A PECULIAR PEOPLE

(Part 4)

THE BURNING BUSH

"And...God called unto him out of the midst of the bush..." (Exo 3:3-4)

The journey for Peculiar People takes us to places we would never have imagined or thought possible. Had it been left to us, we certainly would not have chosen such a path. Once we knew who we were, like Moses, we thought we would bloom where we were planted and become heros to the oppressed. It never entered our minds that we would have to leave Egypt and wander in the torrid sands of Sinai. And this was not all. We then wandered to its far reaches, even to the backside of the desert at the foot of Mount ⁽¹⁾Horeb, the Mountain of Desolation.

During our times of ascending upon this Mountain of God, as it is called in Exodus 3:1, where holy ground is walked upon, this is the place the burning bush is seen. From its midst comes the word of the Lord. While heated winds blow and earth's dust whips around tired feet, while the desert sun beats upon our heads, the bush of God is discovered. From the height of our desolation we see God's glory, and hear His voice from within.

It is not by spontaneous combustion that the flames erupt, nor does it burn due to anything we can say or do. It is by God's design and timing -- not ours. Once we come upon this mountain of God, we can be sure that He will kindle our peculiar bush, and if we look to Him and not our desolation, we will see His glory in it.

Moses had no idea there was glory to be had in such arid peaks. He did not expect it, he was not looking for it, and if it had been told him, it is doubtful that he would have believed it. Nevertheless, while he was going about the business of foraging for the priest of Midian's desert-dwelling sheep, he saw and heard things that altered his life forever. He turned from herding sheep to leading people.

When it pleased God, He who separated him from his mother's womb and removed him from the land of Egypt, He revealed Himself to the lonely exile. When the time came, God made sure he saw Him and heard His voice. And it is the same with us. When it pleased God, He removed us to the desert, and as the hour approaches, He ignites the bush in our midst. Or it could be that it has always been there, just not noticed. Nevertheless, many of us have walked earth's barren slopes -- upon which we would peer wantonly into the darkness of our circumstances -- and with skewed vision tried to see what we thought was best for us. Naturally, we craved deliverance and wanted to see our Deliverer, yet they did not always come. Even so, we have known that God's glory abides somewhere within the pall of hardships, and we have maintained hope. Faith has been exercised, and we have waited patiently for His presence to burst forth in us with blazing splendor.

We would often look for His wonders to behold, yet to our disappointment, they evaded us. We have longed to lie down in green pastures, in God's celestial gardens of glory, yet nothing but dried sprigs have cracked beneath our swollen feet. Try as we may, we could not redirect our journey, and one reason for this, I am sure -- it is the very path that is making our calling and election sure.

We may have grown weary; but the wonderful promises made throughout the Bible have continued to encourage us. When we heard them by the Spirit, we knew that all was well, and we were strengthened, enabling us to wait for the season. One such promise is: "...Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself anymore...And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it..." (Is. 30:20-21, Amplified).

Although it is a promise of hearing the Lord for ourselves, it is difficult for some to believe He would give to us the water of affliction, but He does. And it is from Mount Horeb that the water comes. From a Rock in its side rushed the water for Israel and all the beasts to drink. That Rock (Jesus) was first smitten and His life was given, supplying drink for all who thirst. The second time Moses was to speak to it (ask and ye shall receive, Mat 7:2), but he smote it again (crucifying Him afresh, Heb 6:6). Indeed, Jesus was sorely afflicted (Isa 53:4), and from that bruising, Israel, and we, drank the water of affliction. Even so, the affliction is not to be forever.

Already, many are seeing and hearing their teacher behind them. He is no longer removed to a corner. He is making Himself known, and lo and behold, it is in the very midst of our desolation! He is coming from the place we had least expected, from the little peculiar bush upon a dry, desert mountain.

FOCUS

This mountain called Horeb, is also known as Mount Sinai. It is from here that the law was given to Moses, making the mountain synonymous with the law. This kingdom, the Kingdom of Law, the letter that kills, affords no man life. It is bare and desolate, void of supple life. Even so, we have, like the Pharisees of old, searched the scriptures, climbed every crag, explored all the crevasses, canyons and ravines, turned over and examined each rock, but still failed to find Life. For when the scriptures stand alone, and are queried by the mind of man, no life is found. They do, however, point to Him, the Fire of the Burning Bush, who is life.

We can put our noses to that mountain's ground and like a bloodhound search every word found in the Bible; but desolation alone will be the fruit of our labors. The fact is, the closer our noses are to the letter of the word, the likelihood of not seeing the burning bush of revelation increases greatly. As long as our attention is upon the letter that kills, we have no other option but to be desolate. The letter robs its students of life, leaving them void of Christ's presence.

