Podcasts about Abimelech

November 21, 2025

Text: Genesis 21:1-34   God's Promise is Fulfilled (Gen. 21:1-7) God proves to be true to His Word as Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah. Isaac's name (laughter) is proof of God's grace to Abraham and Sarah.   God's Promise is Preserved (Gen. 21:8-21) God sets apart Isaac as the one in whom the promise would be fulfilled. God's electing grace and common grace are on display with Isaac and Ishmael. Galatians 4:21-31 portrays this event as an allegory and how it applies to the Gospel and our identity in Christ.   God's Promise is Progressing (Gen. 21:22-34) Abimelech's treaty with Abraham proves that God's promise of land to Abraham's offspring continues to advance. As Abraham plants a tree in Beersheba, he is planting his faith in an everlasting God who keeps His promises.

Discover how Genesis 20 reveals God's justice and mercy through Abraham and Abimelech's story. This short reflection explores why God's actions show fairness, protect innocence, and demonstrate His unwavering love—even when humans fail. Perfect for quick Bible study inspiration! -Do you want to be an active member of 21c Moses? Then, consider becoming a 21c Moses Patreon! Click the link for more info: https://patreon.com/user?u=45306220&utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link -If you want to donate to 21c Moses Ministry, please click the link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=P4LC3BE2S3JGA -Please check our website: https://21cmoses.com ©2025 21c Moses #21cMoses #BibleTeaching #DailyBibleStudy

Ignorance?; Greek term "Unmoved mover" for God?; Patterns of righteousness; (and Unrighteousness); Kingdom - of God; Trees of life and of knowledge; Seek, persevere and stive for the kingdom; Abraham's journey; Ur?; Presenting evidence; Social safety net; "Leaven"; Q from Mark: Parrhesia call-out; A: Sects with different doctrines; Jesus exposing them; Q: Parrhesia - do we follow biblical Jesus; A: Follow the Logos, anointed by Holy Spirit; Spiritual revelation of truth; Commonality in our walk; "Sechem" = consent; Words with multiple meanings; Jacob's ladder dream; Freedom to choose; Kingdom composed of individuals; Letting go of vanity; Bible as a tool; Your choice; Q Mark: Interpreting what Parrhesia thinks; Ruling over other people - shin-resh-resh; Understanding Jacob; "Abimelech"; "Ideology"; Right reason made flesh; Repentance; Wanting a commander-in-chief; Q - from Parrhesia: Is the bible the word of God?; Logos?; Just books; Translators?; Q: Where do we get the message of God? Revelation? How to know who has correct revelation?; Only way to know is by divine revelation; Spiritual confirmation; Bible is witness, word of God is written on men's hearts and minds; Q: from Slutty Rollex Bugatti: "Revelation"?; Animal sacrifice?; A: The original Israel were not killing animal on piles of stones; Explaining "Altars"; Mark: What Jesus was teaching re: Abraham and Moses; Jeremiah? Same problem with altars; Parrhesia: revealed true nature to him. Sharing with the group.; Q From Kristie: Bible divinely inspired - famine of the end times? = Truth; Opportunities to preach the gospel; Engage with real people asking real questions; Constantine and the Catholic church; Divine revelation belongs to everyone who will receive it; Language is subject to interpretation; Q from Slutty: Why did Jesus see Moses as a hero?; A: Because Moses was doing something different than what the pharisees thought he was doing; Idolatry = covetousness; Exposing your situation today; Coveting benefits taken from your neighbor; War with Israel; "Corban"; New testament "Religion" (James); "World" - which one?; Individualism?; "Socialism"; vs "Family"; Ties that bound ancient Israel?; Definitions of "Socialism", even before Marx; Jesus WAS king; Socialist collectives; Exercising authority?; Antithetical to the bible; Biting your neighbor; Truth-lovers; Moral social welfare; Freewill offerings; Q from Raffi: Seeking God's kingdom; Something wrong with present situation?; Right to choose - exercise responsibility; God wants you to be free; Being sureties for debt; Set your neighbor free.

