Initiated Sacrifice Touching His Heart Getting His Attention!
And the LORD had regard for… his offering, Genesis 4:4b (NASB)
When I got finished publishing the previous Kairos and sending it out, my own heart would not let me go on from this Bethel encounter. Yes, there is more to unveil in the succeeding altar Abram would build down in Hebron; what would follow from there is huge. Yet it seemed that the Holy Spirit has kept the eyes and ears of my heart focused on Bethel, and I just have not been able to go on. I believe this late Genesis 13 encounter is so precipitous, the very pinnacle, if you will, of all that had taken place to get Abram into Canaan AND of all that would take place afterwards, in unveiling to him all that would come to be in inheriting the Divine promise. For that inheritance to be was to be both for himself, yet far more, for his seed … and ultimately in unveiling to his seed – natural and spiritual – the heart of Almighty God AND Father in giving to us promised inheritance, in what is ‘possessing promised possessions’.
Bethel is the beginning, I believe, of an intimate Divine friendship, because of initiated sacrifice in pursuit of wanting to hear YHVH’s voice! … and to those who would hear, this pursuit of His Voice through initiated sacrifice, like Abraham, would open “like” Divine friendship to any and all who would walk in the likeness of the faith action of this father of faith.
And he went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place of the altar, which he had made there formerly: and there Abram called upon the Name of the LORD.” Genesis 12:8, 13:3, 4,14 (NASB)
Beloved, give your attention to this letter, and let sink into your heart from of the title above. There is a breakthrough unveiling of the LORD of the scriptures to you which I believe He will use to bring about an acceleration of answers for you from the Throne (Rom. 9:28), a possessing of possessions from Abba Father God because of your action in believing Him in His unveiling to you the link as to pursuing His voice and sacrifice.
“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life … on My own intiative.” excerpt frm John 10:17-18 (NASB)
And the LORD had regard for… his offering, Genesis 4:4b (NASB)
If you will give heed to what the Holy Spirit is saying in this, through what it was that Abraham kept doing in his pursuit of YHVH, taking hold of it by faith, and letting Him continue to unfold to you, to teach you even more from the scriptures, you will find that the LORD of heaven and earth, Who holds the Key of David, will be, for you, unlocking doors that have to do with inheritance, literally, I believe, to possess possessions having to do with the lost around us, having to do with the the world in which we live.
When Abram left Shechem and came upon the hill before Bethel, he did something differently than he had done back at Shechem. Abram initiated pursuit of the LORD’s voice – before the LORD spoke to him – through building an altar and offering a sacrifice and calling upon His Name. Up at Shechem he had sacrificed after YHVH had appeared and spoken to him. At Bethel Abram initiated pursuit of YHVH’s Voice in sacrifice before He spoke to him. While it is true that he did not at that time hear from the LORD, he nevertheless got the LORD’s attention.
And the LORD had regard for… his offering, Genesis 4:4b (NASB)
Upon Abram’s return from Egypt however many months later, he came back to this hill in front of Bethel where his heart had felt at home for the first time since having left Ur of the Chaldees (ref Gen. 12:8). Coming back to this spot and to the altar where he’d sacrificed, he again calls upon the Name of the LORD. The scriptures do not say if he sacrificed again; but what was to take place immediately afterwards reveals YHVH’s intentional intent to speak to Abram, even to unveil to him something He had promised him way back in Ur, which He had not done back up at Shechem where He’d first spoken to him in this land.
Look back at the initial promise:
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, “Get thee out of thy country ... unto a land THAT I WILL SHOW YOU (lit. cause you to see).”” Genesis 12:1 (KJV)
The Word he first heard back in Ur was a Living Word inside of him, by which he was walking this walk of faith, even if he was making mistakes along the way in his walk. Having now returned from Egypt, that Living, Leading-him Word was not inclining his heart back up to Shechem, though that was the last place he had heard from his LORD. Look again, Beloved, at what YHVH had said to him back up at Shechem; “Unto thy seed will I give this land”. Period (Gen 12:7a). … but He did not show him there the land as He had promised him that He would cause him to see it when He’d first revealed Himself to him in Ur of the Chaldees! While this has to do with Lot, there is yet something else that also ties this spot to the Law …
The significance of Abram not being able to see his inheritance from Shechem is seen prophetically by its geography: On the north side of Shechem is Mt. Ebal, and on the south, towards the direction of Bethel, is Mt. Gerazim. There is made clear later in the scriptures concerning these two mountains a detail by which we understand his not being able to see inheritance Divinely promised. For these two mountains are where the Law of Moses would be read AND written in stone, set there for all to read: Mt Ebal, the curses, and Mt. Gerazim, the blessings – (see Deut. 27:1-8; Josh 8:30-35). Mount Ebal, the north side, the mountain of the declared “curses”, is the side upon which the Law would be posted … in stone! (Josh 8:30-32). Shechem signifies the Law. Shechem thus signifies a veil – LOT! (Ref. II Cor. 3:14-15). Beloved, the generation that God led out of Egypt set themselves, at Mount Sinai, under the Law. Once they had submitted to the authority of the Law, they forsook, unknowingly, their right to enter or even to see the inheritance promised them. It was not under the servant Moses, through whom the Law was given, that the sons of Israel could enter to possess promised inheritance, but through Yehoshua (Joshua). Abram was promised the land at Shechem, but was not shown his inheritance there – he was not able to be caused to see what was promised him because of a veil, which represents the Law .