However, when we, the Peculiar People, are not focused on the harshness of where our journey has carried us, whether in the dry word or our harsh circumstances, we will come to see the brightness of God's glory. While we are being about the business of finding food that will sustain the sheep, and knowing it cannot be found in the law that brings desolation, we will hear the word of life. When our eyes look toward the heights, rather than searching below, a strange phenomena is seen. From that mountain -- out of the letter of the law, that which brings desolation to the flesh, that which slays the man -- understanding comes. Revelation is beheld. A sure word is heard. Another paradox of God.

Although the law kills, as Paul made clear in Romans chapter 7 and 2nd Corinthians 3:6, it is also holy (Rom 7:12). How else could it be? For it came from God and expresses His character. Without the revelation of Jesus burning from those words and into our hearts, however, it is as subtle and deadly as a viper, and renders its explorers desolate. Therefore, whether our desolation is due to the torrid word of the letter, or it is the overwhelming circumstance with which we find ourselves, one point must be made. Let us keep our attention away from that which kills, let us not rivet our minds to those dark things that have no life; but rather, let us turn aside when we see Christ burning in the midst of it all.

More people every day are seeing the truth that the letter kills, and some even do away with the Bible altogether. They refuse to look upon it, fearing that it will mean death if they do. Others try to avoid their mountain of hardships, attempting to cast them into the sea. Some mountains can be thrown into the sea, but not this mountain. Neither our desolating circumstances nor the Bible can be discarded. God placed this holy mountain before us to be climbed. This mountain is good, and so is the Bible. How they are perceived is what determines whether they are administrators of death or not.

If you happen to be one who wants a direct line from the throne of God within you, and you can see no value in the scriptures, I would encourage you to reevaluate your stand. When you discard the Bible, you discard the mountain whereupon one facet of the bush of revelation burns. If you refuse the tomb that houses the dead body of Jesus, you will miss Him as He rises alive out of those words and stands in your garden.

Although both Jesus and Paul spoke of the letter having little or no value, this, however, is true only when it is understood by the intellect of the carnal mind and not the Spirit of revelation. There is a vast difference.

Concerning our time upon Mount Horeb, let me explain it this way: when our minds are focused only on the mounting diseases, financial dilemmas, daily pressures of family difficulties, divorce, deaths of friends and loved ones, and many other heavy weights -- it brings death to us. They can consume us, and there is no great benefit, if any. We are then hindered and live a defeated life. On the other hand, when our eyes are lifted up and our minds are focused upon our Lord, and especially when we see the flame of His glory in all the woes, it brings life.

It is the same with the scriptures: when our minds are focused only upon the mountain of doctrines, we daily pore over them with hopes of unraveling the mysteries of God, and we mold our lives from what we read -- it brings death. There is no great benefit. We are hindered and live a spiritually defeated life. However, when our eyes are lifted up, and our minds are focused upon our Lord, and we see the flame of His glory in all the verses, we live.

When the word comes by the Spirit, it is a quick and powerful sword; but when by the carnal mind it is perceived, the eyes will be fixed upon the dry mountain, desolation and death is the fruit thereof. And likewise with the hardships of life. If it is out of fear and worry that we see our problems, we will become desolate. However, when we see the Fire of Christ high upon that mountain of difficulties, and we turn our attention to that Fire, we will live. It is then that the word of the Lord will come and send us from that place.

With the constancy of the pressures, it may seem we will never leave this Mountain of Desolation; but if we can trust God to honor His covenants, there should be no problem in believing the hollow pain of drought and anguish is not forever. Our part of the covenant is to hear His voice and obey (Exo 19:5). Once that is done, He fulfills His part and takes us forth as conquerors.

When we understand where this covenant is made, it should make it much easier to endure to the end. Contrary to what we might expect, that holy place is not found in the majestic halls of kings, flower-laden glens, or the jaded glades and serene meadows of heaven's glory. No, my friend, it is not during the time of flourishing and overflowing blessings; but rather, it is upon Mount Horeb where His voice is heard and a covenant made: "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb" (Deu 5:2). And I believe we can embrace the next verse for our own as well, for it speaks clearly to us in this day: "The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, BUT WITH US, even us, WHO ARE ALL OF US HERE ALIVE THIS DAY" (Deu 5:3). And also: "The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire" (Deu 5:4).

