Men As Trees Walking: What's in a Name?

The Feeding of the 5000

Those who had been sent out rejoined Yeshua and reported to him all that they had done and taught. There were so many people coming and going that they couldn't even take time to eat, so he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a place where we can be alone, and you can get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

The disciples had an agenda that day: Rest and relaxation with their beloved Rabbi. I use the word "agenda" because the plan was for them to be in "...a place where we can be alone, and you can get some rest." Ministering to the crowds wasn't in the plan. A major convergence between the dimensions of heaven and earth was about to take place. Something would happen that would quicken the need for the disciples to do away with their own "plane of practicality". Take a look.

When Yeshua came ashore, he saw a huge crowd. Filled with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, he began teaching them many things. By this time, the hour was late. The talmidim came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's getting late. Send the people away, so that they can go and buy food for themselves in the farms and towns around here." But he answered them, "Give them something to eat, yourselves!" They replied, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" Some of you reading may say, "How else were they suppose to respond?" The disciples' response was practical. Instead, let's put ourselves in this scenario with what we "know" to be true and we'll see that even though we know, oftentimes we still choose to function from our plane of practicality.

We "know" that when Yeshua speaks, it will be done. It will come to pass. What differentiates us from all other religions and belief systems is that we serve a risen Saviour. We serve a God that isn't a man that he would lie. An Abba that will gives us bread when we ask and not a rock -- fish and not a snake. Every self respecting Christian would agree to this, yet I am constantly hearing from believers that they respond in the very same way the disciples did when told to feed the multitude. Yeshua speaks, and they look at how many zeros they have in their bank account. They determine that what He's saying to them isn't practical or else they decide it's not Him speaking at all -- both responses go hand in hand. Others of us are offended by what He may be asking... and we all know that practically speaking, God would never ask or require of us anything impractical or anything that would offend...

Here's a basic run down of how it usually works:

1. Yeshua speaks: This is a good start. It means that He's your shepherd and you're His sheep and you know His voice. An important first step
2. We usually begin the practical process of disqualification: no money, lack of skills, giftings, etc.
3. He speaks again: asking us what it is we do have to work with. What are our resources? Again, it's crucial for you to be in a place to hear that question. It's almost more important then Step One because this is where about 80% of you stop moving forward
4. Our response: We'll always be able to come up with a resource if we really look
5. He then asks us for the resource: He takes it from us, blesses it, consecrates it and then gives it back to us and tells us to do what He originally told us to do in the first place
6. The Lesson: Once we will to do His will, He provides the resources necessary to accomplish His will

Here's the example from Mark 6:37-44

1. But he answered them, "Give them something to eat, yourselves!"
2. They replied, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
3. He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and check."
4. When they had found out, they said, "Five. And two fish."
5. Then he ordered all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. They sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up toward heaven, made a b'rakhah. Next he broke up the loaves and began giving them to the talmidim to distribute. He also divided up the two fish among them all
6. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces and fish. Those who ate the loaves numbered five thousand men not counting women and children

So what happened here?

The Chameleon Like Ability to Create Something Out of Nothing

Obviously, a huge convergence of dimensional planes -- an example of the power of heaven on earth -- just occurred. Remember, we're talking about the convergences the disciples experienced leading up to the blind man in Beit-Tzaidah.

The disciples had just received authority and power over evil and unclean spirits and all manner of sickness. They had just come back from driving out "...many demons" and anointing "...many sick people with oil and heal[ing] them." Essentially, Yeshua was asking these men early on in their relationship to function in and from a deeper level of understanding of scriptural teaching.

For the sake of argument, to some extent, these men would have known and might have possibly been raised on the Teachings of Moses (Torah), The Prophets (Nevi'im) and the Old Testament (Tanakh) in general. Now Yeshua was challenging them to actually function in the realm and dimensional plane He Himself functioned from simply because they should have known that it was in their power to do so. I make this potentially bold statement for the following two reasons:

1. They would have known what scripture stated about them as Hebrews
2. Rabbi was already functioning from that realm and dimensional plane

As Israeli men, they would have known about the promises, covenants, blessings and favor over their lives as taught in scripture. Of course, reading and believing these things is another thing entirely and the same holds true for us today. They were having an identity crisis. We're having an identity crisis. The second reason is the Rabbi/disciple relationship. Rabbis hand pick their disciples. They choose disciples in whom they feel they can successfully duplicate themselves. The goal of a rabbi is to raise up disciples that will surpass them; the sign of a good rabbi. They knew this. They also knew that what Rabbi does, we can do too.

With this in mind, they surely would have known about Deuteronomy 8:11-18:
"Be careful not to forget ADONAI your God by not obeying his mitzvot, rulings and regulations that I am giving you today. Otherwise, after you have eaten and are satisfied, built fine houses and lived in them, and increased your herds, flocks, silver, gold and everything else you own, you will become proud-hearted. Forgetting ADONAI your God - who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves; who led you through the vast and fearsome desert, with its poisonous snakes, scorpions and waterless, thirsty ground; who brought water out of flint rock for you; who fed you in the desert with manna, unknown to your ancestors; all the while humbling and testing you in order to do you good in the end - you will think to yourself, 'My own power and the strength of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.' No, you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power to get wealth, in order to confirm his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as is happening even today.

I want to focus on a part of verse 18:
"...you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power to get wealth..." and then let's focus on the words "power" and "get". The Hebrew word for power is "koach" (Strongs 03581): a small reptile, a kind of lizard, chameleon. The Hebrew word for get or make is "`asah" (Strongs 06213): to act, act with effect, to create, to create from nothing. This word "`asah" is also used in Genesis 1:26: And God said, Let us make man in our image...

Deuteronomy 8:18 is basically saying "...you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power, "koach", the chameleon like ability to get, make, "`asah", create out of nothing, to work with the substance of creation, wealth..."

Chameleons have the ability to adapt to any condition, any situation, any environment, any economy, any climate and create the necessary resources that are conducive to their own success. This is why Isaac is able to go to the land of famine and reap 100 fold from the famine infested land as well as increase in flocks and herds, etc. (Genesis 26). Because of his covenant relationship, Isaac was able to create the necessary resources conducive to his own success. This is also an example of how this "chameleon-like ability" of spiritual authority and power is transferable. Another example of transference can be found in Genesis 24.

The chameleon-like ability to work with the substance of creation to make something out of nothing is powerful. It also can't be manipulated. This spiritual authority requires one to be functioning deeply in three basic areas of personal relationship with Abba through the blood covenant of Yeshua via an interactive relationship with the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit): extreme intimacy - extreme obedience - extreme stewardship. We must be confident in our identity as far as knowing who we are (Intimacy); a Royal Priesthood (a people with a kingly and priestly anointing) believing who we are (Obedience); Joint Heirs and functioning as Sons and Daughters of the Living God (Stewardship). This is how we'll walk in the spiritual authority expected and desired of us by our Father.

Yeshua knew who He was. He knew that Abraham had been blessed by a King and a Priest; Malki-Tzedek, king of Shalem, and cohen (priest) of El 'Elyon (God Most High) (Genesis 14:8, Hebrews 7:1). He knew that He was from the same order; "You are a cohen forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek." (Hebrews 5:6, 10, 6:20, 7:17). He knew that this line would culminate in Him and that He would birth a hybrid: a Royal Priesthood -- you and I (1 Peter 2:9). In this, Yeshua was challenging the disciples and they were going to have to pick up the pace, as we will soon see. We will also see how we're going to have to pick up the pace.

Welcome to Chameleon Church!

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