Gentleness Is The Art Of Ego Displacement

The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – GENTLENESS #5

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. There is no law against these things.” [Galatians 5:22-23 NLT]

Paul Defends His Authority

In 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 NLT says, “1 Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ – though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. 2 Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives. 3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.”

In 2 Corinthians 10:1 describes that although most of the Corinthian congregation sided with Paul (as is evident from 2 Corinthians 7:8-16), a persistent minority continued to slander him. The group impugned Paul’s integrity by pointing out that he was bold in his letters but timid in person – in other words, reluctant to exercise any authority when he visited them. Paul’s critics saw this as duplicity and an indication that Paul truly didn’t possess the spiritual authority he claimed. Chapters 10 through 13 are Paul’s direct response to his critics in Corinth.

This harsh section of 2 Corinthians (chapter 10 through 13) begins with kind and gentle words. Paul had the authority to command, yet he consciously refused to exercise his authority in an overbearing manner. Instead, he pled with them. Our Lord Jesus Christ was Paul’s model in the approach he took here. Although our Lord Jesus Christ possessed complete heavenly authority, He came to this earth as a servant (Philippians 2:5-11). Instead of commanding obedience and respect, our Lord Jesus Christ simply asks for people to believe in Him. Following our Lord Jesus Christ’s example, the apostle Paul, who possessed full authority from our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 2:17; 5:19), merely pleaded with the Corinthians. In this way, Paul was showing them Christ’s gentleness and kindness. The Greek word for “gentleness” has the idea of “forbearance” – like that of a benevolent judge being lenient on the guilty. “Kindness” speaks of friendliness and cheerfulness. In other words, Paul wasn’t going to act like a harsh and overbearing judge.

In 2 Corinthians Chapter 10 Verse 2 describes here Paul explained why he was writing this letter. He was hoping and praying that when he came, everything would be in order in the church (see 2 Corinthians 13:7). He wanted to give the Corinthians enough time to deal with the difficulties in their church on their own. This verse also clearly identifies Paul’s critics: those who think we act from purely human motives. Apparently, Paul’s opponents in Corinth were accusing him of making decisions and preaching according to worldly standards instead of God’s holy standards. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul had already defended his recent travel plans from just such an accusation (see 2 Corinthians 1:17).

In Verse 3 describes, of course, Paul was human, thus susceptible to all kinds of difficulties, oversights, and weaknesses. Yet he said that he and his fellow workers did not wage war with human plans and methods. Paul equated the Christian life to a war. This war isn’t against “flesh and blood, but against the . . . authorities of the unseen world” (Ephesians 6:12). The Christian life is a spiritual battle against spiritual forces aligned against our Lord Jesus Christ. Fighting this spiritual battle with weapons of the world – with physical strength, worldly strategies, and material wealth – would be foolish. A spiritual battle requires spiritual weapons that can only come from God. You can go deeper as you read my book, “From The WORDS and THOUGHTS To The SWORDS And BATTLEGROUNDS“.

In Verses 4-5 describes that according to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, God’s mighty weapons are faith, truth, righteousness, the Gospel message, and the Word of God. The Holy Spirit equips Born-Again Christians for the struggle, providing the weapons they need (see 2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 6:10-20). Worldly weapons – wealth, fame, and political might – may wield some power on this earth, but they are useless in spiritual battles. The devil’s strongholds included every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God and rebellious ideas. The world of ideas is the real battleground for God and the devil. Many complex theories and philosophies try to block people from knowing the truth about God and worshiping Him. These false philosophies that divert glory from God and hide the truth are the devil’s strongholds. In Corinth, where advances in Greek philosophy were held in high esteem, the believers were tempted to evaluate the Gospel with the various tools of Greek philosophy. In an earlier letter, Paul had already told the Corinthians that the Gospel would appear as foolishness to those who saw the world through the lenses of secular Greek philosophy (see 1 Corinthians 1:22). Just as an army would attack a fortress, so Born-Again Christians must take apart and defeat these false and evil arguments.