It was upon the Mountain of Desolation, of frustration, of suffering, of anguish, of turmoil, of mental reasoning and speculations of what God is all about that we finally see Him face to face. From the midst of fire we hear His living voice, the voice and presence that dispels all our former pain and suppositions.

From the base of this mountain we can't help from feeling the hopelessness of certain situations, and likewise, the tolerance of religious legalism has worn thin. Ah, but from this vantage point we see the bush aflame, and like Moses, we wonder why it is not consumed. How can it be? For we know God is a consuming fire (Heb 11:29); yet this bush is not phased by His burning presence. That which would have once destroyed us has no ill effect.

The carnal man would indeed go up in a vapor and whiff of smoke. No more than a few ashes would remain in God's glorious presence. There is something, however, about this burning bush that keeps it from being consumed. The bush, of course, is the New Man, not the Adam of old. It is the Peculiar Man that we are, the one who is joined to his Lord and the two have become one Spirit. The Lord, Immanuel, God with us, is well able to dwell in this bush. And it is from here that He calls unto us -- out of the midst of our bush.

Our dear friend, Wanda Berryhill, who knows about these things by experience wrote recently of something the Lord spoke to her many years ago: "Once when I was praying for a group at the United Pentecostal Church where I was a member, I was asking for love to help them in any way I could, and the Holy Spirit spoke and said, 'All that is required is that you become as a burning bush and all that will come will come'.

"I understand you have to be empty, barren and desolate before He can impart His fullness He has promised. Like Paul, I rejoice in my weakness, for when I am empty He fills to overflowing -- heaped up pressed down and running over."

Moses himself was in an empty, barren and desolate place that day on the backside of the desert. And it was from there that he saw himself, along with all the Peculiar Saints of God, burning with the blazing presence of Deity, and there was no question about whose power would deliver Israel. The lowly bush-man of God would be instrumental; but it was what was housed in him that made the difference.

When Moses was first moved in his soul for the burdens of his people, he killed an Egyptian, which resulted in his fleeing Egypt. God also knew of their burdens. He heard Israel's cry long before Moses, and he knew their sorrow (Exo 3:7); but He waited more than forty years. He did nothing until the proper season.

After he was finally called to deliver his people, we cannot help from noticing that he killed again in order to save his people. This time, however, it was the first born of a nation. All the firstborn sons of the Egyptians were slain at his word, even Pharaoh's son.

The timing and power makes all the difference in the world. You see, what Moses did the first time was not so wrong in itself. Who would lay blame upon a compassionate man who was protecting the oppressed? What made it wrong was the season and the source of inspiration. The season had not arrived and the source was his own reasoning. It was by the power of his arm that he killed, not the Lord's. Perhaps we can see more clearly why we seem to be so impotent and lacking in power. The hour is awaiting the season's appearing, and likewise the burning power of God in our bush. If either is lacking (the proper time or God's power) then we likewise are lacking, and must wait. But please know, if our waiting is upon the rocky ridges of Mount Horeb, the season is at hand. It is near. The time for our bushes to burn with unconsuming splendor is upon us.

IN WHOM DO YOU TRUST?

Too many people are so swallowed up by the darkness of circumstances that their faith wanes and hope is lost. They are ready to lie down and die, thinking it will be a little brighter on the other side. I can't say if it will be or it won't. I will say, however, that darkness should never be a threat to the Peculiar People of the Day.

It matters not if all hell seems to have broken loose, we should not fret. Sickness, death, financial ruin, family disasters, or anything else that is ravishing the elect of God should not hinder their progression. They should always know that all is well. None of the above may have touched you, yet you fear the turn of the century. What difference does it make if the woes that are prophesied of the year 2000, commonly known as, Y2K, actual come? What is that to you and me? Should the earth be engulfed by gross darkness, to us, it is a much greater opportunity for our lights to shine.

Concerning this word that the world's computers will fail, let me ask: without hearing from the Lord, are you going to dig a well and build a windmill over it, or will you be led of the Lord and drink from the brook that is already running with refreshing water? Without hearing from the Lord, are you going to store up that which the cankerworm will eat, or will you wait upon God's raven and be fed of it?

By all means, if you hear the Spirit telling you to do this or that -- do it! But if His word is not heard -- don't put your trust in the arm of flesh. If you do, it will fail you.

Store up food if you want. There is nothing wrong with having extra food in the house; however, when that food becomes your security, it will fail you. We cannot put our trust in anything, my dear friends, except Jesus Christ. Nothing else will see us through the dark days -- if they come. Whenever our motivation to act is out of the spirit of fear, you can count on making the wrong decision, for fear causes us to trust in flesh and not the Spirit. By the Spirit of the Lord are we to make our decisions, not the spirit of fear. Paul said, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:7).

