Choice Children, Part 2

Choice Children, Part 2
Choice or Chaff
August 15, 2019; revised September 21, 2023
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This paraphrase of Daniel 12:3 is from the study of key Hebrew words in Choice Children, Part 1:  

“Those who abide in God consider their steps deeply. They receive discernment, direction and wisdom that causes them to shine so brightly that their lives enlighten, warn, admonish, and teach those around them without speaking a word. Their lives gleam with God’s purifying message, and many are drawn to Him through their brightness.”

Daniel 12:3 is echoed in Matthew 3, five to six hundred years later in about AD 26-30 when John spoke his message of repentance in the wilderness of Judea by the Jordan River. Many Jewish people responded by immersing themselves in the water, symbolizing their desire to change and to walk in God’s ways and to turn from walking in their own ways. John said,

“As for me, I immerse you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will immerse you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:11-12)

The original Greek word baptizmo means immerse or make fully wet. John spoke of Yeshua (Jesus) would immerse them in the cleansing fire of the Holy Spirit. This saturating fire would separate the grain from the useless chaff (husk), the choice from the chaff, the excellent from the meaningless, the precious from the wood, hay, and stubble. (See 1 Corinthians 3:11-13)

When we receive Yeshua’s sacrifice for our sins, He immerses us in the Holy Spirit and purges us to shine His Spirit sparkling through us. (For more on the Hebrew word for purge, see Choice Children, Part 1.)

Following is a prayer that includes verses from Isaiah’s prophecy about John the Immerser (Isaiah 40:3-11):

Father, I am completely undeserving of your love, and yet You desire to lavish it on me, Your choice child. In You I am brand new, beloved, entirely blessed, forgiven, hidden, strengthened, sealed, chosen, holy, beautiful, and redeemed! O Lord, I pray:

Clear out the path in the wilderness of my heart!
Clear out the path in my mind for You to speak!
Clear out negative, false narratives and lies.
Make the highway smooth for You to be revealed!
Make the mountains low and lift up the valleys.
Make ready the path in my heart, so I can receive and respond to Your Word!
Reveal Your glory!
Your Word stands forever!
Come with might! Tend Your flock!
Gather us to your tender heart.
Lead us gently as we nurse on Your truth.
We love you, Lord!
We praise You for Your lavish love!

The image above is part of the Feasts of First Fruits Art Card in The Feasts of Israel Fulfilled Collection at Flower Girl Greetings.

For more understanding on immersion in the first century, please see In His Dust - 7. Immersion and the Spirit at ShaleFragment.com

Shale Fragments™ - devotionals by Beth Ann Phifer is a division of Flower Girl Greetings, LLC. ©2020, All Rights Reserved.