“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV). The key to understanding any verse of Scripture is context. There is the immediate context—the verses before and after it, as well as the larger context of Scripture--how the verse fits into the overall story. There is also the historical and cultural context—how the verse was understood by its original audience in light of their history and culture. Because context is so important, a verse whose meaning and application seem straightforward when quoted in isolation may mean something significantly different when it is taken in context. When approaching 2 Chronicles 7:14, one must first consider the immediate context. After Solomon dedicated the temple, the Lord appeared to him and gave him some warnings and reassurances. “The Lord appeared to him at night and said: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.’ When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:12–14). The immediate context of 2 Chronicles 7:14 shows that the verse is tied up with Israel and the temple and the fact that from time to time God might send judgment upon the land in the form of drought, locusts, or pestilence. A few verses later God says this: “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them’” (2 Chronicles 7:19–22). No doubt Solomon would have recognized this warning as a reiteration of Deuteronomy 28. God had entered into a covenant with Israel and promised to take care of them and cause them to prosper as long as they obeyed Him. He also promised to bring curses upon them if they failed to obey. Because of the covenant relationship, there was a direct correspondence between their obedience and their prosperity, and their disobedience and their hardship. Deuteronomy 28 spells out the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. Again, divine blessing and divine punishment on Israel were conditional on their obedience or disobedience. We see this blessing and cursing under the Law play out in the book of Judges. Judges chapter 2 is often referred to as “The Cycle of the Judges.” Israel would fall into sin. God would send another nation to judge them. Israel would repent and call upon the Lord. The Lord would raise up a judge to deliver them. They would serve the Lord for a while and then fall back into sin again. And the cycle would continue. In 2 Chronicles 7, the Lord simply reminds Solomon of the previous agreement. If Israel obeys, they will be blessed. If they disobey, they will be judged. The judgment is meant to bring Israel to repentance, and God assures Solomon that, if they will be humble, pray, and repent, then God will deliver them from the judgment. In context, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a promise to ancient Israel (and perhaps even modern-day Israel) that, if they will repent and return to the Lord, He will rescue them. However, many Christians in the United States have taken this verse as a rallying cry for America. (Perhaps Christians in other countries have done so as well.) In this interpretation, Christians are the people who are called by God’s name. If Christians will humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and repent, then God will heal their land—often a moral and political healing is in view as well as economic healing. The question is whether or not this is a proper interpretation/application. The first problem that the modern-day, “Westernized” interpretation encounters is that the United States does not have the same covenant relationship with God that ancient Israel enjoyed. The covenant with Israel was unique and exclusive. The terms that applied to Israel simply did not apply to any other nation, and it is improper for these terms to be co-opted and applied to a different nation. Some might object that Christians are still called by God’s name and in some ways have inherited the covenant with Israel—and this may be true to some extent. Certainly, if a nation is in trouble, a prayerful and repentant response by Christians in that nation is always appropriate. However, there is another issue that is often overlooked. When ancient Israel repented and sought the Lord, they were doing so en masse. The nation as a whole repented. Obviously, not every single Israelite repented and prayed, but still it was national repentance. There was never any indication that a small minority of the nation (a righteous remnant) could repent and pray and that the fate of the entire nation would change. God promised deliverance when the entire nation repented. When 2 Chronicles 7:14 is applied to Christians in the U.S. or any other modern nation, it is usually with the understanding that the Christians in that nation—the true believers in Jesus Christ who have been born again by the Spirit of God—will comprise the righteous remnant. God never promised that if a righteous remnant repents and prays for their nation, that the nation will be saved. Perhaps if national repentance occurred, then God would spare a modern nation as He spared Nineveh at the preaching of Jonah (see Jonah 3)—but that is a different issue. Having said that, it is never wrong to confess our sins and pray-- in fact, it is our duty as believers to continuously confess and forsake our sins so that they will not hinder us (Hebrews 12:1) and to pray for our nation and those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1–2). It may be that God in His grace will bless our nation as a result—but there is no guarantee of national deliverance. Even if God did use our efforts to bring about national repentance and revival, there is no guarantee that the nation would be politically or economically saved. As believers, we are guaranteed personal salvation in Christ (Romans 8:1), and we are also guaranteed that God will use us to accomplish His purposes, whatever they may be. It is our duty as believers to live holy lives, seek God, pray, and share the gospel knowing that all who believe will be saved, but the Bible does not guarantee the political, cultural, or economic salvation of our nation. https://youtu.be/Uaw8aqI3FXU A momentous juncture has been reached for a country and a people whose very existence tells us God and the Bible can be trusted. That country, an ongoing focus of world attention in the Middle East, is the state of Israel—now celebrating its 70th anniversary. Its people are primarily the Jewish people—with 6.5 million Jews living here in their homeland and more than that living abroad, mostly in the United States. The Jewish state and people constitute a sign that God cares and is involved—evidence of the grace of God.
Have you ever wondered if God really cares for the human race? With all the evil and suffering in the world, can we ever really trust the teaching of the Bible about a just, merciful and all-powerful God? These are honest questions that sometimes come to the minds of sincere people wanting to believe the Bible and trust in God. A look at the world and at history can be sobering, causing us to doubt. And some even read the Bible and wonder why God did some things we read about there. Let us consider, then, God’s enduring love for Israel. Understanding the world through the backstory of IsraelJesus Christ told the people of His day they needed to “discern this time” (Luke 12:56). He said they were able to look at the sky, see a cloud rise out of the west and say, “A shower is coming,” while if the south wind were to blow, they’d say, “There will be hot weather” (Luke 12:54-55). But this same people had trouble discerning exactly who He was, and they could not act on the message of the gospel He taught. How about you? Can you discern your time, our time, in relation to Bible prophecy? Can you discern today’s world with all the many events shaping our lives? Do we understand why today’s world seems increasingly out of control and a place we don’t even recognize anymore because of the moral, cultural and social changes around us? You can understand today’s world events—and you need to. Because your faith in and understanding about God depends on your discernment of this time. Let me show you how by focusing on a part of the world we regularly hear about in the news. Again, let’s look at the state of Israel. This tiny nation in the Middle East plays a significant role in world affairs. The state of Israel is now 70 years old, having been proclaimed on May 14, 1948, by David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, following the Nov. 29, 1947, United Nations Resolution 181 vote calling for partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. During this 70-year period the Jewish state has fought many wars against its Arab neighbors. Its survival is constantly threatened by hostile and unrelenting Islamic terror groups. In time the United Nations came to regularly condemn Israel through resolutions, with member states constantly attacking Israel’s policies and actions. Israel lives in a tough Middle East neighborhood, where it’s continually forced to defend its existence to survive. However, in spite of 70 years of hostility Israel has developed a vibrant, prosperous society. Its people make positive life-enhancing contributions to the world in many critical areas, such as technology, medicine, education and humanitarian efforts. So why does Israel struggle against continual danger? Why must it defend itself before the court of world nations? Why the antagonism and hatred? If we are to understand this paradox of hostility and blessing surrounding Israel, we must look to the Bible for the story. Scripture gives us the backstory of Israel’s origin. Only in the Bible do we find the divine purpose for Israel’s existence—both in the ancient world and as a modern nation today. Covenant relationship arising from God’s devoted loveThe ancient nation of Israel was made up of the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob, himself the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, known as the father of all faithful people who seek after the true Creator God. Now any man with 12 sons makes for an interesting story. Jacob was no exception. His life, as revealed in the book of Genesis, involves all the elements of a good story—betrayal, revenge, children by multiple wives and concubines. It’s all there, the good and the bad. For purposes here the story told about Jacob wrestling all night with a Being who can only be God is perhaps the most important. At daybreak God gives Jacob a new name, Israel, meaning “prevailer with God” or “prince of God.” This name, Israel, is given to the nation that arises from his 12 sons. The man Israel concludes his life in Egypt with his sons and their families after they escape a severe famine. Years pass, and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob come out of slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses in the great Exodus. God remembers the promise He made to Abraham—a promise that Abraham’s descendants would be strangers and servants in a land not theirs. The Egyptian captivity lasted several generations until God delivered the Israelites from slavery and brought them back to the land God promised to their forefathers, the land known today as Israel. As God had made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob regarding the land, so He also entered into a covenant relationship with their descendants, the children of Israel who had grown into the nation of Israel. This covenant relationship between God and the people, the terms of which both agreed to, is at the heart of the story of the state of Israel today. This is not an old story from the ancient mists of time. This is not a myth created by ignorant tribes who somehow wandered into this land and created an epic story to justify their presence. God loved these people. His desire was to give them every opportunity for peace and success—allowing them to grow and prosper. Israel the nation was to become a model for all others to emulate in following His way of life, showing that His laws and judgments can produce a culture blessed with peace and prosperity. Notice how God said it in Scripture in Deuteronomy 7: “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to a be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). The Israelites had an amazing opportunity with God. They were given a special land to serve as a special people. And note what lay behind God choosing them: “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). God had a deep spiritual love for the nation of Israel. This love, I say again, is at the heart of this story. God promised Abraham his family would grow into a nation and inherit promises lasting for generations, far beyond his day and into the modern world. Notice what God said next: “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9) God is faithful. He keeps His agreements for a thousand generations. Here is a key to understanding why the modern state of Israel sits in the same geographical spot as ancient Israel. The Jewish state is a continuation of the people with whom God entered into a covenant relationship so long ago. There were multiple covenants involved in this relationship, including that with Abraham previously. God’s covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, where the nation agreed to be His people and accept the terms of obedience to His laws, was a marriage agreement—with God as the Husband (compare Jeremiah 31:32). And God made yet another covenant with the Israelites prior to their entry into Canaan in Deuteronomy 29–30 concerning the habitation of the land—with destruction and casting out for disobedience, and yet bringing the people back with repentance in the future. This is something you don’t read about in your history books. But this special covenant relationship and God’s promises and prophecies concerning His people and the Promised Land are at the heart of understanding the importance of today’s state of Israel after 70 years of survival and the controversies over and within Jerusalem, its capital. A love story gone wrong—to yet be put rightLet me take you into a passage of the Bible that is profound. It reveals the deep love and passion that God has for Israel. This love started thousands of years ago and continues to this day. And while the love story we find here is between God and one particular people, it’s ultimately meant for all peoples and nations. It’s also a sign that God is faithful to all His promises for mankind. This narrative is found in Ezekiel 16, where God speaks through His prophet to Jerusalem, the heartbeat of the nation. “On the day you were born,” God says, “your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water . . . nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field . . .” (Ezekiel 16:3-5). Recall that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were wanderers with no permanent home. When Abraham’s wife Sarah died he had to purchase a burial spot from his neighbors. Jacob took his family into Egypt to find food to survive, and his descendants became slaves making mud bricks for Pharaoh. No one but God was looking out for the children of Israel. Then God says: “When I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you . . . ‘Live!’ . . . I made you thrive like a plant in the field, and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful” (Ezekiel 16:6-7). “But,” He further said, “you were naked and vulnerable, fragile and exposed” (verse 7, The Message). God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and brought them into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. After many years as a small confederation of tribes, the fledgling nation grew into a major power under its greatest kings, David and his son Solomon. Israel’s location enabled it to act as a stabilizing power preventing such nations as Egypt, Assyria and Media from dominating the region. God’s transformation of Israel is described in these terms: “I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered a covenant of marriage with you . . . I gave you a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing. I adorned you with jewelry . . . emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tiara . . . You were absolutely stunning . . . You became world-famous” (Ezekiel 16:8-14, MSG). But this did not last. Israel did not live up to its part of the agreement. It did not keep the laws of God. The people adopted pagan forms of worship from neighboring nations, and they effectively abandoned God, the true and ultimate source of their wealth, security and standing among the nations. God describes it as adultery—immoral and unfaithful relations outside the marriage partnership—and even harlotry. He states: “But you began to trust in your beauty. You used the good name you had and became unfaithful to me. You acted like a prostitute with every man who passed by. You gave yourself to them all!” (Ezekiel 16:15, Easy-to-Read Version). God said they took all the clothes and fine food He had given—the wealth and the prosperity and status as a powerful nation—and used them in foreign, idolatrous worship: “You acted like a prostitute with those false gods!” (Ezekiel 16:19, ERV). So depraved was God’s unfaithful bride Israel that, rather than having strangers pay her for sexual relations as a typical prostitute, she paid them (Ezekiel 16:31-34). Every norm was turned inside out! This graphic passage of Scripture, with its beautiful imagery descending into horror, shows the depth of God’s feeling for the nation He created from nothing and made His own—His model nation to all the other nations. Israel’s story did not end well. God brought other powerful nations like the Assyrians and Babylonians against His people—to destroy and remove them from the land. Yet through all the unfaithfulness, idolatry and ultimate decline, God always held out a lifeline of hope based on His enduring love for the people who once held such promise. God said to Israel, “I’ll remember the covenant I made with you when you were young and I’ll make a new covenant with you that will last forever” (Ezekiel 16:60, MSG). Israel would then be forgiven and changed: “You will be so ashamed of the evil things you did that you will not be able to say anything. But I will make you pure, and you will never be ashamed again!” (Ezekiel 16:63, ERV). This final phase of an everlasting new covenant with Israel has not happened yet. The Church of God, as spiritual Israel, is a forerunner in this new relationship, the fullness of which won’t occur till Jesus Christ returns to earth and sets up the Kingdom of God to last forever. At that time, all of Israel will be brought into this relationship, and Israelites from all over the world will return to the same land. Then, with Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all the earth, all nations will be led to become part of God’s covenant relationship with Israel. Judah only a part of Israel—yet set forth as clear testimonyLet’s pause to consider a little understood piece of the historical puzzle. The modern Jewish state bears the ancient name of Israel but in actuality represents only a small part of the entire people of Israel whose ancestors lived in the land and to whom so many of the biblical prophecies apply. As we have seen, in the Bible the nation of Israel refers to the 12 tribes that marched out of Egypt under Moses in the story of the Exodus. These 12 tribes were descended from the 12 sons of the patriarch Jacob whose name was changed to Israel by God. But here is what you should understand at this point. One of these sons was named Judah. His descendants were Judahites, a name later shortened in passing through other languages into the term Jews. King David, who was of the tribe of Judah, came to rule over all 12 tribes—as did his son Solomon. But after Solomon, the nation was split into two kingdoms—the kingdom of Israel in the north, made up of 10 tribes, and the kingdom of Judah in the south, made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and a large portion of Levi, as well as a few from other tribes who ended up moving to the south. The people of this southern kingdom all came to be known as Judahites or Jews. What this means is that the Jews, the people of Judah, made up only one part of the larger nation of Israel. So you don’t have to be ethnically Jewish to be an Israelite! But how did the Jews become so prominent? Why do people usually think of the Israelites today as only the Jews? It’s a good question, and the Bible gives us the answer. The northern kingdom of Israel existed for about 200 years after Solomon’s death before falling captive to the Assyrian Empire. The northern Israelites were forcibly exiled from the land and scattered. They are known in history as the lost 10 tribes of Israel. But they are not truly lost even though they have largely forgotten their identity. God had said they would be sifted among the nations as grain without the smallest grain falling to the ground (Amos 9:9). And indeed, through comparing history and prophecy, we are able to identify the nations descended from the northern tribes of Israel today. The southern kingdom of Judah survived longer than Israel, but eventually it too fell—in its case to the Babylonian Empire. Most of the people of the ancient Jewish state were taken to Babylon. Seventy years later, after Persia took over from Babylon, a group of Jews, fulfilling a prophecy of Jeremiah, returned to Jerusalem, with a few more to soon follow, and the city of Jerusalem and its temple were rebuilt. A partially restored Jewish nation then existed in Jerusalem with its distinctive culture until the time of Jesus and the New Testament Church, when the Roman Empire ruled over the land. It was about 40 years after rejecting Jesus that the Jewish nation collapsed in A.D. 70 at the hand of the Romans, who destroyed Jerusalem and its temple following a Jewish rebellion. Still another Jewish revolt was put down by the Romans in 135. Many of the Jews were scattered in these Roman actions, joining the Jewish Diaspora (or dispersion among the nations) that existed since Babylonian times. Descendants of the scattered Jews founded today’s state of Israel in 1948. The existence of the modern state of Israel is necessary to the fulfillment of certain end-time prophecies and also assures mankind of God’s enduring faithfulness. As He remains committed to His people, we can also be confident that His promises to all nations and peoples are sure. In fact, Israel is a key factor in this. The promise God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob involve both spiritual and physical promises. These promises will be poured out on all the nations—including you and me. To understand the existence of the state of Israel today is to understand God and His prophetic timeline. The constant opposition of most of the world’s nations to Israel today, many with severe hatred, is tangible proof of the removal of God from mankind’s knowledge. But God’s grace and enduring love transcends this corrupt condition that will come to an end. Your Bible shows us that God’s spiritual promises will be given to all. Peace, restoration and eternal life are the hope of all nations! God’s people not cast away—to still be a blessing to allIn the book of Romans, the apostle Paul tells the story of ancient Israel’s rise and fall and hope of restoration. The Israelites had a deep relationship with God. Their opportunity was to become a nation based on the law of God and His glory. God made special promises to the people of Israel, setting them apart from all other nations, promising protection and prosperity. All of the physical blessings God promised were lesser types of greater spiritual blessings to be found in Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of King David. But ancient Israel failed. As we saw earlier, they split apart, and through a combination of idolatry and Sabbath-breaking they dishonored and disobeyed God—resulting in their captivity and exile. Most of Israel, with the exception of the Jews, forgot who they were. And the Jews have not done as they should. But Paul’s desire and his prayer for Israel, his people, was that they would be saved (Romans 10:1). Even though they did not obey the gospel (Romans 10:16), their rejection is not total or permanent, as Paul makes clear in Romans 11. God has not cast Israel aside. Through Paul, God reveals there is a remnant of Israel among today’s nations, and by His grace they will be regathered. But here is the amazing and little understood truth: Israel’s rejection of God works to His glory and purpose! All other nations and peoples, what the Bible calls the gentiles, can have this same relationship with God based on His eternal promises. In God’s time, all will have opportunity to know Him. For God loves not just the people of Israel, but the whole world for whom He gave His Son to die (John 3:16). The apostle Paul says that blindness has come on Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in. In a magnificent piece of writing Paul is inspired to show that Israel, all 12 tribes, and the whole world will have the opportunity for salvation. All nations will have the opportunity to receive the full promises of God, both physical and spiritual. Notice Romans 11:1-2 where Paul asks, “Has God cast away His people?” He then answers: “Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.” God had used physical Israelites such as Paul to form the very foundations of the Christian