"Present Yourself to the Lord at Gilgal"

Hi Everyone,

Today, rather than a vision to share with you, I am sharing a word that the Lord spoke to me while praying.  He first gave me several visions, and then I heard these words:

“Present yourself to the Lord at Gilgal.”

So, I am writing about what it means to present oneself to the Lord, and the meaning or significance of the place in Israel called Gilgal.

We think of presenting oneself to a supervisor, a group, a board of directors, to either hear what they have to say or to receive a special honor or award.

We think of presenting ourselves in introduction to a dignitary or a person of importance as “meeting the teacher.”

We usually think of something somewhat formal, it can be when a decision is being handed down, as in a sentencing of a prisoner.  He is presented before the judge for his decision.

One of the first thoughts that I had regarding presenting oneself, is of the time when Jesus told the ten lepers to show, or to present themselves, to the priests.  As they followed his instructions, they were healed on the way.

As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?  Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”  Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”  Luke 17:12-19

According to Webster, “to present oneself” means “to make oneself available.”

The word that I heard said, “Present yourself to the Lord at Gilgal.”  So this really means, “Make yourself available to the Lord (at Gilgal).” 

When we make ourselves available to him, we have an  opportunity to be a vessel of honor “fit for the Master’s use.”

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.  2 Timothy 2:20-21

The Lord is simply asking us to be available.  Years ago, the Lord spoke to me saying, “I don’t want you to do; I want you to be.”  He did not want me to busy myself with my own  commitments.  He wanted me to be his, and to be at his disposal.

But too often we are so busy with our own priorities and our own commitments that we have no time to give God.  Shouldn’t he have our best, instead of our leftovers?  Shouldn’t we treat him with the respect and honor due his name? After all does the word of God say: 

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Many years ago, I was delivered and Baptized in the Holy Spirit, and shortly after that, the Lord started changing my priorities.  First he asked me to give up my design business, then six months later he asked me to give up my masters degree.  Then he asked me to give up my fitness ministry (which to my surprise, he gave it back!) 

I knew that the Lord wanted me to be available for his use, for his glory.  These major commitments that he asked me to give up were necessary as a test of both obedience and faith.  It was clear to me that God came first and I want nothing in this world compared to him.  The Lord is first in my life.  If we claim to love God, but do not give him his rightful place, then something is wrong.  

“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.’”  Isaiah 29:13

So we honor God, by our obedience to his word, by our faith and trust in him, and by giving him ourselves, every part of us.  He wants us to present ourselves to him, to be available.

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.  Romans 6:13

For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.  Romans  6:19

When we give our time and our priority to God, he will send us out to do his will.

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”  And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.  Luke 9:1-6

Gilgal

Now, regarding the word that I received from the Lord, what does “Gilgal” represent?  It is a place in Israel where many major events took place in the Bible.  So I want to share with you the importance of Gilgal and why the Lord told me to present myself before him there.

 Gilgal - A Memorial of God’s Miraculous Power

Gilgal was where the Israelites set up camp near the Jordan River, after having wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.  Joshua took over Moses’ place as leader, and was preparing them to enter the promised land.  But they had to first cross the Jordan at flood stage.

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,  “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”  Joshua 4:1-3

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.  Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood.  Joshua 4:8-9

On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.  And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.  He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’  For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.  He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”  Joshua 4: 19-24

So Gilgal is a place where the power of God was displayed.  The waters of the Jordan River were piled up like the Lord had done at the crossing of the Red Sea.  They crossed over on dry ground!  The stones taken from the river were set up as a memorial to the glory and majesty of  God!  As we see and remember the Lord’s powerful miracles, we appreciate what it means to fear the Lord, for we serve a mighty God! 

 Gilgal - Consecration and Passover Celebrated 

To consecrate means to set apart as sacred.

When we consecrate ourselves to the Lord, we set ourselves apart from everything that is not pure.  We separate ourselves from the unholy, and join ourselves to God and to his purpose. To be consecrated, is to become holy, as he is holy.  We are his possession, and his atoning blood purifies us from all unrighteousness.

Before going into the promised land, the Lord instructed Joshua to circumcise every male as a sign of their devotion to him.  The previous generation of Israelites had died in the wilderness because of their unbelief.  Joshua followed the Lord’s instructions and had the people consecrate themselves by this act of circumcision.  This consecration took place at Gilgal.

“At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.

Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt.  All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not.  The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.  So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.  And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.  Joshua 5:2-9  (Gilgal means “rolling,”)

 Gilgal -  The First Passover in the Promised Land

On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.  The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain.  The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.  Joshua 5:10-12

So Gilgal is a place where they consecrated themselves to the Lord before entering the promised land. It was also a place where they “remembered” what their fathers experienced at the parting of the Red Sea and all the miracles that the Lord performed to deliver them out of Egypt.  As their fathers were circumcised, now they were renewing that covenant with God for themselves.  They were circumcised as a confirmation that they were God’s very own possession, that God was to be their head, and that he was the one they were to serve.  The celebration of Passover is a remembering of God’s deliverance, provision and his love for his people.