“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants (seed) that he would be heir of the world was NOT through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Romans 4:13 (NASB)
“Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers” Deuteronomy 1:35 (NASB)
Abram was not under the Law. But the significance of Shechem and of Lot being with him are prophetic indicators of what the Law does in keeping us from being able to behold the unmerited gift of Grace in inheriting promised possessions. The Law, even the mixture of the Law with Grace, keeps a veil over our eyes, keeps us from … beholding!
What was to take place down at Bethel would become a benchmark encounter. The initiated sacrifice by Abram down there I believe touched the heart of God, captured His attention, in bringing about the circumstance that would cause Lot and Abram to be separated, the veil to be removed from the eyes and ears of Abram’s heart … so that YHVH could answer Abram’s sacrifice pursuit of His voice … so that He could cause him to see all that He had promised him!
Selah _______________________________________________
I have been sitting on this writing for weeks, asking the LORD and searching through the scriptures, because there has been a sense in my heart that I was not seeing something. Almost from the beginning of this particular writing the Holy Spirit was putting on my heart to look at the first initiated altars of sacrifice in the scriptures, most especially from Abel, in Genesis 4:4, and then also from Noah, in Genesis 8:20 & 21. There is a link from these two to Abraham’s initiated sacrifice at Bethel. And in the midst of looking at Abel’s sacrifice, the pastor of our church, one night at mid-week service, spoke from both Cain and Abel’s offerings, from the Hebrew text, unveiling to me a huge part that I was not seeing.
There are two previous times when an initiated sacrifice was offered to God with no command or even a word from Him beforehand to do so … yet both times the initiated offering captured the attention of the God of heaven and earth, the Creator of all that exists, the Divine Promiser of Possessions.
“Abel was a keeper of sheep. … and Abel … brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard (lit. “gazed upon”) Abel and his offering, Genesis 4:2a, 4a (NASB)
Abel is the very first named “faith hall of Fame-er” in Hebrews 11, the very first person to cause the Holy Spirit to take note … all because of Abel’s willing, self-initiated, sacrifice to the LORD. And it seems that the Holy Spirit marked something of Abel that I think we have missed.
“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, THROUGH WHICH HE OBTAINED THE TESTIMONY THAT HE WAS RIGHTEOUS, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, HE STILL SPEAKS.” Hebrews 11:4 (NASB)
Beloved, don’t read quickly through this verse … There is such voluminuous wealth in this verse. Abel is the very first person on earth to obtain the “righteousness by faith” accounting from eternal God … and it came through his offering up the sacrifice of the firstlings of his flock. To add, moreover, the Holy Spirit here, in this verse, is declaring that Abel is still speaking. “Of course he is,” some of you would quickly say, “the Bible says that his blood cried to God from the ground.” This is not what is being said in this verse. Abel is declaring still, to us, to anyone who would hear, the righteousness of God apart from works, from self-effort, through willing sacrifice! This faith sacrifice points always to the willing sacrifice of Jesus, to the willing sacrifice of God the Father in giving up – willingly sacrificing – the most-costly-to-Eternal-Father-God sacrifice He could give, in order to declare you and I “righteous”! You must see all of the scriptures of the Old Testament through the finished work of the cross, Beloved, always!
“And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning HIMSELF in ALL the scriptures.” Luke 24:27 (NASB)
The blood of Abel’s sacrifice got the LORD’s attention. And the LORD turned to give respect to Abel because of his willing initiated sacrificial offering … all of this accordingly brought about Almighty God to cause Abel’s voice to still speak to us today concerning how we cause Almighty God to turn His gaze favorably towards us! God bore witness to Abel – through his offering – that he was righteous.
So let me show you what I learned that Wednesday night concerning Cain and Abel’s offerings, and I will tie Abel’s offering to Noah’s.