Church. Jesus Himself was a Jew! Paul goes on to explain that because of unbelief leading to sin, the original physical Israelites were cut off from being part of spiritual Israel—God’s covenant people—but that these are to ultimately be rejoined to Israel on repentance, as are the gentiles. He says in verses Romans 11:11-15 that by those of physical Israelite descent being cut off at this time, salvation is opened to the world. Gentiles thus have a place in God’s true spiritual Israel today. Yet it’s further explained that God is not finished with the physical descendants of Israel. By their being brought back into God’s grace, they will yet serve as the model nation for all peoples they were intended to be. This will happen during the coming reign of Christ on earth. Then all will be given the opportunity to be saved, Israel being used powerfully in “the reconciling of the world” (Romans 11:15). All the tribes of Israel, not just the Jews, will be united. Then all mankind will seek the Lord. In fact, “in those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zechariah 8:23). All nations will come to Jerusalem and learn of His ways. Jerusalem, the capital of the modern state of Israel, will one day become the capital of the whole world under God (see Jeremiah 3:17). So Israel matters. Not just the Jewish state in the Middle East today. All the tribes matter to God. And all the nations of the world matter to God—yet they must all become part of Israel to be saved and live forever as God’s family, nation and Kingdom. In one last burst of inspired enthusiasm Paul exclaims: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33). The understanding of the identity and role of Israel is the key to understanding today’s world and the march of history toward the Kingdom of God. The understanding of Israel shows us the enduring promises of God’s salvation for all the nations. Because He is faithful in His committed love toward Israel, He will be faithful in His promises through Christ to all people—including you and me—with all of us given a part in His covenant nation. This great love story involves God’s love for all people. That is the good news of the gospel! Finally, let me repeat that to understand Israel is to understand God and His prophetic timeline. The state of Israel’s existence, in spite of all the odds, is a sign that God controls the destiny of all nations. It is proof that God watches over history and is guiding our world with all its peoples to His ultimate purpose. God watches over the nations. The state of Israel is living proof! The world at large will continue to plot and rage against Israel and the Jewish people. But they will survive and will complete their God-ordained purpose. Remember this as you watch today’s headlines! Everyone, every single one of us, wants to be happy.
However, although we all experience moments of happiness, we rarely meet people who are truly happy. Unlike feelings of excitement which are based on temporary circumstances – because we’ve received a gift or good news – real happiness is an anchor of deep and enduring joy that persists even when life’s circumstances are not in our favor. HOW DO WE ATTAIN SUCH JOY? HOW DO WE BECOME TRULY HAPPY? In a survey conducted in 2012 at the University of San Diego, students were asked to rank their life goals from a list with twenty different options, which included a number of impressive objectives such as: making a contribution to science, raising a family, helping others who are in difficulty, influencing social values, helping to promote racial understanding, and more. The highest ranking goal among the students was “being very well off financially”. Almost 75% of the students ranked “being rich” as their number one goal in life. There’s no doubt that money enables us to live more comfortable and easier lives, a higher standard of living, but a higher standard of living does not promise a higher quality of life. The cliché that says money can’t buy happiness is true. In fact, oftentimes among people who have very little you can find quite a lot of happiness. But the world tries to convince us that in order to be happy, we have to be rich. TV commercials and Hollywood movies give the illusion that, if we only had a fancier house, an expensive car, and a couple million dollars in the bank we could be truly happy. History, however, is filled with examples of people who had everything and nothing. They reached the top only to discover that there wasn’t anything there.It’s no coincidence that in the past few years, the media has covered countless stories of celebrities and billionaires who put an end to their lives. Likewise during the times of the Bible, King Solomon who had it all, opened the book of Ecclesiastes with this conclusion: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) In other words, the myth that the more we have the happier we’ll be isn’t something new. We all know or know of wealthy people who just aren’t happy. The key to happiness isn’t wealth and, in fact, has nothing to do with material possessions. THEY KEY TO HAPPINESS IS GRATITUDE That's right, in order to be happy we need to be grateful, and being grateful is a challenge especially in this age in which so many people feel entitled, that they have the right to demand for things. The narcissistic and egoistic belief that “I deserve it!”, which plagues our times, spawned an entire generation that disdains authority, establishments, and leaders. “Leaders are asking the Millennials: ‘What do you want?’ And Millennials are saying: ‘We want to work in a place with purpose. We want to make an impact. We want free food, and bean bags.’ Somebody articulates some sort of purpose. There’s lots of free food, and there’s bean bags, and yet for some reason, they are still not happy.” Simon Sinek Our parents have told us our entire lives that we’re special, and if we have the will – we can achieve anything we set our minds to, but in real life, this saying is not only wrong, but even when we’ve finally gotten that car or trip we’ve always wanted to have it might thrill and excite us for a while, it won’t really satisfy us or make us happy deep within. This cavity that we have deep inside our hearts is something we’ve learned well to hide. We live in a world in which FaceBook and Instagram provide us with this mask, and we’re good at filtering everything and showing everybody how “great” life is despite the fact that deep inside we might be depressed, confused, and unsatisfied with life. We have everything we could possibly need to be happy, but we’re not. Even when we get what we want, it’s not enough, or we get tired of it and want something else. We all know this feeling – you got what you wanted, you were delighted and excited, but after a while the excitement died down and you went on to chase the next toy. It doesn’t matter how much we have, it doesn’t matter how much more we’ll make, how much more we’ll buy and win, the satisfaction and the happiness they bring us will always be nothing more than temporary. And so we’ve gotten used to living from one short term pleasure to the next, from one temporary satisfaction to the next. But in between these moments, we feel meaningless and empty, and we try to hide behind “special effects” and “filters”. On the other hand, now and then we’ll hear about people who went through traumatic experiences, about people who have very little, or about people who lost so much but despite all this remain deeply joyful. Note for instance the words of Nick Vujicic, born without arms and legs: “You can either be angry for what you don’t have or thankful for what you do have. Do your best and God will do the rest.” Nick Vujicic Why is Nick so joyful? Because he’s grateful. HAPPINESS DOESN’T MAKE US GRATEFUL, IT’S GRATITUDE THAT MAKES US TRULY HAPPY AND JOYFUL. “Gratitude” is being happy with your lot. “Gratitude” is knowing that you don’t deserve anything, and that’s why you appreciate everything that you do have. “Gratitude” is never taking anything for granted. So long as we take things for granted, and live with the mindset of “I deserve it!”, we won’t be able to be joyful. We are especially grateful when we receive something we didn’t earn, buy, or deserve. When we receive a gift of great value that we didn’t do anything to obtain, but rather it was given to us as a free gift, we feel grateful. This is called grace. Grace is when you’re given something even though you don’t deserve it or even deserve the complete opposite. It makes you truly grateful, it’s humbling, and if it comes from someone you hurt in the past, it restores the broken relationship between you and it makes you feel humble, meek, and grateful toward this person. But we don’t want gratefulness to be a feeling we experience only a few times or only towards a few people, we want gratefulness to be a way of life, towards everyone, all the time. Nobody owes us electricity, a roof over our heads, fashionable clothes, entertainment, cars, medicine, technology, and a large variety of food at the supermarket. We tend to take these luxuries for granted. In order to be grateful in our human existence, we need to live in the moment and be aware of the “now”.In other words, to know that we don’t ‘deserve’ these moments. Every second of our lives, every breath that we take, is an undeserved gift of grace. We can’t be certain that we’ll have more moments like these in the future, perhaps our time will come tomorrow and we’ll be no more. Once we’re grateful for life itself, we can no longer take everything else we have for granted, like food and clothes. Therefore, we need to be grateful for the present, and the present is always present! IF WE’LL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR THE PRESENT, WE’LL ALWAYS BE JOYFUL AS WELL. While running this race in life, sometimes we forget to just stop and take a look around, and when we forget to stop, we miss out on life. Think about small children, who are mesmerized by every new thing. The universe God created is amazing, and even though we know very well how to make use of it for our own personal ends – and that’s ok, since we do need to sustain ourselves – sometimes we just need to stop, be still, and be silent. It reminds us that we don’t have control over everything and allows us to wonder at God’s creation and thank Him: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalms 46:10) So what if we really stopped taking life for granted? What if we were grateful to God for giving us minds that can think, research, and discover the nature he created for us, so that we can enjoy all the blessings he offers us? What if we were grateful for our ability to see colors, to experience tastes, hear sounds, and touch and feel in so many different ways? What if, instead of complaining about the bad customer service at the shoe store, we were grateful that we could even allow ourselves to buy shoes? What if, instead of complaining to the waiter about the sogginess of the french fries, we were grateful that we even had anything to eat? Not to mention the privilege of being able to dine at a restaurant. What if, instead of complaining about all the things we hate at work, we were grateful that we even had a source of income? If we would just stop taking things for granted we would realise that we have so much to be grateful for. True, we can’t always be grateful for everything. We don’t need to be grateful for evil and malice. We don’t need to be grateful for the loss of a friend or for a disease, but even during difficult times as these or any trial that comes our way even then we can be grateful and rejoice in the new opportunities that arise from the situation, as hard as it may be – to learn, to change, to mature, and to start anew. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:2-3) The bottom line is, we always have something to be grateful for. IT’S BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THAT BEING GRATEFUL CAUSES US TO BE HAPPY In 2011, the medical department at Harvard University published a study titled: “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier”. The study concluded that: “Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.” (excerpt from study) Being thankful for material things is great, but these things are only temporary. For instance, it only takes us a few months after recovering from an illness to forget that we were sick at all. Earthly things, as wonderful as they may be, only give us short term pleasure. Therefore, we need to be grateful for something long-term, something eternal, something spiritual. When Jesus gave his disciples the authority to heal the sick and cast out demons and evil spirits, the disciples were thrilled and excited: “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ (Luke 10:17) But Jesus challenged them to not base their happiness on miracles and supernatural wonders, but rather on their eternity: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20) Being grateful for as many things as possible and at all times is the will of God in the life of every believer: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) History is filled with stories of people who despite having found themselves in difficult circumstances, were able to retain their joy and peace. When Job became sick and lost everything, he didn’t complain – his joy and peace were deeply rooted in the Lord: “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ ” (Job 1:21) If you are strong inside, then external circumstances can impact you, but much less. The Apostle Paul begged God to take away what he called his “thorn in the flesh”: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) The Apostle Paul’s joy and happiness were not dependant on his circumstances, not even when he experienced weaknesses, hardships, and calamities, rather that his joy came from a heavenly source. We need to reach this point as well, when we rejoice even when things are tough.Like the Apostle Paul, we cannot be people who require certain ordeals or circumstances in order to be grateful and happy. Rather we must live with gratitude, a life of gratitude. Circumstances change, and what can we do – we won’t always stay healthy. After all, one day, all of us as well as those close to us will die. In other words, there needs to be another reason for us to have gratitude a cosmic reason, a reason that has nothing to do with our corporeal reality, but a transcendental reason, a reason whose source is spiritual. We mentioned before that when we’re given a gift of great value without having done anything to earn it, it makes us grateful in the most meaningful way. As believers, in a spiritual sense, we can remind ourselves every day that we received the most valuable gift ever for free. While we were so underserving of such a gift, the Messiah gave his life for us, as a sacrifice and atonement for our sins. We didn’t do a single thing to earn this incredible gift of grace, and we cannot take it for granted. THE GRACE OF GOD IN JESUS THE MESSIAH IS A DAILY SOURCE FOR ETERNAL GRATITUDE This isn’t temporary happiness, giddiness, or excitement but steadfast joy – that we can always depend on. We can analogize this to the contrast between crashing waves on the shoreline, that can be large and exciting for a few seconds only in shallow water, and between the heart of an ocean, which may look calm and serene on the surface but has incredible depth and power. This is what real spiritual happiness, rooted in the Lord, is like. This isn’t a fleeting moment of euphoric feelings, this is something so much deeper and lasting – this is joy. When a person dedicates one’s whole life to you, it brings you joy. When a person sacrifices everything especially for you, it brings you joy. The knowledge that the Messiah dedicated his enter life for us and sacrificed himself for us is not just a reason for us to have joy – it’s the reason! A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE Isaiah 54 opens with the declaration concerning the barren woman, who breaks forth in joyful singing. During this time period, the purpose of a woman’s life was to start a family, to have children. Barren women were regarded by society as “damaged” women, useless women. The prophet Isaiah, after his prophecy in chapter 53 which describes the death of the Messiah on our behalf, begins with the description of abounding joy that even reaches the poor outcasts of society, barren women. Because of chapter 53, the barren woman’s joy is not based on her ability to bear children, but rather on one thing only – the Messiah! But it’s not something that happens automatically. Gratitude is a conscious and wilful act. This means that happiness is the result of a choice. The barren woman had to choose: whether to sink into depression and feelings of self-pity or whether to rejoice in her lot. In other words, she chose to be grateful. Maybe we grew up in a house where there were constant complaints or perhaps we tend to be very critical, and that’s why we instinctively respond with grumblings and complaints. But these also are our own decisions – to poison ourselves. It also shows that our feelings control us and not the other way around. Happiness is a choice, a choice to be happy with out lot, a choice to be grateful for every moment that was given us as a gift. Happiness isn’t something that just comes on it’s own, rather it’s a conscious decision that we have to make. The Apostle Paul entreated the Philippians to: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4) If happiness wasn’t up to us and if it wasn’t a decision we are called to make,Paul wouldn’t have bothered to urge the Philippians to choose happiness. But there is no doubt that Paul regarded happiness as a decision, and that’s why he required them to make a decision – to rejoice! And not just them – rejoice always! As mentioned before, the opposite of living gratefully is living with the mindset of entitlement, “I deserve it!”.We’re not generally very grateful when we think we deserve something. Likewise, when we’re busy grumbling and complaining we don’t have time to rejoice. Grumbling and complaining is our greatest enemy that eats away at our joy. The greatest enemy of gratefulness is complaining, and that’s why the Apostle Paul also said to the Philippians: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” (Philippians 2:14) Peter also wrote similarly: “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9) And James also wrote: “Do not grumble against one another, brothers.” (James 5:9) Our perfect example is of course Jesus, who himself had to endure the most terrible thing of all, sufferings and agonizing death. Jesus didn’t grumble and complain about his grim fate, and even as he was dying he sought to serve others: “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ ” (Luke 23:34) HAPPINESS AND JOY DO NOT HAPPEN ON THEIR OWN, BUT RATHER THEY ARE A NATURAL RESULT OF GRATITUDE. Gratitude is a conscious decision. The greatest example of a grateful life is embodied in Jesus the Messiah, who taught that the more we seek God’s will, and, as we saw, God’s will among other things is being grateful, the more our joy will be complete and full. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) In conclusion, if we won’t make a conscious decision to rejoice, we’ll end up by default – unhappy. Why? Because our back hurts, there’s no money in our bank account, our boss is annoying, we didn’t find a parking spot, we were asked to do something we just don’t want to do, or because we didn’t have a good night’s rest. And that’s why, we’re called upon every day anew to choose – joy! “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24) Jesus’ life was characterized by joy. When the angel appeared to Shepherds announcing Jesus’ birth, he said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:10). Jesus’ ministry was punctuated with joy as he healed the sick, mentored the apostles, and preached the good news. His messages were positive, uplifting and encouraging. Even when he spoke regarding possible persecution for his followers, he admonished, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matt 5:12). The Jesus I read about in the gospel accounts was not a dour, sour, pessimistic person. He radiated joy. He brought a smile to the face of little children. And he gave sinners like the Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, and the woman caught in adultery a reason to rejoice. Even in the shadow of his impending death, Jesus would lift the sorrowing hearts of the apostles, by promising, “your sorrow will be turned into joy” (Jn 16:20). “These things I have spoken to you,” Jesus encouraged,”that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (Jn 15:11). Here are the 5 major points I took away from Tim’s lesson that can fill our hearts with joy. (1) Rejoice in your salvation. Those who received Jesus found joy. Following the Ethiopian Treasurer’s conversion, “he went on his way rejoicing” (Ax 8:39). The pagan Philippian jailer “rejoiced” after his sins were washed away. Tim Jennings was right. Sin saps our souls of joy. But when we come to know “the joy of salvation” (Ps 51:12), we can rejoice in spite of living in a fallen, broken world. (2) Rejoice that your life has significance. Beginning with Jesus’ mother, Mary, who was chosen to carry the Christ-child, to those who were converted to His cause, and proclaimed His message, lives were changed. Doors of opportunity were opened. Hope was elevated. And a life of meaning, purpose, and significance was experienced. What on earth are you here for? Tim’s answer was simple. “I am here for him.” The atheist, Bertrand Russell was right, “Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.” But He does exist. And Jesus lives. That provides my life purpose. And joy. (3) Rejoice in your spiritual family. The apostle Paul found joy in the family of Believers (1 Thess. 2:19-20). God created us for community. He formed us for family. And provided a place to belong. We can rejoice in our relationships with fellow Christians in Jesus’ spiritual Body, the church. (4) Rejoice in the lost being saved. The trilogy of Jesus’ parables in Luke 15 reminds us that the angels in heaven rejoice when the lost are found. So, should we. There’s no greater joy than seeing sinners come to Christ. Unless it is a personal involvement in their obedience. (5) Rejoice that you have a heavenly home. John symbolically paints a picture of heaven in the book of Revelation. It’s a place of joy. No tears. No sorrow. No heartache. No sickness. No death. It is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of preparing a place for us (John 14;1-3). “Joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing, observed S. D. Gordon. “Joy has its springs deep down inside. And that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. Only Jesus gives that joy Amen. The tribe of Judah, its conquests, and the centrality of its capital in Jerusalem for the worship of the god Yahweh figure prominently in the Deuteronomistic history, encompassing the books of Deuteronomy through II Kings, which most scholars agree was reduced to written form, although subject to exilic and post-exilic alterations and emendations, during the reign of the Judahite reformer Josiah from 641–609 BCE.[1]
According to the account in the Book of Joshua, following a partial conquest of Canaanby the Israelite tribes (the Jebusites still held Jerusalem),[2] Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes. Judah's divinely ordained portion is described in Joshua 15[3]as encompassing most of the southern portion of the Land of Israel, including the Negev, the Wilderness of Zin and Jerusalem. However, the consensus of modern scholars is that this conquest never occurred.[4][5][6] Other scholars point to extra-biblical references to Israel and Canaan as evidence for the potential historicity of the conquest.[7][8] In the opening words of the Book of Judges, following the death of Joshua, the Israelites "asked the Lord" which tribe should be first to go to occupy its allotted territory, and the tribe of Judah was identified as the first tribe.[9] According to the narrative in the Book of Judges, the tribe of Judah invited the tribe of Simeon to fight with them in alliance to secure each of their allotted territories. As is the case with Joshua, most scholars do not believe that the book of Judges contains reliable history.[10][11][12] The Book of Samuel describes God's repudiation of a monarchic line arising from the northern Tribe of Benjamin due to the sinfulness of King Saul, which was then bestowed onto the tribe of Judah for all time in the person of King David. In Samuel's account, after the death of Saul, all the tribes other than Judah remained loyal to the House of Saul, while Judah chose David as its king. However, after the death of Ish-bosheth, Saul's son and successor to the throne of Israel, all the other Israelite tribes made David, who was then the king of Judah, king of a re-united Kingdom of Israel. The Book of Kings follows the expansion and unparalleled glory of the United Monarchy under King Solomon. A majority of scholars believe that the accounts concerning David and Solomon's territory in the "united monarchy" are exaggerated, and a minority believe that the "united monarchy" never existed at all.[13][14][15] Disagreeing with the latter view, Old Testament scholar Walter Dietrich contends that the biblical stories of circa 10th-century BCE monarchs contain a significant historical kernel and are not simply late fictions.[16] On the accession of Rehoboam, Solomon's son, in c. 930 BCE, the ten northern tribes under the leadership of Jeroboam from the Tribe of Ephraim split from the House of David to create the Northern Kingdom in Samaria. The Book of Kings is uncompromising in its low opinion of its larger and richer neighbor to the north, and understands its conquest by Assyria in 722 BCE as divine retribution for the Kingdom's return to idolatry.[17] The tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to the House of David. These tribes formed the Kingdom of Judah, which existed until Judah was conquered by Babylon in c. 586 BCE and the population deported. When the Jews returned from Babylonian exile, residual tribal affiliations were abandoned, probably because of the impossibility of reestablishing previous tribal land holdings. However, the special religious roles decreed for the Levites and Kohanim were preserved, but Jerusalem became the sole place of worship and sacrifice among the returning exiles, northerners and southerners alike. According to the biblical account, at its height, the tribe of Judah was the leading tribe of the Kingdom of Judah, and occupied most of the territory of the kingdom, except for a small region in the north east occupied by Benjamin, and an enclave towards the south west which was occupied by Simeon. Bethlehem and Hebron were initially the main cities within the territory of the tribe. The lion is the symbol of the tribe of Judah. It is often represented in Jewish art, such as this sculpture outside a synagogueThe size of the territory of the tribe of Judah meant that in practice it had four distinct regions:[citation needed]
