News Letter 5848-024
21st day of the 5th month 5848 years after the creation of Adam
The 5th Month in the Third year of the third Sabbatical Cycle
The Third Sabbatical Cycle of the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of Earthquakes Famines, and Pestilences
This is also the end of the twentieth week of this the Third Tithe Year for the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow Deuteronomy 26:12

August 11, 2012

Shabbat Shalom Brethren,

Last week I was able to present this elusive teaching on the Enlightenment of Mankind by Satan up in Hanover Ontario. John Bennett had two recording methods set up and we also had one video. We will see where this goes. But you can listen to the recording at http://maranathaourlordcometh.com/2.html . Be forewarned this is a 4 hour presentation and it was very humid this day.

Here is John Bennett’s announcement of this same event.

Dear Loved Ones In Yeshua,

Shalom to every one of you. Let me begin by saying once again that the many teachings we post or simply send the links out for are always to be proven OR tested by each and every one of you. Please DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT believe before you have sought YHVH through the Spirit and in the WORD of Elohim. There are too many “parrot” saints out there already so we don’t have to be reproducing them ourselves. Furthermore, there is always something that I don’t believe myself that gets out there so discernment is needed on your part as well as mine. Let me add one other thing: IF IT IS TRUTH, do not and I repeat do not savour it only intellectually without applying it yourself. This is very dangerous spiritual ground. When we know better and trifle with the things of the Father and sin presumptuously we are setting ourselves on a path of self-deception and self-righteousness that will eventually end in a very serious manner. Peter said it well: ” For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” (II Peter 2:21-22)

Please consider the teaching that was delivered this past Shabbat at the Maranatha Fellowship. We thank our Father for Joseph Dumond’s faithfulness and ministry through sightedmoon.com. It is usually unsavory but then again, we do not gather together to have our ears tickled. The Prophets never had any savory messages. It is high time to recognize that we are living in the few years preceding maranatha (the coming of our LORD): years of darkness and judgment. If you recall the days of Jeremiah preceding the Babylonian captivity, this prophet did not have a very large “fan-club” or a very uplifting message. Let me add that YHVH did not change what was coming so Jeremiah could change his message into something pleasant and flowery! The drought we are in right now is a little foretaste and message from YHVH telling us that we are ever so near His Judgment for apostasy against His torah – same thing with Joseph’s message. It is time to sound an alarm and preach the TRUTH without reservation and believe it without hesitation! Brother Joseph is an awesome example for us all. Here are the links to his teaching:

The Enlightenment and Agenda 21 Part I, Part II and Part III – Is “Sustainable Development” the way the “enlightened ones” offer really as good and as harmless as it appears? Find out through Brother Joseph Dumond’s short series how this United Nations effort fits with the prophecies of Daniel and where this devilish global law was spawned from. Furthermore, discover how anti-torah this “noble cause” really is! There isn’t anything new under the sun because “enlightenment” began in the garden and can be traced through the annals of history up until today.

It was exciting and extremely edifying to see extended family and new faces at the fellowship this past Sabbath. Thank you to all who came (and many from far) for their zeal and love for TRUTH and for their input in the assembly. I learned so much it is unreal! (I thought I was the teacher but now I know better… I am only a student but don’t tell anybody that!) I think I see my role as more of a facilitator rather than a pastor! Well, sometimes I really do not know what I am but I certainly know who I am – I am a child of the King who is my Heavenly Father and Redeemer who died so I could live according to His standard which is TORAH – HalleluYah what a Yeshua! and I know a little of what I am supposed to be DOING!

Well, we all had a great time this Shabbat and I think everyone is looking forward to the next…how about you? Shalom…

Then on Sept 1, 2012, for those of you in the Missouri area, I will be speaking at
The Body of Yeshua Holy Temple
1215 S. Sprigg St.
Cape Girardeau MO 63701
Call: Tracy Zimmermann 573-986-8351 or
Winston Williford 573-382-2248

Again we will be covering the Sabbatical and Jubilee years and the Prophecies of Abraham and the 70 weeks of Daniel. So it will be a very full day. Come and expect to learn a great deal.

Once again I want to remind you all that the Feast of Tabernacles is just 2 months away from now. I urge each and every one of you to make plans to join a group of brethren and camp out for this commanded Holiday. Yehovah tells you to take a tithe of your income and spend it on you and your family over these 8 days. What an awesome and thoughtful Creator we have.

If you can’t join me and Avi in Israel then make sure you attend some group near you this year. Make a point of doing it and decide that you will do it right now.

If you can join us in Israel then you can view the schedule at http://cominghome.co.il/tours/Sukkot%202012%20Pre-Promo.pdf Once you have experienced the Land of Israel you will never be the same again afterwards. Last time I heard from Avi they were getting close to the full mark. I have not heard from him and Dina as they are on tour around the world and are now in the USA.

Avi has recently written me and said the following.

Anyone that wants to come for Sukkot 2012 with the program that we have set up at our home in Afula, please tell them that the “roughing it” option is sold out and we literally do not have any more space available at our home to make this happen for others that might want this cheaper option. HOWEVER, we still are holding a reservation for a few more rooms at Kibbutz Ein Harod, which is nearby our home – about a 15 minute drive from us. That option is of course, more expensive than staying at our home on the balcony (in a quasi- camping environment). Nonetheless, we can welcome some new registrants for the next 30 days.

Where ever you decide to go, make sure you make time for Yehovah and talk to Him.

This week in the mail it was mostly about my little rant on the conspiracy teaching some of you are hooked on. Like a drug addict. Far too many take a theory and make it fact and replace the facts that are proven with these theories and in time are led astray into all sorts of wild belief’s. Unfortunately I have seen it over and over far too often. I do not apologise if this bothers you.

Hopefully you will repent and return to the Torah and IT ALONE, but once they get this crap in their veins they tend to want to continue in it. Maybe if you read the words of other brethren it may help you below.

And the other emails were about the farm news and our beginning to plant this vineyard with Boaz and Rinah of Israel. Baoz has written to tell me the following;

Shalom Joseph

– we will confirm our seedling order in the next week for delivery end September. We have earth works this week preparing the site for the structures and well as the place to construct our computer controlled irrigation system. We will need to supplement some of our drippers and feeder pipes and this will also be done in the coming week so that we can start with technical irrigation before the arrival of the seedlings. This should enable us to remove all weeds and unwanted growth before planting.
Next week also sees the collection of quotes for the trellising which also has to be in before planting. All in all a very busy and blessed time!
Blessings and Shabbat Shalom
Boaz for both of us

Please also keep Boaz in your prayers as he has debilitating pain in two discs in his neck.

Shalom Brother Joseph,

I want to thank you quickly quickly for your amazing news about the Land project.
It gives me so much hope. I am waiting nearly impatient for the money I will get so I can send it to you.
I cannot find words enough to thank Abba that he has gifted you to do what you are doing for His kingdom and am most glad that the rewards are poured out on to you and your family.
May He continue to show his favour on all people having a good will to follow his pleasure and will. These signs are really needed not only for Judah but for all of us.
Thanks again and continuing blessings.
Thailand

Thank you for addressing the amount of time spent on learning of Satan’s ways. I have received many of these things in emails and have thought about the time spent on them takes away from studying the word. Not to mention that the Torah says to not learn the ways of the heathen. I am ashamed to admit I did forward some intriguing ones, however, I plan to abstain from now on and devote myself only to Torah. Thank you for the confirming word.
USA

I so appreciate your following comment:

“If on the other hand you are actually in love with the Torah…then stop reading this crap about the secret orders and conspiracy teaching, and stop forwarding it on and return to the true worship of Yehovah and study His Torah; And stop listening to those who putting this false information out there.”