When we have a sound mind, we can count on it being the mind of Christ. His mind is not a worried, fearful mind that sends us scurrying around for some den in which to hide until the lion is gone. Only a soundless mind, that which is void of the sound of Christ's inspiration, promotes misguided understanding. If it is soundless, we will not trust in the Lord with all our hearts. We will do what is natural and lean on our own understanding. (Prov 3:5).

Do you want to know what to do while in the midst of today's difficulties, and also tomorrow's if they do in fact strike? Incidently, I, nor anyone else I know, nor any I have read from, have actually heard a word of the Lord about tomorrow. They all, without variance, have quoted from what men of the world think will happen. Not one have we heard saying, "Thus saith the Lord." The Lord has been mysteriously silent in all this. If I am not mistaken, He said that He does nothing unless He first reveals it to His prophets (Amos 3:7). How many true prophets have you heard declaring what will happen when the clock rolls over to 12:01, January 1, 2000?

Nevertheless, again I aks, do you want to know what to do while in the midst of today's difficulties, and also tomorrow's if they do in fact strike? The following is good advice at all times: "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Prov 3:6). If you don't hear His voice, and there is no direct path upon which to walk, then remain on Mount Horeb. Stay there until you do see and hear Him. Wait until God's flame bursts alive in your life. Stop listening to those who want to sell you their dried food products, land in the wilderness, offshore banking services, and other 'survival' stuffs.

Whether it is today or tomorrow, you cannot flip a coin on which way to go, or determine with the natural mind what you must do -- for your ways are not His ways, and your thoughts are not His thoughts (Isa 55:8-9). Explore every natural street and avenue, and search out all the carnal crevices of every alley; but by natural means, His ways are past finding out. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Rom 11:33). They are Spiritual, they are lofty, and no man of the dust will ascend to and extract the secrets from the mind of God.

There is a way that seems right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Prov 16:25). In the face of danger, unless people are seasoned in trusting the Lord, they will generally take flight, or else, fight. If they don't run, they will go to battle with the power of their own might. When fear strikes, it is not natural, of course, for one's trust to rest upon the unseen. Nevertheless, the fact remains -- "The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Prov 18:10). And, "...they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee" (Psa 9:10).

Think about it -- they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee. That is where the problem abides with many, so it seems -- they don't know His name. They may know how to say it, whether it is God, Lord, Lord God, Jehovah, Yahweh, El Elyon, Elohim, Jesus, or other names ascribed to Him in the Bible; but this is a far cry from knowing His name.

I will not say much about this, only that one must know God to know His name, and the only way to know Him is to ⁽²⁾know Jesus Christ. He alone is the door to such acquaintance. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing Him. Once a person knows Him, he will then know His name, which speaks of His nature. Therefore, the ones who know Him know His name, and they have no trouble putting their trust in this Strong Tower.

Not everyone who names the name of the Lord can make the claim that they know Him. Ask the average Christian today, and they will tell you that they are waiting to get to heaven so they can meet Jesus. This is a sure testimony that they do not know Him.

With Him being yet a stranger to them, by the natural process of selection, they trust in chariots, and in horses (Psa 20:7a). Their safety, as far as they can see, lies in their human ingenuity while Jesus is away in heaven on a long journey. Being left alone, so it seems to them, they must do something to survive. From the devices of wily minds and crafty hands they are made to feel secure, especially when they have the power of thundering hoofs (the spirit of war), to stampede and trample all opposition. Such is the way of those who know not the Lord of Hosts. They will not "...remember the name of the Lord our God" (Psa 20:7b).

People who do not know the name of the Lord will trust in anything except the truth, for the truth is unreal to them. Their trust, therefore, is built upon an asylum of lies. However, they who trust in such will come to know that "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place" (Isa 28:17).

These days do not afford avenues of escape, especially those filled with lying vanities. Rather than trusting in those failing facades, we will say of our Lord, the One we have come to know so well -- He is our refuge and our fortress: our God; in Him will we trust (Psa 91:2). Without wavering, we can know with full assurance that no one that trusts in Him shall be desolate (Psa 34:22). Moreover, "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed" (Psa 37:3). "And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him" (Psa 37:40). Truly, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes" (Psa 118:9). And, "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help" (Psa 146:3).

If your trust is in prince Bill Gates, or any other man or natural thing, you are looking to the wrong source. If the world's computers come crashing down, and a cloud of darkness sweeps the earth, the answers will not be found in the man, or men, who are largely responsible for the problem in the first place. For instance, if you had a cancerous eye and the surgeon in his carelessness removed the good one, which has happened, would you go back to him for help? Of course not! You would do everything in your power to secure the best doctor in the land to save your life. Only if you were a gullible fool would you go back to the one who blinded you.

