The Day of New Beginnings
Out of a Parched Land
It is out of Zion that all God's promises are brought to fruition and fulfilled. It is when we come to the realm of Zion that we see all God's heart and purposes revealed to us. Zion is where we come to know Him intimately.
There are literally hundreds of scriptures that speak of Zion's coming fruitfulness and blessing. Given this, you would think the word Zion itself would have some grand and glorious meaning. In fact, Zion means "parched place". This is a great revelation. Zion's meaning reveals the method by which God brings many sons to glory (Heb.2:10).
We are looking to see the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in a people. 1st Thess. 1:10 says He is coming to be glorified in His saints. To understand how He is being revealed in His many membered body, we need only to see how He was revealed the first time as an individual.
Isa 53:2.
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
This is part of the prophecy about Jesus found in Isaiah 53. It says He came forth as a tender shoot. Tender shoot alludes to a green plant, one full of vitality and life. Yet it says this tender shoot came forth out of parched ground. This is the miracle and method of God. He always manifests Himself out of the realm of death and barrenness.
John 12:24.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
All of the original patriarchs' wives were barren (Jacob's wife Rachel was, although Leah wasn't). Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist was barren, as was Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet. All these examples reveal that barrenness first precedes fruitfulness. Life springs from death. Of course, the greatest example of this was Jesus being raised from the dead.
At this time we are seeing the Lord being revealed in His many membered body. An interesting phrase to research is "Out of Zion.” For just as the Lord came forth out of natural Zion the first time, He is being revealed out of spiritual Zion at the present time. "A tender shoot" is again being manifested out of parched ground.
Psalm 68
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him.
5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 ¶ O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah.
8 The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched.
10 Your creatures settled in it; You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God.
Verse four says God rides through the desert. The Lord always makes His people a desert before He makes them fruitful. It was out of the desert that Moses came forth to deliver Israel. In the desert God refines his chosen ones until there is nothing left within them but willing hearts to glorify His name.
Verse six says that God makes a home for the lonely. We all must pass through the "lonely place" to receive our inheritance. Eventually, the "prisoners" are led into prosperity. It's interesting that verse six also says only the rebellious dwell in a parched land. A more accurate definition of the word "dwell" would be “to remain”. Strong's defines it as, "to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside". In other words, only the rebellious never leave the parched place. They are left there. When God deals with our lives and the work of the cross is put to us, it is so that He might bring us into a fruitful state. This is also true of us as a collective people. The Lord is to be revealed out of a parched place. When we, as the body of Christ, stand as a prepared people, then our barrenness gives way to exceeding fruitfulness.
Verse nine says, "You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched." It is when we are in the "parched place" that we are confirmed or sealed unto God. God establishes Zion in the desert, proving her heart and setting His approval upon her. Back in verse six we saw that only the rebellious remained in a parched land. If we kick or rebel against God's dealings in our lives, we only prolong our stay in the wilderness. It is our obedience and submission to His Lordship that brings us into the fruitful place.
Verses 8-9 speak of the plentiful rain of the Lord that is shed abroad upon us as we emerge from the parched land. Hosea 6:1-3 speaks of the Lord coming to us as the rain, "as the spring rain watering the earth." Verse 8 also says, "The heavens dropped rain at the presence of the Lord." The word "rain" in this passage is only implied. It literally reads, "the heavens dropped." The realm of God, which is the realm of spirit, comes down upon us as we leave the parched land and enter into a fruitful state.