According to the Torah, the tribe consisted of descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and of Leah. Some biblical scholars view this as an etiological myth created in hindsight to explain the tribe's name and connect it to the other tribes in the Israelite confederation.[21] With Leah as a matriarch, biblical scholars regard the tribe as having been believed by the text's authors to have been part of the original Israelite confederation.[21] Like the other tribes of the Kingdom of Judah, the tribe of Judah is entirely absent from the ancient Song of Deborah, rather than present but described as unwilling to assist in the battle between Israelites and their enemy. Traditionally, this has been explained as being due to the southern kingdom being too far away to be involved in the battle, but Israel Finkelstein et al. claim the alternative explanation that the southern kingdom was simply an insignificant rural backwater at the time the poem was written.[22] Character Many of the Jewish leaders and prophets of the Hebrew Bible claimed membership in the tribe of Judah. For example, the literary prophets Isaiah, Amos, Habakkuk, Joel, Micah, Obadiah, Zechariah, and Zephaniah, all belonged to the tribe.[citation needed] The genealogies given in Matthew 1:1–6 and Luke 3:23–34 in the New Testament describe Jesus as a descendant of David, Matthew through Solomon and Luke through Nathan.[23] Fate The Lion of Judah on the municipal emblem of JerusalemAs part of the Kingdom of Judah, the tribe of Judah survived the destruction of Israel by the Assyrians, and instead was subjected to the Babylonian captivity; when the captivity ended, the distinction between the tribes were lost in favour of a common identity. Since Simeon and Benjamin had been very much the junior partners in the Kingdom of Judah, it was Judah that gave its name to the identity—that of the Jews. After the fall of Jerusalem, Babylonia (modern day Iraq), would become the focus of Jewish life for 1,000 years. The first Jewish communities in Babylonia started with the exile of the tribe of Judah to Babylon by Jehoiachin in 597 BCE as well as after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE.[24] Many more Jews migrated to Babylon in CE 135 after the Bar Kokhba revolt and in the centuries after.[24] The triumph or victory of "the Lion of the Tribe of Judah", who is able to open the scroll and its seven seals, forms part of the vision of the writer of the Book of Revelation in the New Testament.[25] Ethiopia's traditions, recorded and elaborated in a 13th-century treatise, the "Kebre Negest", assert descent from a retinue of Israelites who returned with the Queen of Sheba from her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, by whom she had conceived the Solomonic dynasty's founder, Menelik I. Both Christian and Jewish Ethiopian tradition has it that these immigrants were mostly of the Tribes of Dan and Judah;[26] hence the Ge'ez motto Mo`a 'Anbessa Ze'imnegede Yihuda ("The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has conquered"), one of many names for Jesus of Nazareth. Why is only Peter mentioned out of the twelve?
Why is he singled out? It is because Jesus thrust upon Peter the responsibility of strengthening the other disciples after he repented. We have to understand that Satan desired to sift them all, but Jesus only addresses Peter, giving him the responsibility to buck everybody else up. Why Peter? Why did He not say, "John, you son of thunder, I want you to be a rod of lightning to these men and encourage them after these things happen." No, he says this to Peter. He does not say to John, "I want to you to work with your brother and strengthen him." He says it to Peter because Jesus had given him the responsibility to be the bulwark of strength (humanly speaking) amongst the Twelve. Jesus was crucified on Passover (Mark 14—15). The Passover, itself, is not a Sabbath. It was to be celebrated in the evening, and in the morning people were allowed to go home (Deuteronomy 16:7). The day after Passover is the first day of the weeklong Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:4–8). The first and last days of the feast are high days, that is, holiday-Sabbaths, during which no normal work may be done. Legally, the disciples could have started for home the morning of Passover, but the trip was several days long, and Jesus was on trial and then being crucified. That evening the Sabbath started, and they could not travel again until it was over. Saturday evening, at dusk, the Sabbath is over. Sunday morning, the women find the empty tomb. They return to the disciples and give them the angels' message. Shortly after, Peter and John check for themselves (John 20:1–9). In the forty days Jesus ministers between the resurrection and the ascension (Acts 1:3), Jesus will meet the disciples in Galilee (John 21) as He promised before the crucifixion (Mark 14:28). Later this day, however, He travels with two disciples on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus, inspiring them to return to Jerusalem (Luke 24:13–34). This evening, He meets with ten of the remaining Twelve, as Thomas will be absent (John 20:19–24). He will also see a few others in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36–49). Peter is mentioned as one who specifically needs to be told the angel's message. Once the Twelve's self-appointed spokesman (Matthew 15:15; Mark 8:32; 9:5; 11:21; Luke 8:45; 9:20; 18:28), he has been hiding in shame since he denied Jesus at the trial before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:66–72). Peter had a very strong idea of who Jesus was and what Jesus would do for him. Now, Peter thinks himself a cowardly traitor, that Jesus is dead, and all is lost. Jesus will take the time to reconcile with Peter in particular, evidently both privately directly following the resurrection (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5) and more publicly sometime later (John 21:15–19). Jesus will come to seven of the disciples while they are fishing at the Sea of Tiberias. After providing a miraculous catch of fish, reminiscent of His calling of some of these same disciples described in Luke 5, He feeds them breakfast. Jesus then asks Peter twice if he loves Him with full, self-sacrificial love (agape). Peter will humbly respond that he loves Jesus with the lesser love of affection (phileo). Jesus will accept that answer, asking Peter the third time if he loves Jesus with phileo love and then proceeding to commission Peter after he responds in the affirmative. Peter finally acknowledges that he cannot give Jesus all He deserves, and he does not deserve what Jesus gives to him. Still, Jesus gives Peter the commission of "feeding His sheep," knowing Peter finally has the humility to accept the Holy Spirit who will fill what Peter lacks (Acts 2:1–4, 14–41). Mark 16:1–8 proclaims that Jesus is alive! After telling the disciples, several times over three years, that He will die and rise again, Jesus' work is finally done. Throughout their history in the Promised Land, the children of Israel struggled with conflict among the tribes. The disunity went back all the way to the patriarch Jacob, who presided over a house divided. The sons of Leah and the sons of Rachel had their share of contention even in Jacob’s lifetime (Genesis 37:1-11). The enmity among the half-brothers continued in the time of the judges. Benjamin (one of Rachel’s tribes) took up arms against the other tribes (Judges 20). Israel’s first king, Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin. When David was crowned king—David was from the tribe of Judah (one of Leah’s tribes)—the Benjamites rebelled (2 Samuel 2–3). After a long war (2 Samuel 3:1), David succeeded in uniting all twelve tribes (5:1-5). The frailty of the union was exposed, however, when David’s son Absalom promoted himself as the new king and drew many Israelites away from their allegiance to David (2 Samuel 15). Significantly, Absalom set up his throne in Hebron, the site of the former capital (v. 10). A later revolt was led by a man named Sheba against David and the tribe of Judah (20:1-2). The reign of David’s son Solomon saw more unrest when one of the king’s servants, Jeroboam, rebelled. Jeroboam was on the king’s errand when he met the prophet Ahijah, who told him that God was going to give him authority over ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. God’s reason for the division of the kingdom was definitive: “Because they have forsaken me . . . and have not walked in my ways.” However, God promised that David’s dynasty would continue, albeit over a much smaller kingdom, for the sake of God’s covenant with David and for the sake of Jerusalem, God’s chosen city. When Solomon learned of the prophecy, he sought to kill Jeroboam, who fled to Egypt for sanctuary (1 Kings 11:26-40). After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam was set to become the next king. Jeroboam returned from Egypt and led a group of people to confront Rehoboam with a demand for a lighter tax burden. When Rehoboam refused the demand, ten of the tribes rejected Rehoboam and David’s dynasty (1 Kings 12:16), and Ahijah’s prophecy was fulfilled. Only Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to King Rehoboam. The northern tribes crowned Jeroboam as their king. Rehoboam made plans to mount an assault on the rebel tribes, but the Lord prevented him from taking that action (vv. 21-24). Meanwhile, Jeroboam further consolidated his power by instituting a form of calf worship unique to his kingdom and declaring that pilgrimages to Jerusalem were unnecessary. Thus, the people of the northern tribes would have no contact with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. “So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day” (1 Kings 12:19). The northern kingdom is called “Israel” (or sometimes “Ephraim”) in Scripture, and the southern kingdom is called “Judah.” From the divine viewpoint, the division was a judgment on not keeping God’s commands, specifically the commands prohibiting idolatry. From a human viewpoint, the division was the result of tribal discord and political unrest. The principle is that sin brings division (1 Corinthians 1:13, 11:18; James 4:1). The good news is that God, in His mercy, has promised a reuniting of the northern and southern kingdoms. “He will raise a banner for the nations / and gather the exiles of Israel; / he will assemble the scattered people of Judah / from the four quarters of the earth. / Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, / and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed; / Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, / nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim” (Isaiah 11:12-13). When the Prince of Peace—Jesus Christ—reigns in His millennial kingdom, all hostility, jealousy, and conflict among the tribes will be put to rest. Then all the trees of the field will know that I am Yahweh. I bring down the tall tree, and make the low tree tall. I cause the green tree to wither and make the withered tree thrive. I, Yahweh, have spoken and I will do it. Ezekiel 22:14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong in the days that I will deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken and will act. Amos 9:11 “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; Ezekiel 24:14 I, the Lord, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you,” declares the Lord God.’” 1 Samuel 2:7-8 “The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. Job 5:11 So that He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety. Job 40:12 “Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him, And tread down the wicked where they stand. Psalm 75:6-7 For not from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the desert comes exaltation; Psalm 89:38 But You have cast off and rejected, You have been full of wrath against Your anointed. Psalm 89:45 You have shortened the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah. Psalm 96:11-12 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Isaiah 2:13-14 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan, Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 11:1-9 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. Isaiah 26:5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust. Isaiah 55:12-13 “For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Ezekiel 12:25 For I the Lord will speak, and whatever word I speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord God.’” Ezekiel 21:26 thus says the Lord God, ‘Remove the turban and take off the crown; this will no longer be the same. Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Luke 1:33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:52-53 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, Parable Of Two Eagles And A Vine 7 “But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, that he might water it. 8 It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.”’ 9 Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. Numbers 14:41 But Moses said, “Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord, when it will not succeed? 2 Kings 25:4-7 Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. 2 Chronicles 13:12 Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.” 2 Chronicles 20:20 They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” Isaiah 8:9-10 “Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered; And give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be shattered. Isaiah 30:1-7 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the Lord, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; Isaiah 31:1-3 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! Jeremiah 21:4-7 ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the center of this city. Jeremiah 24:8-10 ‘But like the bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness—indeed, thus says the Lord—so I will abandon Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and the ones who dwell in the land of Egypt. Jeremiah 29:4-7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, Jeremiah 32:5 and he will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” declares the Lord. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed”’?” Jeremiah 37:10 For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’” Jeremiah 52:7-11 Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled and went forth from the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls which was by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. Ezekiel 17:10 Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?”’” Ezekiel 17:15-17 But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? River Of The Temple, Division Of The Land And Its Boundaries 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” 13 Thus says the Lord God, “This shall be the boundary by which you shall divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall have two portions. English(KJV) Strong's Root Form Definition Usage And the remnant H7604 שׁאר Sha'ar leave , remain , remnant , let , rest , 134 that is escaped H6413 פּלטה פּליטה P@leytah escape , deliverance , remnant 28 of the house H1004 בּית Bayith house , household , home , within , temple , prison , place , family , families , dungeon , 2053 of Judah H3063 יהוּדה Y@huwdah Judah , Bethlehemjudah 648 shall yet again H3254 יסף Yacaph more , again , add , increase , also , exceed , put , further , henceforth , can , continued , give , 208 take root H8328 שׁרשׁ Sheresh root , bottom , deep , heels 33 downward H4295 מטּה Mattah beneath , downward , underneath , very , low , under , down , less 19 and bear H6213 do , make , wrought , deal , commit , offer , execute , keep , shew , prepare , work , do so , perform , get , dress , maker , maintain , 0 fruit H6529 פּרי P@riy fruit , fruitful , boughs , firstfruits , reward , fruit thereof 119 English(KJV) Strong's Root Form Definition Usage And God H430 אלהים 'elohiym God, god, judge, GOD, goddess, great, mighty, angels, exceeding, God-ward , godly 2600 said H559 said, speak, answer, command, tell, call, promised, . 0 Let the earth H776 ארץ 'erets land, earth, country, ground, world, way, common, field, nations, wilderness 2504 bring forth H1876 דּשׁא Dasha spring, bring forth 2 grass H1877 דּשׁא Deshe' grass, herb, green 15 the herb H6212 עשׂב `eseb herb, grass 33 yielding H2232 H6213 זרע Zara` sow, yielding, sower, bearing, conceive, seed, set do, make, wrought, deal, commit, offer, execute, keep, shew, prepare, work, do so, perform, get, dress, maker, maintain, 56 0 seed H2233 H2233 זרע Zera` זרע Zera` seed, child, carnally , carnally, fruitful, seedtime, sowing time seed, child, carnally , carnally, fruitful, seedtime, sowing time 229 229 and the fruit H6529 פּרי P@riy fruit, fruitful, boughs, firstfruits , reward, fruit thereof 119 tree H6086 עץ `ets tree, wood, timber, stick, gallows, staff, stock, carpenter , branches, helve, planks, stalks 329 fruit H6529 פּרי P@riy fruit, fruitful, boughs, firstfruits , reward, fruit thereof 119 after his kind H4327 מין Miyn kind 31 whose H834 which, wherewith, because, when, soon, whilst, as if, as when, that, until, much, whosoever, whereas, wherein, whom, whose 0 is in itself, upon the earth H776 ארץ 'erets land, earth, country, ground, world, way, common, field, nations, wilderness 2504 Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Genesis/1/11 The Creation 10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. According to Its Kind Bear Fruit Let There Be Put Forth Cross References Hebrews 6:7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; Genesis 1:29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; Genesis 2:5 Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. Genesis 2:9 Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; Job 28:5 “The earth, from it comes food, And underneath it is turned up as fire. Psalm 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 65:9-13 You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth. Psalm 104:14-17 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, Psalm 147:8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. Jeremiah 17:8 “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit. Matthew 3:10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Matthew 7:16-20 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? Mark 4:28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. Luke 6:43-44 For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. James 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. Isaiah Brings A Prophetic Response 29 ‘Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 30 The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the Lord will perform this. Bear Fruit House of Israel House of Judah Israel Judah 2 Chronicles 32:22-23 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. 2 Kings 19:4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.’” Psalm 80:9 You cleared the ground before it, And it took deep root and filled the land. Isaiah 1:9 Unless the Lord of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah. Isaiah 10:20-22 Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 27:6 In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, And they will fill the whole world with fruit. Isaiah 37:31-32 The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. The Branch's Righteous Reign 1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Bear Fruit Stem of Jesse Stump Of Jesse David Jesse Messiah Isaiah 11:10 Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 4:2 In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. Isaiah 53:2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. Zechariah 3:8 Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. Zechariah 6:12 Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. Revelation 5:5 and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” Isaiah 9:7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Ruth 4:17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 1 Samuel 17:58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” Jeremiah 33:15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. Matthew 1:6-16 Jesse was the father of David the king.David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. Luke 2:23-32 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), Acts 13:22-23 After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’ Romans 15:12 Again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” fruit bear branch shoot spring roots stem And there shall come forth H3318 יצא Yatsa' ....out, ....forth, bring, come, proceed, go, depart, 1068 a rod H2415 חטר Choter rod 2 out of the stem H1503 גּזע Geza` stock, stem 3 of Jesse H3448 אישׁי ישׁי Yishay Jesse 42 and a Branch H5342 נצר Netser branch 4 shall grow H6509 פּרה Parah fruitful, increased, grow, beareth, forth, bring fruit, make fruitful 29 Jeremiah's Complaint 1 Righteous are You, O Lord, that I would plead my case with You; Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? 2 You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have even produced fruit. You are near to their lips But far from their mind. 3 But You know me, O Lord; You see me; And You examine my heart’s attitude toward You. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter And set them apart for a day of carnage! Isaiah 29:13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, Jeremiah 11:17 The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me by offering up sacrifices to Baal. Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Jeremiah 45:4 Thus you are to say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, what I have built I am about to tear down, and what I have planted I am about to uproot, that is, the whole land.” Ezekiel 17:5-10 He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow. Ezekiel 33:31 They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. Matthew 15:8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. Jeremiah 3:10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the Lord. Ezekiel 19:10-13 ‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and full of branches Because of abundant waters. Mark 7:6 And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. Thou hast planted H5193 נטע Nata` plant, fastened, planters 58 them, yea, they have taken root H8327 שׁרשׁ Sharash ...root, root out 8 they grow H3212 ילך Yalak go, walk, come, depart, ...away, follow, get, lead, brought, carry, bring, 0 yea, they bring forth H6213 do, make, wrought, deal, commit, offer, execute, keep, shew, prepare, work, do so, perform, get, dress, maker, maintain, 0 fruit H6529 פּרי P@riy fruit, fruitful, boughs, firstfruits , reward, fruit thereof 119 thou art near H7138 קרב קרוב Qarowb near, nigh, at hand, neighbour, next, kin, approach, short, kinsfolk, kinsmen, 77 in their mouth H6310 פּה Peh mouth, commandment, edge, according, word, hole, end, appointment, portion, tenor, sentence, 497 and far from H7350 רחק רחוק Rachowq off, far, long ago, far from, come, afar, old, far abroad, long, space 85 In Genesis 11 we read the account of the tower of Babel, where the people, attempting to build a tower that reaches to heaven, have their language confused and are scattered across the whole face of the earth by God. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” Jeremiah 2:27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to Me, And not their face; But in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us.’ Jeremiah 13:24 “Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw To the desert wind. Job 27:21 “The east wind carries him away, and he is gone, For it whirls him away from his place. Psalm 48:7 With the east wind You break the ships of Tarshish. Jeremiah 32:33 They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. Jeremiah 46:21 “Also her mercenaries in her midst Are like fattened calves, For even they too have turned back and have fled away together; They did not stand their ground. For the day of their calamity has come upon them, The time of their punishment. Hosea 13:15 Though he flourishes among the reeds, An east wind will come, The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness; And his fountain will become dry And his spring will be dried up; It will plunder his treasury of every precious article. Deuteronomy 28:25 “The Lord shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. Deuteronomy 28:64 Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. Deuteronomy 31:17 Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ Deuteronomy 32:35 ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.’ Judges 10:13-14 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. Proverbs 7:25-26 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths. Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Jeremiah/18/17 I will scatter H6327 פּוּץ Puwts scatter, scatter abroad, disperse, spread abroad, cast abroad, drive, break to pieces, shake to pieces, dash to pieces, retired 67 Ezekiel 19:12 ‘But it was plucked up in fury; It was cast down to the ground; And the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branch was torn off So that it withered; The fire consumed it. Ezekiel 17:10 Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?”’” Genesis 41:52 He named the second Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall. Jeremiah 4:11 In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people—not to winnow and not to cleanse, Genesis 48:19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” Deuteronomy 33:17 “As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his, And his horns are the horns of the wild ox; With them he will push the peoples, All at once, to the ends of the earth. And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And those are the thousands of Manasseh.” Job 18:16 “His roots are dried below, And his branch is cut off above. Psalm 1:4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Psalm 109:13 Let his posterity be cut off; In a following generation let their name be blotted out. Isaiah 14:21 “Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.” Isaiah 17:13 The nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters, But He will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like chaff in the mountains before the wind, Or like whirling dust before a gale. Isaiah 41:16 “You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And the storm will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the Lord, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. Jeremiah 20:5 I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon. Jeremiah 51:36 Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am going to plead your case And exact full vengeance for you; And I will dry up her sea And make her fountain dry. Daniel 11:8 Also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. Hosea 4:19 The wind wraps them in its wings, And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices. Hosea 9:11 As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird-- No birth, no pregnancy and no conception! Hosea 10:1 Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he made the sacred pillars. Nahum 2:9 Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! For there is no limit to the treasure-- Wealth from every kind of desirable object. The Tower of Babel was built to prevent the people from scattering across the earth. Because the people would not scatter themselves, God scattered them. The Tower of Babel (Hebrew: מִגְדַּל בָּבֶל, Migdal Bavel) narrative in Genesis11:1–9 is an origin myth meant to explain why the world's peoples speak different languages.[1][2][3][4] According to the story, a united human race speaking a single language and migrating eastward, comes to the land of Shinar (שִׁנְעָר). There they agree to build a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Yahweh, observing their city and tower, confounds their speech so that they can no longer understand each other, and scatters them around the world. Various Dialects In the account of the Tower of Babel the text seems to indicate that the various dialects had not appeared yet and that everyone on earth had one language and vocabulary. The Lord understood the motive and ambition of the people. Because the people had built a tower in defiance of Him, God then caused the one language on the earth to be confused. Once the languages were confounded the people scattered. Many questions arise concerning this account. One Language? Did they all speak the same language? There are some people who feel the biblical text does not demand that there was only one language at the time. They point to the preceding chapter, Genesis ten, which divides the table of nations based upon the various languages. However, we must not assume a chronological sequence here. Allen P. Ross writes: At the beginning of chapter 11 the whole world is of 'one language' and one vocabulary. But chapter 10 has already divided the nations according to peoples and tongues. . . Probably 11:1-9 explains how the arrangement in chapter 10 came about. Genesis often goes outside the chronological order to arrange the material thematically (Allen P. Ross, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Editors John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1985, p. 44). How did God scatter them? Was it a change in their organ of hearing? Was it a change in their speech? Or was it a deeper change in the mind itself? We simply do not know. Babel And Pentecost There is an obvious contrast between Babel and Pentecost. At the tower of Babel the languages were confused and the people were scattered. At Pentecost God supernaturally allowed the people to speak languages and dialects they had not previously learned to testify to the glory of God. Pentecost was the reversal of Babel. Final Uniting Of Languages The prophet Zephaniah speaks of a final uniting of the languages. For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain (Zephaniah 3:9-11). 1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east,[a] they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." 5 The LORD[b] came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the LORD said, "Look, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called Babel,[c] because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. — Genesis 11:1–9 NRSVUE[7] The phrase "Tower of Babel" does not appear in the Bible; it is always "the city and the tower" (אֶת-הָעִיר וְאֶת-הַמִּגְדָּל) or just "the city" (הָעִיר). The original derivation of the name Babel (also the Hebrew name for Babylon) is uncertain. The native, Akkadianname of the city was Bāb-ilim, meaning "gate of God". However, that form and interpretation itself are now usually thought to be the result of an Akkadian folk etymology applied to an earlier form of the name, Babilla, of unknown meaning and probably non-Semitic origin.[8][9] According to the Bible, the city received the name "Babel" from the Hebrew verb בָּלַ֥ל (bālal), meaning to jumble or to confuse.[10] The narrative of the tower of Babel[11] is an etiology or explanation of a phenomenon. Etiologies are narratives that explain the origin of a custom, ritual, geographical feature, name, or other phenomenon.[12]: 426 The story of the Tower of Babel explains the origins of the multiplicity of languages. God was concerned that humans had blasphemed by building the tower to avoid a second flood so God brought into existence multiple languages.[12]: 51 Thus, humans were divided into linguistic groups, unable to understand one another. Deuteronomy 29:22-28 The last phrase of verse 28, “as is clear today” (New English Translation [NET]) is an important time marker. The GNT renders it, “where they are today.” The New Living Translation [NLT] has it, “where they still live today.” Translator Robert Alter puts it, “as on this day.” In the light of that phrase, consider that the people to whom Moses spoke were not then scattered, not uprooted. Their land was not one of “brimstone, salt, and burning debris.” Nor does that description fit the lands to which the Assyrians exiled the ancient House of Israel, for the areas south of the Caspian Sea are reasonably well-watered. Further, the terminology of the passage cannot describe the lands to which Israel migrated, lands that are among the most favored on earth: the productive lands of Northern Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. By using this short phrase, Moses indicates that he speaks of a “generation to come” (verse 22), one in the distant future, even beyond Israel's circumstances today. He is seeing into the time of Jacob's Trouble, when Israel's land, ravaged by war, would become environmentally degraded in the extreme. Only then, in this period of extreme distress, will the lands Israel occupies come to resemble ancient Sodom, destroyed by God long ago (Genesis 19). Those of the “generation” of which Moses speaks, whether Israelite or Gentile, understand that the vast desolation they witness is the result of Israel's idolatry, in violation of the covenant (verses 25-26). Moses describes a time beyond our present circumstances when God will have “uprooted” apostate Israel from the lands to which He scattered her centuries before, the lands to which ancient Israel migrated. In short, Moses sees a land that has “vomited out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:25). The verb “uprooted” (verse 28) evokes the striking image of pulling up plants from their roots. It virtually always appears in contexts of God's wrathful action against a sinning people, as in Ezekiel's lamentation for the princes of Israel, recorded in Ezekiel 19:10-14: Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water. Its strong stems became rulers' scepters; it towered aloft among the thick boughs; it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches. But the vine was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off and withered. As for its strong stem, fire consumed it. Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling. (English Standard Version [ESV]) In verse 12, God angrily plucks up the vine whose stems have grown into “rulers' scepters,” towering above others. The image of the highly productive, well-watered vine—perhaps “influential” might fit as well—transplanted into a “dry and thirsty land” (verse 13), is reminiscent of the Sodom-like land Moses mentions in Deuteronomy 29:23. It is clear, then, that Deuteronomy 29 describes God's future scattering, His uprooting of Israelites from their burned-out land during the time of Jacob's Trouble. https://biblehub.com/ezekiel/36-19.htm The Bible’s first mention of blindness involves the restraining of physical eyesight, but in the environment in question, spiritual sight is also absent: But the [angels] reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door. (Genesis 19:10-11) In this instance, the violent Sodomites, determined to assault Lot and his angelic guests sexually, were physically blinded. God used the two angels He had sent to deliver Lot as instruments to take the men’s sight. Angels are not the only servants of God used to blind those who oppose Him. On occasion, His human servants have prayed for Him to restrain the sight of enemies, and He has answered. For example, Elisha asked for God to blind the Syrian army, and He did so temporarily (II Kings 6:18-20). In Acts 13:11, Paul called on God to blind Elymas the sorcerer for a time, which He did. Famously, Christ Himself struck Paul blind on the road to Damascus, and the apostle’s temporary blindness potently portrayed the spiritual blindness in which he walked to that point (Acts 9:3-9). Exodus 4:11 underscores God’s sovereignty over human physical and spiritual abilities: “So the LORD said to [Moses], ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?’” In responding to Moses’ resistance to His summons to service, God declares that He is responsible for the organs that work and those that do not. Whatever speech difficulties Moses had were entirely in God’s hands. Moses had claimed he was “slow of speech,” and if so, God counterclaims to be the source of that impediment and also the potential solution to it. Such a minor problem could not impede God’s ability to work through him. Likewise, whether one