travail before birth

death before resurrection
a short excerpt from a teaching by reggie kelly

The doctrine of Zion’s inviolability implies an unjustified optimism that reflects ignorance of what is necessary for the covenant to be fulfilled. It is the necessity of death before resurrection. We are offended at the lengths God will go, and must go, in order to bring again Jacob. We are ignorant of this for them, because we’ve not sufficiently known it for ourselves. There is a travail of the Spirit that forms Christ in the heart (Gal 4:19). As Paul said, “so then death works in us, but life in you” (2Cor 4:12). That is why Israel’s deliverance is often depicted as a birth that is preceded by travail (Isa 13:8; 66:8; Mic 5:3; Jer 30:6 etc.)



The reason for such tribulation is manifest (Acts 14:22). Fallen human nature cannot be conquered except by the inward work of the cross, applied by the Spirit, through the quickening of divine revelation. This is why Jacob must be brought to the end of his power (Deut 32:36; Dn 12::7) before the veil can be taken away (2Cor 3:16; Zech 12:10). How can it be different for the church? The veil is lifted and Christ revealed at the end of strength (“confidence in the flesh”). That is the pattern for all the true “Israel of God”. It is death before resurrection and travail before birth.

I was going to highlight a sentence but the whole thing is necessary.
Purify the sons of Levi, is our hearts cry.