Question: What is the Biblical view for law enforcement jobs and training? (Part 3)

My husband is on a special task force which responds to emergency crisis situations. They train regularly in defense tactics and other violent training in/with active shooter scenarios. It’s similar to other law enforcement agencies and military who train this way. What is the Biblical view for these type jobs and training? It can be gruesome and it does take a toll on a person’s view of people, compassion and mercy, etc. In a world filled with evil that seeks to run rampant, such safeguards are necessary, but I would like to know the Biblical standard for these, especially in shaping how our son views and understands his dad’s job.

Answer:  In addition to Joshua’s keys for success in shifting from violence in training or campaigns to peace and rest in home and family life is the Father’s protocol for cleansing. Father’s record in Scripture gives us a protocol we can follow today to cleanse from the dirty work necessary in law enforcement style jobs.

Cleansing

Part of Father’s cleansing protocol for soldiers included a special water of cleansing. This water was sprinkled with hyssop on soldiers—and anyone who had been around a dead body—and on their tents, clothes, plunder, and anyone or anything that had touched death on the third and seventh day while they remained separate from the community for seven days.

Sprinkling and separation (discussed in Part 2) were keys to immunity from any spiritual or physical dirt passed on by bloodshed and death.

To understand the importance of the third and seventh day cleansing protocol, let’s take a brief overview of the seven redemptive gifts.

Seven Gifts

Arthur Burk’s The Redemptive Gifts of Individuals teaching is heavily drawn from Scripture and expansively field tested. It’s based on the list of seven gifts in Romans 12:6-8. It’s different than the ministry gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, or the 5-fold offices in Ephesians 4:11-12.

Here’s the short overview that appeared on the back of the tape-set teaching (yes, tape!).

The Seven Redemptive Gifts of Individuals – Arthur Burk

The prophet has to win the battle over the Edomite Curse (sacrificing relationships) in order to use his gift with authority. He resonates to the principle of design and provides the foundation for all the other gifts. The prophet’s vision of God’s design for each of the other gifts gives people with those gifts the motivation to possess their inheritance. (Elijah, John the Baptist)

The servant has the highest authority of all the gifts in the area of spiritual warfare. He is specifically gifted in bringing emotional and spiritual healing to the extended family, in praying for those in authority, and in turning away premature death. (Esther, Joseph)

The teacher provides the necessary balance to the impulsiveness of the prophet and exhorter, but the teacher must win the battle over selective responsibility to be effective in his gifting. (Levi, Isaiah)

The exhorter is God’s most common choice when He needs a world changer. Tragically, the exhorter seems to fall short of his calling more than some of the gifts. His greatest contribution to the Body is to reveal the nature and purposes of God. (Moses, Jeremiah, Paul)

The giver gives far more important things than money. He has a high anointing for blessing, especially giving generational blessings. The giver’s independent spirit is a part of God’s design that is frequently misunderstood and criticized by others. (Abraham)

The ruler is God’s empire builder. Under God’s direction, he significantly expands the hegemony of the Kingdom of God. However, failure to seek God’s plan for his life will cause the ruler to accomplish many good things, but still die with a sense of futility. (Solomon)

The mercy is the crown jewel of God’s creation. His primary domain is worship. Although the gift of mercy is usually put to work at many tasks, he is primarily designed to be and not to do. Once he is released to be what God has designed him to be, the things that he does will have a whole different flavor to them. (David)

Expansive Spirits

What Father unfolded in subsequent years is that, while each person has a core design of one of the seven redemptive gifts, all seven are present in each person’s spirit. Our spirits are formed of light, in the image of Father (Proverbs 20:27). Light breaks down into seven colors—and it’s very amazing to consider that our spirits are formed to engage with the seven-fold Spirit of God (Isaiah 11:2-3).

Spiritually speaking, unclean spirits with their specific darkness transferred from the bloodshed/death and landed on the Teacher and Mercy portions of the soldiers’ spirits (or anyone who encountered bloodshed or a dead body). Physically speaking, the water of cleansing’s properties were specially formulated to wipe out germs’ incubation on the third and seventh day.

That is why Father had Moses prepare a special water of cleansing and apply it with hyssop as it is an antiseptic. He was ensuring that the men were spiritually and physically cleaned, and had the time to emotionally process and disengage from war before returning home to their families in peace.

Cleansing Prayer

Prayer and Scripture release the Holy Spirit to do His deep cleansing, restorative work. This is the water of cleansing in our day. For your reference, we do have a product called the Daily Cleanser Soak which is great to soak the family in overnight or to listen to on the drive home, and which does address cleansing of the Teacher and Mercy portions and any contact with death.

As the spouse, you can pray cleansing for him/her. It’s great if he/she will do it, but if for whatever reason that’s not possible, because of your position with the Father in Christ and because of your marriage covenant, you can.

Hyssop

Here’s how hyssop helps biologically cleanse. Hyssop is a monoterpene, and as such, reprograms miswritten information in cellular memory (Stewart, 29). Its fragrance releases swallowed emotions, spiritually cleans past sin, immorality and evil spirits (Stewart, 52). Hyssop was used in two ways with the water of cleansing: 1. in the preparation of the actual water and 2. in its application as its branch was used to sprinkle the water of cleansing on the persons, homes, furnishings, plunder, and equipment of soldiers and those encountering a dead body (Numbers 19:6-22; 31:19-24).

“Hyssop is about 50% ketones, which act like phenols and cleanse receptor sites. Hyssop also contains 5-10% sesquiterpenes that delete addictions, compulsions, and other ungodly directives from the DNA. Hyssop is also 20-30% monoterpenes which reprogram the DNA to restore God’s image.

Thus, hyssop oil, directed by our sincere intent to “create a clean heart and restore a right spirit within ourselves” can “blot out our transgressions” and erase sinful tendencies (negative emotions) stored in cellular memory, thus releasing and cleansing the root cause of wrong action” (Stewart, 210).

Using Hyssop

It’s good to recognize the biological healing and cleansing properties of hyssop. It is potent, so a few drops in a diffuser overnight works well. To keep clean air in your home, it’s not advisable to have essential oils diffused night and day. Every so often, as you’re impressed, works well. It does cause irritation to skin, so if you apply it topically, dilute in a carrier oil (for a roll-on applicator, use 6-12 drops in 1 ounce of a carrier oil like almond or fractionated coconut oil). It can then be rolled over pulse points and palms to assist cleansing, or applied to soles of feet before sleeping.

. . .to be continued.

Resources

Daily Cleanser Soak – Crystal Wade, Hope Streams

Healing Trauma Prayer — Jim and Pat Banks, House of Healing

Questions

Each question is thoughtfully and prayerfully addressed. We appreciate your patience and grace with the time it takes to answer your questions. Send yours here and we’ll get it in the queue.

by Crystal Wade, copyright 2019

Source: Stewart, David, Ph.D. Healing Oils of the Bible. 7th printing, Care Publications, 2010.