The CRISIS of TROUBLED WATERS _______ John 5

JOHN 5

The man with the infirmity for 38 years

Johnny Horton and Tillman Frank's song 'North to Alaska' says, 'where its -40 below', but today it's -60 below and we are hoping for a warming up to -40 below. Up here -10 to -20 below is mild, -30 below moderate, -40 below a 'bit zippy' - you begin to feel the 'sting' and beyond that its just plain cold. -50 and beyond creates a 'crisis'. Automobiles don't always cooperate and its not safe to get stuck 'in between'. A few years ago a 'crisis' occurred for me - - I needed a root canal and the dentist in town was absent. That meant a 200 mile trip to Fairbanks. It was -30 below here in Tok, moderate, okay to travel, but after the first 100 miles to Delta Junction the temps began to plummet to -50 below. That's when my transmission started to act up. But I was in 'crisis' and it was then that I started praying because no one in Delta could look at my transmission. If I kept my speed no more than 30 mph I could travel. I couldn't go back (no service in Tok) so I had to keep going. A 4 hour trip became an 8 hour trip on prayer, but God brought us through, 'on a wing and a prayer'. We all make choices - - but a CRISIS - - brings 'commitment to a choice'. A 'crisis' is 'intense difficulty, trouble, or danger; crucial conflict.' Which had me thinking of the following Scripture:

John 5
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool,
. which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda [house of mercy], having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed,
.. waiting for the moving κινησις kinesis (agitation) of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season καιρος kairos into the pool,
.. and troubled ταρασσω tarasso the water: whosoever then first after
.. the troubling ταραχη tarache of the water stepped in was made whole
.. of whatsoever disease he had.

In the first four verses note this was the time of a feast' a 'high Sabbath'. Jews were required to be in Jerusalem for the celebration of three of the seven of the High Holy days - for Pesach/ Passover, Shavuot/Pentecost and Sukkot/feast of Tabernacles. It says that an angel went down 'at a certain season' : καιρος kairos: a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis .... and troubled the water.: ταρασσω tarasso: to agitate, trouble (a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro) ... ταραχη tarache: disturbance - and whosoever stepped in first after the troubling - - was healed. Note also the pool of water, known as Bethesda [house of mercy] was by the 'Sheep Gate'. Christ's sheep [John 10] hear His voice and follow Him. The pool had five porches.

5 is to BEHOLD the Lamb of God who takes away the sin...
5 is to TAKE seed - HEI, the 'garments of the soul': thoughts, words and actions.

The passage continues with a 'certain man' who had an infirmity thirty-eight years:

5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.

The number 38 tells us something about the condition of the man. 30 is the letter Lamed whose form is the Shepherd Staff, instrumental 'to learn, to teach'. Lamed also has, as its symbol, the HEART [particularly, a HEART that understands (intimate / revelation) knowledge (da-at)]. CHET, the number 8, has as its symbol the marriage chuppa which is the 'covering of life' - as such - the pulse and rhythm - the HEARTBEAT of LIFE. The number 38 becomes the expression of God's 'heart life', by gematria equal to 'His glory, His heart, My power'. 38 is to be our heart life.

So Jesus came upon an infirmed / sick man whose 'heart life' was now rIpe to experience God's 'glory, His heart, and power'.

38

....................................................x....................................l

..............................................CHUPPA........SHEPHERD STAFF / HEART

...........

.......................................RESURRECTION ..... PROPHET/TEACHER

...........................................LIFEFORCE

for the
BELIEVER

...........

.......................................... HEARTBEAT of LIFE ..... LEARN / be DISCIPLED
................................................. HEARTBEAT ................. of a DISCIPLE

6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been
.. in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

An important question here is 'DO YOU WANT to be made well? Do you not think it odd that Jesus would ask this question of an infirmed / sick man who HAD 'gone through the sheep gate' and WAS sitting at the pool WAITING for the troubling of the waters - 'do you want' to be made well? Why didn't Jesus just walk up to this man, seeing that he had gone through the gate, was sitting and waiting - and automatically heal this man and all others that were there?