More of your time is probably subjected to waste than mine in re: all that junk people forward to us, and i at times get multiple forwards of the same junk; can only imagine how many duplication’s you receive. I have a reply i send on occasion – something like this, “these forwards place people under the influence of the adversary in that their sending, our opening these, or even the deleting of them draws our time and energies from what we should be doing – that is, study of the Word, and being witnesses, by how we live, of our Abba and our Messiah. And i have asked people not to waste their time or mine. Rather strong, but i feel so strongly, and am saddened that brethren get caught up in this “garbage”. These are also points you write this week. So thank you for your admontion. You have done so before, obviously some people still aren’t getting it.
USA

Joseph,
Again reproof by the truth. So elegantly spoken in your news later. To be carried away on fables of all kinds unable to prove they are true. That’s where the enemy will lead us and we need to be on our toes. These days we do not have time for such nonsense. Thank You for using our Elohim governing truth to bring us back to his prospective….
USA

Shabbat Shalom, Joseph!

I just read your newsletter and I cried while rejoicing over the news of Boaz’s farm and what has been accomplished. Isn’t it just like our amazing Father to come up with a beautiful surprise plan of His own that is just perfect! Hallelu-YAH! You are a faithful servant to Him and He is blessing you. I am going to prayerfully ask the Father to make a way for me to go there. My heart is there already.

I wondered why you sent me the DVD and now I realize you were in the process of giving back what people had given to you for the farm project. My first donation was a mere pittance to what you needed but I intend to assist with the funds to continue to bless the land of Israel. The farm will be a witness to the world of the blessings reaped from keeping the Sabbatical year! I am just in awe over how this has worked out!

Just when I had pretty much committed myself to donating to the farm project on a regular basis, a family in need came into my life and I have been helping them. As soon as they are on their feet, I will start helping out with the farm. You are absolutely right about Yah’s faithfulness when it comes to keeping his commands and I wanted to make sure I am keeping the 3rd year tithe Torah. I have had so many blessings this year since I began helping this family and keeping Yah’s tithing commands and His Shabbats and festival commandments.

Lastly, I want to say that you are “right on” with your words of warning to those who get involved with all this negative conspiracy hype. I almost fell for it myself. Yah kind of knocked me upside the head and set me straight. I don’t listen to that stuff any more. I put my faith, hope and trust in Him.

I am going to try to get to Cape Girardeau to hear you on September 1st. I live by St. Louis so it’s not that far.

Peace be with you always brother,
Missouri

Joseph,
As is often the case, I don’t have an opportunity to read your news letters until days after Shabbat. I have just read this one. My reaction is sort of an emotional mess! I am crying joyously, I am inspired by you, Boaz and Rinah, and those who have pushed ahead with their financial commitment to the farm and pushing at many doors in faith. These actions in faith will surely be honored by our Abba and he will use them to reveal His will and speak His instruction to all and draw everyone into His true Torah. He knows that is our heart; always clay in His hands.
I am truly in awe of Him and I do not want to be counted among the 10 faithless spies… oh, what would You have me do Abba? The lesson You have spoken to me here is to do something, even some small thing sacrificially and trust You to preserve, nurture and multiply. I know it is Your desire that we know the truth and when we seek You earnestly You lead and instruct in lovingkindness.
Blessings and Shalom,
Charles

It was back in June that we first became involved with the Farm with Boaz by helping him financially to be able to plant a quantity of Essential oil plants. AS we did this there was an attack near Baoz’s farm in which a man working on the erection of the border wall was killed. This week the following news article was posted.

Again I must emphasise just how dangerous an area this farm is in and how the whole Moshav needs your prayers for their safety and for the prosperity of their farms. Boaz is just one portion of this moshav. I also encourage you all to consider making a gift towards helping us to build up this farm.

You can give it directly to Boaz and Rinah as I gave you their address last week. But if you send it through me it does give us some leverage in asking for a portion of the land we invest in to be set aside for the Sabbatical year. This is my main reason for wanting to do this in the first place.

Israeli strike hits Gaza gunman linked to Egypt raid
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/israeli-strike-hits-gaza-gunman-linked-egypt-raid-135255456.html
GAZA (Reuters) – An Israeli air strike killed a Palestinian gunman from a radical Islamist group and wounded another on Sunday as they rode a motorbike in southern Gaza, near the Egyptian border.

The Israeli military said one of those targeted, Ahmed Said Ismail, was behind an attack on June 18 along the Israel-Egypt border in which an Israeli civilian was killed.

Palestinian hospital officials said Ismail was critically wounded and a second militant was killed. Both were members of a radical Islamist militant group “Magles Shoura al-Mujahddin”, which is among Salafi factions that are a fringe presence in Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

A group by the same name claimed responsibility for the June guerrilla raid from the Egyptian Sinai into Israel which killed an Israeli who was helping erect a border fence.

According to a claim issued last month, the two raiders, who were both killed by Israeli forces, were an Egyptian and a Saudi.

Israel has previously accused Palestinian militants in Gaza of involvement in militant activity in Sinai, where insecurity has spread since the U.S.-aligned Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, was toppled by a citizen revolt last year.

Gaza is governed by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist movement which, while also hostile to the Jewish state, is considered too moderate by many Salafis and has at times clashed with them during law-and-order drives.

Before we begin this weeks study, I must remind you all around the world, just how bad it is in the USA because of this severe drought. The Mississippi is drying up. Fish in many rivers are dying due to the temperature of the river being 100 degrees F. Record temperatures are being reset each week and each day across the USA. Again I urge you to look at the Drought monitor at http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
I am reminding you so that you will not forget Lev 26 and the curses that are told to you there and explained to you in Deuteronomy 28. You have a famine coming to you; yes you in the USA and to those countries who depend on the USA for their food.

Lev 26:25 And I will bring a sword on you that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant. And when you are gathered inside your cities, I will send the plague among you. And you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight. And you shall eat and not be satisfied.

We are just 5 years away from this time when food will become very scarce and diseases will increase and war will come to North America. Add on to this the economic reversal that will come as it always has in a Sabbatical year about 2016 and you can add even more heart ache to those in the USA who will not be able to afford the food that is available.

The evidence is right in front of you on the nightly news and yet the silence is deafening. Why are you all so silent about this? You are acting like the foolish virgins who lose their oil. What this parable means is that these women stop talking about Torah and keep silent and do not tell anyone to repent and return to keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days of Lev23 and it alone and the Sabbatical years of which the next one is 2016 from Aviv to Aviv. When are you going to speak up?

The only way to be saved from what is coming is for you to repent and begin to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days and the Sabbatical years. If you do not and I do not care if you know how to say the name and you use that as your lucky rabbits foot, if you do not walk the talk that Torah dictates then you will be destroyed from off this earth along with those who also rebel against the Most High Yehovah. Again as always you get to chose if you and your family will live or die. Choose wisely!

Also in the news this past week was a serious fire fight in the area of the Farm and an Egyptian Soldier was killed. I have warned you before that such an incident could lead Egypt to begin a war with Israel in retaliation for the death of their soldier. This is not the case this week, but the potential is there. Here is the News article for you to read for the Jerusalem Post.

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=280243 PM at Kerem Shalom: Israel can only rely on itself
By HERB KEINON, YAAKOV KATZ, JPOST.COM STAFF 08/06/2012 13:44
Netanyahu expresses condolences for slain Egyptian soldiers; Defense Minister Barak says attacks should be “wake-up call” for Egypt; Liberman says Egypt knows what to do without Israel’s advice.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/13-killed-attack-egypts-sinai-border-medics-190518989.html
Gunmen kill 16 Egypt border guards, enter Israel

Again as I prepare to send this out the news comes in from the Sinai area near the Farm of Boaz and Rinah.  http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/10/egypt-captures-six-sinai-terrorists-after-deadly-border-attack-state-media/
Egypt captures six Sinai ‘terrorists’ after deadly border attack: state media

The Fifth Commandment

The Fifth Commandment as it is written: “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days are prolonged upon the soil which ???? your Elohim is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

This is the first of the Ten Commandments we are given that instructs us on how we are to relate to other human beings. The first four commandments instruct us on how to relate to Yehovah and the last six instruct us on how to relate to our fellow man and parents are at the top of that list. For some people, obeying this commandment is easy, but for many many others, this is the first commandment that causes many emotions to surface and possibly a great many excuses and questions. This commandment also comes with a promise.