Whether it is at this present moment, while in the very midst of your ongoing dilemmas, or it is in the year 2000 (and the portent comes to pass), your trust cannot be in the problem makers, which is man in general. It must be in the problem Solver, in the name of the One you know. It must be in He who overcame all things and can meet the challenge -- Jesus Christ. "They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever, as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever" (Psa 125:1-2).

On the other hand, if you are being overwhelmed by small things today, what are you going to do tomorrow. Jeremiah put it this way: "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the swelling of Jordan?" (Jer 12:5).

We are living in a day of such affluence in the western nations that people have almost forgotten what it is to put their trust in the Lord. Money makes mad, I believe. It causes the children of God to trust in their prosperity rather than the One who blessed (?) them with it. If they are not prosperous in the world, they still trust in mammon, thinking, "If only I had more money, everything would be fine." The lack of money is not the only footmen people are running with that wearies them. With many, anything that is contrary to their carnal desires poses as a wearisome footman. When such menial things weary the saints today, we too ask: How will you be able to contend with the horses when they run, and how will you survive when Death (Jordan) swells on every side? It will be difficult if they are not presently trusting in the Lord.

It is not easy to find a large number in the church who fear and trust in the Lord. The prophet must have been concerned about the same thing: "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God" (Isa 50:10).

It has become common place for people, especially with those who are in positions of authority and leadership, to fall into the disgraces of being self-made men and women of God. Isaiah wrote of this, saying: "Behold, all you [enemies of your own selves] who attempt to kindle your own fire [and work out your own plan of salvation], who surround and gird yourselves with momentary sparks, darts and firebrands that you set aflame! Walk by the light of your self-made fire, and in the sparks that you have kindled [for yourself, if your will]! But this shall you have from My hand: you shall lie down in grief and in torment" (Isa 50:11, Amp).

It matters not what we do in attempts to save ourselves, every carnal effort will fail. There may be times when it looks as if we are making headway, but they are short-lived excursions. We may even see sparks of inspiration shooting into the heavens; but when put to the test, they are more like perspiration than inspiration, and after a time they are gone. When we are called upon Mount Horeb to see God's glory and hear His voice, we cannot expect our sparks to have much effect. Our fire will not flame brighter than His, and we won't be hurling this mountain into the sea, for it is ordained that we scale it.

Rather than moving in the strength of the flesh, we live in a day that requires helplessness. We can no longer take matters into our own hands and free ourselves from looming problems. What used to work now fails. Our running hither and yon, looking to this man or that woman to bail us out, is a thing of the past. We simply cannot kindle carnal fires that will brighten our paths. It has come to the line where we have to depend on God for everything. Like children, we are once again learning to wait upon Him. If He is not starting fires, then why would we be busy making sparks? It's futile. It's useless. It's pointless.

We are left with little question as to why we don't see any long-lasting, earthshaking remedies when desolation strikes today. For we are to first see God's glory in it, and after He speaks, we, like Moses, will then be freed from it. Try as we may, our self-made fires and religious sparks will not save us from this mountain.

What a journey we have known. Who could have believed the awesome adventures to be lived by those who dwell in the heavens, yet with their feet on the ground? God's Chosen, His Peculiar People, have braved many perilous times, and they will, no doubt, face many more. In all this some have lost heart; but that should not be, for "...when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).

Rather than bemoaning the heavy load we are called to bear, let us rejoice as those before us: "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven... (Luke 6:23). "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil 3:3).

Can we, like Paul, rejoice in the midst of suffering? "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which is the church" (Col 1:24). And Peter wrote: "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Pet 4:13). "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev 12:12).

If we presently dwell in the heavens, and that should be where we live, rejoicing is the spirit of our lives. It matters not what calamities we face today, or the perils that lie ahead, we should with joy lift our heads and rejoice. However, if our hearts are fixed upon the earth, our eyes will see nothing but the flood of evil that sweeps its every quarter. If the Y2K problem is as bad as some say, and if we look at the desolation of Mount Horeb rather than God's glory, then woe to us who dwell in the earth. If the arm of flesh is our refuge, our carnal homes will be swept away, for there will be no one to help. Again, as the Psalmist said: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help" (Psa 146:3).

To be continued...

Elwin R. Roach

1. Horeb: desolation Heb.

2. "If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him....He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father... (John 14:7,9)