Safety Amid Chaos (1)  (audio) David Eells – 11/16/25  Note: I realize we are in a good time of restoration of the government, and moneys the D.S. stole from the people, and the destruction of human trafficking, and sacrificing the children. Thank our God for these things! What I am going to speak of is a darker time to come that will bring revival… David   Man-child and Chaos Birthed Julie Trommeter - 02/26/2011 (David's notes in red) In my dream, I was pregnant. I have never been pregnant in real life, but in the dream, I could just feel the life inside of me. (The life of Christ growing in the woman of Revelation 12 by the Word and Spirit) There was a group of people around me, and I could sense that they were not happy about me being pregnant and didn't want the baby to arrive. (These may be a church family or other Christians who resent your relationship with God because they have little discernment.) I left the area where these people were and I seemed to be wandering around a city. (She came out from among them and searched for the beloved as in Song of Soloman.) Massive chaos broke out. (As we are entering a time of great confusion.) There were people running and screaming and I could hear sirens going off all around. (There are multiple “sirens” of warnings going off all around us: in the nations, the economy, the heavens, the earth.) Just as the chaos broke out, I went into labor. (At or near the time of tribulation, it will likely begin with a breakdown of law and order around us. It is at that time that the man-child of a mature ministry of Jesus Christ will begin to come forth, as from “a woman in travail”.) I tried to get the attention of a fire truck that was about half a block down the road, but with all that was going on, no one seemed to notice me. (There was no relief among men from the firey judgments but God was providing an answer if men would receive Him.) A baby boy was born, feet first. (Ready to walk the walk.) He was tiny at first, but each time I looked down at him, he had grown. In a matter of seconds, he would grow in what a baby should normally grow in weeks and months. (The mature manifestation of Jesus Christ in the Man-child corporate body of reformers. (Rev 12:1)  And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; 2  and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered. 3  And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. 4  And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child. 5  And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.) End of dream. I was meditating on what was signified in the dream by the baby being born feet first, and I think this is what the Lord is showing me: In Daniel, the feet of the statue represented the last beast kingdom of this age. I think the feet being born first symbolize that this is a generation of mature saints to oppose this beast.These are those described in Psalm 110. Psa.110:3 Thy people offer themselves willingly In the day of thy power, in holy array: Out of the womb of the morning (morning of the third day) Thou hast the dew of thy youth. In my bible, there is a note that says “power” could be translated as an army, and that “in holy array” could be translated as the beauty of holiness. WOW, how awesome! The generation of saints who are the feet of His body, who crush Satan, are about to be born! Psa.110:1 A Psalm of David. Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 1Co.15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. Heb.10:12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Heb.10:13 henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet. Rom.16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. In Revelation, Jesus' feet are described like this: Rev.1:15 and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters. They've been refined by the fiery trials of tribulation. Second dream I was on what looked like I-70, which runs east and west through the mountains in Colorado. (Its beautiful like the temporary reprieve we will see with GESARA. This speaks of those walking in the “straight and narrow” highway-road of the scriptures that is along the “river of life” who will be able to direct others to the true path.) The highway runs along the Colorado River, and there are steep mountain walls on either side. The shoulder of the highway was wider than in real life. There were lots of people walking on the shoulder. (Many people walk on the edge in the “wide” part of the shoulder, not on the highway of holiness. This is not where the road of Truth and obedience is, which bears fruit.) I was trying to warn them about the judgment coming, but I was just mocked. (In other words, they didn't understand that there is safety on the highway of holiness. They are blind and deaf to the signs around us that judgment is already beginning.) Suddenly, the river started to rise, and rain began to pour down. (“Suddenly” the judments of the word of God increase from God above and are evident in the rapid increase of earthly events, such as sudden judgments.) The mountains rumbled and debris was flying. Panic and chaos broke out as there was nowhere to hide. (Governments at every level are shaking. Deficits, downsizing, cutbacks on government services, demonstrations, resistance to authority, and strife are coming and have already begun. As people realize their life savings, real estate, jobs, security, retirement, etc., are crumbling away, panic, disorder, and chaos result, just as we are seeing in the news everywhere. Many counting on GESARA will ultimately meet the book of revelation that they did not believe in.) Cars began to get carried away by the rising flood. (People, families getting carried away in fear.) I heard someone yell, “She was right!” A large boulder fell in front of me. (It is the Rock of the unchanging Word  coming down from above.) I began climbing up the boulder as the rain drenched me. (Climbing up the boulder is symbolic of taking refuge in Jesus Christ by believing His Word and doing what He says.) Once on top of the boulder, I knew the flood waters could not reach me, and I yelled, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death!” (The flood waters are sin and judgment, but Christ has made you free and has delivered and saved you. PRAISE the LORD.)   Saved from Flood, Electrical Loss & Chaos G. C. - 01/17/2011 (David's notes in red) There was a great flood coming, sweeping the land. It did not come from the sky but came roaring through the terrain like a ferocious river from a source beyond my vision. It seemed there were two waves -- the second was greater than the first. When the second came, it destroyed everything, and water covered the land. (This could have both physical and spiritual meanings: A flood of destruction has and will come. The destructive leftist, anarchist, satanist, communist, Islamicist, and government beast attacks on our country. Vax, weather warfare, economic warfare, chemtrail poisoning of food, water and people. We are enduring a covert civil war against humanity. And coming overt civil war with man-made earthquakes, floods to steal more lands for the minerals, etc.) As I saw the wall of water rushing toward me, I turned around and saw two Eiffel Towers in the distance. I ran to the one on the right; it seemed bigger and stronger. I climbed up it and was saved from the water below. (There were two towers in one chapter -- Judges 9. One was weaker, symbolizing the modern tower of Babel, and fell to the beast, symbolized by antichrist Abimelech and his factious followers in verses 46-49. These are the goats on the left. The sheep tower on the right was “stronger”. It was named Thebez, which means “whiteness”, symbolizing Zion and holiness. It withstood the beast, and he died attempting to assault it in verses 50-55. I suppose the wider view that could be applicable in this dream is that the tower of religious cultic Babel, was not a safe place, while the tower of the flock, Zion, was, as in Micah 4.) After this scene, somehow I found myself back at my house, which is set high on a hill, safe from the water. (The house of God on the hill of Zion is the spiritual refuge worldwide. Psalms chapters 15, 24, and 125 all reveal the righteousness, faith and safety of those who make up spiritual, New Testament Zion. Isaiah 60 speaks of the restoration and blessing of Zion and its people. No violence or unrighteousness in her in verses 18 and 21. In Zephaniah 3:11-14, God will separate all the wicked from spiritual Zion only. In 2 Kings 19:30-37, Zion was the only safe place from the beast outside, not necessarily meaning a war, but certainly chaos and lawlessness.) Many people started coming into my house; they were stranded travelers, and although I had no electricity or heat, I had a lot of food and a warm fire to offer them. (Stranded travelers could well happen when electricity is down, and gasoline pumps don't work. Or they have shut down the gas and diesel pipelines coming from the southern refineries by earthquakes or sabotage, which has happened before. In the physical, not having electricity and electric heat could well happen again. A quake could destroy dams where there are hydroelectric and nuclear power plants over faults where the rivers are needed for coolant or to drive generators. Many rivers are created by faults. Interestingly, many have been getting prepared for wood heat, chickens for eggs and poultry, gardens for fruit and vegetables, and miracles to multiply them. These criminals love to destroy this independence to make slaves of the people. Loss of electricity would cause chaos in society, with homes, government, law enforcement, hospitals, businesses, etc., all now out of action. Everyone would be out of work -- a recipe for lawlessness and a time for needed safety.) I walked out of the house, down to the bottom of the hill, and there I ran into a small band of militia; they were on patrol and would not allow me to pass. They seemed self-appointed. (Chaos and anarchy could very well be caused by the powers that be, causing militia's to spring into action. In this case evil militias could be out to plunder and FEMA has done the same thing.) I did not trust them and knew they were on the lookout for valuables they could snatch. I walked back up the hill to my house, and I knew that we were kind of stuck here in the house, but we had plenty, so it wasn't too much of a concern. (This sequence of events could lead to the Civil War we have seen in dreams and revelations. The strong tower and hill represents Zion and its refuge. One brother saw that outside of this area, the military was rounding people up to destroy them for the satanist overlords. The bottom of the hill represents being outside the refuge of Zion. “Stuck in the house” means it is a refuge from the chaos and the wicked and possible war.)   01/19/2011 I was inside a building that had both a bank and a restaurant. The bank was on the left and the restaurant was on the right; they were divided by a wall. (The bank represents provision, and finances. “My God shall supply your every need according to His riches in glory.” The restaurant represents the spiritual food of the Word, which also supplies your every need. UBM has been seen as a spiritual restaurant as in the Restaurant at the Top of the Hill revelation.) I was sitting in the back of the restaurant. I saw a girl in her mid-20s walk up to the counter and order some food. She was wearing a white outfit and a white tie. I asked her what she was doing wearing that, and she said it was her work outfit; she was a waitress at another restaurant. She had colored strands in her hair and her hair was long. I asked her again about her tie, and she said it was for work. (I feel this girl is the bride. She was dressed in white, and she was a waitress who serves others. Her hair had multi-colored strands like a rainbow, like Joseph's coat of many colors.) (The different colors in her hair represent the color bands or different attributes of light, which is Jesus. Her hair is long because she is in submission as in 1 Corinthians 11) to the bands of light. She is the bride coming to our spiritual restaurant to feed and going forth to serve in other spiritual restaurants. But what about the restaurants that don't feed truth or have the light?) After this, we went to my truck and watched the place; then all of a sudden, the bank's power (God's provision) went out and that caused the restaurant's power to go out as well. The bank's sign was totally black and every light inside the building went out. The restaurant's power went out but there were a few lights on inside, maybe from emergency lights. But it was really dark inside, too. We waited and watched, but the power never came back on. (God's anointing and power will depart from the apostate teachings. The spiritual restaurant will have emergency power.) The main power source came from the bank; it powered both units. Once the bank went black, the restaurant soon followed. The restaurant seemed to be still operating but only at half-power. ( G. C.'s local UBM fellowship, as a spiritual restaurant serving spiritual food, will have emergency lights. I am glad we will have our own power source when the worldly grid of man at its source goes down. :o)   Gold and Silver Woes? Gold Burning Gideon Smith - 11/13/2010 (David's notes in red) In this dream, my wife and I were walking outside on a bright and sunny day. Then I looked in the air and saw a very large, grey U.S. military transport aircraft. I then noticed that its flying maneuvers were very strange. It appeared to be zipping around, doing front and back flips and other odd movements that should be impossible for a plane that size to perform. (Planes are like ministries; their purpose is to help us overcome the world and reach heavenly places in Christ.) Then my eyes seemed to be able to zoom in on the plane, and I noticed it was not the kind of plane I thought it was from far away. It actually did not look like any plane I've ever seen before. (On close inspection, it is not a normal economy; nothing we have ever seen before.) Then, as my eyes zoomed out, it appeared to be the same large U.S. military transport plane. (Very large ministries on close inspection show severe scriptural flaws.) Then, as it was going in its circular motion, (They go in circles instead of up.) it began to move faster and faster, and then it began to descend very fast toward the ground and it crashed, and when it hit the ground, there was a gigantic explosion. I mean, it was huge and a very large plume of fire rose to the sky and there was great fear. When I saw the explosion, I thought to myself, Wow, this happened sooner than I expected. (Think back at how many huge ministries have crashed like the Sanhedrin.) Then I began to run from this large flame that began to erupt from the explosion. As I ran, I saw a vision of an image of this woman's head, which looked like it was made of gold and her face and head were burning with flames. (The harlot was burned with the fire of the end time beast like the one of Jesus' day.) Then, as I saw the vision, I understood it to be the Statue of Liberty. (God gave liberty and value to the U.S. when we were considered a Christian country. But every religious lie is taking away that liberty and the beast here is taking her down.) Also, America's economy will ultimately fall very destructively even though NESARA will give it a shot in the arm. Even gold will be useless. In the last depression, there was a four-day bank holiday, during which they made a law so they could grab the gold. It became useless to individuals or corporations. The book of Revelation is coming with its times of trouble and chaos. It will not be a thousand years of peace and prosperity because sin is here that must be judged.) After seeing this, I began to pray in the spirit, at which point I came out of that vision. Then I opened my eyes and found myself sitting inside a movie theater, praying loud in the spirit and everyone was looking at me like I was crazy, as if nothing happened. (Movie theaters, like many ministries, are for play-acting or fakery. It cannot be trusted and neither can the prosperity thieves who run it.) They did not see what I saw; they were getting ready to watch a movie. Then I woke up. We've been told many times by the Alliance that we're watching a movie with masked actors and clones.   Abide in the Word, Safe from the Destroyer Jenny from MN - 07/31/2009 (David's notes in red) There was an apartment building with a lot of different rooms or apartments. (This represents the Church, which, according to Ephesians 2:19-22, is many houses built together into one Temple for God. Each individual house represents a person.) My mother and I each had an apartment next door to each other. A man walked down the hall and was knocking at the doors and telling the people he was a locksmith so they would open their door. When people opened their door he would kill them. (In the Passover in Exodus 12, when the blood was on the doorposts, God warned the people not to open their door or go out, or the destroyer would be able to kill them. The blood represents their faith in the sacrifice of the Lamb who was slain, which was between them and the destroying angel. The destroyer represents Satan's administration of the curse, which the Lamb bore upon Himself, if we would abide in Him through faith. (1 Cor.5:7) ... For our Passover also hath been sacrificed, [even] Christ.) My mother opened her door to this man, and he then killed her. She wasn't really dead, but I read it in the newspaper, and so that's how I knew. Because I knew this man was a deceiver and not really a locksmith, I didn't open the door. When I thought he was gone, I went out into the hall, but then I saw him, and he killed me. (I do remember that my mom and I were able to come back to life.) (Because through the knowledge of God, they came out from among them.) He was waiting for people to open their doors so he could kill them. They would open up because they trusted him. I somehow knew that his weapons were words, sounds, and actions. That is how he killed people. (2Ti 3:6) For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women (religious sects) laden with sins, led away by divers lusts, 7 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  I remembered the scripture how the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, so it made sense to me who this man was. (If we do not abide in the house, like in the Passover, Who is Jesus, the Word of God, we are under the legal authority of the curse. Satan comes with his “words, sounds and actions” of our thoughts or those around us to talk us out of the Word of Jesus. If we walk by our external senses, instead of by faith in the true Word, Satan has a legal right to destroy us, as Jesus said. (Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: 19 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. It was God Who had the destroyer on a leash and said He would not permit the destroyer to come into the faithful's houses. The destroyer really isn't a locksmith because he cannot open our doors; we have to let him in. As with Jenny and her mom, who represent the church, we are able to come back to life if we return to abiding in the Word. Jesus likened Himself to one who was grieved because He was like a hen seeking to gather His chicks under His wings, but they would not come. Psalm 91:1,4 says if we abide in the secret place of the Most High, we will be under the shadow and wings of the Almighty. The promises of the Word in the midst of our trials are our refuge. (Heb.10:23) let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised. According to the promises of the Word, you were saved, healed, and delivered from all of the curse, including your enemies. Hold fast to this and speak it before men.)   Restaurant at the Top of the Hill Anonymous (David's notes in red) I had a dream really early in the morning on Father's Day. The Father doesn't forget His spiritual fathers. I dreamed that there were 3 beautiful pieces of land high up on a hill. The views were breathtaking. The properties were huge. The land was lush and green. There was a debate going on in the community about who was the rightful owner of the property at the very top of the hill. It was the best, most beautiful, and largest of all 3 properties. After much fighting among the community, the courts ruled that David was the rightful owner of that highly coveted property. He was not in the fight for the property, but when the courts gave the ruling, he did not seem surprised. (An amazing proof of this came in the natural long after this revelation. I was given the property on the very top of the tallest hill in the whole area. And Eve who wasn't thinking of all of this prophesied that this was God's house and property. The land represents our physical life and our ministry, which God is preparing on his hill of spiritual Zion to serve others. (Heb.6:7) For the land which hath drunk the rain (Holy Spirit and Word) that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs (fruit) meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: (8) but if it beareth thorns and thistles (bad fruit), it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. (Mal.3:11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts. (12) And all nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Jehovah of hosts. (1 Cor.3:9) For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry (Greek: tilled land), God's building. Everybody thought you were going to build a large, beautiful home for you and your family up there. But to everybody's shock, you built a restaurant. People were scoffing at you, thinking you were stupid for not building a beautiful home for yourself. A restaurant represents a place to spiritually feed many of God's people. Sadly, the multitudes here have not discerned that many leaders are fleecing the sheep to build their own house rather than feeding the sheep to build God's house. (Eze.34:2) Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep? (3) Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep. (Hag.1:4) Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste? ... (8) Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith Jehovah. (9) Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house. (10) Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit. When my family and I heard that you built a restaurant, we hurried up the hill to see your restaurant and enjoy a nice meal there. We were all excited. We sat down at a table with a view and waited for the waiter to come. When the waiter came to our table, we realized that you were our waiter. We asked you why you didn't hire a waiter so you wouldn't have to be the waiter, and you simply said you wanted to do it yourself. All the better, we thought. We wanted to see you, but thought that we most likely wouldn't be able to because you would be too busy. We were so happy to be able to talk to you. It is very nice to be able to have personal fellowship with God's beloved people. I have always hated the elitist attitude of the Nicolaitan ministers. Jesus said, “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant” and “all ye are brethren”. We placed our order with you and were waiting for our meal. We began to notice there were a lot of people coming to your restaurant, but they weren't staying. They were leaving upset. When we asked you why they were leaving, you told us that they were upset because you were their waiter. They thought you should have hired a waiter and were offended that you didn't. My family and I thought, “What's the big deal? It's even better that you are our waiter. Why be so offended?” You brought us our meal. It was delicious. The view was gorgeous, and we had a wonderful time talking with you. We loved your restaurant and knew we would be back many times. The whole time we were there, however, many people came and left offended. (the factious) We knew they were missing out, but we couldn't convince them to stay. Then I woke up. Some don't like the waiter, and some don't like the meal. As it was with Jesus, the true ministers and their teaching cannot be popular with those who claim to be God's people while they love the world. (Joh.15:18) If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before [it hated] you. (19) If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (20) Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. (21) But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. You certainly are feeding me and my family right now, and we all want to be at the top of the 3 properties, right alongside the man-child and the bride. We are eating the bread of life and drinking the fountain of living waters. Thank you for serving us and feeding us. Blessings on you in Jesus' name. We will run out of time to bring in the harvest when no more will listen and then the day of the Lord's wrath will come.   Chaos and Woe Messianic Pastor Caleb Kinley (David's notes in red) Shabbat Shalom! May YHWH (The true name of the Lord before men added the vowels so the flesh could speak it as Jehovah and Yahweh.) truly bless you this Shabbat and may He wrap His arms of love around you and embrace each of you into His glory. I have included a dream I had several times about a week or so ago. I'm not a prophet, and this is only a dream, but usually, at least parts (if not all) of some of my dreams do come true. For example, two weeks before Sept. 11th I did dream of the exact events, verified by my mother and my wife. About three days before the December 26, 2004, tsunami that hit Indonesia, I dreamed the tsunami would happen, and it came true, verified by my mother, my wife, and my congregational members as I shared the tsunami dream with my congregation. Again, I am not a prophet and I pray this does not alter anyone's opinion of me... :-) I'm too afraid to not share this dream and can only hope and pray this one does not transpire... anyway... (But it will as the Day of the Lord's wrath. These were terrifying to me, to say the least. The dream began with a loud voice saying, “Thus saith Elohim, the wicked have witnessed ‘chaos' and still they refuse to repent. ‘Chaos times Chaos, times Chaos!' They ignore My call and refuse to gather under My wings. ‘Chaos times Chaos, times Chaos!' They are busy bodies with idle hands, putty for evil, and they send a rancid stench to My nostrils. O miserable wretches, they have become. They worship the sun and everything that is under the sun, but Me. They worship man, but not Me. They worship lust, but not Me. They worship envy and covetousness, but not Me. They worship power, money and fame, but not Me. They worship science and nature, but not Me. They bow down to pleasure for a season, and I will cut them off from among My people. Therefore, ‘Chaos times Chaos, times Chaos!' will be their just reward.” “Watch and see O servant, watch and see the meaning of ‘Chaos times Chaos, times Chaos!' O servant, take and eat of this parchment, and your tears will be for visions and your tongue shall prophesy forth My words. Few will hear you speak of My words, and fewer will come forth and share the mantle of My blessings. Many will not believe and will continue in their sin, and make great hate of you and the rest of My servants. The infidels will despise My people and bear false witness to try and remove the virtue from My bride. But the light of your menorah will not burn out. Thus saith Elohim YHWH”. (There was more that I just cannot remember right yet.) I was then lifted up above the high mountains by a breeze of wind, and the wind was like an invisible floor, so that I was able to stand in the sky and see the earth through the wind, like it had a glass floor. There were great movements of water in the oceans/seas (hurricanes?) bearing Greek names that caused more flooding and wreaked more devastation. Then came a pause, and I'm not sure if the days of the pause represent days, months or years. But once the quiet pause was completed, there were four or five great lights that came from the ground that turned the mountains into dust and rubble. (Nuclear war) The flesh of people from miles away dissolved and all that was left from those who perished were their skeletons, clean down to the bones. They had no eyes and their eye sockets were clean as if someone had used bleach to clean out a white plate. Many who survived were maimed, amputees, and as they wept, bright green tears mixed with blood melted away the parts of their face made wet by their tears with a fizzing sound like Alka-Seltzer. They had no eyelids as their eyelids dissolved because of their tears, and their eyes swelled up until they looked bug-eyed. It was then that the skeletons of the dead came alive and hunted the living and killed whoever they caught (i.e. pandemic-disease?) (result of nuclear energy). And then the earth opened up in many places, swallowing up many of those who survived the bright lights, and the oceans and seas grew large, sending waves and storms, too many to count. The dead of many floated on the water and included women, children, babies, animals, men, and cities once hidden from water were now covered in water. And the rivers and the oceans and the seas cried because they were polluted by rotten flesh and blood. I could hear the cries of thousands of people, and the cries made my ears have sharp pains so that I had to put my fingers in my ears. And many of the living blasphemed YHWH and searched for His people to place blame on us. They said, “Let us find the bride and eat their flesh, for it will taste sweet like honey”. (But God will rescue His people at this day of the Lord's wrath.) Then I saw great famine, such as has never been. Rich nations were now begging for bread and were happy to pay much money for rotten bread covered with worms. And many began drinking unclean water from rivers and oceans, and seas that were still full of dead human flesh. And some would drain the blood of their children and roast their child over an open fire, and then feast upon their children, drinking their blood while eating their flesh, and being merry. And disease stood tall, and caused many more to perish.

