When the scriptures use the number ten, it is to establish something. It was necessary to have ten elders at the gate to establish Boaz's right to redeem Naomi and Ruth. (Ruth 4:2) There were ten plagues and also ten commandments to establish righteousness. God requires ten percent of our goods to establish our finances and keep our hearts free from greed. And when Abraham was interceding for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah he started with fifty righteous but ended with ten. He asked God that if only fifty were found in the city that were righteous would He spare the whole city? And God said yes. Then he asked for forty-five, then forty righteous to establish and preserve a whole city. Abraham did not stop there for he did not know if there were righteous in the city his nephew Lot chose to live. So he continued to intercede asking for thirty, then twenty and finally asking to save the city if only ten righteous were there. And God said yes.
Recently in my Biblical Hebrew class taught from the University of Jerusalem my Instructor enlightened me on that passage. I had heard for years preachers say, "Why did Abraham stop at ten? He should have kept going!" But in my class I found out why. Abraham had to stop at ten righteous for ten was needed to establish the territory. What is your territory? And who are your ten?
In one of my trips to Israel God led for a group of us to pray over a region. One on my team felt strongly that we needed ten people to establish that territory but we only had eight in our group. As we were getting into the van she found three keys on a ring with a silver disc that had the number ten on it. We knew God was confirming it! We asked the Lord to provide two other believers to pray with us in the place we were going. The two believers ended up being the Christian couple we had stayed with who decided to take a road trip to where we were going! They had heard us talking when we were there and after we left decided to go also! It was probably when we found the keys, that God spoke to them! I still have those keys to remind me of His amazing confirmations and directions!
Isn't it amazing how God will speak to us in different ways to confirm a message he wants us to know?
It was in the Torah reading for last week (of what Jesus would have read during this time in history) that I read the passage in Genesis 18 of Abraham's intercession. Now, I am re-visiting Israel and feel that in this trip He is speaking to me again about the number ten. I know that we can pray in agreement with even two or three. But there is something powerful about the number ten in praying together over a city, region or family to establish it.
Please pray over our team and this trip. If you would like me to pray for you from Bethlehem (the "birthing place for miracles") send me your name or person you want me to pray for. (Yes, there are ten in our prayer group!) Interestingly, just a few days ago I had a prophetic word given me that on this trip I would be "birthing life"! Get ready!!!!
Harp music recorded in Israel along with the vision God gave me about Israel can be ordered at:
https://annasgate.org/store/ (Israel's Song 2 CD set). By ordering the CDs you also help support our work in Israel. Pray about also adding a donation to empower widows around the world. We are making a difference because we listen to the strategies of Heaven!