In Verse 6 describes Paul wouldn’t hesitate on his next visit to use those spiritual weapons entrusted to him to punish those who remained disobedient. But notice how Paul attached a condition to his exercising of his authority. He would not do so until the rest of the Corinthian believers recommitted themselves to be obedient to the Gospel. According to Titus’s recent report, the majority of the Corinthians had already done this. They had been filled with godly sorrow about the recent problems in their church and had made the necessary steps toward reconciling themselves to Paul (see 2 Corinthians 7:7-13). From the way Paul carefully defended his ministry in this letter (see 2 Corinthians 1:12-18; 3:1-5; 5:11-17), it is clear that there was still a rebellious minority in the church (see 2 Corinthians 2:17). At the end of this letter, Paul promised to deal sternly with this minority on his next visit.

The Coming Invasion of Assyrian

In Isaiah 8:1-10 NLT says, “1 Then the Lord said to me, “Make a large signboard and clearly write this name on it: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.” 2 I asked Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, both known as honest men, to witness my doing this. 3 Then I slept with my wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 4 For before this child is old enough to say ‘Papa’ or ‘Mama,’ the king of Assyria will carry away both the abundance of Damascus and the riches of Samaria.” 5 Then the Lord spoke to me again and said, 6 “My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they have rejected it. They are rejoicing over what will happen to King Rezin and King Pekah. 7 Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River – the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels 8 and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel. 9  “Huddle together, you nations, and be terrified. Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, but you will be crushed! Yes, prepare for battle, but you will be crushed! 10  Call your councils of war, but they will be worthless. Develop your strategies, but they will not succeed. For God is with us!”

In Verse 1 describes a great roll—i.e., “scroll” (NIV) or “tablet” (RSV, NASB, NEB); either is possible. The largeness of the writing surface was to accommodate large letters that could be easily read if publicly posted (Grogan). There is now growing evidence to suggest that literacy in ancient Israel was greater than had been previously thought (Millard). It is generally agreed that the drafting of this document and the need for “faithful witnesses” indicate that a legal transaction was occurring (Kaiser) (cf. Jeremiah 32:10.), and it may have been a marriage contract involving Isaiah that was being recorded (Wolf). Maher-shalal-hash-baz—See note on Isaiah 7:14.

In Verse 2 describes that Uriah – His being used as a witness to the prophecy is somewhat ironic, for it was the idolatry of Judah that would lead to later Assyrian attacks as God’s judgment, and this priest had introduced a new Aramean altar to Jerusalem at Ahaz’s urging (2 Kings 16:10.). Zechariah – probably a representative of the royal family, though his identity is not known with certainty; if Zechariah was of the royal line, these men came from the highest levels of Judean society, representing both “church” and “state.”

In Verses 3-4 describe the prophetess – probably referring to Isaiah’s second wife whom he had just married; perhaps the same as the virgin (Isaiah 7:14) and likely a prophet in her own right (Watts). The birth of Maher-shalal-hash-baz stands in sharp contrast to the announced birth of Immanuel. It may be, as suggested above (Isaiah 7:14), that the child born was not named Immanuel because of Ahaz’s wavering, but was instead named Maher-shalal-hash-baz, indicating God’s judgment on Judah rather than his presence and protection. Alternatively, the mother may have named him Immanuel while the father gave the more ominous name (Wolf). Parallels to this double naming are found in Genesis 35:18 and 2 Samuel 12:25. Within a year the child will speak (Isaiah 8:4) and by then (i.e., about two years after the prophecy) Damascus and Samaria would be under attack by Assyria. The historical and biblical evidence (2 Kings 15:29) suggest that in 732 B.C. these two kingdoms experienced the full force of the Assyrian army against them (Grogan).

In Verse 6 describes the waters of Shiloah . . . softly – Siloam is the Greek equivalent to the aqueduct that led water from the spring Gihon to Jerusalem prior to the excavating of Hezekiah’s tunnel (“Siloam,” ISBE). Here the slow-moving waters of Shiloah are used figuratively for the mild, weak condition of the coalition that has come up against Ahaz (Grogan). This contrasts with the great size and fast-moving waters of “the river” (i.e., the Euphrates) that symbolizes Assyria (Isaiah 8:7). Instead of facing (with God’s help) the invasion of the two weak nations, Judah will have to meet the full force of Assyria head-on.

In Verse 7 concluded therefore . . . the king of Assyria – This refers to the reason given in Isaiah 8:6 and points to the Euphrates River, i.e., the Assyrian monarch. It will overflow Syria and Samaria first, and then reach into Judah (Isaiah 8:8). The Euphrates River has swollen banks in spring, caused by the melting snow of the Armenian mountains (cf. Isaiah 7:20; 8:6).

