ANOTHER COFFEE BREAK: RULING AND REIGNING WITH GOD Part 19

RULING AND REIGNING WITH GOD

Part 19

December 4, 2020

We’ve been talking about the significance of the laying on of hands and the impartation that comes with it. Generally we think of the laying on of hands in relationship to healing or ministry for some particular issue – not as a prophetic impartation. The Lord directed me many years ago to lay hands on certain individuals as He directs and prophesy over them. The laying on of hands generally comes with the impartation of certain prophetic gifts.

There is an aspect of the laying on of hands that needs to be considered — and this is one that is generally missed because it is not so obvious or plainly written in Scripture — and that is the impartation of the anointing of Holy Spirit.

Consider Samuel and David:

I Samuel 16:12-13, KJV: And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.

One of the aspects of the commissioning that happens when folks are anointed is that it comes with the right hand. Though not specifically stated in this instance, Samuel would have used his right hand to pour the oil upon David. Once the oil was poured on him Samuel followed the priestly tradition of using his right hand to rub the oil upon David’s head and smear it liberally into his hair and skin.

Every time we see the anointing of a king or a priest anywhere in the Old Testament, the oil was first poured upon the individual, and it was then rubbed into their head, signifying a saturation that was to spread throughout their entire being.

The anointing was a commissioning which set a person apart for the purpose to which God had called and designed that individual to fulfill.

Laying on of hands is not, and was not, strictly a New Testament — post-Pentecost — realm of ministry. One only has to look at how David and/or Solomon describes the hand of God — or more accurately, the hands of God, and what each hand signifies. Take a look at a few examples from the Psalms and Proverbs:

(This is where I want to wrap up today’s discussion.. We still have a ways to go with this part of our study, and we will continue on from this point next week.)

Psalm 16:11 KJV: Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm 20:5, KJV: Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Psalm 21:8, KJV: Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

Psalm 48:10, KJV: According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

Psalm 77:10, KJV: And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

Psalm 89:13, KJV: Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.

Psalm 91:7, KJV: A thousand shall fall at thy [tsad: left] side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Proverbs 3:16, KJV: Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

Ecclesiastes 10:2, KJV: A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.

We have only looked at a tiny fraction of the verses that consider the right hand and the left, but in these few we see the following:

The right hand is the hand of strength, power, authority, salvation, health, provision, as well as being the bearer of long-life.

Conversely, the left hand is the hand of mercy, of tenderness, discernment, steady support and assistance, protection and safety, wealth and prosperity and honor (respect from society) — and for those not in tune with the Lord, frowardness (foolish and non-thought-out direction resulting in chaos or destruction.)

Once this foundation is fully laid in our understanding, we can leave it behind. A simple prompt from Holy Spirit will direct us when to lay hands on someone, or to avoid laying hands on a person. I will share some specifics with you.

We have only looked at a tiny fraction of the verses that consider the right hand and the left, but in these few we see the following:

The right hand is the hand of strength, power, authority, salvation, health, provision, as well as being the bearer of long-life.

Now, consider the application of both hands at the same time in the Word. Take a look at the following picture:

Exodus 17:8-13, KJV: Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

There are two individual pictures seen in this event: the first being that of Moses holding the Rod of Authority in his right hand, the second of the necessity of having his left hand outstretched toward the ongoing battle between Joshua (with his soldiers) and the Amalekites.

It was much more than simply having his right hand outstretched with the Rod of Authority. That Rod of Authority, of course, represented the hand of God against the enemy.

The left hand needed to also be outstretched in order for Joshua to experience complete safety and protection from the enemy he was pitted against. When both hands were extended, Joshua was able to fight effectively and completely subdue his foe.

We see one of the first examples in Deuteronomy 7 of what takes place when both hands are laid upon an individual as a sign of separation, or being set apart from the corporate body — and in this case, the act of separation is the execution of the judgment of the Law of Moses. In this instance, Moses is talking about someone who has been witnessed bowing down to, or serving some false god, and the contamination that would bring into the camp of Israel.

Deuteronomy 17: 5-7, KJV: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. Sothou shalt put the evil away from among you.

Here we see that those who serve as witnesses (in this instance, against someone who has committed evil) must lay both hands upon the individual who has transgressed as a sign of separation, and as an authoritative and legal act. Their act of laying hands upon the offender becomes the first witness against him or her, but it is still necessary for the camp of Israel to agree and for them to stretch forth their hands and lay them upon the individual as the final witness of separation.

In the case of a person committing an act against God within the camp of Israel, the significance of the separation from Israel meant death to the offender. For those laying their hands on the offender, they were swearing their lives to the truth before God, and they were acting as His proxy in enacting and executing His judgment.

This brings us to the critical aspect of knowing whereof we testify or bringing witness, either for or against, as proxy for the Lord. David puts it like this in Psalm 24:

Who is it that will be elevated to a high place and promoted by God? Or, who shall live and continue to be ordained to live and stand as having been set apart to the holy places and things of God?