Genesis 21 shows God keeping His promise at His set time: Isaac is born to a 100-year-old Abraham and 90-year-old Sarah, turning their earlier laughter of unbelief into joy. God marks Isaac—not Ishmael—as the covenant line through which He will bring blessing to the world, yet He still hears Hagar and Ishmael, provides for them, and promises to make Ishmael a great nation. Sarah insists Ishmael depart after he mocks Isaac, and God confirms this hard step to protect the promise. Later, Abraham secures a well at Beersheba, makes peace with Abimelech, and calls on “the Everlasting God.” We learn from this that God's promises stand despite our delays and detours; He often waits until things look impossible so He alone gets the glory. Trust His timing, stop “helping” Him with fleshly shortcuts, and rest in the joy and security of His faithful covenant love. - Greg Opean - Wednesday, November 12, 2025

November 13, 2025

Pastor Sam Rainer preaches a series on the book of Judges, a dark period in Israel's history. The story of Abimelech in Judges 9 reveals what happens when leaders abandon God and turn to the dark side of power. Abimelech is a tragic mirror of our age: ambition without accountability, power without prayer, and influence without integrity.

Kingdom of God; Stuff posing as Church; Revelations from Genesis 37; Private interpretation; Knowledge vs Spirit; Meaning of words; Discovering where you're wrong - humility; Social safety net; "FDR"; "LBJ"; Civil Rights Act; Baptism; Pentecost; Corban through the Temple; King Jesus; Christ/Messiah; "Priest"; Melchizedek?; Abimelech?; Christ's public ministry; Reading bible guided by Holy Spirit; AI?; "Corban" = sacrifice; "Religion"; Family unit; First corporation; Blind man story; Tens; Subsidizing insurance companies; Corruption; Taking care of the needy; Sharing divine revelation; Joseph's dream; Homeschooling; Government funding churches?; Removing morality; Herdsmen with Jacob; 70 with Jacob?; Possessions?; Human resources; Majorities; Gen 37:2 Joseph shepherding brothers; Word order?; Right to choose to tithe; Freewill offerings; Living as Israel; Community-administered social safety nets; dalet-tav-nun; Adam and Eve hiding; appetite for benefits; Exercising authority over others; "Pious" performance of duty; Drinking from two wells?; Birth certificates; Fervent charity; Knowing what, where, when to give; resh-ayin-hey = feeding the sheep; Idolatry; Empowering kings; Gathering together; Tattle tale Joseph?; Laban's idolatry; Nature of government of Israel; Militia; Love = Charity; Masoretic text debate; Herod's free bread - by force; Leaven?; Following Christ; "Sachem"?; lamad+resh-ayin+vav+tav; Forced sacrifice; Declaration of Independence - not U.S.?; Consent of the governed; Bible about government; LBJ's Great Society; Beast welfare; Mark of God; Gaza?; Allow others their right to choose.

Abraham: The First Prophet and Intercessor In Genesis 20:7, we encounter a remarkable declaration when Yahweh refers to Abraham as "a prophet" during his encounter with King Abimelech. This marks the first time Scripture applies this sacred title to anyone, establishing Abraham not merely as a patriarch but as Yahweh's spokesman and intercessor. The Hebrew word navi reveals deeper meaning. True prophets serve as Yahweh's spokesmen, delivering His heart to His people through direct communication. Abraham fulfilled this calling when Yahweh instructed Abimelech to seek Abraham's prayers for healing and restoration. This prophetic pattern points directly to Yeshua, who embodies the ultimate fulfillment of Abraham's role. As the promised prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18), Yeshua speaks only the Father's words and serves as our eternal intercessor. Isaiah 53:12 prophesies that Messiah would "make intercession for transgressors," which Yeshua perfectly accomplishes. Today, through Yeshua's ongoing intercession, we receive the same divine favor Abraham demonstrated. His prophetic legacy continues as our Mashiach advocates before the Father, ensuring Yahweh's covenant promises remain secure for us. Watch on YouTube here:  https://youtu.be/KC4x8WeRvrA Watch on Vimeo Here: www.vimeo.com/ruach   Have you read the Parsha yet? Check out the portion read by Will Spires here: https://youtu.be/pCKxiA74X0A?si=ead7zXY1yZGUwbSw  If these have been a blessing to you, please consider donating to help us continue to put these teachings out. You can donate at https://www.ruachonline.com/donate     If you like this video and would like to know more about Ruach Ministries International you can check us out on many venues: website: www.RuachOnline.com   Facebook: www.facebook.com/RuachMinistries   Twitter: @RuachTweets Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/Ruach   YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/theruachlife   Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruachminintl   Podcast Hub, Main site: https://stone2flesh.podbean.com   iHeart  https://ihr.fm/3VmLpyt   Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3PXP8Bp    Amazon Music https://amzn.to/3jnsqX2   Spotify https://spoti.fi/3C71u4i   Google Podcasts https://bit.ly/3jrcTp7 & Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Ruach

Avimelech says he's righteous, Avraham says he's not. God seems to agree with both of them (this is Judaism, after all). So which is it and what should we learn from this moral conundrum?Pictured: Jan de Herdt, 'Abraham and Abimelech'.

