A kingdom divided,
not built on firm foundation, will fall. Why so many labels, pronouns, and identities? And What is "Christian Nationalism?" If you watch certain news organizations, you'd think it was a huge part of reality. America, and the world, has never been so divided on what constitutes perception, reality, and truth. Honestly, I don't know what that term even is- "Christian Nationalism." If it exists, it's -incredibly small- and being way over-represented in media. Much like anything else that is a tiny percentage being radically over-represented or over enforced, it -skews- the entire perception of the weight of the part -in relation- to the implications of the whole. People who don't truly understand Christianity, or grasp the truth, can mischaracterize and misjudge anything based off of radicalism. It's probably easy to want to find a solution by over focusing on the wrong thing. I've never heard of anyone who's heard of anyone that knows what this is. And for whatever their beliefs may be, we should be able to accurately decipher what it is that is a threat to human prosperity. Many Are mislead on the truth. I've only recently heard of this term, only from Media sources that support specific political ideologies. Christianity is the most culturally and racially diverse, peaceful, prosperous and accepting movement to have ever existed among the human population. Slander never suited anyone well, and we've seen it many times throughout history. We can not say that Muslims are bad people because of a small radical group who are bad. Violence is never okay, and should be equally denounced in any situation. Violence in one uprising shouldn't be overlooked in preference of another uprising- peacefully discussing why it's occurring and what policies best remedy it is the answer- not- by canceling or shaming- which much worsens it. What we really need to decipher is what is true, and what truly threatens human prosperity. What is the threat, and how much of a threat is it, and why? We need to be careful when we start labeling and creating division off of identity or politics. It's the same for any type of slander or bias in any direction. It distorts the correct interpretation. Christianiy is not about religion, identity, or politics. People who know the living God and acknowledge it to be true and are faithful to that, are what you can call Christians. That is our worldview. Ideology is not identity, and ideologies have value structures. Our value is in and from who God is, not who we are or man-made identity. We are more than this physical realm, and are faithful to that. We know the living God, his word, and uphold his laws- God is higher than government. This country was not founded on nationalism or Christianity in labeling terms, I have no idea what "white nationalism" is and truly don't think it's more than a minuscule percentage of the population, certainly not what is truly threatening us. The danger lies in grouping people together based off race, religion, identity, or politics, and people who stand for truth have to acknowledge what is true. You can't judge anyone off of radicalism. The original problem with this began in 2015- when the media wasn't willing to respect or listen to all people and America dissented into cancel culture tactics to achieve ideological control, and that doesn't work. What we see in the media doesn't reflect reality or the vast majority. We saw the uprising of tactics used in cultural Marxism to insert control over speech and media. Freedom of speech can not be controlled. Just because someone doesn't like the truth, doesn't mean they can cancel the truth from being spoken. Truth never changes, only our understanding or interpretation of the truth does. If we don't debate truth, we can't wrestle over the best ideas. This is the tragedy in universities. If we don't have an equal right to speak the truth and pursue the truth, then we don't hear or know the truth, and we wander further from the truth. We unravel into destruction against the laws of nature. It's deceptive. That's when uprisings occur- people who are tired of "being polite" in their silence, are speaking up... and getting louder. Loving others and yourself, peace, prosperity, and being witness to and upholding the truth defines Christianity. Government policies are not the focus, but they do reflect our ability to practice our Faith. Religious freedom, freedom of speech, and separation of church and state are important for a functioning society predicated on mutual respect. In America, we all have a right to public education and resources. We finance the government, we pay taxes for public education, not for political indoctrination in schools. Political indoctrination in education has never been this severe. Christianity is not in public education or government. Over the past decade, the government, media, cdc, Facebook, Twitter, school boards, academia, and even healthcare has far too overstepped it's authority, and the response to the pandemic further proved this. Gender ideology in media, government, children shows, and mainly public education is a violation to religious liberty, and it's being ignored by government. Accepting a small minority shouldn't result in altering the fundamental course of the majority. Government mandates, shutdowns, vaccines, pronouns, questionnaires, etc.. that is not working with followers of Christ and is pushing them out of public education and government. They are also the majority, and are either being unrepresented, wrongly represented, or just silenced and ignored. That is a deception of truth. People need to start listening to each other. If people had respect, they wouldn't feel the need to address the "name-game, shame-game" tactics that seem to be leading people astray from a truthful and prosperous society. We cant fix problems without identifying the cause. It wasn’t the pandemic; it was largely the response to it. Source, response Cause, affect Truth, perception 🙃 A lot of tragedies, in their own definition are horrific, are trying to fix themselves with perceived remedies that ...don’t produce actual remedy. The universe can only function off of acknowledging what is true, thats the reoccurring pattern- theres always rising universal consequences in building off of what is untrue. Thats why we seek the truth. Sources exist and are meant to be discovered. When certainity is reached, its known. Truth is knowable, truth is provable. Sources matter- otherwise our perception of truth isnt founded on truth. We are under the universal laws of the creator of this existence. Its not human opinion or bias, It is just... what is. Truth is probably offensive- but its unchangeable. Its truth. Cause and effect always reoccurs. We need to acknowledge the effect- whether thats offensive to us, sadly, doesn’t matter- because we dont create universal laws, and cant change them. We want to avoid the consequences of suffering, and it starts with the truth of any source in any circumstance. If it's not the truth, it won't work. Just as good parents warn their children about what is dangerous and wrong, truthfulness has implications as well. The truth is that radical Islam is a radically more significant threat to global peace and prosperity than "radical Christianity." To imply that to mean anything other than what it truly does has implications- totalitarianism, communism, recession and security are much larger threats to peace and prosperity than perceived Christian bias or conservatism, or perceived racism in America. If we silence people for acknowledging the cause to a warranted outcome because we don't agree, the solution never comes but gets far worse. The media isn't reflecting the truth, and there's global consequences to that. The media wants to create and inflate its own truth, and there's consequences to that as well. People can be respectful, fair, and disagree at the same time. What is just and noble always prevails over tyranny. If it's not fair, it eventually fails.. or we end up in a global communist surveillance state with no free will. We are reaping severe consequences and should decide if we are awake, or woke. Human perception may not align with existing truth, but truth still exists and continues on its course anyway- as always proven. Humans cant create or determine their own truth- the universe has a system, we need to pursue what that is to the best of our ability, and seek the truth until certainty, otherwise we create more chaos thats opposing the created order. This is exactly what America was founded on- the pursuit of truth and prosperity, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech. That is the American foundation that has crumbled. Those who defend the constitution defend those values, those values