7 The sick man answered Him ..........

If you are

SICK / INFIRMITY
you need JESUS
makh-al-eh'

...........................h..............................l...................................x...........................m
....................EXT ARM ...........STAFF / HEART ................CHUPPA ...............WATER

...........................

............BEHOLD the Lamb .....PROPHET/TEACHER........RESURRECTION .....LIVING WATER
.............[REDEMPTION].....................................................LIFEFORCE

for the
BELIEVER
to overcome sickness

...............

.....THOUGHTS WORDS.....DISCIPLE.......HEARTBEAT of LIFE.....walking on WATER of WORD
...............ACTIONS

7 The sick man answered Him
.."Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool
.. when the water is troubled; but while I am coming,
.. another steps down before me."
8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked
.. And that day was the Sabbath.

WALK
haw-lak'

......................................j.......................................................l..................................h
....................CLOUD / PALM of HAND .........SHEPHERD STAFF / HEART ........EXT ARM

..................

............................ GLORY / POWER ........................PROPHET/TEACHER.........BEHOLD the Lamb

for the
BELIEVER

..........

........................................GLORY / POWER .................be DISCIPLED........BEHOLD the Lamb
.........................................to SUPPRESS evil............................................. THOUGHTS, WORDS
.............................................................................................................................. ACTIONS

WALKING for the believer is to h REVEAL a l HEART that j SUPPRESSES evil inclinations. The Word is seen and heard in all thoughts, words and actions.

SABBATH
shab-bawth

..................................................t..............................b........................... #
.............................................CROSS ...................HOUSE ...................FIRE

............

......................................SEALED in FAITH ...............SON of man..........STEWARD
..............................................................................................................of God's LOVE

for the
BELIEVER

.................

.......................KINGDOM .........FAMILY RELATIONSHIP ............STEWARD of God's love
..........................FAITH........................of PRAYER.....................His salvation - saving health

The SABBATH is a time of KINGDOM REST - TODAY if you hear His voice - -ENTER His REST.


SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

You may still ask - why didn't Jesus 'heal them all'?

......................................Matthew ...............14:...........................30

......................................RIGHTEOUS ............HEIR ....................TEACHER
...........................................ONE...............to THRONE.............. PROPHET

for the
BELIEVER

...............................................HUNT to EAT ......RULE & REIGN....HEART of a
..........................................RIGHTEOUSNESS...WITH WORD....... DISCIPLE

ALL apostles had been discipled by Jesus as 'kingdom heirs' to 'rule and reign' with the Word of God - to 'walk on the 'water of the Word'. When the apostles were in the boat and they saw Jesus 'walking on the water' coming toward the boat, Peter called out, '“Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.'

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid;
and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

There were several - 12 - in the boat. Only ONE - Peter - called out to Jesus while the others watched. Only ONE walked on the 'wind boisterous' - troubled / crisis - water. The others stayed in the boat. They all had the opportunity. But those in the boat were not experiencing the thrust of the crisis, yet in the safety of the boat.

The wind boisterous arose: ανεμος anemos: wind, a violent agitation and stream of air; a very strong tempestuous wind -ισχυρος ischuros: powerful; strong either in body or in mind; of one who has strength of soul to sustain the attacks of Satan, strong and therefore exhibiting many excellences; on inanimate things: strong, violent, forcibly uttered, firm, sure.

God is asking us all to 'walk on the water of the Word - to BELIEVE it - without the aid of an air tank - 'just in case', and not to fear the wind. It's a walk of faith - that the Word is true. For those of us who need healing, Jesus yet bids, 'Come, walk on the water of the Word.' The crisis will not render it void - - have faith. God desires to answer our prayer [Mark 11:24]. And what about the call to the 'harvest fields'? Do we yet 'sit in the boat' as we shout encouragement to 'others' - 'Go ye!'?

Selah
Shalom!

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