Genesis 20 | Pastor Greg Packinghouse's Wednesday night worship service from November 5, 2025. Abraham repeats an old failure: out of fear, he calls Sarah his “sister,” and King Abimelech takes her—until God intervenes in a dream, protecting Sarah and rebuking Abimelech. The pagan king shows more integrity than Abraham, returning Sarah, compensating them, and receiving Abraham's prayer, after which God heals his household. The chapter spotlights a great man's recurring flaw (fear-driven self-preservation), God's faithfulness despite human failure, and a warning against idolizing leaders: everyone is flawed, only God is perfect—so put trust in Him, not people. When fear spikes, pause, pray, and wait—don't make self-protective decisions that jeopardize others. - Greg Opean - Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Genesis 20 | Pastor Greg Packinghouse's Wednesday night worship service from November 5, 2025. Abraham repeats an old failure: out of fear, he calls Sarah his “sister,” and King Abimelech takes her—until God intervenes in a dream, protecting Sarah and rebuking Abimelech. The pagan king shows more integrity than Abraham, returning Sarah, compensating them, and receiving Abraham's prayer, after which God heals his household. The chapter spotlights a great man's recurring flaw (fear-driven self-preservation), God's faithfulness despite human failure, and a warning against idolizing leaders: everyone is flawed, only God is perfect—so put trust in Him, not people. When fear spikes, pause, pray, and wait—don't make self-protective decisions that jeopardize others. - Greg Opean - Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Text:  Genesis 20:1-18   Abraham's Besetting Sin (Gen. 20:1-2) At the crossroads of faith and unbelief, Abram responds in unbelief, just as he did before in Genesis 12:10-20.   God's Sovereign Intervention (Gen. 20:3-7) Abraham's sin seemingly put God's covenant in jeopardy. God shows Himself to be sovereign over all things as He restrains Abimelech and protects Sarah.   Abimelech's Strong Confrontation (Gen. 20:8-13) Abimelech confronts Abraham's lying and deceptive behavior. Abraham is caught in his sin, proving that he had misjudged Abimelech and did not trust in the Lord.   God's Gracious Providence (Gen. 20:14-18) God displays His grace and providence by bringing healing to Abimelech and blessing to Abraham.

News thriving on drama; Problems when not doing what Christ said; What was Abraham doing?; Understanding the bible text; Eating meat with blood in it; What Christ commanded; "Liturgy"; Solution to world's problems; "Israel"; Generations of Esau = Edom; "Corban"; Sacrifice; Cursing your children with debt; Recognizing righteousness; Gen 37:1 Jacob in Canaan; "Strangers"?; Idolatry = covetousness; Jacob's ladder; Rights; Joseph tattling on brothers; "Flocks"?; Joseph's dream; Dominion over people; Tav+Mem-shin-lamad+biet+nun+vav (dominion); Lot?; Abimelech; Forcing offerings/sacrifice; Membership in social safety nets; Tents for cattle?; Jealousy of brothers; Sachem (consent); Returning every man to family and possessions; Kings? (rulers); Perfect law of liberty; Knowing Holy Spirit; "Dothen"?; Plotting to slay Joseph; Evil beast?; Socialists; Sequence of Hebrew text; Ruben's advice (plan); The pit you're in; Selling Joseph to Ishmaelites; Willingness to sell neighbor into bondage; One purse; 1 Sam 8; Hearing your brother; Faking Joseph's death; Types of kings; Forewarning of famine; Wrath of God; Loving the light; Claiming to know Moses; How to be a free people; Leavened bread; Corruption; Strong delusion; Idols?; The ways of Jacob; Gen 33:17; Setting your brother free; Choosing the direction of your life; Learning to be Israel; Coat of many colors?; Imaginary freedom; Abraham's dream - burning lamp; Organizing in Tens; Tithing vs taxes; Identifying the "evil report"; Deut 12:23; meat with blood in it; Biting one another; Error of Balaam and deeds of the Nicolaitans; Appetite for benefits; Need for repentance; Feeding the sheep; resh-ayin-hey; Truth - Be ready to repent.

Join Kate and Sheila as they journey through Judges, a book of disobedience, oppression, crying out to God, judge (aka leader) appointed, deliverance, and peace cycling over and over. God was clear- take over the land, but instead His people intermarried and started to worship idols. Downward spirals are never pretty, but they can teach a great deal. In chapter 2, the text says they failed to teach the next generation.Ch. 4-Deborah the prophetess helps her insecure commander, Barak (Be Brave-God's in control)Ch. 5-the resourceful Jael bravely uses what she has on hand (a tent peg) to kill the man Barak was afraid of (Serve God with what we have on hand)Ch. 6-Gideon's story shows the patience of God and how He meets people where they areCh. 8 Gideon goes from “the Lord will rule over you” to building an ephod that became a snare to the peopleCh 11- Jepthah's unwise vow that cost his daughter's life (Watch our words closely)Abimelech killed his 70 half-brothers on a stone (the youngest escaped) (he received 70 silver coins-is money ever the answer?)Abeimelech was killed by a millstone a woman dropped out of a tower (Another resourceful woman)Samson – never trust someone (Delilah) who seeks to weaken you (Pick your friends carefully)“In those days there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing.” Judges 17:6 and 21:25 (Ask what does God want me to do instead)Talk about a rollercoaster ride! Please join us & discover how this book can guide, real change always starts from the inside! 

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Check out our mission to teach every verse of the Bible on video in what we call Project23. Our text today is Judges 10:1-2. After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir. — Judges 10:1-2 After the chaos and carnage of Abimelech's reign, Israel didn't need another flashy warrior. They needed rest. God raised up Tola—a judge whose legacy isn't marked by a bunch of battles, but by stability. For twenty-three years, nothing dramatic is recorded. No rebellion. No mass bloodshed. Just peace and steady leadership. Sometimes, no drama is a blessing, right?! God used this season to remind his people—and us—that his work isn't only seen in the dramatic. Sometimes it is seen in a quiet season led by a faithful leader. This is problematic for us because we live in a world addicted to drama. Our feeds refresh every few seconds with outrage, scandal, and noise. News thrives on shock value. Entertainment glorifies conflict. Even in our personal lives, we can get caught chasing the next crisis or feeding off the latest drama in our families, workplaces, or friendships. But constant drama drains the soul. It spikes reaction, anxiety, and spiritual shallowness. Tola's season, without a bunch of recorded drama, had to be a relief. Under his leadership, Israel had twenty-three years to breathe, reset, and realign. No battles. No fires to put out. Just space for hearts to return to God. And maybe that's what you need too—a season without noise. A time to simply be faithful and pursue God without drama. If you need this, ask God for it, and when it arrives, make sure you take advantage of the relief. Relief is a gift to reset your soul, recalibrate your heart, and draw you closer to Him. But it's also a time to safeguard your life from slipping back into spiritual laziness that leads to worshiping empty idols. One thing that always helps is a "Tola" who becomes for you an anchor for this time. ASK THIS: Do I see “no drama” seasons as a gift from God? Where might I be chasing excitement instead of valuing faithfulness? How can I be steady for those around me this week? Who has been a “Tola” in my life, giving me stability when I needed it? DO THIS: Thank God today for the quiet blessings—the leaders, parents, mentors, or friends who brought peace instead of drama. Then choose one small act of faithfulness to steady someone else's life. PRAY THIS: Lord, thank You for the gift of stability. Help me embrace quiet faithfulness as a blessing, even when it feels small, and let me be a steady presence in the lives of others. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Faithful Now."

Review: Jacob's family; Israel?; Caring for "many souls"; People vs stuff; Loving Caesar; Rachel's treachery; Reading bible with guidance; Melchizedek? Abimelech?; Esau's descendants; Father's blessing; True sons; Doing the will of the father; "Judeo-Christian values"; Listening to Holy Spirit; Knowing Jesus; Pure Religion; No kings in Israel - until Saul; Society of righteousness; Cities (of blood); "leaven"; Men exercising authority; Loving your neighbor; Difference between Esau and Jacob; Honoring what you say and do; Tribal/national values; Jacob giving choice; "logos"; Following Christ's ways; Condemning Jews?; "Religious" quarrels; "Scripture"; Reading without understanding; Two trees; Gen 36:1 Esau is Edom - aleph-dalet+vav-mem; disconnected mem?; Hittites and Hivites; Daughters of Canaan; Human resources; aleph-chet = brother; Weakening the people; Idolators; "Seir"; Changing the way you think; Shin-ayin-yod-resh (70); forgiveness; Simon the leper, Nicodemus; Sanhedrin; Baptism; Real Israel; Listing Esau's offspring; Dukes and kings?; Teaching the ways of Edom; hey+chet-resh-yod Horite; Importance of Hebrew letters; Knowing Holy Spirit; v31 kings; Generation to generation; Cities of unrighteousness; Ways of Edom vs Israel; Mystery Babylon; Power; God is spirit; Pursuing our divine connection; Logos of Christ; Habitations; mem-vav-shin-biet; What deeds are you doing?; Possession?; Owning land; Legal title; Forced sacrifice; Rulers; "No kings"?; But one purse; Passports; Property tax; Golems; Are you a possession?; Jesus - king and high priest, order of Melchizedek; No oppression; Sharing in love; Gift of salvation; Free assemblies; God is the same.

