Podcasts about assyrian empire

This is message 35 in the Isaiah series. Isaiah 36:1-37:38 Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, stands as the defender of His people when they trust fully in Him. When the enemy mocks God's name and threatens His people with overwhelming strength, He does not remain silent. Hezekiah laid the blasphemous threats before the Lord, not in panic, but in faith, and the Lord answered with power. Without a sword drawn by Judah, the armies of Assyria fell in a single night. God proved Himself to be the living God, unlike the powerless idols of the nations. The Lord of Hosts alone rules over every army in heaven and on earth, and none can stand against Him. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

Jesus, Jonah, and Easter Mosaic of Redemption Essential Church April 13, 2025   SUMMARY The message begins with a conversation about a grocery store incident, highlighting themes of apathy and the importance of taking action when witnessing wrongdoing. The pastor then transitions into a sermon, using the story of Jonah from the Old Testament to draw parallels with Jesus Christ. Jonah is portrayed as an antihero, someone who reluctantly fulfills God's mission despite his initial resistance. The narrative explores Jonah's disobedience when God calls him to preach to Nineveh, a city in the Assyrian Empire, known for its brutality. Jonah's attempt to flee results in a storm, leading to his sacrifice and being swallowed by a whale for three days and nights, drawing a parallel to Jesus' resurrection. The pastor delves into the historical context of Israel, explaining its division into the northern and southern kingdoms and its role as God's chosen people meant to be a blessing to all nations. The story of Jonah is retold with Israel's mission in mind, emphasizing God's desire for Israel to share His message with others. The sermon concludes with a reflection on the open-ended nature of Jonah's story and its relevance to the audience. The pastor challenges listeners to consider their role in sharing the message of salvation, especially with the approach of Easter, encouraging them to invite others to experience God's grace. DESCRIPTION 1. **Apathy vs. Action**: How do you interpret the conversation about apathy and violence at the beginning of the Project? What role do you think individuals should play when witnessing injustice or wrongdoing? 2. **Jonah as an Antihero**: In what ways does Jonah's character challenge traditional notions of a hero in biblical narratives? How does his story reflect the complexities of human nature? 3. **Historical Context**: How does understanding the historical and cultural context of Jonah's story enhance your interpretation of its message? 4. **Parallels with Jesus**: What are the significant parallels between Jonah's story and the life of Jesus? How do these connections deepen your understanding of the New Testament? 5. **Israel's Role**: Discuss the concept of Israel as God's chosen people. How does this role translate into responsibilities and expectations in the biblical narrative? 6. **Open-Ended Story**: The story of Jonah ends with uncertainty. How does this open-ended conclusion affect your interpretation of the narrative? What lessons can be drawn from this ambiguity? 7. **Personal Reflection**: Reflect on the message of sharing God's blessings with others. How can you apply this principle in your own life, especially in the context of upcoming events like Easter? 8. **Modern-Day Application**: How can the themes of Jonah's story be applied to contemporary issues of social justice and community responsibility?

In this episode, we explore one of the most dramatic and mysterious transformations in ancient Near Eastern history: the sudden rise of the Kingdom of Urartu—known to its own people as Biainilli—under the leadership of Sarduri I, son of Lutipri. From roughly 835 BCE, Sarduri doesn't merely shift a capital; he constructs an entire state system seemingly from the ground up on the eastern shore of Lake Van.We examine the enigmatic origins of the Bia people, Sarduri's audacious construction of the fortress city of Tushpa, the revolutionary engineering and water management systems he introduced, and the profound Assyrian influence embedded in his kingship. Drawing from sparse but powerful inscriptions, including one carved into Tushpa's very walls, we uncover a kingdom that appears almost overnight—built with massive cyclopean stones, complex administrative systems, and a new vision of political unity.Also discussed is the religious unification initiated by his successor, Ishpuini, and the powerful adoption of the warrior god Khaldi from the holy city of Ardini, a site now lost to history.Urartu's rise isn't just the birth of a kingdom—it's a case study in statecraft, innovation, and resilience at the edge of empire.Keywords: Urartu, Sarduri I, Tushpa, Lake Van, Biainilli, Ishpuini, Khaldi, Musasir, Assyrian Empire, ancient Near East, Iron Age, Armenian Highlands, archaeology, ancient engineering, lost cities, Oldest Stories podcastI am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories on Reels, Tiktok, and Youtube.If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhSDonate here: https://oldeststories.net/or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckleyor on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/joinYoutube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.

“For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12–13 NLT) Charting the rise and fall of empires is not always easy to determine, as there are overlapping or conflicting dates of when nations rise and fall. Generally speaking, though, the Western Roman Empire lasted just over 500 years, from 27 BC to AD 476. The Ottoman Empire lasted 623 years, from 1299 to 1922 (although its remnants can still be found in living rooms throughout the world). The Assyrian Empire, in its different forms, surpassed the millennium mark beginning in 2025 BC through the fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 609 BC, it spanned more than 1,400 years. It’s hard to draw parallels between these empires or to say definitively why some endure longer than others. Some people might say the only real takeaway is that nothing lasts forever. But that’s not true. The passage from 2 Samuel 7 above records the promise God made to David, the king of Israel and “a man after God’s own heart.” God promised David that his kingdom—and that of his son and successor Solomon—would last forever. And it would last forever because their descendant would be the Messiah, the Son of God, who will rule for eternity. Psalm 89:29 offers a similar prophecy: “I will preserve an heir for him; his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven” (NLT). And Isaiah 9:7 says of the Anointed One, or Messiah, “His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (NLT). When you think of all the things that can go wrong in a nation, empire, or kingdom, the idea of one lasting forever seems nearly impossible. But that speaks to the nature of Christ’s kingdom. There will be no divisions, no corruption, no power plays, no dissatisfaction. The Lord will rule, and everyone in His kingdom will joyfully submit to Him. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (NLT). That brings us to one more point that absolutely must be mentioned. Not only will Christ’s kingdom last forever, so will everyone in it. The apostle Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT). Jesus paid those wages when He gave His life on the cross in our place. His sacrifice makes it possible for us to live forever with Him. He said so Himself: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die” (John 11:25–26 NLT). If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and have asked Him to forgive you of your sin, the Bible teaches that when you die, you will go immediately into the presence of God in Heaven. That is God’s promise to you. But God promises not only life beyond the grave; He also promises life during life—not just an existence, but a life worth living. Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). That is the hope and promise for all Christians. That is why the believer does not have to be afraid to die. Or afraid to live. Reflection question: How do you know—or how can you know—that you will spend eternity with Christ in His kingdom? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Exodus Way E6 — By the time of the prophet Isaiah, the Assyrian Empire had already exiled the northern kingdom of Israel. Isaiah prophesied that the southern kingdom of Judah would survive Assyrian attack but that a new empire, Babylon, would one day take Judah into exile because of their injustice and idolatry. Within this world of empires, oppressors, and exiles, Isaiah prophesied about a more cosmic, permanent Exodus to come for God's people. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the narrative beats of Exodus in Isaiah and how his prophetic images inspired the gospel writers.CHAPTERSEmpires in the Time of Isaiah (0:00-12:48)The Messiah's Ultimate Road in and Road Out in Isaiah 11 (12:48-32:19)The Highway of God in Isaiah 40 and a New Exodus in Isaiah 43 (32:19-51:05)A New Exodus of Repentance in Isaiah 58 (51:05-59:07)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Haunt Me Home (feat. Catalina Bellizzi)” by Alert312“Today Feels Like Everyday” by Mama AiutoBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

Jonah ran from God. And then he experienced three days and nights of death-like stasis in a great fish. Now he is out and commanded by God to go to one of Israel's greatest enemies, the Assyrian Empire. Chapters 3 and 4 reveal the heart of Jonah and the heart of God. Once again, we hold this book up like a mirror and ask how we might be like Jonah. Do we care more for material goods than souls? God's rhetorical question, "Should I not pity?" may sting us as much as it did Jonah. Links: (1) Help make PSB better: become a Patron at www.patreon.com/PureandSimpleBible. You'll get some behind the scenes access to the podcast and videos, opportunities to vote for future content, and most importantly the joy of partnering and encouraging Jonathan to continue to produce pure and simple conversations about the Bible. (2) Get free resources for PDF download from www.pureandsimplebible.com/studyseries. These study books can help you, your family, and others in your life.

We journey through the life of the prophet Elijah during a rebellious reign in the northern kingdom of Israel. Elijah stands against the idolatry of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, delivering God's judgment of drought upon the land. We discuss God's miraculous provision for Elijah, including his time in Zarephath with a widow and her son, and the epic showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. We end with a reflection on the downfall of the northern kingdom and its exile by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC.Bible Readings1 Kings 16:29-331 Kings 17:1-241 Kings 18:22-40Philippians 4:10-13Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgOur sessions use various translations including the ESV, BSB, CSB, NASB,...

Send us a textAt just 25, Hezekiah inherited a kingdom under massive pressure from the mighty Assyrian Empire. But instead of cowering, he launched a bold religious and political revolution that would alter the course of Jewish history. How did he navigate treacherous geopolitical waters while transforming temple worship? What made him both a strategic political player and a deeply spiritual leader?Support the show

Join us as we begin the book of Nahum, exploring God's justice, holiness, and power through His message to Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire. This sermon sets the stage with historical context, Nahum's role as a prophet, and how God's wrath and mercy ultimately point us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is message 12 in the Isaiah series. Isaiah 10:5-24 The Assyrian Empire rose as a tool of divine judgement, wielded by God to discipline nations, including Israel, for their disobedience. However, Assyria's own pride and cruelty led to its downfall, demonstrating that no empire is beyond God's judgement. The empire's collapse, marked by the fall of Nineveh, reveals the fleeting nature of human power and the enduring sovereignty of God over the course of history. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

He may not be the best-known villain in the Bible, but he certainly makes the list. Haman was a vizier in the Assyrian Empire who tried to eliminate the Jews from the world. God intervened through two very unlikely figures, with a strong dose of irony, and showed himself faithful in the only book of the Bible that doesn't mention his name. 

This is message 01 in the Isaiah series. Isaiah 1:1 Isaiah's life and ministry demonstrate a profound reliance on God's holiness, salvation, and faithfulness amidst crisis and spiritual decay. Living during a tumultuous period dominated by the Assyrian Empire, Isaiah faithfully delivered God's message of judgment and hope. His life underscores the importance of trusting God over political alliances, repentance over ritualistic worship, and embracing God's promises for the future. As a prophet, Isaiah not only warned of the immediate consequences of sin but also pointed to the ultimate hope found in the Messiah and the Millennium Kingdom, offering timeless lessons on God's sovereignty, holiness, and redemption. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

In this session, we explore the historical account of the division of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah. We witness the consequences of the rebellion and sin of both kingdoms, leading to their ultimate downfall at the hands of foreign empires. Despite warnings from prophets, the Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC, and later the Kingdom of Judah suffers the same fate at the hands of the Babylonian Empire. However, amidst the devastation, God promises a future restoration and introduces the New Covenant, offering forgiveness and a transformation from within.Suggested Reading:1 Kings 12:25-33Jeremiah 29:4-14Jeremiah 31:31-37Episode HighlightsThe split of the united kingdom after Solomon's deathThe northern kingdom's descent into idolatryThe fall of Israel to Assyria (722 BC)Judah's similar path to destructionGod's promise of the New Covenant through JeremiahSupport the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgOur sessions use various translations including the ESV, BSB, CSB, NASB,...

A Sermon for the First Sunday after Christmas Isaiah 7-9 & St. Matthew 1:18-25 by William Klock The Prophet Isaiah made his way along the dusty track across the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem.  His young son walked beside him as they followed the Siloam Channel that carried water from an ancient rock-cut pool into to the city.  That's where the Lord had told Isaiah he would meet the King, Ahaz.  He was to go there to declare the word of the Lord to the King and he was to take his young son with him, whom the Lord had told him to name Shear-jashub.  The name means “a remnant shall return”.  A way of saying that God would not let his people be obliterated by their enemies.  Isaiah's son was, himself, part of the prophetic message.  And there was the King.  Ahaz was looking over the great stones, carved and set a thousand years before by the Canaanites who had founded Jerusalem.  It was the city's water supply and Isaiah could see the concern on the King's face.  Those were dark days.  Seven-hundred-and-thirty years before Jesus was born.  The Assyrian Empire to the east was the great power of the day and claimed the small western powers like Judah, Israel, and Syria as its own.  The King of Israel, in particular, was in a tough spot.  To pay the tribute he owed to the Assyrians he levied an enormous tax on the rich.  Rich people don't like being heavily taxed and they were on the verge of revolt.  At the moment, the King of Assyria was busy fighting in the north, so the King of Israel made an alliance with the King of Syria and the two of them approached Ahaz.  They wanted Judah to join their alliance.  Together, maybe, they could throw off the heavy Assyrian yoke.  They'd done it a hundred years before.  Together, maybe, they could do it again. But Ahaz was afraid.  He knew what would happen if they lost.  And so he refused to join the alliance.  But Israel and Syria wouldn't take no for an answer.  They laid siege to Jerusalem.  If Ahaz wouldn't join up with them, they would defeat him and put their own puppet king on the throne of Judah.  And so, that day, King Ahaz was out surveying Jerusalem's water supply.  Would it survive the siege?  He was worried.  And that's where Isaiah and Shear-jashub met him.  Isaiah was afraid, too.  Ahaz had a reputation.  Both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles tell us that he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  Instead of following in the footsteps of his “father” David, he walked in the ways of the evil kings of Israel.  He was a weak, fearful, and vacillating king.  Instead of trusting the Lord to deal with Israel and Syria, he aligned himself with Assyria.  A few years later, after visiting the temples of the Assyrian capital, he would remove various furnishings from the temple in Jerusalem in order to make room for a pagan altar like the ones he'd seen there.  He was a wicked king who would lead God's people into idolatry.  Confronting a king with the word of the Lord is never an easy thing to do, but confronting an ungodly king with the word of the Lord was even more difficult.  Think of John the Baptist, seven hundred years later, landing in Herod's prison for declaring the word of the Lord.  But unlike the King who trusted in horses and chariots and in foreign gods and kings more than he trusted in the Lord, Isaiah's faith was unwavering.  And he met the King and, nervous as he surely was, he declared the word of the Lord with power and authority.  “Do not be afraid”.  This alliance of Israel and Syria and their siege, the Lord said: “It shall not stand”.  The Lord was urging the king to trust in him.  He also said, through Isaiah, “If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.” And to guarantee his promise to the King, the Lord gave Ahaz a sign.  Through Isaiah he said to him: Behold, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.  He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.  For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.   What the Lord was saying to Ahaz was, “Look.  Trust in me.  Don't trust in horses, don't trust in chariots, don't trust in pagan kings and pagan gods.  Trust in me and I will take care of you.  I am your God and you are my people.  I promised David that his descendants would sit on Judah's throne forever and neither Israel, nor Syria, nor the Assyrians will undermine my promise.”  The Lord had Isaiah mention a young woman, a maiden.  We don't know who this girl was, but it had to be someone known to the king.  Maybe the queen or one of the princesses in the court.  Whoever it was, Isaiah tells the king that she's going to have a child and he is to be named Immanuel.  Immanuel means “God is with us”.  And the Lord tells the king that by the time this child is eating solid food, by the time he's old enough to know the difference between good and evil, he, the Lord himself, will put an end to the threat posed by the kings of Israel and Syria.  Again: Don't trust in horses.  Don't trust in chariots.  Don't trust in pagan kings and pagan gods.  Trust in the Lord and walk with him.  He is with you. But that wasn't the end of it.  The Lord later sent Isaiah back to the king.  This time a woman referred to as “the prophetess”—probably Isaiah's wife—had borne a son named Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “the spoil speeds, the prey hastens”.  The Lord's message was again for Ahaz to trust in him.  Before this child was old enough to say the words “father” and “mother” the Lord would deal with the threat of Israel and Syria.  Again, don't trust in pagan kings and pagan gods, trust in the Lord.  “God is with us,” declared Isaiah.  “The Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.  He will become a sanctuary, a stone one strikes against; for both houses of Israel he will become a rock one stumbles over—a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Now, is the Lord faithful?  Does he do what he promises?  Of course.  What the Lord promised was exactly what happened.  In a short time the king of Assyria crushed Syria and Israel.  The northern Jewish kingdom was destroyed and the people scattered.  The Lord delivered the people of Judah.  Ahaz, not surprisingly being the wicked king he was, made an alliance with Assyria anyway and brought the worship of the Assyrian gods to Israel.  But his son, Hezekiah, saw what the Lord had done.  Hezekiah, when he succeeded his father, trusted the Lord and spent his reign trying to undo the evil his father had done.  When the Assyrians laid siege to Jerusalem thirty years later and the enemy soldiers taunted the Judahites to give up on their God and the enemy commander delivered a letter demanding Hezekiah's surrender, Hezekiah took that letter to the temple and knelt in prayer before the Lord.  He entrusted himself and his people to the God he knew to be faithful.  And that night the Lord unleashed a plague on the Assyrian army that wiped them out. More often than not, when the New Testament writers wanted to recall the Lord's faithfulness or the Lord's deliverance, they drew on the story of the Exodus.  It makes sense.  The Exodus was the great story of the Lord's faithfulness to his promises and of his deliverance of his people.  It set the pattern.  But it wasn't the only story in Israel's history that puts the Lord's faithfulness and deliverance on display.  As St. Matthew tells us about the birth of Jesus in today's Gospel, he quotes from Isaiah's prophesy to Ahaz in order to put Jesus in perspective.  Remember that Matthew was writing his Gospel for the benefit of his fellow Jews and so he regularly recalls their scriptures and their story to show that what the God of Israel was doing in Jesus was part of their story—in fact, that what God was doing in and through Jesus was the culmination of the story of Israel. And so Matthew reminds the people that when Jesus was born, his people were living in dark days—not all that unlike the dark days of Isaiah and Ahaz.  They'd returned from exile in Babylon, but they were still ruled by foreign, pagan kings.  It was like the exile had never really ended.  Most notably, the Lord's presence had never returned to the temple.  God was absent and the people longed for his return, not just because he would set everything to rights, but so that they could again live in his presence.  And so it should be no wonder that Matthew pulls this story about the baby, Immanuel, “God with us”, that he pulls it out from Israel's past and into the present day. So Matthew begins his Gospel with the genealogy of Joseph.  I used to read that genealogy as a kid, stumbling through all the names, and wondered why it was so important.  In part, Matthew wanted to show the kingly lineage of Joseph.  Even though he wasn't an important man, he was a descendant of Abraham and of David.  But at least as important as that is the way Matthew selectively structures his genealogy.  As he says in verse 17: fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Exile, and fourteen generations from the Exile to the Messiah.  Seven symbolised completion, so six times seven and now, as the seventh seven is about to begin, Jesus is born—the climax of the whole list, the one whom Israel had awaited for two thousand years.  As Paul puts it in our Epistle from Galatians: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” The Old Testament, Israel's scriptures, over and over and over and over—above everything else—highlights the faithfulness of God to his promises.  There are all sorts of themes that run through the Old Testament, but above them all, pulling them all together, is the faithfulness of God.  Humans are fickle—the story also makes that clear—but God is faithful and worthy of our trust, worthy of our worship, worthy of our loyalty and allegiance.  And, after setting out Joseph's divinely orchestrated genealogy, Matthew launches into the story itself in verse 18: This was how the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place.  His mother, Mary, was engaged to Jospeh; but before they came together she turned out to be pregnant—by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph, her husband-to-be— was an upright man.  He didn't want to make a public example of her, so he decided to set the marriage aside privately. It's not hard to imagine the disappointment, the embarrassment, even the shame that Joseph felt.  “It's not another man,” Mary told him.  “I'm pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  That's what the angel told me.  I don't understand how it can be, but he told me that this child is the Messiah.” Joseph knew where babies come from.  This was going to bring shame on him and so, Matthew says, Joseph made plans to quietly separate from Mary—to break off the engagement.  Hopefully he could distance himself from the whole fiasco, save some face, move on with life, and maybe find someone more respectable to marry. But then the angel appeared to Joseph.  “Joseph, son of David!” the angel greeted him.  Joseph was a descendant of King David, but so were a lot of people.  This was the first time anyone had ever addressed Joseph as if he were a prince.  But the angel's making a point: Joseph is part of the royal family—the family from which the Messiah would come.  “Joseph, don't be afraid to follow through with this marriage to Mary.  She wasn't lying when she told you she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  She's not crazy.  A miracle has really happened.  She's going to have a son.  And, listen, when he's born, you are to name him ‘Jesus'.  Why?  Because he's the one who will save his people from their sins.” If we're paying really close attention, we might notice that the way Matthew tells the story parallels the story of Isaiah going to meet King Ahaz—to declare the word of the Lord.  Matthew reminds us that Joseph is a descendant of that same royal family.  “Don't be afraid” he declares.  A child is about to be born and you're going to name him Jesus.  You're going to name him “Yahweh saves”.  Maybe we miss the parallels.  As we say, “Explain it to me like I'm five years old.”  And so Matthew makes it very plain in verse 22: All this happened so that what the Lord said through the prophet might be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin is pregnant, and will have a son, and they shall give him the name Immanuel,” which means, in translation, “God with us”.   He makes this connection explicitly clear, because as best we can tell, no one before Matthew had ever thought of Isaiah's prophecy being fulfilled in the birth of the coming Messiah.  No one had ever made that connection, because everyone knew that Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled in the days of King Ahaz.  Everyone knew that.  It was actually Matthew, knowing what Isaiah had said and the history that surrounded that prophecy, it was Matthew who saw there a sort of prefiguring of Jesus.  Paul wasn't the only Jew who, when confronted with the risen Jesus, went back and rethought all of Israel's story with him in mind.  Matthew did it too. When people said to Matthew, “You fool!  Don't you know where babies come from?  The Lord doesn't work this way!”  Matthew pointed back to Isaiah and said, “You wanna bet?  The Lord does work this way.  In fact, he's been working this way all through the history of our people.  Our story and all the little details that God has been working out were pointing to this, like little lights along a tunnel, and now those little lights have led us out in the blinding light of the sun—except the light is God and those little glimpses he's given of himself have finally led us to this place where—in Jesus—we see his glory blazing forth in all its brightness.  I can imagine Matthew, talking with his fellow Jews, and pointing them back to the characters and the stories they knew so well and showing how they were little lights, little bits of God's glory revealed, leading them through the darkness to the glorious day of Jesus.  This story of Ahaz and Isaiah and the baby Immanuel pointing forward to the day when “God with us” wouldn't just be the prophetic name of a royal baby boy, but when a royal baby boy would be born who would literally be “God with us”.  How the story of Abraham taking Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him and the Lord providing a ram in Isaac's place, how that story prefigured and prepared the people for the cross, where the Lord gave his only and beloved Son to die in the place of his sinful people.  How the giving of the law and the building of the tabernacle were but lights pointing forward to the day when the Lord would pour out his Spirit on his people.  How even the Exodus and the Passover—the great and defining events of Israel's story—are now, in the light of Jesus, but little candles along the way, preparing the people for the day when the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus would deliver the people, not just from the oppression of a pagan king, but from the dominion of sin and death. So Matthew's point is this: We need to understand the story of Jesus—his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his lordship—everything we sum up in that acclamation during the Lord's Supper when we say, “Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.”—Matthew wants us to know that this isn't some new story that stands all by itself.  He wants us to know that it's the continuation of the great story of the God of Israel and his people, the long story that goes all the way back to Abraham.  And not just that, but that it's the culmination of that story.  Remember I said that the great overarching theme of that big story is the faithfulness of God.  Ever since Abraham, God has been calling people to trust him.  We live in a world broken by sin and death.  We all know it's not supposed to be this way.  And so we try to fix it.  And there are all sorts of ideas out there about how to do that.  Pray to this god.  Follow that philosophy.  And into the midst of the darkness and the chaos the Lord reveals himself and says: Leave your idols and follow me. But why would we?  What could ever inspire a person to abandon Zeus or Baal for the God of Israel?  What could ever inspire a person to give up the philosophy of Plato or Epicurus for the God of Israel?  What would inspire our ancestors to stop worshipping oak trees or ancestors?  Brothers and Sisters, it's the story—the story that reminds us over and over and over and over that this Lord is faithful—that he does what he says.  And we see it first and foremost as it all comes together in Jesus.  In him we see the loving character of God as he gives himself to fulfil his promises for the sake of his people.  And in Jesus we see the Lord setting this word to rights.  The very thing that all the other gods and philosophies promise, but can never deliver—a new age, a new creation—Brothers and Sisters, the Lord has delivered it in the death and resurrection of Jesus: the defeat of sin and death and new life.  Immanuel—“God with us”.  For real.  Fulfilling his promises as he plunges us into the life of his Spirit in our baptism.  Showing he is worthy of our faith, our trust, our loyalty, our allegiance, our worship.  When Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me,” he's pointing back to that story of God's faithfulness, back to all those lights along the way in the darkness that have led us to him—to the full brightness of God's blazing glory and saying, “Trust me.” Let us pray: Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin:  Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honour and glory, now and for ever.  Amen.

