News Letter 5850-015
6th day of the 4th month 5850 years after the creation of Adam
The 4th Month in the Fifth year of the Third Sabbatical Cycle
The Third Sabbatical Cycle of the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of Earthquakes, Famines and Pestilence

July 5, 2014

Shabbat Shalom Family,

On June 29, 2014 the new moon of the fourth Biblical month was sighted in Israel from Kiryat Ata by YoelHalevi at 7:50 pm and by Devorah Levine from Jerusalem at 7:53 pm.
It is with great disappointment that I share this with you all.

After more than two weeks of an intensive, desperate search that held the attention of the entire nation of Israel, IDF troops finally located the bodies of the three Jewish teenagers kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in mid-June. Many in Israel and around the world were earnestly praying for their safe return, but it turned out that the young men were murdered by their abductors not long after they were seized while on their way home from school at night.
We are all mourning the loss of these three young yeshiva students: Gil-Ad Shaer (16 years old), EyalYifrah (19), and NaftaliFraenkel (16).
The students disappeared from a hitchhiking post south of Jerusalem on 12 June, and a burned out car found the next morning outside Hebron led Israeli forces to concentrate their search efforts in and around that ancient city. The search involved an intense, around-the-clock sweep through Palestinian towns and villages, and even wells and caves in the surrounding hillsides. This disrupted the lives of many of the area’s residents, and some began charging Israel with imposing “collective punishment” on the Palestinian population and committing “war crimes” against them.
Yet this was a just search-and-rescue effort that any freedom-loving country would have engaged in to find and return abducted teens. And there are strong precedents in the Bible that encourage us to see this effort as just and upright.
The Patriarch Abraham, for instance, only picked up the sword once in his life. But he did so in order to recover his nephew Lot and his family after they had been abducted in the battle of the kings, as described in Genesis 14. What is most interesting is that when Abraham completed his mission and was returning home, that is the very moment the extraordinary figure Melchizedek came out to bless him, saying:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” (Genesis 14:19-20)
Melchizedek, presented in the Bible as a divinely-appointed priestly king, could have gone to meet Abraham at any time, but he chose to do it at this particular moment and even pronounced great blessing over him. So this biblical story depicts efforts to rescue captives as a just mission.
We see this again in the campaign by David to rescue and recover all the people and possessions carted away by the Amalekites, as recounted in 1 Samuel 30. When the Amalekites plundered and burned Ziklag, it stirred a rebellion against David within his own camp. But he “strengthened himself in the Lord his God” and inquired about whether to pursue the abductors. God’s answer was “pursue”, and included a promise that “you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all” (verses 6-8).
So the Word of God informs us that searching for these young men was a just and upright cause.
Hamas and other terrorist groups are constantly trying to kidnap Israelis to either murder them or hold them for ransom to free Palestinians convicted of murder and other violent crimes. Thankfully, the majority of such attempts have been thwarted. But the terrorists view the seizure and death of these yeshiva students as a successful operation, which means Israel has to raise its guard higher and find a way to deter it from happening again.

Brethren, this was edited from an email I received from ICEJ and it expresses my sentiments as well, but does not go far enough.
I have been telling you for some time now about what is coming. I have been warning you of the coming war. It has only been recently that the 2300 Days of Daniel was revealed to us. These 2300 Days of Hell shows us how it is the Saints who will be pursued, hunted, killed and slaughtered wherever they can be found. This is reaffirmed again when we understand the real meaning of the 70 Weeks of Daniel. In the middle of that 120th Jubilee Cycle, the one we are in right now, the Saints will be cut off and be as if they never were. The Saints are all those who are DNA descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, whether or not they keep torah. We explain this in our video and in detail in our book. We also show you how some of those, but not all of those who do keep Torah, will be martyred as well.

What is going on all over the middle east and what we have just read about in the State of Israel itself, is Satan seeking to obliterate all of the bride so that there can be no wedding. The understanding of what the Prophet Daniel is saying could only be understood when we understood the Sabbatical years. Satan knows his time is almost up and will begin to wipe out all mankind, so that men will be more scarce than the gold of Orphir. (Yes, I know I am taking this from the prophecy about Babylon being destroyed by Yehovah, bottom line, mankind will be very scarce.)

Isa 13:12  I will make a man more precious than gold; even a man than the fine gold of Ophir.
Psa 137:1 There we sat down by the rivers of Babylon; also, we wept when we remembered Zion. 2We hung our lyres on the willows in its midst. 3For there our captors demanded a song from us; and our plunderers demanded gladness, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 4How shall we sing Jehovah’s song in a foreign land? 5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget. 6If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth; if I do not prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy. 7Remember, O Jehovah, the sons of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Make it bare! Make it bare, even to the foundation of it! 😯 daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one! Blessed is he who will repay to you your reward which you rewarded to us. 9Blessed is he who seizes and dashes your little ones against the stones.

With this in mind and the events we have shared above, read the following and know your job that you must do. You cannot cower in some corner. You must get out there and do a job.

Mat 10:5  Jesus sent out these twelve, commanding them, saying, Do not go into the way of the nations, and do not enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6  But rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7  And as you go, proclaim, saying, The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. You have received freely, freely give. 9  Do not provide gold nor silver, nor copper in your purses, 10  nor a bag for the journey, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staves. For the workman is worthy of his food. 11  And into whatever city or village you enter, inquire who within it is worthy. And there abide until you go away from there. 12  And when you come into a house, greet it. 13  And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14  And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15  Truly I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. 16  Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. 17  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the sanhedrins, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. 18  And you shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the nations. 19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. 20  For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21  And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. And the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. 22  And you will be hated of all men for My name’s sake, but the one who endures to the end shall be kept safe. 23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee into another; for truly I say to you, In no way shall you have finished the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. 24  A disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25  It is enough for the disciple that he is like his master, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household? 26  Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and nothing hidden which shall not be known. 27  What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear, proclaim on the housetops. 28  And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29  Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31  Therefore do not fear, you are of more value than many sparrows. 32  Then everyone who shall confess Me before men, I will confess him before My Father who is in Heaven. 33  But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in Heaven. 34  Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to send peace, but a sword. 35  For I have come to set a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36  And a man’s foes shall be those of his own household. 37  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38  And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. 39  He who finds his life shall lose it. And he who loses his life for My sake shall find it. 40  He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a just one in the name of a just one will receive a just one’s reward. 42  And whoever shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink, only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, He shall in no way lose his reward.