Israel with no king?; Dukes?; The Abraham difference; Networking; Melchizedek; vs Abimelech; Earthly "fathers"; In the news… "No king" rally; God's form of government; Jacob's employees; Major religions relationship to Abraham; Warnings about kings; Democracy = mob king; Desire for rulers; Cities of blood; One purse; The alternative; Contracts, covenants and constitutions; Self-government; William the conqueror; Common Law; Sharia law?; "Judeo-Christian"; Mis-imaging Moses and Christ; Contextualizing history; Tens, hundreds and thousands; Fearing Jacob; Responsibility of Liberty; Ex 18:24; "Rulers"?; shin-resh vs shin-resh-resh; Mark 6:8 commands to disciples; Jury nullification; Government of, for and by the people; Following Holy Spirit; Before free bread is handed out…; Sharing; Deacons; Burnt offerings; "Unleavened" bread; Manifesting Christ's love; Acts 2:46; Breaking bread; Roman free bread; Welfare snares; Rachel's theft; "Idolator"; Appetites for benefits; Praying to the "beast"; Choosing ministers; Laying down YOUR life for fellow man; Q: Mark - "laying down your life"?; Importance of bearing next generation; Freewill vs force; Pentecost; Tithing; Nicolaitan; Christ's way; No coveting; Blind guides; Your bondage; Righteousness; Pure Religion; Joining the network; Q: Katwellair - how you came to do this; Inner compass; Humility before God; Responding to Holy Spirit; Acting on your revelations; Blaspheming Holy Spirit; Social Security; Simplicity of the Gospel; Share the good news.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Check out our mission to teach every verse of the Bible on video in what we call Project23. Our text today is Judges 9:50-57. Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull. Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.'” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home. Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. — Judges 9:50-57 After burning Shechem's tower with men and women inside, Abimelech attempts the same strategy at Thebez. But as he approaches the tower, a nameless woman lifts a millstone and hurls it down. It crashes into his skull, crushing the head of the tyrant who once slaughtered his own brothers. In desperation, Abimelech pleads for his armor-bearer to kill him so no one can say he died by a woman's hand. Yet the irony lingers louder than his pride: the man who exalted himself above all is remembered for humiliation, not greatness. There is no doubt Jotham's words have become his judgment, “Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech … and the curse of Jotham.” He is stoned by his pride. Abimelech's life should be a case study in what happens when pride consumes a leader. He clawed for power, torched his enemies, and trusted his own strength. But the very pride that lifted him up was the pride that took him down. Pride always ends this way. Sometimes God lets pride run its course to show us just how destructive it is. It looks confident at first, but it always turns violent, always spirals out of control, and always collapses in shame. Be careful—if you stay hardheaded with God, you may end up with a crushed head. This is why we can't play games with pride. We can't excuse selfish ambition or stubborn rebellion. Pride is never harmless—it's a ticking time bomb. So we must humble ourselves now before God humbles us later. Pride ends in ruin, but humility under God's hand leads to life. ASK THIS: Where am I being hardheaded with God right now? How have I seen pride come full circle in destructive ways? Do I believe God really does repay evil in His timing? What step of humility can I take today to soften my heart before Him? DO THIS: Write down one area where you've been hardheaded with God—resisting, delaying, or excusing. Pray over it and surrender it. Don't wait for the millstone moment to break you. PRAY THIS: Lord, break my pride before it breaks me. Keep me from being hardheaded with You, and teach me the humility that brings life under Your hand. Amen. PLAY THIS: "I Surrender All."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Sam Schoeppner from Port Trevorton, PA. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 9:42-49. On the following day the people went out into the field, and Abimelech was told. He took his people and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city, so he rose against them and killed them. Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them. And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt. When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith. Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and lifted it and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.” So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women. — Judges 9:42-49 After Gaal's defeat, Abimelech turns his fury on Shechem. He ambushes their people, tears down their city, salts the ground so nothing will grow, and finally targets the leaders hiding in the tower of El-berith—the temple of their false god Baal-berith. From there, the story takes a chilling turn. Abimelech cuts down brushwood, lights it, and torches the stronghold with a thousand men and women inside. The very tower they trusted for safety becomes their tomb. It's the brutal fulfillment of Jotham's warning: the fire has come, and Shechem burns, and by Abimelech's hand. The tower of Shechem is a haunting picture of false security. When we put our hope in anything other than God—whether money, status, relationships, or our own strength—it will eventually collapse. What feels like a fortress today may be the very place of ruin tomorrow. The people of Shechem thought their temple-tower and false god would protect them. But only the Lord is a strong tower, a refuge that never falls: The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous man runs into it and is safe. — Proverbs 18:10. Every other “tower” is brushwood waiting to burn. Where do you run when life gets hard? Do you run and hide in a tower that can't save you, like money, achievement, reputation, or to the God who always can? If you need safety today, run to God. Nothing else and nothing less. ASK THIS: What “towers” am I tempted to run to for safety when I'm afraid? How do I know if my trust is in God or in false security? Where have I seen the collapse of something I once relied on? What would it look like for me to run to God as my true refuge today? DO THIS: Identify one “tower” you've been leaning on—money, achievement, reputation. Confess it to God, and declare Him as your refuge in prayer today. PRAY THIS: Lord, forgive me for hiding in false towers. You alone are my refuge and my strength—help me to run to You, not to what will burn. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Strong Tower."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Doug Pietig from Buffalo, MN. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 9:26-41. And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him. And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say to Abimelech, 'Increase your army, and come out.'" When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you. Now therefore, go by night, you and the people who are with you, and set an ambush in the field. Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city. And when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may do to them as your hand finds to do." So Abimelech and all the men who were with him rose up by night and set an ambush against Shechem in four companies. And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush. And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!" And Zebul said to him, "You mistake the shadow of the mountains for men." Gaal spoke again and said, "Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak." Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your mouth now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them." And Gaal went out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. And many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. And Abimelech lived at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives, so that they could not dwell at Shechem. — Judges 9:26-41 Today, a new character enters the story — Gaal, son of Ebed, who is a new rival in Shechem. He talks big, mocks Abimelech, and stirs up the people. From the winepress to the temple of their false god, he fills himself with pride and boasts, "If I were in charge, things would be different." But God turns the tables on this new competitor. Gaal's arrogance collides with Abimelech's wrath, and in a single battle, his uprising collapses. He's driven out, humiliated, and forgotten. Here's the irony: Gaal thought he could topple the bramble king. But in the end, he was just another bramble himself—full of talk, empty of fruit. God uses their rivalry to accelerate judgment, showing once again that pride destroys itself. Pride writes checks we can't cash. Gaal bragged about what he would do if he were in charge, but God allowed his arrogance to unravel him. Pride never ends well. Whether in leadership, relationships, or personal battles, arrogance blinds us, isolates us, and eventually destroys us. But God, in his sovereignty, even uses the pride of men to fulfill his purposes. Gaal and Abimelech thought they were fighting for power between themselves, but God's power was outmaneuvering them both. They were playing checkers with pride, while God was playing chess. The lesson? Don't play the game of pride with God. Stay humble. Be kind. Don't waste your energy and time on fruitless arrogance. Trust the One King who turns the tables on every form of pride. ASK THIS: Where am I tempted to say, “If I were in charge, I'd do it better”? How has pride in my past led me into trouble? Am I watching for God's hand even in the rivalries and chaos around me? How can I practice humility today so I don't repeat Gaal's mistake? DO THIS: Catch yourself in one boast today—whether out loud or in your thoughts—and replace it with a prayer of humility. PRAY THIS: Lord, protect me from pride that blinds me. Teach me to trust You as the One who turns the tables on evil. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Humble And Kind."

This week we continued our Genesis Bible study. Me and Justin dive into chapters 20-21 to see where Abraham and Sarah are on their walk and with the covenant that God had made with them. Come along for the journey!