Menachem deals with a threat from the rising Assyrian Empire

Waiting for the King (Christmas): During an era of darkness, God promised the birth of a son who would become a king — but not just any king. He would bring joy and peace. He would be the light of the world. And he would reign over the kingdom of God forever and ever. Even in deep darkness, there was hope. Hosanna! Lord, save us! Recorded on Dec 22, 2024, on Isaiah 9:1-6 by Pastor David Parks. Sermon Transcript So, we're taking a little break from our Exodus series for Christmas. During this Advent season, we've said that advent comes from the Latin for “arrival” and reminds us that the people of Israel had waited for generations for the coming of the promised Messianic King — a promise fulfilled in the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ. But just as God's people waited for the first advent of Christ, so today, we await the second advent in the return of Christ. In our Christmas mini-series, Waiting for the King, we'll focus on the light of the promise of the first advent during a time of great darkness for the people of God. During our Candlelight Christmas Eve service on Tuesday at 4:30, we'll tell the story of the birth of Jesus. Then, next week, we'll focus on the hope of the promise of the second advent and the return of Christ. Salvation has come in Jesus' name. Love, joy, and peace have come in Jesus' name. But today, we're still waiting for the King and his return, which will mark the end of this age and the beginning of the next. Now, I don't know about you, but the darkness of this time of year really affects me. Yesterday was the winter solstice, which means it was the shortest and darkest day of the year. I had a great day yesterday, but when it's dark out or if it's grey and rainy, I can't help but feel a little dark or grey and rainy. Have you ever felt that way? Or have you ever woken up and it was just this brilliantly bright sunny day, and you felt more hopeful about your day or week (or life)? It's funny how that works. In the passage, we're going to consider today, God's people were in a time of darkness. It wasn't just the winter solstice. Every day from now until June will get brighter and brighter for us. But they couldn't just wait a few months for more sun and better weather. They were in a time of destruction and death. They were under attack from much stronger enemies. This was a time of exile. They need to be saved. But hope seemed to be all but gone. The faithful ones cried out, “Hosanna!” which means, “Lord save us!” They needed to be rescued yet again. They needed light in the darkness. But even though they had brought all this destruction and death on themselves, the Lord God Almighty is a gracious God, abounding in love. As we've seen over and over in the Exodus story, Yahweh is good and faithful, even when the people stumble and grumble and quarrel with God. Today, we'll see the good promise of God for a people walking in darkness. And the promise centers on a child who would be born who would become a king. But who was this king, what would he do, and why is this still good news for us today? If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Isaiah 9:1. Isaiah 9:1–2 (NIV), “1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” During the time of King David, around 1000 BC, the kingdom of Israel was united and had peace. Unfortunately, that peace didn't last long. After David and his son Solomon reigned, the kingdom split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. This lasted about 200 years until the Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, and many people, especially in the northernmost tribal areas of Zebulun an...

Twelve Days to Christmas Introduction Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3. Today we start a "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Each study will be, by necessity, just brief introductions to the themes contained within them. The birth of Jesus Christ is the most celebrated around the world. The celebrations transcend cultures, peoples, and languages. The celebrations are also just as diverse. Of course most people stop with Jesus being a baby and continue no further with Him. Jesus Christ is the most unique person in history. Jesus Christ is also the most divisive person to be found at any time and anywhere. Almost everyone has an opinion about Him, even if that opinion is based on ignorance, silence or misinformation. As Christians we believe that Jesus' birth was the culmination of thousands of years of God telling the world that He was coming. From the time of the Fall when people showed active rebellion and disobedience towards God in Genesis 3, God was planning the time when He would step into history in the man, Jesus Christ. Throughout the Old Testament, we see that the birth, life and mission of Jesus Christ is the aim and focus of attention. We see it in the stories of people like Abraham and Moses. We see it in the nation of Israel, which was to be God's light to all the nations. We see it in the Israelite sacrificial system and law. We see it during the time of the Judges and the Kings. We especially see it through the prophets. The whole Old Testament is joined together, because it all speaks about this baby, Jesus Christ. This baby, who was both 100% human and 100% divine, grew in wisdom and stature. This baby was born in order that He would die on a cross some 33 years later. He did not die for his own sins, but for the sins of the entire world - all past, present and future sins. This baby was born to die so that the entire world may have life and life everlasting, if each individual chooses to accept it. Let us discover together what two people had to say about him. These twelve studies will based in the book of Isaiah and the book of Zechariah. Firstly, let me introduce these two books to you. Isaiah The author is self-identified as Isaiah, and his name means "The Lord Saves". Isaiah wrote around the same time as Amos, Hosea and Micah. He started about 740BC and it was during this time, that Israel was declining and the Assyrian Empire rapidly expanding. In his writings, Isaiah reveals a great deal regarding God's judgment on sin and salvation from sin. During these studies, as we have seen, will primarily focus on the later chapters. Key verses are: Isaiah 9:6-7 - For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 9:7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this. Isaiah 53:5-6 - But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Zechariah The author, again, is self-identified, in this case Zechariah. Zechariah, a young man, was not only a prophet, but also a member of a priestly family. He was born in Babylon and had returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel's leadership. Zechariah was active around the same time as the prophet Haggai. This period of time, 520BC to 480BC, occurred in the postexilic period after Israel was restored from Babylonian captivity. Key verses are Zechariah 8:3 - Thus says Yahweh: "I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;' and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.'" Zechariah 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. So there we have a very brief introduction to the book of Isaiah and the book of Zechariah. Thank you. Right mouse click to save this Podcast as a MP3.

Have you ever wondered about the oldest recipes in history? They were discovered on four clay tablets from about 1,700 BCE at the time of the Assyrian Empire. Did you know that about 5 million Assyrians still live around the world today? This year, a cookbook was published that is the first modern collection of exclusively Assyrian cuisine, food that has a lot of overlap with those ancient tablets. It's called The Oldest Kitchen in the World, and in it, Matay de Mayee records the recipes of his mother, Smuni Turan — recipes her ancestors have been passing down orally for centuries. Today, they join Lilah in the studio to talk about their kitchen.-------The Oldest Kitchen in the World is published in English, Dutch and German — in Dutch and German its title is Haniyé. You can find it in bookshops in the US, Canada, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and online.-------Send us your predictions! Write to Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com or on Instagram @lilahrap. And — thank you.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahaha (fl. c.1870 BC) was one of the world's earliest known businesswomen. Part of a thriving community of merchants and merchants' wives in the Assyrian Empire, these women left behind archives of ledgers, contracts, and personal notes detailing an entire community of go-getters, nearly 4,000 years ago.  For Further Reading:  The secret letters of history's first-known businesswomen Trade and contraband in ancient Assyria Housewives, Weavers and Businesswomen: Assyrian Women from Assur and Kanesh Women Work, Men are Professionals in the Old Assyrian Private Archives This month we're talking about Go-Getters. Women who purposefully—or accidentally!—acquired life-changing wealth, good fortune, or influence. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should. Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Hannah Bottum, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, and Vanessa Handy. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The angry and impotent king Shamshi-Adad would accomplish quite little during his reign of the Neo-Assyrian empire, but he would manage to completely annihilate the resurgent Babylonians and set them back a full century, while also marrying Shammu-Ramat, the inspiration for the mythical Semiramis, and allowing the Assyrian Empire to descend fully into the Age of the Magnates, or Assyrian Feudal Period. If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially: Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/ or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join Youtube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.

The Northern Lights were visible much farther south than usual this year, and pictures of the colorful hues filled social media. Now, imagine an aurora hundreds of times brighter - except no one would be able to snap a photo of it, as the onslaught of particles rushing in from the sun would instantly turn smartphones into bricks. Such extreme solar storms are rare - only six are known to have left their traces on Earth in the past 14,500 years, and none have been witnessed since the height of the Assyrian Empire nearly 2,700 years ago. A research team led by Irina Panyushkina of the University of Arizona Laboratory for Tree-Ring Research and Timothy Jull at U of A Department of Geosciences has now pinpointed the last time there was a burst of cosmic radiation so powerful that if it happened today, it would wreak havoc on power grids, satellites and communication networks around the globe. The team published its findings in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Analyzing tree-rings for carbon-14, a naturally occurring radioactive variant of carbon, the team discovered a spike dating to the year 664 B.C., pinpointing the only extreme solar storm event whose timing had long eluded researchers. Panyushkina, lead study author and a research associate professor of dendrochronology at the Laboratory for Tree-Ring Research. said determining the precise timing of a massive solar eruption event provides important data for scientists who study and develop models of the sun's activity over time. Carbon-14 continually forms in the atmosphere as a result of cosmic radiation, Panyushkina said. Eventually, carbon-14 reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. "After a few months, carbon-14 will have traveled from the stratosphere to the lower atmosphere, where it is taken up by trees and becomes part of the wood as they grow," Panyushkina said. It wasn't until 2012 that extreme solar storms, known as Miyake events, were known to exist. That year, Fusa Miyake, a Japanese physicist and collaborator of Panyushkina's team, published a paper reporting the storms' telltale signature: spikes in radioactive carbon isotopes in the growth rings of trees. Miyake events happen when the sun's electromagnetic field weakens, allowing plasma from the sun's surface to escape into space. With the increased solar activity, protons bombard Earth's atmosphere and trigger chemical reactions leading to a spike in radioactive isotopes. "Thanks to radiocarbon in tree-rings, we now know that six Miyake events happened over the last 14,500 years," Panyushkina said. "If they happened today, they would have cataclysmic effects on communication technology." Panyushkina and her team used surgical knives to dissect individual tree rings from ancient wood samples, including samples from dead trees buried in riverbanks and timbers excavated during archeological digs. The researchers then burned the cellulose - the main component of wood - to determine the radiocarbon content. To pinpoint whether solar storms caused the radiocarbon spikes, the researchers compared the tree-ring data to spikes other researchers found in a different isotope, beryllium-10, locked in ice cores taken from glaciers and ice sheets. Much like carbon-14, beryllium-10 forms in the atmosphere due to an onslaught of particles from the sun. Rain and snow capture the isotope and lock it into ice sheets similar to how trees absorb carbon-14. "If ice cores from both the North Pole and South Pole show a spike in the isotope beryllium-10 for a particular year corresponding to increased radiocarbon in tree-rings, we know there was a solar storm," Panyushkina said. Although tree-rings can act like 'archivists' recording Miyake events, researchers so far have not been able to find evidence of a pattern in the events, Panyushkina said. "Tree-rings give us an idea of the magnitude of these massive storms, but we can't detect any type of pattern, so it is unlikely we'll ever be able to predict when such a...

Micah is primarily giving judgement to the the northern kingdom of Israel. Although he will give some messages of judgement to the Southern kingdom as well later in his message, he primarily right now is pronouncing judgment on Samaria and their judgment would soon come to pass in 722 B.C when the Assyrian Empire would come in and destroy Samaria and take captive the people. The Southern kingdom would last a little bit longer and ultimately be destroyed and the people taken captive and led off by the Babylonian empire in 586 B.C. Why does this happen? Because they rejected the Lord and His ways. They worshiped false idols and allowed sin to rule their lives.

Daily Dose of Hope November 14, 2024 Day 5 of Week 33   Scripture: Micah 5-7; Matthew 25 Welcome back to our devotional and podcast, the Daily Dose of Hope, intended to complement the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  Today, we finish up the book of Micah.  Remember, Micah is prophesying to the Southern kingdom of Judah.  Throughout the book, Micah is condemning the prophets, priests, and rulers who are leading the people astray.  This was a time of uncertainty, as both Isreal and Judah were faced with overwhelming foreign military powers. The Assyrian Empire was becoming quite a force and they were known for their brutality. Israel (the Northern kingdom) was in chaos. Micah certainly saw the destruction of Israel and foresaw the destruction of Judah. Economic and social injustices were the norm and pagan worship was tolerated and openly practiced.  Micah was preaching to a people who had become rather complacent and felt they really did not need to pay too much attention to the laws that God had given them as a guideline for their life and community. It's kind of ironic, as they are experiencing a great deal of political uncertainty. The nation just north of them is falling to the very scary Assyrian army.  This is a time you might think they would really be seeking God, but they exist in this kind of just half-hearted religiosity.  They are going through the motions, they are still oppressing the poor and engaging in gross injustice. I want us to spend some time today in chapter 6, where we find some of Micah's most recognizable verses.  Listen to verses 6-7, With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? It's as if the people are saying to God, “What is it you expect from us?” and they start listing this almost absurd list of offerings. You can almost hear them, kind of arrogant, like “Aren't we doing enough? What is it you require? Why do you keep bugging us about this?” But the bottom line was the people were not doing what God required. They may have been engaging in some religious show but they weren't really being faithful to what God called them to do. They might stop by the temple, sacrifice an animal as required, but they weren't truly living as God wanted them to. They were fooling themselves. I think we do this a lot as Christians today. We think, well, I show up at church every now and then. I'm generally a good person. I don't lie all that much and I even occasionally buy stuff for missions or put money in the offering plate. Those are all good things, don't get me wrong, but is that truly what God requires of us? That leads us back to our passage from Micah. The people were engaging in outward religious show but not really living as God called them to live. So we are going back to this dialogue between God and his people. Let's move on to verse Micah 6:8, a very famous verse, many of you have heard it before, He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. It's kind of like God is saying to his people, via Micah the prophet, “Hey guys, you know what you are supposed to be doing.” You know it; you just aren't doing it. It's in the law, it's in God's Word. It's like he is saying, “Look, you've tried a bunch of things and have messed up, nothing has seemed to be working, now let's get down to basics.” God doesn't want your extravagant sacrifices, maybe they are well-meaning at times or maybe they're prideful and self-serving, but that isn't what he truly wants from you...GOD WANTS TO CHANGE YOUR HEART!!! Any other offering will fall short over and over again. What is it God requires of you? What are the three things that are there throughout the bible, basic to the law of Moses, basic to the teachings of Jesus? What does God require? “To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” You might be acting “religious” but if you aren't living the rest of your life as God requires, if you haven't changed your heart, then you've missed the point. Okay, let's move on to Matthew 25, our New Testament reading for today.  In this chapter, Jesus gives us a deeper look into the Kingdom of God through three parables that demonstrate the need to be ready for his return. I's like to focus on the parable of the bags of gold. Other translations call this the parable of the talents. A wealthy land owner goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with some talents. A talent was actually a measure of weight rather than an amount of money. It was approximately 130 lbs. so whether or not it was a talent of silver or gold, it would have been very valuable. Even one talent of silver would have been more than an average person would have made in a year. I read several places that one talent in today's money would be roughly one million dollars. This Master had entrusted one servant with five talents, one with two, and another with one, all significant sums. The talents and the servants belonged to the Master and the crowd that Jesus was speaking to would have known that. The first servant who was given five talents doubles his money. The second servant who was given two talents doubles his money. The third servant, however, basically just hid his head in the sand and hoped the whole thing would go away. After praising the first two servants for their resourcefulness, the master says to the third one, “You wicked and lazy servant.” He had really harsh words for him. At first glance, we might be taken aback by such hard words. But think about it, the master bought these bondservants or slaves to make a profit for him. He would never have bought them if he thought they would make him lose money. Their purpose was to earn a profit for the master. God expects to see a profit from us. He isn't harsh. He doesn't require that we do the impossible–he has given us abundant resources. However, he does require that we use our God-given talents and resources to produce a spiritual profit for His Kingdom. God created us with the intention that we would use our money, our resources, and our talents and skills to produce a profit for him...spiritual profit. One of my seminary professors used to say, “We don't serve a mush God.” Our God is not all mushy love, rainbows, and unicorns. Yes, he is loving but he still has expectations for us. There are standards and accountability. And this is one of those areas. God doesn't expect us just to sit and soak up all the love and wonderfulness of faith. He actually expects us to do something about it, to earn a spiritual profit. And he is serious about it. What does this look like for us? Interestingly, Jesus answers this for us later in the chapter with another parable about separating the sheep and the goats. If you haven't read through the entire parable, take a moment and do so. Bottom line: Whenever we use our resources and talents to help alleviate the suffering of the poor or oppressed, it's like we are doing it for Jesus himself. Friends, we were created to fulfill a bigger purpose, God's purpose. As Christ-followers, we are expected to extend the boundaries of the Kingdom of God, bringing some of this spiritual profit, into this world to alleviate suffering and pain, to share the love of Christ, to be ambassadors for Jesus. What we do in this place is to be a preview of heaven. How are we doing? Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

