5th of the 7th month 2015/2016
Shabbat Shalom all,
Mattithyahu/Matthew 24:45 “Who then is a trustworthy and wise servant, whom his master set over his household, to give them food in season?”
As we have now just entered into the 5th day of the 7th month, we are able to count properly and see that we are half way to Yom Kippur/ Day of Atonement which takes place on the 10th of the 7th month. Ten days from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur! When we consider this period of ten days, we recognise the clear prophetic pattern and call that is given in Scripture for us to be a ready Bride who has been trustworthy and wise servants and not be found to be fools that will perish for a lack of knowledge! In a message tonight called, “WHO THEN IS A TRUSTWORTHY AND WISE SERVANT? – A call for endurance!” let us be on guard against any compromise as we pursue apartness without which no one shall see the Master!
Wise and trustworthy servants we are called to be, and this is the question our Master asks after giving a clear teaching of the last days and how wicked they shall be; as the days of Noaḥ so shall the coming of the Son of Aḏam be! We do not have to look too far to see just how depraved and wicked the world is right now, as people are running around like drunken fools doing whatever is right in their own eyes and seeking to satisfy the desires of the flesh. Amidst these wicked days of depravity and lawlessness we are called to endure and guard righteousness, and be found to be a true wise and trustworthy servant of our coming King! In a parable about making sure that His taught ones should always pray and not lose heart, יהושע asks, in Luqas/Luke 18:8, the sobering question of when the Son of Aḏam comes, shall He find the belief on the earth?
One of the clear themes we see being given to us in Scripture is the contrast between the wise and the foolish, and as we discussed last week, the parable of the 10 maidens, 5 of which were wise and 5 who were foolish, is a very apt parable for the season we find ourselves in, as the awakening cry that comes on Yom Teruah will find a clear separation happening between those who are wise and have oil and those who are foolish and have no oil!
It is with this concept of these 10 days we find from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur that I would like us to take a look at a few Scriptures that teach us the vital lessons we must take heed of in terms of our readiness and complete set-apartness!
Before we do that let me explain the Greek words we find being used in our Master’s question, “Who then is a trustworthy and wise servant?” Trustworthy and wise servants – are you one?
The Greek word translated as ‘trustworthy’ is πιστός pistos – Strong’s G4103 which means, ‘faithful, reliable, believer, trustworthy’, and comes from the primary root verb πείθω peithō – Strong’s G3982 which means, ‘to persuade, to put confidence in, to follow, have confidence and rely upon’.
When looking at these root terms it is very clear, even in the Greek mind-set, that ‘to be trustworthy’ involves action and a confident response to the one you put your trust in and follow.
The Greek word translated as ‘wise’ is the adjective φρόνιμος phronimos – Strong’s G5429 which means, ‘practically wise, sensible, prudent, mindful of one’s interests’, and comes from the word φρήν phrēn – Strong’s G5424 which means, ‘understanding, midriff or diaphragm, heart, mind, thought, thinking’, and the Greek noun that comes from this root for ‘understanding’ is φρόνησις phronēsis – Strong’s G5428 which means, ‘understanding, practical wisdom, attitude, insight’.
What we can clearly see from a Greek perspective is that to have understanding implies an ability to think straight and engage in a practical application of the wisdom one has learnt and continues to seek and learn!!!
To be both trustworthy and wise servants involves the proper action of true set-apartness that is guarded through righteousness, which is to guard to do all that our Master and Elohim has commanded us to (Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 6:25).
We also know that in terms of guarding righteousness, by doing what we have been commanded and instructed to do, we know that this implies the keeping of our garments of righteousness clean, as a Bride who has properly prepared herself, and we are clearly told in:
Ḥazon/Revelation 19:8 “And to her it was given to be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the set-apart ones.”