create the best chance for a peaceful and prosperous society. Until they're gone. Race and identity are irrelevant, so Americans would be wise to not misuse and mislabel terms such as "nationalism." Nothings perfect (other than God and his plan) no one is. We all have struggles and why we are handed different struggles is difficult to grapple with, but we are all equal in his eyes. We are equally imperfect (me first!). We need god. Thats why he created us and revealed himself to us- not just for our future forever home, but now- more specifically- because when times get worse- and they will- and they will continue to increase in frequency and intensity- its much easier to be prepared in knowledge of the truth and relationship with our living and coming savior, who delivers us from our sorrows during tribulation and tragedy. The labor pains are in the beginning stages, we are living in revelation, prophecies are fulfilling, and we are experiencing both global physical and spiritual battles. Just as he said. Whether we have a relationship with our creator Now in this existence, or after we cross this physical realm into a better age, we will all meet our creator. God is real, God heals, and God is for everyone. We are all invited into the glory of knowing our savior now. . Jesus is our living hope! Maranatha! . . . for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
(Galatians 3:26–29 ESV ) Key Observation: How society has taught us to categorize, limit, and relate to one another must have no force among those who are “in Christ.” Old Testament texts like Exodus 4:22–23 and Deuteronomy 14:1–2 applied the title “sons” or “children of God” to the people of Israel. Paul applies the title to all people who are “in Christ,” whether Israelites or Gentiles. Where Jews and Gentiles are “in Christ” together, there is no longer a “Jew” over here and a “Gentile” over there. There are only people “in Christ.” Trying to introduce the Law at this point means reintroducing the division of people into Jews and Gentiles. It means undoing what God has done. Paul recalls the ritual of baptism to drive this home. In the early church, people were often baptized by being fully immersed in water. This became a powerful image that could be developed in several ways. In Romans, Paul will speak of being submerged in baptism as the burial of a believer’s old self with Christ. What burst forth from the water is a new person, living a new life of righteousness with Christ. Here, Paul speaks of being submerged into the water of baptism as being plunged into Christ. The person goes in a Jew or Gentile, a slave or a free person, a male or a female. The believer emerges, however, with Christ engulfing, covering, and enveloping him or her like a garment. After baptism, what we should see when we look at one another is Christ, into whom we have all been plunged together. The Jew divided up humanity into Jew and Gentile, slave and free person, male and female. The Greek would replace the first pair with “Greek and barbarian” (cf. Colossians 3:9–11), a Roman with “Roman and non-Roman.” All would affirm the second and third pairs to be meaningful. These divisions of humanity are not just innocent observations of difference. The distinctions are laden with value judgments and unequal power relations. They reflect the racism and chauvinism of this “present evil age” from which Christ rescued us (1:4), not the new creation. Paul’s vision challenges us to break fully free from the power of this “present evil age” on our relationships and roles within the church and our outreach beyond. Paul would challenge a Christian named Philemon in this regard. Onesimus had left Philemon as Philemon’s slave. After spending some time with Paul, Onesimus put his trust in Jesus and received baptism. Would Philemon still cling to the old relationship, according to which he (a free man) owned a slave? Or would Philemon honor the new relationship, according to which he and Onesimus had become brothers together in God’s family? (see Philemon 1:8–21). Living as new creation requires living in very new ways with one another. Paul concludes this paragraph returning to the topics of 3:15–18. Those who have been baptized into Christ have become part of Christ. They have thereby become part of the singular Seed, the one descendant of Abraham, to whom the promises were given. By virtue of being one with the Seed, they have become heirs of the promises themselves. There is nothing more that circumcision or Torah observance can do for them—except undo what the Spirit has already accomplished in their midst. Questions for Reflection
What is the Christian’s relationship to the Old Testament? How does Christ fit in to the larger story of salvation reaching as far back as Abraham? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life? 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 People everywhere search for peace. They sing songs about it and travel on pilgrimages to find it. They even wage war to protect it. Many wealthy, famous, and powerful people would trade everything for just one moment of peace. What they often find, however, is the world’s false peace which is different from the peace offered by Jesus: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27) The peace offered by the world is an empty promise and can only bring temporary comfort. God’s peace is a permanent peace offered by the only One who can be trusted to keep his Word and heal our sin.
There are three accounts in the Gospels in which Jesus states that a kingdom divided against itself is laid waste or a house divided cannot stand (Luke 11:17; Mark 3:25; Matthew 12:25).
All three instances of this statement are spoken in response to the Pharisees’ accusation that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan—a blasphemy that Jesus said would not be forgiven them. Jesus’ argument to the Pharisees was logical: 'lf will fall. Any household riven by infighting will tear itself apart. Jesus was obviously casting demons out of people. If Jesus was in league with Satan, or if Satan was somehow working through Jesus, it is unlikely that exorcisms would be a priority, because why would Satan cast himself out? Satan has more practical wisdom than to allow his demonic underlings to group themselves into warring factions. By saying that a house divided cannot stand, Jesus is illustrating the fact that success relies on congruency. This is something we see in daily life all the time. Whether it is a machine, a sports team, a government party, or one’s own mind, things have to work together if anything is to be accomplished. The Bible says that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8), and Paul appeals to the churches that there be no divisions among the believers (1 Corinthians 1:10). In fact, churches should be unified in their purpose and judgment, avoiding people who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to sound doctrine (Romans 16:17). Christians are not to quarrel but to be unified around a common understanding of truth. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). God commands unity among believers because, once conflict enters the midst of any assembly or entity, productivity and usefulness inevitably grind to a halt and the whole organization is weakened and becomes vulnerable to attack. As Jesus said, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” A fruit of the Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:22). Christians are, as followers of the Prince of Peace, peaceful people (Matthew 5:9). We are called to live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16) and, as far as it depends on us, to be at peace with everyone (Hebrews 12:14). Jesus Christ is building His church (Matthew 16:18). His “house” will stand; “his kingdom will not be destroyed, / his dominion will never end” (Daniel 6:26). There COMES a DAY in -God's Revelation to humanity- In Divine Truth, when standing on Truth is non-negotiable. In times of global chaos, confusion, deception, and human suffering, the attainment of 'ultimate truth' in the 'created order' supersedes the chance of offending one's human perception for the ultimate Good of Humanity. Human Perception, if not fully predicated on ultimate truth, leads to disarray and needs Truth to realign with the 'created order that humanity dwells among.' During this specific time in God's design and PLAN, there's only -one way- to cure the immense human suffering in our world today. Feelings and preconceived, even long held beliefs, need to be willing to consider and learn, giving space on the table for pursuit and attainment of Divine Truth. We are all one humanity, under and in God, and consequences of man made ideologies concerning God is the responsibility of us ALL.