11/10/2024 Nahum 2:2-13 The Sad End Of The Assyrians Intro: The Book of Nahum was written to between 663 and 612 B.C. Just at the time of and the end of the Assyria empire's capture of the northern kingdom of Israel and the rise of Babylon who took the southern Kingdom of Judah captive in 597 BC. The Assyrian Empire was defeated in 609 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Nahum did not write this book as a warning or “call to repentance” for the people of Nineveh. God had already sent them the prophet Jonah 150 years earlier with His promise of what would happen if they continued in their evil ways. The people at that time had repented but now lived just as bad if not worse than they did before. Nahum was telling the people of Judah to not despair because God had pronounced judgment and the Assyrians would soon be getting just what they deserved. God is patient and slow to anger. He gives every country time to repent of sin and follow Him as Lord. But He is not mocked. Any time a country turns away from Him and rejects righteousness, evil results, and He steps in with judgment. This was true for Assyria, and it will be true for any nation today. As Christians it is our duty to stand up for biblical principles and proclaim Christ, for it is only in repentance and the life-changing message of the gospel that any country can find hope. Therefore I say unto you……Donald Trump is going to be president….Is it just me or there something that seemed too easy about this…..The Republicans won everything! Prosecutor Jack Smith is backing down on Trump prosecution. Trump has already announced that he will put an end to Transgender surgeries on children and end to all this Trans gender affirming as a government policy. Trump has a ten-point plan to get rid of the deep state. Kamala and Tim Walz were the two WORST presidential candidates in history!!! If Trump had lost it would be the worst election defeat in American politics. Kamala was never elected by the Democrats she chosen for some reason….either arrogance or ignorance! They thought they could not lose because they are out of touch with American's or this was a plan to lose….. This is all too perfect….. 2008 Obama 69 million votes 2012 Obama 66 million votes 2016 Hillary 66 million votes 2020 Biden 81 million votes 2024 Kamala 68 million votes See anything here? Where are the 13 million votes from 2020? Don't you think that is strange? I hope it is because of brave men like Mike Lindell who showed the world how they probably cheated in 2020 and they just simply could not pull it off in 2024….or was it something else? I don't know….. but one thing for sure we will know is a few months. You think these globalists and the Satanic agenda is giving up? Then you don't read your Bible. Evil men shall wax worse and worse! I believe we could be in the time of peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh. The Apostle Paul said that Israel will make a peace treaty with the Man of sin, the Anti-Christ! Jesus said that in the last days people will be buying, selling, building, planting, marrying and giving in marriage and giving not thought to the things that are coming on this earth. Are we heading for that time? I don't know. But God does…… This passage presents a description of the siege of Nineveh. Lets look at Nahum and his prophecy to the Assyrians might tell us something…..