You have no excuses. You cannot say “I am too fat, I am too old, I am too young, I have too many kids, I have no money, I have no house”. You have NO EXCUSES why you cannot be doing something to warn people of what is coming. What you need to do is just get started doing something.
Let me give you an example.

A group of ladies in Calgary had heard of the things I was teaching, from one Barb Hemphill who had heard the entire message at Sukkot last year in 2013. She was explaining it to this group that met each week on the Sabbath. This group in turn were studying these things out by opening up their bibles and researching it, proving it true or false.

After a time they decided they wanted more and had heard I was going to be speaking in Ohio at Shavuot. They all had planned on buying airfare and coming there to hear these things in person and asking me those questions they had. Some other people wrote the host of the Ohio meeting and the host got scared to have me come there and hurt some peoples feelings. That Ohio meeting was then canceled.

These ladies from Calgary were not going to let that stop them. They were upset at the cowardice of the Ohio people and wrote them and told them as much, but they did not stop there. They then decided to have me come to their community of 5 towns with a population of about 5,000 people. And they set out to make it happen. They rented the hunters and fisherman lodge with stuffed Mountain Lions, Moose, Elk, and Caribou hanging on the walls. They put up posters everywhere they could, in all five towns. They moved their feet into action and did not just talk about it amongst themselves, dwelling on ‘what if’ or negative thoughts. They just did it, and Yehovah blessed them.

They had people come in from off the street after seeing the posters, people they knew but had no idea they were interested. They had pastors of local church groups come. And they had me there giving the hardest teachings I could about the 70 Shabua and the 2300 Days of Hell in which so many of those of the Celtic race will be wiped out. Those who thought they were going to have just another bible prophecy meeting left with their mouths on the floor, having never perceived nor understood because until this moment they did not understand the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles.

These ladies have dropped a bomb in their community and will now have those there talking to others about what just happened this past weekend. These ladies took action instead of just talking about it. And now these same ladies say they are all coming to Israel. These are ladies of ACTION and not just talkers. What about you?

Here are a few comments I received from these ladies:

Shalom Joe
Just a short note to thank you for coming and sharing with us the wisdom and understanding Yah has imparted to you. Your presentation of The Curses and Sabbatical cycles was an excellent review for those of us who have been studying your books “The Prophecies of Abraham” and “Remembering The Sabbatical Years.”  We received a peek preview of your new book “The 2300 Days of Hell” which totally obliterated all of the false teachings that have been circulating for years concerning Daniel’s Timeline.  Studying what the words really mean in Hebrew, opposed to the way they have been translated, causes the Word of Truth to be rightly divided and this you have done!  Thank you for your diligence!  There is an urgency to your teachings that greatly impacted us as a small Sabbath fellowship, as we worked through your teachings and we knew we had to have you come and teach us personally.  Thank you for taking the time to fellowship with us at meal times and answer our many questions.  You have no idea how much this has impacted us!  I felt your passion for those who are blissfully and or willingly ignorant of what is coming upon us and I saw the heart of Yehovah beating in your chest as you at times were breaking down with the gravity of the times in which we live.  The Blood Moon and Case for War teaching compounded this urgency, and my prayer is that all to whom this truth has been taught and who will HEAR & OBEY  will catch the urgency of the heart of Yehovah, as you have, and join you in SOUNDING THE ALARM!  We were full to overflowing with the feast you provided! Thank you again, Joe.
With much thankfulness,
Geri

Crowsnest Pass, Alberta
Dear Joe! thank you for an incredible weekend of teaching and sharing. My husband and I were greatly blessed (again) by your candid approach and we love your “ditch-digger” style and incredible enthusiasm for truth. You present your research and knowledge in a concise manner and never hesitate to stop to clarify/answer questions. In your newsletters and facebook posts, I occasionally find your approach somewhat brash and misunderstood. In person, your genuine concern for the safety of Yah’s people is visible through and through. Thank you for doing the thankless job of being a watchman on Yah’s walls. PS it was the best two days of teaching we have ever experienced! Shalom Aleichem. See you in Jerusalem.
Teresa

Hi Joe,
I would like to thank you for your teaching this last weekend…even though it made me cry! This message on the sabbatical & jubilee years is amazing & life changing!
Please know how blessed we feel that we were able to have you teach in our community. I know you have a tough message and are not popular in some circles …… well, we are so thankful to have found you! I pray you continue to keep in the truth that Jehovah has shown you & know that we will keep you in our prayers. Keep the faith & we will see you in Israel!
Blessings,
Marilyn
Crowsnest Pass

Hi Joe, I want to thank you once again for coming all the way to our little town last weekend. As we walk this narrow path toward righteousness we sometimes feel quite alone in doing so. It is encouraging to be in a room with like minded people whom we can truly relate to.

Our small group of women has been studying out your teachings for the past year and it was such a blessing to meet you and be able to question you in person. I would like to say that I have been able to find fault with this information as it is quite disturbing to think that we will be faced with war within the next few years. As Canadians this is so foreign to us that I don’t think we can truly grasp it.

You challenged us to find fault, prove you wrong, or prove you right, so that is what we will do.  So far, I can honestly say that everything we have studied out lines up….and that is why I think people don’t want to hear this message….it is not what we want to hear!

There are many ministries out there tickling peoples ears and telling them what they want to hear.  I want the truth and I believe you have presented a good case for the Sabbatical year being 2016. The fact that the curses we will and are experiencing are a direct result of not honoring the Sabbatical year makes perfect sense. No one can deny the changes in this world over the past 2 decades.