A House Divided.... (Matthew 12:22–30; Luke 11:14–23) 20Then Jesus went home,f and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.21When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.” 22And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,g” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.” 23So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand. 26And if Satan is divided and rises against himself, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. The Unpardonable Sin (Matthew 12:31–32) 28Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter. 29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.” 30Jesus made this statement because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” Jesus’ Mother and Brothers (Matthew 12:46–50; Luke 8:19–21) 31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to summon Him, 32and a crowd was sitting around Him. “Look,” He was told, “Your mother and brothersh are outside, asking for You.” 33But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.” -------------------------------------- Have you ever wondered whether the rabbinic Jewish religion known to us all today is the same Judaism which was practiced in biblical times, in the time of Moses and the prophets? Want to read more on this subject? Get the book: “Rabbinic Judaism Debunked: Debunking the myth of Rabbinic Oral Law”For the past 2000 years, the common term “Torah observant”, regarding the Torah or the commandments, hasn’t really meant what most people think it means. Nowadays, it is simply impossible to keep the commandments of the Torah, as they revolve around the Temple, the Tabernacle, the priesthood, the altar and the heart of it all: Sacrificing offerings to atone for our sins. This has all ceased to exist since the destruction of the Temple, 2000 years ago. Today, the expression “Torah observant”, represents people who follow rabbinic rules. There is almost no connection to Moses and his original commandments anymore. Truth be told, the rabbis have played the most sophisticated scheme on the nation of Israel: They made us all think that rabbinic rules and traditions, which were invented by them, are in fact “the Law of Moses”. In the next few minutes, we are going to prove to you that the Law of Moses and the rabbinic law have nothing to do with one another and that the “Oral Law” was never given by God on Mount Sinai, but that it is nothing more than urban legend. WHAT HAPPENED? During Biblical times, a week before Yom Kippur, the High Priest would leave his home and go to a quiet place, where he could prepare himself on a spiritual level. Come Yom Kippur, the High Priest would not sleep. He would enter the holy of holies for the one and only time of the year, and sacrifice an offering. Firstly, he would have to make an offering for himself, and then a goat to atone for the sins of the nation. The people of Israel would fast in solidarity. Fasting was a marginal, symbolic gesture, and not meant to atone for the nation’s sins of the entire year. The sacrificial blood on the altar was what atoned for the sins of the nation of Israel. Fasting was Israel’s way of expressing their deep, true and heartfelt remorse, relying on the sacrificial offering. According to tradition, when Yom Kippur came to an end, the nation awaited the “official seal”: An official approval from God that He had accepted the sacrifice and that the nation’s sins have been absolved. What was that approval? A red rope hanging in the Temple. A scarlet thread turned white. That was how the High Priest and the entire nation knew that God had accepted their Yom Kippur sacrifice. The people would dance, celebrate and be joyful. Their sins had been wiped out and absolved for another year. In the Gemara, the Sages (Hazal) describe the following: Roughly 40 years prior to the destruction of the Temple, which was destroyed in the year 70 AD, that same red rope, the scarlet thread, stopped turning white. This caused the nation’s leaders great concern. As of the year 30 AD, God stopped giving His approval on Yom Kippur. The scarlet thread no longer turned white. God was no longer willing to accept the Yom Kippur sacrifice. As of the year 30 AD, God stopped dwelling in the Temple, which, 40 years later, was also destroyed. Do you remember what happened around the year 30 AD? From then on, the rabbis had to reinvent Judaism in a way that would work even without God’s approval. Although they kept the terms “Judaism” and “Torah”, the essence had changed. It was no longer the Torah written by Moses. Instead, from now on, it was “Oral Law”. Suddenly, there was no longer a need for the altar, the Temple and offerings for atonement and absolution. Nowadays, donating money to a Yeshiva and skipping two meals a year is enough. CHANGE IN AUTHORITY. Let us go back to the time of the Second Temple. At that time, Judaism had several streams or sects, the most dominant of which were the Pharisees. The Pharisee sect grew throughout the years, and pushed the other groups (like the Saduccees and the Essenes, for example) aside. Today, we all know that sect by the name “Rabbinic Judaism”. Upon the destruction of the Second Temple, the Pharisee sect became Rabbinic Judaism and was no longer based on a divine celestial revelation as it was in the time of Moses, the Fathers, the kings and the prophets. The new leaders of the Jewish world at the time intentionally chose to break away from the Bible. Some of you may find that surprising, but that is what the Talmud itself describes. One famous and defining story in the Talmud demonstrates how the authority of the rabbis overshadowed the authority of God in their estimation, and to all intents and purposes, stripped God of his sovereignty, making them the new Gods. The story describes the famous debate between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, regarding an oven, or furnace for cooking. The Oven of Akhnai The debate arose from a question asked by a man who owned a clay furnace (oven). He enlarged it by breaking it in pieces and then reassembling it, using sand, to create a bigger oven. The debate brought before the Sanhedrin was whether the new oven was Kosher or impure. The Talmud specifies that Rabbi Eliezer had brought forward “every imaginable argument” and proved that the oven was in fact Kosher. But the vast majority of the rabbis of the Sanhedrin would not accept his arguments and claimed that the oven was NOT Kosher. Rabbi Eliezer went on to prove his claim using supernatural signs: A carob tree miraculously uprooted itself and replanted itself on the other side of the court. A channel of water flowed uphill. But the climax of the story was when Rabbi Eliezer called out: “If the Halachah agrees with me, let it be proved from heaven.” And then, God spoke from the heavens and said: “Why do you dispute with Rabbi Eliezer, with whom the Halachah always agrees?” Meaning, God called out from the sky, saying that Rabbi Eliezer was right. Then, Rabbi Yehoshua stood and made one of the most significant claims in the Talmud and in the Jewish world: “The Torah is not in heaven!” God no longer holds the reins. Now, the mandate belongs to the rabbis alone. THEY have all power and control. God is left outside. The Talmud goes on to say that, after the debate, God smiled in agreement and said: “My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me.” Meaning, according to the rabbinic legend, God submitted to the authority of the rabbis and therefore, even He admitted that their rulings not only