What Was the Anointed Cherub’s Divine Purpose?

3

What Was the Anointed Cherub’s Divine Purpose?

When we think of the serpent (the Devil) in the Garden of Eden, we think of him deceiving Eve into eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which he did.

Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

However, it appears that before he was engaged in this nefarious mission, he was in a different location called Eden, the garden of God. These verses are a continuation of a prophetic word given to the prophet Ezekiel about the king of Tyrus, whose evil character traits were like those of a heavenly creature after his life worsened. However, his initial existence differed greatly with a different name, innocent conduct, and a unique divine purpose.



Where is Eden, the garden of God?

The obvious answer would be that this refers to the Garden of Eden, the place of perfect environment where the first humans, Adam and Eve, lived. Some commentators believe this could be the case.

Ezekiel 28:14b and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Another rendering is that this designation is synonymous with heaven, where a particular place, the holy mountain of God, was found.



What was this heavenly creature’s purpose in Eden, the garden of God?

14a Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth;

He’s described as the anointed cherub that covereth. One of the meanings of the word cherub is being a guardian or protector. The signification would be keeper, or guard, of the Deity against all profane [approaches].3 The word anointed means to be consecrated by the anointing of oil. We can deduce that the anointed cherub was anointed with oil, signifying the appointment to being God’s defender.

The word covereth means to be a protector or guardian of sacred places. Access was granted to reside within the holy mountain of God, otherwise known as the inner courts of heaven, in an area described as the stones of fire (God’s fiery wall of protection; God’s outer defenses). It’s evident that he was a protector of God’s throne room, the very place of God’s presence. Amazing.

What an appointment. What responsibility? He held a position of prominence. Were you aware of his divine purpose before he fell?

When we think of the Devil, we think of a depraved, evil creature whose aspirations are contrary to the will of God. But as we can see, he wasn’t created to live this way. Before we find out what precipitated his fall, was there ever someone in your life that you looked up to and didn’t let you down?

When I tell you his name, I hope you don’t stop reading this book because you’re not a fan of his political affiliation. By the way, I’m an independent voter, if that helps. I got to know him personally in 2013 when I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in a building project in Leogane, Haiti. Over six hundred people from all over the world helped to build about 100 houses for those in need. Here’s a brief article about him and his wife.



MORE THAN 4,000 HOUSEHOLDS WILL REMEMBER JIMMY CARTER’S HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LEGACY

The former president and his wife started an annual volunteer project with the organization. After former US President Jimmy Carter spent four years in the Oval Office, he spent nearly four decades helping to build affordable housing.

With Carter, 98, moving to home hospice care this week at age 98, the humanitarian legacy of the [longest-living] US president is shifting into the focus. One key feature of that work is Carter’s support for Habitat for Humanity, the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization, that enlists volunteers to build and renovate houses for low-income residents. The former president, often featured in a hard hat, worked alongside his [wife, Rosalynn Carter,] and volunteers to build and renovate more than 4,000 homes in 14 countries, according to Habitat for Humanity’s website.

“Habitat provides a simple but powerful avenue for people of different backgrounds to come together to achieve those most meaningful things in life,” Carter wrote of his work with the organization. “A decent home, yes, but also a genuine bond with our fellow human beings. A bond that comes with the building up of walls and the breaking down of barriers.”



What is Habitat for Humanity?

Habitat for Humanity is a Christian-affiliated nonprofit organization that creates affordable housing. With the help of some 2 million volunteers each year, the organization partners with communities and families in need to build and restore homes across the globe. Since its founding in Americus, Georgia, in 1976, the group has expanded to 70 countries. Habitat for Humanity also advocates for affordable housing policies in the US and abroad. It provides affordable mortgages to families who apply for housing and work with volunteers to build their homes.



What’s Jimmy Carter’s history with Habitat for Humanity?

Carter began his work with Habitat for Humanity in 1984, three years after leaving the Oval Office. He and former first lady Rosalynn Carter volunteered at Habitat for Humanity in their home state of Georgia, beginning their more than 35 years of service with the organization. Later that year, the couple joined a weeklong volunteer event to restore a six-story apartment building in New York City’s East Village, which became the first Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The renovation of the building, Mascot Flats, was completed the following year.



What is the Carter Work Project?

The Carter Work Project is an annual weeklong event [that] Carter and his wife started in the 1980s to work with volunteers building or restoring homes in a community in need. For the first six years, the Carter Work Project focused on locations across the [US] before going to Tijuana, Mexico, in 1990. Since the mid-1990s, the project has alternated between communities in the US and other countries.



Is Jimmy Carter still active in Habitat for Humanity?

The former president and first lady remained active in the Carter Work Project into their 90s, retiring in 2019. The project continues: after a three-year pause during the pandemic, the event is set to resume in October 2023 in a Charlotte, North Carolina, affordable housing neighborhood. Country singers Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will fill the Carters’ place as celebrity hosts of the weeklong volunteer event.



How Many Habitat for Humanity Houses has Jimmy Carter built?

The former president and his wife have helped worked alongside 104,000 volunteers to build and renovate more than 4,390 homes in 14 different countries, according to Habitat for Humanity’s website.4

While I can honestly say that I don’t know much about his politics, I [saw] him close up interacting with people from other countries, concerned about their welfare, and personally getting involved with such. He not only talked the [talk] but also walked the walk. You can learn a lot about someone’s politics from [their life]. Thank you for being and remaining my role model.

What we’ll take a look at next is the Devil’s appearance. Ever wonder what he looks like? I think you’ll be surprised.



Endnotes

3McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia Pc Study Bible version 5, 2005, 01 March 2015˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

4Cailey Lapara. “More Than 4,000 Households Will Remember Jimmy Carter's Habitat for Humanity Legacy,” Bloomberg 12 February 2023

.





Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ITJ1wj

Website: https://bit.ly/3mWKJ2r