God's Original Intention for Education

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It is time for a 21^st century educational revolution!  During a recent graduate course at Liberty University, we thoroughly examined how the current educational system and structure has remained fundamentally the same in spite of the enormous changes that have occurred within culture and our world.  Just to name a few, think of the advances we’ve made in the areas of technology, transportation and medicine.  The changes in education are minimal in comparison!  Educational reform is a great buzz word, but very little reform has really taken place in education. 

From a Kingdom perspective, what really needs to change in education?  As in all areas of society and life, the greatest change that needs to be made in education is our perspective of it.  True spiritual reformation will only take place to the measure that our VISION is aligned with God’s VISION.  Therefore, the primary question that we need to ask and answer is this: What is God’s VISION for education?  In other words, what was God’s ORIGINAL INTENTION for education?

As I was seeking the Lord concerning these very questions, He answered me in a very peculiar way.  I began by searching the Scriptures to find the “first mention” of the concept (words related to) education.  I began to question, when was the first-time instruction and learning took place in the Scripture?  In the midst of my search, the Lord took me to the seemingly most irrelevant verses to education and BLEW ME AWAY with what He revealed concerning His ORIGINAL INTENTION for education.     

One day as I was seeking to Lord , He clearly spoke, “Isaiah 48:7” to me and led me to this Scripture.  Isaiah 48:7 (NKJV) states, “They are CREATED NOW and not from the beginning;  And before this day you have not heard them, Lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.’” 

Suddenly, the words, “CREATED NOW” jumped out at me, and the Lord began to minister to me concerning His NOW creative work in our lives.  Apostle Paul taught that in Christ we are “NEW creatures”, which means that the message of the Gospel is one of God’s miraculous work of REcreating us according to His original intention and purpose for our existence in the Earth.  Through this the Lord began to AWAKEN me to a fresh perspective of His VISION for education, which in ESSENCE is His REcreative work in our lives. 

The Hebrew word for create in this Scripture is bara’, and it is the same word used in Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God CREATED…”  So, the revelation of Isaiah 48:7 led me back to the first three verses of the Bible to reveal God’s VISION for education.  Within this passage, there are five components of God’s original intention for humanity and for education.  In fact, the remainder of the contents of the Bible are PROPHETICALLY REVEALED in Genesis 1:1-3.  Let’s take a look!

   1.     “In the beginning” – These words prophetically reveal God’s intention to establish “Divine Appointment” in our lives.  Though God is ETERNAL, and exists OUTSIDE OF TIME, He INTENTIONALLY created TIME in order to establish His APPOINTMENT of and with humanity.  In fact, God’s CREATION of TIME preceded all other aspects of His creation, INCLUDING His creation of US!  In fact, the ESSENCE of God’s VISION for EDUCATION is wrapped up in the only time that exists, which is NOW!  Right NOW is a Divine Appointment through which God is fulfilling His original intention for the nations (humanity) and for and through education.       

   2.     “God created” – These words prophetically reveal God’s intention to establish “Divine Creation” in the Earth and in our lives.  According to the Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, the Hebrew word bara’ has the following multiple meanings:  
    1. "To cut, to carve out, to form by cutting" = Related to the WORD covenant, which we will examine later... AND reFORMation, which is the REcreative work of the Lord in our lives!
    2. "To create, to produce" = Related to the Lord's command to be FRUITful and multiply; and Christ's John 15 discourse with His disciples regarding bearing MUCH FRUIT
    3. "To beget" - Related to the ultimate purpose of God, which is SONSHIP in the Earth... such as Christ who was the only BEGOTTEN son of God and US, who have been given the right to be children of God and to BECOME SONS (Spiritual Maturity)
    4. "To eat, to feed, to grow fat.” - Related to the Lord's command to Ezekiel to EAT (the scroll) that He gave him; AND Jesus' command to His disciples that they must EAT His body and DRINK His blood. 

     Ultimately, our REbirth and process of BECOMING a NEW CREATION in Christ is the essence and meaning of education according to the Lord’s VISION, perspective and original intention. 

   3.     “The heaven and the earth” These words prophetically reveal God’s intention to establish “Divine Connection” in our lives.  By matter of fact that the  conjunction AND (Hebrew word ‘eth) is present reveals that God’s original intention was for Heaven and Earth to be CONNECTED and never separated or disconnected from one another.  Therefore, education is the process of RESTORING the connection between Heaven and Earth in and through our lives.  As a result of Christ’s REcreative work in our lives, we are empowered to coexist in Heaven and Earth as a means of establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on the Earth.  Thus, the Lord’s prayer that says, “… on Earth as it is in Heaven…”

CONTEXTUAL SETTING OF EDUCATION:  “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.”  These words prophetically reveal that the context of Christ’s REcreative work in the Earth is one of apparent chaos and confusion.  This explains how so many aspects of our lives APPEAR to contradict the very GOODNESS of God and His SOVEREIGNTY to accomplish His original intention concerning us.  Yet, this should not be a surprise, because this seeming contradiction was PROPHESIED way back when the Torah was first spoken (God breathed) and first written.  Through the revelation of Jesus Christ, we now know that in reality this apparent confusion is nothing more than a “Divine Setup” for the manifest glory of God!

   4.     “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  These words prophetically reveal God’s intention to establish “Divine Covenant” in our lives.  The Biblical understanding of covenant (Hebrew word beriyth) signifies an alliance or pledge that is related to the concept of cutting demonstrated by the compact made between two parties by passing between pieces of flesh.  Yet, in this instance the Spirit of God is the one making a COVENANT, ALLIANCE or PLEDGE of His own volition by hovering over the waters, which represent the future nations (humanity and inhabitants) of the Earth.  Interestingly, He made this COVENANT even before the creation of Adam, just as while we were YET SINNERS Christ died for us!  BEFORE we could ever agree to our union with Christ, He INITIATED His COVENANT with us.  This is PROPHETICALLY demonstrated through the Spirit’s act of hovering over the waters in the very beginning.  Therefore, just as apparent confusion (Divine Setup) is the natural context of education, the spiritual context of education is COVENANT, both with God and one another.  We are SURROUNDED and HOVERED over by the Spirit of Christ, who has COVENANTED with us that we may BECOME the fullness of who He created, called and ordained us to be in Him through His VISION of EDUCATION (the very process by which this REcreation and REformation occurs in our lives.      

   5.     “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”  These words prophetically reveal God’s intention to establish “Divine Community” in our lives.  What LIGHT shined in the Earth BEFORE the creation of the sun, moon and stars?!!!  It was the LIGHT of Christ, the SON of the Living God!!!  This demonstrates God’s original intention for COMMUNITY with the nations (humanity), which is Christ’s ultimate GOAL and PURPOSE for EDUCATION (His REcreation of us).    

Therefore, it is clearly evident that the Lord’s original intention for humanity and education is the Manifestation of 1. Divine Appointment; 2. Divine Creation; 3. Divine Connection; 4. Divine Covenant; and 5. Divine Community on Earth as it is in Heaven!

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