sees or is blind is in God’s hands. Although God refers directly to physical capabilities here, His sovereignty certainly extends into spiritual ones as well. He governs humanity’s ability to see (and hear) spiritually. As Solomon observes in Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.” John 9 records Christ’s healing of the man born blind, and the story teaches that blindness can be a result of sin, but at other times, blindness happens because God has willed it for another purpose He is working out. This principle applies to both physical and spiritual blindness. As part of God’s warning to the Israelites against sin, He promises to hobble their ability to understand, reason, and think things through: The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart. And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you. (Deuteronomy 28:28-29) God promises madness, blindness, and confusion of heart for disobeying His voice and failing to observe His commandments and statutes carefully (Deuteronomy 28:15). This curse shows the other side of the principle, that understanding comes with following His commandments (Psalm 111:10). Conversely, breaking the commandments destroys understanding. The physical curses in Deuteronomy 28 are painful enough, but the mental blindness in verse 28 creates a dreadful situation. Amid the other curses, a person can at least analyze what is happening and perhaps find a way to deal with it. But this blindness—an inability to discern rationally—makes the person’s plight far worse! He cannot even understand what is occurring, let alone identify a real solution like repentance and returning to God. The nations of Israel are suffering under quite a few curses right now, yet because they are blind to the cause-and-effect relationship, there is little—if any—thought that national immorality is the cause of their problems. Those God curses with “madness and blindness and confusion of heart” can only grope aimlessly for solutions, and those they choose cannot work because they exclude God. God’s willingness to take away understanding and wisdom makes many uncomfortable. They do not believe He would actually do such a thing. They do not believe He means what He says. Some people have a similar and related disbelief regarding scattering, another curse of God (Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:64). God scattered the post-Flood people at the Tower of Babel because of their rebellion against Him (Genesis 11:8-9). He likewise scattered the children of Israel for the same reason, just as He had promised (Deuteronomy 30:3; I Kings 14:15; Psalm 44:11; 92:9; Jeremiah 9:16; etc.). Yet, it is God who promises and claims scattering. Because of His sovereignty, He is the only One who can bring about what happened to Babel, to Israel, and to His church. On the other hand, Satan can only do what He allows him to do (see, for instance, Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). Do we believe that God will respond today to immorality, presumption, and spiritual neglect as He did in the past? True, God’s chastening of His saints is of a different quality than His punishment of Israel, but the principle of cause-and-effect has not disappeared. God’s scattering of the church differs from Israel’s in that it has been organizational rather than geographical and catastrophic. Yet, we are still scattered because God is faithful to His Word. Rather than being immune to God’s chastening, the church is even more accountable because of its privileged position (see Luke 12:48; also the principle in Amos 3:2). Scattering relates to blinding in that it illustrates why it is so critical to have a correct concept of God so that we can recognize the respective actions of God and Satan. God’s actions do not always match our assumptions. He says that He will cause madness, blindness, and confusion of heart when His people walk contrary to His way. We might think Satan would be the source of these works, yet God claims responsibility for them. The New Testament also demonstrates God’s willingness to blind the mind. As mentioned earlier, John 9 contains the story of the man born blind. After healing the man, Jesus says, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind” (John 9:39). The Pharisees and others of the Jewish leadership were confident that they could see, yet Jesus declares that part of His ministry was to make some blind while opening the eyes of others. John claims for Jesus the same prerogative in John 12:37, 39-40: But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him. . .. Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.” After three-and-a-half years and countless miracles, the Jews maintained a high level of disbelief, particularly among the religious leadership. Notice that the source of their doubt was God Himself! Isaiah’s prophecy says He had blinded their eyes, and He had hardened their hearts. The reason for this is that if they turned to Him, He would heal them, which may also strike us as odd if we assume that it is alwaysHis will to heal. Perhaps His actions seem unkind or mean-spirited to us, but this passage shows that it was not His will to heal the nation at that time (see also Matthew 13:11-15). The people were still disobeying His commandments and statutes and thus still under a curse. To heal them without repentance would reward their wickedness. God’s curse of blindness was so effective that, though Jesus declared them to be blind, they were confident that they saw clearly (John 9:40)! They had no reason even to consider repenting, and therefore, the blindness and other curses continued. In his letter to Roman Christians, the apostle Paul explains more about Israel’s blinded condition: What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always.” . . . For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:7-10, 25; emphasis ours throughout) Paul explains the fundamental reason for God’s current blinding of Israel: God is working with the elect in a way He is not working with Israel yet. Thus, He has blinded Israel until He calls those Gentiles that He has determined to convert. Israel was disobedient, so He scattered and blinded her, intending to regather her and restore her understanding in the future. Then she will recognize her Savior and learn what a relationship with Him truly entails. The God of This Age The following passage, II Corinthians 4:3-4, is commonly quoted with little consideration as to who it is truly describing: But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. Considering the verses and principles we have already seen, who did this blinding? Because the translators use a lowercase g, we assume that Satan receives the title of “god of this age” or “god of this world.” But could this be another case of mistaken identity? On a technical note, many translations use the phrase “god of this world,” but the NKJV is more accurate with its rendering of “god of this age.” The word is aion, which refers more to time (for example, “eon” or “age”) than to place. We have seen clear and definitive scriptures in which God declares that He will blind and that He has blinded. The Bible contains additional scriptures on blindness, as well as ones about eyes being closed, that consistently show that the true God closes and opens eyes (see Deuteronomy 29:4; Job 17:4; Matthew 11:25-26; Luke 10:21; 19:41-42). He blinds, and He also heals the blindness that either He has caused or that men have chosen. But in no other place in Scripture is Satan said to blind or is shown blinding or closing eyes. If II Corinthians 4:4 is about Satan, it is a significant anomaly. Rather than blinding, Satan deceives. He works to distort vision (rather than take it away) to influence people to sin, but the Bible never shows him opening or closing eyes, physically or metaphorically. Some may argue that this is a distinction without a difference. However, deceiving and blinding are indeed distinctive. Satan’s deceptions are active oppositions to truth, while God’s blinding is usually a temporary state in which He chooses to withhold complete understanding. God embodies truth, but He does not give all truth all at once. He is under no obligation to do so. He blinds, either temporarily or for judgment, but Satan actively opposes and distorts the truth. In addition to God blinding men, numerous verses show that people can blind themselves, as Part Three will examine. As we have all experienced, the truth can be discomforting, and if we are not resolutely devoted to it, we will close our eyes to those parts to which we do not want to submit. II Thessalonians 2:10-11 speaks of those who lack love for the truth and God sending them strong delusion. In other words, these people prefer a state of blindness, and God gives them what they want. So, while we cannot open our eyes to greater truth without God’s involvement, we can close our eyes to what truth is available to us and thus blind ourselves. “No God Besides Me” A second reason Satan does not fit in II Corinthians 4:4 is that nowhere else is Satan referred to as the god of anything. Undoubtedly, Satan fits within the general classification of false gods, referring either to idols or the demons behind them, or both (see I Corinthians 10:19-20). However, even though people may worship those idols and demons as gods, Scripture also maintains that these so-called gods are not truly gods: » “. . . so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods?” (II Chronicles 13:9) » “Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit.” (Jeremiah 2:11) » “Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those that are not gods.” (Jeremiah 5:7) » “Will a man make gods for himself, which are not gods?” (Jeremiah 16:20) » “But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.” (Galatians 4:8) In I Corinthians 8:5, God inspired Paul to call the demons—which would include Satan—“so-called gods”: “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords) . . ..” He then clarifies his description with a contrast in the next verse: “. . . yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” In other words, even though people worship demonic principalities—whether deliberately or inadvertently—the perspective of God and His servants is that they are not gods. Paul tells the Gentile Galatians in Galatians 4:8 that, prior to their conversion, they served “those which by nature are not gods.” He immediately describes them as “weak and beggarly elements” to which they were again turning (verse 9). Did this same apostle then bestow upon Satan the title “god of this age” when writing to the Corinthians? God answers this in Isaiah 45:5: “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.” Of course, Isaiah 14:14 records Satan as saying that he wants to “be like” (or even “to be”) the Most High. The translators of II Corinthians 4:4, perhaps uncomfortable with God’s attributes and guided by Reformation tradition, may have given Satan his desire to be called a god. Similarly, Ezekiel 28 is about the prince of Tyre, a type of Satan, and God’s controversy with the prince is that he had set his heart as the heart of a god (verse 2). He is far greater in his own estimation than he is in reality. But the true God never names the Devil as a god of anything. If II Corinthians 4:4 is about Satan, it is a highly significant exception to the pattern, and exceptions invite us to dig deeper. So, how does Scripture characterize him? Instead of calling Satan a “god,” the gospel accounts consistently call him a “ruler.” He is “the ruler of the demons” (Matthew 9:34; 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15; see Ephesians 6:12), and three times in the book of John, Jesus calls him “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Paul calls him “the prince [or ruler; it is the same Greek word] of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). The Devil has authority, intelligence, and capabilities far above man, and we should never underestimate him (see Matthew 24:24). Yet, he in no way approaches God’s level, except in his own mind! While God rules supremely, the highest title Satan can legitimately claim is “ruler” over something but never “god.” As mentioned, the word aion in II Corinthians 4:4 refers to this age rather than this world. God has not made Satan a god over this age—only a ruler with limited authority. Ephesians 1:21 declares that Christ is far above all principality and power, which includes Satan. Contrariwise, as we saw, Satan could only afflict Job with God’s permission, and likewise, he had to ask Jesus if he could sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31). Luke 22:31 |
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