surpassed the authority of Moses, but the authority of God Himself. From then on, God stopped revealing Himself to the people of Israel, as He did in biblical times. From that moment on, the rabbis’ judgment and rulings are the new Torah, which they call the “Oral Law”. THE LIE OF THE ORAL LAW. For the past 2000 years, Judaism has not been based on scripture, but rather on traditions and rules invented by rabbis. In order to try and convince the people, the rabbis taught that on Mount Sinai, Moses was given two different Torahs: the written Torah (or Law), and what they call the “Oral Law”. While still under the Sinai Covenant, serving God was about the blood of offerings on the altar at the Temple. After the destruction of the Second Temple, there was no more Temple, altar or offerings, nor was there any functioning priesthood. Hazal, the Jewish leaders, found themselves in a pickle. They had to come up with a new way to keep Judaism without its heart. Desperate to find one, they declared themselves and their traditions as the new way to serve God. Thus, 2000 years ago, a new religion was created: the religion of Rabbinic Law, which was based on a new notion: “Derash” (digging for the deeper meaning of the text), which was created by Rabbi Akivah. Rabbi Akivah wasn’t even Jewish, but was a gentile descendant of Sisera, and it was ultimately he who caused the exile which fell upon the Jewish people after he declared that Bar Kochba was the messiah. Bar Kochba turned out to be a false messiah, and led the people into a failed revolt, where hundreds of thousands of Jews were burned alive and the survivors were exiled from their land. The rabbinic Halacha that developed granted the rabbis authority and control over every religious and social aspect in the nation of Israel, under the claim that this tradition wasn’t invented by them, but passed down to them by word of mouth all the way from Moses on Mount Sinai. However, this is where the problems begin with the legend of the Oral Law, seeing as throughout the entire Torah, Moses himself could not answer Halachic questions. In each of these cases, Moses referred the questions to God and awaited His reply. This means that Moses didn’t have an Oral Law to refer to, that could interpret the written law for him. (Examples of this can be found in Numbers 9, Leviticus 24, Numbers 15 and 27 and other places). Furthermore, the Torah itself unequivocally shows us that God’s covenant with Israel on Mount Sinai was based on a written Torah alone. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘WRITE these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ ” [Exodus 34:27] There is no mention of additional Torah, or of any traditions that were to be passed down from one generation to the next. So what did Hazal do? They jammed their Oral Law right into the verse. How? They came up with a Derash, according to which the meaning of the words “according to” in the verse: “according to the tenor of these words”, is “on the mouth”, meaning “Oral Law”. This homiletic comes from a purposely distorted interpretation of a common Hebrew expression. However, in Biblical Hebrew, just like in modern Hebrew, the meaning of the words “according to” is not “on the mouth”, but “as”, or “in accordance with”. See, for example, Genesis chapter 43, verse 7: “according to these words.” Numbers 26 verse 56: “According to the lot”, or Deuteronomy 17 verse 10: “according to the sentence”. HOW DID WE FALL FOR THIS? Some of you are probably laughing and wondering: How could so many people have fallen for this? But you must remember that the Bible wasn’t available to the common people back then, who couldn’t exactly read or write on their own, but were subject to the interpretation of the rabbinic authority. Another method by which the rabbis tried to force the idea of the Oral Law on the people was by taking a single word in Leviticus 26:46 out of its context: “These are the statutes and judgments and LAWS which the Lord made between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.” “Laws”, according to the rabbis, refers to a written law and an oral law. The problem is that this interpretation overlooks the obvious context, seeing as the book of Leviticus itself explains what these “laws” are: The Law of the Burnt Offering, the Law of the Meat Offering, the Law of the Sin Offering, the Law of the Trespass Offering, the Law of the Sacrifice of Peace Offerings, the Law of the Plague of Leprosy and more. Those are the “laws”. A Torah which is an oral tradition is not mentioned anywhere and it’s clear in the context that Moses is not talking about anything of the sort. There is another famous section which was taken out of context in order to establish their authority, power and control of the common people. They base this, first and foremost, on seven words of the ‘Shoftim’ portion in the book of Deuteronomy: “according to all that they inform thee” [Deuteronomy 17:10]. So, what is Moses really talking about in this portion of Deuteronomy? The people of Israel had just left Egypt and become a true nation. And just like with any new country, there is a need for law enforcement, such as police officers and judges, to create order and protect the population, apprehend criminals and prosecute the accused. Things that Israel had yet to have at the time. Therefore, in this potion, Moses appoints officers, judges and guards among the people: “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment…And it shall be, when the OFFICERS have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall make CAPTAINS of the armies to lead the people. “…And thou shalt come unto the PRIESTS the LEVITES, and unto the JUDGE that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment: And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the Lord shall choose and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:” [Deuteronomy 16, 17, 20] Moses explains to the people of Israel: Do you have a dispute with someone who has stolen your donkey? Or who has battered your daughter? You have someone to turn to: Go to the officers, the priests and the judges who reside in the court house. This has nothing to do with rabbis or them having the spiritual authority to tell us how to live. As you can see, the term “rabbis” isn’t even mentioned in this section. And if that’s not enough, in the Sanhedrin Tractate, Hazal took the section in Exodus 23 verse 2, which says: “Thou shalt NOT follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many.” Seemingly simple and clear: do NOT follow the majority in order to distort a judgment for evil. What did Hazal do? The pulled out the 3 words “follow a multitude”, while ignoring the word “NOT”, which appears before them, and claimed that, as long as there is a majority of rabbis, they may provide an interpretation or a ruling on any matter, as they see fit. And the people of Israel must follow them blindly and that, once they have provided a ruling, it is to be indisputably received. In this case as well, you don’t have to be a genius to see how they deliberately distorted the text in order to establish their power and control. Even Rabbi Joseph Zvi Hertz, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, admitted it when he wrote about this section: “The rabbis have chosen to overlook the literal sense in the last three words”. IS THERE ANY VALUE IN THE TALMUD THEN?Look, without a doubt, the Talmud is an impressive collection of our Jewish culture. Often times, pearls of wisdom can be found within it. But