- Angels and Do Not Fear
Luke 2: 8 – 10 Do Not fear for I have good news
- Do not fear because of the power of the glory of angels
- Do not fear for what is happening all around. Caesar is exerting his power over sukkoth
- But whatever the cause of your fear, the Angels state we are not to fear because There is good news.
- The Messiah, (The one in whom they have put their hopes since the expulsion in Eden), has now been born.
2. Drought
Israel is a unique land Unlike Egypt which gets its water from the Nile the land of Canaan receives its water directly from the rains that come down.
There is the Jordan River, but that is a border river so it did not supply the whole land.
One of the warnings given to Israel is that if they turn their back on God he would.He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in the good land the Lord is giving you. (Deuteronomy 11: 17)
We look at drought as a time when our produce costs more than it did last time I was at the grocery store. In these days, drought and famine meant death.
3. The rains and Messiah.
Deuteronomy 11: 13, 14 Five things are mentioned in this verse.
- First Rain
- Latter Rain
- Grain
- Wine
- Oil
The bottom three represent Messiah (Jesus) Grain (Bread) and Wine which Jesus said in John 6 this is my body and blood, communion.
Oil is used for anointing and two types of people are anointed, Kings and Priests. Jesus was both of those.
So if turning our back on God brings drought, then loving God and serving Him with all our heart will bring us Early and Latter rains, which will bring us Grain, Wine, and Anointing. or Jesus.
Rains in Due Season. usually means the Holy Holidays or Feasts, Not Easter and Christmas, but the Jewish Holidays.
Early rains came at the time of Passover Feast. Jesus did his primary work of redemption therefore fulfilling the symbolism of the feast by Jesus death and Resurrection.
The latter rains have to do with the fall feasts which have to do with the return of Jesus.
In the Due season (appointed time) God will rain down (or reveal) messiah to us just as he did to the shepherds so there is no reason to fear.
Hosea 6:1 – 3 He will bind us. after two days He will revive us on the third day, He will raise us up and we will live in His sight…. We will know the Lord His going forth is prepared as the morning and He will come to us as the rain, as the latter and former (early rain to the earth)
Psalm 72: 6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.
Dry arid broken in need of binding dying in need of resurrection, the Messiah will rain on us.
4. Rain and the Teacher
Joel 2: 23 Rejoice in the LORD your God for he has given you the the rain to demonstrate his faithfulness, rain to come down for you the former rain and the latter rain as at the first.
Because he is faithful, he will rain down on you or he will reveal Messiah to you.
Another word for the first rain here and it is the word teacher
So Rejoice in the Lord for he has given you the teacher to demonstrate his faithfulness.
Any ideas of who this teacher is that Joel is talking about?
Nicodemus I know you are a teacher who comes from God John 3: 2
People were amazed at his teaching because he taught with authority Matthew 7: 29
5. Seek the Rain.
In the end days there is going to be a famine not of rain, but of the Word of God. Amos 8: 11
We have Bibles everywhere, but we don’t have the teacher who makes them alive.
Response It is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you Hosea 10: 12
Seek the Lord so that you may obtain a teacher of righteousness.
James 5: 7, 8 Therefore be patient brethren, until the coming of the Lord, The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.