Have you ever wondered why Yehovah has to instruct us to do this? People talk about natural laws, meaning “things that happen naturally.” If Yehovah has to instruct or command us to do this, then perhaps there is a strong possibility this behavior is not natural. Have you ever read His Word in this fashion? Many of us read His Word to receive instruction and we take in His Words and say “ok, ok, ok, Father help me do this and obey Your Commandments.” Sometimes is it a good exercise to read His Word and ask, “why did He have to instruct me to do this?” Maybe because it IS difficult and not something that comes to me without some work in areas of pride, forgiveness, and humility to name a few.

We are going to explore some of these questions along with studying the meaning of the words, instruction, and promise attached to it.

We begin our understanding with a word study, because if we don’t understand the words Yehovah uses when speaking to us it is very difficult to fulfill the command.

kabad {kaw-bad’} or ??? kabed {kaw-bade’} a primitive root; TWOT – 943; v AV – honour 34, glorify 14, honourable 14, heavy 13, harden 7, glorious 5, sore 3, made heavy 3, chargeable 2, great 2, many 2, heavier 2, promote 2, misc 10; 116 1) to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be heavy 1a2) to be heavy, be insensible, be dull 1a3) to be honoured 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be made heavy, be honoured, enjoy honour, be made abundant 1b2) to get oneself glory or honour, gain glory 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to make heavy, make dull, make insensible 1c2) to make honourable, honour, glorify 1d) (Pual) to be made honourable, be honoured 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to make heavy 1e2) to make heavy, make dull, make unresponsive 1e3) to cause to be honoured 1f) (Hithpael) 1f1) to make oneself heavy, make oneself dense, make oneself numerous 1f2) to honour oneself

First use of this word kabad we find in Genesis 13:2

And Abram was very rich (kabad) in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
Here the word kabad is used as a noun, describing Abram’s heaviness in possessions. In the fifth commandment, kabad is used as a verb in that it is something Yehovah instructs us to do. It is not so very difficult to go from a noun to a verb many times. So taking the verse of first mention with Abraham the word kabad means heavy or weighty and so “to honor” is to create that situation true in reality such that, not as a situation that exists but in that we create that situation where it did not previously exist. Honor your father and mother is to literally make them heavy, make then weighty, make them to be in high regard in the eyes of people.

From the Ancient Hebrew Research Center

In Exodus 16:7 we read “and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD” (RSV). What is the “glory” of YHWH? First we must recognize that the “glory” is something that will be seen. Secondly, the word “glory” is an abstract word. If we look at how this word is paralleled with other words in poetical passages of the Bible, we can discover the original concrete meaning of this word. In Psalm 3:3 the kavod of God is paralleled with his shield and in Job 29:20 Job’s kavod is paralleled with his bow. In Psalm 23:8 we read “who is this king of the kavod, YHWH is strong and mighty, YHWH is mighty in battle.” The original concrete meaning of kavod is battle armaments. This meaning of “armament” fits with the literal meaning of the root of kavod which is “heavy” as armaments are the heavy weapons and defenses of battle. In the Exodus 16:7, Israel will “see” the “armament” of YHWH, who is the one who has done battle for them with the Egyptians.

Honor as a verb from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: to regard or treat with admiration and respect; to give special recognition to.
This is easy when our parents are everything we think they should be right? What about for parents who fall short, or don’t measure up in our eyes. Not so easy. We will be discussing this too. To put it plainly – nothing in the commandment says “honor your father and mother only if they deserve it.” We do not read this, hence the consternation and many times guilt and sadness in the lives of believers. There will also be something here for those who may have been abandoned and or neglected by their parents.

Using our word study above for kabad, we may find it useful to help us understand what this honoring our father and mother looks like if we put into the commandment some of the English words that can be used to help us have a more complete and expansive understanding. There are some startling questions added after each one to cause us to really “think” about what these things can mean, and testify against us in our current society and condition.

Glorify your father and your mother.
How do we do this if we ignore them?

Make heavy your father and your mother. How do we do this when we do not marry and have children? We sacrifice our children and families upon the altar of worldly successes and worldly treasures when the true treasure is family and children.
Make great your father and mother. How do we do this when we are slothful in life?
Make rich your father and mother. How do we do this when we do not demonstrate Yehovah to them by keeping His Commandments?
Make abundant your father and mother.
Make numerous your father and mother. How do we do this when we abort our children?

Honor has more to do with position and appointment than it does character or acts. The one who is in the position of authority is the one who appoints to positions, rank, and duties and all others must respect that. That is why we are going to talk about position first of the parents and then we are going to talk about the appointment of parents. Regardless of who our parents are and regardless of what our parents do, we are instructed by the Creator of the Universe to honor them. There are no ifs, and’s, or buts about it.

The Position of Father and Mother

Who do our father and mother represent to us in the earth? Is it not Yehovah Himself? The two of them unite in union and are partners in creation. Yehovah grants them pro – creation by His Will. Are births only happenstance? Was YOUR birth to YOUR parents only by random chance? Let us take a look at what our Scripture tells us, because it does tell us – and because it does tell us, this is the answer to the question of randomness and not some other answer we dream up or receive from any secular person or institution.

And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them (did you see that? ‘them’) rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock and over all the earth and over all the creeping creatures that creep on the earth.”
And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26-27
Here, Yehovah tells us that the male and female are His Image. Together, the male and female (the father and mother) have all the potential to be the whole Image of the Heavenly Father. The father with his strength, character, protection, provision and discipline… and the mother with her nurturing, caretaking, teaching, and love. It takes them both to create the image of Yehovah before the children. Honoring our father and our mother is learned before we are able to honor Yehovah. If we believe we can honor Yehovah without honoring our parents, we are deceived. How do we expect to accomplish something in the unseen when we cannot accomplish it in the seen?
Remember the words Yeshua spoke to Thomas? You have seen and believed, but blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. Do we claim to honor Yehovah, and yet do not honor our parents? We are liars. This is why this command is so very critical to learn to accomplish in our lives.

Concerning the father and the mother, the honor due them is based upon their position that was granted them by Yehovah Himself.

The answer to this question is found in the second way in which honoring parents honors God. When we honor our parents, we acknowledge that they have been ordained of God to be our parents and to receive our honor. Honoring parents who are not worthy of honor can only be done as one recognizes that God has appointed them to be parents, and thus they are honored for their God-given position of parenthood, not for their performance as a parent.

Honor cannot be earned, nor can it be demanded. Since honor is due on the basis of position, and not performance, we should realize that honor is not something which another person can demand of us. A king can demand that we obey him, but not that we honor him, at least in the fullest sense of the term. So, too, a parent cannot really demand honor of their child. In one’s older years there will be a temptation for the parent to prescribe for the child exactly what form their honor will take, but I believe that this is contrary to the nature of honor itself. Honor demanded is not honor at all. Think about it. You cannot give yourself honor, nor can you demand others honor you. Honor is not like many other things such as awards, love, admiration – these things can be earned by pleasing others. Honor is not like this. Honor (or respect in some cases) is given to those who have a certain “position” in life. Let us talk about this position of father and mother, and Who put them there.

The Divine Appointments

Who opens and closes the womb but Yehovah?

Abraham and Sarah: Genesis 11:30 And Sarai was barren, she had no child. We are told this for a reason. Yehovah needs us to know that it is He and He alone who opens and closes the womb. As Abram and Sarai go down to Eygypt in the dealings with Pharoah and their dealings with Abimelek, we are shown further proof of this fact concerning the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But ???? plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Gen 12:17 Abram and Sarai told Pharaoh that they were brother and sister as a safety precaution.