Today, we are God’s people of the New Covenant, and we are to consecrate ourselves to the Lord, not with circumcised bodies, but with the circumcision of the heart.  

“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.  But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.  His praise is not from man but from God.”  Romans 2:28-29

 Gilgal - A Judgment Seat

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.  And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah.  And he judged Israel in all these places.  Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel.  And he built there, an altar to the Lord.  1 Samuel 7:15-17

When we present ourselves to the Lord, we make ourselves available to him at his judgment seat.  Jesus becomes our advocate, our attorney, and God the Father sits as judge.  The devil is the accuser of the brethren. 

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:  “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.  For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”  Revelation 12:10-11

Even today, the devil will continue to accuse us.  He will try to lead us astray with lies and tormenting thoughts or pain.  But we overcome every plan of the devil  by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.  In the name of Jesus, we confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness.  In the name of Jesus, we bind the powers of darkness and cancel their assignments.  In the name of Jesus we command the demonic forces to loose us, and to leave!   The devil has no hold on us when we crucify our flesh and live in the power of the Holy Spirit.   When we give God first priority, he gives us his authority.  He gives us victory because the battle belongs to him!  Hallelujah!

“If God be for us, who can be against us?”  Romans 8:31

Gilgal - Anointing and Judgment

Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?”  1 Samuel 10:1

Saul was anointed king over Israel, because the people persisted in asking for a king, so as to be like the nations around them.  Samuel declared to Saul that God would be with him and that the Spirit of God would give him power to prophesy.

“The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.  Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.”  1 Samuel 10:6-7

Samuel also told Saul to wait for seven days in Gilgal so that when he came, he could offer the sacrifice of burnt offerings and give further instructions. This became a test of obedience for Saul.  

“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

Within these seven days, much took place.  Including a middle of the night attack against the Ammonites who had threatened Jabesh Gilead.  The Ammonites told the people of Jabesh Gilead that a treaty with them would be possible only if they were willing to each have one eye gouged out.  When Saul heard of their threat the power of God moved in him to attack at night.  He  slaughtered them.  

Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.”  So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.  1 Samuel 11:14-15 

So Saul was made king in Gilgal, yet the seventh day was still to come.  God was not pleased with the people for wanting a king, yet he allowed it.  Samuel had warned them previously that asking for a king would bring serious consequences.

 “But when you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king.  Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you.  If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good!  But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.” 1 Samuel 12:12-15

Samuel prayed for God to send thunder and heavy rain at the time of the harvest which would likely destroy the crops. Before the days of GMO seed, wheat was shoulder high at harvest.  When wheat gets flattened by heavy rains, it cannot be easily harvested and will rot on the ground instead.  The seed cannot be separated from the chaff or stored unless it is thoroughly dried. The heavy rain was a judgment against the Israelites for rejecting God.

“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!  Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”

Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”  1 Samuel 12:16-19

So Gilgal was the place of anointing a king, and a place of judgment for their rebellion against God’s sovereignty.  

Gilgal - A Place of Testing

Saul carried the Lord’s anointing for only a few more days. On the seventh day, Saul grew impatient, fearing that his men were leaving him to go home, he did the unthinkable.  He did not wait for Samuel to offer the sacrifice; he decided to do it himself.

Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.  He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.  So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.  Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.  

“What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.  But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”  1 Samuel 13:7-14

Samuel told Saul “You have done a foolish thing.”  As a result he would not keep his kingship, and when Saul wanted to inquire of the Lord, He no longer answered him.  The Holy Spirit had departed, and a tormenting spirit came to fill the void. 

“The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 9:10

 Gilgal  - A Place of Idolatry

Gilgal, once a place of consecration unto the Lord, now became a place of idolatry.  The prophets Hosea and Amos spoke out against the people.

Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.  There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away.  Hosea 4:1-3

Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.  Hosea 4:6  

My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.  A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God.
They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant.  Hosea 4:12-13

Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty.  Do not go to Gilgal;
do not go up to Beth Aven.  And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’  Hosea 4:15

“Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba.
For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” 

Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire; it will devour them, and Bethel will have no one to quench it.  There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground.  Amos 5:4-7

Away with the noise of your songs!  I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! 

“Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god—which you made for yourselves.
Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.  Amos 5:21-27

In Summary

So we see that Gilgal represents Consecration, Anointing, Testing, Idolatry and Judgment.

The word of God tells us that we will all be tested.  We must learn from the Israelites folly and not do as we please, and incur the disfavor of God.  We are to present ourselves to God to be a vessel of honor for his use.  We will be tested in our ability to be faithful and to be obedient to his ways.  If we continue to sin, engage in idolatry and show no fear of God, then we will come under judgment.  

So the message that the Lord was giving me “Present yourself to the Lord at Gilgal,”  means to give our all to him.  And learn the lessons that were taught at Gilgal.  Let us not follow our hearts which are deceitful, but follow the Spirit which leads us into all truth!

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Romans 12:1-2

Thanks for reading.  Please share this message with others, for I believe that is the very reason he has me write.  God bless you all!  The Lord said:

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!”  Deuteronomy 31:6