Comparing the Hebrew of Isaiah 9.6 to most popular English translations results in some serious questions. Why have our translations changed the tense of the verbs from past to future? Why is this child called “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father”? In this presentation I work through Isaiah 9.6 line by line to help you understand the Hebrew. Next I look at interpretive options for the child as well as his complicated name. Not only will this presentation strengthen your understanding of Isaiah 9.6, but it will also equip you to explain it to others. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See my other articles here Check out my class: One God Over All Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read Sean’s bio here Below is the paper presented on October 18, 2024 in Little Rock, Arkansas at the 4th annual UCA Conference. Access this paper on Academia.edu to get the pdf. Full text is below, including bibliography and end notes. Abstract Working through the grammar and syntax, I present the case that Isaiah 9:6 is the birth announcement of a historical child. After carefully analyzing the name given to the child and the major interpretive options, I make a case that the name is theophoric. Like the named children of Isaiah 7 and 8, the sign-child of Isaiah 9 prophecies what God, not the child, will do. Although I argue for Hezekiah as the original fulfillment, I also see Isaiah 9:6 as a messianic prophecy of the true and better Hezekiah through whom God will bring eternal deliverance and peace. Introduction Paul D. Wegner called Isaiah 9:6[1] “one of the most difficult problems in the study of the Old Testament.”[2] To get an initial handle on the complexities of this text, let's begin briefly by comparing the Hebrew to a typical translation. Isaiah 9:6 (BHS[3]) כִּי־יֶ֣לֶד יֻלַּד־לָ֗נוּ בֵּ֚ן נִתַּן־לָ֔נוּ וַתְּהִ֥י הַמִּשְׂרָ֖ה עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ פֶּ֠לֶא יוֹעֵץ֙ אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר אֲבִיעַ֖ד שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם׃ Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Curiosities abound in the differences between these two. The first two clauses in English, “For to us a child is born” and “to us a son is given,” employ the present tense while the Hebrew uses the perfect tense, i.e. “to us a child has been born.”[4] This has a significant bearing on whether we take the prophecy as a statement about a child already born in Isaiah's time or someone yet to come (or both). The ESV renders the phrase,וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ  (vayikra sh'mo), as “and his name shall be called,” but the words literally mean “and he called his name” where the “he” is unspecified. This leaves room for the possibility of identifying the subject of the verb in the subsequent phrase, i.e. “And the wonderful counselor, the mighty God called his name…” as many Jewish translations take it.  Questions further abound regardingאֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor), which finds translations as disparate as the traditional “Mighty God”[5] to “divine warrior”[6] to “in battle God-like”[7] to “Mighty chief”[8] to “Godlike hero,”[9] to Luther's truncated “Held.”[10]  Another phrase that elicits a multiplicity of translations is אֲבִיעַד (aviad). Although most versions read “Eternal Father,”[11] others render the word, “Father-Forever,”[12] “Father for all time,”[13] “Father of perpetuity,”[14] “Father of the Eternal Age,”[15] and “Father of Future.”[16] Translators from a range of backgrounds struggle with these two phrases. Some refuse to translate them at all, preferring clunky transliterations.[17] Still, as I will show below, there's a better way forward. If we understand that the child had a theophoric name—a name that is not about him, but about God—our problems dissipate like morning fog before the rising sun. Taking the four pairs of words this way yields a two-part sentence name. As we'll see this last approach is not only the best contextual option, but it also allows us to take the Hebrew vocabulary, grammar, and syntax at face value, rather than succumbing to strained translations and interpretational gymnastics. In the end, we're left with a text literally rendered and hermeneutically robust. Called or Will Call His Name? Nearly all the major Christian versions translate וַיִּקְרָא (vayikra), “he has called,” as “he will be called.” This takes an active past tense verb as a passive future tense.[18] What is going on here? Since parents typically give names at birth or shortly thereafter, it wouldn't make sense to suggest the child was already born (as the beginning of Isa 9:6 clearly states), but then say he was not yet named. Additionally, וַיִּקְרָא (vayikra) is a vav-conversive plus imperfect construction that continues the same timing sequence of the preceding perfect tense verbs.[19] If the word were passive (niphal binyan) we would read וַיִּקָּרֵא (vayikarey) instead of וַיִּקְרָא (vayikra). Although some have suggested an emendation of the Masoretic vowels to make this change, Hugh Williamson notes, “there is no overriding need to prefer it.”[20] Translators may justify rendering the perfect tense as imperfect due to the idiom called a prophetic past tense (perfectum propheticum). Wilhelm Gesenius notes the possibility that a prophet “so transports himself in imagination into the future that he describes the future event as if it had been already seen or heard by him.”[21] Bruce Waltke recognizes the phenomenon, calling it an accidental perfective in which “a speaker vividly and dramatically represents a future situation both as complete and independent.”[22] Still, it's up to the interpreter to determine if Isaiah employs this idiom or not. The verbs of verse 6 seem quite clear: “a child has been born for us … and the government was on his shoulder … and he has called his name…” When Isaiah uttered this prophecy, the child had already been born and named and the government rested on his shoulders. This is the straightforward reading of the grammar and therefore should be our starting point.[23] Hezekiah as the Referent One of the generally accepted principles of hermeneutics is to first ask the question, “What did this text mean in its original context?” before asking, “What does this text mean to us today?” When we examine the immediate context of Isa 9:6, we move beyond the birth announcement of a child with an exalted name to a larger prophecy of breaking the yoke of an oppressor (v4) and the ushering in of a lasting peace for the throne of David (v7). Isaiah lived in a tumultuous time. He saw the northern kingdom—the nation of Israel—uprooted from her land and carried off by the powerful and cruel Assyrian Empire. He prophesied about a child whose birth had signaled the coming freedom God would bring from the yoke of Assyria. As Jewish interpreters have long pointed out, Hezekiah nicely fits this expectation.[24] In the shadow of this looming storm, Hezekiah became king and instituted major religious reforms,[25] removing idolatry and turning the people to Yahweh. The author of kings gave him high marks: “He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel. After him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah nor among those who were before him” (2 Kgs 18:5).[26] Then, during Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib sent a large army against Judea and laid siege to Jerusalem. Hezekiah appropriately responded to the threatening Assyrian army by tearing his clothes, covering himself with sackcloth, and entering the temple to pray (2 Kings 19:1). He sent word to Isaiah, requesting prayer for the dire situation. Ultimately God brought miraculous deliverance, killing 185,000 Assyrians, which precipitated a retreat. There had not been such an acute military deliverance since the destruction of Pharaoh's army in the sea. Indeed, Hezekiah's birth did signal God's coming deliverance. In opposition to Hezekiah as the referent for Isa 9:6, Christian interpreters have pointed out that Hezekiah did not fulfill this prophecy en toto. Specifically, Hezekiah did not usher in “an endless peace” with justice and righteousness “from this time onward and forevermore” (Isa. 9:7). But, as John Roberts points out, the problem only persists if we ignore prophetic hyperbole. Here's what he says: If Hezekiah was the new king idealized in this oracle, how could Isaiah claim he would reign forever? How could Isaiah so ignore Israel's long historical experience as to expect no new source of oppression would ever arise? The language, as is typical of royal ideology, is hyperbolic, and perhaps neither Isaiah nor his original audience would have pushed it to its limits, beyond its conventional frames of reference, but the language itself invites such exploitation. If one accepts God's providential direction of history, it is hard to complain about the exegetical development this exploitation produced.[27] Evangelical scholar Ben Witherington III likewise sees a reference to both Hezekiah and a future deliverer. He writes, “[T]he use of the deliberately hyperbolic language that the prophet knew would not be fulfilled in Hezekiah left open the door quite deliberately to look for an eschatological fulfillment later.”[28] Thus, even if Isaiah's prophecy had an original referent, it left the door open for a true and better Hezekiah, who would not just defeat Assyria, but all evil, and not just for a generation, but forever. For this reason, it makes sense to take a “both-and” approach to Isa 9:6. Who Called His Name? Before going on to consider the actual name given to the child, we must consider the subject of the word וַיִּקְרָא (vayikra), “and he called.” Jewish interpreters have and continue to take אֵל גִבּוֹר (el gibbor), “Mighty God,” as the subject of this verb. Here are a few examples of this rendering: Targum Jonathan (2nd century) And his name has been called from before the One Who Causes Wonderful Counsel, God the Warrior, the Eternally Existing One—the Messiah who will increase peace upon us in his days.[29] Shlomo Yitzchaki (11th century) The Holy One, blessed be He, Who gives wondrous counsel, is a mighty God and an everlasting Father, called Hezekiah's name, “the prince of peace,” since peace and truth will be in his days.[30] Jacob ben Isaac Ashkenazi (16th century) “For a child is born to us.” A son will be born and this is Hezekiah. Though Ahaz is an evildoer, his son Hezekiah will be a righteous king. He will be strong in his service of the Holy One. He will study Torah and the Holy One will call him, “eternal father, peaceful ruler.” In his days there will be peace and truth.[31] The Stone Edition of the Tanach (20th century) The Wondrous Adviser, Mighty God, Eternal Father, called his name Sar-shalom [Prince of Peace][32] Although sometimes Christian commentators blithely accuse Jewish scholars of avoiding the implications of calling the child “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father,” the grammar does allow multiple options here. The main question is whether Isaiah specified the subject of the verb וַיִקְרָ (vayikra) or not. If he has, then the subject must be אֵל גִבּוֹר (el gibbor). If he has not, then the subject must be indefinite (i.e. “he” or “one”). What's more, the Masoretic punctuation of the Hebrew suggests the translation, “and the Wonderful Adviser, the Mighty God called his name, ‘Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'”[33] However, Keil and Delitzsch point out problems with this view on both grammatical and contextual grounds. They write: [I]t is impossible to conceive for what precise reason such a periphrastic description of God should be employed in connection with the naming of this child, as is not only altogether different from Isaiah's usual custom, but altogether unparalleled in itself, especially without the definite article. The names of God should at least have been defined thus, הַיּוֹעֵץ פֵּלֶא הַגִּבּוֹר, so as to distinguish them from the two names of the child.”[34] Thus, though the Masoretic markings favor the Jewish translation, the grammar doesn't favor taking “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God” as the subject. It's certainly not impossible, but it is a strained reading without parallels in Isaiah and without justification in the immediate context. Let's consider another possibility. His Name Has Been Called Instead of taking אֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor) as the subject, we can posit an indefinite subject for וַיִקְרָ (vayikra): “one has called.” Examples of this outside of Isaiah 9:6 include Gen 11:9; 25:26; Exod 15:23; and 2 Sam 2:16. The phenomenon appears in Gesenius (§144d) and Joüon and Muraoka (§155e), both of which include our text as examples. However, the translation “one has called his name” is awkward in English due to our lack of a generic pronoun like on in French or man in German. Accordingly, most translations employ the passive construction: “his name has been called,” omitting the subject.[35] This is apparently also how those who produced the Septuagint (LXX) took the Hebrew text, employing a passive rather than an active verb.[36] In conclusion, the translation “his name has been called” works best in English. Mighty Hero Now we broach the question of how to render אֵל גִּבּוֹר el gibbor. As I've already noted, a few translations prefer “mighty hero.” But this reading is problematic since it takes the two words in reverse order. Although in English we typically put an adjective before the noun it modifies, in Hebrew the noun comes first and then any adjectives that act upon it. Taking the phrase as אֵל גִּבּוֹר (gibbor el) makes “mighty” the noun and “God” the adjective. Now since the inner meaning of אֵל (el) is “strong” or “mighty,” and גִּבּוֹר gibbor means “warrior” or “hero,” we can see how translators end up with “mighty warrior” or “divine hero.” Robert Alter offers the following explanation: The most challenging epithet in this sequence is ‘el gibor [sic], which appears to say “warrior-god.” The prophet would be violating all biblical usage if he called the Davidic king “God,” and that term is best construed here as some sort of intensifier. In fact, the two words could conceivably be a scribal reversal of gibor ‘el, in which case the second word would clearly function as a suffix of intensification as it occasionally does elsewhere in the Bible.[37] Please note that Alter's motive for reversing the two words is that the text, as it stands, would violate all biblical usage by calling the Davidic king “God.” But Alter is incorrect. We have another biblical usage calling the Davidic king “God” in Psalm 45:6. We must allow the text to determine interpretation. Changing translation for the sake of theology is allowing the tail to wag the dog. Another reason to doubt “divine warrior” as a translation is that “Wherever ʾēl gibbôr occurs elsewhere in the Bible there is no doubt that the term refers to God (10:21; cf. also Deut. 10:17; Jer. 32:18),” notes John Oswalt.[38] Keil and Delitzsch likewise see Isa 10:21 as the rock upon which these translations suffer shipwreck.[39] “A remnant will return,” says Isa 10:21, “the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.” The previous verse makes it clear that “mighty God” refers to none other than “Yahweh, the holy one of Israel.” Without counter examples elsewhere in the Bible, we lack the basis to defy the traditional ordering of “God” as the noun and “mighty” or “warrior” as the adjective.[40] Mighty God-Man Did Isaiah foresee a human child who would also be the mighty God? Did he suddenly get “a glimpse of the fact that in the fullness of the Godhead there is a plurality of Persons,” as Edward Young thought?[41] Although apologists seeking to prove the deity of Christ routinely push for this reading, other evangelical scholars have expressed doubts about such a bold interpretation.[42] Even Keil and Delitzsch, after zealously batting away Jewish alternatives, admit Isaiah's language would not have suggested an incarnate deity in its original context.[43] Still, it would not be anachronistic to regard a king as a deity in the context of the ancient Near East. We find such exalted language in parallels from Egypt and Assyria in their accession oracles (proclamations given at the time a new king ascends the throne). Taking their cue from the Egyptian practices of bestowing divine throne names upon the Pharaoh's accession to the throne, G. von Rad and A. Alt envisioned a similar practice in Jerusalem. Although quite influential, Wegner has pointed out several major problems with this way of looking at our text: (1) the announcement is to the people in Isa 9:6, not the king; (2) Isa 9:6 does not use adoption language nor call the child God's son; (3) יֶלֶד (yeled), “child,” is never used in accession oracles; (4) the Egyptian parallels have five titles not four as in Isa 9:6; (5) Egyptians employ a different structure for accession oracles than Isa 9:6; and (6) we have no evidence elsewhere that Judean kings imitated the Egyptian custom of bestowing divine titles.[44] Another possibility, argued by R. A. Carlson, is to see the names as anti-Assyrian polemic.[45] Keeping in mind that Assyria was constantly threatening Judah in the lifetime of Isaiah and that the child born was to signal deliverance, it would be no surprise that Isaiah would cast the child as a deliberate counter-Assyrian hero. Still, as Oswalt points out, “[T]he Hebrews did not believe this [that their kings were gods]. They denied that the king was anything more than the representative of God.”[46] Owing to a lack of parallels within Israel and Isaiah's own penchant for strict monotheism,[47] interpreting Isa 9:6 as presenting a God-man is ad hoc at best and outright eisegesis at worst. Furthermore, as I've already noted, the grammar of the passage indicates a historical child who was already born. Thus, if Isaiah meant to teach the deity of the child, we'd have two God-men: Hezekiah and Jesus. Far from a courtly scene of coronation, Wegner makes the case that our text is really a birth announcement in form. Birth announcements have (1) a declaration of the birth, (2) an announcement of the child's name, (3) an explanation of what the name means, and (4) a further prophecy about the child's future.[48] These elements are all present in Isa 9:6, making it a much better candidate for a birth announcement than an accession or coronation oracle. As a result, we should not expect divine titles given to the king like when the Pharaohs or Assyrian kings ascended the throne; instead, we ought to look for names that somehow relate to the child's career. We will delve more into this when we broach the topic of theophoric names. Mighty God's Agent Another possibility is to retain the traditional translation of “mighty God” and see the child as God's agent who bears the title. In fact, the Bible calls Moses[49] and the judges[50] of Israel אֱלֹהִים (elohim), “god(s),” due to their role in representing God. Likewise, as I've already mentioned, the court poet called the Davidic King “god” in Ps 45:6. Additionally, the word אֵל (el), “god,” refers to representatives of Yahweh whether divine (Ps 82:1, 6) or human (John 10.34ff).[51] Thus, Isa 9:6 could be another case in which a deputized human acting as God's agent is referred to as God. The NET nicely explains: [H]aving read the NT, we might in retrospect interpret this title as indicating the coming king's deity, but it is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way. Ps 45:6 addresses the Davidic king as “God” because he ruled and fought as God's representative on earth. …When the king's enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself.[52] Raymond Brown admits that this “may have been looked on simply as a royal title.”[53] Likewise Williamson sees this possibility as “perfectly acceptable,” though he prefers the theophoric approach.[54] Even the incarnation-affirming Keil and Delitzsch recognize that calling the child אֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor) is “nothing further…than this, that the Messiah would be the image of God as no other man ever had been (cf., El, Ps. 82:1), and that He would have God dwelling within Him (cf., Jer. 33:16).”[55] Edward L. Curtis similarly points out that had Isaiah meant to teach that the child would be an incarnation of Yahweh, he would have “further unfolded and made central this thought” throughout his book.[56] He likewise sees Isa 9:6 not as teaching “the incarnation of a deity” but as a case “not foreign to Hebrew usage to apply divine names to men of exalted position,” citing Exod 21:6 and Ps 82:6 as parallels.[57] Notwithstanding the lexical and scholarly support for this view, not to mention my own previous position[58] on Isa 9:6, I'm no longer convinced that this is the best explanation. It's certainly possible to call people “Gods” because they are his agents, but it is also rare. We'll come to my current view shortly, but for now, let's approach the second controversial title. Eternal Father The word אֲבִיעַד (aviad), “Eternal Father,” is another recognizable appellative for Yahweh. As I mentioned in the introduction, translators have occasionally watered down the phrase, unwilling to accept that a human could receive such a title. But humans who pioneer an activity or invent something new are fathers.[59] Walking in someone's footsteps is metaphorically recognizing him as one's father.[60] Caring for others like a father is yet another way to think about it.[61] Perhaps the child is a father in one of these figurative senses. If we follow Jerome and translate אֲבִיעַד (aviad) as Pater futuri saeculi, “Father of the future age,” we can reconfigure the title, “Eternal Father,” from eternal without beginning to eternal with a beginning but without an end. However, notes Williamson, “There is no parallel to calling the king ‘Father,' rather the king is more usually designated as God's son.”[62] Although we find Yahweh referred to as “Father” twice in Isaiah (Isa 63:16; 64:7), and several more times throughout the Old Testament,[63] the Messiah is not so called. Even in the New Testament we don't see the title applied to Jesus. Although not impossible to be taken as Jesus's fatherly role to play in the age to come, the most natural way to take אֲבִיעַד (aviad) is as a reference to Yahweh. In conclusion, both “mighty God” and “eternal Father” most naturally refer to Yahweh and not the child. If this is so, why is the child named with such divine designations? A Theophoric Name Finally, we are ready to consider the solution to our translation and interpretation woes. Israelites were fond of naming their kids with theophoric names (names that “carry God”). William Holladay explains: Israelite personal names were in general of two sorts. Some of them were descriptive names… But most Israelite personal names were theophoric; that is, they involve a name or title or designation of God, with a verb or adjective or noun which expresses a theological affirmation. Thus “Hezekiah” is a name which means “Yah (= Yahweh) is my strength,” and “Isaiah” is a name which means “Yah (= Yahweh) has brought salvation.” It is obvious that Isaiah is not called “Yahweh”; he bears a name which says something about Yahweh.[64] As Holladay demonstrates, when translating a theophoric name, it is customary to supplement the literal phrase with the verb, “to be.” Hezekiah = “Yah (is) my strength”; Isaiah = “Yah (is) salvation.” Similarly, Elijah means “My God (is) Yah” and Eliab, “My God (is the) Father.” Theophoric names are not about the child; they are about the God of the parents. When we imagine Elijah's mother calling him for dinner, she's literally saying “My God (is) Yah(weh), it's time for dinner.” The child's name served to remind her who her God was. Similarly, these other names spoke of God's strength, salvation, and fatherhood. To interpret the named child of Isa 9:6 correctly, we must look at the previously named children in Isa 7 and 8. In chapter 7 the boy is called “Immanuel,” meaning “God (is) with us” (Isa 7:14). This was a historical child who signaled prophecy. Isaiah said, “For before the boy knows to reject evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned” (Isa 7:16). In Isa 8:1 we encounter “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,” or “The spoil speeds, the prey hastens.”[65] This child has a two-sentence name with an attached prophecy: “For before the boy calls, ‘my father' or ‘my mother,' the strength of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off before the king of Assyria” (Isa 8:4). Both children's sign names did not describe them nor what they would do, but what God would do for his people. Immanuel is a statement of faith. The name means God has not abandoned his people; they can confidently say, “God is with us” (Isa 8:10). Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz does not mean that the child would become a warrior to sack Damascus and seize her spoils, but that God would bring about the despoiling of Judah's enemy. When we encounter a third sign-named child in as many chapters, we are on solid contextual grounds to see this new, longer name in the same light. Isaiah prophecies that this child has the government upon his shoulder, sits on the throne of David, and will establish a lasting period of justice and righteousness (Isa 9:5, 7). This child bears the name “Pele-Yoets-El-Gibbor-Aviad-Sar-Shalom.” The name describes his parents' God, the mighty God, the eternal Father. Although this perspective has not yet won the day, it is well attested in a surprising breadth of resources. Already in 1867, Samuel David Luzzatto put forward this position.[66] The Jewish Publication Society concurred in their 2014 study Bible: Semitic names often consist of sentences that describe God … These names do not describe that person who holds them but the god whom the parents worship. Similarly, the name given to the child in this v. does not describe that child or attribute divinity to him, but describes God's actions.[67] The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV) footnote on Isa. 9:6 says, “As in many Israelite personal names, the deity, not the person named, is being described.”[68] Additional scholars advocating the view also include Holladay (1978), Wegner (1992), Goldingay (1999, 2015), and Williamson (2018). Even so, Keil and Delitzsch eschew “such a sesquipedalian name,” calling it “unskillful,” and arguing that it would be impractical “to be uttered in one breath.”[69] But this is to take the idea too literally. No one is going to actually call the child by this name. John Goldingay helpfully explains: So he has that complicated name, “An-extraordinary-counselor-is-the-warrior-God, the-everlasting-Father-is-an-officer-for-well-being.” Like earlier names in Isaiah (God-is-with-us, Remains-Will-Return, Plunder-hurries-loot-rushes), the name is a sentence. None of these names are the person's everyday name—as when the New Testament says that Jesus will be called Immanuel, “God [is] with us,” without meaning this expression is Jesus' name. Rather, the person somehow stands for whatever the “name” says. God gives him a sign of the truth of the expression attached to him. The names don't mean that the person is God with us, or is the remains, or is the plunder, and likewise this new name doesn't mean the child is what the name says. Rather he is a sign and guarantee of it. It's as if he goes around bearing a billboard with that message and with the reminder that God commissioned the billboard.[70] Still, there's the question of identifying Yahweh as שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם (sar shalom). Since most of our translations render the phrase “Prince of Peace,” and the common meaning of a prince is someone inferior to the king, we turn away from labeling God with this title. Although HALOT mentions “representative of the king, official” for the first definition their second is “person of note, commander.”[71] The BDB glosses “chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince” as their first entry.[72] Wegner adds: “The book of Isaiah also appears to use the word sar in the general sense of “ruler.””[73] Still, we must ask, is it reasonable to think of Yahweh as a שַׂר (sar)? We find the phrase שַׂר־הַצָּבָא (sar-hatsava), “prince of hosts,” in Daniel 8:11 and שַׂר־שָׂרִים (sar-sarim), “prince of princes,” in verse 25, where both refer to God.[74]  The UBS Translators' Handbook recommends “God, the chief of the heavenly army” for verse 11 and “the greatest of all kings” for verse 25.[75] The handbook discourages using “prince,” since “the English word ‘prince' does not mean the ruler himself but rather the son of the ruler, while the Hebrew term always designates a ruler, not at all implying son of a ruler.”[76] I suggest applying this same logic to Isa 9:6. Rather than translating שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם (sar shalom) as “Prince of Peace,” we can render it, “Ruler of Peace” or “Ruler who brings peace.” Translating the Name Sentences Now that I've laid out the case for the theophoric approach, let's consider translation possibilities. Wegner writes, “the whole name should be divided into two parallel units each containing one theophoric element.”[77] This makes sense considering the structure of Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which translates two parallel name sentences: “The spoil speeds, the prey hastens.” Here are a few options for translating the name. Jewish Publication Society (1917) Wonderful in counsel is God the Mighty, the Everlasting Father, the Ruler of peace[78] William Holladay (1978) Planner of wonders; God the war hero (is) Father forever; prince of well-being[79] New Jewish Publication Society (1985) The Mighty God is planning grace; The Eternal Father, a peaceable ruler[80] John Goldingay (1999) One who plans a wonder is the warrior God; the father for ever is a commander who brings peace[81] John Goldingay (2015) An-extraordinary-counselor-is-the-warrior-God, the-everlasting-Fathers-is-an-official-for-well-being[82] Hugh Williamson (2018) A Wonderful Planner is the Mighty God, An Eternal Father is the Prince of Peace[83] My Translation (2024) The warrior God is a miraculous strategist; the eternal Father is the ruler who brings peace[84] I prefer to translate אֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor) as “warrior God” rather than “mighty God” because the context is martial, and  גִּבּוֹר(gibbor) often refers to those fighting in war.[85] “Mighty God” is ambiguous, and easily decontextualized from the setting of Isa 9:6. After all, Isa 9:4-5 tells a great victory “as on the day of Midian”—a victory so complete that they burn “all the boots of the tramping warriors” in the fire. The word פֶּלֶא (pele), though often translated “wonderful,” is actually the word for “miracle,” and יוֹעֵץ (yoets) is a participle meaning “adviser” or “planner.” Since the context is war, this “miracle of an adviser” or “miraculous planner” refers to military plans—what we call strategy, hence, “miraculous strategist.” Amazingly, the tactic God employed in the time of Hezekiah was to send out an angel during the night who “struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians” (Isa 37:36). This was evidently the warrior God's miraculous plan to remove the threat of Assyria from Jerusalem's doorstep. Prophecies about the coming day of God when he sends Jesus Christ—the true and better Hezekiah—likewise foretell of an even greater victory over the nations.[86] In fact, just two chapters later we find a messianic prophecy of one who will “strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked” (Isa 11:4). The next phrase, “The eternal Father,” needs little comment since God's eternality and fatherhood are both noncontroversial and multiply attested. Literally translated, שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם (sar-shalom) is “Ruler of peace,” but I take the word pair as a genitive of product.[87] Williamson unpacks this meaning as “the one who is able to initiate and maintain Peace.”[88] That his actions in the time of Hezekiah brought peace is a matter of history. After a huge portion of the Assyrian army died, King Sennacherib went back to Nineveh, where his sons murdered him (Isa 37:37-38). For decades, Judah continued to live in her homeland. Thus, this child's birth signaled the beginning of the end for Assyria. In fact, the empire itself eventually imploded, a fate that, at Hezekiah's birth, must have seemed utterly unthinkable. Of course, the ultimate peace God will bring through his Messiah will far outshine what Hezekiah achieved.[89] Conclusion We began by considering the phraseוַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ  (vayikra sh'mo). We noted that the tense is perfect, which justifies a past-tense interpretation of the child who had already been born by the time of the birth announcement. I presented the case for Hezekiah as the initial referent of Isa 9:6 based on the fact that Hezekiah’s life overlapped with Isaiah’s, that he sat on the throne of David (v7), and that his reign saw the miraculous deliverance from Assyria's army. Furthermore, I noted that identifying the child of Isa 9:6 as Hezekiah does not preclude a true and better one to come. Although Isa 9:6 does not show up in the New Testament, I agree with the majority of Christians who recognize this text as a messianic prophecy, especially when combined with verse 7. Next we puzzled over the subject for phraseוַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ  (vayikra sh'mo.) Two options are that the phrase פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר (pele yoets el gibbor) functions as the subject or else the subject is indefinite. Although the Jewish interpreters overwhelmingly favor the former, the lack of definite articles and parallel constructions in Isaiah make me think the latter is more likely. Still, the Jewish approach to translation is a legitimate possibility. I explained how a passive voice makes sense in English since it hides the subject, and settled on “his name has been called,” as the best translation. Then we looked at the phrase אֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor) and considered the option of switching the order of the words and taking the first as the modifier of the second as in “mighty hero” or “divine warrior.” We explored the possibility that Isaiah was ascribing deity to the newborn child. We looked at the idea of Isaiah calling the boy “Mighty God” because he represented God. In the end we concluded that these all are less likely than taking God as the referent, especially in light of the identical phrase in Isa 10:21 where it unambiguously refers to Yahweh. Moving on to אֲבִיעַד (aviad), we considered the possibility that “father” could refer to someone who started something significant and “eternal” could merely designate a coming age. Once again, though these are both possible readings, they are strained and ad hoc, lacking any indication in the text to signal a non-straightforward reading. So, as with “Mighty God,” I also take “Eternal Father” as simple references to God and not the child. Finally, we explored the notion of theophoric names. Leaning on two mainstream Bible translations and five scholars, from Luzzatto to Williamson, we saw that this lesser-known approach is quite attractive. Not only does it take the grammar at face value, it also explains how a human being could be named “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father.” The name describes God and not the child who bears it. Lastly, drawing on the work of the Jewish Publication Society, Goldingay, and Williamson, I proposed the translation: “The warrior God is a miraculous strategist; the eternal Father is the ruler who brings peace.” This rendering preserves the martial context of Isa 9:6 and glosses each word according to its most common definition. I added in the verb “is” twice as is customary when translating theophoric names. The result is a translation that recognizes God as the focus and not the child. This fits best in the immediate context, assuming Hezekiah is the original referent. After all, his greatest moment was not charging out ahead of a column of soldiers, but his entering the house of Yahweh and praying for salvation. God took care of everything else. Likewise, the ultimate Son of David will have God's spirit influencing him: a spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of God (Isa 11:2). The eternal Father will so direct his anointed that he will “not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear” (Isa 11:3). In his days God will bring about a shalom so deep that even the animals will become peaceful (Isa 11:6-8). An advantage of this reading of Isa 9:6 is that it is compatible with the full range of christological positions Christians hold. Secondly, this approach nicely fits with the original meaning in Isaiah’s day, and it works for the prophecy’s ultimate referent in Christ Jesus. Additionally, it is the interpretation with the least amount of special pleading. Finally, it puts everything into the correct order, allowing exegesis to drive theology rather than the other way around. Bibliography Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament. Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2012. The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1917. The Jewish Study Bible. Edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler. Second ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Net Bible, Full Notes Edition. Edited by W. Hall Harris III James Davis, and Michael H. Burer. 2nd ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2019. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Edited by Carol A. Newsom Marc Z. Brettler, Pheme Perkins. Third ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. The Stone Edition of the Tanach. Edited by Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz. Brooklyn, NY: Artscroll, 1996. Tanakh, the Holy Scriptures: The New Jps Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. 4th, Reprint. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1985. Translation of Targum Onkelos and Jonathan. Translated by Eidon Clem. Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, 2015. Alter, Rober. The Hebrew Bible: Prophets, Nevi’im. Vol. 2. 3 vols. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2019. Ashkenazi, Jacob ben Isaac. Tze’enah Ure’enah: A Critical Translation into English. Translated by Morris M. Faierstein. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017. https://www.sefaria.org/Tze’enah_Ure’enah%2C_Haftarot%2C_Yitro.31?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en. Baumgartner, Ludwig Koehler and Walter. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Edited by M. E. J. Richardson. Leiden: Brill, 2000. Brown, Raymond E. Jesus: God and Man, edited by 3. New York: Macmillan, 1967. Carlson, R. A. “The Anti-Assyrian Character of the Oracle in Is. Ix, 1-6.” Vetus Testamentum, no. 24 (1974): 130-5. Curtis, Edward L. “The Prophecy Concerning the Child of the Four Names: Isaiah Ix., 6, 7.” The Old and New Testament Student 11, no. 6 (1890): 336-41. Delitzsch, C. F. Keil and F. Commentary on the Old Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. Finnegan, Sean. “Jesus Is God: Exploring the Notion of Representational Deity.” Paper presented at the One God Seminar, Seattle, WA, 2008, https://restitutio.org/2016/01/11/explanations-to-verses-commonly-used-to-teach-that-jesus-is-god/. Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. Gesenius, Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910. Goldingay, John. “The Compound Name in Isaiah 9:5(6).” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61, no. 2 (1999): 239-44. Goldingay, John. Isaiah for Everyone. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015. Holladay, William L. Isaiah: Scroll of Prophetic Heritage. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978. III, Ben Witherington. Isaiah Old and New. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2017. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1ggjhbz.7. Luzzatto, Samuel David. Shi’ur Komah. Padua, IT: Antonio Bianchi, 1867. O’Connor, Bruce K. Waltke and Michael P. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Esenbrauns, 1990. Ogden, Graham S., and Jan Sterk. A Handbook on Isaiah. Ubs Translator's Handbooks. New York: United Bible Societies, 2011. Oswalt, John. The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39. Nicot. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986. Péter-Contesse, René and John Ellington. A Handbook on Daniel. Ubs Translator’s Handbooks. New York, NY: United Bible Societies, 1993. Roberts, J. J. M. First Isaiah. Vol. 23A. Hermeneia, edited by Peter Machinist. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001. Thayer, Joseph Henry. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. Walter Bauer, Frederick W. Danker, William F. Arndt, F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Wegner, Paul D. “A Re-Examination of Isaiah Ix 1-6.” Vetus Testamentum 42, no. 1 (1992): 103-12. Williamson, H. G. M. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1-27. Vol. 2. International Critical Commentary, edited by G. I. Davies and C. M. Tuckett. New York: Bloomsbury, 2018. Yitzchaki, Shlomo. Complete Tanach with Rashi. Translated by A. J. Rosenberg. Chicago, IL: Davka Corp, 1998. https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Isaiah.9.5.2?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en. Young, Edward J. The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1-18. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965. End Notes [1] Throughout I'll refer to Isaiah 9:6 based on the versification used in English translations. Hebrew Bibles shift the count by one, so the same verse is Isaiah 9:5. [2] Paul D. Wegner, “A Re-Examination of Isaiah Ix 1-6,” Vetus Testamentum 42, no. 1 (1992): 103. [3] BHS is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, the standard Hebrew text based on the Leningrad Codex, a medieval Masoretic text. [4] In Hebrew the perfect tense roughly maps onto English past tense and the imperfect tense to future tense. [5] See NRSVUE, ESV, NASB20, NIV, NET, LSB, NLT, NKJ, ASV, KJV. [6] See translations by Robert Alter, James Moffat, and Duncan Heaster.  Also see Westminster Commentary, Cambridge Bible Commentary, New Century Bible Commentary, and The Daily Study Bible. [7] See New English Bible. [8] See Ibn Ezra. [9] See An American Testament. [10] “Held” means “hero” in German. In the Luther Bible (1545), he translated the phrase as “und er heißt Wunderbar, Rat, Kraft, Held, Ewig -Vater, Friedefürst,” separating power (Kraft = El) and hero (Held = Gibbor) whereas in the 1912 revision we read, “er heißt Wunderbar, Rat, Held, Ewig-Vater Friedefürst,” which reduced el gibbor to “Held” (hero). [11] See fn 4 above. [12] See New American Bible Revised Edition and An American Testament. [13] See New English Bible and James Moffatt's translation. [14] See Ibn Ezra. [15] See Duncan Heaster's New European Version. [16] See Word Biblical Commentary. [17] See Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, the Koren Jerusalem Bible, and the Complete Jewish Bible. [18] In the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1QIsaa 8.24 reads “וקרא,” the vav-conversed form of “קרא,” translated “he will call,” an active future tense. This reading is implausible considering the unambiguous past tense of the two initial clauses that began verse 6: “a child has been born…a son has been given.” [19] “Here the Hebrew begins to use imperfect verb forms with the conjunction often rendered “and.” These verbs continue the tense of the perfect verb forms used in the previous lines. They refer to a state or situation that now exists, so they may be rendered with the present tense in English. Some translations continue to use a perfect tense here (so NJB, NJPSV, FRCL), which is better.” Graham S. Ogden, and Jan Sterk, A Handbook on Isaiah, Ubs Translator's Handbooks (New York: United Bible Societies, 2011). [20] H. G. M. Williamson, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1-27, vol. 2, International Critical Commentary, ed. G. I. Davies and C. M. Tuckett (New York: Bloomsbury, 2018), 371. [21] Wilhelm Gesenius, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, ed. E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910), §106n. [22] Bruce K. Waltke and Michael P. O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake, IN: Esenbrauns, 1990), §30.5.1e. [23] John Goldingay takes a “both-and” position, recognizing that Isaiah was speaking by faith of what God would do in the future, but also seeing the birth of the son to the king as having already happened by the time of the prophecy. John Goldingay, Isaiah for Everyone (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015), 42. [24] Jewish authors include Rashi, A. E. Kimchi, Abravanel, Malbim, and Luzzatto. [25] See 2 Kings 18:3-7. [26] Unless otherwise noted, all translations are my own. [27] J. J. M. Roberts, First Isaiah, vol. 23A, Hermeneia, ed. Peter Machinist (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001), 153. [28] Ben Witherington III, Isaiah Old and New (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2017), 95-6, 99-100. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1ggjhbz.7. [29] Translation of Targum Onkelos and Jonathan, trans. Eidon Clem (Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, 2015). [30] Shlomo Yitzchaki, Complete Tanach with Rashi, trans. A. J. Rosenberg (Chicago, IL: Davka Corp, 1998). https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Isaiah.9.5.2?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en. [31] Jacob ben Isaac Ashkenazi, Tze’enah Ure’enah: A Critical Translation into English, trans. Morris M. Faierstein (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017). https://www.sefaria.org/Tze’enah_Ure’enah%2C_Haftarot%2C_Yitro.31?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en. [32] Square brackets in original. The Stone Edition of the Tanach, ed. Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz (Brooklyn, NY: Artscroll, 1996). [33] Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, ed. W. Hall Harris III James Davis, and Michael H. Burer, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2019), 1266. [34] C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 249-50. [35] As mentioned above, the Hebrew is not actually passive. [36] The LXX reads “καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ” (kai kaleitai to onoma autou), which means “and his name is called.” [37] Rober Alter, The Hebrew Bible: Prophets, Nevi’im, vol. 2, 3 vols. (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2019), 651. [38] John Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, Nicot (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986), 247. [39] Delitzsch, 252. [40] The אֵלֵי גִבּוֹרִים (eley gibborim) of Ezek 32.21 although morphologically suggestive of a plural form of el gibbor, is not a suitable parallel to Isa 9:6 since אֵלֵי (eley) is the plural of אַיִל (ayil), meaning “chief” not אֵל (el). Thus, the translation “mighty chiefs” or “warrior rulers” takes eley as the noun and gibborim as the adjective and does not actually reverse them. [41] Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1-18, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965), 338. [42] Translator's note A on Isa 9:6 in the NET states, “[I]t is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way.” Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, 1267. [43] “The Messiah is the corporeal presence of this mighty God; for He is with Him, He is in Him, and in Him He is with Israel. The expression did not preclude the fact that the Messiah would be God and man in one person; but it did not penetrate to this depth, so far as the Old Testament consciousness was concerned.” Delitzsch, 253. [44] See Wegner 104-5. [45] See R. A. Carlson, “The Anti-Assyrian Character of the Oracle in Is. Ix, 1-6,” Vetus Testamentum, no. 24 (1974). [46] Oswalt, 246. [47] Isa 43:10-11; 44:6, 8; 45:5-6, 18, 21-22; 46:9. Deut 17:14-20 lays out the expectations for an Israelite king, many of which limit his power and restrict his exaltation, making deification untenable. [48] Wegner 108. [49] See Exod 4:16; 7:1. The word “God” can apply to “any person characterized by greatness or power: mighty one, great one, judge,” s.v. “אֱלֹהִים” in Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament.. The BDAG concurs, adding that a God is “that which is nontranscendent but considered worthy of special reverence or respect… of humans θεοί (as אֱלֹהִים) J[ohn] 10:34f (Ps 81:6; humans are called θ. in the OT also Ex 7:1; 22:27,” s.v. “θεός” in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. [50] See Exod 21.6; 22:8-9. The BDB includes the definition, “rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power,” s.v. “אֱלֹהִים” in The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon [51] Thayer points this out in his lexicon: “Hebraistically, equivalent to God’s representative or vicegerent, of magistrates and judges, John 10:34f after Ps. 81:6 (Ps. 82:6)” s.v. “θέος” in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [52] Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, 1267. [53] Raymond E. Brown, Jesus: God and Man, ed. 3 (New York: Macmillan, 1967), 25. [54] Williamson, 397. [55] Delitzsch, 253. See also fn 40 above. [56] Edward L. Curtis, “The Prophecy Concerning the Child of the Four Names: Isaiah Ix., 6, 7,” The Old and New Testament Student 11, no. 6 (1890): 339. [57] Ibid. [58] Sean Finnegan, “Jesus Is God: Exploring the Notion of Representational Deity” (paper presented at the One God Seminar, Seattle, WA2008), https://restitutio.org/2016/01/11/explanations-to-verses-commonly-used-to-teach-that-jesus-is-god/. [59] Jabal was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock (Gen 4:20) and Jubal was the father of those who play the lyre and the pipe (Gen 4:21). [60] Jesus told his critics, “You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires” (John 8:44). [61] Job called himself “a father to the needy” (Job 29:16) and Isaiah prophesied that Eliakim would be “a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Isa 22:21). [62] Williamson, 397. [63] For references to Yahweh as father to the people see Deut 32:6; Ps 103:13; Prov 3:12; Jer 3:4; 31.9; Mal 1.6; 2:10. For Yahweh as father to the messiah see 2 Sam 7:14; 1 Chron 7:13; 28:6; Ps 89:27. [64] William L. Holladay, Isaiah: Scroll of Prophetic Heritage (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978), 108. [65] See NRSVUE fn on Isa 8:1. [66] והנה המכוון במאמר פלא יועץ וגו’ הוא כי האל הגבור שהוא אבי עד ואדון השלום, הוא יועץ וגוזר לעשות פלא לישראל בזמן ממלכת הילד הנולד היום, ואח”כ מפרש למרבה המשרה וגו’. ולפי הפירוש הזה לא לחנם האריך כאן בתארי האל, כי כוונת הנביא לרמוז כי בבוא הפלא שהאל יועץ וגוזר עתה, יוודע שהוא אל גבור ובעל היכולת ושהוא אב לעד, ולא יפר בריתו עם בניו בני ישראל, ולא ישכח את ברית אבותם. ושהוא אדון השלום ואוהב השלום, ולא יאהב העריצים אשר כל חפצם לנתוש ולנתוץ ולהאביד ולהרוס, אבל הוא משפילם עד עפר, ונותן שלום בארץ, כמו שראינו בכל הדורות. Chat GPT translation: “And behold, the intention in the phrase ‘Wonderful Counselor’ and so on is that the mighty God, who is the Eternal Father and the Prince of Peace, is the Counselor and decrees to perform a wonder for Israel at the time of the reign of the child born today. Afterwards, it is explained as ‘to increase the dominion’ and so on. According to this interpretation, it is not in vain that the prophet elaborates on the attributes of God here, for the prophet’s intention is to hint that when the wonder that God now advises and decrees comes about, it will be known that He is the Mighty God and possesses the ability and that He is the Eternal Father. He will not break His covenant with His sons, the children of Israel, nor forget the covenant of their ancestors. He is the Prince of Peace and loves peace, and He will not favor the oppressors whose every desire is to tear apart, destroy, and obliterate, but He will humble them to the dust and grant peace to the land, as we have seen throughout the generations.” Samuel David Luzzatto, Shi’ur Komah (Padua, IT: Antonio Bianchi, 1867). Accessible at Sefaria and the National Library of Israel. [67]The Jewish Study Bible, ed. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, Second ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 784. [68] The New Oxford Annotated Bible, ed. Carol A. Newsom Marc Z. Brettler, Pheme Perkins, Third ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), 991. [69] Delitzsch, 249. [70] Goldingay, 42-3. [71] Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, ed. M. E. J. Richardson (Leiden: Brill, 2000). [72] See s.v. “שַׂר” in The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon [73] Wegner 112. [74] Keil and Delitzsch say the sar of Dan 8:11 refers to “the God of heaven and the King of Israel, the Prince of princes, as He is called in v. 25,” Delitzsch, 297. [75] René and John Ellington Péter-Contesse, A Handbook on Daniel, Ubs Translator’s Handbooks (New York, NY: United Bible Societies, 1993). [76] Ibid. [77] Wegner 110-1. [78] The main text transliterates “Pele-joez-el-gibbor-/Abi-ad-sar-shalom,” while the footnote translates as indicated above. The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1917), 575. [79] Holladay, 109. [80] Tanakh, the Holy Scriptures: The New Jps Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text (4th: repr., Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1985), 634. [81] John Goldingay, “The Compound Name in Isaiah 9:5(6),” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61, no. 2 (1999): 243. [82] Goldingay, Isaiah for Everyone, 40. [83] Williamson, 355. [84] An alternative is “The warrior God is planning a miracle; the eternal Father is the ruler of peace.” [85] For גִּבּוֹר in a military context, see 1 Sam 17:51; 2 Sam 20.7; 2 Kgs 24:16; Isa 21.17; Jer 48:41; Eze 39:20; and Joel 2:7; 3:9. [86] See 2 Thess 2:8 and Rev 19:11-21 (cp. Dan 7:13-14). [87] See Gesenius § 128q, which describes a genitive of “statements of the purpose for which something is intended.” [88] Williamson, 401. [89] Isaiah tells of a time when God will “judge between nations,” resulting in the conversion of the weapons of war into the tools of agriculture and a lasting era when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa 2:4).