I pray that you continue on your mission to reveal the truth that YHVH has revealed to you and that you and your family are blessed for your difficult walk.
Laura

Another group who were going to attend the canceled Ohio meeting were also upset, and they too have taken action and moved their feet. They are hosting me to come there and to again share in person what we are warning people about. They too understand that when you see the sword coming you warn people. They are hosting this meeting in Columbus, Ohio on August 2 and 3rd of 2014, I will be presenting the 6 Blood moon teaching and the 2300 Days of Hell and the 70 Shabua of Daniel and more. You must register so we can get the appropriate room. We have one room that holds only 50 people so we need to register and if we have more we will get a larger room.  For directions to the hall please contact

I am told over and over by those who are in The Churches of God how the leadership is telling the brethren to shut up and stop talking about the sighted moon or these blood moons, the name of God and other things on my web site. This comes from brethren who spoke directly to the head of the Canadian work and other pastors out west. The head of the Canadian work is my former pastor, of whom I have personally brought copies of The Prophecies of Abraham and Remembering the Sabbatical year of 2016. There are many others in these Church of God groups across this land and the world who love their friends there and do not want to lose them. So in order to keep those friends they shut up and coward down to the leadership.
What did Yehshua say? We just read it.

Mat 10:34  Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to send peace, but a sword. 35  For I have come to set a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36  And a man’s foes shall be those of his own household. 37  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38  And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

Are you worthy to be called of the family of Yehovah, or do you love those people around you more? Are you afraid to speak up to your leadership and show them what they do not want to look at? Are you afraid they will put you out? Do some simple math. If they put everyone out, they will have no one to tithe to them so they can have their pay checks and pensions. The leadership will not rock the boat because they are near the time when they can collect their pension, so they keep silent. Even after they have retired they must keep silent or lose or be cut off from their pensions.

Yes, the Churches of God are controlling their leadership by threatening them with not being able to have a pension upon retirement. It is the same for the 7th Day Baptist and the 7th Day Adventists. No one speaks up because they all MUST TOE THE PARTY LINE! How sad and how hypocritical.
I learned so much from them but now they have stopped all growth. They all claim to be the Philadelphian Church of God group from Revelation, when if anyone stands back and just takes a good hard look, you can see they are dead asleep and in truth, they are the Laodicean Churches of God.

Rev 3:14And to the angel of the church of the Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God, says these things: 15I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot. 16So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17Because you say, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be clothed, and so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; therefore be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me. 21To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with My Father in His throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

If your Church is the same size it was ten years ago, or shrinking, and you are not growing in numbers and reaching out to share these truths we know to others, then you are in fact of the church of Laodicea. Brethren, the Groom is coming, the birth pangs are here, but if you are being bullied into silence then your leadership does not understand nor know what it means to have iron sharpening iron. It means healthy debate and disagreements, not dictatorships or authoritarianism. Check out each of the prophets in the bible. Yehovah never went from the top down, except in the case of David. All the prophets were ordinary men from the field and not the leadership. So, tell them to either humble themselves before Yehovah or they will lose their flocks, then you stand up and teach them about the Blood moon and about the crescent moon to begin the month. You stand up and you tell them about the 70 Shabua of Daniel and the Sabbatical years and you tell them about the 2300 Days of Hell. And if they kick you out, then you make as much noise as possible and let others know because if you don’t, they will die with what is coming.

It is time each of you stood up to those who boss you around, and you straighten them out before they also die. Either you do Yehovah’s will, or you and your Church of God group – wherever it is in the world – you and they will be trampled under the feet of the hordes that are coming and seek to kill us. What did we just read in Mat 10?

31  Therefore do not fear, you are of more value than many sparrows. 32  Then everyone who shall confess Me before men, I will confess him before My Father who is in Heaven. 33  But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in Heaven.

That word “Confess” is;

G3670     ??????????     homologeo?     hom-ol-og-eh’-o

From a compound of the base of G3674 and G3056; to assent, that is, covenant, acknowledge: – con- (pro-) fess, confession is made, give thanks, promise.

G3056     ??????    logos     log’-os

From G3004; something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension a computation; specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (that is, Christ): – account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say (-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.

So this word confess again refers us back to the Covenant of Mount Sinai and tells us we must SPEAK OUT. Part of that covenant is keeping the Holy Days at the right time via the sighted moon, and also the keeping of the Sabbatical year, the next one is in 2016. So start talking and stop being afraid of what they will do to you.

Jas 2:17Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself. 18But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works. 19You believe that there is one God, you do well; even the demons believe and tremble. 20But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

If you think tithing to the Churches of God is showing your faith, you are mistaken. Again, read what Yehshua said in Mat 10.

27  What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear, proclaim on the housetops. 28  And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Each of you must speak up. Each of you must stop being afraid of being kicked out. If that is your motive for staying, by avoiding being put out, then why are you there in the first place? It is time to put on your big boy pants and wake up from the sleepiness of the Laodicean Churches of God. It is better to die for doing something than to die hiding under a bed as a coward. Take a stand, and stand for the truth, no matter the cost.

After finishing with the group in Crowsnest Pass, I set out driving to my sister’s place to stay with her Sunday night. In front of me was this black wall of rain and I thought for sure I would be held up because of it. As I drove East on HWY 3 this huge storm kept moving east, away from me, and when I eventually turned north into cowboy country on HWY 2, the storm was moving into Saskatchewan and I never did see a single rain drop. But look at what Sask. got from this little storm. Watch this news report from the CBC.

We pulled into my sister’s place and she invited about eight of her closest friends to come and meet me. She has been telling them about me for some time now, so we sat down and all these cowboys began a jam session for a couple of hours as we sat and sang or listened. Soon half of them left, and the last one was barely out the door before the questions began. Yes, my sister had indeed been talking about her brother. So there we sat, drinking whiskey and talking about God and Satan and The Ten Lost tribes and the coming war until 2:00 in the morning. It was an open forum, with questions being fired at me before I could finish explaining the other three hundred I had just been asked. Understand brethren, they really wanted to know but they have so much Christian baggage that they have hung on to, they have a hard time understanding. I am told everyone there was thrilled to be able to speak on such a subject so freely.

The next morning was the real time for learning. After just a few hours sleep we were all getting up and going out to the barn to work with the horses. Yes, my sister and brother in law are real life cowboys, roping and riding and branding and looking after herds of cattle. Their web site is here if you are interested in having a clinic on how to handle horses.

The testing had begun for me before I realized it. We walked through the mud of the pens to fetch the horse named Charlie (people here like to name their horses after the person they bought it from. LOL), Yes, this is Charlie Horse. I got it.

Martin went to get Charlie while I stayed in the pen with this large, beautiful Friesian horse, totally black from  head-to-toe. There was another mare whose name I have forgotten; Tipoty, I think. The Friesian would not come near me and was running around. His size was intimidating but I was not going to show it any fear I may have had. Tipoty was the dominant horse and made sure to let everyone and every other horse know it. She would not let me pet her but instead tried to intimidate me as soon as we got in the pen. I would not move. She tried again and I stood my ground. Then she came up behind me and stood there. Now she let me pet her. I had not realized what had just happened but soon Martin would clue me in.

He gave me Charlie Horse by the bridle to lead back to the indoor barn where we could work with them, out of the mud and rain that was now starting. When we let Charlie and Tipoty go, Tipoty immediately began to work Charlie around the arena, forcing him to go wherever she directed him. Martin told me she was exercising her authority over Charlie. Charlie never cares to be the lead horse but Tipoty does all the time, and so this goes on each time in the pen until the other horse, in this case Charlie Horse, submits to her.

Martin explained to me that was what she was doing with me. Martin knew who was the dominant one because she let me pet her. Which means she could not move me. The horse whisperer knows people by the way the horse and the people react to each other. Just by watching the horse and never saying a word, Martin was learning about me and my character.

Tipoty had submitted to me but was now exercising her dominance over Charlie.
Once that little show was over, then Martin began to work with them. He never forces a horse to let him put on the saddle or even to force them to let him ride them. He gives them the choice. How, you may ask?

I kept silent and watched the horse whisperer work them. He took the end of the rope and just twirled it, and the horses began to run away from him and in a circle, as Martin stood in the middle. When Martin stopped, Charlie Horse came right up to his shoulder and Tipoty stood afar off, thinking about this whole situation.

Martin explained to me that Charley had had enough and was ready to do what Martin wanted. Tipoty was still trying to be dominant. Martin then got out what looked like a short fishing pole with a flag on the end of it. He waved it ever so slightly and both horses took off running in a circle again, bucking and jumping somewhat. Martin then put the flag away and both horses ran to his shoulder and stood there, ready to do what Martin wanted. They had made the choice.

I asked Martin what was going on here, what was I watching? He said the rope stings as he twirls it if it hits them, and the flag on the end of the rod also stings if the rod is ever applied. It never is, but the horse knows it stings. The horse can stand there and receive the sting or they can move their feet away from it. They then must choose if they want to be pursued by the potential sting, or stop all this running around and come to work with Martin.
Tipoty had tried to get me to move my feet by intimidating me. When I did not move, she came to respect me. Marty had caused both horses to move their feet. They could keep on running or they could work with him. They get to choose. Horses are so intelligent and can sense fear and gentleness in people. I had passed the test.

Then I began to explain to Martin some of the things I was not able to have him understand the night before.
All these curses that I talk about everywhere I go are in fact Yehovah, God, waving the flag, causing us to move our feet to get away from the tornado or the flood or the drought or the terrorism or the diseases. And the next flag to be waved is the flag of war, when everyone will be moved out of their home.

Eze 20:33  As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, I will reign over you. 34And I will bring you out from the people, and I will gather you out of the lands in which you are scattered among them, with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out. 35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the Lord Jehovah. 37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38And I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who sin against Me. I will bring them out from the land where they reside, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am Jehovah.

Everyone is going to be moved out of their homes, but if they continue to rebel and not submit to Yehovah then they will be killed. Yehovah does the exact same thing as Martin is doing with the horses. Yehovah uses these “natural” disasters, and Martin uses the end of the rope or a whip or the flag. He gives us a choice the same as Martin gives the horses a choice. We can keep running around this stupid arena or we can choose to come and serve Yehovah, the same as the horses choose to serve Martin. This is called being meeked. I wrote of this a long time ago and you can read it at this link. Let me take some of that same article and place it here.

Meek is another word I had never looked at until I heard that it was an old English word. Modern dictionaries describe Meek as;

Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mjukr gentle; akin to Welsh esmwyth soft
1 : enduring injury with patience and without resentment : MILD
2 : deficient in spirit and courage : SUBMISSIVE
3 : not violent or strong : MODERATE

Do you see what it is saying? “Enduring injury with patience and without resentment; Mild, deficient in spirit and courage; Submissive, not violent or strong; Moderate.”
It is describing the Meek I have always known and could never attain: Meekness is weakness.
This is so far from the truth that my mind spun, as I go back to the original word. It revolves around the word humble. It has always struck me that in order to be humble you had to be meek, and meek, to me, was to be weak.
Yehovah said to Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Meekness and humbleness, to me, were weakness. But this is not right.

Yehshua said, “Blessed are the meek.” We often balk at that because it seems to imply that Christians are supposed to be doormats for others to walk over. But in the Greek, the verb form for “meek” refers to the channeling of energies, as in the taming of horses. Before horses could become useful to their masters, they had to be “meeked”.

My brother-in-law Martin was, in fact, meeking these horses.
The fact is we are meeked by the thorns in our flesh. We are being meeked by the severity of the weather around us. We are humbled. The mercy of our failures is that they break our reliance on our own powers and cast us upon the mercy of Yehovah. Until we are “meeked” we serve the master of our own ego and our own standard of success. But Yehshua truly becomes our master when we give up the reins, when we confess, When we return to the Torah.
Meekness then is not that of the doormat, but when one who is meeked has yielded it’s own power to that of the one holding the reins. Yehovah has the reigns and I am the horse that submits my power and energy to Him. I do not become weak but rather, I become strength under control, yielding to Him who holds the reins. We become as one, rider and horse, so much so that even His thoughts are responded to. There is no need for the reins to be used because I, as the horse, am so responsive to His every movement.

This is what Martin was trying to teach me from a horsemanship point of view, and this is what I was trying to teach him and those listening the night before, but I could not find the proper connection. The horses are that connection. It is the same thing, the same lesson.
Strength under control: that is what meekness is. Humble enough to let another take control of our strengths to use them as He sees fit. This is what we do when we work for Yehovah.

Matt 5: 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek) and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Moses was meekest of all men. I do not think Moses was the weakest of all men. I now know that he was the most yielded to our Father, Yehovah.

Yielded = Meek = Strength under control.

Our strength and ambitions need to be yielded to Yehovah, just as a wild stallion is meeked. The ox or mule is meeked to the yoke, a horse to the bridle. Strength under control is a compliant spirit.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, who know how sinful they really are and mourn over their rebellious attitude.
Blessed are the meek who have yielded control under Yehovah. They still have the same fire, drive and strength only now they have allowed a bridle and a rider to control them. The horse is not hobbled so it cannot run, it is only bridled.The magnificent stallion under the control of its rider is awesome to watch. Blessed is the one who is yielded. Just as that beautiful Friesian horse in the pen, with its hairy hooves, is a magnificent animal when being ridden.

How do you get it? How are you meeked? How are you yielded? First, you become bankrupt in spirit and then you are broken in spirit over it. We must mourn our sin, then be submitted to Yehovah.

Matt11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
James 1:21 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves
And receive with meekness (welcome with humility) the grafted word which can save.

Let the word of Yehovah be your bridle and bit.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness (meekness), self-control. Against such there is no law.

I have yielded myself to Yehovah, and now having done so, being a peacemaker makes sense.

Matt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

First, we have to become poor in spirit; to see our spiritual need, to see just how spiritually bankrupt we really are before a Holy Elohim. When we do that, then we become as those who mourn, who truly repent from their sins and turn from them.

This is how we become meek – those who are yielded to Yehovah. Once we are broken and become poor in spirit and mourn our bankrupt spirituality, then after we have yielded ourselves to the King of Kings, we then become hungry and we thirst after the true word of Yehovah. We hunger and thirst – earnestly seeking out the righteousness of Yehovah in His word.

Yehovah is then gracious and forgives us our past sins. This is called mercy – when man is forgiven his debts – those forgiven their sins. As we study and learn Yehovah’s word, we develop and become Pure in Heart.

1 Peter 1: 22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

So, what is a peace maker? This is the next thing mentioned in the beatitudes. I was surprised at the answer,  because it builds on all those things we have just covered. You cannot be a peacemaker unless you have the preceding attitudes already at work in your life, as told in the beatitudes (beautiful attitude).
Peace is the result of Righteousness.

James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Isaiah 32:17 – The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
Isaiah 48:18 – Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

The ten commandments are Righteousness.

Psalm 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.
Psalm 119:165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.
Psalm 119: 172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.

Listen to what James says in light of those things already spoken of. Once we have been broken of our contrite spirit and seen our moral bankruptcy, then repented and yielded to our Master; Once we have stopped rebelling against the Ten Commandments, then we will begin to attain righteousness, if we do what the law says to do. Then, and only then, will we have peace.

James 4:1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

The wars and fighting come from not obeying the ten commandments. James tells us how to overcome this by humbling ourselves – Yielding or Meeking ourselves – then by seeing how immoral we are and mourning over this.

In the world today, a truce is a time to reload the ammunition. It is not peace. We have no peace. We war within ourselves. We are at war with Yehovah! Mankind is. People are at war with themselves. They are in turmoil inside.

Blessed are the peace makers. Peace is not appeasement. You are not honor bound to get along with every one.
We read in Romans 12:18. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Yet this seems to be in complete contradiction to Matt 10:34. Yeshua came not to give peace but to give a sword.The prince of Peace comes to bring a sword and NOT PEACE! What does this mean?
Again we are back to Math 10.

Matthew 10:32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

To learn what Yeshua is saying we go to Ephesians 6:

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak

Add to this what Timothy was told in 2 Timothy 2:

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

When we stand for the righteousness of Yehovah we use a sword – that is the word of the scriptures to rightfully divide the truth from falsehood. This is not peaceful. It is an act of war, Dividing families and brethren, Cutting right to the bone. Whenever we seek to obey our Father, when we Yield to His authority and seek to follow His Laws, then in this world, we will be at war with those who will not and do not obey Him.

My former congregation of the United Church of God wanted me to be peaceful by appeasement, by shutting up and sitting down and being quiet. Appeasement is not peace. Neville Chamberlain was declaring peace in his time with Hitler. It was not peace, it was appeasement, and war soon followed.
If we stand for Yehovah then we will have enemies. Yehshua was crucified because he had made enemies with men. Peace is not the absence of war. The cold war was not peaceful.

Peace is righteousness. It is always together with Peace. Righteousness and peace go together. You cannot have one without the other.
Peace = Shalom = Irene Greek -Positive word
Peace is Not truce making
Peace is Not the absence of war
Peace is the Right relationship between you and the Father and with self and with other people.
Peace is the Fruit of living righteously, of keeping all the ten commandments.
Peace is being righteous.
Peace and righteousness are always linked together.
Without righteousness (purity)(Not the false purity some people teach of self sanctioned moral) there is no peace.

James 3: 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

First Purity then Peace

Psalm 85: 8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

There is a love affair between righteousness and peace

Heb 7 :1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”

First Righteousness then Peace. What is Peace? Peace is a right relationship with Yehovah, having meeked oneself and submitted to His authority.
Adversary of Peace – War is = sin = lack of peace
The problem is sin. Sin is lawlessness. Breaking of the ten commandments.

Isaiah 48:22 There is no peace for the wicked, says Yehovah
and again in Isaiah 57:21 There is no peace, says Yehovah, for the wicked.
Jer 8: 4 “Moreover you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return? 5 Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return. 6 I listened and heard, But they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his own course, As the horse rushes into the battle. 7 “Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord. 8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. 9 The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; So what wisdom do they have? 10 Therefore I will give their wives to others, And their fields to those who will inherit them; Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is given to covetousness; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely. 11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace. 12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed, Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; In the time of their punishment They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.

There can be no peace without the prince of peace. Peace goes with righteousness. Without righteousness is sin. Those who say ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace are still living in sin.

Matt 10: 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

I have one more thing to cover. During our night discussion, I was asked point blank about those things that had happened to my sister. Indeed these things have happened to many little girls. You can read the article Confessions of a Sex Addict to hear the whole story.
Let me say here and now and make no mistake: I love my sister with my whole heart and she has had a raw deal. But that does not diminish her in my eyes one bit. In fact, I look up to her on so many points I cannot count them all. And to all those other women who have gone through this sexual abuse as a child and ended up doing things you regret now, or presently do not know how to get out of, I look up to you and respect each of you. Just as Rahab became the ancestor of Yehshua, your potential has yet to be reached so never give up.
The question asked me this night was about what had happened to my sister was not fair. The number of times her life was threatened by her pimps who shoved a gun down her mouth many times. It was not fair. The answer why this happened can be explained by reading the following booklet, Why Does God allow suffering.

Triennial Torah Cycle

We continue this weekend with our regular Triennial Torah reading 

Gen 45   2 Sam 19   Ps 89   Luke 8:1-48

Parallels in Scripture (Genesis 45)

One can see a thematic parallel between the entire story of Joseph and the story of Yeshua. Joseph was sent in bonds to Egypt so that ultimately he would be exalted and his family enabled to survive the famine. In like manner, Yeshua was sent ahead to suffer for others, has been exalted to the highest office and will deliver all mankind from death as a result.

Joseph saw God’s hand in everything that had happened—from his first visionary dreams to his enslavement, imprisonment, exaltation and, at last, reconciliation with his family. In chapter 50, he tells his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (verse 20). And permeating Joseph’s pronouncement of God’s guidance of events was the expression of forgiveness for all that they had done to him. Similarly, the covenant that offers us eternal salvation through Yeshua Messiah is surrounded by forgiveness—of those who brought about the necessity of His death. With this in mind, we should all take special heed to Joseph’s petitioning his brothers to “come down to me, do not tarry” (45:9), for Christ likewise calls us to follow and abide with Him—let us not delay in doing so.

Chapter 45 ends with wonderful news for Jacob. For more than two decades he has believed that Joseph his son is dead, and has never gotten over it (compare 42:35, 38). Now concerned about the fate of the rest of his sons down in Egypt, they return with the happiest announcement imaginable—in fact, beyond his imagination: “‘Joseph is alive,’ they shouted to him. ‘And he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!'” (45:26, Living Bible). This seemed utterly and hopelessly preposterous. “Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it” (verse 26, New Living Translation). Slowly, though, he finally came around. “But when they had given him Joseph’s messages, and when he saw the wagons loaded with the food sent by Joseph, his spirit revived. Then Jacob said, ‘It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I will go and see him before I die'” (verse 27, NLT). Yes, it was possible after all—beyond all hope, beyond all reason, beyond his wildest dreams—because the God of Jacob and Joseph was, and is, the Ruler of heaven and earth. And with Him all things are possible.

David Restored as King (2 Samuel 19:9-43)

The desire to restore David to power is not universal. While many of the people are calling for it, there is a reluctance on the part of those in the nation’s leadership to call David back to Jerusalem (verses 10-12). Perhaps they fear David will take revenge on Absalom’s supporters. So David orders the priests to begin encouraging the elders to support his return—which they do. And David returns to his capital.

In the meantime, David assigns his nephew Amasa (Joab’s cousin) the job of commander over the army in place of Joab. By appointing the man who had been commander of Absalom’s army to head the combined forces, he secures the allegiance of those who followed Absalom. Furthermore, Amasa also has influence among the leaders of Judah. All of this is helpful in uniting the kingdom. At the same time, Joab is, in some measure, punished for all the crimes he has committed, including the recent one of disobeying David’s direct orders about not harming Absalom.

Upon coming back to Jerusalem, David demonstrates great restraint in his clemency to Shimei, binding himself with an oath not to harm the man. He apparently still sees Shimei’s actions as somewhat justified. And he wants the civil war to be completely over with no more bloodshed. However, on later reflection, David will apparently come to see this whole situation differently. He originally looked upon Shimei’s cursing as ordered by God (16:11). However, Shimei’s cursing was over David usurping Saul’s throne—a complete falsehood—rather than over David’s real sins. At some point, he will decide that Shimei should be executed for his crime of cursing the king, yet David won’t be able to do this because of his oath. Therefore, he will order his son Solomon to deal with Shimei (1 Kings 2:8-9, 36-46).

David also restores Mephibosheth after he explains his position on what happened earlier. We read a different version given by his servant Ziba in 2 Samuel 16:1-4. There is quite a contrast in the two stories. Mephibosheth’s story makes sense and yet Ziba really did put himself in mortal danger from Absalom. Not knowing who is telling the truth, the king requires that the two men divide the wealth equally between themselves. After all, what else can he do at this point?

We are told in the Scriptures that one should not decide a matter before hearing both sides—that the first one to present his case often seems correct until the person on the other side has his say (Proverbs 18:13, 17). David had not originally followed these principles in this situation.

Concerning 2 Samuel 19:37-38, Chimham is evidently Barzillai’s son (see 1 Kings 2:7). Barzillai declines to accept David’s offer for himself, but suggests that Chimham be the recipient of David’s gratitude in his stead—to which David readily agrees.

Next we see the growing rivalry and resentment between Judah and the northern 10 tribes of Israel. The following chapter will show how a certain Sheba takes advantage of the widespread instability, suspicion and bitterness to lead Israel in a revolt against David and Judah (2 Samuel 19:40-43).

Psalm 89

Psalm 89 begins as a psalm of praise for God’s covenant with David, the Lord here seen sharing His dominion over creation with His earthly regent (verses 1-37), but ends as a lament over the apparent downfall of the Davidic dynasty (verses 38-51)—with a doxology (expression of praise) appended at the end to close Book III of the Psalter (verse 52).

This maskil—instructive psalm or “contemplation”—was composed by Ethan the Ezrahite. As mentioned above, his identity is disputed. Some believe this refers to David’s Levitical choir leader Ethan (also apparently known as Jeduthun), but it more likely seems to refer to the Ethan the Ezrahite of 1 Kings 4:30-31, a descendant of Judah’s son Zerah (compare 1 Chronicles 2:6). It should be observed that the earliest time that could conceivably fit with the latter section of this psalm is that of Pharaoh Shishak’s invasion during the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. Perhaps David’s choir leader Ethan could have lived until this time, as was postulated in the Bible Reading Program’s comments on Psalms 73-74 with regard to Asaph and his psalms about national invasion—though it seems unlikely that both choir leaders would have lived into their early 100s. (Of course, whether Asaph lived that long is not known. His psalms could have been exclusively prophecies—as could the conclusion of this psalm.) Ethan the Ezrahite in 1 Kings 4 appears to have lived at the time of or prior to Solomon—though it could be that he lived long afterward and that the comparison here between Solomon and him (and the other noted Zerahites) could have been a much later addition to the account of Solomon in the book of Kings.

One possibility worth considering is that Ethan the Ezrahite wrote only the first part of Psalm 89 (verses 1-37) as a positive psalm during the time of David or Solomon and that another author added the downturn of the final section (verses 38-51) at a much later time—perhaps even as late as the fall of the Kingdom of Judah to Babylon. Most, however, take the psalm as a unified composition—with a long setup to give the background for the lament of the final section. Of course, regardless of how the psalm came together, it is presented to us as a unified whole in the Psalter.

Ethan begins with a celebration of God’s mercy (hesed or covenant love) and faithfulness, which he will sing of “forever…to all generations” (verses 1). God’s merciful love stands firm forever, having been established “in the very heavens” (verse 2). This evidently is all aimed toward the covenant with David in verses 3-4 of a perpetual dynasty, which the prophet Nathan had revealed to David (see 2 Samuel 7:12-17). Evidently much more was said to David than is recorded in 2 Samuel 7. The establishment of the promise in the heavens is explained in more detail in verses 29 and 36-37 of Psalm 89, where it is said that David’s dynasty will persist as long as heaven, sun and moon. This is related to God’s statement through Jeremiah that His covenant with David was as unbreakable as the pattern of day and night and as the ordinances of heaven and earth (see Jeremiah 33:19-21, 25-26). God, moreover, explicitly swore to David that His dynasty would rule in all generations (Psalm 89:3-4). This creates a problem for many modern interpreters, as we will later consider.
Verses 5-17, concerning God’s might and power, may appear to be a digression in the psalm. Yet this description of the Almighty Sovereign of heaven and earth is central to the psalm for a number of reasons. First of all, it illustrates His capacity to keep His promises—to fulfill the terms of the covenant He has made. Secondly, we are made to understand that God, on His throne of righteousness and justice (verse 14), is the true and ultimate King. He was actually Israel’s King to start with (1 Samuel 12:12). The human king of Israel belongs to Him (Psalm 89:18)—serving as His viceroy, governing for Him on His throne. Note 1 Chronicles 29:23: “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father.” Furthermore, we should bear in mind that the One known to the Israelites as God in the Old Testament was in fact the preincarnate Yeshua Messiah (see 1 Corinthians 10:4). He would later be born as a human being of David’s lineage and, later still, come in glory to take back His throne to Himself as Israel’s King forever—in ultimate fulfillment of the promise of the Anointed King, the Messiah.

The Nelson Study Bible notes on Psalm 89:9-10: “Rahab [pictured elsewhere as a river- or sea-monster] is a title for Egypt (87:4 [compare Isaiah 30:7]). The sea and Rahab [here] refer to God’s great victories: in the beginning, His control of His creation; in the historic past, His victory over Egypt; and in the future, His complete triumph over Satan, sin, and death (Is. 27:1; 51:9). The psalmists regularly assert God’s complete control of creation (see 24:1). Nothing can challenge God’s majestic rule over the entire universe.” Compare also Psalm 93:2-4. (And for more on the term Rahab, see the Bible Reading Program comments on Job 25-26.)

In Psalm 89:12, Mount Hermon is the snow-covered, 10,000-foot peak on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Mount Tabor here, though only 1,800 feet, nevertheless rises grandly above the flatter land around it in the Galilee region. The majesty of these mountains serves but to praise the great God who made them. His arm and hand, symbolizing His strength and authority, is strong and high (verse 13).

The words “joyful sound” in verse 15 are translated from the Hebrew word teruah, the same word translated “blowing of trumpets” with respect to the Feast of Trumpets (see Leviticus 23:24). It refers to a great awakening blast on the shofar or ram’s horn—like a shout or alarm. Perhaps the idea in Psalm 89:15 is that, in a figurative sense, all creation blares the majesty and power of God—and that those who perceive this are blessed. Responding to God, these people experience His favor, righteousness, empowerment and exaltation (verses 15-17). The horn in verse 17 is a symbol of strength (see verse 24; 75:10; 92:10-11; 132:17).

Verse 18 of Psalm 89 returns to the subject of the human king, who serves God as the people’s defensive “shield” (see 84:9). This provides a transition back into a discussion of the Davidic covenant.

In Psalm 89:19, the Masoretic Text says God spoke in vision to a plurality of “holy ones” rather than the singular “holy one.” This does not necessarily mean that multiple people received the vision, especially as the vision itself is singular. The statement more likely means that the one receiving the vision, presumably Nathan, communicated what he received to all of God’s people.