The Greek word for ‘servant’ is δοῦλος doulos – Strong’s G1401 and is translated as, ‘slave, servant, bondservant, bondslaves – both men and women’, and is also used as a metaphor to describe one who gives himself up to another’s will and is devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests!!!
In terms of being trustworthy and faithful servants, we must take careful thought the question of our Master who asks, ‘who is then a trustworthy and wise servant’!
The trustworthy and wise have the full assurance of the promised protection by our great Elohim, as we see in:
Tehillah/Psalm 31:23 “Love יהוה, all you His lovingly-committed ones! For יהוה guards the trustworthy ones, and exceedingly repays the doer of pride.”
יהוה guards the ‘trustworthy’ ones!!! The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘trustworthy ones’ is אֱמוּנִים – ‘emuniym’ which is the plural of the word אֵמוּן emun – Strong’s H529 which means, ‘faithful, faithfulness, trustworthiness’, which comes from the root word אָמַן aman – Strong’s H539 which means, ‘confirm, support, be established, be faithful,, stand firm, trust, be certain, believe’.
A word that is derived from the root אָמַן aman – Strong’s H539, is the Hebrew word for ‘truth’, which is אֱמוּנָה emunah – Strong’s H530 which means, ‘firmness, steadfastness, faithfulness, stability, trust, truthful’. We serve a faithful and trustworthy Elohim – and in Him we find true stability, as we stand upon the Rock of Truth!
When looking at אֱמוּנָה emunah – Strong’s H530 in the ancient pictographic script we are able to learn the clear characteristic of trustworthiness, as it is pictured as follows:
Aleph – אֱ:
The ancient script has this letter as and is pictured as ‘the head of an ox’, and represents ‘strength’, meaning ‘muscle’ as the ox is the strongest of the livestock animals. This also carries the meaning of ‘yoke’, as an ox is placed in a yoke in order to plough or pull a heavy load in the right direction. This can also picture for us the ‘red heifer’ sacrifice that יהושע Messiah fulfilled!
Mem – מֶ
The ancient script has this letter as and is pictured as ‘water’, and also carries the meaning of ‘chaos’ (from the storms of the sea) and can also picture that which is mighty or massive as well as the unknown. We are also able to understand this letter as representing the nations, for the nations are often likened to the seas in Scripture.
This also carries for us the picture of washing, as we understand the function of water being that which cleanses us and sustains us, showing us how we are washed and sustained by the Living Waters of the Word!
Waw/Vav – וּ:
The ancient script has this letter pictured as , which is a ‘peg or tent peg’, which was used for securing or tying the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’.
Nun – נָ:
The ancient pictographic script has this letter pictured as , which pictures a ‘sprouting seed’ and gives the idea of continuation or an offspring or an heir, speaking of that which sprouts forth to be the heir of the promise of continuation, and represents one’s life expectancy.
Hey – ה:
The ancient script has this letter pictured as , which is a ‘man standing with his arms raised out’. This word can mean, “Behold, look, breath, sigh and reveal or revelation”; from the idea of revealing a great sight by pointing it out. It also carries for us the meaning of surrender, as we lift up our hands and submit to יהוה, lifting our hands in praise, declaring His authority under which we humbly submit!
In the understanding of this word אֱמוּנָה emunah – Strong’s H530 representing for us ‘trustworthiness’, we can clearly see from these pictures the following meaning of true trustworthiness:
THE COMPLETE AND SURE STRENGTH WE HAVE IN OUR MASTER WHO WASHES US AND SECURES FOR US THE PROMISE OF EVERLASTING LIFE, AS WE SUBMIT TO HIM AND PRAISE HIM WITH OUR ALL.
Our ability and strength to remain trustworthy servants comes as we allow The Word of our Master to wash us and secure us in Him and walk in total submission to Him, with hands lifted high in continual praise of our Master and Elohim.
As we consider the significance of the 10 days we see from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur, we take note of a couple of examples we see in Scripture that reference a 10 day period, from which we can learn vital lessons in making sure we remain trustworthy and wise servants!