And again when they were in Gerar with Abimelek and Abraham did the same thing concerning Sarah: But Elohim came to Abimelek in a dream by night, and said to him, “See, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Gen 20:3 As the situation is cleared up and Sarah is returned to Abraham we read: And Abraham prayed to Elohim, and Elohim healed Abimelek and his wife, and his female servants, so they bore children, for YHWH had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelek because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Genesis 20:17-18

Yehovah provided Abraham and Sarah a child and opened her womb even as she was passed child bearing age to drive home the point that He is the author of life.

Rebeccah was barren until Yehovah answered Isaacs prayer: Gen 25:21 And Isaac prayed to YHWH for his wife, because she was barren. And YHWH answered his prayer, and Rebeccah his wife conceived.

Yehovah opened Le’ah’s womb when He saw her sadness and lacking: Gen 29:31

And YHWH saw that Le’ah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” And concerning Rachel: And Elohim remembered Rachel, and Elohim listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bore a son, and said, “Elohim has taken away my reproach.” Gen 30:22-23

Manoah and Hannah were barren and Yehovah answered her prayer to open her womb and gave them Sampson – a deliverer of Israel. Then also there is Zechariah and Elisheva who were barren and Yehovah gave them John the Baptizer who prepared the way of our King – Yehshua.
So it is without question, that Yehovah is the only One who appoints life unto men and women. The fact that you are born into this world is a divine appointment, not only to you and the lot you are born into — but also the father and mother who were blessed to bring you forth. Do not look up to heaven and tell Yehovah He was wrong. We MUST work it out as to the situation and what it all means if our place and circumstances of birth are not ideal. We are told to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and certainly this admonition needs to be used here in this matter. Honor your father and your mother is number 5 of the Ten Commandments.

Mother and Father are divine appointments. Not honoring them puts us at enmity with Yehovah, and ignoring them is not honoring them – this is disobedience to Yehovah. Many church leaders, pastors, writers, and counseling advise this today. They advise our people, that if the parents are just too much and make us sad, then just ignore them and stay away from them to limit or remove the conflict. How is this helping us to grow? How is this helping us to seek Yehovah?

Enlarging the family is honor, causing the family to become “weightier”

Exodus 23:26 “And you shall serve YHWH your Elohim, and He shall bless your bread and your water. And I shall remove sickness from your midst. None shall miscarry or be barren in your land. I shall fill the number of your days. [“… so that your days may be long in the land…”]

The everlasting covenant was given to Israel and was to be taken to the end of the age and to all the nations. This continuation and teaching of His covenant is through the family beginning with the father and the mother. This cannot be accomplished when there is no regard for the fifth commandment and the breakdown of the family; namely the honoring of the father and the mother. As the family unit breaks down, so does the order put in place by Yehovah to carry and teach His Word and Covenant. What if our parents did not teach us the covenant one might ask. That is really not the point is it? The point is, if we NOW have children we had better demonstrate honor to them by us honoring our parents or we are guaranteed they (our children) WILL NOT honor us.

The following information was taken from http://abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html

Who’s having abortions (religion)??Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as “Born-again/Evangelical”.

Why women have abortions?1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).
The purpose for bringing this up with the fifth commandment is not to cause guilt or judgment, but to cause evaluation of the truth of the situation, repentance, and change. Society has told people for decades now, that success in life is worldly possessions, materials, and professionalism. The family has been under attack in every form imaginable.

Children are taught by a worldly education system that opposes the parents authority. Girls and women are taught that to have a family and care for the home is tantamount to being a failure in life. Boys are not taught how to be men who fear Yehovah. This begins with honoring the father and the mother. The promise God gives to us for obeying this commandment is that our days will be prolonged upon the soil which He is giving us. Brethren, part of this is the family name, the family lineage, the goodness and richness that comes from building up a family name over the ages and years. How can this be accomplished when we are choosing to be on our own, not marry, divorce, abort our children? We saw a few newsletters back how we are literally causing ourselves to become extinct due to this problem. This is judgment! We no longer have the promise, and our days ARE NOT being prolonged in the earth because we are making this commandment void in the earth.

The abortion and sacrificing our children on the altar of worldly gods is our doing. Let us now take a look at what Yehovah is doing because of our disobedience. Infertility is judgment.

The rise in infertility. BBC reported that infertility is a time bomb: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4112450.stm

Infertility is set to double in Europe over the next decade, a leading UK fertility expert has warned.
One in seven couples now has trouble conceiving naturally, but Professor Bill Ledger from Sheffield University warned this could rise to one in three.
Considering the promise connected to the fifth commandment of prolonging the life on the soil – these situations where we are on our way to extinction is certainly a wake up call.

Bearing and raising children today is viewed as something far less than a blessing. This rejects the clear teaching of the Bible. Those who would leave the home and seek fulfillment in the working world in order to gain dignity and respect have also turned from the truth of God’s Word. Let those who would seek to avoid parenting be reminded that in God’s Word parenting is a most honorable occupation.
If ???? does not build the house, its builders have labored in vain.
If ???? does not guard the city, the watchman has stayed awake in vain.
In vain do you rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of toil; So He give His beloved sleep.
Look, children are an inheritance from ????
The fruit of the womb is the reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
They are not ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127

For the young parents reading this letter, take it upon yourselves to repair the breach! Teach your children by your actions. We can all begin today to turn this around in each of our lives and families.

Children and families are always spoken of by Yehovah as blessings:

Blessing Deuteronomy 7:11-14

“And you shall guard the command, and the laws and the right-rulings which I command you today, to do them.
And it shall be because you hear these right-rulings, and shall guard and do them, that YHWH your Elohim shall guard with you the covenant and the kindness which He swore to your fathers,

And shall love you and bless you and increase you, and shall bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you.
Blessed are you above all peoples – there is not going to be a barren man or a barren woman among you or among your livestock.”

Don’t make excuses, just rectify the situation. Be repairers of the breach. Imagine if we were of the attitude that we only treat people as they deserve. No man would be saved and no man would be healed. Yehovah saw us and called us and accepted us into His family, not because we were righteous, but because He loved us and we were sick.

Recognize the position. Respect the position.

Those of us who have been in a work place environment or in the military where the rank and position of authority are enforced by respect of the position find a way to accomplish the respect and honor that the position demands. Why can we do it with strangers and not our parents? Because we may lose our job, or be reprimanded if we do not adhere to what is expected “by man”? I tell you the truth – these things are nothing compared to standing before Yehovah, the Creator of the Universe. Think about these things and make them right in our families.

Signs of judgment – children not honoring parents. This commandment and the consequences of breaking it will indeed show themselves in the age of the great world-wide evil. Our King tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, “And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and a father his child. And children shall rise up against parents and shall put them to death.” Matt 10:21

There is a lot of talk and even laws today in our society that advocate and support the putting away of the elderly, our parents. We put them away in homes to be taken care of by governments and strangers. Their lives are boiled down to nothing more than a burden upon society and their value is demeaned. New Health Care laws are being set up to determine who is worthy of care and can be helped. Leaders of our nations are actually discussing the “financial advantages” of aiding and helping the elderly as if it is a cost/benefit analysis. We all have let this happen because we are not keeping the fifth commandment. We have been too busy and too important to keep this commandment of honor your father and mother. They cramp our style don’t they? I warn you, this is a mindset that has pervaded our culture and it is a lie. You are following the world and not Yehovah. Who is our authority and where do we receive instruction brethren? From the world or from Yehovah?

By contrast, what are we told are signs of restoration? Is it not the turning the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the father’s to the children?

Mal 4:5 “See, I am sending you ?liyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of ????. 6 “And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with utter destruction.”
Luk 1:16 “And he shall turn many of the children of Yisra’?l to ???? their Elohim. 17 “And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of ?liyahu, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the insight of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for ????.”