We journey through the life of the prophet Elijah during a rebellious reign in the northern kingdom of Israel. Elijah stands against the idolatry of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, delivering God's judgment of drought upon the land. We discuss God's miraculous provision for Elijah, including his time in Zarephath with a widow and her son, and the epic showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. We end with a reflection on the downfall of the northern kingdom and its exile by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC.Readings: 1 Kings 16:29-33, 1 Kings 17:1-24, 1 Kings 18:22-40, Philippians 4:10-13Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App!Support the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgThis episode primarily uses the ESV Bible translation, but may also use CSB, NASB, and NKJV.Search Tags: bible, beginner, bible verse, god, verse of the day, prayer, jesus, bible study, scripture, learn, bible introduction, introduction, intro to the bible, introduction to the bible, beginner bible, bible overview, how to read the bible, what is the bible about, bible story, bible stories, what is the bible, ...

Nahum 3 | Pastor Greg Opean In Nahum 3, we see God's judgment on the brutal Assyrian Empire, revealing His heart toward wickedness: He hates it. Because of God's deep love for us, He hates sin and all that hurts and destroys us. While it may seem like the wicked prosper, Scripture consistently shows that God holds both nations and individuals accountable. He is an enemy to the arrogant but offers grace to the humble. Packinghouse's Wednesday night worship service from October 23, 2024. Follow us: Website: http://packinghouseredlands.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepackinghousechurch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Packinghouse-Church-188323882191/ - Greg Opean - Wednesday, October 23, 2024