The first example I want to make mention of is seen in the words given to the assembly in Smurna:
Ḥazon/Revelation 2:10 “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. See, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, in order to try you, and you shall have pressure ten days. Be trustworthy until death, and I shall give you the crown of life.”
This is the 2nd of the 7 assemblies that are addressed in Ḥazon/Revelation, and is one of two that did not receive any rebuke, but rather received the clear call to endure, be steadfast and overcome as faithful ambassadors of the Master, despite any trials and physical challenges they were facing or would face in the future!
Smurna was a city of around 200,000 people and was renowned for its wealth and contribution to science and medicine. It was the centre of emperor worship, and was granted the right to build the first temple honouring Tiberius in 23 C.E.
Each citizen was obligated to burn incense to the “mighty one” of Caesar annually and each would then receive a certificate of compliance. Non-compliance to this would result in severe persecution and suffering, as access to goods would become limited. True believers in Messiah refused to burn incense and say “Caesar is lord”, and as a result, they suffered intensely.
Polycarp, a student to Yoḥanan, was a prominent leader in the assembly of Smyrna and was put to death here in the 2nd century C.E.
Smurna was located about 64km north of Ephesos, and therefore we can be sure that the message of Messiah would have reached this region in Asia Minor through the teachings of Sha’ul, when he taught daily in the school of Turannos, which was in Ephesos, for two years (Ma’asei/Acts 19:10).
For more on the message given to this assembly you can go through the notes of the message I gave earlier this year called, “BEING THE FRAGRANCE OF MESSIAH – A CALL FOR ENDURANCE!” What I simply want to highlight tonight for purposes of this message is the reference to the ten days of pressure and the call to be trustworthy, with the sure promised reward of the crown of life being given to the trustworthy and wise!
Ancient writers, including Apollonius and Aristides, spoke of Smurna as having the “crown of life.” This was a way of describing the hilltop behind the city as if it crowned
While the world runs after physical crowns and positions of prominence, we know that those who persevere in their worship and service of set-apartness unto our Master יהושע Messiah are given a different crown – a crown of endless life. This promise was given to those believers in
Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 9:24-25 “Do you not know that those who run in a race indeed all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes controls himself in every way. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we for an incorruptible crown.”
Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who does endure trial, for when he has been proved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Master has promised to those who love Him.”
Timotiyos Bět /2 Timothy 2:5 “And if anyone competes in a game, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
Endurance implies a sure suffering that needs to be faced, and we are clearly told in:
Timotiyos Bět /2 Timothy 3:12 “And indeed, all those wishing to live reverently in Messiah יהושע, shall be persecuted.”
The fact is clear – we will suffer hardships and persecutions – and here this image of 10 days gives us great insight in our call to endure! These 10 days can be symbolic of the days of Ya’aqoḇ’s distress, as we consider the very intense period of 10 days from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur when the wrath of Elohim is poured out upon the earth. We can also see from this 10 day period a clear call to endure, as Messiah told His taught ones after He had been with them for 40 days after His resurrection, teaching them about the reign of the heavens, to wait for the set-apart Spirit – which was poured out 10 days later on Shaḇu’ot. During these 10 days they experienced intense persecution for the Name of יהושע Messiah.
Our encouragement here is that we too are to endure in walking in the hard pressed way until our Master comes with His Heavenly Host, to give us rest:
Tas’loniqim Bět/2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 “since Elohim shall rightly repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give you who are afflicted rest with us when the Master יהושע is revealed from heaven with His mighty messengers, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know Elohim, and on those who do not obey the Good News of our Master יהושע Messiah”
The believers in Smurna are told to be trustworthy, and so too do we recognise, with the meaning of Smurna being ‘myrrh’, this clear call for us who are the fragrance of Messiah to be faithful/trustworthy – even unto death!