Question. Which is held in higher regard by Yehovah: giving to the church or caring for parents? Let us take a look at what He said. This is Yehovah talking to the leaders of the religion in those days:

And He said to them, “Well do you set aside the command of Elohim, in order to guard your tradition.
For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother”; and, “He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.” But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban’—” (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such traditions you do. (Mark 7:10–13)

Taking care of our parents is a priority and should not be shirked by a hypocritical donation to the church. If you would rather make a special offering than help your parents with their bills, you are actually disobeying the Word of God and following in the footsteps of the Pharisees. This is a serious offense and should not be taken lightly.

The Bible includes more about the importance of providing for your family:

Honor widows who are really widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God . . . . But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:3–4, 8)
In biblical times (and in many parts of the world today), widows or elderly parents lived with and were taken care of by their children. There were no government programs that attempt to play the role of God, family, child, and parent. Taking care of an elderly parent is not to be ignored.

Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Master, for this is right.
“Respect your father and mother,” which is the first command with promise, in order that it might be well with you, and you might live long on the earth.”

There is much temptation for the younger generation to think of its parents as out of date, antiquated in thinking. In a society where knowledge is prized more than wisdom, it is ever more imperative that we teach the children at home and by example. Yehovah’s order was set in place since the beginning on how His Torah and His Ways were to continue on in His people and the world: Yehovah – to the parents – to the children. Taking that same order and moving it into the other direction is our commandment to honor our father and our mother.
In Deuteronomy the evidences of a “dishonorable” child were public, and thus the persistently and willfully rebellious child was to be disciplined (executed) in a public ceremony:

“If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his home town. And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear of it and fear” (Deut. 21:18-21)

Since this is really the first occurrence of the breaking of this command to honor parents in a specific incident, it would be well to make several observations about the commandment which is given:

“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16).

Obedience to the Fifth Commandment is always linked with the blessings attached to the keeping of all the commandments. Do a study sometime on this commandment and notice where it falls. It always follows the reminder and urge to the blessings of keeping ALL the commandments. In addition to the fact that one must keep every commandment to keep all commandments, the Fifth Commandment plays a special role with respect to the rest of the commandments. The laws of God are to be conveyed to subsequent generations primarily from the parents to their children. Thus, the emphasis of Deuteronomy on the teaching the Law to children. If children are going to listen to their parents and learn to love the Law, they must first respect and honor their teachers—their fathers and mothers. The honoring of parents is thus a prerequisite to the teaching of the Law from one generation to the next.

If we honor our parents we will heed their instruction. If we heed their instruction, we will keep the whole Law of God. If we keep the Law of God we will not do harm to our fellow-Israelites. Honoring our parents causes us to be inclined to avoid the evils of murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and coveting. Honoring our parents has a high correlation with honoring others and caring for them. This is emphasized in two passages of Proverbs:

There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother –
There is a generation, clean in its own eyes, But not washed from its own filth.
There is a generation; Oh, how haughty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up. Proverbs 30:11-13

An eye that mocks his father, and scorns to obey his mother –
Ravens of the wadi dig it out, and your eagles eat it! Proverbs 30:17

The son who does not hesitate to curse father or mother, will not hesitate to curse any man. The son who strikes or robs his parents will not find it difficult to oppress others. The son who dishonors parents will mistreat others. One’s treatment of his parents is directly related to his treatment of his fellow man. Let us tell our children, that the character of their friends and the character of the object of their courtship can be determined upon how they treat their parents! This is wisdom.

Not only does the Fifth Commandment relate to and facilitate the keeping of the last commandments, it also is very much related to the keeping of those commandments pertaining to the worship of God.

Those who would honor God must also honor their parents. Those who honor parents have already begun to honor God. Our earthly fathers are, on the one hand, God’s representatives, instructing and disciplining their children in His place. On the other hand, parents serve to illustrate the way in which God is at work in the lives of His children, as a Father. This is seen, for example, in Proverbs chapters 2 and 3, where the father’s care for his child is likened to God’s fatherly care for His children.

Honoring parents was a vitally important obligation, signaled by its inclusion in the Ten Commandments, by the death penalty attached to its flagrant violation, and by the detail which we are given about the evidences of honoring parents or its neglect. Honoring parents was fundamental for the passing on of Israel’s faith from one generation to another. It was also important because it enhanced and facilitated the honoring of God (commandments 1-4) and others (commandments 6-10).

But what if a person has parents who are hardly worthy of honor? We know of many children whose parents seem to have done their best to ruin their lives. Children who have been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused will have to deal with the effects of this for their entire life? How can such children honor their parents?

When a child honors an unworthy, unkind, parent and does so because he or she recognizes that God has appointed them to hold this position of authority and honor, they are submitting themselves to the sovereign hand of God. And because they know that God causes all things ultimately to work for good in the believer’s life, they realize that while the parent may do something for an evil purpose, God has allowed it to happen for a good purpose. Genesis 50:20. Honoring an unworthy parent thus opens the door for one to see the good hand of God in giving a poor parent. It is often the weaknesses of the parent, in such a case, that brings about corresponding strengths in the child.

Let us switch focus now and talk about the things which we use that keep us from honoring our fathers and mothers. There are things such as: abandonment, neglect, abuse, mean-spiritness and all the way to plain old dislike and petty differences. Each one of us must ask ourselves the question: What is it worth to us, to be in Yehovah’s Kingdom?

That’s right… what is it worth to us to be in His Kingdom? Read the words of Yehovah, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father shall also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither shall your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15 This is very serious! Some of us live as though we will get a pass on this! We have already discussed the matter of Divine appointment, Divine order, and Divine position [of authority] and we have already discussed how our parents are the Image of Yehovah in our lives. Would we consider raising our voices in defiance of Him? Would we call Him cruel, vindictive, stupid, or lacking? Yet… have we done this to our fathers and mothers? And don’t say you have the right because it may or may not be true. This makes you a judge, a judge of Yehovah Himself and this is none of your business to speak plainly.

Let us also consider tests and trials. Consider the parents we are given by Divine appointment by Yehovah and how He has commanded us to honor them. Do we ever consider that the matter is for our benefit? After all, we quote scripture concerning these things, or do we not truly believe?

For Elohim shall bring every work into right-ruling, including all that is hidden, whether good or whether evil. Ecclesiates 12:14
And we know that all [matters] work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to [His} purpose. Romans 8:28

“Then Peter [insert YOUR NAME here] came to Him (Yehovah) and said, “Master, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Yeshua said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
“BECAUSE OF THIS the reign of the heavens is like a certain man, a sovereign who wished to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents, but as he was unable to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Then the servant fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I shall pay you all.’
And the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
And that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pieces of money. And he laid hand on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!”
Then his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I shall pay you all.’
But he would not, and went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. And when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were deeply grieved, and came and reported to their master all that had taken place.
Then his master called him and said to him, ‘Wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt seeing you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, as I also had compassion on you?’
And his master was wroth, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
“So also My heavenly Father shall do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Read this parable over and over until you get it. The wicked servant is us! We accept forgiveness and cancellation of our debts with Yehovah – but we do not do this for our father and our mother? Wickedness!! It does not matter what they have done against us, we must forgive. Did you know that in the Scriptures, the word forgive is used many times as the word “nasa”

Nasa means to lift up, to carry, to bear. Yeshua bore our sins and transgressions to the point of death on the cross. He bore our sins. To be “Christ like” brethren, we are to bear the sins of our brothers and first on that list of “others” is our father and mother. They are first! These trespasses that we feel have been done unto us by our parents are debts – and we are to forgive our debtors, it is more than just about money beloved. We are all in debt to our Creator and King – how shall we pay? We cannot pay, for the wages of sin is death. But He paid that didn’t He, for each of us? He expects us now… to turn around and do the same for our parents, no matter the trespass.