God's Plan And Purpose For Evil (1) (Audio)  David Eells – 10/13/24  Many of God's people are having a problem forgiving their enemies in these days when we have seen so much evil. It is God's place to judge and recompense evil. Have you not read? Rom 9:21 Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? We've all been sinners from the same lump of clay But we got unmerited favor and they did not. The old saying is true: “There but for the grace of God go I.” So we got grace but they got justice. We must forgive to be forgiven. God is sovereign over all things; even those He draws unto Himself. Some think this not so, but let's see. Let's begin with a little foundation of God's sovereignty. We are shown in Rom.8:28 And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose.  Do we really believe that “all things” work together to bring to pass the good purpose of God for His called? Our reactions to life's circumstances are a good gauge of this. Knowing God's purpose in all things gives great peace. What purpose is Paul speaking of in the above verse? In the next verse we can see that he is talking about the purpose of bringing many sons into the image of Jesus Christ. (Rom.8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. God foreordained or pre-determined to bring His true children into the image of Jesus. This has been God's purpose since the creation of the world, even before man was created and fell.   All things serve God in order to manifest His sons. That is why God created this world. Some people who do not understand may see failure in God's plan. But when we study the sovereignty of God, we see there is no failure in God's system. Sovereignty means to exercise supreme and independent authority. Even sin, evil, and the fall will serve God's purpose. He is going to have sons to fellowship with throughout eternity. Toward this purpose, He is going to make all things work together for good. All things are not good, but all things work together for good. As I have said many times, “What does ‘all' leave out?” Applying this truth to our life takes thought.  God must be omnipotent (all-powerful) over all things to make this statement. He must also be omniscient (all-knowing) in order to make such all-encompassing statements in His Word. The Scriptures proclaim that God has sovereign control over all things that have anything to do with your life. He never falls off the throne and He never shares the throne with the devil. The authority that the devil has is according to God's design and laws. Everything serves God in the ongoing creation of sons and daughters. (Psa.119:91) They abide this day according to thine ordinances; For all things are thy servants. All things serve Him in this process, good and bad, to bring to pass His plan.   God never created anything that could thwart His plan, because God never makes mistakes. God even makes the evil to bring to pass His plan. Some will argue with that. Hopefully, you will change your mind as we examine the Scriptures. Evil is a tool of God's sovereignty to bring us to purity and maturity. Without the evil, there is no one to put us on the cross, to persecute us, and to cause temptations to rise up so that we might reject them and be cleansed. God has made everything, even the wicked for the day when His people will need chastening. (Pro.16:4) The Lord hath made everything for its own end (Some manuscripts say: for His own purpose.); Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.   The apostle Paul learned contentment. He understood that none could thwart God's good plan for him. Anxiety, fear, or impatience only comes because of our own nearsighted, immature understanding of God's master plan for us. You can imagine how valuable a great apostle and evangelist such as Paul was to the saints in his day. But, in this case, Paul was put in prison. (Php.1:12) Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things [which happened] unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the Gospel; (13) so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest; (14) and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the Word of God without fear.   Paul had an understanding that the devil was not the author of his imprisonment because of its value to God's kingdom. Everything is going to work together for the good, individually and corporately. Individually it was for Paul's good, and corporately it was for the brethren's good. The Gospel went out because Paul was in prison. It was from prison that Paul wrote much of the New Testament. The Word of God went more places and was spread much faster because Paul was in prison. People became bold to go out and preach the Gospel because he was in prison.   Sometimes we look at circumstances instead of the Word and think that the devil has been able to stop God's plan. God would have never made the devil if he had been someone who could stop His plan. Some may think that God did not make the devil, but rather a good angel that fell. Since God is all-knowing as the Scriptures say He is, He knew His angel would become the devil. He is also all-powerful to stop what He knew would happen, therefore, at least by omission, He is the creator of the devil. God says in (Isa.45:7) I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am the Lord, that doeth all these things. (Isa.54:16)… I have created the waster to destroy. (17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…   Since God created the evil waster, then obviously, He has authority to say that he cannot prosper against us. Evil cannot prosper for its own purpose, only God's good purpose. Do you suppose the three Hebrews wondered why the God to whom they had been so faithful had ordained the wicked to cast them into a fiery furnace? Those Hebrews found out this trial was to impress a heathen king with the power and saving grace of the God of Israel. He was impressed when God appeared to be walking with them through the fire and there was no harm to their bodies or clothes, only their ropes or bondage was burned off (Dan.3:25-27). God's purpose was to impress the heathen and to deliver them from bondage. This is a type or shadow of His purpose in our lives, too.  Everything that God is doing, He is doing according to the counsel of His own Will. There is not another completely free will in all of creation. If there were, this would be a dangerous place. A free will is a will that is able to do what it wants. Thank God that it is only His good free will, which “worketh all things after the counsel of his will,” that is in control.  I want to encourage you and show you how God is using the wicked and their evil works and His purposes for it. As we saw, He said in (Isa.45:7) I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am the Lord, that doeth all these things. What good reason could God possibly have in creating darkness and evil? Be patient, believe the Scriptures and receive a wonderful understanding of this. Let's examine how God exercises His Will over evil and to what extent.   In (Isa.10:5) Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation! In this verse, God calls the enemy of Israel His rod and staff to correct them. In Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd uses His rod and staff to comfort David. The rod and staff were tools of the shepherd. The Lord, our Shepherd, uses our enemies as tools to correct us and keep us in line. (Isa.10:6) I will send him against a profane nation (Israel or the Church), and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (7) Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.   Notice that the Assyrians did not know they were sent by God to fulfill His plan. It was in their heart to take a spoil and a prey. Whenever God uses vessels of dishonor, they are just fulfilling their lusts. God worked in the Assyrians to will and to do of His good pleasure. We will see that God does this with all of His vessels of dishonor. He has purpose for the wicked in the earth, otherwise, He would have removed them long ago. After God fulfills that purpose, He will do away with them.   (Isa.10:12) Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. (13) For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it… Notice that the king of Assyria thought that he had done this by his own strength. As history and this verse prove, when God is finished using the wicked for His people, He will destroy them. From the beginning, God did not intend to immediately do away with the wicked but to use them to perfect His people.  He commanded the angels to let the tares grow together with the wheat until the end (Mat.13:30), and only then will He separate and destroy the wicked (Mat.13:41-42). He explained that if you gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them (Mat.13:29). If God took away the tares, the wheat would die for lack of chastening and object lessons.   (Isa.10:13) For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom…The Assyrians believed that this victory was by their wisdom and strength, but God claimed to be using them as a tool. (15) Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, [or] as if a staff should lift up [him that is] not wood. That is the way God sees this army, like a dumb tool. God wielded the axe, saw, rod, and staff and lifted it up to work on His creation. How ludicrous for men to take any credit. God is sovereign, and everything else is a tool to be used by Him in the chastening and perfecting of His saints.   We should know that God sends these tools to us to carve us into a vessel for His use and that we need to submit for our own sake. These tools are necessary until the saints are God's finished creation and then He will put them away. Meanwhile, we need not fear that the purpose of evil is prospering. (Isa.54:16)… I have created the waster to destroy. (17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper… How comforting it is to know that only God's purpose is prospering!   Even Satan is not put in his place until the end when the tempting and crucifying of the saints is over. (Rev.20:1) And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, (3) and cast him into the abyss, and shut [it], and sealed [it] over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.  One angel had no trouble chaining Satan and casting him into the pit. That was so easy that God could have done it a long time ago if He wanted to. According to the theology of most, God would have had to send an army of angels to get that “heavyweight.” After all, has he not been resisting God for over 6,000 years? Wrong! Notice that after 1,000 years God looses him again! Does that give you any idea about who loosed him the first time in the Garden of Eden? Does God loose Satan to do His Will, or to thwart His Will?   (Rev.20:7) And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (8) and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. (9) And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them. (10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire…   (11) And I saw a great white throne… God loosed the devil to deceive all the evil nations, to make war on the saints. He did this so that He could rain down fire on the nations to destroy them, just in time for the great white throne judgment of the wicked. God did not even need the angels to destroy the devil and all of his children. He could have done this in the garden and saved us the trial, but it was not His plan!   Who cast the devil and his angels down to the earth to deceive the nations and to make war on the saints during the Tribulation period? (Rev.12:7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels [going forth] to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; (8) And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. (9) And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. Then the devil in the beast made war with the saints.   (Rev.13:7) And it was given unto him (the beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. If God was going to cast the devil and his angels down, why not cast them into the lake of fire? Instead, God restrained them to the earth where we are! God needed the hoards of evil to separate the tares from the wheat and to mature the saints. Notice, there “was given unto him” (the beast), both authority over the nations and authority to make war on the saints. God gave authority to the devil, who dwelt in the beast and gave authority to the beast, to try the saints and to crucify their flesh.   Back to (Isa.10:20) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. People lean on the flesh and the world. We trust in America to defend and make us socially secure. The world has our love, respect, honor, and fear, all of which belongs only to God. God has a remedy for that. God brought the illicit lovers of Israel against her so that she would learn who the true enemies of her soul were. In this case, the Lord is showing us the same thing.   One of His remedies for us loving the things, people, and thinking of the world is that He is going to bring all that against us. (Mat.24:9) Ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake. It is necessary that we be hated of all nations so that God's name is manifest in us. It is necessary that the world hate us to turn our heart away from the love of the world. God's people were too comfortable in Egypt so He turned the Egyptians' heart to hate His people (Psa.105:25). Then He saved them from the hand of him that hated them (Psa.106:10). First, God turned their heart against Israel, then, God delivered Israel out of their hand, and they were so grateful.   In (2Sa.7:14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. God's purpose in creating sons is going to be fulfilled by using vessels of dishonor to chasten His sons for their sins. The rod is physical men, armies, and nations. God uses spiritual principalities and powers to motivate these vessels of dishonor. If I were to pick up a stick and hit my neighbor with it, you would accuse me of evil. On the other hand, if I take the same stick and go chasten my child because of willful disobedience, you should think that good (Pro.23:13-14). What is the difference? The same stick was used, but the purpose was opposite. To attribute evil to God for using evil shows a lack of understanding of His purpose or motive.   God is going to use evil to do good. God is good and all things that God does are good. We cannot limit God with self-righteous thinking. God is going to do a good work with evil. In fact, without evil, God cannot do this work. (1Ti.1:20) of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme. The word “blaspheme” here means “to speak evil against.” These men were speaking evil against either someone or the truth, and Paul, for God, turned them over to Satan so that they might be taught not to blaspheme. Satan teaches us much. In most cases, it is Satan and his demons that execute the curse on those that sin.   The curse was spoken and ordained by God in Deuteronomy 28 to motivate sinners to repent. Satan tempts us with lusts, but when we give in, he legally may administer the curse until we repent. When we get out from under the blood, Satan is waiting. It is not in Satan's mind to teach us anything or chasten us. That is God's purpose. Satan is full of lust, and hates mankind and wants to do evil against mankind. Satan does not wish to teach us, mature us, or bring us to an understanding of God but he still brings that to pass.   Jesus said, If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand (Mar.3:24). Satan's kingdom is divided against itself because what he does to the people of God causes them to repent and mature. It is not just Satan, but everything around us that God is going to use to bring us to maturity. Satan, the leader over the vessels of dishonor, is very important to this process. Satan is in command over the wicked spirits and thus, wicked people. God is in command over Satan. The Scripture says, “All things work together for good.” According to this, what Satan does to us is for our good. Does Satan understand what he is doing? No, he does not understand.   According to the law of sowing and reaping, he has sown deceit, therefore he is deceived. He is out to take man's position of authority by tempting him to sin. Satan is also a created being. God did not create any being that was going to be able to thwart His Will. He created everything for the purpose of bringing His chosen into the image of Jesus Christ. There are several methods that God uses to move the wicked, Satan, and the demons. One is by the power of suggestion. He works in them to will and to do of His good pleasure. He also commands or gives permission to them.   We read in (1Co.5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. This man had his father's wife, probably what we would call a stepmother. Paul spoke to the elders in Corinth and determined to agree with them to turn this man over to Satan. Do you think that Satan is thinking about destroying people's fleshly nature to save their spirit? The flesh is Satan's ally and a manifestation of his very nature.  Paul is taking authority over the power of the enemy and using that power to chasten rebellious children of God. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy… (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you… Jesus delegated authority over the power of enemy spirits to His disciples.   Disciples have a right by the Spirit of God to use their power or to forbid their power. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (forbid) on earth shall be bound (forbidden) in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (permit) on earth shall be loosed (permitted) in heaven. Disciples have authority to forbid or permit. With the guidance of God's Spirit, mature disciples can permit the devil's power for a good purpose, “that the spirit may be saved.” In this way, God exercises His sovereignty through His disciples.   When Jesus sent out His disciples to make disciples, He commanded them to pass on the same authority and commands that He had given them. (Mat.28:20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. If we are disciples (Greek: methetes, “learners and followers”) of Christ, we have the same commands. Jesus said that He would be with them to do this “even unto the end of the world.” Obviously, the original disciples did not live that long, therefore He is speaking to all disciples.   Today, ministries go from one extreme to the other. Either God's ministers are totally powerless in the face of rebellion or they exercise carnal dominion like the Pharisees. Just as a father and mother have authority in a family to chasten their children physically, the leadership in the Church has authority, because of the love of Jesus, over His children. This authority is not for the purpose of personal animosity, anger, or vengeance. It is because we do not want to see God's people come to the end of their lives having never repented of their sins and fall off into the pit. God's purpose has to be continually working in a person's life to bring them to maturity, to get them ready to face Him. In the above reference, Paul turned this man over to Satan in obedience to the Spirit, out of love. Some worry about the possibility of abuse here, but the curse that is causeless alighteth not (Pro.26:2).  We read in (Rom.8:7) Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. It is God's plan for Satan to administer chastening. It is Satan's lust to do what he is permitted, to destroy man. Satan has been given power over the flesh. Do you remember the serpent in the garden? He was cursed to crawl on his belly and to eat the dust of the earth. What is the dust of the earth? It is what our flesh was made from. Satan has been given authority to come against flesh. I am speaking not only of this body but also of the carnal desires and appetites that gratify self. Satan's job is to devour the old man, and he is very good at it. The benefit is the saving of the spiritual man.   God commonly turns us over to Satan for chastening when we walk in willful disobedience. In Matthew 18, we have a case of unforgiveness. (Mat.18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors (demons), till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. This is a common thing. When we see ourselves delivered over to the curse, we should examine our conscience to see if there is cause to repent. I say “if,” because sometimes Satan is permitted to come against us to build our faith and to prove our authority over him. God uses a very bad devil to do a very good work in more ways than one.   It says in (2Pe.2:9) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; (10) but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion… God takes credit for keeping the rebellious under judgment. Some live under judgment all their life because they “walk after the flesh.” If we do not understand the sovereignty of God, many times we are going to go through a lot more judgment. We need to recognize God's purpose in everything. He uses Satan, his demons, or the wicked people around us to chasten and bring us to repentance or to build our faith through trials.   Many only see the vessel; they do not see God behind the vessel whose purpose is being fulfilled. Satan would have us believe that the reason he comes against us is because we are good children of God. However, God would have us believe that when Satan comes against us it is because He loves us and chastens our corrupt nature and acts, or to give our faith a spiritual workout. If you only see Satan coming against you and not God, then you do not have any motivation to change. But, if you see God sending Satan against you, then you are motivated to change. (Joh.3:27) … A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven.   (Heb.2:2)… Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. All you have to do is look at the recompense, and you can tell when something is a transgression. When we look at the recompense we can see if it is wrong. Is it wrong to recreationally indulge in hard liquor? Look at the recompense, deterioration of the body and spirit. Is it wrong to smoke? Look at the recompense, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, and other physical complications. People who are bitter, angry, and unforgiving are delivered over to cancer, arthritis, and other immune deficiencies.   Many with cancer or arthritis have kept up anger and bitterness in their lives. Anxiety and worry gives way to ulcers. You do not have to ask if it is sin; look at what it does to people. Even if you do not know a verse that tells you it is a sin, look at the fruit of it. Look at what comes against you because of it. God has ordained the entire curse system to come against those who transgress. Whether God is using the devil, his demons, wicked people around you, sickness, or any other part of the curse, He is doing it to bring us to repentance and fruit.   God will use evil spirits to humble us and bring about good fruit in us. Paul is a good example. He was caught up to the third heaven and received wonderful revelations that tempted him to be proud. (2Co.12:7) And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger (Greek: angelos, “angel”) of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. Paul says the thorn was an angel of Satan to buffet him. The word “buffet” means “to hit over and over.” You can see that this evil spirit was given to Paul to fulfill God's purpose of humbling him.   (2Co.12:8) Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness… This angel of Satan was bringing about a humbling in Paul's life that God called grace. When Paul was in a position of personal weakness or inability to save himself, he got to see God's power to save. It should be the same with us. Earlier in the text, Paul lists what he calls weaknesses. He lists things such as shipwrecks, prisons, persecutions from enemies, and stripes. Not once does Paul mention sickness in the list. The point is that God uses evil angels to come against our lusts, to humble us, to chasten us, and to cause us to repent.   (2Co.12:8) Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it (the angel of Satan or demon) might depart from me. (9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee… God was saying that He would deliver Paul from the individual buffetings, but not from the angel of Satan. Paul said as much to Timothy. (2Ti.3:11) Persecutions, sufferings. What things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. (2Tim.4:18) The Lord will deliver me from every evil work… In this, we see the sovereignty of God in both bringing the chastening and supplying the deliverance.   We read in (2Th.1:4) So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure. God never does anything just for one purpose. (2Th.1:5) [Which is] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.   Sometimes God's method is to use an angel of Satan to bring us into persecution and affliction, which Paul said was a token of the judgment of God to get us ready for His kingdom. Most often, the demons are administering the curse to do that. All things, curses and blessings, are working together for our good. We have a covenant right to deliverance from the curse. (Gal. 3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us…   Now let's go to (Psa.78:43) How he set his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan, (44) And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink. (45) He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them. (46) He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust. (47) He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore-trees with frost. (48) He gave over their cattle also to the hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts. (49) He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, A band of angels of evil.   (50) He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence (51) And smote all the first-born in Egypt. Here we have God sending judgments, which He called “a band of angels of evil,” to chasten His people and destroy their enemies. When God sent all these judgments through “angels of evil,” they came against both the Egyptians and the Israelites in the beginning until His people were willing to come out of Egypt. Then God made a separation between Goshen and Egypt. The judgments then fell only on the Egyptians so that God's people would be set free. When we repent of living in Egypt, we do not have to live under the judgments. And (Exo.12:23) For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. Notice that the Lord passed over the Israelites' door with the destroyer and smote the Egyptians. The king angel of the abyss in Revelation 9:11 was Apollyon (in the Greek) or Abaddon (in the Hebrew), and both of these names mean “destroyer.”   These are just two of the many names for the devil. He was the king demon over death, but God had authority over him. The destroyer came through at midnight, exactly when God said he would. God's purpose was for him to destroy God's enemies and anyone who did not partake of the lamb. God told them to eat the lamb, and the destroyer would not smite them. That is how we come out from under the curse of sin and death. We must eat the lamb, Jesus Christ, the Word. By consuming and digesting the Word of God, we are delivered from the curse and manifest our sonship.   Sennacherib, king of the Assyrian Empire, had sent his vast army against Judah, but God promised them victory through Isaiah. (Isa.37:7) Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear tidings, and shall return unto his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. God put a demon spirit in Sennacherib, who, hearing voices, was then afraid of being away from home. Many demon-possessed people hear voices. The demons want to destroy God's people. Sometimes they have no choice in what they do. God used this demon to take the king home where he fell by the sword of two of his sons (Isa.37:38).   Some ministers, who have not lived righteous lives and yet retain authority over God's people, have been demon-possessed. King Saul was just such a man. God called him and anointed him, but he rebelled. (1Sa.16:14) Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. If most people did not know this was in the Word, they would accuse me of heresy. We read here an evil spirit from the Lord troubling Saul because he would not obey. (15) And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. (16) Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. Of course, they found David with his harp to comfort the king. Isn't that something? God sent an evil spirit to trouble Saul and then sent David with his harp to give him some relief from the torment. He works on us from both sides.   I ministered in an assembly once where I discerned that the pastor had demons. He was having problems with women, money, and honesty. He told me three times that God had spoken to him that he was Saul and I was David. I shared with him truths that would help him to overcome, but he was self-willed. I asked the Lord what to do about him because he was causing believers to stumble. God said, “Let the Philistines take him out.” The Philistines were the enemies of God's people who took Saul out. The enemies of God's people did take this man out, too. I ended up taking over the ministering there for a short time. It was Saul and David all over again. God worked on this man from both sides. In Deuteronomy 28, God says over and over that He would send the curse to the rebellious, and now we know that He sent Jesus to deliver from that curse.   We are constantly faced with a choice. God has put us here for our soul to make a decision between our flesh and our spirit. We are the highest creation of God and the lowest creation of God. We are between heaven and hell, between demons and the angels, between God and the devil. Every way we turn, there is a decision to be made. God planned it that way. He is saying to rebellious people, “The curse is in front of you; do not go. But if you do, it is your own fault, and you will pay a penalty.” At the same time He offers grace to make the right decision.   God raised up Gideon to conquer Israel's enemies. After this, Gideon would not accept a position of authority over Israel. In fact, he would not let his sons take a position of authority over Israel while he was alive (Jdg.8:23). Gideon had seventy-one sons, one of these by a concubine in Shechem. This son lusted after authority and wanted to be the next king over Israel. So he conspired with the men of Shechem to kill Gideon's seventy sons. All but Jotham were murdered. Jotham prophesied the following to the men of Shechem after they had executed the dastardly deed: (Jdg.9:20)… Let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.   God was pronouncing through Jotham a curse of division upon the guilty parties. (Jdg.9:22) And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. (23) And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: (24) that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. God wanted to judge and destroy this evil alliance so He sent an evil spirit between them to divide and conquer. Both Abimelech and the men of Shechem were destroyed because of this one evil spirit. God used evil to judge the guilty and to deliver His people from their hand.   Once I was ministering in an assembly along with two other ministers. These two ministers were grieving me because they were continually patting each other on the back, even while they were agreeing to disagree with God's Word. When I went home one evening after witnessing them confirm one another's errors in front of the congregation, I felt that the Lord put in my heart to pray that He would send an evil spirit between these two ministers to break up this evil alliance. I was shocked. The next day, I found out that on the very evening of my prayer, those two had fallen out with one another to the degree that they had separated. God used that to separate this evil alliance between these two people.   God uses this method all through the Scriptures. Let me share another example. (Rev.16:14) For they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Here demons gather the whole world to fight the battle of Armageddon. The same account in Zechariah says that God gathered the whole world to that battle. (Zec.14:2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle… (3) Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. So now we see that God will use the demons to gather the enemy army against His people just so that He can destroy them and save His people. Friend, can you see that if God [is] for us, who [is] against us? (Rom.8:31) On the other hand, if God is against us then who can be for us?   After gathering the nations to the battle, the Lord said that He would “fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” In 2 Chronicles 20:17, the Lord told Jehoshaphat, “Ye shall not need to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” He was going to fight this battle. His method of warfare is described in the following verses: (2Ch.20:22) And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten. (23) For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.  I used to think that they waited in ambush for one another. But as I looked at the Scripture more carefully, I discovered that God set liers-in-wait for the whole army so that they fell out with one another. The demon spirits who brought them there were waiting to assemble them so that they could ambush them with suspicion, greed, anger, fear, etc., and cause them to destroy one another. He divided three armies that came as one into three, and they killed off one another. Since God is paralleling this to the battle of Armageddon, He will cause a civil war in the midst of the end time beast kingdom, and they will divide into kings of the north, kings of the south (Dan.11:40), and kings of the East (Rev.16:12) to destroy one another and save God's people. God is in control of demons, therefore, He is also in control of their obedient servants, men. All this is for the purpose of bringing us to repentance and glorifying Himself in our eyes and the world's. This should be a word of encouragement to anyone.   Though God uses evil spirits to divide, He also uses us to forbid them when appropriate. God wants us to resist the devil, to not permit his lies or his accusing of the brethren. God expects us to be vigilant and to test the spirits at all times. The ability to test with discernment comes from the practice of seeking to be a vessel of honor and having our spiritual senses exercised by the Word to discern good and evil (Heb.5:13-14). It is a pity more of God's people do not hear from the Lord today.   Many falsely believe that the division of an assembly of Christians could not possibly be the Will of God. The assembly at Jerusalem was scattered by persecution in order to spread the Gospel. Israel rebelled from under the house of David leaving only Judah and Benjamin. King Rehoboam gathered his army to bring the rebels back into the fold, but the Lord through the prophet spoke to them. (1Ki.12:24) Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me… Other reasons for division could be because the assembly is too large to meet the needs of the individual or because the assembly is apostate and ruled by men, in which case, the people would not grow up in Christ.   God divided Babel because their unity was for the purpose of evil. Notice it was the tongue that divided them just as the denominations are divided now. God's purpose in division is always good but man's purpose is generally evil. Denominationalism is the tendency to divide into sects and is a work of the flesh according to the Word (Gal.5:20; 1Co.1:10-13; 1Co.3:1-8; 1Co.11:17-19; and so on.). Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one even as He and the Father are one (Joh.17:21-22). This can only happen when in the Tribulation the righteous give up their sects to be one flock with one Shepherd (Joh.10:16).   Now let's go to (Rom.9:17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. (18) So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. Here it is hard to escape the fact that God made Pharaoh stubborn in order to make Himself famous and powerful in the eyes of men. God knows that we need to perceive a great God and Savior. Those who ignorantly think they are defending God's reputation usually say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart first. (Exo.4:21) And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. (Exo.7:3) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.   Five times in Exodus, God says that He hardened Pharaoh's heart before we are told that Pharaoh… hardened his heart (Exo.8:15). God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to set His people free. He then hardened Pharaoh's heart to refuse to set them free. To Israel this made their freedom naturally impossible. God gave to them what they perceived as hopeless in order to glorify Himself in their eyes. They needed to know that He could save them from anything in their coming wilderness trial. God and you are a majority in any situation.   If that was not enough, God hardened Pharaoh's heart again to cause him to follow the Israelites into the Red Sea to the Egyptians' destruction. (Exo.14:4) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host… Unlike the movies, this is the only Pharaoh that they have found that died of drowning. All this was just to impress Israel with God's power to set free. They were going to need this in the trials to come.   Have you ever had some hardened heart in a position of power over you? Go to God, not Pharaoh. All Moses ever got from him was insolence. Have you considered your flesh? Does it seem more powerful than your ability to obey God? That was God's plan. He wants to show us His power to save from sin. (2Co.4:7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. God wants no competition from our own ability. He wants to prove the power of His grace through our faith in Him.  It says in (Pro.26:2) As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not. No curse can alight upon us unless there is a cause. Sin and corruption are the most likely cause. Only God's purpose is fulfilled in a curse. It says in (Num.23:8) How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? We are really wise if we are looking for the cause, and not looking at the curse, or looking at the devil. If we deal with the cause, we do not have to live with the curse.   The problem is people will not deal with the cause. They just live with the curse and try by man's methods to be delivered from it. If man, by his own methods, could deliver us from the curse that God sent to cause us to repent, man would be detrimental. What if we examine our conscience and do not see the cause? Then it is very possible that the cause is so that we renew our mind with the Word and fight the good fight of faith. Sometimes the Lord sends Satan against us so that we can whip him. Yes, God does that to prove to us that His Word is true and that we have authority over all the power of the enemy. God's ultimate purpose is to manifest His sovereignty through us.   God wants us to learn to fight a spiritual warfare. God gives us practice sometimes. When Satan comes against us through demons, wicked people, or circumstances, we should examine our conscience. If we do not find guilt because of willful disobedience, then we should exercise the authority that Jesus gave us against Satan, because we are going to win. In coming against Satan, we are also crucifying our old man because our old man is created in the image of Satan. When we fight with Satan, we fight with “self”. When we win against Satan, we win against “self”. That is another part of God's plan that is so perfect and so beautiful. Amen.   Let's go to (Lam.3:37) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Can evil command something and it come to pass if the Lord has not commanded it? No! God is sovereign. Jesus said His words were not His but the Father's. We know this was true because they came to pass. By the grace of God, I have commanded healings, miracles, provisions and deliverances that have come to pass. Religious people have told me that my faith was presumptuous because we cannot know the Will of God. I have thought, “How ludicrous! Do I have power to do these things? God did them. I merely agreed with His Word.” The proof that I was in agreement with God is that they came to pass. If the devil commands something and it comes to pass, is it because he is more powerful than God? Not according to this verse. It is because God commanded it whether the devil knew it or not. (Lam.3:38) Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?   Where does evil and good come from? God says that it comes out of the mouth of the Most High. Does that mean God is evil? No, it means we deserve or need the ministry of evil. (Lam.3:39) Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? We have been brainwashed to believe that man is basically good and deserving of good, so we are shocked when bad things happen to “good” people. (Mar.10:18) And Jesus said unto him… None is good save one, [even] God.  From God's mouth comes blessing and curse, good and evil. The evil here represents the hard things that happen to “good” people in order to turn them toward good and to stop them from continuing in sin. Any evil that comes against the life of those who “are called according to His purpose” is for good. We should always examine our conscience and the Word to find out if God is sending Satan against us because of the sin in us or the actions of sin that we do.   Arminianism is the erroneous belief that everyone has a free will. God is the only one who has a free will. We have a limited free will, limited by our ability, thinking, nature, body, and circumstances. If you have a free will, let's see if you can stop sinning. We cannot do just anything we would like to do. The only one the Bible credits with the ability to do everything He wishes is God (Eph.1:11) In whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained (predestined) according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will.  Like this verse, Calvinism teaches the sovereignty of God over election, predestination, evil, and everything. The only way that we can do what we want to do is to get God's Will in us. (Php.2:13) For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. Then we can do what we want to do because we want what He wants, and what He wants He gets.   That is how the Son sets us free, by giving us a will to do His Will. While we have our own will, we will be at war with ourselves. (Gal.5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. We have God's Will in us, and we have our will in us. They are tugging away at each other. That is not freedom or a free will. This means that “ye may not do the things that ye would.”   We did not even have the freedom of will to come to God. (Joh.6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. That is not a free will. We choose not to come to God, unless He draws us. You may choose to sin, most do, but God will choose the time, place, and extent. (Pro.16:9) A man's heart deviseth his way; But the Lord directeth his steps. God directs the steps of His vessels of honor or dishonor. The only reason we make the choice in God's direction is because of grace. (Joh.15:16) Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit… Jesus first chose us and gave us the will to choose Him because of His unmerited favor. We bear fruit because of a gift of His Will in us.  The Lord brings spirits against us to chasten us and to cause us to repent, then after we overcome, He has total ability to make our enemies to be at peace with us. (Pro.16:7) When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. We see here that God has total control over our enemies and He can put peace in their heart toward us when we overcome. We should remember this when we are tempted to take care of our enemies ourselves. So we see, God uses our enemies when our ways do not please the Lord.   God created our enemies just for that purpose. (Pro.16:4) The Lord hath made everything for its own end (Some manuscripts say: for His own purpose.): Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Need I say that we should not argue with God? We see God's hand as sovereign in all of this. God can send the wicked to us, for a day of evil, because our ways do not please the Lord. When we overcome, God can give us total peace in the midst of our enemies. Whether they are wicked men or demon spirits, it does not make any difference.   Should we reason with our puny understanding that God would be wrong to make the wicked? He has an answer in (Rom.9:21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? (22) What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted (Greek: “to complete thoroughly”) unto destruction. Notice that they are vessels of dishonor and wrath, made to be destroyed. (2Pe.2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed…   In instances like this, we must repent and conform our reasoning to God's if we want truth. In God's opinion, and His is the only one that counts, the wicked are animals, made to be destroyed when they have served their purpose. (Pro.21:18) The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; And the treacherous [cometh] in the stead of the upright. A ransom is a price that must be paid for someone's freedom. The wicked are a price that God pays to create sons who are free from the bondage of corruption, so let us not waste their sacrifice.   When Joseph was revealed unto his brethren who came out of Canaan's land into Egypt, they were repenting to him because of the way that they had treated him. Joseph understood the cause for all the tribulation he had been through. (Gen.50:20) And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Joseph credited God for using evil to bring him into Egypt “to save much people alive.” The Israelites who came out of Canaan's land were starving to death. When they came to Egypt, Joseph, who was sent on ahead because of his ‘Judas' brothers, fed them. God used them to crucify Joseph and prepare him as a vessel of honor.   I remember once when I bought a used car from a heathen. We had agreed on a price and were to close the deal the next day. I had asked God for a better price. The next day, when I went to close the deal, he said he would sell it for the better price that I had only spoken about to the Lord. Only God could put in the heart of a lost used car salesman to suggest selling for a cheaper price after we had already agreed. I realized that God had put this in his heart even though it did not come naturally to him. God works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure, so also them.   The Lord said to Peter in (Luk.22:31) Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: (32) but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren. Satan asked to sift Peter, but why would God give any heed to what he asks unless it is for our good? If Peter had been like most people, he would ask, “Lord, why did you give Satan permission to have me? Just say, ‘No, Satan, you cannot have him.'” But Jesus knew that was not God's Will.   God's purpose is for Satan to get what belongs to him in our lives. The purpose of sifting is to separate and remove what you want. He keeps what is his. The Lord said, “The evil one cometh but he hath nothing in me.” Jesus was pure; there was nothing in Him that belonged to Satan. Satan is sifting to get what belongs to him. God only wants what is left. God could have destroyed him back at the beginning of the world but God ordained Satan for His good purpose. When God is through doing His whole work upon the people of God, guess what He is going to do with Satan, the demons, the wicked, the false prophet and the beast, too? That is right, the lake of fire.   Jesus set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left (Mat.25:33). That is exactly how God uses the righteous and the wicked, as His right hand and His left. His right hand is the vessels of honor, and His left hand is the vessels of dishonor. Satan is, in effect, one of God's hands to create His sons. Let me share a dream from a close spiritual brother. He saw a line of the saints coming before Jesus in heaven. At Jesus' left hand was Satan with an old-style cannon in front of him pointed at the first person in line. Satan with a lighter in his hand eagerly wanted to light the fuse on the cannon and blow them away. Jesus' left hand was in front of Satan stopping him. From that dream, you can see that when the Lord moves His left hand, Satan moves.   Here is a clear case of that. (Job.1:8) And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil. God brought Job to Satan's attention and bragged about him. That is just like waving a red flag in a bull's face. Satan did not want to hear that. In fact, Satan is trying to prove just the opposite to God. He is the accuser of the brethren. God inflicted Satan on Job by the power of suggestion. (9) Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? (10) Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.   Satan is admitting he did not have the power to get at Job because of God's hedge. The same is true of us. (11) But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face. (12) And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Satan suggests to God that He drop the hedge and put forth “His hand” against Job to try him. So why drop the hedge? It was not keeping God's hand out unless you see that the left hand of the Lord was Satan! God confirms this by using the terms “in thy power” and “thy hand.”   Satan was the one who brought the Sabeans, the fire of God, the Chaldeans and the great wind from the wilderness against Job and his family to try him. Look at what Job said about it in verse (21) And he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (22) In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. God says plainly here that Job was not sinning by attributing all this to Him. The Lord gave on the right hand, and the Lord took away on the left.   Some people would say that the Sabeans, Chaldeans, and the fire took everything away from Job. Some would look behind those and say that Satan did it. Then some would look a little further back and say that God did it. That is what Job did. That is what we have to do if we are to have the purpose of God fulfilled in our lives. We have to look all the way back and see God's purpose in our lives. Job did not stumble because he understood that. Anyone who sees only the vessel will stumble. If we see only an evil vessel, we will end up fighting and wrestling with flesh and blood. Even though Job was hurting, in his spirit he had rest because he saw God's purpose.   He goes on in (Job.2:3) And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity (God was rubbing Satan's nose in it.), although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. God appears to be using reverse psychology on Satan, letting him believe that he was moving God when it was the other way around. God was moved against Job, but Satan was the instrument.   It was God who pointed Job out to Satan in the first place in order to fulfill His own purpose. (4) And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. (5) But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face. (6) And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life. God always laid down the conditions of Satan's involvement even as he does today. (9) Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die. (10) But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.  God wanted to make it plain to us, using two witnesses, that what Job was saying was correct. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evil? Job never gave credit to Satan. He never even gave credit to the Sabeans, Chaldeans, or the wind from the wilderness. Job only looked at the primary purpose of God.  Jesus, in teaching us to cooperate with God's purpose of crucifixion in our lives, said, “Resist not him that is evil,” speaking of men. However, we are commanded to, “Resist the devil,” speaking of evil spirits. We should never get caught up and wrestle with flesh and blood. Jesus would not. (Isa.53:7) He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. We are to wrestle with principalities and powers.   God wants us to see evil people as victims of Satan and the curse, vessels to be pitied. (Luk.23:34) And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do… God wants us to see through those vessels of evil and see Him. Jesus had peace because He knew all power comes from our sovereign God. (Joh.19:10) Pilate therefore saith unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee? (11) Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above…  Eli rebuked his sons for their apostasy in (1Sa.2:24) Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. (25)… Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord was minded to slay them. The purpose of the Lord is ultimate. Many will not repent because it is in the mind of the Lord to slay them for their evil. We could justly receive the same treatment, but God gave us grace. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God. Only God gives the gift of faith to believe and repent. We have to go to God; He grants faith and repentance. True understanding of salvation by unmerited grace causes us to fear God.   Some do not value the gift of God only to have it taken away and given to ones who do value it. The Jews lost out to the Gentiles. Let no one take thy crown (Rev.3:11). The self-righteous flirt with catastrophe. (1Co.4:7) For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? If we have anything more than our neighbor, it is a gift of God, not cause for pride. 

