Part 27
----The series on Ruth began in Part 10---
“I will give yo---The series on Ruth began in Part 10---
“I will give you treasures of darkness and hidden riches of the Secret Place, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who calls you by your name, am the God of Israel.” Isaiah 45:3
“Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.” Ruth 3:2b
“The threshing floor was the place where the grain was separated from the harvested wheat. The wheat stalks were crushed, either by hand or by oxen, and the valuable grain (inner kernels) separated by the worthless chaff (the outside shell). The floor was made from rock or soil and located outside the village, usually on an elevated site where the winds would blow away the lighter chaff when the crushed wheat was thrown into the air (or winnowed). Boaz spent the night beside the threshing floor for two reasons: 1) to prevent theft and 2) to wait for his turn to thresh grain. (Threshing was often done at night because daylight hours were spent harvesting.)” NIV Life Application Study Bible
“Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.’” John 12:24…we must learn to die to self. If we will learn how to apply Christ’s will to our self-will, the resurrected power of Christ Jesus will bring forth many seeds and much fruit, in not only our life, but others as well.
Thresh: To beat out (grain) from (husks) as with a flail. Same as thrash.
Thrash: To beat, flog, toss about violently, to defeat overwhelmingly.
Grain: The small hard seed of any cereal plant; a tiny solid particle; a tiny bit; the smallest unit of weight; the markings or texture due to the arrangement of fibers, layers, etc. of wood, leather, etc. (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)
“You must present the best part as the Lord’s portion—the best and holiest part of everything given to you. Say to the Levites, ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the Threshing Floor or the Winepress.’” Numbers 18:29-30
Samuel Rutherford once said, “When I am cast into the cellars of affliction, I remember that the great King always keeps His wine there.”
Wine Press:
Wine: Something that invigorates or intoxicates; to entertain lavishly
Press: To act on with steady force or weight, push against, squeeze, compress; to embrace closely.
Fruit: (Root word frui, to enjoy, have the use of); a product of a plant growth; the flavor or aroma of fresh fruit in mature wine. (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)
Jesus turned the water into wine at the Wedding Feast as His first miracle. I believe there is tremendous significance in the wine being His first miracle. I believe the “stone water jars” represent us. “Water” is used throughout Scripture, and in this passage Jesus told them to “fill the stone jars with water, fill them to the brim”. “Now draw some out and take to the Master of the Banquet…The Master of the Banquet tasted the water that had been turned to wine…he called the Bridegroom aside and said, ‘…you have saved the best until now.’ Jesus thus revealed His glory.” (John 2) His glory is revealed when we allow our Bridegroom to fill us to the brim with water, and pour us out like a drink offering of wine for the Master of the Banquet, thus revealing His glory. Oh that we would only stand still long enough for our Bridegroom to fill us to the brim and turn our lives from water into wine for Him, for His glory!
Threshing and Winepress: Although harsh to the grain or to the fruit, both of these tools of labor get the best part, separating the valuable portion from the worthless waste! If it were not for the threshing or the winepress, the grain would remain hard and worthless, and the fruit would remain intact and useless.
We MUST learn--------
Death to self…
Jesus did it as He agonized in the Garden prior to His crucifixion, and the battle was fierce. “He…knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me, yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Luke 22:41-44 Though there was no waste in Him, still He endured the threshing, the thrashing, the flogging, the pressing; therefore, the beaten Son of God died, and in His death became many seeds, and the fruit of His resurrection became mature wine. “He took the cup (of wine), saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’” Luke 22:20
Death to self…
The product of the threshing floor or the winepress, is the glory of the New Covenant. “Now if the ministry that brought death…came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious but has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom! And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Death to self…
There is a treasure (wealth stored up) of life and power within us. “We have this treasure in jars of clay (earthen vessels) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-11
Death to self…
We are never alone in this process. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 and “If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.” Romans 6:5
Death to self…
And if the Son sets you free from the worthless chaff, you will be free indeed! “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” Romans 6:6-7
Death to self…
He is a safe place to be, a Protector who will not allow us to be crushed, in despair, abandoned, or destroyed. When we find ourselves in the cellar, never, ever forget our King keeps His wine there, and He will protect it at all cost....“’I Myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” Zechariah 2:5
“The Lord will reply to them: ‘I am sending you new grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully…’ The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. ‘I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…you will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you…then you will know that I am the Lord your God and that there is no other…Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow!’” Joel 2:19, 22b-27; 3:13a
“He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS…Come, gather together for the great supper of God!” Rev. 19:15b-16, 17b
Beloved Child of God, don’t miss the Banquet, the Feast set before our eyes even now. He longs to entertain us lavishly. Invite the King of Glory to come in to wine and dine!
Dinner for two please….
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