It is all part of our refinement for the Kingdom…living in His Kingdom. Do we value “our wrongs” more than our position in His Kingdom? These things are only trials! Yehovah knew exactly what He was doing when “He caused you to be” in the exact place you were when you were brought into this world, His Creation. His Creation is now fallen, as we all know because of sin in the world brought into it in the Garden of Eden. What is the point? Yehovah knows — and we must find out.
It is the esteem of Elohim to hide a matter, And the esteem of sovereigns to search out a matter. Proverb 25:2

It is time to weigh our own hearts in the fifth commandment. Are we praising and worshipping Yehovah with the same mouth and lips we are cursing, yelling at, and arguing with our parents? This is a question only each of us can answer. Answer it today, beloved. Put your prayers and hearts in motion with the Spirit of God to repair ANY and all breaches with parents. Each of us will have different things and ways this must be accomplished, but accomplish it we must. Our position in our Father’s Kingdom weighs in the balance.

“Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be so. Does the fountain send forth the sweet and the bitter from the same opening?
My brothers, is a fig tree able to bear olives, or a grapevine figs? So neither is a fountain able to make salt and sweet water.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good behaviour his words in meekness of wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast against and lie against the truth.
This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but it is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and self-seeking are, there is confusion and every foul deed.
But the wisdom from above is first clean, then peaceable, gentle, ready to obey, filled with compassion and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:10-18

When we honor our fathers and mothers, in the earth, we are promised a blessing. We have not only the command but we have the addition of a blessing for obedience to it. The greatest obstacle for us in achieving this command and receiving the blessings is unforgiveness and holding onto hurts and wrongs. Yeshua can heal us, He has promised… so when and if we are not healed of past hurts by others… it is “we” who are doing the hanging on to them and they only hurt us. If this letter has hit home with you – wake every morning…. Every morning with a prayer to our King to grant you to wisdom and the heart to forgive first, then to be a repairer of the breach, to be the peacemaker you were called to be between mankind and Him. There is no option beloved. JUST DO IT!!!!

Triennial Torah Cycle

We continue this weekend with our regular Triennial Torah Reading 

Num 14      Job 39-42       Romans 3

“You Shall Know My Rejection” (Numbers 14)

The Israelites, it appears, had come to the point where they could have immediately possessed the Promised Land. But a lack of faith would keep them out of this land that flowed with milk and honey for several more decades—making their time in the wilderness a total of 40 years.

Discouragement set in as a result of the evil report of the 10 faithless spies, and once again the children of Israel speak against Moses and Aaron. They begin by wishing they had already died in Egypt or the wilderness rather than face the “dangers” of the land of Canaan (verse 2). But the complaining doesn’t stop there. They accuse God of intentionally putting them and their families in harm’s way to kill them (verse 3). And then an even more incredible thing happens. They decide that it would be much better to return to Egypt, so they actually call for the selection of a new leader to lead them back to the land of their enslavement.

At this point Moses and Aaron “hit the deck,” as it were (verse 5), probably to intercede for the people and perhaps to “dodge the bullets” of God’s wrath that would surely follow such outrage. Indeed, how out of touch with reality can people be? Of course, we probably consider ourselves impervious to such a frame of mind. Yet discouragement can also cause us to want to give up and go back into the world. Egypt, a type of sin, for us represents those things we believe and do before the Father calls us and grants us repentance and faith. We must, then, never look back.

But again, the people were not merely looking back—they had already determined to actually go back. They were picking a leader for this rebellion when Joshua and Caleb step forward in utter grief. They encourage the people to go forward toward the Promised Land. In 13:16, we see that Moses has changed the name of Hoshea (Hebrew “Salvation” or “May the Eternal Save”) to Joshua (Hebrew “The Eternal Saves”)—thus providing an “answer” to the “request” in the former name. The Latinized Greek form of Joshua is Jesus. Indeed, Joshua was a type of Jesus Christ in many respects. Joshua’s encouragement gives us a picture of Jesus, our Savior, our Deliverer, our Captain, cheering us on and helping us into His Kingdom (verse 8). With Caleb, he exhorts the people, “Don’t rebel, don’t fear our enemies, we’ll eat them alive, they will fall apart” (compare verse 9). Like Joshua, Caleb was appropriately named, as his name carries the sense of being “Bold” or “Wholehearted” in Hebrew.

Clearly, to not follow God’s lead, to refuse His promises, is rebellion. But the Israelites’ rebellion is further magnified when their response to the faithful witnesses is a call to stone them to death. Then the thing that Israel should have truly feared happens—God’s presence is manifested before them in the shekinah glory (verse 10), and He is furious. God again considers wiping Israel out altogether, and starting over with Moses. Notice, however, that Moses doesn’t seek preeminence for himself. Rather, he is primarily concerned with God’s reputation. He reminds the Lord that the nations are watching (verses 13-16). Furthermore, despite the rebellion of the people and their threats against him personally, Moses loves them and seeks their welfare. In coming to their aid, he appeals to God’s patience and mercy (verses 17-19). Moses is very obviously, then, a type of Christ in obtaining pardon for the people.

But for the Israelites it is only a temporary pardon—because they will not repent. And ultimately, the very thing that they wished for, that they had fallen dead in the wilderness (verse 2), will come upon them (verses 28-29, 32, 35). Of the older generation, only Joshua and Caleb will enter the Promised Land (verses 24, 30). And rather than God placing the Israelites’ children in jeopardy as the people had accused, the children would be the only ones spared: “Your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised” (verse 31). Yet for 40 years, the nation will be rejected from entering the Promised Land. Incredibly, as severe as this might sound, it actually displays the tremendous mercy of God that He would still make it possible for a purged Israel to enter the land.

But now we come to an amazing tendency of human nature. When God says, “Do,” the carnal mind wants to not do. And when God says, “Don’t,” the carnal mind wants to do (compare Romans 8:7; 7:8). Now that God says they can’t enter the Promised Land, the people suddenly want to—and attempt to do just that. They do acknowledge their prior sin, but they do not see that by seeking what God has now forbidden by His judgment, they are guilty of the sin of rebellion just the same. Though Moses warns them, they mount a futile invasion attempt of the land. But it is, of course, doomed to failure from the start because God is not with them (verses 42-45).

Consider then: As a result of the fear and lack of faith of 10 cowardly men, and the people’s response to it, the Israelites would have to die in the wilderness. They hardened their hearts, and God made up His mind that they would not enter His rest (Psalm 95:8-11)—that is, the Promised Land. They refused to follow God, though He was visibly with them in the cloud and the fire. We must take warning from all this. God’s Word states that the Israelites falling in the wilderness should serve as a powerful example to us (1 Corinthians 10:1-12). They took their eyes off the goal, a mistake we are repeatedly warned not to make. Let us therefore fear, we who have the promise of entering into God’s future rest, His millennial Kingdom, lest any of us should come short of it. We can miss out just as assuredly as they did, and for the same reason—a lack of faith. And yet, like the children of Israel, we are so close to entering in (Hebrews 3:8-4:11).

Can Job Do a Better Job of Being God Than God? (Job 40:6-41:34)

As we saw in Job 40:1-5, Job had come to see himself as nothing before the Great God and considered that he dared not say anymore. Yet this was not exactly God’s point. God had been illustrating His great care for His creation (Job 38-39)—implying great care for Job as well. It seems that Job, as stunned as he was at God’s presence and reply, had not fully grasped this yet.

We should recall that Job had actually anticipated that if God ever confronted him, he would be unable to say anything or that, if he somehow managed to, it would not really matter. Note Job’s earlier words from chapter 9: “How then can I answer Him, and choose my words to reason with Him? For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. For He crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause…. If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; and if of justice, who will appoint my day in court? Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse” (verses 14-20).

So it is not enough that Job is silenced in God’s presence. That is not the answer God is looking for—especially as Job may still be thinking along the same lines quoted above. God wants him to really think about all this and come to a reasoned conclusion. Job needs to come to some important realizations about God and himself. God therefore repeats His previous introduction from Job 38:3, saying that He is asking Job questions and that Job needs to give an appropriate response (40:6-7).