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Daniel McClure from Red Lion, PA. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 9:22-25. Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech. — Judges 9:22-25 Abimelech's reign lasted only three years. Then, the massive cracks started to show. God himself sent an “evil spirit” between Abimelech and Shechem. Suddenly, the people who once crowned him turned against him. They set ambushes, stirred rebellion, and worked betrayal behind his back. Don't be confused. This was not a random political drama—it was divine judgment. In fact, every political drama is a divine judgment. God was holding Abimelech and Shechem accountable for the murder of Gideon's sons and choosing other gods and an evil king over Him. What Jotham had forewarned was now coming true: the fire of bad leadership was beginning to consume both king and people. God will not let evil stand. Even when it looks like corruption has the upper hand, God has a way of unraveling it from the inside out. Abimelech and Shechem thought their alliance made them strong, but sin always breeds suspicion, mistrust, and division. It's only a matter of time before selfish ambition turns allies into enemies. Yet along the way, there are losses because of these bad decisions. The same is true today. Bad partnerships of any kind—whether in politics, business, friendships, or spiritual life—don't last. Why? Because they are built on self-interest, not God's truth. And sooner or later, the cracks show, and with them come gossip, ambushes, rebellion, and betrayal. Beware of the alliances you make. If they're not rooted in God's truth, they will rot from within and burn you down. ASK THIS: Where am I tempted to form alliances that are convenient but not godly? How have I seen selfish ambition create division in my life or others'? Do I trust that God will eventually bring justice to corrupt systems? How can I pursue relationships built on truth and faith instead of convenience? DO THIS: Take inventory of your closest partnerships. Ask: are these drawing me closer to God—or leading me toward compromise and division? PRAY THIS: Lord, reveal the alliances in my life that are not from You. Help me walk in truth and trust that You will unravel corruption in Your timing. Amen. PLAY THIS: "King of My Heart."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Randy Gothrup from Bellaire, MI. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 9:16-21. “Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved—for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, and you have risen up against my father's house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative—if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem, and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and devour Abimelech.” And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother. — Judges 9:16-21 Jotham is the only surviving son of Gideon after Abimelech's massacre. While his brothers are slaughtered, Jotham steps up as a lone, bold, and brave voice of truth. From Mount Gerizim—the mountain where Israel once heard blessings and curses—he warns the leaders and people of Shechem. His message is blunt: if choosing Abimelech was good and faithful, enjoy it. But if not, then fire will come from Abimelech to consume Shechem, and fire from Shechem to consume Abimelech. (Spoiler Alert: This is exactly what happens by the end of the chapter) Jotham speaks like a true leader—pointing people back to integrity, truth, and accountability before God. But everyone ignores him. And in time, his warning proves true. Bad leaders will burn you. It may not happen overnight, but their corruption spreads like wildfire. They promise protection but leave you scorched. Jotham reminds us that the leaders we choose—and the voices we follow—shape our future. Good leaders warn, guide, and protect, even when their words sting. Bad leaders manipulate, consume, and destroy, even when they look impressive at first. Are you listening to the Jothams, or following the Abimelechs? Get more Jothams. Remove the Abimelechs. Because the kind of leader you trust will determine whether you blossom or burn. ASK THIS: Where am I tempted to follow flashy leaders instead of faithful ones? Who are the “Jothams” in my life I need to listen to right now? How can I discern if a leader is bearing fruit or just making noise? Where might I be acting like Abimelech instead of leading with integrity? DO THIS: Identify one leader you're following—online, at work, in church. Ask: Do they leave me more faithful or more burned out? Adjust accordingly. PRAY THIS: Lord, help me follow leaders who point me back to You, and keep me from the fire of bad leadership. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Shepherd."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Daniel Fortney from Sidney, OH. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 9:7-15. When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.' But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?' And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.' But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?' And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.' But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?' Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.' And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'” — Judges 9:7-15 After Abimelech slaughters his brothers and assumes control over the people, only one surviving son remains—Jotham. He climbs Mount Gerizim, a place where blessings and curses were once pronounced over Israel (see Deuteronomy 27), and delivers the only parable in the book of Judges. The meaning is straightforward: the noble trees (the olive, fig, and vine) refuse the offer of kingship because they are already fruitful and serve one another. However, the bramble—a thorn bush that bears no fruit, provides no shade, and only has thorns—accepts kingship. It offers “refuge,” but brambles cannot provide shade. Instead, they spread fire and destruction. Jotham's exhortation serves as a sharp condemnation: Abimelech is the bramble. He acts as a leader and seizes power, but he is devoid of fruit, shade, and life. If Israel chooses him, they will ultimately suffer the consequences—pain, fire, and ruin. Jotham's parable warns us about the nature of choosing and listening to the wrong leaders. Godly leaders are like fruitful trees—they serve, give, and bless. Ungodly leaders resemble brambles—they take, harm, and burn. The tragedy is that people often prefer brambles and ignore the voice of reason. In our cities, churches, and communities, we still choose leaders and listen to leaders who are like brambles. Why? Because they promise quick refuge, flashy results, or false unity. However, in the end, they leave destruction, hardship, and lasting scars on individuals and communities. The temptation for quick and flashy results persists today — in politics, business, the church, and even within families. Therefore, the critical question we need to ask when considering our leaders is not, “Who appears powerful?” or “Who promises impressive results?” but rather, “Who is producing real fruit right now?” The person who demonstrates genuine fruitfulness now is likely to continue doing so in the future and will probably be the wiser choice. So choose your leaders wisely! ASK THIS: Who are the “brambles” in my life that promise more than they deliver? Do I look for fruitfulness or flashiness in leaders I follow? How do I lead—like a tree that blesses or a bramble that burns? Where might God be warning me through a voice I don't want to hear? DO THIS: Examine one leader you're following today—whether at work, in church, or online. Ask: do they bear fruit, or just offer thorns? Adjust who you trust accordingly. PRAY THIS: Lord, give me discernment to follow leaders who bear godly fruit, and make me a leader who serves others instead of using them. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Spirit Lead Me."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Anthony Cuffia from Huntington Beach, CA. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 9:1–6. Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family, “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.'” And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. — Judges 9:1-6 Abimelech is the son of Gideon and his mistress from the neighboring town of Shechem. His name means "my father is king," a constant reminder of his desire to seize kingship for himself. Parents, remember that names carry significant power and influence on our children's lives; they hear these names reinforced every day. After Gideon's death, Abimelech sought to claim the kingship for himself. He engaged in political maneuvering, appealing to his relatives in Shechem. He manipulated family loyalty, secured funding from Baal's temple, and hired mercenaries. With ruthless precision, he slaughtered his seventy brothers—Gideon's sons—in one location, leaving only one survivor, Jotham. Abimelech crowned himself king, not through God's calling but through murder and ambition. What began as a desire for power ended in a massacre. Ambition, in itself, isn't inherently evil; there is such a thing as good and godly ambition. God encourages us to strive for His ambitions derived from righteous desires. However, when ambition is disconnected from God and His character, it becomes toxic. It leads us to cut corners, exploit others, and justify sin in the name of "getting ahead." Abimelech exemplifies what occurs when a leader seeks power, control, and wealth without consulting God. While they may achieve some measure of power, control, and riches, they ultimately lose everything of true value. Their ambition also poisons those around them, including family, friends, and the entire nation. This threat exists within all of us. Our ambition can easily turn toxic. Whether it involves climbing the corporate ladder, seeking approval from a family member, or pursuing online influence, we might feel tempted to pursue power without first asking if God wants us in that position. Take a moment today to identify one area where your ambition may be distancing you from God. It might be subtle—so subtle that you may not even notice it. Journal about this realization, surrender it to God, and ask Him to purify your motives before your ambition becomes toxic. ASK THIS: Where has ambition in my life slipped from God's calling into self-serving? Have I been tempted to justify compromise to get ahead? How do I define success—by achievement or by obedience? What would it look like for me to trust God with my future instead of forcing it? DO THIS: Pause today and name one area where ambition has been driving you more than obedience. Surrender it to God in prayer, asking Him to purify your motives. PRAY THIS: Lord, I don't want ambition without You. Purify my heart so my drive to succeed is always rooted in faith, humility, and obedience. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Build My Life."

This week we continued our Genesis Bible study on the Prometheus Lens Podcast. Me and Justin dive into chapters 20-21 to see where Abraham and Sarah are on their walk and with the covenant that God had made with them. Come along for the journey!

The story of Abimelech is an example that is meant for our instruction. Some examples are positive and should be followed. That's not the case here. It illustrates very clearly what we are NOT to do.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Check out our mission to teach every verse of the Bible on video in what we call Project23. Our text today is Judges 8:33-35. As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. — Judges 8:33-35 The irony here is sharp. Gideon was nicknamed Jerubbaal—“let Baal contend against him”—after tearing down Baal's altar in his father's yard. His name became a living testimony against false gods. But the moment Gideon dies, Israel runs back to Baal. They don't remember the LORD who rescued them. They don't honor the family of Jerubbaal. They return to Baal again. It's a tragic picture: a man once known for defying idols leaves behind a people enslaved to them again. Gideon's personal victories didn't guarantee generational faith. His success could not secure succession. Faith is not inherited like money in a will. Every generation must choose God for themselves. But what you build—and what you hand off—matters. Gideon's life teaches us that tearing down idols once isn't enough. You must raise up others who will keep tearing them down long after you're gone. This is why your legacy isn't defined by your wins in the present but by the disciples you prepare for the future. Your true legacy isn't your success—it's your succession. ASK THIS: What will people remember when my name is spoken? Am I modeling a faith that will outlast me? Where could idolatry creep back in if I'm no longer around? Who am I discipling so the faith doesn't end with me? DO THIS: Share with someone younger in the faith one story of how God tore down an “idol” in your life. Invite them to tell theirs—and keep the fight alive. PRAY THIS: Lord, let my life testify against the idols of this age. And let my legacy not die with me, but live on through those I hand faith to. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Worthy of It All."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Check out our mission to teach every verse of the Bible on video in what we call Project23. Our text today is Judges 8:28-32. So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. — Judges 8:28-32 At first glance, it appears Gideon finishes well. Midian is crushed. Israel enjoys forty years of rest. He dies at a good old age. On the outside, it's a success story. But beneath the surface, cracks have formed. Gideon has multiple wives. He fathers seventy sons. He keeps a concubine in Shechem. And he names that son Abimelech—“my father is king.” The very thing Gideon swore off in verse 23—kingship—he now lives out through his family. His words said, “God rules.” But his life secretly and subtly proclaims, “I rule.” And those seeds of compromise would grow into one of Israel's darkest chapters, which you will see in the next chapter. Peace and faithfulness are not always synonymous. We have been learning this throughout the Book of Judges. A patriarch can win wars and still lose his family and the next generation for the Lord. Gideon's drift shows us how legacies are shaped—not by big moments, but by the slow accumulation of bad choices. A compromise in marriage. An unchecked desire for status. A child raised in divided loyalties. These seeds eventually sprout into a full-grown rebellion in the next generation. You are planting seeds today. Your habits, your words, your faith—or your lack of it—will shape your children and grandchildren. Gideon left Israel with forty years of rest, but he left his family with a fractured legacy that would be devastating. Your true legacy isn't your success—it's your succession. ASK THIS: Am I planting seeds of faith or seeds of compromise in my home? What hidden patterns in my life might grow into pain for the next generation? Do my words about God's rule match my lifestyle? If my legacy is not my success but my succession, what am I truly handing off? DO THIS: Take one intentional step to plant a seed of faith in your family today—pray with them, open the Word, or speak a word of blessing over them. Remember: your true legacy isn't your success—it's your succession. PRAY THIS: Father, keep me from building a false peace while sowing seeds of compromise. Help me plant a legacy of faith that will outlive me and point my family back to You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "The Blessing."