What is interesting for us to consider here is that the Greek word for ‘crown’ is στέφανος Stephanos – Strong’s G4735 which means, ‘to encircle, that which surrounds, crown, wreath’, and is the same as the name of Στέφανος Stephanos – Strong’s G4736, the first recorded taught one who was killed for the Name of יהושע Messiah, as seen in Ma’asei/Acts 7! Stephanos endured unto death! In verse 11 of Ḥazon/Revelation 2 the message to Smurna is clear: those who endure and overcome in the Master – will by no means be harmed by the second death, and we also see in:
Ḥazon/Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and set-apart is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, but they shall be priests of Elohim and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
I am sure you get the clear message here – and that is that is terms of the season we are in we must be encouraged to endure and be trustworthy and wise servants! In recognising this we take note of the dangers of neglecting this call and risk being stupid fools who hear but do not understand because they are hearers only!
A wonderful example we see in Scripture, in terms of an example of a fool, is seen in Shemuʼěl Aleph/1 Samuel 25. (Read)
In a nutshell what we see in this chapter is the following – Dawiḏ is on the run from king Sha’ul who is seeking his life and at this point, after already having spared Sha’ul’s life, we see Dawiḏ going down into the Wilderness of Paran, after the death of the great prophet and last judge of Yisra’ĕl, Shemuʼěl, had died and was buried in his home town of Ramah. While in the Wilderness Dawiḏ sends 10 of his men to a rich sheep farmer to ask for some food and supplies for him and his men, in light of how they had shown favour to Naḇal’s shepherds. Naḇal responded arrogantly and refused, which angered Dawiḏ who was now ready to go and wipe out Naḇal and all his men when Aḇiḡayil, the wife of Naḇal, interceded and provided a great provision for Dawiḏ and his men and pleaded with him to relent, to which Dawiḏ blesses her faith and courage and listens to her plea. When she told her husband the next day, Naḇal’s heart died within him and turned to stone and 10 days later יהוה struck him and he died, and Dawiḏ asked Aḇiḡayil to be his wife, which she accepted and so became his wife.
That is the basic outline of this chapter; however there lies a whole lot more for us to absorb and understand in gaining a greater shadow picture of the events that lie ahead at the soon 2nd coming of our Bridegroom, יהושע Messiah, and therefore learn the lesson of the consequences for foolishness.
In verse 1 we see how the scene is set: Shemuʼěl died! Shemuʼěl the great prophet and last judge of Yisra’ĕl had died. Shemuʼěl – שְׁמוּאֵל Strong’s H8050 means ‘El has heard’ or some translate it as ‘name of El’ and is from the passive participle of 1 – שָׁמַע shama – Strong’s H8085 which means, ‘hearing and understanding attentively and completely’; and 2 – אֵל el – Strong’s H410 meaning ‘mighty, power or mighty one’ and is also used as a title of יהוה.
Understanding this in the context and setting of this chapter we see a very powerful metaphor being described by the death of Shemuʼěl in a twofold way: The prophet who declared the Name of El was dead – and so in one sense we see that the ‘hearing of Elohim’ had died and in another we can see how Elohim had closed His ears to a rebellious people – a picture of how it shall be, and now is, in the last days when many stop obeying יהוה and close their ears to the Truth, substituting the Truth for ear tickling lies and as a result will not be heard by Him!
Hoshěa/Hosea 4:10 “And they shall eat but not be satisfied, they shall whore but not increase, for they have stopped obeying יהוה.”
In setting the stage for the reality of the last days, we see that Dawiḏ went down to the Wilderness of Paran. Now we know that it is in the Wilderness journey that we learn to hear the voice of יהוה. Dawiḏ would then make his journey to Naḇal from Paran, and as we mentioned last week in our Torah readings, Paran means ‘place of caverns’ and is also from the root word meaning ‘especially beautiful/adorned, gleaning’; and this place would have been familiar to Yisra’ĕl as it would have reminded them of that which Mosheh spoke before his death and would therefore be a sober reminder to repent and return to יהוה who comes from His beautiful hiding place, being prophetic in nature to His second coming!
