The Sword of the Spirit

Sister Lin
Aug 9, 2020
7 min read

Updated: Feb 23, 2021

Notes taken: December 17, 2019

Psalm 106

Verses 1-12 – Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.

2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all His praise?

3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that Thou bearest unto Thy people: O visit me with Thy Salvation;

5 That I may see the good of Thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Thy nation, that I may glory with Thine inheritance.

6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

7 Our fathers understood not Thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of Thy mercies; but provoked Him at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power to be known.

9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: so He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

10 And He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

12 Then believed they His words; they sang His praise.

God delivered with a powerful hands and brought them safely out of Egypt and through the Red Sea on dry land. Then they believed His Words and sang His praise. This is the same as our salvation.

Verses 13-18 – They soon forgat His works; they waited not for His counsel:

14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

15 And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.

17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.

18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

How quickly they forgot His salvation!! How soon the salvation of our God is forgotten.

1- They did not wait on the counsel from the Lord, they were hasty

2- Because of this, they gave themselves over to unlawful desires in the desert (the time of temptation, trying their faith) (see also Galatians 1:6-7, Romans 1:21-32)

3- They also became envious of Moses and Aaron – God's leadership through them, their connection with God

Don't be partakers of their sin. (Ephesians 5:5-12)

Verses 19-23 – They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped the molten image.

20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

21 They forgat God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea.

23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He should destroy them.

Moses stood in the breach, meaning he asked God to have mercy on them, and then rebuked the people and made them to know their sin before the Lord so they would repent, and instead of yielding to the weakness of sin they would be strong in the Lord and overcome by keeping the commandments of God. The only way God would turn from His wrath is if the people turned away from their sin.

We also, who are made living stones (in Christ Jesus) in the spiritual house must not have any breaches (because of sin). If there are breaches/ spaces in the building, it will break apart because of weakness (1 Peter 2:5).

Psalm 106:24-31 – Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not His word:

25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.

26 Therefore He lifted up His hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:

27 To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.

28 They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

What is the sin of Baal-Peor? When I looked into the history of this idol this is what I found: The word Baalpeor is named in the Bible five times (three times in reference to incidents, twice in remembrance of the incidents). It is the name of a god of the Moabites (Numbers 25:3) worshiped by obscene rites. So called from Mount Peor, where this worship was celebrated, the Baal of Peor meaning: lord of the opening.

—In Rabbinical Literature: The worship of this idol consisted in exposing that part of the body which all persons usually take the utmost care to conceal.

Baal Peor is a Moabite god, which service specifically included sexual acts.- The name Baal Peor consists of two parts: Firstly, the word Baal a common word meaning owner, husband: The second segment is the name of a mountain in Moab: Peor. This name comes from the Hebrew verb פער (pa'ar) meaning open wide: This sheds some insight on this god/idol by which the Lord GOD was provoked to such great anger as to cause a plague to be in the camp of His people the Israelites, bringing about the death of 23,000 people.

He said, I, the LORD, AM a jealous GOD (Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 32:16) and MY glory will I not give to another (Isaiah 42:8). The name Baal-Peor may not be used today, but these actions are still being done (exposing the parts of the body which should be covered, among other obscene acts) which the Lord wants us to recognize and reject fervently.

Sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols, shedding innocent blood – like many have done to this day by abortion and other means, the land has become polluted with the blood of many innocent. This, God sees and is angered.

Psalm 106:39-48 - Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against His people, insomuch that He abhorred His own inheritance.

41 And He gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.

42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

43 Many times did He deliver them; but they provoked Him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry:

45 And He remembered for them His covenant, and repented according to the multitude of His mercies.

46 He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto Thy holy name, and to triumph in Thy praise.

48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.

Phinehas rose up and executed judgment – not so the people would be condemned, but to cut off sin so they would not be destroyed! This was counted to him for righteousness (see Ps. 106:30-31) and by his doing the work of the Lord that was required, the people would be able to praise God for His holiness and to give Him thanks for His merciful deliverance.

Psalm 149:5-9 - Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all His saints. Praise ye the Lord.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Ephesians 6:12-18 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with Truth, and having on the breastplate of Righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace;

16 Above all, taking the Shield of Faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

1 Corinthians 10:4-6 - (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

In other words - we are to use the weapons of our warfare to bring all every thought within us under the obedience of Christ, AND THEN be ready to stand up against all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled - when we have become obedient.

(see also Matthew 7:3-5)

Take up the SWORD of the Spirit and use it to cut off sin from your life. It will be counted as righteousness to you, and the Lord will bless you and He will keep you and His face will shine upon you and you will have His Salvation.