Currently, as God’s people, we are going through challenging times that are accompanied by conflict. We know that according to Romans 8:28 all things must serve us for the best and therefore it is necessary that we develop a strategy of victory from these challenging times.
Romans 8:28:
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
The Extracting of Glory in the Midst of Challenge
Since we are in the biblical month of Adar (Note: means ‘glorious’ among other things), which is associated with the tribe of ‘Naphtali – My battle’ and the feast of Purim, it is necessary to recognize the plan of God’s glory in the midst of challenge in order to reveal it.
All the battles (Note: conflict situations) that we experience as God’s people revolve around God’s covenant in which we are involved. Therefore, it is necessary for us to remember that God made a covenant with Abraham and offered him a land of promise (cf. Genesis 17:1-2).
Genesis 17:1-2:
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’
As a result, we have a certain desire in our hearts in the form of seeking our land of covenant, which means that we are not satisfied until we have reached our God-ordained destination and have settled in our place of promise (cf. Philippians 3:13-14).
Philippians 3:13-14:
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, 14 I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, 14 I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
Before the people of Israel could triumph and prosper in their land of promise, they were asked to remember the land from which they had been brought out by God and their experience with Him (cf. Deuteronomy 4:9 i.c.w. Psalm 103:2).
Deuteronomy 4:9:
9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Psalm 103:2:
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – …
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – …
By the command of the LORD, Moses considered the tribes of Israel as units in an army (cf. Exodus 13:18 i.c.w. Numbers 10:11-14a).
Exodus 13:18b:
… 18b The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.
… 18b The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.
Numbers 10:11-14a:
11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.
12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and travelled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.
13 They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.
14a The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, …
11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.
12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and travelled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.
13 They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.
14a The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, …
Accordingly, it is very important for us to remember that the identity of the people of Israel was submerged in Egyptian culture for 400 years.
The Concealment of Identity Until the Right Time
When Jacob and his sons reunited with Joseph in Egypt, Joseph admonished them not to reveal their full identity to the Egyptians. In Genesis 46, Joseph instructed his brothers to state their occupation as shepherds in order to be entitled to dwell in the land of Goshen away from the Egyptians (cf. Genesis 46:31-34).
Genesis 46:31-34:
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, “My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.”
33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, “What is your occupation?” 34 you should answer, “Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.” Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.’
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, “My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.”
33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, “What is your occupation?” 34 you should answer, “Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.” Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.’
This instruction by Joseph was a strategy of preserving the ethnic and spiritual identity of the people of Israel until God’s time. From this it is clear that there is a time in our lives with God in which the hidden identity comes to light.
Although the people of Israel lived as slaves under the bondage of Egypt for 400 years, God’s timing came when the LORD revealed to them who they really were.
Each tribe of Israel has a particular order and task.
Each tribe of Israel has a particular order and task.
At present, there still is a certain kind of insecurity among believers who have not yet correctly recognized their identity in Christ in the tribes and biblical understanding of Israel as the image of the body and are therefore not correctly positioned with their destiny.
Such correct alignment serves to be properly positioned for victory, which God honors as Commander-in-Chief and leader of His army (cf. Numbers 10:13-14a ff.).
Numbers 10:13-14a:
13 They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.
14a The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard. …
13 They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.
14a The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard. …
The Triumphant Alliance of Saints
The Holy Spirit is about to raise up an alliance of saints in the form of tribes who will bring forth and secure the oil which represents the anointing of the LORD for the coming time to bring about victory similar to that of the Maccabees. This alliance of saints knows how to wait for the right time of God and resist the enemy at the gate of time (cf. Psalm 127:5 i.c.w. James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:6).
Psalm 127:5:
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court (Note: at the gate).
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court (Note: at the gate).
James 4:7:
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:6:
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
The result is that the LORD anoints the relevant saints, who use the resources He has given them, with fresh ‘oil’. Through their faithfulness to the will of God and His appointed time, they become a perpetual, forward and victorious force.
Many saints from this triumphant alliance were outside God’s perfect timing in the past, but now they stand ready with revelatory knowledge for a time like this in order to secure the movement of God.
They have overcome their obstacles in their own lives and decided to move on. Each of these saints have passed through narrow places of transition to now go forward in the freedom and order of the Holy Spirit.
They are a righteous unit of believers who have stood up and released various kinds of prayers into the earth that bring change.
Moreover, they carry a reformation in their hearts that brings about a greater quality in the kingdom of God.
They are familiar with the potential of righteous indignation in the God-set time frame without allowing the adversary access herein (cf. Ephesians 4:26-27).
Ephesians 4:26-27:
26 ‘In your anger do not sin’: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
26 ‘In your anger do not sin’: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
Through their consciences cleansed in the blood of the Lamb, they are bold to go forward on God’s behalf and walk boldly higher as well as enter the throne room of grace. This leads to the gaining of new visions by the Holy Spirit, so that the way may be prepared for many who follow them (cf. Hebrews 9:14).
Hebrews 9:14:
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
The Holy ‘Dialysis’ and Being Grounded in the God-given Identity
Having undergone the holy ‘dialysis’ that exchanges their blood with the blood of Christ, these saints do not fear death, but go forward with confidence in the liberating power of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.
As a result, they, steadfast in their God-given identity, can leap from one high place to another like Naphtali, speaking His redemptive words (cf. Genesis 49:21).
Genesis 49:21:
21 ‘Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
21 ‘Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
Leaping from one high place to another is tantamount to the power of memory that generates accessibility to the future.
Some people have difficulty accessing their future because they have not stepped out of the time frame of their past. They live in the present, but they are bound and stuck by past memories and, as a result, do not realize their future.
Moreover, these people are able to remember details from a certain period of their lives, but they have trouble understanding the reason for the experiences they have gone through. This shows that they don’t have access to what they were supposed to learn in those situations. However, God says that we should remember. Here it is important that we look or remember from His redemptive perspective.
His understanding of memory causes what is stored in us to come alive forever. This means that He brings our thoughts back to something He said in our past, so that we can recognize it today and project it into our future.
Memory is a significant ability that the Lord has provided for us. When we remember the work of God in our past, our faith is strengthened for the future.
When we remember how He views His covenant with us, we can be assured that He will deliver us, overwhelm us, and be faithful to lead us into our promised inheritance.
Remembering what God has done in our lives creates a momentum that leads to triumph.
The Importance of Spirit-filled Cooperation and Thwarting the Plan of the Enemy
This very month, as we remember the triumph of the people of Israel over Haman through the intervention of Esther under the wise leadership of her cousin Mordecai, we can see that we better work together as God’s people to stop the enemy’s impact and evil plan.
If we are disciplined and prepared, as well as possess the necessary faith, we will have the boldness to defeat the enemy’s determined destruction.
Being prepared means getting ready to create a framework for future projects, buildings or fields and getting ready to act.
The window of opportunity in which we currently find ourselves is a phase in which we should remember that we can be prepared for ‘such a time as this’ in the midst of hostility.
Through preparation and discipline, God’s favor can rest upon us.
When Esther went to King Ahasuerus (Note: Xerxes), she gained favor and grace in his eyes and was promoted to the royal position of queen (cf. Esther 2:16-17).
Esther 2:16-17:
16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favour and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favour and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Based on this principle, it shows that if we allow the anointing of God to rest upon us and the beauty of holiness to surround as well as transform us, we can gain great favor.
Challenging circumstances shouldn’t intimidate us, but lead to the fragrance of the LORD emanating from us and to have great influence in the coming days to further extend the kingdom of God on earth (cf. Isaiah 54:1-6).
Isaiah 54:1-6:
1 ‘Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,’ says the Lord.
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.
4 ‘Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
5 For your Maker is your husband – the Lord Almighty is his name – the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
6 The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit – a wife who married young, only to be rejected,’ says your God.
1 ‘Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,’ says the Lord.
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.
4 ‘Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
5 For your Maker is your husband – the Lord Almighty is his name – the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
6 The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit – a wife who married young, only to be rejected,’ says your God.
(Note: This message is based on a teaching from two newsletters by Chuck D. Pierce, GZI dated March 2022.)
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