The nameנָבָל Naḇal – Strong’s H5037 means, ‘FOOL’… yes… ‘fool, senseless, foolish’, which comes from the root verb נָבַל naḇal – Strong’s H5034 meaning, ‘to be senseless or foolish, treat contemptuously, dishonour, come to nought, fall off’.
This man was a fool and not a wise and trustworthy servant! He may have been a rich man but he was not a noble man!
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 32:5-6 “A fool is no longer called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be respectable; 6 for a fool speaks folly, and his heart works wickedness: to practise filthiness, and to speak against יהוה that which misleads, to starve the being of the hungry, and to withhold the drink from the thirsty.”
Do you see how Naḇal fits this description of a fool according to Yeshayahu?
His words against Dawiḏ, the anointed of יהוה, were misleading words that in essence spoke against יהוה, and this fool refused to give Dawiḏ’s servants food and water! This guy was a fool who was dwelling in luxury! This guy had it all – according to the flesh that is – and in the world’s eyes was extremely wealthy, yet he refused to give any sustenance to Dawiḏ and his men, who had protected this man’s servants and livestock from neighbouring enemies.
His wife, Aḇiḡayil – אֲבִיגַיִל Strong’s H26 means ‘my father is joy/glad’; and as we see through this story that she truly represents how we are to serve our Father with joy, for if we do not then we cannot serve Him at all! She was a woman of good understanding and was beautiful – beauty and brains – a picture of the remnant Bride being adorned with Righteousness and walking in the understanding thereof. Sadly she married a fool – it may seem an odd mix, but sometimes marriages were arranged and we do not know how they came to be married – perhaps she was lured by initial attraction and then she remained a faithful wife, even interceding for her foolish husband.
Naḇal was described as ‘hard and evil’ in his doings – in other words he was not doing righteousness! The word used here for hard is קָשֶׁה qasheh – Strong’s H7186 and means ‘hard, harsh, cruel, obstinate, stiff necked and stubborn’ and evil is רַע ra – Strong’s h7451 and is used to mean ‘evil, bad, wicked, selfish, deadly, harmful’.
I think we all get the picture – this guy was a rich wicked, cruel and stubborn man! How did he get such a wife? Perhaps through manipulation – we don’t know, but we see this kind of odd mix many times in the world today and Aḇiḡayil lived up to the future words of Sha’ul and Kěpha on being a submissive wife who was adorned with the incorruptible ornament of a meek and peaceable spirit, which is of great value before Elohim.
Dawiḏ’s men extended his shalom but were not received by a stubborn and wicked man!
What is striking in the context of some key markers in this passage is that in verse 8 they told Naḇal “We have come on a good day”. The language used here indicates that it was not just an ordinary day but rather gives reference to a ‘Feast day’ and in the context here I see this as a shadow of Yom Teruah! Dawiḏ sent his men to announce that he was here and expected to be received and welcomed by a man who certainly had the means to be hospitable, yet was denied and so the wrath of Dawiḏ was about to be unleashed upon this fool who refused to welcome them! This time of ‘shearing sheep’ is also a picture for us of a time of exposing the false garments of those who have claimed to be worshippers of Elohim yet are simply sheep that have gone astray in their vain traditions and dogmas!
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 53:6 “We all, like sheep, went astray, each one of us has turned to his own way. And יהוה has laid on Him the crookedness of us all.”
The solution to us all who went astray (and we all have, for we have all sinned and fallen short) is to turn to Him who saves us and acknowledge Him for who He is. Sadly many who close their ears to the Torah are denying and bringing the Name of יהוה to nought!