The Holy Spirit had the apostle John to write, in I John 3:10-12, that Cain was wicked by his deeds, and rather that Abel was counted as “doing righteousness” by his deeds. The “deeds” which God counts either wicked or righteous, to which John is referring, is by their respective offerings. The key to seeing the difference between Cain’s offering and Abel’s is seen in the Hebrew text, from Genesis 4:2b:
“… Cain was a tiller of the ground.”
The Hebrew word for “tiller” is “obed” taken from the root verb “abad” … meaning … “to work, to serve”; this word causatively means, “to enslave”. There are several things seen from Cain’s offering “of the fruit of the ground”. Cain’s offering is from self effort, “works”, and from the ground which the LORD had cursed. His effort was by sweat. Accordingly, Cain did not offer “by faith”. His offering had nothing in it that pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus; hence, his deeds were “wicked”. Cain’s offering was not apart from works, from self effort, thus not “by faith”; for faith declares, “none of me, all of Christ”. Where works is involved in “service to God”, it is utterly apart from “rest”. A “by faith” willing sacrifice is utterly apart from works, from self effort of flesh.
Abel willlingly offered sacrifice “by faith”, and God consequently bore witness to his faith offering that he was righteous. This sacrifice of Abel, which caused him to “still speak”, caused Jesus to declare Abel to be the very first prophet ever – (Luke 11:50-51a). Accordingly, you need to have ears to hear what the first prophet is still speaking, still prophesying … the righteousness of faith through sacrifice that is utterly apart from works! Beloved, the righteousness of God ALWAYS bears witness to the sacrifice He would give – His only begotten Son to the cross. The very first sacrifice ever by a man pointed intentionally to the intentional willing sacrifice of the firstling of Father God, which, from eternity, was set to grant to us His righteousness, completely and utterly apart from any effort on our part whatsoever in trying to obtain this costly, but free, Gift.
“Now then, apart from Law GOD’s righteousness has been manifested, being borne witness to by the Law and the prophets, even GOD’s righteousness through faith, Jesus Christ’s, into all [and upon all] the (ones) believing, … being made righteous gratuitously (as a free gift) by His grace, through redemption, the (redemption) in Jesus Christ, Whom God set forth a propitiation (a satisfactory-offering) in His blood, towards a showing forth of the righteousness of Him.” Romans 3:21-22, 24-25 (Lit, frm Grk text – TNB). (Bold shows emphasis from the Greek text word order)
The righteousness that God accounted under the Old Covenant, that which He accounted to Abel, the very first “sacrifice-er” and first prophet, that eternal righteousness accounted, even down through to this very day, always pointed, always points, towards the cross of His Son … for it has always eternally been the only way for God to declare “righteous” anyone. For this is the manifestation of GOD’s righteousness. It is an accounting utterly apart from the effort or works of man, works that somehow try to make amends through human effort in becoming righteous in the face of God. When we heed the prophetic word of Abel, even the often taking of communion, WE GET GOD’S ATTENTION, WE GET GOD OUR FATHER’S GAZE … because this sacrifice touches the very heart of Abba Father, Eternal God of you and I. (And out of this, Dear One, comes to us from heaven “hearing” and “seeing”).
Selah!
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And this is where this points to Noah’s offering after the flood … AFTER finished judgment.
“Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, … Then God spoke to Noah … saying, “I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants (seed) after you;” “ Genesis 8:20-21a, 9:8a-9 (NASB)
I just saw something as I was typing out the verses … Noah didn’t offer an offering. Noah offered offerings – plural. He kept offering. His worship before YHVH was exceeding. (Abel offered offerings, -plural – per the Heb. Text of Gen. 4:4 & per the Grk. Text of Heb. 11:4). It would have taken considerable time to offer burnt offerings of EVERY clean animal and EVERY clean bird.
We know from the scriptures that blood speaks in the ears of God. (Gen. 4:10; Heb. 12;24). Pay attention to this, Beloved. I’m going to show you from the Hebrew text the words of Genesis 8:21a, “And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma;”
The word “aroma”, (translated in other versions as “savour, fragrance”), is rooted in the word “smelled”, which is the Hebrew word “Ruach” – to Breath – out of which is the identical Hebrew word “Ruach” for “Spirit”, and/or “Breath”. The “odour” of sacrifice is a “breath”, a “voice” that speaks … back to God.
