The Lord said “Gazingstock”

Only the Lord knows the heaviness on my heart this week and the deception within myself that has come to surface.  I don’t try to hang out in a place of “pretend” but still often find that reality is much worse than I would like to believe.  If this is vague, it’s meant to be.  But there will be a day when all things that are hidden will be revealed. (Mathew 10:26, Luke 8:17, Mark 4:22).  That day belongs to God, not me.

I was picking up the house and taking down all the of the decorations from MaeKenna’s graduation party this morning, as the Lord spoke to me one word – “gazingstock”…  I didn’t think much of it, lost in my own thoughts – but it lingered and boldly returned to me two more times before my complete attention was on this word He gave me.  I wondered about the meaning, thinking perhaps it has something to do with herds or animals – I think I know what gazing means but I don’t know what a “stock” is… So, as I sat down to study the meaning of gazingstock I was led to the Bible.  The word appears three times – once in Nahum, once in Hebrews and once in 1 Corinthians.

In Nahum God spoke to the destruction of the bloody city and the harlot – these people and systems in the context are strong and mighty, WELL FAVORED in sight of the world and full of themselves – yet God says he will make them a gazingstock for all the nations to look upon after he destroys them with fire and captivity.  It’s a scary text as the Lord says,

Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.

In the mention of gazingstock in the Old Testament, we see a people that were “well favored” and God was against them promising their end would be destruction…  In the New Testament, we see a people that were not well favored in sight of the world, but they had the promise of redemption in Christ from this low place they had been brought down to.  It’s like an opposite reference to two different journeys in.. what is seen (external favor) vs what is unseen (the sacrificial love of God in the Kingdom of JESUS WITHIN broken vessels)..

Hebrews 10 says this…

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

The living hands of God is exactly where we want to be – because we have to first be IN THE HANDS OF GOD, in order to be protected by God so that “no man can pluck us out HIS hand” (John 10:28).  Yet, Paul is telling us in Hebrews that falling into God’s hand is a fearful thing.  Why would that be?  He goes on to tell us about a process of being illuminated.  This speaks to me about how when our Lord Jesus was illuminated when the heavens opened and the voice of God spoken over Jesus saying “this is my beloved son in which I’m well pleased” – immediately after Jesus was illuminated, the Spirit led him into the wilderness where he was starved, tried and tempted of the devil.  Paul says after you are illuminated, the next step is enduring “a great fight of afflictions”…  So after God picks us up into His hand, we are full of FEAR of the Lord, and then we are placed into a fight against great trouble.  And then the word “gazingstock” appears – in the greek it means “to be a spectacle to people” – “to be looked down upon”… That doesn’t sound like a blessing does it?  It sounds like the world are looking at these people as if they were cursed in all their trouble..  And in that process we are made companions of others who are fighting that same fight we’re in… people that are afflicted, looked down upon, “reproaches” to the world – meaning a “DISCRACE” in the greek.  Paul goes onto wrap this up as he says, “You’re going to need patience, so that you can receive the promise AFTER you have done the Will of God.  So what’s THE WILL OF GOD HERE?  That these people who are snatched into God’s loving and mighty hands would FEAR HIM, be illuminated by Him and then suffer great afflictions (set apart through the trying of their faith), and be despised by people and be a spectacle of disgrace to all who look at them… a gazingstock…  wow…. but God wasn’t done with this word he gave me yet.

In looking into the word gazingstock as used in 1 Corinthians, I saw an expanded explanation using a translation I would never even entertain.  Yet this spoke directly to my heartbreak today.. and I know the Lord led me into this short study to see this…