In verse 10 Naḇal says, “Who is Dawiḏ?” Now everyone knew who Dawiḏ was – he had killed Golyath/Goliath and was a national hero and Aḇiḡayil, Naḇal’s wife, had recognised and realised that Dawiḏ had already been chosen by יהוה to be king as we see clearly by her words in verse 30; yet this stubborn fool was too stiff necked to humble himself and serve the future king and his men and was intentionally insulting Dawiḏ by making himself sound important because of his wealth. It was widely known that Dawiḏ was soon to be king and that Sha’ul sought his life because Dawiḏ had been anointed to become king. Naḇal was wrong, while Aḇiḡayil remained meek and interceded and fell on her face before Dawiḏ and pleaded with him not to bring about the killing of her wicked husband and his men.
We know the result of the story – Naḇal was cast down while Aḇiḡayil was lifted up:
Tehillah/Psalm 147:6 “יהוה lifts up the meek ones, He throws the wrong ones down to the ground.”
Dawiḏ’s words to his men meant business and this wise and humble wife appeased him from carrying out his plans:
Mishlĕ/Proverbs 16:14 “The sovereign’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man appeases it.”
Naḇal not receiving Dawiḏ is a picture of how the Yehuḏim did not receive יהושע and have been given time to repent until He comes again! So many today are simply just too comfortable in their fleshly living standards that they simply refuse to acknowledge and submit to the coming King! And while they may accept falsified names and vain presentations of the Creator, when confronted with the Truth they simply refuse to acknowledge and are basically declaring, “Who is יהוה?” or “Who is יהושע?” And by doing so are basically declaring by their rebellious attitude toward the Torah and their lawless actions that there is no יהוה, and this is the wickedness of a fools talk!
Naḇal was a fool and showed it by his foolish words revealing the wickedness that was in his heart:
Tehillah/Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no יהוה.” They have done corruptly, they have done an abominable deed, there is no one who does good.”
There are many today who are as foolish as Naḇal and are too in essence declaring that there is no יהוה, for by their corrupt living that is contrary to Torah they are bringing His Name to nought for which He will not leave unpunished anyone who brings His Name to nought!
In the great intercession of Aḇiḡayil, Dawiḏ blesses her for her courage and faith; and her speaking up is a picture of the spirit of Ěliyahu that must come again before the Great and Awesome Day of יהוה.
Aḇiḡayil made it on time – for Dawiḏ would have struck the next morning, but had now accepted her gift and when she got home her husband was drunk – he was exceedingly drunk and so she did not talk to him until the next day when he was sober.
We are able to further understand this picture of the increase of depravity in the last days and how the fools, which Naḇal represents, will be given over to partying and drinking and the feeding of the flesh to the tilt; and they will be like the days of Noaḥ before the flood with the fools not knowing the times and unable to hear His trumpet call to repentance:
Mattithyahu/Matthew 24:37-39 “And as the days of Noaḥ, so also shall the coming of the Son of Aḏam be. 38 “For as they were in the days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noaḥ entered into the ark, 39 and they did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also shall the coming of the Son of Aḏam be.”
Here we see a picture of what will happen – The Trumpet will blast and only the Remnant will be ready and have their hands filled with that which is for Messiah. When Naḇal heard the words he had a stroke – his heart died within him and he became like stone! A clear picture of those who refuse to submit and obey – they will even get harder – his heart was no longer able to have the Torah written on it and his wickedness reached a climax:
Ḥazon/Revelation 22:11 “He who does wrong, let him do more wrong; he who is filthy, let him be more filthy; he who is righteous, let him be more righteous; he who is set-apart, let him be more set-apart.”
In verse 38 we see a key pointer to the Feast of Yom Kippur – ten days later יהוה smote Naḇal and he died! It is on this Day that יהושע will come out of the Most Set-Apart Place and tread the winepress and all who have not received Him will be destroyed.
