Explanation of the image:

The person is bound. He walks around within a certain radius, goes about his business, perhaps even leads a Christian life, but does not notice that he has a hook attached to him, to which a string or rope is always attached or can be attached. The devil has an easy time with people because they always remain within his sphere of influence, where he can control them.

This means that we think we are making progress, but we only go so far, to a certain point where we reach our human limits.

Limits (bondages)

• Sins
• Our own vices, bad habits, desires
• Attitudes, preferences, perspectives, prejudices
• Emotions and relationships with people
• Witchcraft and curses
• The flesh, human nature

We try to lead a better life with good intentions and perhaps also some effort. But again and again we come to the point that we must not cross. The enemy has created a barrier for us so that we cannot lead a victorious life in Yehoshua Mashiah (Jesus Christ). He knows exactly where our weaknesses lie. That is where he hooks us in to bind us. 

For you, it may be envy, shopping addiction, hedonism, avarice and greed, racism, rejection of criticism, pride, false good nature, naivety, fear of people, family, colleagues, false friends, sexual desires, homosexual tendencies, laziness, depression and mental illness, alcoholism, a choleric nature, quarrelling, superstition, spiritual and esoteric practices, occultism, religion, witchcraft/evil wishes against you and your family, certain idiosyncrasies that you have or that have existed in your family for generations…

If you relapse and keep making the same mistakes, you may find yourself repeatedly coming before Elohim (God) because you keep feeling sorry, you keep feeling ashamed, or you keep getting angry with yourself, and then you keep repenting for the same thing! So, according to our image, you keep turning around in circles on the same axis.

A negative example: Belteshazzar, the reckless

Such a person, who was bound to the things of this world, was Belteshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In the Book of Daniel, chapter 5, we read about his love of wine, luxury and feasting, for which he even used or stole things from the temple. This is an image of how this man placed his own interests and superficial lifestyle above the interests of Elohim. Idolatry ultimately led to his downfall: during a banquet, a hand appeared and wrote the following words on the wall:

„25 … MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN“. The prophet Daniye’l (Daniel) then explained: „26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; Elahh has numbered your kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; You are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting„ (Daniel 5:25-27). 

That very night, this reckless king died.

Elohim has the power to take away the „government“ over our lives. Since our days are numbered, it is tragic when Elohim has to say to us because of our superficial and disobedient lives: „… You are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting…“!

Because we treat Elohim so carelessly, the devil also has easy access to us. He takes his work seriously. He „comes not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy“ (John 10:10).

Elohim is serious. The devil is serious. Only we take many things lightly. When we are in hell, we discover an Elohim who has no feelings. Elohim’s compassion ends when it comes to the execution of his word.

2) A successful Christian life

Heaven, eternal happiness, is the secret desire of every human heart and should be the greatest goal of a Christian. Elohim wants you to go beyond the limits. Elohim wants you to live a successful Christian life and get rid of that hook and rope. That is why you urgently need to realise a few facts.

Be aware of the situation

Everything we read in the Word is reality. We should always live with this awareness. However, we modern people mostly live as if we were on a hamster wheel. We get up, go to work, come home and take some things lightly. We do not expect Yehoshua. The idea of Yehoshua’s return [1] no longer has a place in our everyday lives. That is why we should definitely concern ourselves with thoughts about death, the rapture and our own lifestyle.

„And do not be conformed to this age: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may examine what is Elohim’s good, and well pleasing, and perfect will“ (Romans 12:2).

In the following points, we will consider what the will of Elohim is for this world and for our own lives.

Yehoshua is coming

The Bible says that Yehoshua is coming with great speed (Revelation 22:7 [2]). He will only take Christians who are ready, „that he might present it to himself a glorious Assembly, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish“ (Ephesians 5:27).

We must therefore know that when Yehoshua Mashiah returns and finds us in a state of bondage, disobedience and sin, he will not take us with him. If we die in this state, we will not go to heaven. And if we continue to live in this state, we will cause harm on earth instead of doing good. Instead, we should adopt the attitude of the first Christians, who expected Yehoshua’s return at any moment.