It seems to me that God has put us who bear his Message on stage in a theater in which no one wants to buy a ticket. We’re something everyone stands around and stares at, like an accident in the street. We’re the Messiah’s misfits. You might be sure of yourselves, but we live in the midst of frailties and uncertainties. You might be well-thought-of by others, but we’re mostly kicked around. Much of the time we don’t have enough to eat, we wear patched and threadbare clothes, we get doors slammed in our faces, and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living. When they call us names, we say, “God bless you.” When they spread rumors about us, we put in a good word for them. We’re treated like garbage, potato peelings from the culture’s kitchen. And it’s not getting any better.
The KJV version says… “For I think that God has set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death; for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men.
Right after all this, I got a phone call from a very sweet lady that hired me to sell her lakehouse several years back.  She said she “butt dialed me on accident”… but then immediately asked how Josh was doing.  Her husband had a stroke a few years before Josh did.  It was the reason she had to sell her lakehome – she didn’t have the ability to maintain it or afford it anymore.  I remember back then feeling so sad that this elderly couple was losing everything that they’d worked their entire lives for, due to the disability.  I ended up talking on the phone with her for over half an hour as she shared with me her pain and disappointment – and how lonely she feels.  She said that their family and friends act like they aren’t alive anymore.  They never call to check on her or her husband and the few times she has spoken to anyone, people act like she’s stupid with all of their easy solutions to fixing her troubles, saying things like “well you should hire these services or you should put your husband here or there”….  She said she’s so hurt that not a single one of them ever offer to help her (even if its just a day of relief once a month – it would mean the world to her), and worse, she said that people they knew treat her like she’s of a different species now – like she’s cursed with this hardship and they want nothing to do with her problematic life.
I got teary-eyed as we talked and I realize once again I’m only able to have compassion for her because I know exactly how she feels.  She told me at least 10 times, “It’s so nice to speak with someone that knows what I’m enduring.”… and I felt the same towards her – glad to get that accidental “butt dial”, which I know was no accident – the Lord dialed her phone to mine today.  So that I could see Hebrews 10:33 and 34…  It’s like the Lord was telling me WHAT I AM IN HIS WILL at this moment…  I’m a gazingstock… “becoming companions with those who are also used for the same purpose in the Will of God” during this difficult season of life.  He’s telling me that he knows I’m hurting but he’s commanding me to be patient, so that I might receive the promise…  the saving of our souls…  “Knowing in yourselves (Christ within us), that ye have a BETTER and an ENDURING SUBSTANCE” – Hebrews 10:34

37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

I want to thank the Lord for showing me “gazingstock” today and for loving me even though I did nothing to deserve the bloodshed of His Son and the salvation that might be obtained if He grants me the patience and faith to finish this race, obedient and in LOVE WITH HIM more than anything here, as Jesus so beautifully demonstrated in the sacrificial work of the cross – not saving Himself, but dying to the flesh to save others, eternally.  Father, even as I write this I feel foolish (as you already know all of my thoughts)…  I feel like the revelations you give me are a “killjoy” to the flesh-nature and that no one wants to read what this gazinstock called me writes on this page.  But Lord, I know you have a purpose in all things.  Jesus I know YOU are the author and as I give you the pen to write upon my own heart, I know that you are instructing me to speak to your people – even if it’s only one..  Or perhaps Lord, once I’m gone this will be read by someone one day, walking out the carrying of a cross that you’ve placed in their hands.  I pray Father that our eyes might be opened to seek JESUS the person, not the empty promises this world is selling..  I love you and I’m sorry that I shed so many tears asking so many questions like the fool that I am.  I thank you so much for speaking to me today and giving me this revelation of HOPE and this warning of patience.  Help me to decrease so that Jesus in me can increase.

2 thoughts on “The Lord said “Gazingstock”

  1. Cindy (Just one woman) says:

    Hey Sister Jodi! GBY I just wanted you to know how much this writing touched my heart and explained my own life that it seems more than we realize have in common with life and our situations. We feel isolated or alone or like we don’t think there’s anyone else that really understands our situation because of the isolation and the hardship. BUT that’s just not so because there are more of us living lives like is talked about in this very precious writing and it just goes to show how much we don’t fit in this world and we look to Jesus for our hope and deliverance. It’s a humbling life and though it breaks our hearts, it is so humbling and to draw our strength from the One True Lord our God and the power of Yeshua Hamaschiach! So yes, a gazingstock we are! I never thought about that word before, so thank you so much for sharing this word that the Lord gave you to share to encourage those that do know and understand. Jesus is our blessed hope of the Promise and of Redemption. Thank you so much for this awesome piece of your heart that you obediently shared. GBY!

    • Jodi Manfred says:

      Thank you Cindy. I love how the Lord sends us one another even if it’s in little glimpses of reassurance that HE IS DOING SOMETHING.. and like you said, it’s a humbling life.. but I know His words about the meek and lowly and the humble and what a glorious day we will have in the future. Have a blessed day my sweet friend <3

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *