News Letter 5846-053
17th day of the 11th month 5846 years after creation
The 11th Month in the first year of the third Sabbatical Year
The Third Sabbatical Year of the 119th Jubilee Cycle

January 22, 2011

Shabbat Shalom Brethren,

I would first of all like to share with you a couple of emails before getting into those things I want to share this week.

Dear Joseph,
Shalom

It is a long time that I did bother you 🙂 , but it took me a long time and a heap of solid dollars to get your book into the country. Finally, I managed to do that plus some books from Nehemia, Keith & Jeff.
Now, I could complain that you caused a serious sleep deprivation, but instead I am typing a thank you note. Talk about logic in human being. 😀
So, congratulations to the well compiled book and excellent presentation of the facts (even so I don’t like them).

What bothers me most is the outlook we all share. Taking Abraham’s pleading regarding Sodom into account and the outcome in the book of Jonah, then I think we still have a slim chance to turn it around. It seems that we just need to find 10 (percent) of sincerely repenting people who are turning to the creator’s torah and love his name and thus safe the whole town.
You are deep into this “life and world saving” job already, but I was considering (with shaking knees) to assist you and to spoil the adversary’s grip on the beautiful European landscape and people. Anyone doing a translation of your excellent book into any of the European languages? Any of the S.O.B. in Europe?
Any thought on that?

Best regards out of the Malaysian heat &
Shalom,

Hi Joseph,

I don’t e-mail you often because I know how busy you must be. I honestly can’t figure out how you manage to do all the research you do and then write it all down so we can benefit from it and still hold down a full time job. Yahweh is truly with you in this endeavour. I want to thank you for all that you have done for us. I have been with your website from the start and am so thankful for it.

We are from MI and I think, besides you, the only ones who were keeping the land Sabbath. We have been small part time farmers nearly all our married life and always tried to do things Yahweh’s way as best as we knew how at any given time in our life. For the past few years we have been trying to get our small farm set up to be more or less self sufficient for the hard times ahead and to be able to help those who will be in need and seeking a way to avoid being dragged into the coming system. Now however, with your offer and suggestion to set up in Israel I have a great desire and need to know more and possibly talk with you about it. I have some money available from some ford stock and realize that if it sits in the bank long enough that they will either just take it or it will be worthless anyway and I don’t think it is going to be very long from now. I have been praying about this since you first mentioned it and as time goes by feel more inclined to not have all my eggs in one basket so to speak. We are not sure what Yahweh has in mind for us so we simply want to be ready and available for whatever it is. Is there any way that we could visit with you for an evening on a weekend anytime in the near future? We would love to treat you and your wife to dinner and good conversation. We also were in WWCG until the changes, went back into the world by ourselves and just continued reading His word until we got our heads on straight. We have not belonged to any organized group since then but keep in touch with likeminded friends like you over the internet. If you are too busy to meet with us I fully understand as I would not want to interrupt your writing. So many people count on that. We would not be any burden to you. Thank you for your time and let me know either way.
Shalom,

Dear Bro. Joe,

Thank you so much for your time and patience with my husband and me today. I can understand sometimes you must sometimes get frustrated having to repeat yourself and trying to convince others of the facts you can clearly see and blowing the trumpet. Despite the pain thank you for braving it.
We will transfer a sum of US$ 5,000 to you today. ….I know this is not much, but hope this will help a bit towards the aim of purchasing the farm, until we can rustle up a bit more to share. We are longing to be home where our Father has called home for us, Israel. But if it is not His will for us to get there in this life time, at least our brothers, sisters and their children will benefit, until we meet them again when we are summoned up from the dust.
May YHWH bless you and strengthen you to keep doing the work you are doing. Alerting, and calling the sleeping ones out of slumber. My prayers are with you.

Much love in Yehoshua

Brethren this couple knows they might not make it the Farm but are willing to help make it happen so others, like you, or those who cannot afford it can go and have a place to go to. I hope each of you will search your thoughts and consider making a donation to help this come about.

Just send a money order or cheque to Joseph Dumond 14 Willow Cres, Orangeville Ontario Canada. L9V 1A5

We have just 6 years to get ready before the wars begin. And we need to get the trees planted. And here is a teaching from Avi ben Mordechai about Tu B’Shevat the planting of trees.

January 20, 2011

Shalom from Jerusalem. As you are reminded by your brother “Judah” at this time and season about the “New Year for Trees,” please keep the following points in mind.

1) Tu B’Shevat is a custom that is derrived from rabbinic oral law. In and of itself, the custom is not so terrible. However, in announcing to the world that the Land of Judah (not really the Land of Israel, yet) remembers the planting of our trees to fulfill Leviticus 19:23-25, they quite sadly forget about Ezekiel 37:15; that the real “trees” of the Land are both the House of Israel AND the House of Judah, unified in the Name of YHWH, which brings me to my second point.

2) “TU” of the phrase “Tu B’Shevat” is a deliberate attempt from the religious elders and leaders of Judah to hide the authority and honor due to the Divine Name YHWH. How so? Remember, Hebrew letters also represent numbers. The Tet and the Vav (“TU” Tet=9 and Vav=6) has a numeric value of 15 and thus, ‘The Fifteenth of Shevat.” The reason the Orthodox of Judah say it this way is because THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE PUBLICLY that it’s really YH (YAH) and the Name of the Mashiach that is bringing the blessing, because Y and H are the Hebrew letters Yud and Heh (Yud=10 Heh=5), which is how you would expect to spell the numeric value of 15. In other words, Orthodox Judah has done a “switcharoo” with the Hebrew letters so that they can justify denouncing YHWH in their speech and thus they can justify pushing Him OUT OF THE LAND and scorn Him among the lost sheep of the House of Israel. They do this by replacing YH with TU, saying the number “15” in a different way so as to avoid having anything at all to do with even getting close to pronouncing the Name! It is exactly as Yeshua said in Matthew 23:37-39. If you want to give a blessing back to YHWH for the trees in the Land, say YAH B’Shevat, which is still saying “the Fifteenth of Shevat” but in this, you are honoring the One that has given YOU an inheritance in the Land, even though you are not yet in direct possession of it! Not to fret! All in good time; all in good time!

In the end, there is NO NEW YEAR for trees in the way that the religious leaders of Judah present it because the trees represent a blessing from YHWH, Who has a plan to fulfill His Word about the real planting of the “trees” in the Land as per Ezekiel chapters 34-38; that is, the restoration of the two houses of Israel under the banner of the Mashiach of all Israel!

Be careful what you say. Know why you say what you say! Don’t just take the Orthodox word for it that what they say is always good, and right, and honorable to the One Who calls Himself Y-H-W-H (Exodus 3:14 – 15). Pray for the restoration of BOTH houses of Israel to Eretz Israel. Mashiach is THE TREE, and YOU are the BRANCHES.

Baruch HaShem YHWH

Shalom from Jerusalem.
Avinoam

Avinoam’s Coming Home Study Tours
Avi and Dina ben Mordechai
Jerusalem

You can go the following this link to see the flood reports from Australia. And it is very over whelming.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/video.aspx?videoid=42C15EA1-AE23-4CD3-ABC4-24659752396C

This week the main topic is the food crisis again. Here is Canada people are getting upset as they realize the food packaging is getting smaller and smaller on all products. There is less food per package and the price remains the same or increases slightly. Those who sell the food are trying to maintain the same price, but in order to do so they must cut the quantity of food they sell. So a jar that used to be 1.89 Litre is now 1.39 Litre and the cost is the same.

It is working out to be about 20% less food for the same price as it was just a few months ago.
Also this past week we have more news about how the current food crisis has toppled one Government and has shaken some others. As you read these articles please note the date they were published. And keep in mind what was said last week in the News letter. As you read take note of the date these article were published.

http://beta.ca.news.yahoo.com/tunisian-pm-assumes-power-20110114-092510-071.html

In massive demonstrations earlier in the day in the capital Tunis, thousands of protesters clashed repeatedly with police as they filled the streets to demand the resignation of Ben Ali, who has ruled Tunisia for 23 years.

The demonstrators chanted “Ben Ali, out!” and “Ben Ali, assassin!”

Ali has presided over a repressive regime that many in the country see as corrupt and serving only the interests of a small elite ruling class. He has relied heavily on the police to quash opposition.

Frustration with Ali’s regime has been exacerbated recently by rising food and fuel prices and high unemployment.

http://beta.ca.news.yahoo.com/tunisia-protests-continue-despite-ben-ali-pledge-20110114-051813-722.html

TUNIS (Reuters) – A surge of anger in the streets over police repression and poverty swept Tunisia’s veteran leader from power on Friday, sending a chill through unpopular authoritarian governments across the Arab world.

And as I said last week the current food shortage is not restricted to just one area. It is worldwide as you can read in the following reports. And again the governments are acting to prevent riots and from having them thrown out of office. They are also going to stop shipments of food and are keeping it for their own people. Read carefully what is happening in the world around you.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/jan14/agri3.html

Asia grapples with rising food prices
SINGAPORE—Record high food prices are moving to the top of the agenda for many Asian policymakers as the prospect of higher inflation in 2011 poses a major threat to the region’s strong revival from the global financial crisis.

The United Nations’ food agency (FAO) said on Wednesday that food prices hit a record high last month, moving beyond the levels that prompted riots in 2008 in countries as far afield as Egypt, Cameroon and Haiti.

Following are some of the measures taken by governments in Asia to tame rising food prices.

CHINA
* China’s Banking Regulatory Commission has called on banks to offer more financial support to boost farm output.

* The nation has sold large volumes of corn, wheat, soy, rapeseed oil, sugar and rice from state reserves to ease tight supplies and cool prices.

* The State Council threatened in November to impose price controls to tame inflation, and cited grains, oils, sugar and cotton as the markets it wanted to stabilize. The government told several flour companies not to hike prices and increased supplies of wheat into the market.

* Authorities ordered four edible oil suppliers — COFCO Ltd; Yihai Kerry, which is owned by Wilmar International; China Textile, and Jiusan — not to raise prices to retailers for four months, a newspaper report said on December 2.

* The government plans to increase farm subsidies and implement projects to grow genetically-modified crops to try and maintain self-sufficiency in grains.

* The commerce minister has said the government will boost imports of agriculture products of which China is short and boost state reserves of products, including sugar and meat.

* Sugar and cotton dealers say authorities have also threatened to close trading in certain agricultural commodity contracts if there was excessive price speculation.

INDIA
* India’s central bank could adopt a tighter monetary policy and hike interest rate as it did six times last year to tame high inflation in part fueled by food prices.

* The government regularly releases grains from its reserves to tame food prices. Last month, the government freed up 5 million tonnes of wheat and rice for sale to states and bulk consumers as part of efforts to curb rising food prices.

* Despite having huge stockpiles of grains, officials say India is not planning to lift export curbs on wheat and rice in 2011.

* The country is expected to continue with duty-free imports of crude vegetable oils. India has no plans to impose import tax on edible oils, a government source said this week, as any such move would be inflationary. Indian trade bodies want the government to impose a 10-17 percent import tax on oils to ensure higher prices for local producers on prospects of a good domestic oilseed crop.

INDONESIA
* Bank Indonesia will tighten monetary policy if core inflation (which was 4.3 percent y/y in Dec) nears 5 percent, but might do so through lifting bank reserve requirements following China. It has kept its rates on hold at a record low 6.5 percent despite inflation levels, and sees a rate hike as a policy of last resort because it is worried about attracting further capital inflows.

* The trade minister has said the government would continue this year to subsidize a 10 percent VAT tax levied on palm oil refiners, after regional palm oil prices climbed to a near two-year high this week.

* The government already moved in recent months to secure 1.3 million tonnes of rice from Thailand and Vietnam for delivery before the first local harvest in February, after not buying at all in 2009 and 2008. It has said if local production is higher no further imports would be needed. Still, further imports might come after the harvest in June if stocks are low.

* The president called on households on Jan 6 to plant their own food to help head off inflationary pressures.

VIETNAM
* The country has been taking measures on both the central and provincial levels to prevent food price rise, such as tight control of rice exports, stockpiling food as well as fighting gold and dollar speculation, which indirectly affect food prices. * A government decree in November urged the relevant authority to tightly control rice exports to ensure sufficient supply on domestic market and avoid food price surge in the period before Tet, or the Lunar New Year festival, starts from late January.

* Companies, mostly state-owned, have been building stocks of food products to serve consumers in major cities following a government call last month on ensuring sufficient supply of food, foodstuff, fuel and oil products. * The government also stepped up a campaign to combat fake goods and smuggling, especially in food products, to ensure smooth supply of good products.

* The government of Can Tho city in the Mekong Delta rice basket granted 30 billion dong ($1.5 million) in interest-free loans to five local companies to stockpile rice, sugar, cooking oil, milk and processed foodstuff. * The central bank has been coordinating with the provincial governments to prevent the speculation of gold and dollar, the price surge of which also has had a chain effect on food prices.

THAILAND
* The Thai government fixes the retail price of about 30 food items. It has ordered producers of major consumer products not to raise prices of goods, including many food items, in a bid to hold down inflation.

* Such instructions were repeatedly rolled over in 2010 and the latest order effectively freezes some prices until the end of March.

* On Jan 6, the government said it would authorize the import of 30,000 tonnes of crude palm oil in January to tackle a shortage, although the Commerce Ministry has blamed hoarding by profiteers for exacerbating the normal seasonal shortfall in supply. Imports of palm oil are not uncommon, although none were required in 2009 and 2010.

MALAYSIA
* In a bid to counter increased hoarding and tight supplies, Malaysia, the world’s No.2 palm oil producer, has ordered firms to boost subsidized cooking oil supplies by 20 percent to 84,000 tonnes in January, local media reported this week.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/WRAPUP-2-China-Korea-moves-underscore-rising-food–D3LRG?opendocument&src=rss
China, Korea underscore rising food prices
Published 3:09 AM, 14 Jan 2011 Last update 3:09 AM, 14 Jan 2011
Reuters
BEIJING/SEOUL – China dumped plans to import several million tonnes of expensive corn and South Korea unveiled cuts in import tariffs on some products, underscoring the dilemma over how to tackle rising food prices.

In India, where vegetable prices have risen more than 70 per cent in the past year, the government said it would review the import and export of essential commodities, adding state run firms would intensify purchases of some basics.

A rally in grains prices after a US report on Wednesday warned of dwindling global supplies suggested further price pressures may be in the pipeline, just as Sudan saw rare public protests against cuts in sugar and petroleum product subsidies.

Governments around the world have been taking measures to tackle soaring grain prices and head off social unrest, with north African countries Libya, Algeria and Morocco either cutting taxes on foods or regulating prices and stepping up supplies.

The Philippines on Thursday said it would suspend import duties on wheat and cement imports.

World food prices hit a record high in December after adverse weather affected crops, the United Nations’ food agency said in a report last week that raised concerns about inflation, protectionism and social unrest — factors that contributed to the 2008 food crisis.

Oil menacing
While most analysts doubt the world is heading for a crisis similar to 2008, when food prices spiked to fire up inflation and sparked violent protests in countries including Egypt, Cameroon and Haiti, a rise in oil prices also looks menacing.

Egypt, which imports around half of the food eaten by its 79 million population and is struggling with double-digit food inflation, will not face similar scenarios of riots in Algeria and Tunisia, Egyptian trade minister told local media.

“The government is committed to subisidising food commodities, and we are looking for additional resources to face rising prices,” a newspaper quoted Mr Rachid as saying.

London Brent crude at close to $US100 a barrel is trading at its highest price since 2008, when oil hit record highs and contributed to the inflation spike.

Wheat prices rose 47 per cent last year, corn more than 50 per cent and US soybeans by 34 per cent. The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said in its report key grains prices could rise further, a view underlined by a US report published on
Wednesday.

The US Department of Agriculture report reduced estimates for US corn and soybean harvests, trimmed its corn and soy output forecast for drought-hit Argentina and cuts its outlook for wheat production in flood-hit Australia.

The report sent grains prices soaring and the rally continued in Asia on Thursday.

The rise in food prices so far has led to differing responses from governments, pointing to the difficulty of how to handle the issue.

For China, corn prices are just too high, so it has canned a proposal to import millions of tonnes of the grain, two industry sources with knowledge of the plan said on Thursday.

The initial Chinese proposal had been drawn up as a way to combat food inflation, a worry for Beijing because China’s food inflation is running in double digits.

It has drawn down state food stocks to increase domestic supplies and keep a lid on prices, a measure that had also raised expectations in world food markets of increased Chinese demand.

China was a major factor behind the 2010 rally in corn prices after it imported about 1.5 million tonnes from the United States to mark its first major purchase in 15 years.

The country’s rising currency is also fuelling expectations in commodity markets of higher import demand.

Korea
South Korea, on the other hand, unveiled measures on Thursday to try to calm prices by reducing import tariffs on some items, including fish and powdered milk.

The cabinet held an emergency meeting on Wednesday over the widening spread of foot and mouth disease in cattle that has raised pork and beef prices.

The central bank also raised interest rates on Thursday to combat what it said was a growing inflation threat, following a rate rise in Thailand on Wednesday, and the government froze electricity and rail fares.

In another response, Pakistan signed deals to sell surplus wheat stocks for the first time in three years to take advantage of higher prices.

India also promised to announce anti-inflation measures, which local media said would include a ban on wheat product exports and trading in some commodities.

Data earlier showed that India’s food inflation pulled back slightly from a year high of more than 18 per cent to just below 17 per cent.

India’s main price measure, the wholesale price index, showed inflation at 7.48 per cent in November, which analysts said would prompt the central bank this month to raise interest rates.

In a hint at new disruption to supplies Argentine farmers said on Wednesday they would halt grain sales next week to protest against government curbs on wheat and corn exports, reviving a conflict that helped push global prices to record highs in 2008.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-10/argentine-drought-may-cut-gdp-by-0-45-in-2011-ubs-report-says.html
Argentine Drought May Cut GDP by 0.45% in 2011, UBS Report Says
January 10, 2011, 1:54 PM EST
By Rodrigo Orihuela
Jan. 10 (Bloomberg) — Argentina’s GDP may drop 0.45 percent this year from 2010 as a drought reduces agricultural output, UBS AG said in a report today. The decline gives a reason “to worry but no reason to panic,” UBS analysts Javier Kulesz, Andre Carvalho and Rafael De La Fuente said in the report. Soybeans represent more than 75 percent of Argentina’s agricultural exports.

http://www.farmchemicalsinternational.com/news/marketupdates/?storyid=2908
Argentina Drought Causes Soybean Price Increase
January 4, 2011

Soybean futures are gaining traction because of Argentina’s dismal weather forecast, according to a Bloomberg article.
The La Nina weather system could cause Argentina’s estimated soybean harvest to drop 17 percent to 43 million in the 10-11 season.

The drought could last for another month, according to the article. Brazil is also experiencing dry weather, which could diminish yields if conditions persist.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/EU-exec-talks-down-risk-of-food-price-crisis-D4M84?opendocument&src=rss
Reuters
BRUSSELS – The European Union’s executive sought on Friday to play down the risk of a repeat of 2008’s food price crisis, saying current world grain stocks were much higher than then, but warned the era of cheap food had ended.

Last week the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said its measure of food prices had hit its highest level since records began in 1990, topping levels seen in 2008 when price spikes sparked deadly riots in some countries.

Rising food prices in North Africa and the Middle East are biting, with protests reaching Jordan on Friday following riots in Algeria and Tunisia, which have had many countries in the region cutting food prices and food taxes.

Jordan king orders price cuts ‘to protect poor’ amid riot fears
By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Read more: http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=123507#ixzz1B3r7fgA8
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

AMMAN: Jordan’s government is preparing to take urgent steps to reduce the prices of commodities, a senior official said Tuesday, amid rising popular discontent.

“King Abdullah II has instructed Prime Minister Samir Rifai to take immediate and effective measures to mitigate the impact of rising prices of commodities on citizens,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The king has called for protecting poor and middle-class citizens, giving them the means to ensure their basic needs,” he added, without elaborating.

“The king said basic commodities should be sold to citizens at the lowest possible prices.”

The official said the armed forces, which sell various commodities to its members as well as civilians through its 85 cooperative stores at low prices, “have been instructed by the king not to raise prices, particularly sugar and rice.”

The price of sugar doubled on commodities exchanges in 2010, while rice prices have also been highly volatile.

The official also said a decision to increase public transportation fees has been frozen, despite hikes in fuel prices. The king has also asked the government to “act quickly and launch projects that generate income and create job opportunities.”

Such measures come amid growing unemployment and as inflation reached 6.1 percent last month.

“Clearly, the government is trying to contain the people’s resentment,” said Mohammad Masri, a researcher at the University of Jordan’s Center for Strategic Studies. “What happened in Tunisia and Algeria has pushed the state to act.”

Algeria and Tunisia have both been hit by widespread violent rioting and fatal clashes with police.

More than 50 people were killed in three days of rioting in Tunisia’s central Kasserine region, a union official said Tuesday.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-10/corn-advances-on-concern-dry-argentine-weather-to-curb-harvest.html
Corn Advances as Dry, Warm Weather in Argentina May Limit Grain Production
By Luzi Ann Javier – Jan 10, 2011 9:00 AM ET

Corn futures rose for the first time in three days in Chicago on concern that dry weather in Argentina will hold back production in the second-largest shipper of the grain, depleting global stockpiles.

Corn for March delivery gained 0.8 percent to $6 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade. The grain has slipped 4.6 percent so far this year, after surging 52 percent in 2010.

A storm system forecast to drift across Argentina through Jan. 11 isn’t expected to bring significant rainfall to the driest areas, T-Storm Weather LLC said in a report e-mailed today. Several days of heat will follow in the driest areas of the Argentine corn and soybean belt, it said.

A “drying trend is likely to return this week, so crop concerns are likely to re-emerge,” Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a report e-mailed today.

The corn harvest in Argentina will decline to 20.4 million metric tons this year from 22.5 million tons, after drought hurt the crop, the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange said Jan. 6. The exchange’s estimate compares with the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast last month for 25 million tons.

The USDA is scheduled to release a crop report on Jan. 12. Global corn stocks may be 127.3 million tons at the end of this season, compared with last month’s USDA outlook for 130 million tons, according to the average estimate of 14 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Inventories are forecast to fall from an estimated 147.2 million tons a year ago.

Global soybean inventories will drop to 58.78 million tons at the end of this season, from 60.4 million tons a year earlier, according to the survey. That compares with the USDA’s estimate last month of 60.1 million tons.

China Demand
March-delivery soybeans rose 0.4 percent to $13.70 a bushel in Chicago. The oilseed, which advanced 34 percent last year, has slipped 2.4 percent this month.

China, the top soybean buyer, lifted imports of the oilseed by 29 percent to a record in 2010 as the domestic crushing industry expanded to supply higher consumption of livestock feed and cooking oil.

The world’s most populous country bought 54.8 million tons of soybeans last year, including 5.43 million tons last month, the customs office said on its website.

Wheat for March delivery gained 0.5 percent to $7.78 a bushel in Chicago. Milling wheat for March delivery traded on NYSE Liffe in Paris advanced 0.2 percent to 251.50 euros ($324.86) a ton.

Global wheat reserves will drop to 175.2 million tons from 196.7 million tons a year ago, according to the Bloomberg survey. The USDA estimated stockpiles would decline to 176.7 million tons last month.

http://www.wallacesfarmer.com/story.aspx/will/la/nina/impact/us/crops/in/2011/45438

Will La Nina Impact U.S. Crops In 2011?
Dry weather is already crippling crops in Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay in 2011. What will the La Nina weather pattern that is impacting South America mean for the U.S. Corn Belt this year?
Rod Swoboda
Published: Jan 8, 2011

The on-going drought in South America, particularly in Argentina, has impacted crop prices on the world market in a big way the past few weeks, sending corn and soybean prices skyrocketing. At grain elevators in central Iowa on Jan. 4, 2011, cash corn was $6.09 and soybeans were $13.61 per bushel.

This year’s corn crop in Argentina is now just ahead of the critical pollination period. For soybeans, a number of acres have had to be replanted in Argentina because the beans didn’t germinate due to severe dryness. Heat is now threatening corn and soybean crops in southern Brazil and Uruguay too.

A La Nina event developed in the fall of 2010, and is still continuing and is having an effect on the weather entering 2011 in these key crop growing regions of the world. A La Nina occurs when water temperatures on the surface of the Pacific Ocean near the equator become cooler than normal. What will be the impact of the current La Nina on the rest of this winter? Will La Nina affect the weather in the U.S. Corn Belt this coming spring and summer? How long will this La Nina last? What is happening in Brazil and Argentina?

La Nina weather pattern is having an effect on South America

Elwynn Taylor, Iowa State University Extension climatologist, says farmers in Argentina are experiencing serious drought. Some areas have had only a quarter of the rainfall needed by this point in their growing season. “They’ve been quite dry in some places but in other places not as dry,” says Taylor. “It’s spotty in Argentina’s corn producing area.”

Argentina is projected to be the world’s second-largest corn exporter (behind the U.S.) this year and third-largest soybean exporter (behind the U.S. and Brazil). But hot, dry weather could limit production considerably South America. Some market analysts say corn, soybean and wheat prices may continue rising as the extent of lost South American production becomes clear.
As Argentina enters January, it’s kind of like coming into June on the dry side of usual here in Iowa, says Taylor. “We know the worry that situation would bring to us in Iowa, and that’s the situation Argentina now has. It is associated with La Nina. They experience about the same response to La Nina with their weather pattern in Argentina as we do here in the U.S. Corn Belt.”
The response is that the weather tends to be warm in June in the U.S. and warm in January in Argentina, and dry in both places, when a La Nina is occurring. The current La Nina event is by some measures considered to be the strongest one that’s occurred in the past 50 years.

Argentina has already lost 15% to 20% of its 2011 corn yield

“They have legitimate concerns about drought and reduced crop prospects in Argentina for 2011,” observes Taylor. “They’re starting to lose yield as they’re entering the equivalent of what is our July, they have corn silking and pollination starting in some places. Argentina is at a critical point. In Iowa if we go through June dry and head into July, we would be in trouble. That’s what Argentina is experiencing now. They’re moving into the equivalent of our July and some places in Argentina are in trouble.”

He continues, “We can’t give an estimate yet of what this will mean for yield in Argentina this year but we can give an estimate of what it means for risk. They’re running the risk of having a 20% reduction in corn yield from what they’ve harvested in the past couple of years. It could get worse. A 40% reduction isn’t in the forecast yet, but a 15% to 20% reduction is already there.”
The La Nina event got started late in the year, in September and October 2010. Weather forecasters say it may last into April or May of 2011. “That would be okay with us in the Midwest to have La Nina done and over with by then,” says Taylor. “It would give us a good, dry, warm planting season. Then we could go hopefully go into a normal summer. It would be hard to beat that scenario.”

What if the current La Nina hangs around longer in 2011?

However, this La Nina event could hang around longer, too. “That’s a concern we have because the development of this La Nina is just about identical to what we saw in 1973,” says Taylor. “It’s almost a carbon copy. No other year does that, when I put the graphs together to compare them. This La Nina is almost tracking exactly what went on in 1973 going into 1974. In 1974, the drought struck the U.S. Corn Belt at a time when a lot of people had decided there would never be another drought. But it did happen in 1974. We had a drought in the summer, then an early frost and about everything went wrong in 1974. It turned out to be the worst year for U.S. crop yields since 1956.”

Will that happen in 2011? “I’m not saying it’s going to happen again but it certainly gets my attention when I see a year following that same track,” says Taylor. “After a period of time, people tend to get convinced we’re not going to have another drought because crop technology is advanced and corn hybrids are so good they aren’t hurt as bad by adverse weather like they used to be. Of course, that isn’t entirely true. Crops still need favorable weather for good yields.”

Could La Nina spell problems for the U.S. Corn Belt?

The current La Nina event is still strong in early 2011. “It’s probably past its peak, the way it looks now,” says Taylor, “but La Nina did the same thing back in December of 1973 and it just held on right into 1974.”

Could this spell problems for the U.S. Corn Belt in 2011 growing season? “It could,” says Taylor. “We could have the same kind of problems this coming summer Argentina has now. Some experts say U.S. Corn Belt weather follows what happens in Argentina. They are right about that, since El Nino and La Nina usually get going about Christmas time, which is the middle of the growing season for South America and that weather pattern usually is still hanging on when our growing season begins. So the U.S. weather does tend to follow South America, as weather that occurs there usually occurs here later on in the year.”

Keep an eye on what is happening in Brazil too

Argentina in recent days has experienced intense heat. Argentina was dry two years ago too. Was that related to La Nina or is today’s situation different? “Yes, they did have a bit of a bite of La Nina two years ago in Argentina, but that La Nina event didn’t last long enough to bother us in the U.S. Corn Belt,” says Taylor. “That La Nina faded away. Two years ago La Nina did take a nip out of the Argentine crop with heat and dryness in some places but that La Nina and drought wasn’t near the strength of the one now occurring in Argentina.”

How much of an impact will the current La Nina have on Brazil? Will this year’s drought in Argentina spread to Brazil? If the La Nina stays as strong as it is now, it certainly could spread to Brazil, says Taylor. Southern Brazil is already experiencing some spotty dryness. Continued dryness would have an effect on Brazil’s soybean crop, while corn is the main concern in Argentina. Of course, if you are a farmer down there you are concerned about both crops.

“The thing about La Nina is, what it does to the southern part of Brazil, it does the opposite to the northern growing area,” says Taylor. “It kind of buffers Brazil.”

What about weather for the rest of this winter in Iowa?

What about the weather for the balance of this winter in the U.S. Corn Belt? What does Taylor see happening? “Fairly dry for a winter,” he says. “That doesn’t mean we won’t get any snow, because just a little moisture can make a lot of snow. Winter is running on the cold side, which it can be in some weeks and warmer in other weeks. That’s the weather pattern you usually see during a La Nina event, rather than a consistent type of winter. We could end up with a low amount of moisture as we enter March and April in the U.S. Corn Belt this year. And that would be okay, I don’t think Iowa farmers would complain about that.”
Summing up: Keep an eye on South America for clues to U.S. grain prices and for clues to potential weather in the U.S Corn Belt for 2011. The drought that is already occurring in Argentina could spread to the southern portions of Brazil as well. While August is the key yield-maker month for soybean growth and development in the U.S., keep in mind that for Brazil, the key month to “make or break” soybean yields is during February or the first part of March—since Brazil is in the Southern Hemisphere.
And as if all of that was not enough to shake you up we have this just breaking bit of news from Oregon about the winter wheat which is due to be harvested early this spring.

http://www.capitalpress.com/orewash/mw-Umatilla-County-wheat-mystery-120310-w-AK-map

Investigators baffled as wheat fields wither
Mysterious yellowing affects 40,000 acres of Eastern Oregon; new problem feared
In Umatilla County, the patterns are oriented across the fields, with “shadow effects” suggesting protection in areas behind slopes or fence rows, Wysocki said.

But the patterns of the die-off aren’t typical of anything anyone has seen before, Searle said.

http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/orwheat.pdf
Crop Profile for Wheat in Oregon Prepared: July 20, 1999 General Production Information
? Oregon ranks 14th nationally in wheat production.
? Farmers in Oregon grow 2.5% of U.S. wheat.

Winter wheat accounts for 87.2% of the Oregon crop; spring wheat represents the other 12.8%. Production Regions Eastern Oregon accounts for 92.9% of the winter wheat acreage and 92.5% of the spring wheat acreage. Umatilla County, which borders the Columbia River, has the most acres of both winter and spring wheat. Other counties with large wheat acreages are Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, Wasco, Union, and Malheur. West of the Cascades, Washington County has the largest acreage (2)

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/01/13/brazil-flood-deaths.html
Brazil mudslide death toll passes 611
Homes swept away by wall of mud, water
Last Updated: Thursday, January 13, 2011 | 10:45 PM E

The death toll following mudslides north of Rio de Janeiro rose to 464 Thursday as survivors of the Brazilian disaster scrambled to reach neighbours trapped under layers of mud.

Wednesday’s slides blasted through the mountainous region, destroying homes and businesses and sweeping away cars and trucks.

Roads and bridges were also washed away, making it nearly impossible for emergency vehicles to reach the area. Survivors were left to dig through the mud with shovels and bare hands.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12179296
Battle to reach thousands of Sri Lanka flood victims
Jan 13, 2011

More than 30,000 army, navy, police and air force personnel are battling to provide urgent aid to people hit by heavy flooding in Sri Lanka.

A government spokesman said more than 325,000 people had been displaced by flooding. At least 27 people have died and more than a million are affected.

The priority since the rains abated on Thursday has been to deliver emergency food and medical supplies.

In the centre and east, farmland has been flooded and rice fields destroyed.

Thousands of people who fled the flooding are now living in camps on higher ground, a spokesman from the disaster management centre told the BBC.

I wrote our sister in Sri Lanka to see how she was doing. She wrote back and shared some very interesting thoughts.

SHalom Joe,

The floods were mostly in the Eastern Coast and we are on the Western. We however are in the West. Our sub offices in the areas and staff were affected yet safe. We have one brother from our fellowship there who is safe. It is interesting because the area was at one time known as Tarshish and in that era a world famous natural harbour is located there – Trincomalee, THe areas is full of Iberian Jews who are now Catholics. The entire region down to the South where there is another harbour comes under this realm. Strangely all the disasters – wars, floods, Tsunami affected these parts the most!!!

Do any of you see a pattern here? We need to repent and return to torah and to teach others to do the same if we want to be saved during the coming time of Jacobs trouble which we are now in.

And more news just keeps coming in.

http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/200_Cows_Die_in_Portage_County_113829069.html

200 cows died within a week of the first one that got sick. Symptom developed and then within 12 hours they are dead. This all took place on one farm in Portage County Wisconsin. The animals died of acute interstitial pneumonia, also known as AIP

Once again we are warned from Lev 26:21 ‘And if you walk contrary to Me, and refuse to obey Me, I shall bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins, and send wild beasts among you, which shall bereave you of your children. And I shall cut off your livestock, and make you few in number, and your highways shall be deserted.

This is the third curse of Lev 26 and it is due to start in the third Sabbatical cycle. We are in the first year of that third Sabbatical cycle. Are you making your plans to keep the next Sabbatical year from Aviv to Aviv in the year 2016-2017? Start thinking about it now and start to plan how you will do it.

I was sent an email this week from someone who is now planning for the Sabbatical year. Are you?

Hi Joe,

At present we have a garden full of pretty flowers and colour graded hedges. However, today my husband and I went and purchased a few fruit trees for our garden. To plant them in preparation for the next coming Sabbatical year. Just in case we are still stuck here when it arrives (hopefully we will be in the farm by then!!). We are also redesigning and re-planting our garden with long term vegetable plants like spinach, drumsticks, passion leaves etc to ensure we are ready to not have to live on harvested veggies and fruits, leaving all our faith in YHWH for His provision. As you know in this desert unless He Himself provide for the growth of the plants, its not going to survive. Of course, this does not go to say that we will not stock up with canned/frozen provisions as well.

Just thought of sharing, as I am very excited to plant them and see them grow and delighted in the knowledge that our intention is to honour YHWH’s Word.

Thank you for all your guidance and encouragement and leading by example. May YHWH bless you and bless the work He is causing you to do for His kingdom.

Triennial Torah Cycle

We now return to our 3 1/2 year Torah studies which you can follow online.

Gen 47      2 Sam 22-23       Ps 93       Luke 9:51 – 10:42

Genesis 47

Last week I wrote about this question that I have. Why did the Egyptians consider every shepherd an abomination as stated in chapter 46:34? I do so again this week with another thought.

The reason I ask this is because in chapter 47:6 “The land of Mitsrayim is before you. Settle your father and brothers in the best of the land, let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of capable men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

I also asked this last week and gave you the standard answers.

Scholars have stated that Joseph and the Hebrews were in Egypt when a people known as the Hyksos were in charge.

They try to make a point that the Hyksos were the ones showing favor to the Hebrews and not the native Egyptians. The Hyksos also known as the shepherd kings did conquer and rule Egypt for over 200 years. Their domination of Egypt was known in Egyptian history as the GREAT HUMILIATION. If we look deeply into scripture we’ll find that the Egyptians in Joseph’s time were in fact native Egyptians.

First, let’s consider the conversation Joseph had with the Hebrews who were first to arrive in Egypt. He was instructing them on how to respond to one of Pharaoh’s questions.

In verse 34 of Genesis 46:31-34, Joseph says to them, when Pharaoh asks their occupation, “That ye should say, your servants trade have been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; FOR EVERY SHEPHERD IS AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE EGYPTIANS.”

This statement alone proves that the Hyksos were not in charge of Egypt during the time of Joseph. The Hyskos were known as the shepherd kings or kings of the shepherds, so why would every shepherd be an abomination to the SHEPHERD KINGS? But every shepherd would be an abomination to native Egyptians, because the shepherd kings (Hyksos) had brought GREAT HUMILIATION to the Egyptians.

Next lets look at what happened after Ysrayl (Jacob) died, and the thing Joseph had done to his body.

Genesis 50:2-3, “And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians EMBALMED YSRAYL”

(3), “And forty days were fulfilled for him; FOR SO ARE FULFILLED THE DAYS OF THOSE WHICH ARE EMBALMED: and the Egyptians mourned for him 70 days.”

Embalming was a practice of the native Egyptians. They were the first culture on earth to embalm their dead. Embalming was not done to all the population of Egypt, just a select few.

The practice of embalming was something done by a highly developed society, the Hyksos on the other hand were shepherds and embalming was more than likely not in their culture. So, if the Hyksos were ruling Egypt during the time of Joseph, why did they retain Egyptian culture? When a nation conquers another, the conqueror always places their culture above that of the conquered nation’s.

This is one way that the conqueror shows superiority over the conquered, this has always been the case in ancient and modern times. (This is exactly what has happened with the invasion of the Americas by the Europeans). Because these Egyptians were still embalming according to native Egyptian culture, it stands to reason, that native Egyptians were ruling Egypt.

Scripture clearly shows that Egyptians were ruling Egypt during the time of Joseph and the Hebrews’ sojourn.

2 Sam 22-23

http://www.azamra.org/Bible/II%20Samuel%2021-22.htm
CHAPTER 22
“And David spoke the words of this song on the day God saved him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (v 1). David had enemies all around him throughout his life, but none of them was more formidable than Saul, because of his very saintliness. Nevertheless, God saved David from all his enemies, and at the end of his days he sang this paean of praise over his complete delivery.

Our present text is virtually identical with Psalm 18 except for a number of very minor differences in phraseology. This is the song of the soul of Mashiach, which endures the most terrible protracted danger and darkness, being subjected to the breaking waves of death itself and the terrifying floods of wickedness (v 5). Nevertheless, God is his “rock, fortress, refuge, mountain, shield, horn of salvation, high place, place of succor and savior from HAMAS” (v 3) [HAMAS=violent injustice, as in the case of present-day HAMAS.] David fortifies himself with expression after expression signifying his unshakable faith in the rock-solid saving power of God.

Out of his pain, Mashiach CRIES OUT to God, and God HEARS and RESPONDS. All of the elements of creation surge forth to protect Mashiach: the EARTH rages and foams with volcanic fury (v 8). The skies rage with smoke and FIRE (v 9). God rides and swoops on the wings of the WIND=AIR (v 11) and swathes Himself with thick clouds of WATER (v 12). All creation fights on behalf of the soul of Mashiach, for whom the very Red Sea had split (v 16, see Rashi).

David testifies that God saved him because of his great purity and righteousness. He has the attributes of the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are alluded to in verse 26. God himself teaches David how to fight and conquer all his enemies. This is because “I hate those who hate You” (Psalms 139:21). David hated falsehood and loved God’s Torah (Psalms 119:163). It is this that brings David victory until all the world will come to serve him – for to serve Mashiach is to work for the glory of God.
This song is David’s, but it is said for every one of us, giving expression to the Messianic “point” contained within each one of us, which prompts us to pursue justice and righteousness for the sake of God and for the repair of the entire world.

* * * II Samuel 22:1-54 is read as the Haftara of Parshas Ha-azeenu, Deuteronomy 32:1-52, and also as the Haftara on the Seventh Day of Pesach * * *

II SAMUEL CHAPTER 23
“AND THESE ARE THE LAST WORDS OF DAVID” (v 1)

This verse is rendered by the Targum as: “These are the words of the prophecy of David that he prophesied about the end of the world and the days of comfort that are destined to come.” David testified that his words came not through his own wisdom and intelligence but through “prophecy” – holy spirit. This final prophecy of David (vv 1-7) is very dense and highly allusive. In effect it is David’s own self-composed “epitaph” summarizing his status and achievements. In the same breath he calls himself “David son of Yishai” and “the anointed one of the God of Jacob ” (v 1), as if to say that prophecy never left him from the time that he was David the lowly shepherd until he became God’s anointed Mashiach (Metzudas David).

“Says the man that was raised up (HOOKAM ‘ AL )” (v 1). The Talmud darshens that David raised (HEIKIM) the yoke (‘OL) of repentance, because having repented even after his serious sin with Batsheva, he showed the wicked that anyone can repent no matter how serious his sins (Avoda Zara 5a, Yalkut Shimoni). The word ‘ AL in the verse has the numerical value of 100 (Ayin 70 + Lamed 30), corresponding to David’s institution of the requirement to recite 100 blessings every day. (These include all the daily morning blessings, the blessings over Psukey DeZimra and over the morning and evening Shema, the thrice-repeated Shmonah Esray, the blessings before and after eating, etc.) David instituted these blessings in order to rectify the ignorance of the people of his generation about the Temple that had to be built (Bamidbar Rabbah 18) – for the Temple is “built” out of prayers and blessings. This ignorance was the root cause of the terrible plague described in the next chapter. David’s whole concern was to prepare for the Temple , and he merited being the “sweet singer of Israel ” (v 1): it was the songs of David that were sung ever after in the Temple services.

As ruler over his people, David was unique, because the purpose of his rule was to instill in everyone the fear of God (v 2). God made an eternal Covenant with David because David based his own life and that of his household only upon the Torah (Rashi on v 3).

“THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE MIGHTY WARRIORS OF DAVID” (v 8)
Our text’s registry of David’s mighty warriors and some of their outstanding exploits is also extremely dense and highly allusive. These were not merely sword-wielding fighters in the literal sense: they were mighty warriors of the Torah, forerunners of the Tannaim and Amoraim of the Mishneh and Talmud. Verse 8 which speaks of “Adino Ha-Etzni” is interpreted as alluding to David himself, who would sit with the utmost wisdom in the Sanhedrin and was ROSH HASHOLISHI (lit.=”leader of the three”) in the sense that he was first in beauty, wisdom and might (Rashi) as well as being head of the chain (SHALSHELES) of the three patriarchs (RaDaK), i.e. David is the fourth “leg” of the throne. The name Adino Ha-Etzni alludes to the way David would “delight himself” (ME-ADEN) like a worm whilst studying the Torah yet harden himself like a mighty tree (ETZ) when going out to fight in war.

The leading mighty warriors of David are listed in sets of three. In verses 9, 13, 18, 19, 22, 23 and 24, the words SHELOSHAH (=3), SHELOSHIM (=30) and SHALISHIM (=”captains”, as in Ex. 15:4) keep recurring. While “the text does not depart from its simple meaning”, the arrangement of David’s warriors in sets of three also alludes to the way in which the attribute of Malchus, the “receiving vessel”, is built through receiving a balance of the influence descending to it from the hierarchy of triads of attributes above it.

The mysterious exploits of Shamoh ben Ogei in the field full of lentils (v 11) are midrashically connected with the three captains who came to David during his wars against the Philistines and who, in response to his craving for water from the wells of Bethlehem, risked their lives to bring him the water despite the presence of the Philistine garrisons there. The midrash teaches that what David wanted was Torah (=water) from the Torah wellsprings at the gate (=Sanhedrin) of Bethlehem . The Philistines were hiding behind sheaves of lentils in the field, and David wanted to know if he was permitted to destroy sheaves that belonged to Israelites in order to “flush out” the enemy. Even though, as king, he was permitted to do so without asking, “he did not want to drink from the waters” – he did not want to have any benefit from his fellow Israelites if there was even a question about its legality (see RaDaK on v 16).

Benayah son of Yehoyadah (v 20) was later to become Solomon’s commander-in-chief. His smiting of the “two mighty lions of Moab ” is explained allegorically to mean that he was so outstanding in Torah wisdom that he had no equal in either the first or second Temples . (Ariel is an allusion to the Temple , which was built through the efforts of David, who was descended from Ruth the Moabite – Berachos 18b).

There is merit in simply reading the names of David’s warriors as listed in this chapter, since these were the outstanding Tzaddikim of his generation, who prepared the way for the building of the Temple .

Ps 93

http://www.ucg.org/bible-commentary/Psalms/92)-Thanks-to-God-for-His-faithfulness,-whereby-the-righteous-will-triumph-and-the-wicked-will-perish;-93)-The-eternal-and-invincible-reign-of-God;-94)-Prayer-for-God-to-bring-justice/default.aspx
Like Psalms 91 and 92, Psalms 93-100 are without attribution in the Hebrew Masoretic Text. However, the Greek Septuagint translation titles Psalms 93-99 as being “of David.” Indeed, two of these clearly are. The New Testament attributes Davidic authorship to Psalm 95 (see Hebrews 4:7). And Psalm 96 is taken from David’s song to celebrate the ark’s placement in the tabernacle in Jerusalem (compare 1 Chronicles 16:23-33).

One of the royal psalms (those which celebrate God as King), Psalm 93, as the Zondervan NIV Study Bible notes, is “a hymn to the eternal, universal and invincible reign of the Lord, a theme it shares with Ps 47; 95-99. Together these hymns offer a majestic confession of faith in and hope for the kingdom of God on earth. They were probably composed for the liturgy of a high religious festival [likely the Feast of Trumpets or Tabernacles] in which the kingship of the Lord-over the cosmic order, over the nations and in a special sense over Israel-was annually celebrated…. And implicitly, where not explicitly, the Lord’s kingship is hailed in contrast to the claims of all other gods; he is ‘the great King above all gods’ (95:3)…. Ps 93 appears to have been separated from Ps 95-99 to serve as a thematic pivot between Ps 92 and 94 (as Ps 47 was used as a pivot between Ps 46 and 48). It celebrates Yahweh’s secure cosmic rule that grounds his righteous and effective rule over human affairs-which is the joy (Ps 92) and the hope (Ps 94) of those who rely on him for protection against the assaults of the godless fools who live by violence.”

Psalm 93 opens with the key of the royal psalms: “The Lord reigns” (verse 1; compare 96:10; 97:1; 99:1). The Nelson Study Bible comments: “In general, the royal psalms speak of the Lord as King in three different ways. He is King over creation, for He is the Creator (74:12-17). He is King over the Israelites (44:4), for He is their Savior. And He is the coming King, for He will eventually judge everyone (47:7, 8). Sometimes in people’s minds God’s kingdom is narrowly identified with the coming glorious rule of Jesus: God’s present reign is ignored. But sometimes [in fact, more typically] the opposite is true. God’s present rule can be emphasized so much that Jesus’ coming is disregarded. The royal psalms consistently balance these two ideas: ‘The Lord reigns’ (93:1), but the Lord is also coming to establish His permanent rule (24:9 [compare 96:13; 98:9])” (“INDepth: The Royal Psalms,” sidebar on Psalm 93). Indeed, these go hand in hand. It is God’s perpetual sovereignty on His throne “from everlasting” (verse 2; compare 90:2)-His eternal omnipotence-that enables, and gives surety to the promises of, His unending reign to come.

Psalm 93:1-2 describes God robed in military victory regalia, His establishment of the world as unmovable (unable to be wrested from His control) and the persistence of His throne from past eternity. It is in this context that verses 3-4 speak of the rising “floods” and the “mighty waves of the sea.” The threefold repetition of “floods” creates a poetic sense of waves pounding on the shore. Yet God is higher and mightier-and, given the context of verses 1-2, victorious over them. This recalls Psalm 89:9: “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them.” And Psalm 29:10: “The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever.” This all may reflect on one level God’s power of creation that brought the world out of primordial chaos, when “darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). It likely also applies to when man later witnessed the vast destructive powers of the waters in the global Flood of Noah’s day. Stories of that episode left people with the concept of the flooding waves as irresistible cosmic forces of destruction.

Yet God is high above these forces-and is able to control them. And He rules the waves of the sea even now, having set the boundaries of how far they may come over the land (Job 38:8, 11). In other passages, floods, waters and seas also represent peoples and nations-including invading armies. God stands above all peoples and forces, ever the victor.

Some have noted a similarity in the descriptions here to the Canaanite god Baal, who “was supposed to have been victorious over the waters” (Nelson Study Bible, note on Psalm 93:3-4). Yet we should recognize that Baal was merely a counterfeit of the true God in some respects. Scripture sets the record straight in relating who is truly victorious over the waters-Almighty God.

Moreover, consider God’s testimonies and holiness in verse 5. The Nelson Study Bible notes on this verse: “While this psalm uses language resembling [to some degree] the worship of Baal to emphasize the greatness of God (Ps. 29), it also glorifies God with praises never attributed to Baal. None of the accolades of Baal speak of his testimonies. But God is superior to Baal, for he is faithful to His word. He is the gracious God who speaks to his people; He is the holy God of Scripture who is approached by His people; and he is the eternal God whom we worship, as did the people of ancient Israel.”

The transition to verse 5 in Psalm 93 is interesting. Whereas verses 1-4 present God’s revelation of His power and might through creation (compare Revelation 1:20), verse 5 of Psalm 93 says that God is also revealed through Scripture and His house. Such a transition from God’s revelation of Himself through creation to revelation through His law and testimony is also found in Psalm 19:1-8. Psalm 93:5 declares that God’s scriptural testimonies are trustworthy. They are as rock-solid and as firmly established as the world (compare verse 1). As for God’s house, in the time of the psalm’s composition it would have referred to either the tabernacle or temple of God-showing that God was revealed to His people through the worship system practiced there. God’s house today, through which His holiness is revealed, is His Church. And, of course, His house in an ultimate sense signifies His eternal Kingdom and family.

IN light of the many floods that have occurred in recent weeks, I think it fitting to share this short psalm at this time.
Psa 93:1 ???? shall reign, He shall put on excellency; ???? shall put on strength; He shall gird Himself. Indeed, the world is established, immovable.

Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.
Rivers shall lift up, O ????, Rivers shall lift up their voice; Rivers lift up their breakers.
???? on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, The mighty breakers of the sea. Your witnesses have been very trustworthy. Set-apartness befits Your house, O ????, forever.

Luke 9:51 – 10:42

Luk 9:59 And He said to another, “Follow Me,” but he said, “Master, let me first go and bury my father.”

Many come to love what they hear but only a few will get up and go out and tell others these truths. Far too many have all kinds of excuses why they can’t do it now.

Luk 9:60 And ????? said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and announce the reign of Elohim.”
Luk 9:61 And another also said, “Master, I shall follow You, but let me first say good-bye to those in my house.”
Luk 9:62 But ????? said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the reign of Elohim.”1 Footnote: 1Lk. 14:26, John 12:24-26.

Lots wife looked back as she left Sodom. She was told not to. But she longed for the rest of her family who would not and did not go with them. Even though they were told of the immediate danger. Genesis 19:14 And if Lot had stayed he was told in verse 15 that he too would die.

Luk 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and his own life too, he is unable to be My taught one.
Luk 14:27 “And whoever does not bear his staff and come after Me is unable to be My taught one.
Luk 14:28 “For who of you, wishing to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
Luk 14:29 “Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation, and is unable to finish it, all who see it begin to mock him,
Luk 14:30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was unable to finish.’
Luk 14:31 “Or what sovereign, going to fight against another sovereign, does not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
Luk 14:32 “And if not, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
Luk 14:33 “So, then, everyone of you who does not give up all that he has, is unable to be My taught one.
Luk 14:34 “The salt is good, but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?
Luk 14:35 “It is not fit for land, nor for manure, they throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Joh 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Joh 12:25 “He who loves his life shall lose it, and he who hates his life in this world shall preserve it for everlasting life.

Many of us have taken up our staff, our authority and followed the Torah and this way of life. When we started out we did not count the cost nor consider it. We just did what we could see to be right. It has meant the loss of many friends and also of our family members. Many of these have turned on us and become our enemies. Look back to the days when you first heard these truths and compare it to what you know now. DO not look back as Lots wife did with longing to be with her friends and family and her home. But look at how much you have grown on this Natzarene walk.

After chapter 9 the conversation continues in chapter 10

Luk 10:1 And after this the Master appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of Him into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
Luk 10:2 Then He said to them, “The harvest indeed is great, but the workers are few, therefore pray the Master of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
Luk 10:3 “Go! See, I send you out as lambs into the midst of wolves.
Luk 10:4 “Do not take a purse, nor a bag, nor sandals. And greet no one along the way.
Luk 10:5 “And whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
Luk 10:6 “And if indeed a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest on it; and if not, it shall return to you.
Luk 10:7 “And stay in the same house, eating and drinking whatever with them, for the labourer is worthy of his wages. Do not move from house to house.
Luk 10:8 “And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat whatever is placed before you,
Luk 10:9 and heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The reign of Elohim has come near to you.’
Luk 10:10 “And into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,
Luk 10:11 ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to us, we wipe off against you, but know this, that the reign of Elohim has come near to you.’
Luk 10:12 “And I say to you that it shall be more bearable for Sed?om in that Day, than for that city.
Luk 10:13 “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, B?yth Tsaid?a! For if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Tsor and Tsid?on, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Luk 10:14 “But it shall be more bearable for Tsor and Tsid?on at the judgment than for you.
Luk 10:15 “And you, Kephar Nah?um, who are exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to the grave.
Luk 10:16 “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
Luk 10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Master, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”
Luk 10:18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan falling out of the heaven as lightning.
Luk 10:19 “See, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and none at all shall hurt you.
Luk 10:20 “But do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names have been written in the heavens.”
Luk 10:21 In that hour ????? exulted in the Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Master of the heaven and of the earth, that You have hidden these matters from clever and learned ones, and did reveal them to babes. Yea, Father, because thus it was well-pleasing in Your sight.
Luk 10:22 “All has been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.”
Luk 10:23 And turning to His taught ones He said, separately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see,
Luk 10:24 for I say to you that many prophets and sovereigns have wished to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

Again we are to go out and teach what we know to the world. Start in your own back yard. Even the Prophets of ancient times have longed to know what we now know. You are most privileged to know these truths and to be able to share them. Go and do so. Because there is another parable about the three men who were given a certain amount of money. You too have certain gifts. Some more and some less. How are you using them? Is it for the glory of His kingdom or the glory of your kingdom?

Luk 19:12 He therefore said, “A certain nobleman went to a distant country to receive for himself a reign and to return.
Luk 19:13 “And calling ten of his servants, He gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Trade until I come.’
Luk 19:14 “But his subjects were hating him, and sent a delegation after him, to say, ‘We do not wish this one to reign over us.’
Luk 19:15 “And it came to be, when he came back, having received the reign, that he sent for these servants to whom he had given the silver, in order to know what each had gained by trading.
Luk 19:16 “And the first came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’
Luk 19:17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant. Because you were trustworthy in a small matter, have authority over ten cities.’
Luk 19:18 “And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’
Luk 19:19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you – be over five cities.’
Luk 19:20 “And another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept laid up in a handkerchief.
Luk 19:21 ‘For I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.’
Luk 19:22 “And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I shall judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was a hard man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow.
Luk 19:23 ‘Why did you not put the silver in the bank, that when I come I could have collected it with interest?’
Luk 19:24 “Then he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who possesses ten minas.’
Luk 19:25 “But they said to him, ‘Master, he already possesses ten minas.’
Luk 19:26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who possesses shall be given; and from him who does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away from him.
Luk 19:27 ‘But those enemies of mine who did not wish me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.’ ”

The 613 Mitzvot

We now continue to study the 613 laws of Torah which we can read at http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm
We are doing 7 laws each week. We shall study laws 311-317 We also have commentary, with editing from me, again from http://theownersmanual.net/The_Owners_Manual_02_The_Law_of_Love.Torah

311 Not to refrain from putting a false prophet to death nor to be in fear of him (Deut. 18:22) (negative).

(311) Do not refrain from putting a false prophet to death nor be in fear of him. “And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) The penalty for false prophecy is death. But who is to administer the punishment? In Theocratic Israel, the people were to execute the offender (see Deuteronomy 13). Does that mean that we today should be going around killing everyone who voices a religious philosophy divergent from our own? (The Islamic scriptures demand this very thing, though Muslims don’t always comprehend this.) It’s pretty clear that the answer is “no,” for during His first-century advent, Yahshua didn’t advocate holy war against Rome (as some did), even though the Romans practiced the worship of many gods (none of whom answered to the name Yahweh) and the emperor himself demanded to be worshiped as a deity. So outside of a theocratic Israel that no longer exists, all we can say for sure is, “That prophet shall die.” How? Yahweh will apparently use His enemies to do most of the wet work.

The rub here is that most prophets in the Bible predicted things that didn’t take place during their lifetimes. In fact, so many prophecies still haven’t been completely fulfilled, even today. I suppose that’s why the Old Covenant prophets often uttered prophecies with near and far fulfillments. Warnings about Assyria and Babylon often morph into warnings about Last-Days enemies like Islam and the Antichrist. The near-term fulfillments were a down payment on the real prophetic bottom line.

The translation of the phrase “you shall not be afraid of him” is a bit misleading. The word for “be afraid” is guwr. Its primary meaning is “to sojourn, abide, dwell in or with, to seek hospitality with.” (S) Moses is actually telling us that if a prophet says things in the name of God that don’t come to pass, we aren’t to have anything to do with him—we’re not to “enter his house.” So when Muhammad tells you that the “day of doom” will take place in 1110 AD (i.e., half a prophetic “day,” or 500 years, after his coronation as Allah’s last messenger) that’s the signal to drop him and his religion like a hot rock. When the TV preacher promises you that God will bless you financially or cure your cancer if you send him enough money, it’s time to tune him out. Remember, “That prophet shall die.”

Idolatry, Idolaters and Idolatrous Practices
312. Not to make a graven image; neither to make it oneself nor to have it made by others (Ex. 20:4) (CCN9).

(312) Do not make a graven image; neither make it yourself nor have it made by others. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20:4-5) This, of course, is the second of the “Ten Commandments.” The point is not who makes the “graven image” or for whom, but rather its intended use. Images of created things are not to be employed as objects of worship. Things that would immediately pop into the minds of the Israelites hearing these words include the sun-god and moon-god symbols of their former Egyptian hosts, the golden calf they had merrily constructed while Moses was up on the mountain receiving this very Law (oops), and the fish-god images of the Dagon worshippers they were soon to encounter in the Land of Canaan.

The word translated “jealous” is qana, from a root which means “zeal.” The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says, “It may prove helpful to think of ‘zeal’ as the original sense from which derived the notions ‘zeal for another’s property’ equals ‘envy,’ and ‘zeal for one’s own property’ equals ‘jealousy.’” Thus Yahweh was reminding the Israelites that they were His own set-apart people. They belonged to Him. And if we today are His children, He is similarly “jealous” over us.

313. Not to make any figures for ornament, even if they are not worshipped (Ex. 20:20) (CCN144).

(313) Do not make any figures for ornament, even if they are not worshipped. “You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.” (Exodus 20:23-25) Maimonides has taken the “no graven images” ball and run with it, forbidding (as the Muslims do) any image of anything for any purpose. Yes, representations of any object of worship—even of Yahweh Himself, if that were possible—were strictly and specifically forbidden. And it’s clear from the passage that Yahweh doesn’t want us to try to impress Him with our skill and workmanship, the best of which—let’s face it—is pathetically anemic when compared with the glories of His creation.

That being said, only a few chapters after the Ten Commandments, Yahweh is seen selecting a man (named Bezaleel—meaning “in the shadow of God”) because of, among other things, his “filling with the Spirit of God…in all manner of workmanship to design artistic works.” And He is heard instructing Israel to place specific decorative “images” on the mercy seat: “And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.” (Exodus 25:18-20) Further, the instructions on the construction of the Tabernacle are peppered with references to “graven images” the Israelites are supposed to make—bowls shaped like “almond blossoms” on the golden lampstand; pictures of cherubim (what does a cherub look like, anyway?) woven into the curtains; golden bells and pomegranates sewn onto the hem of Aaron’s robe, etc.

So Yahweh clearly isn’t prohibiting all graphic or three-dimensional representations, but rather the worship of them. The Jews, to their credit, seem to have this one down pat, though as usual, they’re more restrictive than God Himself, which is pretty scary. It’s the Catholics who have it all wrong. The late pope John Paul II declared, “A mysterious ‘presence’ of the transcendent Prototype seems as it were to be transferred to the sacred image…. The devout contemplation of such an image thus appears as a real and concrete path of purification of the soul of the believer…because the image itself, blessed by the priest…can in a certain sense, by analogy with the sacraments, actually be a channel of divine grace.” (Quoted by Dave Hunt in A Woman Rides the Beast.) In other words (in case you couldn’t follow the slippery religious gobbledygook), “A picture of Jesus—if a Catholic priest blesses it—is as good as the real thing.” Not according to Exodus, big guy.

314. Not to make idols even for others (Ex. 34:17; Lev. 19:4) (CCN10).

(314) Do not make idols even for others. “You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.” (Exodus 34:17); “Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am Yahweh your God.” (Leviticus 19:4) Again, Yahweh doesn’t particularly care who makes the image or who intends to worship it: the instruction is, “Don’t do it.” Notice also that Yahweh is saying that the worship of idols would entail “turning” from Him. He began this relationship with Israel right in front of them—in their midst. When they parted company, He did not leave them. They left Him.

315. Not to use the ornament of any object of idolatrous worship (Deut. 7:25) (CCN17).

(315) Do not use the ornament of any object of idolatrous worship. “You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to Yahweh your God. Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.” (Deuteronomy 7:25-26) The context here is the impending conquest of Canaan. Because the inhabitants of the Land were idolaters, it could reasonably be assumed that the victorious Israelites would find idols, graven images of false gods, left behind by the defeated foe. Yahweh is saying to completely destroy them: burn them with fire. Don’t adopt them as objects of worship (duh), don’t put them in museums as historical artifacts, don’t even recycle the intrinsically valuable or useful components of them—the gold or silver they’re made of. Lesson: we need to adjust our view of what’s valuable (and what isn’t) to align with Yahweh’s way of thinking. He values love, faith, fellowship, and truth. Gold He uses as paving material.

316. Not to make use of an idol or its accessory objects, offerings, or libations (Deut. 7:26) (CCN18). See Grape Products.

(316) Do not make use of an idol or its accessory objects, offerings, or libations. “You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to Yahweh your God. Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.” (Deuteronomy 7:25-26) Our supporting text is the same as for the previous mitzvah. Once again, the rabbis are more restrictive than Yahweh. His ban was limited to idols—the rabbis extended it to the objects that became associated with them through errant worship, which, if you think about it, is giving far more credit than is due to a dumb, lifeless hunk of wood, rock, or metal.

Paul addressed this very issue. He wrote, “Concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.” (I Corinthians 8:4) The rabbinical view was that meat that had been offered to idols in the pagan temples and subsequently offered for sale in the marketplace was tainted, and thus forbidden. Paul says, “Hey, it’s just meat, the same as any other. Since the idol is nothing, it has no power to accept, consecrate, or defile a sacrifice that’s offered to it. Believe me, the cow doesn’t know the difference.” However, Paul went on to say that there are circumstances that would make it improper to eat “things offered to idols.” But they have nothing at all to do with the meat itself, but rather to the damage one could do to the weak conscience of a less mature believer. “Food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.” (I Corinthians 8:8-9) In the real world, Yahweh’s law of love trumps everything else.

317. Not to drink wine of idolaters (Deut. 32:38) (CCN15). See Grape Products.

(317) Do not drink the wine of idolaters. “For Yahweh will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone, and there is no one remaining, bond or free. He will say: ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge, who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, and be your refuge.” (Deuteronomy 32:36-38) Maimonides has completely missed the point—again. Yahweh is looking forward to a time when He will have to judge His people Israel because of their idolatry—the very thing He incessantly warned them about.

Eventually, Moses relates, it will get so bad that He has to evict them from their Land until no Jew is left there (can you spell Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Vespasian, or Hadrian?). They will have to live out their generations in exile, wondering why the false gods they worshipped with their burnt sacrifices and to whom they poured out their drink offerings never answered them or came to their rescue. Did Maimonides not realize that he was penning his prevarications in Cairo, not Jerusalem? Was he so comfortable in exile that he didn’t notice that Yahweh had divorced his people?

Don’t skip over the line, “Yahweh…will have compassion on His servants.” Daniel predicts (in 12:7) that during the last three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, the power of Yahweh’s people Israel will once again be “completely shattered”—one last time they will be driven from the Land (by the Antichrist’s “abomination of desolation”). This time, however, their exile will teach them to trust in Yahweh and His Messiah. The result will be the final and permanent restoration of Israel.

How incredibly sad it is to see that even today, the Jews take this Torah passage and torture it until they’ve derived a complicated system of what grape products are okay and which ones aren’t. The Judaism 101 website reports that because of idolatrous gentile practices, “The use of wines and other grape products made by non-Jews was prohibited. (Whole grapes are not a problem, nor are whole grapes in fruit cocktail). For the most part, this rule only affects wine and grape juice. This becomes a concern with many fruit drinks or fruit-flavored drinks, which are often sweetened with grape juice. You may also notice that some baking powders are not kosher, because baking powder is sometimes made with cream of tartar, a by-product of wine making.” I mourn for the blindness of my Jewish brothers, and long for the day when Yahshua will restore their sight.