With God’s mighty arm and hand mentioned earlier, He now establishes and strengthens David as His anointed king (verses 20-21). He and those who follow Him to the throne would prevail against enemies (verses 22-24). As God ruled the sea (verse 9), He would now bestow sovereignty over the seas and rivers to the Davidic dynasty (verse 25). During the reigns of David and Solomon, Israel’s borders were extended from the River Euphrates in the north to the River or Brook of Egypt in the south. And in alliance with Hiram of Tyre and later Egypt, Israel came to exercise dominion over maritime commerce in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. In the future, the Davidic dynasty’s dominion over the seas would be even greater, as we will see.

The king of Israel would experience a special Father-son relationship with God (verse 26)—being as God’s firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth (verse 27). David and Solomon did become the greatest kings of their time. Yet there was still more in store for the Davidic dynasty, which was to go on forever (verse 29).

Verses 30-34 show that God’s promise to David was not ultimately contingent on the faithfulness of his descendants. If they disobeyed God, He would punish them but would not bring David’s dynasty to an end. Verses 35-37 make it certain that God’s promise is absolute and irrevocable.
All of this serves to introduce the shocking contrast of the final section. Things looked bleak for the royal descendant of David—whoever he was at the time described here. He was evidently guilty of sin for which God was angry (verse 38). And it appeared that God, despite His promises, had renounced His covenant to uphold the dynasty (verse 39). Broken defenses, ruined strongholds, plunder by enemies who are exalted, turning back the edge of the king’s sword and not sustaining him in the battle (verses 40-43)—all of this point to a time of national invasion and the suffering of crushing military defeat. As mentioned earlier, the earliest time that would fit such circumstances was the invasion of Pharaoh Shishak during the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. Yet this could refer to a later invasion and defeat—perhaps even the final cessation of the Davidic dynasty in Judah at the time of the Babylonian invasion. Note the dreadful scale of the events. The psalm says the Davidic crown and throne have been cast down to the ground (verses 39, 44). The dynasty appeared doomed.

How could this be? Had not God utterly sworn that such a thing could never happen? Yet it looked like God was flouting every promise He had made to David regarding his throne and dynasty. How long will God let this horrible situation continue, the psalmist asks (verse 46). Life is so short—will he live to see the end of this situation? (verses 47-48). Where is the lovingkindness (the hesed) sworn to David, as noted at the beginning of the psalm? (verse 49; compare verses 1-3). The psalmist concludes by praying that God will think on the heavy burden of shameful reproach—the terrible mocking—that all His people, including His anointed king, are now being made to suffer from enemies (verses 50-51).

As hopeless as the end of the psalm may seem, it is not utterly so. For implicit in the question of how long this situation will go on is the thought that God may yet intervene. Indeed, why bother praying if there is no hope that He will act? Moreover, as much as the psalm ends in lament and confusion, we should recall that most of the psalm—the first part—speaks in glowing terms of God and His faithfulness. Looking back at the first verse gives us the real focus of the psalm—God’s merciful love and faithfulness is eternal and will be extolled forever. This is the lens through which the difficult circumstances at the end of the psalm are to be viewed.

How, then, do we reconcile this? An important clue is found in verse 4. God said David’s throne would be built up to all generations—that is, one of his dynastic descendants would rule in all generations. Yet nowhere is it promised that there would be no breaks in the reigns of David’s descendants. In fact, the punishing of the kings for transgression (see verse 32) could evidently include the temporary cessation of the Davidic throne—as long as a generation did not pass without David’s throne being reestablished.

Yet what of the Davidic dynasty seemingly terminating with Zedekiah at the time of Babylon’s invasion? Most Bible commentators today would be hard pressed to explain this in light of the Davidic covenant. Some think the throne was reestablished with the coming of the Messiah, Yeshua Messiah. But Yeshua was born more than 500 years later—after which many generations had passed, despite God’s promise that David’s throne would rule in all generations. Moreover, Yeshua did not come to reign on David’s throne at His first coming. He will do that when He later returns. So, have more than 2,500 years now gone by without a descendant of David ruling on his throne? Has God voided His covenant with David and broken His promises after all?
The answer is no. The Davidic throne was in fact transferred from Judah to Israel at the time of Babylon’s invasion (compare Ezekiel 17). This entailed planting David’s lineage in the British Isles—as Israelite tribes were in the process of migrating there (see our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy). Shocking though it may seem, the royal dynasty of Great Britain today is the continuation of the line of David. Britain’s monarchs have been the highest of the earth (see Psalm 89:27)—with historical dominion over the sea (see verse 25). To trace this amazing story, be sure to watch our video.
Finally, we should realize that, as previously mentioned, David’s descendant Yeshua Messiah is going to come back and reassume His rightful place as King over Israel as well as all nations. Through Him, the ultimate Anointed One (Messiah) and firstborn of God who will rule supreme over all the earth’s kings, the sublime promises to David will come to fullest fruition—and His omnipotent reign will last for all eternity to come.

With the compilation of the Psalter, Psalm 89 in its final form concludes with the grateful praise of verse 52, bringing Book III to a positive ending.

Luke 8:1-48

Yeshua is continuing to go about announcing the Good News with His Twelve apostles and some women also who had received healing from Him.
The parable of the sower and seed. The seed is the Word of Elohim.

The seed by the wayside are the ones who hear, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, lest having believed, they should be saved.

The seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. These have no root, who believe for a while and in time of trial fall away.
The seed which fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with worries, and riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

The seed which falls on the good soil are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, retain it, and bear fruit with endurance.
Yeshua proclaims that His mother and brothers are those hearing the Word of Elohim and doing it.

He set out with His disciples to the other side of the lake to Gadarene. A storm came upon them and they were terribly afraid. Yeshua commanded the storm be still and the winds obeyed Him. His disciples marveled.

They are met with a man possessed by demons and Yeshua casts them out into a herd of pigs. The people of the land were so afraid they asked Him to leave their land and they sailed back across the lake. Once there, they were met with throngs and throngs of people pressing into Yeshua. A leader of a congregation there had a daughter who was ill and he begged Yeshua to come heal her. On the way, a woman with the issue of blood that was incurable for twelve years touched the tzit tzit of Yeshua’s robe and she was instantly healed. Yeshua proclaimed she was healed because of her great faith.