He whose hands are clean, innocent and blameless, whose heart is clear and does not condemn him, whose soul and mind have not been self-elevated to idolatry and the worship of reason [which is useless and deceptive], nor has he sworn [by sevens] and testified falsely and fraudulently [in order to execute judgment against another]. (Psalm 24:2-3, RAC Translation & Amplification)

To add to what David has already written, he makes the following prophecy in Psalm 28:4-5:

Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

Let’s wrap up this basis for understanding the laying on of hands by looking at one other use of the hands as David sings it:

Psalm 63:3-4, KJV: Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

In this instance (and many other similar Psalms), David expresses the extending forth of his hands as the means to bless the Lord, to magnify the Lord, to praise His Name. When he says, “I will lift up my hands IN thy name,” he is giving his hands to the Lord, placing them IN and INTO His very character, makeup and essence — making his hands available to the Lord for His plans, purposes and destiny.

Now, let’s move on to the next part of this subject: Resurrection of the Dead.

Ever since Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, death has been a mandated part of our existence as their descendants.

The human genetic makeup has had death ingrained in its DNA. Death, and the very preparation for it has become the core of our culture. Without actually considering that this is the reason, we look at foods from the perspective of what will make us healthier and live longer. Many folks pick and choose their automobiles predicated on how safe they will be in them.

The news media is filled with news and events that all surround how we live and/or how we will face death. Most news, whether on TV or in the newspapers, or on the radio, or in magazines has a death element to it. Then there’s this: We buy life and health insurance because we are betting that we will get sick and/or die before the actuarials predict. On the other hand the insurance companies are betting that we will live and stay healthier longer than the actuarials.

Our thoughts and our speech are filled with a mindset and comments that incorporate death in one way or another. Despite the promises that Je-sus made and the Covenant He provides, Christians plan for death. The body of Christ has, for the most part, lost sight of the Covenant that pro-vides health, strength, and — not only loooooonnng life — but deliverance from death. The previous foundational truths that we have considered: (1) Repentance from dead works; (2) Faith toward God; (3) Baptisms; and (4) Laying on of Hands.

Laying on of Hands are nearly as difficult for Christians to grasp and lock into their mindsets, their spirits, their way of thinking, and their behavior patterns as is the fifth foundation: Resurrection of the Dead.

Resurrection of the dead takes on a two-fold perspective. The first is one that most Christians can accept because it is off in the far, far future. It is something that takes place after one has died, stood before the judgment seat of God and found innocent of sin. They are then raised to life in the realm of the Spirit.

There’s another aspect of this line of thought that says we are already dead in our sins — dead spiritually. The acceptance and acknowledgement of Jesus’ as the Only Begotten Son of God having suffered and died for our sins is our redemption from that sin and the curse of spiritual death and separation from God that the sin brings.

Everybody good so far with this?

What gets lost in this one-sided view is that Jesus did not only die on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, He laid the axe to its root and was resurrected from the grave by Father God!

Mankind was NEVER designed to die in the first place. When Adam and Eve were first created, they were created in the image and likeness of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Two words occur in the Hebrew text which clarify this: tselem(translated: image), and demuth(translated: likeness). The word, tselem, actually conveys the sense: someone who exactly resembles in appearance, an exact replica.

The word, demuth, literally means: an exact model; alike in characteristics and makeup. Hence we were made to be just like Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Our breath was Father’s breath. Our life-span, eternity! Our character and makeup: interdimensional, having the ability to function in both the heavenlies and in the earthly realm.

For two thousand years Adam and Eve lived in the Garden, walking and talking with Jesus, enjoying the fellowship, receiving revelation, being given the ability to decree and declare the very nature and makeup of the various living species — animals, fish, birds; i.e., everything that walked or moved upon the face of the earth.

Death was not a part of their makeup. Adam and Eve never knew what death was, except that God had said to them when they were first introduced to the Garden, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16b-17)

Death was something there was no reference for in their paradigm.

That’s where we have to leave it for today. This is a rather difficult subject for most people today because of the non-stop programming in our society. We get all these reports in the media of the number of people infected with the CoronaVirus, but the media only deals with the negative aspect of it. They don’t mention that the actual death rate is lower than that of the common flu. The focus is on the threat of death. We see it in just about every area you can think of.

Sorry. Couldn’t resist. I’ll get off this for now.

In case you are missing out on real fellowship in an environment of Ekklesia, ourSunday worship gatherings are available by conference call – usually at about 10:30AM Pacific. That conference number is (712) 770-4160, and the access code is 308640#. We are now making these gatherings available on video usingZOOM. If you wish to participate by video on ZOOM, our login ID is 835-926-513. If you miss the live voice-onlycall, you can dial (712) 770-4169, enter the same access code and listen in later. The video call, of course, is not recorded – not yet, anyway.

Blessings on you!

Regner

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Temple, Texas 76502

Email Contact: CapenerMinistries@protonmail.com

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