Articles
Watch and Pray Series: For These and For Those - Part 2
Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd, Life Coach
February 2013
And what I say unto you I say unto all, watch. Mark 13: 37 KJV
Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh, shall find watching; verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. Luke 12:37 KJV
As the whole process of Messiah's death and resurrection played out, we can thematically see that picture of our waiting now for His return and final restoration of all things!.
In my first comments, I have asked you to consider where you are in relation to Messiah as you watch and pray:
As near as possible? Some distance away? A long distance away?
His disciples needed to watch and pray; some near, some further away although they were together in a garden; a shielded place close to our Father's heart.
I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for the which thou has given me; for they are thine.
John 17:9 KJV
Many have studied this Scripture which is called "the High Priestly Prayer" recorded in the Book of John, chapter 17. In this portion, we are assured that it isn't only a physical proximity of being with Him, but also over all time.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.
John 17: 20 KJV
I will always remember hearing Reuven Doren speak about this picture in Iowa at one of the first Messianic conferences I ever attended. He spoke of "these and those" and drew the connection between this high priestly prayer of our Messiah and the words of Moshe confirming what was happening at Mount Sinai.
I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with who is not here with us today...
Deuteronomy 29: 14-15 NKJV
Eleven times in the Book of Numbers "these" and"those" are paired as the children of Israel are organized and numbered. The sorting takes place in a specific time and place as well as over time. It takes place within the House of Israel as well as between the House of Israel and the world. Sort of like those who watch from the nearest vantage point and those yet in the garden but further away and those from their place in the world; who don't even know there is a garden and prayer going on.
Certainly it does make a difference where we "stand" as we watch and pray! As we have seen in our Torah studies, the same event looks pretty different to "these" and to "those." If you were among the Israelites, whether mixed multitudes or of the tribes, that towering cloud and pillar of fire meant protection. If you were among those pursuing them, it must have appeared threatening since it kept them back, ultimately to destroy them all. It will be the same thing again in our day.
If we are among the "these and those" whom Moshe and Maschiach prayed for, the ones given to Him by our Abba, we will watch and see what is happening in the world from quite a different vantage point than others. Though the things that must come will be truly awful as in horrific they will also be "awe-full" as in producing a holy fear and reverence for our awesome Elohim.
We know that the mixed multitude was included at the foot of Mount Sinai as they declared their obedience along with the rest of Israel:
Go near and hear all that the LORD our God shall say; and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear and do.
Deuteronomy 5: 27 KJV
Well, perhaps we'd better remember that they said this to Moshe as most were too frightened by what they DID already see and hear of our Elohim to be interested to get any closer to Him.
How frightened do we suppose those who were with Him in the garden were? They all came along, and with Peter, all are said to have declared they'd stand with Him no matter what. Messiah knew them better than they knew themselves when He said they would be scattered when it all came down. Still, what He scatters, He gathers. What glorious Hope!
It is difficult to know Him and to see things differently than those people around us on a daily basis. Abundant blessing and abundant stressing come in one package. If we had to depend only on our own strength to watch and pray with Him, we might as well run right now!
For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire; even a jealous God.
Deuteronomy 4:24 KJV
He is an awesome God who is a consuming fire. No less is our Messiah Yeshua who came first as a suffering servant but will return as our conquering King with fire in His eyes.
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass.
Revelation 2: 18 KJV
As we watch and pray will we see that consuming fire as "for" us or as "against" us? It will depend on where we take our stand, confident and close enough to Him to accept the cleansing that prepares us or drawing back resisting His work in us.