FRUIT OF THE FIG

Judges 9:10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

To my fellow reader, I want to share with you this word that the Holy Spirit really opened my eyes to. We will see the purpose God gave the fig tree and how it applies to the good fruit of character that is required from us as ambassadors of His Kingdom.

In the book of Judges Chapter 9, Jotham (youngest of the 70 sons of Gideon) speaks to the people of Shechem in a parable. He speaks, through this parable, was made mention of when Israel requested Gideon to be their king and how Gideon did deny their request and even spoke on behalf of his sons that they also will not rule over Israel as their king. Gideon was used to deliver Israel, back to the Kingship of the Lord! However, Jotham spoke on behalf of Abimelech (son of Gideon's maidservant) who was made King by the people of Shechem (on his mother's side) and killed all of Gideon's sons, his brothers except for Jotham, because Jotham hid himself. Abimelech then ruled over Israel.

Judges 8:23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

Let’s see the beginning of this parable in Jotham’s words.

Judges 9:8-11 (8) The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. (9) But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? (10) And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. (11) But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

We see in this story that the trees first went to the olive tree. From the olive tree is where we get olive oil. As the Word of God speaks and gives reference to the oil, it’s a prophetic indication of anointing. Due to the very elements within the oil, it refers to the spiritual impartation of God’s power and sanctification upon another, to be used to the degree that God is going to use the individual, to the degree that the power of God can flow through. A spiritual gift from God, thus we get anointing oil. Everyone is attracted to this God given anointing because it shows forth the power of the Kingdom, proving that it is power not of this world.

So these trees first asked the olive oil tree, due to the anointing it carried. The trees wanted an anointed ruler! But the olive tree rejected the offer, and the trees went to the fig tree.

Now the fig tree possessed something that the olive tree didn’t and that was good sweet fruit. The good fruit has to due with our character.

Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

This brings to light more of the reason why exactly Christ even cursed the fig tree.

Mark 11:12-14 (12) And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: (13) And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. (14) And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

We see how Jesus comes from a fast, hungry, and sees a fig tree covered with the great greenery of its leaves, indicating that there ought to be good sweet fruit from its branches. As we all know the story, Christ saw that there was no fruit and he cursed the tree at its root system. He cursed the very foundational part of the fig tree that was functioning in season that it was not called to function in just yet. The revealing greenery of the tree was a false deceptive indication of a fruit that the tree did not bear.

Beloved, there are a people who are coming to the house of God, a people who are hungry, and need not only anointing, but the fruitfulness of Kingdom character! There are some churches that seem to be covered by such beautiful looks, lush greenery, and even moving in some anointing that God has given, however there remains a barreness of character. This applies to our life, as we are the church. Anointing is great, it is powerful and thank God for it, however we are accountable by the words we speak and the character that comes forth. We are not called to try to win people for self gain by showing off our anointing. Character which submits to obedience and God's leading will allow us to propely flow in the anointing God calls us to flow in. (Matthew 7:11-29).

Christ cursed the fig tree’s foundation. Since the foundation,which is the root system, was operating not in its season; it showed itself poor because it gave a disorderly result, which is a covering but no fruit. It’s key to keep Christ as our foundation, the solid rock we stand upon, in order to build our house, to build our character. To be built upon Him as our rock, to be uphold our frame of character on a strong foundation. So when trials and tribulations blows our way, our character will stay intact, all because of the strong foundation we are on.

Matthew 7: 24-29 (24) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (28) And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: (29) For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

When our character is built upon the rock of our salvation, then our life will show forth as one having authority, and not as the scribes who were only work minded.

Our testimony of Christ, that we are called to be, is a transformed character!

I Corinthians 1:5-6 (5) That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; (6) Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

I believe that to live by the Kingdom, to be an ambassador of the Kingdom, to live with a spiritual mindset, is to live with the confirmation of Christ's character within! If we don’t quench the Holy Spirit within, it will keep us in Christ like character, as we allow the Spirit to DAILY transform us.

Transformation begins at the alter, in the water, filled with the spirit, every time in intercession, reading the word of God, and etc. Transformation is continual, so that we may be perfect unto all good WORKS in Christ! (II Tim. 3:16-17) (See previous blog, Transformation)

Anointing is great and necessary and it has it’s time, but character is required to come from our lives ALL the time. Our Christ like character is to be a twenty four seven witnesses, advertisement if you will, of the living King, Jesus Christ!

Character knows when it’s the timing of the Lord. Just like the fig tree. Its fruit is a result of knowing the timing of its season! Seasons do change for us all in Christ, and as seasons change our characters should change, being transformed, from glory to glory as we grow in Christ!

Again, even in Jotham’s parable, the fig tree rejected the offer, because it knew it was not the timing or the place that God would allow it to be ruler over the trees.

It’s so easy by anointing and gifting alone to put our foot in the door that God is not yet opening. To try and bloom when it’s not the season God ordained for us to bloom in what He called us to do. (See previous Blog, Walking through the Spoken Word).

It is a narrow road to walk. Convictions will make itself known more and more as we grow to have the mind and heart of Christ. However, great is the fruit of abiding on such a path.

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

So I encourage us all to let the process we go through, have its work! Praise God in the process, as long as you have breath! God ordained the process to allow the fruitfulness of character to develop deeply in and through your life! To be as a tree planted by the rivers of transforming character! Remember, it’s no so much the trial that perfects you, but your response to it! That as the observing eyes of the world look, they will see by our character, the living Christ made manifest through our lives as an open wittness, that there is one King, and He reigns on High! May our Character be a far greater wittness, that we will see the fruit of not only our own transformed life, but the life change of others, from bitter to sweet, from bondage to salvation, from death unto life!

Psalms 1:1-3 (1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

God Bless