The 10 days from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur we will see that the Trumpets will be sounded and will be a time of testing through trials as the plagues are poured out and the remnant is called to hold fast and endure. I firmly believe that those who do not respond to the Trumpet call will, as Naḇal, keep on drinking and going their own merry way to destruction, but those who hear the voice of the shofar will respond and hear the call to endure these 10 days until יהושע comes out and takes us as His Bride, as we discussed according to the message given to the assembly in Smurna!
This will be a time of separating the sheep and the goats – a clear separation of those who claim to be believers but are not and are of the congregation of Satan as their vain worship of inherited lies, which is blasphemy, will be shown up for whom they are and who they have been worshipping. The faithful are called to endure 10 days and overcome!
Dawiḏ heard that Naḇal was dead and then sent for and spoke to Aḇiḡayil, to take her as wife. The word used here for ‘take’ is לָקַח laqaḥ – Strong’s H3947 and means ‘to take, to fetch, to lay hold of, marry or take a wife’ and this in the Hebrew mind draws the picture of a Hebrew wedding when at the sound of the Last Trumpet the groom comes to fetch His Bride and take her as wife. The other term typically understood in the groom coming to take His Bride is נָשָׂא nasa – Strong’s H5375 which means ‘lift up, carry, take, exalt, and accept’. This word is used in verse 35 when Dawiḏ told Aḇiḡayil that he had listened to her voice and accepted her face! What a wonderful picture of Messiah who comes for His Bride and accepts her face and hears her voice – she is accepted in the Beloved and is taken up – this is marriage language!!!
In verse 41 she presents herself to wash his servants feet, showing great humility as a wife of the Coming King who had been on the ‘battlefield’; and here we see the picture of preparation for the wedding – for Messiah’s feet will be full of the Blood of the winepress and His feet will be washed by the tears of repentance of the Bride, washing away the wickedness He has tramped and destroyed.
Aḇiḡayil then hurried to get ready and rose up and rode on a donkey – she had been exalted to a new position with the King יהוה had chosen and she takes with her 5 maidens on her way to her wedding! This is a great picture of Sukkot and here we again see end time picture as the 5 maidens represent the 5 wise maidens who had oil in their lamps and who listen attentively and understand the times, while the other 5 foolish maidens who were not ready and did not hear His voice were not able to enter the wedding feast.
What we also see, as a wonderful picture of the Full Bride of Messiah, is in verse 43 when the record states that Dawiḏ had also taken Aḥinoʽam of Yizreʽĕl as wife and so both were his wives. This is clearly a picture of the two houses coming together as a Bride unto Messiah!
אֲחִינֹעַם Aḥinoʽam – Strong’s H293 means ‘my brother is delight’ and coming from Yizreʽĕl, which means ‘those יהוה has scattered’ as seen in Hoshěa/Hosea 1:4-11 which refers to the Northern Kingdom, whose brother Yehuḏah had acted as a redeemer to bring them back from exile. It also shadow pictures Messiah in Yosĕph who redeemed his brothers in Mitsrayim and so we see a wonderful picture here of the Feast of Sukkoth being celebrated by a complete Bride having been brought together to be one with Messiah!
From the various pictures in Scripture we see from the prophetic nature of ten days we must be encouraged to be trustworthy and wise servants and not be stiff necked and foolish as Naḇal. Our King is Coming and when that Trumpet sound blasts will you be ready and standing firm, dressed in His armour, or will you be found wanting!
Eph’siyim/Ephesians 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these the wrath of Elohim comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
As the mirror of the Word causes us to hear the question of our Master, “Who then is a trustworthy and wise servant?” how do you respond? Are you being a trustworthy and wise servant who hears the call for endurance, guarding righteousness and pursuing apartness or have you been a fool whose words and actions have fallen short of complete set-apartness due to compromise?
WHO THEN IS A TRUSTWORTHY AND WISE SERVANT?
This is a call for endurance on the part of the true remnant of Messiah with the call for the true remnant to stand, shine and shout and not be fools without oil, but be trustworthy and wise servants!
He who has ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit says!!!
יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!