#20~ EIGHTEEN~ BIBLE NUMBER MEANINGS 3-3-12
EIGHTEEN is the number that stands for BONDAGE- found 22 times in our KJ Bible.
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Jesus healed a woman whom Satan had bound for EIGHTEEN years:
Luke 13:10-16 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
13And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God
14And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
15The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
16And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?
Notice; that this dear lady could not straighten her self up, she could not walk right.
This is a real good picture of all lost sinners, none of us could straighten our self up within ourselves, but when Jesus saves us then and only then will we be able to walk right.
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There were EIGHTEEN people, who were in BONDAGE to sin in.
Luke 13:4-5 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
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On two different occasions in the Book of Judges, the children of Israel are found in BONDAGE to their enemies EIGHTEEN years.
Judges 3:14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab EIGHTEEN years.
Judges 10:7-8 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. 8And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
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* Stephen said in
Acts 7:6-7 And God spake on this wise, That his seed (Abraham’s) should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. 7And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
Stephen is quoting from Genesis 15:13
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In the Old Testament there are EIGHTEEN places where this BONDAGE is spoken about. They are found in the following:
1. Genesis 15:13 11 Deut. 5:6
2. Exodus 1:14. 12 Deut. 6:12
3. Exodus 2:23. 13 Deut. 8:14
4. Exodus 2:23 14 Deut. 13:5
5. Exodus 6:5 15 Deut. 13:10
6. Exodus 6:6 16 Deut. 26:6
7. Exodus 6:9 17 Joshua 24:17
8. Exodus 13:3. 18 Judges 6:8
9. Exodus 13:14.
10 Exodus 20:2
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NOTICE in the list that the FIFTH time the word BONDAGE occurs is in Exodus 6.5 and it say’s And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
The covenant referred to here was the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (vs. 3-4 of Ex. 6 :)
Listen; Abraham offered FIVE sacrifices the day God made the covenant with him. ---FIVE the # of GRACE.
Genesis 15:7-10 And He*(GOD) said unto him,* (Abraham) I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And HE said unto him, Take me an heifer (1) of three years old, and a she goat (2) of three years old, and a ram (3) of three years old, and a turtledove, (4) and a young pigeon. (5) 10And he took unto him all these, -- FIVE the # of GRACE.
Notice; there are THREE, THREES here and all are in verse NINE, remember what I said about the number THREE?
Most of the time when we see the number THREE God is involved, and let me point out that its verse NINE, 3 X 3.
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Listen as I read verses 17 & 18 of this same chapter FIFTEEN: -- 3 x 5.
Genesis15:17-18 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
Both of these speak of Christ. The furnace, speaks of judgment.
The lamp speaks of Him as the light of the world.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:
Back to Gen.15:18
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Notice; this is a no strings attached covenant* (promise) by God, Abraham didn’t have to promise any thing.
Nothing can alter this promise, God said " HAVE I GIVEN" past tense, (not I am going to give) it’ a done deal, Israel’s enemies are trying their best to take the little piece of land that Israel is on today, but one day the land that Israel’s enemies are occupying right now will also be called ISRAEL.
Romans 4:13-16 states that the promise to Abraham and his seed was through the righteousness of faith, and by faith, that it might be by GRACE.
So the FIFTH time the word BONDAGE occurs back in the list of EIGHTEEN is where God says He remembered the covenant made with Abraham and He announced His purpose of redeeming Israel from BONDAGE.
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And let me point out that Abraham will be present in Jerusalem during the 1000 year reign of King Jesus, he and Isaac and Jacob as well, in their glorified resurrected body.
Matt. 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
God always keeps His promises, let us just be patient, He’ll do these things at His predetermined time.
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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NOTICE; that the Tenth place, BONDAGE is mentioned in the list above is Exodus 20:2.
TEN is the # of testimony and LAW.
1And God spake all these words, saying, 2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
If people serve or worship any other so called god, instead of the One and Only True and Living God, these people are in spiritual bondage under Satan and his demons, and in Israel’s case, God put them into physical BONDAGE because of it.
Judges 2:7-8 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel. 8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died,--
--- 10-14 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: (Baal, [plural.] Baalim, they served more than one false god.) 12And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
13And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal (a Phœnician deity) and Ashtaroth. (Ashtoreth, the Phœnician goddess of love)
14And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
Listen dear heart, if people, it don’t have to be Israel, don’t want the love and care of God, He may place them in a situation in order to drive them to call on Him, how foolish people can be.
God has saved you and me who have sincerely repented and ask Him to be our Lord and Saviour, but if saved people get back out into the hog pens of this world then Hebrews chapter 12: is still there, He will chasten His children; God is still the same as He has always been, and He never changes.
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Only God could have arranged this great truth so that the TENTH time Israel’s BONDAGE was mentioned would in the Ten Commandments. (Or law), in
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Which Paul called the yoke of BONDAGE.
Paul calls the law the yoke of BONDAGE.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
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The THIRTEENTH time the word BONDAGE is found in the above list is in
Deuteronomy 8:14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage-
Here is a warning to the Israelites that their heart is not lifted up.
So the THIRTEENTH time the word BONDAGE occurs is in a place where Israel is warned against a REBELLIOUS heart.
The number THIRTEEN stands for a rebellious, sinful, depraved heart.
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NOTICE the SEVENTEENTH time the word BONDAGE occurs in the above list, remembering that SEVENTEEN is the number that stands for VICTORY.
Joshua 24:17-18 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: 18And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, --
This describes VICTORY for Israel over all her enemies, and occurs in connection with the SEVENTEENTH time Israel’s BONDAGE is mentioned.
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The EIGHTEENTH time the word BONDAGE is found in the above list is in
Judges 6:8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage-
At the time the prophet spoke these words the Israelites were in BONDAGE to the Midianites. Judges 6-1 11
The EIGHTEENTH and last time Israel’s BONDAGE is referred to be at the time they were in BONDAGE to the Midianites.