In Verse 8 describes the stretching out of his wings – The prophet appears to have switched metaphors from the flood waters to likening the Assyrian army to a bird of prey (Wolf). thy land, O Immanuel – Despite the fact that no child was born who was named Immanuel, rather Maher-shalal-hash-baz (cf. note on Isaiah 8:4), the prophet recognized that ultimately God would be with Judah even if at this juncture of history it was to be overrun by Assyria. Immanuel was not just a source of protection, but the very person of the Messiah (Oswalt).

In Isaiah Chapter 8 Verses 9-10 describe to associate yourselves – rather, “Raise the war cry” (NIV), a summons of all nations to come to war against Jerusalem. This section makes it clear that whatever enemy force comes now against Judah, even the mighty torrent of Assyria, it will not overwhelm Jerusalem (Hayes and Irvine). This certainly was the case when Sennacherib invaded during Hezekiah’s reign (cf. Isaiah 36, 37). The name “Immanuel” in Isaiah 8:3 (cf. Isaiah 8:10) suggests the ultimate safety of Judah. Its present invaders, the Assyrians, the flood predicted in the previous verses, will not overcome his land. Succession of the house of David cannot be broken; this implies that Judah cannot be overtaken completely, because the Immanuel – Messiah is to be born as an heir of David and in the type of Isaiah’s son (Isaiah 8:4, 6). Give ear – This admonition to hear God’s word is a favorite expression of Isaiah’s (cf. 1:2, 10; 28:23; 32:9; 42:23; 51:4), occurring only once in Jeremiah (13:15), Hosea (5:1), and Joel (1:2).

It is interesting for me to know and understand this passage because I design flood storm water control infrastructures and facilities such as dams, levees, culverts, drainage, catch basins, etc. Before I design them, I have to model them first to make sure there are no high velocity of floodwaters flow that will destroy them and its surroundings. Let me compare the high velocity to high ego here. High ego will destroy our lives.

God has a way of teaching humility to those whose towering, gigantic, or soaring egos have never desired to learn the art of gentleness. Unfortunately, the lessons of ego displacement are usually hard to bear. So this passage is a reminder that the people who desire peace may have to face the tread, walk, step, or trample of combat boots on their own soil to learn God’s way of gentleness.

Apollos Instructed At Ephesus

In Acts 18:24-26 NLT says, “24 Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. 25 He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

In Verse 24 describes that from Alexandria, the second most influential city in the Roman Empire, came a Jew named Apollos. Growing up in that Egyptian city’s university atmosphere, Apollos was highly cultured and trained in philosophy and rhetoric. As a Jew, he also knew the Scriptures well. It is not stated what prompted him to move to Ephesus.

In Verse 25 describes that Apollos was an eloquent and powerful speaker. He had an accurate though incomplete message. While he had knowledge of the Old Testament, he knew only about John’s baptism (referring to John the Baptist). In all likelihood, Apollos’s preaching was a more polished version of John’s message: “Turn from your sins and turn to God” (Matthew 3:2). John, the baptist had focused on repentance from sin and on water baptism as an outward sign of commitment to and preparation for the Messiah’s Kingdom. Apollos was probably urging people in a more eloquent fashion to do the same. Apollos needed to get the entire picture, and then he would be a powerful witness for our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Verse 26 describes the eloquent, fiery young man who was so ably interpreting and applying the Old Testament messianic Scriptures in the synagogue was quickly noticed by Priscilla and Aquila. Upon hearing Apollos preach, they immediately recognized the deficiencies in his message. Consequently, they took him aside (probably to their home) and explained the way of God more accurately, telling him about the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. As Aquila and Priscilla set forth the historical facts of the Gospel, Apollos must have seen many Old Testament prophecies become clear. The reports of his subsequent ministry suggest that he was filled with new energy and boldness after he received the complete Gospel message.

This passage speaks of one of the hardest of errors to correct: doctrinal error. The focus of the church on spreading the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ must be preserved and protected. But people are very sensitive about what they believe – whether or not it is biblical. So to correct them requires the most sensitive of approaches. Aquila and Priscilla seemed to have this ability. Perhaps their own gentle spirits were the true enablers. So we can correct with gentle spirit and with agape love.

