Genesis 15:11-18 KJV And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. (12) And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. (13) And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; (14) And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. (15) And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. (16) But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (17) And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (18) In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
God would give the land, as he swore to Abraham, after having them in Egypt for four generations, and waiting for the iniquity of the Amorites to come to a fullness. Egypt was the furnace. Deuteronomy 4:20 KJV But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day. And the burning lamp seems to correspond to the Pillar of Fire sent to lead them out. As though the vision represents the EXODUS. Abraham was IN THE LAND when this occurred.
Genesis 14:18-19 KJV And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. (19) And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Genesis 15:4 KJV And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. When the iniquity of the Amorites would be full.
Keep in mind the thought of these AMORITES.
Joshua 10:1-5 KJV Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; (2) That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. (3) Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, (4) Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel. (5) Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it. Notice this king who rallies together a coalition of four other kings and the armies against Gibeon, whom Israel promised to help, is KING OF JERUSALEM.
This evil man was successor of Melchizedek.
From a city once ruled by someone who was RIGHTEOUS and was a blessing to God's people, this king rules in the very same city and attacks God's people.
And in this chapter, and battle, we read; Joshua 10:8 KJV And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua 10:10-11 KJV And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. (11) And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. And God performs the most awesome physical miracle that ever did or ever would occur. Joshua 10:12-14 KJV Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. (13) And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. (14) And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. The Bible here quotes from a book that is long lost, called the BOOK OF JASHER, that recorded Joshua's experiences.
And we read that the duration of DAYTIME was added to the day that already occurred.
Daytime is about 12 hours.
Iniquity had come to a fullness and God performed the greatest physical wonder ever known that same day he conquered that iniquity.
The 5 kings were defeated and run into a cave, and Joshua tells the people to put huge rocks in the mouth of the cave, and set a watch over it, and pursue the remainder of the enemies. Then they took the five kings out... Joshua 10:22-27 KJV Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. (23) And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. (24) And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. (25) And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. (26) And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. (27) And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day. Jesus Christ could have come, according to God's power, ANY TIME to die on the cross and bring salvation.
Did you know we are spiritually an Israel before God. Romans 9:6-8 KJV Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: (7) Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. (8) That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. The children of Promise are counted for the seed. Galatians 4:28 KJV Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. So when Jesus came it was like a New Exodus occurring.
But something Jesus said connects us to the reason God said Israel would not return to Abraham's land until the iniquity of the Amorites be full. Matthew 23:29-37 KJV Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, (30) And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. (31) Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. (32) Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. (33) Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (34) Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: (35) That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. (36) Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. (37) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Speaking to religious leaders who lived in Jerusalem, and to Jerusalem in general, JESUS SAID THEY FILLED THE MEASURE OF THEIR FATHERS' SINS.
That is severely extreme sin!
They would crucify Jesus Christ! Gen 15 (16) But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Israel would enter the land when iniquity was filled up. Jesus came to bring us salvation and into a spiritual promised land when INIQUITY HAD COME TO A FULL MEASURE. AND JUST AS WITH ADONIZEDEK, THESE WERE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHO SUCCEEDED THE GODLY RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THEIR PAST IN THIS BLESSED CITY OF JERUSALEM.
They would crucify the KING OF GLORY.
BUT JESUS CAME AT THAT POINT IN HISTORY SO HE COULD TAKE THE WORST SIN OF ALL SINS, AND DEAL WITH SINS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FIRST MURDER THAT EVER OCCURRED IN THE WORLD, WITH ABEL'S DEATH.
And as the greatest physical miracle occurred that day in Canaan, the GREATEST SPIRITUAL MIRACLE OCCURRED WHEN JESUS WAS ON THE CROSS DYING FOR US ALL. And Joshua took the KINGS of evil and had all the elders step on their necks and then slew and hanged them on trees.
When fear attacks you, you can know the salvation of the cross caused you to be a friend of God and to be reconciled to Him so He can help and bless you.
Jesus came into the world when iniquity was WORST -- the holy city was overridden by such wicked men that they filled the cup of wickedness their forefathers started to fill.. |