God then moves to the heart of Job’s problem, asking, “Would you indeed annul my judgment? Would you condemn me that you may be justified?” Again, we should observe that though this obviously constitutes a reprimand, God is extremely gentle here with Job, softly chiding him to bring him to his senses. As to substance, Job has certainly maligned God’s justice in his agony-induced ranting, imagining that God oppresses innocents, laughs at their suffering and practically smiles on the wicked who harm the innocent (see 9:21-24; 10:3; 24:1-12). We should recognize that due to his intense physical and emotional suffering, Job was in certain respects going out of his mind. Proper perspective and a good attitude are exceedingly hard to maintain in great trials. So God, in perfect empathy and understanding, is here to comfort Job, reason with him and help him to see reality.

In this vein, God issues a challenge to Job. In its note on Job 40:9-14, The Nelson Study Bible states: “The absurdity of Job’s defiant criticism of the way the Lord runs the universe (see 29:2-17 for Job’s claim to be fair in his judicial duties) is forcefully brought to his attention by God’s ironic invitation to become ‘king for a day’ over the whole universe. If Job had the power, let him don the royal regalia of God’s majestic attributes and humble the proud and wicked forces in the world. Job had criticized God for not doing this well enough (21:30, 31; 24:1-17).”

Basically God is saying to Job, “If you think you can do a better job of being God and Supreme Judge than Me, okay let’s see it.” And if Job can, then God will admit that Job can save himself (40:14)—that is, that Job wouldn’t even need God. Consider that Job has been seeking from God vindication and deliverance for himself and judgment on the wicked. Yet why would he seek this from an unfair and unjust God bent on harming him and rewarding evil? If Job’s characterization of God in this regard is right, then Job’s only option is to save himself—which is of course not really an option at all.

It seems that Job has had some self-righteousness in this regard. That is, he has in effect been trusting too much in his own character to serve as his vindicator. He had spoken of maintaining his integrity to the very end. He had imagined himself going before God and presenting his righteousness as the basis on which God should overturn His judgment—that is, the judgment Job incorrectly perceived God had brought on him. Recall that God said Job was without knowledge (38:1-2). This wording is interesting in light of the apostle Paul’s evaluation of the people of Israel: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2-3). The Israelites needed to throw themselves on God’s mercy and look to Christ’s sacrifice to justify them and His righteous life to save them. Job essentially needed to do the same thing.

Job’s character and focus had served him well when affliction first came—indeed, remarkably so. But over time the immensity of his trial began to affect him severely—distorting his perspective of God. Job had probably never imagined that such a thing could happen to his thinking. Perhaps he was like Peter who said to Christ, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble” (Matthew 26:33). Peter was of course wrong. He needed to come to understand that of his own power and strength he would not be able to live up to his good intentions. Similarly, Job needed to see that his own righteousness was not self-perpetuating. He was, as all men are, subject to the dark forces of the world and the downward pull of his own mind. Righteous though he demonstrably was, he nevertheless desperately needed God to not merely declare him righteous, but to make and keep him righteous throughout his life. Job had been thinking just the opposite. He considered that God had only to recognize his righteousness. God in response says that if Job can fill His shoes as God, “…then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you” (Job 40:14).

God goes on to provide examples of His sovereignty (and Job’s lack) with two powerful creatures—the behemoth (verses 15-24) and Leviathan (41:1-34). God’s intent here is not the same as it was in chapters 38-39, where He was illustrating His care over the vast complexities of the natural realm. Rather, we should understand God’s present point in light of his challenge to Job to deal with the proud and wicked forces of the world. Only God can take down the behemoth (40:19). And only He can subdue Leviathan, the king of the proud (see 41:34). We examine the specifics of these creatures in the comments that follow.

Behemoth and Leviathan (Job 40:6-41:34)

In Job 40:15, the untranslated Hebrew word behemoth, intensive in form, seems to have the meaning of “great beast” or “beast of beasts.” It appears, from the description given, to be a literal creature that God has created. God says He made this animal with man (same verse). Its identity is disputed. Some reckon it to be the hippopotamus or the rhinoceros. Since these animals have small tails, those who advocate one of them argue that “tail like a cedar” must be a hyperbolic euphemism for the male member. Others maintain that the word refers to the trunk of an elephant. Of animals currently living, the African bull elephant would best seem to fit the description “first of the ways of God” (verse 19) since it is unquestionably the most powerful animal alive. Yet gulping river water into its open mouth (verse 23) seems to not fit the elephant, which sucks up water through its trunk and squirts it into its mouth. And there is no mention of tusks. If bringing the sword near in verse 19 is restricted to one-man sword combat, any of these animals full grown would have been rather hard to bring down. But even in Job’s day men could hunt and kill these creatures with spears, especially in teams.

All of this being so, it may well be that a much larger, now-extinct creature is intended. Some have suggested an herbivorous dinosaur. This would better fit a more literal meaning for “tail like a cedar” and make more sense of the creature’s imperviousness to human attack. Such creatures inhabited the world that was destroyed before the creation of Adam. Yet it is possible that God made new varieties to live in man’s world that have died out since the time of Job. Others have suggested the now-extinct giant hornless rhinoceros known as Baluchitherium (named after Baluchistan in Pakistan, where its fossil remains were found). This massive animal, 25 feet long, standing 18 feet or nearly two stories high at the shoulder, with a thick, 8-foot-long tail, is thought to be the largest land mammal that ever lived. Paleontologists date the creature to more than 10 million years ago, yet this is based on an evolutionary interpretation of geologic strata. It could be that this animal was contemporary with human beings even as late as Job’s day.

Verse 24 could be translated as a question: “Can one take him by his eyes or pierce his nose with a snare?” Recall that God had just implied that only He could bind the faces of the proud in secret (verses 11-13, KJV). Whatever creature the behemoth actually is, it is apparently used to represent the mighty and powerful of the earth. Here is a great force that Job is ultimately powerless to deal with. But God who made the creature is easily able to overcome it. It is interesting to consider that the great gentile empires of the earth and their leaders are later represented by powerful beasts in Bible prophecy (see Daniel 7; Revelation 13; 17). And God, the One who establishes earthly authority, is the One who is able to abase the world’s powers, no matter how great they are (see Daniel 4).

That brings us next to Leviathan in Job 41. Leviathan is basically a transliteration of a Hebrew word whose root means “twist” or “writhe.” Psalm 104:25-26 shows Leviathan to be a great sea creature. Many think the reference in Job 41 is to a crocodile. They see the fire and smoke going out of its mouth and nose respectively (verses 19-21) as sunlight reflecting off of water vapor the crocodile churns up or breathes out, thereby creating the illusion of fire. But why would God in His description be passing along a false illusion as if it were real? And why would He make the specific statement that the creature’s breath kindles coals? This is not adequately explained by the flashing of reflected sunlight. It seems obvious that the description here is of some kind of fire-breathing sea dragon.

Is a literal creature portrayed here? It would seem so, but it may not be a physical animal. Even if such an animal species does exist, the greater reference here is evidently to something else. Job had mentioned Leviathan in Job 3:8 in conjunction with those who called upon dark powers of cursing. Psalm 74:12-14 presents Leviathan as a beast whose multiple heads were broken when Israel was brought out of Egypt and led through the sea. This parallels the reference to Egypt as “Rahab” in Isaiah 30:7—a name meaning “Fierce” or “Violent” and perhaps identifiable with the Egyptian crocodile god Sobek, whose name meant “Rager.” Job mentioned Rahab in 9:13 and 26:12, referring to him as “the fleeing serpent” that God has pierced (verse 13). Isaiah 26:21-27:1 says that when God comes to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity at the end of the age, He will “punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; and He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.”

