Have you been already?
Have no clue where it is?
Let’s find out…
As I was studying this morning in the book of Deuteronomy, a word jumped out at me that I had not seen before. In the King James Version of the Holy Bible, there is an unusual word used here: Gudgodah. I’ve read this chapter many times in the last few years and today is the day this word jumped off the page and the Holy Spirit said, let’s park here for a bit. The following story is a great example of what happens when you take your time in His Word. Studying at His pace allows the Holy Spirit to speak to you like He did today when He said, park here and let’s go deeper. It’s during this time together studying with Him at His pace that He is able to show you the mysteries in the Bible that are there for those who will seek them out. He wants to teach you all things if you will allow Him. (Jeremiah 33:3)
”From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah;
and from Gudgodah to
Jotbath, a land of rivers of waters.” Deuteronomy 10:7
Gudgodah is a strange place I hadn’t heard of before. That would be because it originated from the Hebrew scrolls into the King James Version. It was spelled differently in some of the other translations, so studying from the KJV is good for learning the original English context of scripture breathed by God (2Timothy 3:16-17). This time through the whole Bible is my first time studying this version.
So, with this word the Holy Spirit highlighted to me today, it sounded familiar in pronunciation for some reason. I kept saying it and re-reading the above scripture. The word sounded familiar like a part of a phrase I’ve heard many times growing up. I kept rolling it over in my mind when suddenly I remembered! The phrase is “good god all mighty” the slang version: (gudgodahmighty), a term not used to honor the Great God Almighty, our Creator, rather it is used for a negative shocking moment of surprise.
It struck me that in this scripture Jotbath was described but Gudgodah wasn’t. I wondered why. Where was this place and what was it? So off I began to research this “place” in the wilderness journey. I was shocked at what I discovered!
What is Gudgodah?
Gudgodah
gud-go’-daw
Gudgodah Definition
Strong’s Concordance 1412 – Blue Letter Bible
Gudgodah = “the slashing place”
- a station or stopping place of Israel in the wilderness wanderings
A slashing place?!? What?!?
Time to back up in scripture and dig deeper.
Digging deeper
In this part of the story, God continues to lead the Israelites towards the Promised Land even though their hearts keep turning back to Egypt: their safe place, the place where they didn’t have to listen to or follow God. The place where they were in bondage but felt that it was easier to be in bondage than to follow God and His commands. They believed in God, they were Hebrews, but their bondage was so controlling that it consumed them and took priority over their worship and relationship with God.
(Note: this behavior applies to the entire human race, not just the Israelites. If you disagree, ask the Holy Spirit to show you as you study the entire Holy Bible, Genesis to Revelations. You will be surprised what He reveals to you when you spend time alone with Him studying. Jeremiah 33:3)
God is trying to love them, teach them, and guide them but they keep looking for reasons to complain and mourn that they were not back in Egypt under the bondage again. In this story, they had been in bondage for 400 years, that’s where their focus had been. The reason for them to be in the wilderness for forty years before reaching the promised land was because God was trying to get the Egypt mindset out and off of them. They weren’t ready for the promised land; if they had been, He would have taken them straight there.
The parallel here
This story is so parallel with each human life story. God creates us for a special purpose. He wants us to obey and follow Him on our way to spending eternity with Him. We live in a broken and fallen world with the enemy trying to distract us from what God wants to teach us. God shows us what He wants for us, but we get to choose if we want to follow Him.
Many choose to keep living life on their terms without rules from God, not realizing that choice causes them to live in bondage to their Egypt = the enemy and his worldly ways. God tries to help and guide you back to the path He has for you. Sometimes you listen and give it a shot until it gets hard as God gently applies pressure as He is changing your worldly mindset to a heavenly mindset. You then give up on God and turn back to what is “easier.” Then when that lane gets bumpy and tough again, you cry out to God. He comes to your rescue. Then when that crisis is over you go back to living life your way again. The Israelites do not have a corner on that market; this applies to all humans.
There will come a day, when you will cry out to God and He won’t respond; scripture says He will give you over to your worldly lusts. (Romans 1:24)
Where is Gudgodah today?
Much to my surprise, in my research I discovered that Gudgodah is NOT a physical location on the map; that’s why it wasn’t described in the verse as Jotbath was clearly stated.
