuel 6:14 Hebrews 4:13).
 
Genesis 9:23:
23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backwards and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

1 Samuel 10:9-11:
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.
10 When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.
11 When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, ‘What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?’
 
1 Samuel 19:20-24:
… 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.
21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, ‘Where are Samuel and David?’ ‘Over in Naioth at Ramah,’ they said.
23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.
24 He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’
 
2 Samuel 6:14:
14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, …
 
Hebrews 4:13:
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
 
The Realm of Spiritual ‘Nakedness’ and the Covering of the Lamb
 
This ‘nakedness’ in the spiritual context is a very sensitive realm that must be valued and not condemned too hastily, because otherwise it can have drastic consequences. This is clear from Ham’s reaction to the uncovered state of his father Noah, but also from Michal’s contempt for David when he danced before God with a naked upper body (cf. Genesis 9:22-25; 2 Samuel 6:16.20.23).
 
Genesis 9:22-25:
22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.
23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backwards and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.
24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him,
25 he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.’
 
2 Samuel 6:16.20.23:
16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. …
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, ‘How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!’ …
23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

Regarding the covering act of the firstborn and the third son of Noah, it is no coincidence that the first Hebrew letter of the firstborn son (Note: ‘śîn’) and the first Hebrew letter of the third son (Note: ‘jôd’) result in the Hebrew word ‘šaj’, which means ‘gift, lamb’. (Note: Word explanation for the Hebrew word ‘šaj – gift, lamb’ from Strong’s Word Concordance with word key number: H7716 and the Elberfelder Study Bible with word key number: 8160*)
 
It is Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God who has been given to us by the Father as a gift and has taken all of our sin and covers all shame as we abide in the revelatory truth of God’s Word (Note: light). This implies to live in Christ Jesus as well as to apply the power of His blood in our lives where it is needed (cf. John 3:16; Psalm 119:105; John 1:29 i.c.w. Genesis 3:21; 1 John 1:7-9).
 
John 3:16:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 
Psalm 119:105:
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
 
John 1:29:
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! …’
 
Genesis 3:21:
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
 
1 John 1:7-9:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
 
Since ‘Ham’ the second born son of Noah showed no intention and understanding of respectability towards his father’s naked condition and told his brothers about it without covering his father, Noah cursed his second son Ham as part of the blessing of his sons (cf. Genesis 9:20-21.24-25).
 
Genesis 9:20-21.24-25:
21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.
22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. …
24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.’
 
When Scripture speaks of a curse from God, it includes a prophecy about present realities and their destructive effect in the future.
 
The Way Out of a Curse and Walking in the Light of God
 
But there is a way out to escape from the curse if we align ourselves according to the will of God properly and in time.
 
This is evident from the blessing of Noah, in that his second-born son ‘Ham’ was given the opportunity to come under the covering power of the ‘Lamb’ and ‘gift of God’ represented by the presence of ‘Shem’ and ‘Japheth’ (Note: Hebrew word ‘šaj’) through truthful servant hood to his two brothers. From true humble servant hood, the grace of God becomes active, leading us to freedom and exaltation (cf. 1 Peter 5:5b i.c.w. Luke 22:26b).
 
1 Peter 5:5b:
… 5b All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.’
 
Luke 22:26b:
… 26b Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
 
It is in the interest of the Heavenly Father to give people who have failed in their lives and because of this have a feeling of hopelessness, disgrace, shame, etc. a redeeming way out of this situation through Jesus Christ the Lamb or gift of God.
 
Furthermore, the LORD calls us at this time through the blessing of Noah, which he gave towards his sons to enter into the shining presence of his ‘name’, as Noah spoke of the importance of dwelling in the tent of Shem as well as the God of Shem, which is YAHWEH in its various characteristics or facets. These characteristics are based on the trinity of the LORD (Note: ‘‘ělôhîym’), similar to what Abraham experienced in the grove of Mamre when the LORD approached him in the form of the three men to visit him (cf. Genesis 18:1-3).
 
Genesis 18:1-3:
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.
2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.
 
This leads over to the fact that we are given the opportunity to be formed by the Holy Spirit into the identity that corresponds to the will of the Heavenly Father at that particular time.
It is also essential that the LORD, through the blessing of Noah, places the emphasis on the tent of Shem, where Japheth was to dwell in order to contribute to the expansion in the respective God-given identity or vocation in the dynamics of the new wine (cf. Genesis 9:26-27).
 
Genesis 9:26-27:
26 He also said, ‘Praise be to the Lord (Note: YAHWEH), the God (Note: ‘ělôhîym) of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
27 May God extend Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.’
 
The Hebrew root word of the word ‘tent’ is ‘’āhal’ meaning ‘to shine brightly’. (Note: Word explanation for the Hebrew word ‘’āhal – to shine brightly’ taken from the Elberfelder Study Bible with the word key number: 169*)
 
Thus, we should be encouraged to let our light shine before people in the world in the identity and calling given to us by the Heavenly Father, so that they may see the good works of righteousness and become worshipers of the Father themselves (cf. Matthew 5:14-16 i.c.w. John 4:23-24).
 
Matthew 5:14-16:
14 ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
 
John 4:23-24:
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.
24 God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’
 
As saints, let us show an honorable attitude toward spheres of authority in all adverse circumstances, while aligning ourselves in grace within the revelatory truth of God to bring the love of the Father in the Lamb of God to others.
 
Amen and Amen.
 
In His Wisdom,
 
Daniel Glimm