Redemption from Satan's Power

Now, Moses then proceeded to take over the government of Egypt. And he only used one instrument. What was it? His rod. That’s right. Just that simple shepherd’s staff. Nothing complicated, nothing sophisticated, something that the Egyptians despised because they despised shepherds. And yet, Moses wrestled the authority over Egypt out of the hand of Pharaoh and brought it to bear on behalf of God’s people.

I’m personally convinced that Israel would never have been delivered out of Egypt if Moses hadn’t won the spiritual battle with his rod. And I personally believe it’s the same today. God’s people will never come into the fullness of their inheritance. They’ll never really be redeemed from the powers of Satan in this world until the intercessors learn to use the rod.

That’s the means by which we’ll wrest authority from the god of this age and use it for the deliverance of God’s people. And through that outstretched rod of God, we share the authority of Jesus on the throne right now. We enable Him to rule in the midst of His enemies. Now, we’re just going to go on one more verse in Psalm 110, which beautifully ties this in, not merely with the theme of kings and priests, but with the theme of apostolic outreach.

I just trust, by the grace of God, I’ll be able to intertwine these two themes. We’re in Psalm 110, verse three, which is addressed to Christ on the throne.

“Your people shall be volunteers in the day of your power, in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the womb morning, you have the dew of your youth.”

Now, that’s very condensed language in Hebrew, and there’s a number of different possible ways of translating it. I’m going to follow a different translation, most of which is taken from the margin of the New International Version.

But we’ll start with the first verse.

“Your people shall be volunteers.”

That’s not a good translation. See, the problem with volunteers is when they cease to volunteer, they’re no longer with you. I am not interested in volunteers. What it says is,

“Your people will be freewill offerings.”

Those are the people that God is looking for. And then it says,

“In the day of your power.”

But the Hebrew says, “In the day of your army.” God is gathering His end-time army, and He’s only looking for one kind of person: people who will be freewill offerings, not give freewill offerings, but be freewill offerings. “Here I am, Lord. No strings attached, no reservations. I’m yours. Do what you like with me.”

Then it says, and I’m going to now give you the Prince adapted version from the NIV,

“In the beauty of holiness, from the womb of the morning, your youth will come to you like the dew.”

Now, I believe that’s the correct translation. It’s a beautiful picture. First of all, it speaks about holiness in its beauty. And then it speaks about dawn, and it speaks about a womb. So, it suggests a period of night and darkness, and then a dawn, which is also a birth. Now, I believe that’s where we’re at in God’s timetable. There’s been a night of darkness. We’re coming to a new phase. A dawn is coming forth. It’s going to come by a birth. It’s going to bring the beauty of holiness. Have you ever seen the first rays of the morning sun strike upon the dew on the grass? There’s nothing more beautiful. God says, “That’s how holiness is going to appear in my people. It’s going to be the fresh morning dew illuminated by the rays of the rising sun.”

And then it says,

“Your youth will come to you like the dew.”

But I’m going to address my closing remarks to young people because I believe there’s a special emphasis of the Holy Spirit and the Scripture on young people at this time. The Lord is saying, “I’m assembling my army. Are you willing to be a freewill offering? Will you give me yourself without reservation? Go wherever I send you. Become whatever I make you.”

Now, this has to be paired with the intercessory ministry, understand? One of the great problems in the churches is that we’ve often had them separate. But the army of young people is not going to be effective without the ministry of the intercessors stretching out the rod of divine authority over nation after nation and claiming them for God.