The Daily Word of Righteousness

Tabernacles and the Testimony, #13

In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me." (Isaiah 12:1—NIV)

During the feast of Tabernacles the Jews chanted the twelfth chapter of the Book of Isaiah. We can tell when we enter the experience of Tabernacles because the above is true of us.

Our attention is turned away from ourselves and focused on the Lord.

There always has to be a period of anger, of tearing, before we can enter the spiritual fulfillment of Tabernacles. This is because God goes to war against those aspects of our personality that are not reconciled to Himself.

When God wounds, He heals. When He tears, He binds up. Until the Lord injures us in this fashion we remain strong in our own strength. But after the Lord wounds us we come up out of the wilderness of judgment leaning on our Beloved.

Jacob fought with God and won. Israel came forth with a limp. We cannot have eternal strength unless God has first caused us to limp.

As many as Jesus loves He rebukes and chastens. Only through the chastening of the Lord can we become a partaker of His holiness. The Divine fires cause us to cease from sin. There is no other way. Even the Lord Himself learned obedience to the Father by the things He suffered.

You want to enter Tabernacles? Then prepare yourself to dwell with the devouring Fire of Israel.

The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?" He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil— This is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him. (Isaiah 33:14-16—NIV)

Do you desire such an intense relationship with God Almighty? If you do, lay hold on it!

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2—NIV)

The Lord God Himself becomes your salvation. Your response is to trust Him. Learning complete trust in God takes a while but it is the best antidote for fear.

The Lord Himself becomes our strength. The Lord Himself becomes our song. The Lord Himself becomes our salvation. The Lord Himself becomes our resurrection and our life.

This is to be with Jesus where He is.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3—NIV)

We have an eternity of joy facing us because we forever will be drawing water from the well of salvation within us. Pentecost is the rain from Heaven. Tabernacles is the water flowing from the Throne of God created in the human personality. We shall be drawing water for those of mankind whom God has given to us for our inheritance. There is no joy like this!

To be continued.