OK, last night I had a really unusual dream-where I was talking an extended family member, and I was totally naked and didn't realize it until much later (in dream time). Then, he relayed a word from God from some book of the Bible, chapter 4, verse 17. I know, very weird. But then I got to thinking about nakedness in the Bible. Who was naked? Adam and Eve before they sinned. "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not embarrassed or ashamed in each other's presence." Genesis 2:25. So I think the nakedness was more of a spiritual state rather than a physical one. (Let's hope, anyway! LOL) It was the way God had made then and intended for them to be, completely covered by his protection and provision, rather than anything of physical means. So I looked up all the 4:17 passages in the Bible this morning, and it was very interesting. There are many books of the Bible that don't even have a 4:17, so that narrowed it down a lot. Here are some of the verses:
Genesis 4:17 And Cain's wife [one of Adam's offspring] became pregnant and bore Enoch; and Cain built a [a]city and named it after his son Enoch.
Out of something bad (Cain was the one who killed his brother Abel), a promise arose (Enoch was a descendant of Noah, part of the lineage of Christ.)
Exodus 4:17 "And you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall work the signs [that prove I sent you]." The calling of Moses, with signs and wonders.
Leviticus 4:17 "And shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, before the veil [which screens the ark of the covenant]."
Making atonement for sins in the place closest to the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God in the Old Testament.
Joshua 4:17 "So Joshua commanded the priests, Come up out of the Jordan."
The last part of the second parting of the Red Sea, when the priests came up on dry land, carrying the ark of the covenant (where the presence of God dwelt in Joshua's time), before the waters came back together.
Ruth 4:17, "And her neighbor women gave him a name, saying, A son is born to Naomi. They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David [the ancestor of Jesus Christ]."
2 Kings 4:17, "But the woman conceived and bore a son at that season the following year, as Elisha had said to her."
Promised child born to a barren woman, just as God had said.
2 Chronicles 4:17, "In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah."
Earthen vessels made for the temple of God.
Nehemiah 4:17, "Those who built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves so that everyone worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other hand,"
Rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem, which is symbolic of the community of God's people.
Esther 4:17, "So Mordecai went away and did all that Esther had commanded him."
Obedience. This is what Esther told him to do in verse 16. "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me; and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish."
Daniel 4:17, "This sentence is by the decree of the [heavenly] watchers and the decision is by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High [God] rules the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whomever He will and sets over it the humblest and lowliest of men."
Matthew 4:17, "From that time Jesus began to preach, [a]crying out, Repent ([b]change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
After Jesus was victorious over the temptations by the devil, preaching the gospel to everyone.
Luke 4:17, "And there was handed to Him [the roll of] the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book and found the place where it was written,
18The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],19To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day [l]when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound."
Romans 4:17, "As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed."
1 Corinthians 4:17, "For this very cause I sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and trustworthy child in the Lord, who will recall to your minds my methods of proceeding and course of conduct and way of life in Christ, such as I teach everywhere in each of the churches."
2 Corinthians 4:17, "For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]"
Philippians 4:17,"Not that I seek or am eager for [your] gift, but I do seek and am eager for the fruit which increases to your credit [the harvest of blessing that is accumulating to your account]."
Colossians 4:17, "And say to Archippus, See that you discharge carefully [the duties of] the ministry and fulfill the stewardship which you have received in the Lord."
2 Timothy 4:17, "But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the [Gospel] message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was delivered out of the jaws of the lion."
1 John 4:17, "In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world."
Wow, that's quite a list. The overwhelming feeling I got from all these verses was the promise of God fulfilled, the presence of God with His people, and divine protection, provision, and miracles. Pretty awesome. I started off searching for the one passage that the Lord might have wanted to show me. Instead I found a message repeated over and over again. No wonder the Lord says that His Word is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. Simply amazing! Day 3 has officially begun...and it's only 10:00am. Can't wait to see what this day holds!
On a lighter note, Joshua had a dream last night that I had another baby, a girl, named Tricia, and she ran all the way home from the hospital after she was born. Too funny!
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