September 27, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 4:12-25Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6; Matthew 4:12-25“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””(Matthew 4:17)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The beginning of Jesus' public ministry probably went unnoticed by most. In the wake of John the Baptist's arrest, Jesus withdraws from Judea, heads to Galilee, and talks a few local fishermen into leaving their jobs to follow him instead. To those who knew Simon and Andrew and to Zebedee, the father of James and John, it may have seemed like a bad career move. Certainly, their families were all inconvenienced by their sudden vocational change. In the big picture, however, these events would have been insignificant to the rest of Capernaum and unknown to those in Jerusalem. What is happening here, though, is a game changer as long-prophesied events begin to unfold just as Isaiah had said they would.Jesus beginning His public ministry in Galilee is part of the fulfillment of God's plan to save His people. The area where Jesus calls His first disciples and begins to preach about the kingdom of heaven being at hand is the first area of the old Northern Kingdom of Israel that had fallen to the Assyrian Empire. Now, the first area to fall is the first area to hear the preaching of the gospel. The first area to go into darkness is now the first area where the light begins to dawn. The light that began to dawn in Galilee continues to shine in our own time. The first followers Jesus called to Himself heard His preaching of the kingdom of heaven and, in time, began to preach the same kingdom to others. Over the centuries, that preaching has continued, and you hear it in every sermon at your own congregation. What began in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali has spread throughout the world, and the kingdom of God continues to be at hand wherever you may live. The message of repentance that was for them is for you. The kingdom that was promised to them has been promised to you. The Jesus that called them is the Jesus that has called you. What began in Galilee did not stay in Galilee, and what God has begun in you will go beyond you as the light continues to dawn in the darkness. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Christ, who taught the Twelve The truth for ages sealed, Whose words and works awakened faith, The ways of God revealed: Instruct us how we pray, By Your empowering Word. True teacher be for all who seek Their light, their life, their Lord. (LSB 856:2)-Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church Modesto, California.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Embracing Your Lutheran Identity, Author Gene Edward Veith Jr. will guide readers through that heritage, starting with the Early Church and moving through the Reformation to Lutheranism today. Readers will learn about key people in the history of Lutheranism, from two teenagers who were the first martyrs of the Reformation, through the Saxon immigrants who left everything behind so they could practice Lutheranism freely, to the Lutherans who have stood strong for the faith in our own day.

Sermon for the Thirteenth Sunday after TrinityYou are a Samaritan and have a demon. This is what the Jews say to Jesus in John chapter 8. To the Jews, being a Samaritan and having a demon are equivalent. 700 years before Jesus, when the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by God for their wickedness, the Assyrian Empire took the Israelites of the northern ten tribes and scattered many throughout their empire, while moving other people into the north part of Israel. Those new people, foreigners and pagans, married Israelites, and they all began a mixed religion that worshipped both the Lord and other gods. They were called Samaritans, after the old Israelite capital of Samaria.

Send us a Text Message.As the Assyrian Empire brings new settlers into Israel, weird things begin to happen.  Join us as we discuss the lions of the wilderness and the creation of Samaria.  

Feedback? Send us a text! (note: we can't reply to texts. For a reply, please email us at biblebrief@biblelit.org) The Assyrian Empire rises and Israel finds itself at odds with the great power. Samaria is under siege for 3 years, and the Kingdom of Israel falls. They fall because of disobedience. Read along with the story. Today we're reading 2 Kings 17.Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literacy Foundation, dedicated to helping people like you learn the Bible. Looking for more? Check out our website at biblelit.org.Support the Show.Support the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the PRISM Bible App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWebsite: biblelit.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgThis episode primarily uses the ESV Bible translation, but may also use CSB, NASB, and NKJV.Search Tags: bible, beginner, bible verse, god, verse of the day, prayer, jesus, bible study, scripture, learn, bible introduction, introduction, intro to the bible, introduction to the bible, beginner bible, bible overview, how to read the bible, what is the bible about, bible story, bible stories, what is the bible, bible study, walkthrough, bible walk...