it is crucial to understand that the Talmud and the Old Testament contradict each other hundreds of times in an unequivocal and even embarrassing way, which cannot be resolved. These contradictions prove that the spirit of God could not have inspired the writing of the Talmud. After all, a perfect God couldn’t possibly have made mistakes such as these. But regardless, there is no basis, neither historical nor Biblical, to prove that an Oral Law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. In fact, a historical and theological examination proves that the opposite is correct. After all, if the “Oral Law” was in fact given to Moses on Mount Sinai, the reader could expect to see thousands of mentions of it throughout the scripture. However, God never mentions it. Moses never used the term “Oral Law” either. Even Joshua Ben Nun, who was appointed by God as Moses’ successor, provides no indication of an oral Halacha. God tells Joshua to meditate in the Torah: “That you may observe to do according to all that is WRITTEN in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” [Joshua 1:8] Ezra the Scribe, who reintroduced the Torah to our people 2500 years ago, never wrote a single word about any Oral Law. Not a single one of Israel’s prophets of kings ever referred to an oral Halacha; No one ever talked about it, mentioned it, or even hinted to its existence. Truth be told, there is not a single verse in the entire Bible wherein the term “Oral Law” is mentioned. There is also not one single example in the entire Bible of anyone being scolded, punished or accused of breaking any “Oral Law”. The bottom line is that, based on what is written in the Bible, no Oral Law has ever been given. In fact, historians admit that the term “Oral Law” made its first appearance only 1500 years after Moses’ time. We are dealing with the longest, most thorough brainwash in history. SO HOW DO WE KNOW HOW A SUKKAH IS TO BE BUILT, WITHOUT AN ORAL LAW?According to the rules of literary writing, authors choose to focus on what they find important and to exclude the details they find trivial. Therefore, it would seem that the angle, size and direction of the sukkah weren’t that important to God. Thus, He didn’t want us to focus on trivialities, but on the important issues. Focusing on details which don’t appear in the text means missing the author’s heart. To put it simply: When God demanded that we sit in the sukkah during Sukkot, He probably didn’t really care what size or shape it is. That wasn’t important to Him. Picture a young man, 3000 years ago, who works all week and, on the weekend, rather than resting and spending time with his family on the Sabbath, he goes to the forest, cuts down trees, carries the wood back to camp, chops it in pieces, a large fire and toils to light it. That is physical, tiring and difficult labor which takes hours on end. Now, imagine that the village chief asks the man to stop and no longer work on the Sabbath. Imagine that the man, rather than understanding that the chief is merely concerned about his emotional, physical and spiritual rest with his family, suddenly started inventing various prohibitions. He prohibits himself and his family for generations to come, to tear toilet paper during the Sabbath, to separate yogurt cups during the Sabbath, to turn on the air conditioner during the Sabbath, to drive over to visit his grandmother during the Sabbath, to barbeque during the Sabbath, to switch on the light in his room during the Sabbath, and thousands of additional rules, claiming that he is abiding by an “Oral Law” instructed by the village chief. A law, without which, it would be impossible to understand what the chief truly meant when he asked him not to work on the Sabbath. This is the EXACT story of the Oral Law. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the external Jewish writings, from around the year 200 BC, never even hint at the existence of an Oral Law. The same goes for the Babylonian Scrolls, written in the sixth century BC, which describe the Jews in Babylon and their lifestyle. Not only do they never indicate the existence of an Oral Law, but actually contradict the very notion. According to Dr. Finkel, the Jewish identity of the Babylonian exiles was internal only. There was no external indication of religion whatsoever. They had no trace of any symbols of oral traditions reflected on the outside. Like them, many of the Jews of Ethiopia, who returned to Israel after thousands of years in exile, weren’t familiar with, and hadn’t even heard of, the rabbinic traditions and the concept of an “Oral Law” was entirely foreign to them. You see, if there is no actual Oral Law, there is no need for Rabbinic Halacha. If there is no need for Rabbinic Halacha, then there is no need for rabbis. And when there is no need for rabbis, there are suddenly thousands of people left without their power, without their authority, and without their paychecks. An entire industry, to which we all inject billions of shekels, would be nullified. We would like to note that ancient traditions among the nation are periodically mentioned in the Bible, but always in a negative light. For example, see the following, written by the prophet Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord said: ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” [Isaiah 29:13-14] To summarize, An educated person to carry out research based on the Bible, history and archeology can’t afford to take the claim the Moses received the Oral Law along with the written Torah seriously. It is a fairytale, a folk myth with the sole purpose of granting anyone named “rabbi” power and control. Have you ever wondered whether the rabbinic Jewish religion known to us all today is the same Judaism which was practiced in biblical times, in the time of Moses and the prophets? Want to read more on this subject? Get the book: “Rabbinic Judaism Debunked: Debunking the myth of Rabbinic Oral Law”For the past 2000 years, the common term “Torah observant”, regarding the Torah or the commandments, hasn’t really meant what most people think it means. Nowadays, it is simply impossible to keep the commandments of the Torah, as they revolve around the Temple, the Tabernacle, the priesthood, the altar and the heart of it all: Sacrificing offerings to atone for our sins. This has all ceased to exist since the destruction of the Temple, 2000 years ago. Today, the expression “Torah observant”, represents people who follow rabbinic rules. There is almost no connection to Moses and his original commandments anymore. Truth be told, the rabbis have played the most sophisticated scheme on the nation of Israel: They made us all think that rabbinic rules and traditions, which were invented by them, are in fact “the Law of Moses”. In the next few minutes, we are going to prove to you that the Law of Moses and the rabbinic law have nothing to do with one another and that the “Oral Law” was never given by God on Mount Sinai, but that it is nothing more than urban legend. WHAT HAPPENED?During Biblical times, a week before Yom Kippur, the High Priest would leave his home and go to a quiet place, where he could prepare himself on a spiritual level. Come Yom Kippur, the High Priest would not sleep. He would enter the holy of holies for the one and only time of the year, and sacrifice an offering. Firstly, he would have to make an offering for himself, and then a goat to atone for the sins of the nation. The people of Israel would fast in solidarity. Fasting was a marginal, symbolic