But here is the most amazing thing of Noah’s offerings. You remember that Noah’s name means “Rest”; (see Gen. 5:29). The word in Genesis 8:21 for “soothing” (“And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma;”), (translated in other versions as “sweet”), is “Nicho-ach”, rooted in Noah’s name “No-ach” – “REST”. Noah’s willing initiated offerings were all a fragrance of rest, a sweet fragrant voice breathing into God’s nostrils and heart “rest“ …
Selah! – Some of you need to stop and let these words sink into your heart … _______________________________________
Abram had gotten God’s attention because the fragrance of his willing, initiated sacrifice along with his prayer in calling upon the name of the LORD rose up as an aroma, and captured His heart. Almighty God had already established that the gospel of His Son was to be preached/proclaimed through Abraham – (Gal. 3:8-9; 4:21-31). The sacrificial pursuit by Abram of YHVH, of His Voice, His Presence – the revelation of His Son – would eventually culminate in no longer sacrificing the first of his flock, but far greater, of his son. The fragrance of Christ Jesus was prophetically arising to the throne of heaven. Out of this, Beloved, began an eternal friendship, an unveiling to Abraham of Eternal Covenant. It is beyond what we have ever comprehended in depth, in magnitude, when we willingly and intentionally pursue the LORD through the LORD’s table, the fragrant remembrance before Eternal God and Father of His Son’s willingness and love towards His Father in laying down His life on His own initiative … to gain you and I.
“For we are a fragrance of Christ TO GOD …” II Corinthians 2:15a (NASB)
Almighty God distinctly hears and smells the sweet, fragrant voice of the stripes and of the blood of His Son, of the cross of our LORD Jesus. And it is the blood of His Son whose blood speaks the clearest, with the greatest authority, both in heaven and on earth. Do you see, Beloved, what is the foundation in our often taking the LORD’s table – the LORD’s willing initiated sacrifice of His Son – when we often take communion? Do you realize what is being spoken, even breathed over you and into you each time you partake of communion? Do you understand that this fragrance of rest, of the finished work of Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is ascending as an aroma back to God … with a speaking voice?
The Finished work of the cross of Christ Jesus our LORD, is an ascending aroma of rest – of rest from out of sin, of rest from out of wrath, a rest into Christ Jesus our Awesome Savior, a rest from works, from the effort of trying to get righteous when it is freely and fragrantly given to us as an unmerited, yet extremely expensive to God gift to us. It is a fragrance of our declared righteousness, back to God, and in this world. It is a fragrance that so moves God’s heart, He cannot but speak back to us … … of promised inheritance … … because of … … initiated sacrifice.
Selah!
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If you will take hold of this Grace, Beloved, this free gift that has absolutely no condemnation whatsoever from our Father in heaven (** Rom. 8:1; 4:8, Eph. 1:3-8, 2:4-8; Col. 2:13-14; Heb. 10:15, 17 ), if you will take hold of this lavish gift of God’s unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor, you will come into an exceeding Liberty of the Holy Spirit (II Cor. 3:17) where He will cause the eyes and ears of your heart to be opened to see your inheritance in Christ and to hear Him clearly what is the wealth of His great love for you as you find yourself standing unblemished and completely holy because of Christ Jesus in you … in this, Beloved, you will be able to hear and see, for this life, possessions He would cause you to possess – what your eye has not seen and ear has not heard and all that God the Father has prepared for you, far greater than you ever could have imagined, because of the Greatness of His Love towards you.
You are greatly loved, Beloved. Mark Dingemans
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** – Beloved, take the time to go through these scriptures, and let the Holy Spirit write them and bear witness to them in your hearts and minds. Let the Word of God and the Blood of Jesus and the witness of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you wash through you and renew your mind. Let communion be a refreshing of the Blood and the Spirit (Heb. 9:14) to cleanse your conscious from sin consciousness to righteousness consciousness, that you are indeed clean as a gift of His grace. You are no more, Dearly Beloved, under condemnation; rather, you are under justification – eternally! (Rom. 4:25b, 5:21;b; Heb. 9:11-12)
kairos – (Kahee-ros’) – Strong’s concordance defines this word: “an occasion, I.e. set or proper time.” The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible (NASB) defines this word; “season, time, but not merely as a succession of moments, which is chronos,” [from which we derive the English word ‘chronology’]. “Kairos, however, implies not the convenience of the season, but the necessity of the task at hand, whether the time provides a good, convenient opportunity or not.” This must be understood. Strategic times of the Lord do not necessarily imply good or convenient times. We are in Kairos times. Maybe not good or convenient times, but definitely strategic, opportune times because of the season we are in. We must have “ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches,” (Rev. 2:29), so as to respond correctly to the Kairos time.
* Some Scripture for this letter is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Other references translated from Grk. Txt as presented in T. Newberry’s Englishman’s Greek New Testament, Zondervan Publishing – 1982- originally published in London, Eng. 1877