Hosts Pastor Robert Baltodano and Pastor Lloyd Pulley Question Timestamps: Susan, NJ (2:44) - If someone dies by an accident, was that their time to die? Posto, email (9:26) - What are the four things Paul said not to be ignorant of? Michael, email (11:27) - Is it possible to die before the time that God appointed for us, based on Ecclesiastes 7:17? Does this verse enlighten us to the power of human choice over our lives? Mary, NJ (14:03) - What does it mean when the Bible says we will be judged, even though we are forgiven? Chris, email (17:16) - When the Jews were in Babylonian captivity for 70 years, how did they fulfill God's commands concerning the Day of Atonement? If they couldn't then does that mean nobody was "saved" in the sense that nobody's sins were atoned for? Melissa, email (21:09) - I don't understand the fruit of the spirit, I know we receive the attributes but they are also seen in unbelievers. There are people who are kind but not saved. Can you explain this further?  Anonymous, email (24:37) - Can you explain Ephesians 5:21-22? Can you clarify roles in marriage and in the church? Jason, CA (33:31) - How is it that we know how Jesus's life was and what happened during his life, if everything was written down a hundred years after? Ed, VA (38:24) - What is our purpose on this Earth? Why did God make us, when he saw the good and the bad we would do? Iselda, NJ (44:01) - Did Pharoah or Abimelech sleep with Sarah intimately? Lydia, MA (50:07) - What does it mean to be baptized? Ask Your Question: 888-712-7434 Answers@bbtlive.org

The Book of Judges Ch. 9

Isaac Deceives Abimelech The literary design of this unit has been carefully crafted to invite the reader into a meditation on how the children repeat the story of their parents, and how God's choice of this family means that God's justice and mercy will also repeat through the generations. 1 There was…

Laban son of Nahor; Idolator; Authority; Benefits like protection; Cutting yourself off from the LORD; Protecting righteousness; Abimelech; Welfare snares and traps; Seeking guidance from Holy Spirit; Rachel's treachery; "livestock" vav-lamad-mem-kuf-hey-vav; "Seir"; Strong's numbers; Righteousness of Melchizedek; King Jesus; Semites; Government of love and peace; Structure of The Church; Serving God; Becoming Israel; Repentance; Errors of deception; Jacob's bondage; Covetous practices; Jacob's possessions; Gen 13:12; "Sechem" = "consent"; The way of peace; Tithing; hey-kuf-kuf-resh; Giving consent to city-states; 1 Sam 8 warnings; Today's "Israel"; Charity and altars; Burnt offerings?; Getting back to Holy Spirit; Canaanites; Men made into merchandise (Human resources); Gen 34:1 Dinah; Defiled?; vav+yod+ayin-nun-hey; tet-mem-aleph (defiled?); Hamor's communion; Creating allies; Rape?; Deceit biet+mem-resh-mem-hey = subtle; Circumcision; of the heart?; Markings; Freewill offerings; Sacrifice; Turning children over to the state; Using government to force neighbors; Jesus's instructions regarding covetousness; The way of Abraham; Agreeing for safety; Some choose the city (consent); Ekklesia joining with Jacob; City = terror (binding); Constitutional right to contract; Cash only = "no notes"; Skip to v30? Making Jacob stink; Sons betraying Jacob; Ps 110:4; Heb 5:6; Melchizedek; Heb 6:20; King + high priest; Becoming merchandise; Heb 7:1; Climbing around in the Tree of Knowledge; Daughters? Biet-biet-nun-vav-tav?; Are you following Christ?; Vision of Abraham - smoking furnace dividing sacrifice; Civil systems force sacrifice; King Saul's folly; Consenting against your neighbor; Mystery Babylon; Devouring the world; Connecting with Holy Spirit; Gen 27:35 Blaspheming the Lord; Jer 9:6 deceit; Deceiving yourself; lamad-hey-biet-aleph-yod-shen-nun-yod; Overcoming Jacob's stink; Join us.

David Adair walks us through Genesis 26 showing that despite Isaac's repeated failures and fears, God's grace remains.

     Concerning the permission of divorce, Jesus said the Pharisees, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way” (Matt 19:8). God's permissive will can be observed on a national level, as Paul said, “In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways” (Acts 14:16). This explains much of the poor behavior we see among the nations as we study world history. Though God desires righteousness among the nations (Prov 14:34), He allows them to pursue their own values and priorities. Yet He never relinquishes His sovereignty, and in time, He will hold every nation accountable for its actions (Ps 9:17; Rev 20:12-13).      God is always righteous and directs people to righteous living. However, God is no bully, as He does not force people to obey Him. When people turn negative to God, He permits them to pursue their sinful ways, though they are not free to choose the consequences of their actions. One who plays with fire will eventually get burned. Concerning those who “suppress God's truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18), three times it is written that He “gave them over” to “the lusts of their hearts” (Rom 1:24), and “to degrading passions” (Rom 1:26), and “to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (Rom 1:28). Once God permits a person to operate by his/her sinful passions, they are given a measure of freedom to live as they want. These are described as “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful” (Rom 1:29-31).      Fourth, there is God's overruling will, which refers to those occasions when He hinders His creatures from acting contrary to His sovereign purposes. Throughout Scripture we observe God intervening in the actions of fallen angels and people. After God permitted Adam and Eve to disobey Him, He then drove them from the Garden of Eden and overruled their ability to go back in and eat from the tree of life (Gen 3:22-24). After Abraham lied to Abimelech and told him that Sarah was his sister, Abimelech took her as his wife. However, in order to protect Sarah, God intervened and told Abimelech, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married” (Gen 20:3). Abimelech pleaded with God and claimed his innocence (Gen 20:4-5). God, being just, told Abimelech, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore, I did not let you touch her” (Gen 20:6). Jacob served his uncle Laban for twenty years, but during that time his uncle had mistreated him, and by the end, he saw his uncle “was not friendly toward him as formerly” (Gen 31:2). Realizing it was time for Jacob to leave his uncle, he told his two wives, Rachel and Leah, “your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me” (Gen 31:7). During the tribulation, there will be hostile unbelievers who will try to flee from God's wrath by seeking death. But God prevents them from this escape, as John writes, “in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them” (Rev 9:6).      When Satan wanted to attack Job, God granted him permission, saying, “Behold, all that he has is in your power” (Job 1:12a). But then God restrained Satan, saying, “do not put forth your hand on him” (Job 1:12b). When Satan came back a second time, God granted him permission to attack Job's body, saying, “he is in your power” (Job 2:6a), but then told him to “spare his life” (Job 2:6b). When Job's wife advised him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9), he responded, saying, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10). During the seven-year tribulation, demons are released from an angelic prison and “power was given them” to hurt unbelievers (Rev 9:3). However, they were restrained, as God told them, “not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months” (Rev 9:4-5a). Satan is currently active in the world (1 Pet 5:8; 1 John 5:19) and will be during the tribulation. However, God intervenes at the end of the tribulation and has Satan arrested and “bound him for a thousand years” (Rev 20:2). God's arresting angel “threw Satan into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time” (Rev 20:3).      Fifth, there is God's providential will, which refers to the outworking of His sovereign will in such a way that He creates circumstances that direct our lives and destiny. Believers who understand this will make their human plans contingent on God's sovereign plans (1 Ch 13:2; Acts 18:21; Jam 4:15). As God's people, we know the Lord and His will for our lives because His written Word informs and guides us. The Bible is our divine pedagogical guide. In addition to Scripture, God directs us providentially as He controls the circumstances of our lives to His desired end. However, only the believer with a thorough knowledge of God's Word can properly interpret his/her circumstances and know what God is doing. Interpreting circumstances, or divine impressions on the heart, is never as clear as knowing God's Word. Charles Clough states: "There is a mystical element to Christianity in how the Lord leads you; and He impresses upon you different things. But you can never elevate that mystical part of your Christian life and make it equal to the revelation of Scripture, because the revelation of Scripture is the measuring stick so you can tell the difference between Christ in the heart and heart burn. How you do that is whether it fits the Scripture."[1] God's providence is His continual care over the creation He brought into existence. God continues to create and control circumstances in order to direct history according to His predetermined plan, all for His glory and the benefit of His people. People live in the flow of history, and are moved by the circumstances God controls. J. I. Packer states: "Providence is normally defined in Christian theology as the unceasing activity of the Creator whereby, in overflowing bounty and goodwill (Psa 145:9 cf. Mt 5:45–48), he upholds his creatures in ordered existence (Acts 17:28; Col 1:17; Heb 1:3), guides and governs all events, circumstances and free acts of angels and men (cf. Psa 107; Job 1:12; 2:6; Gen 45:5–8), and directs everything to its appointed goal, for his own glory (cf. Eph 1:9–12)."[2]      God is holy and never creates evil, however, He can and does control those who do. Satan, and those who follow him, are ultimately under God's sovereign control, and even their evil plans and actions are used for His good purposes. For example, Joseph was mistreated by his brothers and sold into slavery and taken to Egypt where he suffered greatly. Yet, later in his life, Joseph interpreted their behavior from the divine perspective, telling his brothers, “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Gen 45:5). And Joseph repeated himself a second time, saying, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen 45:7-8a). And later, he told them a third time, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive” (Gen 50:20). It was God's providence that drove Saul to chase after his father's donkeys, and then be led to the prophet Samuel and anointed king of Israel (1 Sam 9-10). It was God's providence that directed Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, so the baby Jesus would be born at the appointed time and place (Mic 5:2; Luke 2:4-6; Gal 4:4). Later, Joseph and Mary were compelled to go to Egypt, in order to preserve the baby Savior (Matt 2:13-15). It was God's providence that forced Aquila and Priscilla out of Rome by the emperor Claudius' decree, only to meet the apostle Paul in Corinth and join him in Christian ministry (Acts 18:1-3; Rom 16:3; 1 Cor 16:19). It was God's providence that put the Lord Jesus on the cross to be crucified by the hands of godless men. Peter, charging Israelites in Jerusalem concerning Jesus's death, said, “This Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). And after being persecuted by the leaders in Jerusalem, Peter and John, along with others, said to God, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:27-28). In these verses we see people behaving sinfully, whether Joseph's brothers, or human rulers who abuse their power; yet God used their sinful choices to bring about a greater good. Because God is righteous, all His actions are just (Psa 119:137). Because He is loving (1 John 4:8), He directs all things for the benefit of His people. Because He is good (Psa 34:8; 100:5), He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28).      Concerning Christian ministry, God providentially opens and closes doors of service. Throughout the New Testament, an “open door” refers to a divinely orchestrated opportunity for sharing the gospel and engaging in Christian ministry (Acts 14:25-27). On one occasion the Lord closed an opportunity for ministry (Acts 16:6-7), but then opened another (Acts 16:9-10). An “open door” for ministry can have opposition (1 Cor 16:7-9), does not remove everyday concerns about life (2 Cor 2:12-13), should be sought with prayer (Col 4:2-3), and once opened cannot be shut by people (Rev 3:8). As God's people, we do not create occasions for Christian ministry; we simply accept those provided for us by the Lord (Eph 2:10).    In summary, knowing and doing God's will is largely a matter of knowing His Word and walking in it. Those who are positive to God will desire His Word in order to obey it. From Scripture we know about the Lord Himself, His sovereign control over His creation, what He desires of us, His permission of sin, as well as His directing history providentially to the return and reign of Christ. Where Scripture is silent, we may try to ascertain His will through the circumstances of our life, but such understanding must always be subordinate to the clear revelation of Scripture. Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.   [1] Charles Clough, Lesson 21 - Moral Relativism; Justification & Procedures for Holy War, (2010, 17th minute). https://www.bibleframeworkapplied.org/multi-lesson-series/deuteronomy [2] J. I. Packer, “Providence” in New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard and D. J. Wiseman, 3rd ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 979-80.