gesture, and not meant to atone for the nation’s sins of the entire year. The sacrificial blood on the altar was what atoned for the sins of the nation of Israel. Fasting was Israel’s way of expressing their deep, true and heartfelt remorse, relying on the sacrificial offering. According to tradition, when Yom Kippur came to an end, the nation awaited the “official seal”: An official approval from God that He had accepted the sacrifice and that the nation’s sins have been absolved. What was that approval? A red rope hanging in the Temple. A scarlet thread turned white. That was how the High Priest and the entire nation knew that God had accepted their Yom Kippur sacrifice. The people would dance, celebrate and be joyful. Their sins had been wiped out and absolved for another year. In the Gemara, the Sages (Hazal) describe the following: Roughly 40 years prior to the destruction of the Temple, which was destroyed in the year 70 AD, that same red rope, the scarlet thread, stopped turning white. This caused the nation’s leaders great concern. As of the year 30 AD, God stopped giving His approval on Yom Kippur. The scarlet thread no longer turned white. God was no longer willing to accept the Yom Kippur sacrifice. As of the year 30 AD, God stopped dwelling in the Temple, which, 40 years later, was also destroyed. Do you remember what happened around the year 30 AD? From then on, the rabbis had to reinvent Judaism in a way that would work even without God’s approval. Although they kept the terms “Judaism” and “Torah”, the essence had changed. It was no longer the Torah written by Moses. Instead, from now on, it was “Oral Law”. Suddenly, there was no longer a need for the altar, the Temple and offerings for atonement and absolution. Nowadays, donating money to a Yeshiva and skipping two meals a year is enough. CHANGE IN AUTHORITY. Let us go back to the time of the Second Temple. At that time, Judaism had several streams or sects, the most dominant of which were the Pharisees. The Pharisee sect grew throughout the years, and pushed the other groups (like the Saduccees and the Essenes, for example) aside. Today, we all know that sect by the name “Rabbinic Judaism”. Upon the destruction of the Second Temple, the Pharisee sect became Rabbinic Judaism and was no longer based on a divine celestial revelation as it was in the time of Moses, the Fathers, the kings and the prophets. The new leaders of the Jewish world at the time intentionally chose to break away from the Bible. Some of you may find that surprising, but that is what the Talmud itself describes. One famous and defining story in the Talmud demonstrates how the authority of the rabbis overshadowed the authority of God in their estimation, and to all intents and purposes, stripped God of his sovereignty, making them the new Gods. The story describes the famous debate between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, regarding an oven, or furnace for cooking. The Oven of Akhnai The debate arose from a question asked by a man who owned a clay furnace (oven). He enlarged it by breaking it in pieces and then reassembling it, using sand, to create a bigger oven. The debate brought before the Sanhedrin was whether the new oven was Kosher or impure. The Talmud specifies that Rabbi Eliezer had brought forward “every imaginable argument” and proved that the oven was in fact Kosher. But the vast majority of the rabbis of the Sanhedrin would not accept his arguments and claimed that the oven was NOT Kosher. Rabbi Eliezer went on to prove his claim using supernatural signs: A carob tree miraculously uprooted itself and replanted itself on the other side of the court. A channel of water flowed uphill. But the climax of the story was when Rabbi Eliezer called out: “If the Halachah agrees with me, let it be proved from heaven.” And then, God spoke from the heavens and said: “Why do you dispute with Rabbi Eliezer, with whom the Halachah always agrees?” Meaning, God called out from the sky, saying that Rabbi Eliezer was right. Then, Rabbi Yehoshua stood and made one of the most significant claims in the Talmud and in the Jewish world: “The Torah is not in heaven!” God no longer holds the reins. Now, the mandate belongs to the rabbis alone. THEY have all power and control. God is left outside. The Talmud goes on to say that, after the debate, God smiled in agreement and said: “My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me.” Meaning, according to the rabbinic legend, God submitted to the authority of the rabbis and therefore, even He admitted that their rulings not only surpassed the authority of Moses, but the authority of God Himself. From then on, God stopped revealing Himself to the people of Israel, as He did in biblical times. From that moment on, the rabbis’ judgment and rulings are the new Torah, which they call the “Oral Law”. THE LIE OF THE ORAL LAWFor the past 2000 years, Judaism has not been based on scripture, but rather on traditions and rules invented by rabbis. In order to try and convince the people, the rabbis taught that on Mount Sinai, Moses was given two different Torahs: the written Torah (or Law), and what they call the “Oral Law”. While still under the Sinai Covenant, serving God was about the blood of offerings on the altar at the Temple. After the destruction of the Second Temple, there was no more Temple, altar or offerings, nor was there any functioning priesthood. Hazal, the Jewish leaders, found themselves in a pickle. They had to come up with a new way to keep Judaism without its heart. Desperate to find one, they declared themselves and their traditions as the new way to serve God. Thus, 2000 years ago, a new religion was created: the religion of Rabbinic Law, which was based on a new notion: “Derash” (digging for the deeper meaning of the text), which was created by Rabbi Akivah. Rabbi Akivah wasn’t even Jewish, but was a gentile descendant of Sisera, and it was ultimately he who caused the exile which fell upon the Jewish people after he declared that Bar Kochba was the messiah. Bar Kochba turned out to be a false messiah, and led the people into a failed revolt, where hundreds of thousands of Jews were burned alive and the survivors were exiled from their land. The rabbinic Halacha that developed granted the rabbis authority and control over every religious and social aspect in the nation of Israel, under the claim that this tradition wasn’t invented by them, but passed down to them by word of mouth all the way from Moses on Mount Sinai. However, this is where the problems begin with the legend of the Oral Law, seeing as throughout the entire Torah, Moses himself could not answer Halachic questions. In each of these cases, Moses referred the questions to God and awaited His reply. This means that Moses didn’t have an Oral Law to refer to, that could interpret the written law for him. (Examples of this can be found in Numbers 9, Leviticus 24, Numbers 15 and 27 and other places). Furthermore, the Torah itself unequivocally shows us that God’s covenant with Israel on Mount Sinai was based on a written Torah alone. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘WRITE these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ ” [Exodus 34:27] There is no mention of additional Torah, or of any traditions that were to be passed down from one generation to the next. So what did Hazal do? They jammed their Oral Law right into the verse. How? They came up with a Derash, according to which the meaning of the words “according to” in the verse: “according to the tenor of these words”, is “on the mouth”, meaning “Oral Law”. This homiletic comes from a purposely distorted interpretation of a common Hebrew expression. However, in Biblical Hebrew, just like in modern Hebrew, the meaning of the words “according to” is not “on the mouth”, but “as”, or “in accordance with”. See, for example, Genesis chapter 43, verse 7: “according to these words.” Numbers 26 verse 56: “According to the lot”, or Deuteronomy 17 verse 10: “according to the sentence”. HOW DID WE FALL FOR THIS?Some of you are probably laughing and wondering: How could so many people have fallen for this? But you must remember that the Bible wasn’t available to the common people back then, who couldn’t exactly read or write on their own, but were subject to the interpretation of the rabbinic authority. Another method by which the rabbis tried to force the idea of the Oral Law on the people was by taking a single word in Leviticus 26:46 out of its context: “These are the statutes and judgments and LAWS which the Lord made between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.” “Laws”, according to the rabbis, refers to a written law and an oral law. The problem is that this interpretation overlooks the obvious context, seeing as the book of Leviticus itself explains what these “laws” are: The Law of the Burnt Offering, the Law of the Meat Offering, the Law of the Sin Offering, the Law of the Trespass Offering, the Law of the Sacrifice of Peace Offerings, the Law of the Plague of Leprosy and more. Those are the “laws”. A Torah which is an oral tradition is not mentioned anywhere and it’s clear in the context that Moses is not talking about anything of the sort. There is another famous section which was taken out of context in order to establish their authority, power and control of the common people. They base this, first and foremost, on seven words of the ‘Shoftim’ portion in the book of Deuteronomy: “according to all that they inform thee” [Deuteronomy 17:10]. So, what is Moses really talking about in this portion of Deuteronomy? The people of Israel had just left Egypt and become a true nation. And just like with any new country, there is a need for law enforcement, such as police officers and judges, to create order and protect the population, apprehend criminals and prosecute the accused. Things that Israel had yet to have at the time. Therefore, in this potion, Moses appoints officers, judges and guards among the people: “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment…And it shall be, when the OFFICERS have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall make CAPTAINS of the armies to lead the people. “…And thou shalt come unto the PRIESTS the LEVITES, and unto the JUDGE that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment: And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the Lord shall choose and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:” [Deuteronomy 16, 17, 20] Moses explains to the people of Israel: Do you have a dispute with someone who has stolen your donkey? Or who has battered your daughter? You have someone to turn to: Go to the officers, the priests and the judges who reside in the court house. This has nothing to do with rabbis or them having the spiritual authority to tell us how to live. As you can see, the term “rabbis” isn’t even mentioned in this section. And if that’s not enough, in the Sanhedrin Tractate, Hazal took the section in Exodus 23 verse 2, which says: “Thou shalt NOT follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many.” Seemingly simple and clear: do NOT follow the majority in order to distort a judgment for evil. What did Hazal do? The pulled out the 3 words “follow a multitude”, while ignoring the word “NOT”, which appears before them, and claimed that, as long as there is a majority of rabbis, they may provide an interpretation or a ruling on any matter, as they see fit. And the people of Israel must follow them blindly and that, once they have provided a ruling, it is to be indisputably received. In this case as well, you don’t have to be a genius to see how they deliberately distorted the text in order to establish their power and control. Even Rabbi Joseph Zvi Hertz, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, admitted it when he wrote about this section: “The rabbis have chosen to overlook the literal sense in the last three words”. IS THERE ANY VALUE IN THE TALMUD THEN?Look, without a doubt, the Talmud is an impressive collection of our Jewish culture. Often times, pearls of wisdom can be found within it. But it is crucial to understand that the Talmud and the Old Testament contradict each other hundreds of times in an unequivocal and even embarrassing way, which cannot be resolved. These contradictions prove that the spirit of God could not have inspired the writing of the Talmud. After all, a perfect God couldn’t possibly have made mistakes such as these. But regardless, there is no basis, neither historical nor Biblical, to prove that an Oral Law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. In fact, a historical and theological examination proves that the opposite is correct. After all, if the “Oral Law” was in fact given to Moses on Mount Sinai, the reader could expect to see thousands of mentions of it throughout the scripture. However, God never mentions it. Moses never used the term “Oral Law” either. Even Joshua Ben Nun, who was appointed by God as Moses’ successor, provides no indication of an oral Halacha. God tells Joshua to meditate in the Torah: “That you may observe to do according to all that is WRITTEN in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” [Joshua 1:8] Ezra the Scribe, who reintroduced the Torah to our people 2500 years ago, never wrote a single word about any Oral Law. Not a single one of Israel’s prophets of kings ever referred to an oral Halacha; No one ever talked about it, mentioned it, or even hinted to its existence. Truth be told, there is not a single verse in the entire Bible wherein the term “Oral Law” is mentioned. There is also not one single example in the entire Bible of anyone being scolded, punished or accused of breaking any “Oral Law”. The bottom line is that, based on what is written in the Bible, no Oral Law has ever been given. In fact, historians admit that the term “Oral Law” made its first appearance only 1500 years after Moses’ time. We are dealing with the longest, most thorough brainwash in history. SO HOW DO WE KNOW HOW A SUKKAH IS TO BE BUILT, WITHOUT AN ORAL LAW?According to the rules of literary writing, authors choose to focus on what they find important and to exclude the details they find trivial. Therefore, it would seem that the angle, size and direction of the sukkah weren’t that important to God. Thus, He didn’t want us to focus on trivialities, but on the important issues. Focusing on details which don’t appear in the text means missing the author’s heart. To put it simply: When God demanded that we sit in the sukkah during Sukkot, He probably didn’t really care what size or shape it is. That wasn’t important to Him. Picture a young man, 3000 years ago, who works all week and, on the weekend, rather than resting and spending time with his family on the Sabbath, he goes to the forest, cuts down trees, carries the wood back to camp, chops it in pieces, a large fire and toils to light it. That is physical, tiring and difficult labor which takes hours on end. Now, imagine that the village chief asks the man to stop and no longer work on the Sabbath. Imagine that the man, rather than understanding that the chief is merely concerned about his emotional, physical and spiritual rest with his family, suddenly started inventing various prohibitions. He prohibits himself and his family for generations to come, to tear toilet paper during the Sabbath, to separate yogurt cups during the Sabbath, to turn on the air conditioner during the Sabbath, to drive over to visit his grandmother during the Sabbath, to barbeque during the Sabbath, to switch on the light in his room during the Sabbath, and thousands of additional rules, claiming that he is abiding by an “Oral Law” instructed by the village chief. A law, without which, it would be impossible to understand what the chief truly meant when he asked him not to work on the Sabbath. This is the EXACT story of the Oral Law. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the external Jewish writings, from around the year 200 BC, never even hint at the existence of an Oral Law. The same goes for the Babylonian Scrolls, written in the sixth century BC, which describe the Jews in Babylon and their lifestyle. Not only do they never indicate the existence of an Oral Law, but actually contradict the very notion. According to Dr. Finkel, the Jewish identity of the Babylonian exiles was internal only. There was no external indication of religion whatsoever. They had no trace of any symbols of oral traditions reflected on the outside. Like them, many of the Jews of Ethiopia, who returned to Israel after thousands of years in exile, weren’t familiar with, and hadn’t even heard of, the rabbinic traditions and the concept of an “Oral Law” was entirely foreign to them. You see, if there is no actual Oral Law, there is no need for Rabbinic Halacha. If there is no need for Rabbinic Halacha, then there is no need for rabbis. And when there is no need for rabbis, there are suddenly thousands of people left without their power, without their authority, and without their paychecks. An entire industry, to which we all inject billions of shekels, would be nullified. We would like to note that ancient traditions among the nation are periodically mentioned in the Bible, but always in a negative light. For example, see the following, written by the prophet Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord said: ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” [Isaiah 29:13-14] To summarize, An educated person to carry out research based on the Bible, history and archeology can’t afford to take the claim the Moses received the Oral Law along with the written Torah seriously. It is a fairytale, a folk myth with the sole purpose of granting anyone named “rabbi” power and control. What does it mean where the Bible says “a house divided cannot stand?”
What does this mean for us today? The House of Israel At one time, Israel was a kingdom that was not divided. Under King David, the nation of Israel rose to the zenith of its power, at least in this age. It wasn’t until after David’s son Solomon had died that his sons ripped the nation in half. Rehoboam was chosen to be the next king but after hearing of Solomon’s death, Jeroboam returned from Egypt where he had fled for a time and he came back leading a group of people to confront Rehoboam with a demand for a lighter tax burden. It was only after Rehoboam refused the demand that the ten of the tribes rejected Rehoboam as king and David’s dynasty of Israel began to crumble. One became the Northern Kingdom and was known as Israel. The Southern Kingdom was Judah and although they only had 2 of the tribes (Judah and Benjamin as well as the Levites) they were still a formidable nation. Jeroboam became the king of Israel (and the ten tribes) while Rehoboam became king of Judah. The nation became divided as prophecies by Ahijah as a judgment of God on David and the nation, showing that nations can suffer from poor leadership. The house of Israel was now divided and it will not stand for long. A Divided Kingdom As the Northern Kingdom split off from the Southern Kingdom, there were growing tensions between the two. Israel (the Northern Kingdom) increasingly fell into idolatry and even though Judah was not in complete obedience to God’s laws, they were not as idolatrous as Israel. When Israel finally went to war with Judah, Israel was soundly defeated. These tribes already had a long history of waring among one another (2nd Sam 3). Like the United States of America fought with the Confederate State of America, it threatened to split the nation in half forever. Thankfully, this didn’t end the nation but any nation that divides, like Israel did, is not going to be able to stand for very long. A Divided House Just after Jesus had healed a man the scribes accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Beelzebul) (Mark 3:22) and so Jesus replied “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end” (Mark 3:23-26). His point is that it could not have been by demonic power that Jesus cast out a demon because that is contrary to the way kingdoms operate, particularly Satan’s. If kingdoms did divide against themselves then they wouldn’t be around for very long and so why would Satan work against his own interests? The answer is he would not. It wasn’t the miracle they rejected, it was Jesus! The masses were divided against those who believed in Jesus and those who didn’t. The overwhelming majority of His followers would abandon Him at the cross. In fact, the very ones that earlier in the week cried out “Hosanna in the Highest” now screamed “Crucify Him!” The nation was deeply divided over Jesus so this nation came crashing down around them in AD 70 when the Roman’s destroyed Jerusalem. Warnings about Blaspheme Jesus knew that they were attributing His miracles to Satan’s power and so warned them in a very serious manner that “all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit” (Mark 3:28-20). This sin was especially applicable to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day because, as Nicodemus said, “we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). They knew he had no evil spirit in Him and He did much good by healing so many. All of the miraculous signs confirmed that He was the long awaited Messiah, yet they hardened their hearts and credited His powers to Satan. They also knew the Scriptures and understood the signs that Jesus did and should know better. They also had heard from John the Baptist, a man they were afraid to deny was not sent from God and how John spoke of Jesus being the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Knowing all of this, they blasphemed God the Holy Spirit because they resisted Him, willingly, rejecting the stark reality of Who Jesus was and accusing Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan when they absolutely knew better. Conclusion If you have continued to reject Jesus time and again, you’re hardening your heart. Every time you hear the gospel which is the need to repent (forsake and turn away from sins) and trust in Christ, and then reject it, you are pushing the witness of the Holy Spirit further and further away until finally “God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done” (Rom 1:28). If that is you, you are standing on the thin ice of eternity from which you won’t get a second chance. The author of Hebrews writes “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Heb 3:15) and even better “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2nd Cor 6:2). |
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