Notice the transitions in the lives of these rulers in scripture: The intersection of heaven and earth on Mt Sinai for the seventy elders. For Jairus, ruler of the synagogue, water and land intersected on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, the border of Jesus’s garment touched by the woman with the issue of blood, and life and death intersected in his daughter. For the nation of Israel, the wilderness and the Promised Land intersected at the Jordan River. For Jonathan, prince of Israel, oppression and victory intersected at the first offense.
Also noteworthy is the theme of food. The seventy elders feasted. Jesus told them to feed Jairus’ daughter. Gilgal was the place where they started eating the fruit of the land, rather than manna. Jonathan’s military conquest is measured in agricultural terms. Bashan means fruitful land.
1. MOSES’ FIFTH ASCENT AND DESCENT ON MT. SINAI (Ex. 24:9-11)
Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
2. FIFTH RESURRECTION (Luke 8:54-56)
But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
3. FIFTH STONE OF TESTIMONY
Joshua 4 Memorial stones from the Jordan River
Place: Gilgal (a circle of stones, a wheel, rolling away reproach)
Anointing: Twelve river bed stones where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. Nothing poured over them. Gilgal was the place of circumcision.
Declaration: You shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”
4. FIFTH OX
1 Samuel 14:14 (AMP)
That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a [plow] furrow in a plot of land [the area of which a yoke of oxen could plow in a day].
5. FIFTH LION
Deuteronomy 33:22 (ESV) Moses’ final blessing on Israel
And of Dan he said,
“Dan is a lion’s cub
that leaps from Bashan.”
6. FIFTH EAGLE’S WINGS
Jeremiah 49:22 (ESV) Judgment on Edom
Behold, one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains.
Our Father in heaven,
We declare that Your kingdom come and Your will be done in the state of Mississippi as it is in heaven. We press in for an intersection of heaven and earth for our leaders and for our land. We believe in You! Roll away our reproach! Amen.