Absalom’s Defeat And Death

In 2 Samuel 18:1-5 NLT says, “1 David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them. 2 He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, “I am going out with you.” 3 But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run – and even if half of us die – it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.” 4 “If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,” the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands. 5 And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.”

In Verse 1 describes that David numbered the people that were with him—or “mustered” (NEB, NIV) his troops. At Mahanaim David was operating in a region very friendly to him and one that provided him now with militiamen to serve alongside his professional army. The larger units are called “thousand” and the smaller “hundred.” This may not mean that there were exactly that many troops in each unit. Joab, Abishai, and Ittai led the three divisions. Thus we again see the army organized into three forces or groups, which was a most convenient formation for maneuvering to fit various battlefield circumstances. For example, one group might take a fixed position while the other two occupied flanking positions; when the enemy attacked the fixed position, the two flanking groups hit them from both sides. Or, two groups took fixed positions, and one was held in reserve to see where it was needed – perhaps to prevent an enemy breakthrough, or to overwhelm a weak enemy spot. The three divisions of the army represent the time-honored method of organization in Israel (cf. Judges 7:16; 1 Samuel 11:11; McCarter).

In Verse 2 describes that David said, “I will surely go forth with you myself also.. ” – But so much depending on the life of the king, and his being the chief target of the enemy, he is not allowed to take the field in person. He is no longer fit for any heavy fighting, yet is eager to do something, especially if his presence inspires his troops. He allows himself to be persuaded (2 Samuel 18:3) to stay inside the city walls. He is given a small unit to be held in reserve under his command, which he can order into battle if a need for them is reported to him. As his commanders march their forces past him, out of Mahanaim to the probable battlefield some miles away, David asks them to spare Absalom (2 Samuel 18:5).

In Verse 5 describes that David asks to deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom – On the one hand, this moving charge to his commanders can be seen as proceeding not only from David’s overwhelming affection for his children, but also from his consciousness that this rebellion was the punishment of his own sins, Absalom being merely an instrument in the hands of retributive Providence. On the other hand, it may evidence David’s increasing inability to view his kingly-fatherly situation realistically. When it comes to Absalom, David sees through rose-tinted glasses and thinks of him not as a full-grown and self-centered man who would prove a disaster to Israel, but as his “little boy.” David’s confidence (that his forces will win) and his weakness (to deal appropriately with Absalom) are evident here (Payne). David’s charge can hardly have pleased the commanders and the regular army men, who have been forced into a civil war by the ambitions of an uncontrollable, spoiled prince whom they are now asked to spare.

David in this passage feels the lingering effects of old sins. His long-ago affair with Bathsheba demonstrated that he was capable of using power to get what he wanted in life. Now when he sees the same tendency in the life of Absalom, he must be cut to the heart. For Absalom, like his father before him, is resorting to abusive power to get what he wants in life.

Parable Of The Pharisee And Tax Collector

In Luke 18:9-14 NLT says, “9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

In Verses 9-10 describe that – Prayer is important (Luke 18:1-8), but the attitude of prayer is vitally important. The people who had great self-confidence and scorned everyone were the Pharisees and other religious leaders who saw themselves as the only ones righteous enough to be acceptable to God. To these people, our Lord Jesus Christ told a story about two men who went to the Temple to pray. These two men were as different as could be: the one was a law-keeping and religious Pharisee, and the other was a dishonest tax collector.

In Verses 10-12 describe that this Pharisee’s actions and his prayer provide a picture of his life and occupation – he was a separatist, but his separatism and desire to remain clean before God had hardened into a lifestyle of self-righteousness. He stood by himself and prayed.

The words of this prayer, however, while probably true, were not prayed in the correct attitude of humility before God. He thanked God that he was not a sinner like everyone else. While the Pharisee was probably not like everyone else in a lot of ways, he erred in thinking that he was “not a sinner.” This Pharisee knew that he was far better than the tax collector he saw praying across the way. Tax collectors were not noted for their honesty, so this Pharisee compared himself favorably, telling God that he himself had never cheated or sinned or committed adultery. And, by the way, he also fasted twice a week and tithed from his income.

This Pharisee was confident of himself and his righteousness, while at the same time despising this other man, even though he too was in the Temple praying to the same God. The Pharisee did not welcome the tax collector who may have been seeking God; instead, the Pharisee gloated that he was so much more righteous.