So, if it’s not a physical city on the map, what is it? What I learned is that it’s a “place of process.” A place where God takes all of us as He prunes and refines us in the fire, ridding us of our old selves so that we can follow Him wholeheartedly. Everyone goes there; some go through it, and some choose to stay in it – not willing to allow God to shape them. Those are the ones that choose to sit in the mud = stay in their problems complaining; the ones who don’t want to do what it takes to be what God created them to be.
Guess what happens to those who
go all-in and allow God to take them through the process to make them more like Him
and live out their purpose for Him?
They get to go to Jotbath!!!
Remember? Jotbath is described as the land of rivers of waters. What does that mean you ask? Let me ask you this: who is clearly stated over and over in the Holy Bible as the “living waters” that run through all those who believe? ( Jew and Gentile)
Jesus!!!
Jesus says,
“He that believeth on me,
as the scripture hath said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.“
John 7:38
Isn’t that fascinating?!?
Ready to go to Gudgodah?
There is no way around Gudgodah; all who want to spend eternity with Jesus must go through it. This path is part of the process God designed for us to become what He created us to be for Him. No one is “good enough” to bypass this part of the process; scripture says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All humans are sinful; scriptures say we are born that way. (Romans 3:23, 5:19) But Jesus came to earth and died on the cross for our sins so that we can be free from the bondage of sin over us. He gives us a choice to receive this gift; He doesn’t force it on us.
Before Jesus came to earth in human form, God spoke to the people through Moses to get them to turn from their sin and follow Him. God does not offer a relationship with a switch that you turn on and off as you need Him; with God, it’s an all or nothing relationship. Like most humans (not all), they utilize the switch method of their so-called relationship with God. Many of us used to be that way before we allowed God to transform us. When I turned back to Him and went all-in with Him, that was when I gave Him my “switch;” I didn’t need it anymore. I was worn out from that exhaustive process.
This is one of the many places where the people complained because they didn’t want to go through Gudgodah and what God wanted to teach them.
“And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?” Numbers 20:3-4
Everyone has to go through Gudgodah to get to Heaven.
You can’t go around it!
You can turn back to your Egypt of bondage if you want, but that is a whole lost worse than Gudgodah. When you allow God to take you to Gudgodah and walk with you through the “slashing” process to transform you into who He created you to be, He is with you every step. While it seems painful and difficult, He is there; you are NOT alone. You must go through this humbling process. It is through this process that God breaks us and humbles us removing our prideful hearts of stone, giving us a humble heart of flesh.
With that new heart, He lavishes us with His love, peace, and hope. (Exodus 20:6)
Is the whole Bible relevant?
Today we have confirmed that the entire Holy Word of God is relevant. God’s Word is alive and useful for teaching. (Hebrews 4:12, 2Timothy 3:16-17)
Who would have thought that the word “Gudgodah” could have such hidden meaning? That it could teach us so much about allowing God to take us through the “slashing” process to get to the living water.
This word, Gudgodah, is found nowhere else in scripture, only here, to make a point at the appointed time as God is having Moses recount the story of their passing through the desert for forty years. Gods is having Moses use this word to show them why it was necessary to go through Gudgodah so that we can all be transformed into who He created us to be. Then, He will pour His blessings on us.
So the next time you have a word jump off the page of the Bible as you are studying, take notice! The Holy Spirit wants to take you deeper and show you something amazing!
In summary,
Where does this blog find you today? Living la vida loca (life on your terms), in the mud complaining about your circumstances, or perhaps you are going through Gudgodah now and wasn’t sure what it meant until today? The good news is, if you are going through it now with the Lord, He will lead you through to the other side to Jotbath, the land of rivers of waters with Jesus. Don’t be afraid to go through the process, He is always with you. Cling to Him. Trust Him. He loves you so much!
If you are not sure where you stand with Jesus today and want to make sure, follow the simple steps below. Those who have an “on-off switch” relationship with Jesus, it’s time to flip the switch to the permanent “ON’ mode, surrender your switch, and follow Him. Time is short and your time to repent is coming to a close each passing day as we get closer to Jesus’ return. Choose Him today.
Don’t complicate the process for salvation. Keep it simple.
Do the ABC’s and repent today.
- A: Admit that you are a sinner. (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8-9)
- B: Believe in your heart that Jesus is the son of God and that He died for your sins and rose from the dead for you. (John 3:16-18, 1Corinthians 15:1-4)
- C: Call on Jesus and repent of your sins and turn back to Him and ask Jesus to show you the way. (Romans 10:9-13, John 14:6)
May God bless you and keep you.
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