Your clothes must be white

As we have just read, the bride of Yehoshua Mashiah is blameless. Since no one knows when either death or the rapture will come upon him, the following applies to us: „Let your garments be always white, and let your head lack no oil!“ (Ecclesiastes 9:8).

Here, as in other places, the oil symbolises the Holy Spirit. We read about the white robe in Revelation 19:8:

„And it was given to her to wear fine linen, pure and shining. For the fine linen is the righteous act of the saints“

Other Bible translations speak of the righteous deeds of the saints. So when it says that your clothes should always be white, you must always remain in your righteous deeds.

 

„He has nothing in me“

John 14:30: „I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in me“.

The hook is exactly what the enemy still has in us. When we pray, we always keep this fact in mind and implore the Lord Yehoshua to cleanse us so that the enemy has nothing in us. In this way, we offer the latter no grounds for claiming before Elohim: ‘This person still belongs to me.’

Hebrews 12:1-2: „1 Therefore, we also having such a great cloud of witnesses, surrounding us having laid aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance in the arena that is set before us, 2 turning the eyes away from other things and fixing them to the Chief Leader and perfecter of faith, Yehoshua. Who over against the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, having despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim“

If we look to Yehoshua, sin will no longer entangle us so easily, and we will have nothing of the prince of this world in us. We need strength against sin, strength against the enemy… We receive this strength when Elohim sees in our hearts how we want to be free.

The spiritual person makes his ropes long

We read in Yohanan/John, chapter 3, that a child of Elohim is led by the Holy Spirit and is therefore like the wind that blows here and there (verse 8). Unfortunately, we cannot do this when we are bound and are therefore useless to Elohim, who is Spirit. In the Bible, we are therefore called upon to move the tent pegs further:

„2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes; 3 For you will break forth on the right hand and on the left …“ (Isaiah 54:2-3).

So it is up to you to allow yourself to be guided by Elohim’s Spirit and to be obedient to Elohim. In this way, you will lengthen your ropes and the enemy will no longer be able to tie you to the hook. He will no longer have power over you.

 

A positive example: Yahbets (Jabez), the breaker

Yehoshua also refers to the spiritual person just mentioned as „born from above“ in his conversation with the teacher of the law, Nicodemus: 

„… Amen, amen, I say to you: Unless someone is born from above [3], he cannot see the Kingdom of Elohim“ (John 3:3).

Such a birth is also symbolically mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10: „9 And Yahbets was more honorable than his brothers: and his mother called his name Yahbets, saying: Because I bare him with sorrow. 10 And Yahbets called on the Elohim of Israel, saying: Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And Elohim granted him that which he requested„.

In this little story, we recognise various characteristics that we have just learned about. Jabez also wanted to enlarge his territory, to extend his tent pegs and lengthen his ropes. How did he do that?

• He had to be born from above. As we read, this caused pain. Yes, if you want to break away from the old things, it will also hurt you and cost you a price. As Yehoshua says, you have to carry your cross. This is the hard work you have to do on yourself to get rid of certain things and at the same time do the tasks that Elohim expects of you. Elohim will help you with this. It is therefore necessary to tear yourself away from your old life „with force“. This is also the true meaning of the Bible passage: „The torah and the prophets, until Yohanan; since then, the Kingdom of Elohim is preached and every one uses violence toward it„ (Luke 16:16; cf. also Matthew 11:12). If you do not force yourself, i.e. if you do not compel yourself to do certain things, you will not be able to break free from your bonds and thus will not enter the kingdom of Elohim! The painful birth of Jabez symbolises this for us. This was followed by a successful life for Yahbets.
• Yahbets called upon the Elohim of Israel. He prayed fervently that Elohim would bless him with a new life and he brought his old weaknesses before his Elohim. Then „Elohim granted him that which he requested“. He was blessed. 

Through Elohim’s grace and through perseverance in faith, every Christian has the opportunity to achieve a breakthrough. As in the Old Covenant with Yahbets, this is not primarily about material prosperity, but about spiritual maturity and preparation for Elohim’s kingdom.