In Verses 13-14 describe that the focus shifts to the tax collector who had come to the Temple and seems to have known full well the extent of his sin. He felt so low that he did not think he could even lift his eyes to heaven into God’s face; instead he beat his chest (a sign of sorrow), praying for God to be merciful to him. He recognized himself as a sinner. He had been convicted of his sin and had come to the one place where he could find forgiveness. He had come to God, humbly recognizing that he did not deserve mercy.

Surprisingly enough, only the tax collector returned home justified before God. The word “justified” means God’s act of declaring people “not guilty” of sin. Only the tax collector recognized his sin; therefore, he was the only one God justified. The self-righteous Pharisee had said that he had no sin; therefore, there was nothing for God to justify for him. He returned home no different than when he had entered.

The principle is that no one has anything of value to bring to God in order to deserve salvation, mercy, justification, or even a second glance from God. The proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored. Acceptance before God cannot be achieved by good deeds, piety, or any amount of self-proclaimed righteousness.

This passage illustrates why most of us would rather deal with an honest sinner than an ego-driven church member.

Let’s never get over the effect of God’s saving transformation on people’s lives. People who were lost in sin, filled with anger and bitterness, give up their hatred and become approachable as we have studied and learned last time. That is, of course, why we minister to others. Those of us who minister are not people to whom gentleness comes naturally. We are people who have been remodeled by grace. We thankfully leave our old natures far behind as we embrace gentleness in our treatment of others.

When we consider that we are all sinners, saved by grace, our ministry to others becomes gentle. We understand where we came from – a world of hopeless despair without our Lord Jesus Christ. We also understand where we are going – to a bright future with God forever. In the meantime, we gently bring hope to others, so that they will find us approachable. Only then, we will have opportunity to share the grace of God with them.

Sunday by Sunday as we come to worship, we may have confidence that the Bible is true. In the book of John, John and the other witnesses have certified it. May we be as gentle in our ministry of certainty as John is in his reporting it.

Gentleness is a great evangelist. It is the best witness of the gentle living and the best witness of the gentle dead. Gentleness is God’s demeanor in all of the tender ways He relates to us. He is gentle in His relationships to all His children. It is God’s purpose to counter the heinous crimes of tyrants with gentleness. The world is all too often a brutal and ugly place, but God steps into the world’s terror and horror and gently reminds us of His purpose.

Let me encourage our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, and I want my readers and listeners to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others’ needs. Because all, we as Born-Again Christian believers are strong in certain areas and weak in others, we constantly need to monitor the effects of our behavior on others.

In these GENTLENESS Series of Podcast, we learned the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

1. To Humble Ourselves Like A Child – Podcast Gentleness #1
2. How To Receive Healing Touch Of God – Podcast Gentleness #2
3. Know A Way Of Winning Others To Our Lord Jesus Christ – Podcast Gentleness #3
4. The Approachable Life – Helps To Speak Of Friendliness And Cheerfulness – Podcast Gentleness #4
5. The Art Of Ego Displacement – Podcast Gentleness #5

Next week, we will learn about the fruit of the Holy Spirit > SELF-CONTROL

Observation: What do these passages say to you?

Interpretation: What do these passages mean to you?

Application: How do the meaning of these passages apply to you or to your situation?

If you are not sure that you are Born-Again Christian believer, please take a look of one of our ministries, “An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ” at https://homefellowshipchurches.org/an-invitation-to-meet-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Suggested Prayer: Father God, we come into your presence in our Lord Jesus Christ name, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for Your agape love and forgiveness you have done on the Cross of Calvary, and continue to intercede for us in prayer. Thank you Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter. Thank you for the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage and strength. We cling, yield, plug-in and tune-in to you Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Words, obey them, receive Your divine revelation, know the Truth that sets us free, and apply them in our lives, in our Lord Jesus Christ name, Amen!

God bless you all and our families!

In Malachi 3:10-12 AMPC says, “10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it”, says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” [Malachi 2:2.] 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer (insects and plagues) for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruits before the time in the field,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight”, says the Lord of hosts.

If the people would obey God, giving as they should, God would flood His people with blessings. There would be an overabundance of God’s blessing if He was given what He requested.