At the time of future judgment, we know that God will destroy a final human empire described as a seven-headed beast rising up out of the sea (Revelation 13; 17). Yet the seven heads of this beast are also portrayed as emerging from the great, fiery red dragon or serpent of old, Satan the devil (see 12:3, 9). Drawing the scaly monster Leviathan out with a hook in his jaw (Job 41:1) parallels the description in Ezekiel 29:3-4 of God putting hooks in the jaws of the Egyptian pharaoh, described there as a river monster likened to a crocodile. So a great physical empire or ruler seems intended in part by the references to Leviathan throughout Scripture, but the even greater spiritual power behind the throne of all human kingdoms and false gods, Satan the devil, is surely also in mind. Indeed, this seems to be the primary meaning, especially in Job 41. Consider the words that conclude the description of Leviathan here: “He is king over all the children of pride” (verse 34). Who or what does this phrase describe better than Satan? His “heart as hard as stone” (verse 24) most likely refers to his cruelty and stubborn unwillingness to submit to God.

Now consider verses 3-4. God challenges Job regarding Leviathan: “Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you? Will he make a covenant with you?” This makes little sense if a mere animal is intended. The implication here is that Leviathan has made requests of God in a soft-spoken way as part of striking some kind of deal or agreement with God. This is exactly what Satan was described as doing at the beginning of the book of Job—he appealed to God to allow him to try Job and God agreed to let him do so within certain limits.

Yet God was the real master of what was going on. He is the one who provoked Satan into the challenge so that his purpose would be fulfilled. God was using Satan for His own greater design. This helps to make sense of what God says next of Leviathan: “Will you take him as a servant forever?” (verse 4). Not that Satan wants to serve God. He simply has no choice. God allows Satan to rule the world throughout this age as part of a great plan. Yet the ultimate Sovereign—who sets the limits of Satan’s rule—is still God. Then: “Will you play with him as with a bird?” (verse 5). Again, Satan thought he was really getting away with something in the trial of Job. But God was just toying with him to fulfill His own greater purpose. This is ever the case. Consider when Satan succeeded in leading Judas to betray Christ. Whose will was ultimately served in what happened? That’s right. Once again, Satan was unwittingly played—this time to fulfill what God had explicitly foretold and to accomplish the supreme sacrifice to redeem humanity.

Notice also: “Or will you leash him for your maidens?” (verse 5). God puts a leash on Satan, imposing certain restrictions on him, for the sake of His people. And God will later completely imprison Satan (Revelation 20:1-3). The next questions in this series are: “Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants?” Perhaps the idea here is that the wealth and kingdoms that spring from Satan will be apportioned among survivors at the end of the age, just as Egypt’s wealth was dispersed at the time of the Exodus, when God “broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness” (Psalm 74:14).

Any human attempt to subdue this being would fail (Job 41:7-10). Only God can stand against him. And God will. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary offers this alternative translation of verses 11-12: “Who can confront me and remain safe? When under all the heavens he dares oppose me, will not I silence his boastings, his powerful word and his dubious arguments?” (see footnotes on verses 11-12).

This is just what God is accomplishing through Job. Consider this analysis from Expositor’s: “By telling of his dominion over Behemoth and Leviathan, the Lord is illustrating what he has said in 40:8-14. He is celebrating his moral triumph over the forces of evil. Satan, the Accuser, has been proved wrong though Job does not know it. The author and the reader see the entire picture that Job and his friends never knew. No rational theory of suffering is substituted for the faulty one the friends proffered. The only answer given is the same as in Genesis. God permitted the Accuser to touch Job as part of his plan to humiliate Satan. But now that the contest is over, God still did not reveal his reason to Job. Job did not find out what the readers know. That is why Job could be restored without destroying the integrity of the account. To understand this is to understand why the forces of moral disorder are veiled underneath mythopoeic language about ferocious, uncontrollable creatures…. We emphasize that if the specific and ultimate reason for his suffering had been revealed to Job even at this point—the value of the account as a comfort to others who must suffer in ignorance would have been diminished if not cancelled” (note on 41:1-34).

Yet without giving away the specifics of what has been going on, God is revealing to Job some important general principles that all of God’s people should bear in mind during this age. Job probably understands Leviathan to be Satan. And Job likely knows that Satan is out to harm him. Perhaps he even realizes that Satan is the one afflicting him, though he blames God for this since he knows that God could prevent it. God in response assures Job that He does not step aside and cooperate with evil forces in allowing harm to come to His people. Rather, God bends the forces of evil to serve His will with the intent of working out the ultimate benefit of His people. It may appear on the surface that evil is triumphant. But God in His high and mysterious ways is using these circumstances to accomplish His awesome purposes. Job himself could never achieve the like. No man could. Only God has everything under control. Only God can rule and judge supreme—in omnipotent power and omniscient justice. Job has only to trust Him and submit to whatever He is doing.

Romans Chapter 3

What then is the advantage of the Yehudite, or what is the value of the circumcision?
Much in every way! Because firstly indeed, that they were entrusted with the Words of Elohim.
The Jewish people are singled out here by Paul simply because they were the only tribe left at the time in the land and identifiable. The others tribes had been absorbed by Judah or scattered to the four corners of the earth. “Declaring His Word to Jacob, His laws and His right-rulings to Israel” Psalms 147:19

The instructions were given to all Israel as recorded by Moses in the Torah (First Five books of the Bible) so this truly is an advantage to all other peoples and tribes of the earth.

For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief nullify the trustworthiness of Elohim?
Let it not be! But let Elohim be true, and every man a liar, as it has been written, “That You (Yehovah) should be declared right in Your words, and prevail in Your judging.”

We are not to judge righteousness on the acts of others, even if they are Jewish or Greek. We are not to judge Yehovah based upon the actions of others. Some proclaim Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. His truth is declared through His Word and through His Spirit. This is the truth to walk in and to seek.

But if our unrighteousness establishes the righteousness of Elohim, what shall we say? Is Elohim unrighteous who is inflicting wrath? I speak as a man.

Many people proclaim the unfairness, wickedness, and wrathfulness of Yehovah because He does chastise those He loves, and He does discipline for sin. This is love, not wrath. He does not delight in the death of the wicked. It is the reasoning of mankind who comes to this type of conclusion.

Let it not be! Otherwise how shall Elohim judge the world?
For if the truth of Elohim has increased through my lie, to His esteem, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
And [why] not [say], “Let us do evil so that the good might come”? – as we are wrongly accused and as some claim that we say. Their judgment is in the right.
What then” Are we better [than they]? Not at all, for we have previously accused both Yehudim and Greeks that they are all under sin.

As it has been written, “There is none righteous, no, not one!
“There is no one who is understanding, there is none who is seeking Elohim.
They all have turned aside, they have together become worthless. There is none who does good, no, not one.”
Their throat is an open tomb (Psalm 5:9), with their tongues they have deceived (Jeremiah 9:5),” “The poison of adders is under their lips (Psalm 140:3),”
“Whose mouth is filled with cursing and bitterness (Psalm 10:7).”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood (Isaiah 59:7, Proverbs 1:16),
ruin and wretchedness are in their ways,
and the way of peace they have not known (Isaiah 59).”
“There is no fear of Elohim before their eyes.”
And we know that whatever the Torah says, it says to those who are in the Torah, so that every mouth might be stopped, and all the world come under judgment before Elohim.

Therefore by works of Torah no flesh shall be declared right before Him, for by the Torah is the knowledge of sin.
But now, apart from the Torah, a righteousness of Elohim has been revealed, being witnessed by the Torah and the Prophets,
And the righteouness of Elohim is through belief in Yeshua Messiah to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference,
For all have sinned and fall short of the esteem of Elohim,
Being declared right, without paying, by His favor through the redemption which is in Messiah Yeshua,

Whom Elohim set forth as an atonement, through belief in His blood, to demonstrated His righteousness, because in His tolerance Elohim had passed over the sins that had taken place before,
To demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He is righteous and declared righteous the one who has belief in Yeshua.
Where, then is the boasting? It is shut out. By what Torah? Of works? No, but by the Torah of belief.
This is Letter or Spirit. This is religion or relationship.

For we reckon that a man is declared right by belief without works of Torah.
Or [is He] the Elohim of the Yehudim only, and not also of the gentiles? Yes, of the gentiles also,
Since it is one Elohim who shall declare right the circumcised by belief and the uncircumcised through belief.
Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.