This episode features a full length Bible study taught by Pastor Jack Abeelen of Morningstar Christian Chapel in Whittier, California.If today you prayed with Pastor Jack to receive the Lord, we'd love to hear about it and get you started on the right foot. Visit us online at: https://morningstarcc.org/born-again/To see more of Pastor Jack's Bible studies, visit our Morningstar Christian Chapel channel at https://www.youtube.com/@morningstarcc.To subscribe to our Podcast newsletter go to http://eepurl.com/iGzsP6.If you would like to support our electronic ministry, you may do so by going to our donations page at https://morningstarcc.churchcenter.com/giving/to/podcast.Visit our church website at https://morningstarcc.org.

Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away, but God still provides for them. Do Ishmael and his descendants have anything to do with Islam? What is the significance of the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech? Abraham plants a tamarisk tree and puts down roots, but he is about to face his biggest test yet. Cale looks at Genesis 21, 22.

Today, we'll see interactions between Isaac and Abimelech. We'll also see God confirm his promise to Isaac. We'll discuss Esau's wives, and Isaac will give out his firstborn blessing. Gen 26:1-18, 19-33, 34-35, 27:1-29 #everydaychristians

David, Psalm, Taste and See, Abimelech, madness

X-Space discussions; Why hate Charlie Kirk; "Judeo-Christian" ideas; Nicolaitans?; Baalam?; False accusations; What are Judeo values?; Christian values?; Doers of the word; Califates; Importance of context; Translation; "Abimelech"; vs "Melchizedek"; Sycamore tree?; Luke 19 parable; Zacchaeus; Taxation; Perils of electing rulers; Pure religion vs public religion; Jesus hailed as king - of peace; Firing moneychangers; Both king and high priest; Tithing; Freewill offerings; Abraham's altars; "Communities"; Tesserae?; "Logos" = "The Word" = Right reason; vs "Rhema"; Mt 4:10 Worship and serve; Dictates of the LORD thy God; Cloaking the bible in mindless rituals; Corban; Serving God from home; Blessing of Abraham; Understanding your bondage; Willingness to communicate/converse; Gen 32:1; mem-chet-nun-yod-mem (Mahanaim); Gen 28:12; mem-lamad-aleph-kof-yod Angels; Prov 16:11 (Messenger); Unjust weights; Righteousness; "Leaven" = oppression; Two ways to rule a nation; Gifting Esau?; hey+mem-lamad-aleph-kof-yod+mem messenger? "Host" of God?; Messengers, angels; Herod's recognizing messiah; Values of God; Laban's ways; Covering Abraham's wells; Symbolism; Freedom of choice; Altars of charity; Covetous practices = idolatry; Anti-Christ; Is Christ really your king?; Well of satisfaction; Augustus Caesar - son of God?; Welfare snares; Egyptians leaving Egypt; "Shem"ites; "Fear not!"; Is your church taking care of all the needy?; Making Christians "peculiar"; Seeking the fullness of the kingdom; Jacob's procession of gifts; Consistent Christianity; Jacob wrestled a man = mem-lamad-shin-kuf; Gen 32:28 "strive"; Prince having power; Listening to Holy Spirit; Need to pray; Setting others free; Consistency of living in faith, hope and charity; Trusting God; Respecters of persons; pey-nun-yod-aleph-lamad (Peniel); Becoming Israel; Face of God?; Walking with God; What was Esau doing differently?; What about Jacob's sons?; Making Jacob stink; Seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

Part 20 of "How It Started." Genesis 20:1-21:5. A sermon about how God in control of His story in this world, and how He works in our lives, despite our sin.

Judges 9 - Lawson Harlow

Jacob in Haran - dry place; Laban?; Rightful king in Judea; Not to be like world governments; Jacob's dream; Melchizedek; Freewill offerings; Blocking wells; Abimelech; Altars; Interpretation of the bible; Rachel and children; hey-tav-chet-tav; Systems of caring; Setting others free; Love = Charity; Liberty under God vs bondage; Becoming Israel; Impatience; Gen 30:3; Curses and blessings; Using Bilhah?; "Sheba"; Using others to get our way; Playing God; Crony capitalism; Envy; Socialism; Sharing through force; Exercising authority; Jacob's blessings; Following righteousness and the perfect law of liberty; Stepping outside your responsibilities; Making Jacob stink; Dowry?; Zebulun; Living by faith, hope and charity; Sea kings?; Ten Commandments; Covetousness; Degeneration society; Independence and responsibility; Capitalism; v21 Dinah; God remembering Rachel; Exceptional Joseph; Jacob leaving Laban; Why wait for Rachel?; Understanding Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Human resources; "Call no man Father"; Welfare snares; Loving the truth; Free assemblies; Lessons from bondage; Beersheba: Well of satisfaction; Revelation of Got via Tree of Life; Choosing to sacrifice; "Mystery Babylon"; Getting ready for freedom; Caring for neighbors; Your salvation; Freedom to choose righteousness; Overcoming selfishness; Micah 5:1; "troops" tav-tav-gimel-dalet-dalet-yod; Seven men; Living by faith; Putting faith into action; Self-organization; Practicing pure religion; Peace.

God never makes a mistake, so whatever He does is working in our best intrest, regardless of how it looks. Bible in a Year: Psalms 135-136 & 1 Corinthians 12. 

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Jesus says Abiathar was the high priest in Mark 2, but 1 Samuel says it was Abimelech. Was Jesus wrong? Did the Gospel writers get it wrong? Either way, Pesky Passages on TikTok claims this contradiction creates problems for biblical inerrancy. Let's take a closer look and bring our questions! I'll take calls when I finish with my comments. Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 1:02 Updates & future shows 3:33 Objections against Christianity provide a great opportunity to grow 5:50 The role of presuppositions in Bible contradictions 8:22 Did Jesus get it wrong? What's the context for Mark 2:26? 13:21 Who was the high priest in 1 Samuel? How should "epi" be translated? 19:35 Why was Abiathar named? 24:43 Does Jesus's statement rewrite history? Did Jesus get it wrong, or did the writer get it wrong? 30:32 Am I doing "Apologetics Gymnastics?" 37:46 LISTENER QUESTION: Would you approach verses in the Quran in the same way? 39:29 LISTENER QUESTION: Did I use a false dichotomy with evolution? 40:15 LISTENER QUESTION: MAVEN speakers and steel-manning other arguments. 43:09 Do you find this show valuable? Consider spreading the content and supporting. 44:43 LISTENER QUESTION: Do you have any apologetics book recommendations?

Harder look at Abraham; "Gerar"; What Abraham was doing; Strangers; Melchizedek vs Abimelech; Degenerating the people; Lifestyle; Assisted suicide?; Abraham's tithe; Human resources; Capitalism; Charity = Love; The culture of Nature's God; Revelation; Fasting; Ruth and Naomi; Burning furnace; Tree of Life; Fleeing the light; Abraham's vision; Jacobs dream; Ambassadors of God; Life's journey; Self-indulgence vs caring for one another; William the Conqueror; Covenants; Law of nations; Haran - dry place; Abraham's reputation; Feeding sheep; Trusting Abimelech?; Common reasons for divorce; Idolatry; Blame; Understanding Abraham; Life requires sacrifice; Waiting upon the Lord; How to follow Abraham and Christ; Righteousness of God; Abundance of life; "Pillow"?; Canaanites; Merchants of men; Smoking furnace?; Source of dominion; Caring through charity; Christ's institutions; Authors of confusion; Gen 15:17; Consequences of your choices; Isa 6:13; Being Doer's of the Word; Altars of charity; Iniquity of Rachel, Sarah, Leban; Manipulation; Deut 4:20; When to give?; Jer 11:4; Iron furnace = bondage; Rightly dividing charity; Satisfaction?; Coming to the well of Christ; God's timing; Being a stranger in Canaan; Jacob's leaving his comfort zone; Repentance; Freewill sacrifice; World of confusion and manipulation; Recognizing God's miracles; Rebekah vs Rachel; Dry bones?; Symptoms of being off the righteous way; Consuming fire; Jacob's dream; Messengers of God; Gen 29:1; Rachel's late arrival; Being Christ's Church; Symbolism of Jacob meeting Rachel; Are you submitting to God?; Laban's eye for gold; Laban's wife-swap; Seek Righteousness.

Bible tied together by principle; Righteous kings; Separation of Church and State; Eleazor of Damascus; Freewill or bondage?; Abimelech; Milk and meat; Haran, Ham-ur-abi; Having eyes to see; Dry bones; Hebrew letters and words; Tzdek-aleph-nun = flock/multitude; "Stone"?; Government of God; Gen 28:1 Isaac blessing Jacob; Becoming Israel; Jacob removing a stone; "Multiplied" = "hey-yod-hey", but "vav-hey-yod-yod-tav"; Spiritual Isaac; Republics; Missing the bible story; Living in the city?; Degenerational dependence; "Israel"; Idolatry; "aleph-resh-mem"; Cause and effect; "Gerar"; Covetousness - not Okay; Charity; Blessings of faith; Canaanite; Rightly dividing charity; Leaven = oppression; Mixing church and state; Dumbing down society; The Way of Christ also seen in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Jacob's dream; Angels? = messenger/ambassador; Haran; Strangers; Belonging to government; v4 "stranger" = mem-gimel-resh-yod-kuf; Who is Israel?; Families of the Earth; Volunteering into bondage; Receiving Jacob's inheritance; Living by prayer; Setting the captive free; Leaving your comfort zone; Busy angels; Burning Bush Festival; Jacob's comforter?; "chet-resh-resh" = Haran; Strangling middle class; Abraham's burning lamp; Stone: Aleph-biet-nun; Abraham lived by faith, not force; Freedom of choice; Construction of aleph; Mem+aleph-biet-nun+yod; Isa 62:10 Stones; What is the ladder?; Sacrifice?; Moses' offerings; Christ's living stones; Welfare; Making Jacob stink?; How free are you?; Human resources; Bad decisions; "Christ"; Anointing; Repent and seek His kingdom and His righteousness.