Blessings Follow Sanctification (6)  (audio)  David Eells (7/7/24)  We've been studying sanctification and its resulting blessing, and we've seen that the Church and the Bride are coming to such great maturity in their sanctification that they are as (Isa.62:1) … as a lamp that burneth. All of the true Church is going to grow 30-, 60- and 100-fold in the fruit of Jesus Christ, and the Bride gloriously comes into His image, as we studied in Isaiah 62. But Isaiah 63 is a different story because it tells you about those who are not sanctified.   I'd like to back up a little bit first and review what I shared about last time. (Isa.63:1) Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. (2) Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? (3) I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. We noticed in Revelation 19 that the Lord does come back with a garment that is sprinkled with blood and it is the blood of His enemies.   The enemy that He is speaking about in this chapter is Edom. He is coming from Bozrah of Edom and bozrah means “sheepfold.” We saw in our previous study that the Lord Jesus came to the sheepfold in a time when the Old Testament Church was very apostate and He called His sheep by name and led them out of the sheepfold. Shortly after that, those people who refused to come out of their apostate sheepfold were hardened and rejected, and then the Beast came and devoured the Harlot. We know that same history is going to repeat in our day and this is who Isaiah 63 is talking about; it's talking about the Harlot. We also learned that Edom, or the seed of Esau, represents the opposite of Jacob. (Gen.25:29) And Jacob boiled pottage: and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint:   (30) and Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage]; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. (31) And Jacob said, Sell me first thy birthright. (32) And Esau said, Behold, I am about to die: and what profit shall the birthright do to me? (33) And Jacob said, Swear to me first; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. (34) And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: so Esau despised his birthright. At the time when Esau decided to sell his birthright, he was called “Edom,” which means “red,” and “red” is the color of sin. As it says in (Isa.1:18) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.   Remember what it says in Hebrews. (Heb.12:14) Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord (When Jacob was sanctified, or separated, from Esau, he bore so much fruit that it shocked his brother.): (Heb.12:15) looking carefully lest [there be] any man that falleth short of the grace of God (Many people fall short of the grace of God for the same reason that Esau fell short of the grace of God.); lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you,] and thereby the many be defiled.... A root of bitterness will defile many people because a person who has it will export it and Esau certainly did. If nothing else, he exported it to all of his seed because the sins of the parents are passed on to the children to the third and fourth generation (Deuteronomy 5:9).   When a person sins by allowing a demonic spirit of bitterness, or criticism, or unforgiveness toward their brother, which was Esau's problem, then that sin is passed on to their seed. The sin of Esau is the sin of the Edomites, whom the Lord says He will destroy, He will trample (Isaiah 63:3). “The many be defiled” is what happened from Esau's sin and even today there are Esaus, so Paul warns us that we need to make sure that no one falls after that same example of disobedience. Esau was the brother of Jacob and he was a son of Abraham, and he represented a son of God, but still he sold his birthright because of this root of bitterness. (Heb.12:16) Lest [there be] any fornicator, or profane person (We discovered that “profane” here means “permitted to be trodden.” In other words, this is someone who was “trampled underfoot,” someone who was conquered by his spiritual enemies.), as Esau, who for one mess of meat (I liken that to “flesh” because I don't think it was an accident that they used the word “meat” there.) sold his own birthright.   Because he walked after the flesh, because he submitted to these spirits of criticism, anger and bitterness against his brother, Esau sold his own birthright. (Heb.12:17) For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind [in his father] (Literally, it doesn't say “in his father,” but “found no place for a change of mind.” The phrase “change of mind” is the Greek word metanoia and it means “repentance.” Esau could not repent and we saw in 2 Peter 2 that unrepentant people can't cease from sin.), though he sought it diligently with tears.   He found no forgiveness in himself, he found no repentance in his life and he could not cease from sinning because he was bitter. He was turned over to the tormentors and the tormentors made him what he was. Jesus told us in, (Mat.18:32) Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: (33) shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? (34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.   When we see that the people whom the Lord is judging here is Edom, we are not seeing the whole story. Edom specifically represents those who are brothers of Jacob and sons of Abraham, whether physical or spiritual, but who sell their birthright through walking after the flesh and go on to persecute their brother. In the case of Edom, they sell their birthright because of bitterness. The whole story is found in Revelation 19, where He is judging all of the nations at the time of the wrath of God. (Rev.19:11) And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteous he doth judge and make war. (12) And his eyes [are] a flame of fire, and upon his head [are] many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself. (13) And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God.   (14) And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white [and] pure. (15) And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. (16) And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KINGS OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Also, notice how He uses the same language in Isaiah. (Isa.63:3) I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. (4) For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.   What is this “day of vengeance”? What is this “day of wrath”? And what is the “year of my redeemed”? Well, the “day of vengeance” and the “day of wrath” are the same day. They are a day that we're told is a year; they are the “year of my redeemed,” when God is judging all those who have persecuted His people. (Isa.34:8) For the Lord hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. (9) And the streams of [Edom] shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. In the days of Noah, God brought His wrath upon the earth and this “day of wrath” was the year in which the flood waters were upon the earth to destroy lost mankind (Genesis 6-8).   God told Noah, (Gen.7:4) For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the ground. So after seven days the flood waters came. In type, the flood represents the “great and terrible day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31 KJV) that comes after seven years of the Tribulation. And we can see this again in Daniel's 70th week where each day is a year. (Dan.9:27) And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations [shall come] one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall [wrath] be poured out upon the desolate.   There was a continual wrath from the Edomites against Israel and here we see in Isaiah 63 that God is judging this. The spiritual Edomites today cannot stand holiness, they cannot stand purity, they cannot stand truth and they are just like Esau, who continually persecuted his brother. A great persecution is coming from the religious Harlot against the true Church and the Lord is going to deal with that in the “day of vengeance” or “day of wrath.” It will be the “great and terrible day of the Lord” (Jeremiah 46:10; Joel 2:11,31; Acts 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10).   Another thing that's going to happen before this “day of vengeance” is that there's going to be a great “falling way” (John 16:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Hebrews 3:12) and, as a matter of fact, in Revelation 6 it is very plain. (Rev.6:12) And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood. We know that the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the “great and terrible day of the Lord,” which is a year, as we've seen in Isaiah 34:8.   The Bible also says that the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood after the Tribulation period. (Mat.24:29) But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (Act.2:20) The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable [day]. In other words, after the seven days, which is exactly what God told Noah, there would be another year. Between the seventh and eighth year, the sun is turned into darkness and the moon into blood, but at the beginning of the eighth year is when the ark lifted off and the floods came down and judged the world.   So when the sun and the moon are darkened, which is the beginning of the great and terrible Day of the Lord, what happens? (Rev.6:13) And the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. That's when the “stars” of heaven fall to the earth and we're told Abraham's seed are as the stars of heaven. (Gen.15:5) And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And Scripture also likens God's people to a fig tree (Jeremiah 29:17; Matthew 24:1-10; Isaiah 28:4; Nahum 3:12; etc.)   Also in (Hos.9:10) I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig-tree at its first season: but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved. So then, who is this who's falling away? As a type and shadow, these are the Edomites. Even though they are as the stars in heaven, they still will fall away. (Rev.6:13) And the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. You see, we have only a certain amount of time to become mature, to bear fruit, to be ripe figs.   What is it that's going to cause this great falling away? We read in (Rev.6:13) And the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. God said that He would “shake” the heavens and the earth. (Heb.12:26) Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. This shaking is the one that is coming and it both causes the falling away and brings in the Kingdom. (Rev.6:14) And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.   (15) And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; (16) and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand? So, again, when the sun and moon are darkened, we know that this is before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. (Mat.24:29) But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.   Then the Lord sends forth His angels and gathers together His elect as it says in, (Mat.13:24) Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field: (25) but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. (26) But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. (27) And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? (28) And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? (29) But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.   (30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. (36) Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field. (37) And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; (38) and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil [one]; (39) and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels.   (40) As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. (41) The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, (42) and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (43) Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear. The Lord sends forth His angels and gathers together His elect, just like with Noah. Noah lifted off at the beginning of the “great and terrible day of the Lord,” which was the year when the water came down and put to death the wicked.   Obadiah has something to say about this Day of the Lord concerning the Edomites, but first I want to point out that he is talking about the time of the Day of the Lord. (Oba.15) For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy dealing shall return upon thine own head. The Lord Jesus said when He came back, He was going to render to every man according to his works. (Mat.16:27) For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds. He said, “every man”! Some people think, “Well, that's not necessarily speaking about God's children,” but the Edomites sold their birthright as sons of God. I'm talking more specifically about the spiritual Edomites, those who are speaking against their brothers, those who are persecuting them as the Harlot persecutes the true Church.   And when the Lord comes back, He is going to render to those Edomites according to their works. (Oba.8) Shall I not in that day, saith the Lord, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? The mount of Esau is Mount Seir, just as Mount Zion is the Mount of Israel, and it represents a kingdom, the kingdom of Esau. (Oba.9) And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter. Everyone! How is it possible that every Edomite could be cut off? It's possible when we understand that these Edomites are a type and shadow. (1Co.10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example (The Greek word for “example” here is “type” or “figure.”); and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.   “To the end that every one may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter” is a type or figure; it's a parable. It was in the “letter” according to natural Israel, but is to be understood in the Spirit according to spiritual New Testament Israel. We also have our brothers who are persecuting, critical, unforgiving, bitter, railing against the truth and fighting against those who walk in holiness and sanctification. God is going to deal with them when He is through using them to bring His people to their cross and this is what He is talking about when He says He's going to cut off every one of them. If you're saying, “That will be a real slaughter against an awful lot of humans,” that's true, naturally speaking. Of course, that slaughter is coming in the great and terrible Day of the Lord, too. It's coming in the “flood” of judgment that is going to destroy multitudes of people. And that flood is also going to destroy these spiritual Edomites, those who have persecuted their brothers.   Going on in (Oba.10) For the violence done to thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off forever. (11) In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that strangers carried away his substance, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. In other words, the Edomites sided with the Beast kingdoms that came against Israel; this is a historic fact. They did this constantly. Herod was an Edomite who was put there by the Romans to rule over Israel and they called it “Palestine” to insult the Israelites because there wasn't really a Palestine; the land belonged to Israel. “Palestine” is the Latin version of the name “Philistine.”   Once again, in our day, brethren from our midst will side with the Beast kingdom against us, just as Judas did from the midst of the disciples. He sided with the Beast and betrayed the body of Christ. (Oba.12) But look not thou on the day of thy brother in the day of his disaster, and rejoice not over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither speak proudly in the day of distress. (13) Enter not into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, look not thou on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither lay ye hands on their substance in the day of their calamity. (14) And stand thou not in the crossway, to cut off those of his that escape; and deliver not up those of his that remain in the day of distress. That's exactly what Judas did; he delivered up Christ to the Beast.   In the previous teaching, I shared a dream concerning soldiers dressed in red uniforms, who parachuted down from heaven and were trying to block God's people from escaping into the wilderness. It was very interesting and that is actually what Obadiah is saying here. Those soldiers dressed in red are Edomites because, as we saw, “Edom” means “red.” And they were parachuting down because they were like those figs being cast down when a fig tree is shaken of a great wind and like the stars of heaven falling to the earth. This is a great falling away about which the Bible speaks and it will come through deception and delusion. And who can fall away, except a people who have known the Lord? Here was Esau, a son of Abraham, a son of God, who was in the position of the firstborn and yet he fell away.   We see this again in Ezekiel concerning the Edomites being betrayers of their brethren and it also appears very much like the destruction of the Harlot. Let's read that in (Eze.35:1) Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir (Again, that represents Esau's kingdom.), and prophesy against it, (3) and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against thee, and I will make thee a desolation and an astonishment. (4) I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. (5) Because thou hast had a perpetual enmity, and hast given over the children of Israel (who was Jacob, his brother) to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end....    We know that at the end of the Roman Beast kingdom, the Edomites sided with the Romans against their brother Jacob and they are going to do it in these days, too. America, the “great eagle” at the very top of the image of the Beast (Daniel 3), is ultimately going to side with the Edomites against Israel. We know that from Jeremiah, where he speaks about Babylon, the great eagle, conquering all of the nations. First, all the nations drank of the cup of wrath that came from Babylon and then, ultimately, at the end, Babylon itself drank of the cup of wrath (Jeremiah 25:1-33). So the Lord said, “Those of you who side with the world against your brothers in the day of their calamity, you are going to be judged in the time of the iniquity of the end.”  Going on in (Eze.35:6) Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue thee. (7) Thus will I make mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation; and I will cut off from it him that passeth through and him that returneth. (8) And I will fill its mountains with its slain: in thy hills and in thy valleys and in all thy watercourses shall they fall that are slain with the sword. (9) I will make thee a perpetual desolation, and thy cities shall not be inhabited; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. This is the iniquity of the end! (Eze.35:10) Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it (Even today, the natural Edomites are claiming those two nations and yet the land doesn't belong to them.); whereas the Lord was there:   (Eze.35:11) therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast showed out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I shall judge thee. (12) And thou shalt know that I, the Lord, have heard all thy revilings which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to devour. This is what's going to happen to natural Israel and, of course, the Church. The Church, being spiritual Jacob or spiritual Israel, is going to become desolate. War is going to be made against the saints and the Church, as we have known it, a prosperous, somewhat respected entity in the world, is going to go by the wayside.   The whole world is going to be against the Church and the Harlot, the Edomites, are going to side with the world. The Edomites will do this for the sake of advantage and because of their hatred of their brother. (Eze.35:13) And ye have magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard it. (14) Thus saith the Lord God: When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.   When the whole world comes against natural and spiritual Israel, and think that they have finally done away with their voice when the Two Witnesses are killed, the Bible says they will be rejoicing. As it says in (Rev.11:7) And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. (8) And their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. (9) And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do men look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. (10) And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth.   And yet God says at that time, “I will make thee desolate,” because that is what the great and terrible Day of the Lord is; it is the time for Him to render the “day of vengeance.” (Eze.35:15) As thou didst rejoice over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am the Lord. All of it! All of Mount Seir! How is that possible, except that God is almighty and He will do according to His Own will? (Dan.4:35) And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?   Nothing can restrain His hand and one thing He has determined is to destroy the Edomites, both the spiritual and the physical Edomites. Back in (Oba.15) For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee (He will render to every man according to his works.); thy dealing shall return upon thine own head. (Oba.16) For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yea, they shall drink, and swallow down, and shall be as though they had not been. This is speaking about the Jeremiah 25 scenario, where God offered this cup of wrath to all the nations and made them drink it.   The last one to drink it was Babylon, the “great eagle,” which was God's vessel to bring this judgment to those nations, and yet it is all going to be turned around in the end. (Oba.17) But in mount Zion there shall be those that escape.... Again, we're seeing that there are going to be certain people who are going to escape. And in the dream that I shared last time, the brother saw that I and the others with me had all escaped. (Oba.17) But in mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and it shall be holy.... Notice this. The reason that people are going to escape is because they are holy; they don't need any more sanctification and they don't need any more crucifixion. Crucifixion is for the purpose of putting to death the old man to bring forth a people who will walk holy before the Lord.   In other words, crucifixion is so they will sanctify themselves from the world and repent of their sins, and turn to God. This is the place of safety and the people who will do this are the people who will escape. (Oba.17) But in mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. Yes! God's New Testament spiritual Jacob, or Israel, the true born-again Church, and especially the Bride who has been sanctified and is holy, will “possess their possessions.” We have been without our possessions for a long time now and the Lord has promised through Joel to restore everything that has been taken from us. He says, Joe 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. Praise be to God for that!   (Oba.18) And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble.... God's people are going to have something to do with the destruction of Esau, or the Edomites, in the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Remember that for the first 40 days the ark set on the earth in that Day of the Lord, which was a year. Then, after 40 days, it lifted off. That represents the Lord coming for His people and He isn't coming back alone. At that time, when He returns to gather the saints and to bring judgment upon the earth, He has the armies of Heaven behind Him. (Rev.19:15) And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure.   This is when He tramples the “winepress of the wrath of God.” In (Rev.14:18) And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. (19) And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great [winepress], of the wrath of God. (20) And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs. The Lord and the armies of Heaven with Him are bringing judgment to destroy the flesh of men.   (Rev.19:17) And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God; (18) that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great. One group in that list of the unregenerate nations is the Edomites, who had the birthright but sold it and they should not have been there in the first place.   Do you remember what the Lord said about the lukewarm? (Rev.3:16) So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. When does that happen? Here in (Rev.12:3) 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. The lukewarm are spewed out when the stars fall from heaven.   Some people think that the “stars” are angels, but, (Isa.9:15) The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. (16) For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. “The prophet that teacheth lies ... is the tail.” And the Bible also says that the “stars” of heaven are Abraham's seed (Genesis 15:5). So one-third of the “stars” of heaven are going to fall away. The dragon Beast is going to deceive and conquer them, and the spewing-out from the body of Christ of the lukewarm is that falling away.  Back to (Oba.18) And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall burn among them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining to the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it. Some people have the idea that this is all natural. They don't understand that it's a parable because they don't see anything in the spirit, but those who go up in the great and terrible Day of the Lord are not a physical people anymore. God is giving them the power to destroy the Harlot, the Edomites, but they are no longer in the flesh.   I am not saying that natural Israel won't be upon this earth fighting against the nations that are brought against her. I believe that is absolutely true and Zechariah 12-14 speak of that. (Zec.12:6) In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem. This has both a spiritual and natural meaning. When the Lord returns with all of His saints at the end of the great and terrible Day of the Lord, it will be to defend and preserve a remnant of natural Israel, and destroy the nations that come against it, including Edomites.   (Zec.14:5) And ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and the Lord my God shall come, and all the holy ones with thee. Notice it says “all the holy (or ‘sanctified') ones with thee.” Obviously, the unsanctified are on the earth and going through the great and terrible Day of the Lord. (Zec.14:12) And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. I know that in the natural this could be speaking about nuclear weapons, but also it's like the “pan of fire” (Zechariah 12:6).   It's like the fire that is coming out of the mouth of the Lord and out of the mouth of the saints to destroy the wicked. (Zec.14:13) And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. (14) And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. The Lord is going to bring an end to the Edomites joining with the Beast entity to fight against their brothers, who are God's true people.   Let's go back to Obadiah and read a little bit more of this. (Oba.18) And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall burn among them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining to the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it. (19) And they of the South shall possess the mount of Esau, and they of the lowland the Philistines; and they shall possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria; and Benjamin [shall possess] Gilead. (20) And the captives of this host of the children of Israel, that are [among] the Canaanites, [shall possess] even unto Zarephath; and the captives of Jerusalem, that are in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South. (21) And saviors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's. This is the time when the kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.   God's people are going to be on Mount Zion; they are going to be in Heavenly Jerusalem and they are going to bring judgment against the wicked. Revelation tells us when the Kingdom is the Lord's: (Rev.11:15) And the seventh angel sounded (or, the “last trump”); and there followed great voices in heaven (speaking that the ark has lifted off), and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever. So we do not have to guess about the timing that he is talking about here when he says, (Oba.21) And saviors shall come up on mount Zion.... God's people will totally overcome!   They will come to their Heavenly city, just as Paul spoke about them coming to their city back in his day. (Heb.12:22) But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, (23) to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (24) and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than [that of] Abel.   And so we read, (Oba.21) Saviors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau and the kingdom shall be the Lord's. Praise be to God! Are these “saviors” doing this judging in their new bodies? Yes, that is exactly right! As we saw earlier, they are no longer a physical people and they, with the Lord, are bringing this judgment. By the way, in the Book of Daniel, God gives credit to the saints for destroying this kingdom of the Beast. (Dan.7:23) Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. (24) And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.   (25) And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they (the saints) shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. (26) But the judgment shall be set, and they (the saints) shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. (27) And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. So the “saints,” meaning the “sanctified ones,” have returned with the Lord to bring this judgment upon the earth. God has given it unto them to do this and the Lord on His white horse is guiding His people. Praise be to God!   Back in (Oba.19) And they of the South shall possess the mount of Esau, and they of the lowland the Philistines; and they shall possess the field of Ephraim (This is speaking of the northern 10 tribes; that was the name that was used for them at one time.), and the field of Samaria.... In the time of Jesus, the Samaritans were not considered by the Jews to be true believers because they were not of the seed of the Jews. After the Assyrian Empire had conquered Samaria, they carried away the 10 tribes and replaced them with other conquered tribes from various pagan nations, who eventually ended up with the religion of the Jews, along with their own religions.   This is a kind of parallel with the Edomite situation and Ezra has something to say about it. In (Ezr.4:1) Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity (These were the people who were returning from captivity in order to rebuild the Temple, which is what is happening today.) were building a temple unto the Lord, the God of Israel; (2) then they drew near to Zerubbabel (His name means “born from Babylon” and he represents the Man-child here.), and to the heads of fathers' houses, and said unto them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do; and we sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither. They're talking about having been relocated from other nations to Samaria after Samaria was conquered by the Assyrians.   (Ezr.4:3) But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us in building a house unto our God (The Edomites, just like these Samaritans who represent false Christians, have nothing to do with building this house of God. Only the true holy people are the ones who are building the house of God and I'm going to explain that a little bit better further on.); but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. (Ezr.4:4) Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building. So these people wanted to join with the true holy people of God, but Jacob only bore fruit when he separated from Esau. And today, the Edomites want to join the true people of God, as though they are Christians, but they're not because they are defiled with that root of bitterness.   (Ezr.4:5) And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. The Edomites sided with the Beast every time, as did these Samaritans. (Ezr.4:6) And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. Throughout history, the Harlot has always accused God's people and the Edomites are always accusing God's people.   (Ezr.4:7) And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian character, and set forth in the Syrian tongue. (12) Be it known unto the king, that the Jews that came up from thee are come to us unto Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations. (13) Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful unto the kings. This is what the Samaritans threatened, which caused the king to order a stop to the building of the Temple.   Let me go back to who these people actually were and look at who the Samaritans are in our day. In (2Ki.17:24) And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. (25) And so it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.   (26) Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the law of the god of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the law of the god of the land. Well, they were living in Samaria, but they were not Israelites, were they? They called themselves Samaritans, but these were pagans who were brought in to take the place of the true Samaritans and it was the Beast that did this. The Beast entity, which is the world, which is the flesh, which is all those who don't walk according to the Spirit of God, has infiltrated the Church. These are people who talk like Christians but they don't fear God. If they feared God, they would be convicted with the Word of God to change their ways, but they just want to play “country club” religion.   Continuing in (2Ki.17:27) Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land. You can teach a pagan all about Christianity and you can send them to Sunday School, but they will still be a pagan. That's the problem. (2Ki.17:28) So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el (“Beth-el” means “the house of God.” Who are they teaching in this house of God? They're teaching people who are not Israelites; they're not Christians but they like going to church.), and taught them how they should fear the Lord. (2Ki.17:29) Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. So they studied the God of the land, they studied the Lord, but they worshipped their own gods and, of course, it's that way in much of Christianity today.   People have a “Jesus” of their own making who's not the Jesus of the Bible. (2Ki.17:30) And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, (31) and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. These were the actual “gods” these people worshipped. (1Co.10:20) But [I say], that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. According to Apostle Paul, these are demons impersonating God. Is it the same today? Yes! It's the same today; there are demons who impersonate the true God. There are people who claim to be God's people, but they are merely studying God and not really fearing Him. They're not really submitting to Him. These people are not Christians and will never be converted.   Continuing in (2Ki.17:32) So they feared the Lord, and made unto them from among themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. Notice that these are not ordained priests; they are not Levites. These priests came from among their pagan people. (2Ki.17:33) They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. They called Him “Lord,” but it was really their own god that they were serving. (2Ki.17:34) Unto this day they do after the former manner: they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law or after the commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. This is the problem: dispersed among the people of God are people who don't walk as Christians.   The Lord said He would judge every man according to his own works, yet people think that God is going to judge them as to whether or not they have had the Christian experience of a new spirit. But that is not what the Word tells us. Paul writes in (Rom.2:5) But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; (6) who will render to every man according to his works: (7) to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: (8) but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, [shall be] wrath and indignation, (9) tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;   (10) but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: (11) for there is no respect of persons with God. The Lord says it will be according to your works. Your nature is what proves who you really are. If you walk after the regenerate spirit that God gave you, you will become regenerate. Your soul, which is your mind, will and emotions, will be renewed, but if you walk after the flesh, you must die. (Rom.8:12) So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: (13) for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. It all has to do with your works. God will judge these Judases who are among His people and who mistreat their brethren.  Back to (2Ki.17:35) With whom the Lord had made a covenant (this is speaking of Israel), and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them: (41) So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images; their children likewise, and their children's children, as did their fathers, so do they unto this day. And I might say, “So do they unto this day.” This is still going on because this is all a type and shadow of God separating the wheat from the tares. The tares are sown among the wheat but they do not bear fruit. These are people who claim to be Christians. They have invaded the Church just to do their own will.   They submit to their false gods, who are actually demons, and their works are going to prove who they are. They are not sanctified, therefore they don't take part in the Bride's blessing, but instead they take part in the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Everyone who is not sanctified will go through the great and terrible Day of the Lord, the day of God's wrath upon the wicked, the day of God's judgment upon the Harlot. God will use the Beast to devour the Harlot with fire. And it will be God's people who are exercising the authority of God's judgment. It will be God's people who are the fire in the midst of the Judases.   God bless you to follow the God of the Bible.

Historian Eckart Frahm joins to discuss the great Assyrian Empire, Babylon, the Epic of Gilgamesh, cuneiform, and more.

Episode 269 –Bible: Cornerstone and Context 1 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation, Chapter 1, verse 8, New International Version ******** VK: Greetings! Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. I’m Victoria K. We’re excited to be with you today on Anchored by Truth as we start a new series. It is apparent to anyone who is paying attention to cultural trends that the Christian faith in America has been subjected to more challenges in the last decade than in the first two centuries of the country’s existence. Some of the challenges come from a surrounding culture that has become either indifferent to matters of faith or even outright hostile to the Bible and Christ. And certainly one trend that worries just about every thinking Christian is the increasing level of Biblical ignorance that characterizes not only our society but often the people sitting in the pews. So, RD Fierro, an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books, has entitled this series “The Bible: Cornerstone and Context.” And we have RD who is an in the studio today. RD, why did you decide to do this series? RD: Well, I’d also like to welcome everyone joining us here today as we begin a new series. As you’ve noted there is widespread Biblical ignorance in our culture today. And often, far too often, that Biblical ignorance extends even into our churches. That’s shameful but it’s also dangerous. You can’t be a Christian without knowing Christ. And you can’t truly know Christ without the Bible. And you can’t be eternally saved without truly knowing Christ. Therefore, it’s not too strong a statement to say that ignorance of the Bible poses a very real danger to people being saved from an eternal perdition. Sadly, I know a lot of Christians who recognize this but still don’t read or study the Bible regularly. And when I talk to them about why they don’t I’ll commonly hear the answer “I just don’t understand the Bible.” VK: And we can sympathize with that statement at Anchored by Truth. The last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, was written almost 2,000 years ago. And the first book of the Bible was written 1,500 years before that. So, the Bible was written in a different time. It was also written to a very different group of people. The Old Testament was written and delivered to the Hebrew people and its final book, Malachi, was completed at least 400 years before Jesus was born. And even though the New Testament was written during times and places that are more familiar to modern readers – because it was prepared during the height of the Roman Empire – it still contains references that to us are archaic. RD: Yes. And this lack of familiarity with the times, places, and peoples of the Bible is just the beginning of the issues that we confront when we try to encourage people to grow in their knowledge of scripture. Another real challenge is that just everybody who comes to the Bible does so without having a cornerstone on which to ground their reading and without having a context into which to place the various accounts, records, poems, and instructions. VK: And that’s why you called this series “The Bible: Cornerstone and Context.” We want to give people a framework that will enable them to know how the Bible fits together – and how the Bible fits into their lives and futures. RD: Yes. For those of us who are concerned about helping people understand that the Bible is the inspired word of God we want them to see that the Bible is not just a collection of stories, historical episodes, and moral and ethical instructions. The Bible is God’s special revelation to the world and most especially, to His people. There’s a big word that theologians use to describe the fact that God wrote the Bible so that people could and would understand it. Theologians will talk about the perspicuity of the Bible. Perspicuity simply means to think, write, or speak clearly. With respect to the Bible perspicuity simply means God wrote in such a way that anyone who comes to it with an open mind, willing heart, and diligent attitude will be able to understand what it is saying. They don’t need special training or education to read it and benefit from it. VK: But even though you don’t need special training or education to benefit from the Bible people can certainly benefit from having people who have training and education to help them along, right? RD: Yes, of course. That’s why we’re doing this series. And there are a lot of great Bible study courses and tools available in churches or the internet. Many of these resources are free monetarily. And we would definitely encourage people to take advantage of these helps including previous episodes and series of Anchored by Truth. We want to help people learn the Bible for themselves. But we want to start this series by recognizing that people can develop a deep knowledge of the Bible just by reading the Bible regularly and repeatedly for themselves. That’s why there have been Christians down through the ages like John Newton and John Bunyan who became powerful church leaders even though they had limited formal education before being saved. VK: Well, one of your concerns is that even people who start out with the best of intentions can be derailed can’t they? You’ve often said that you have known a lot of people who made a resolution to read the Bible from cover to cover but far too many of them don’t make it much past Genesis. Too many people exit their Bible program in the book of Exodus. And many who make it past Exodus are often done in by Leviticus. RD: Yep. A sincere desire to read the Bible all the way through is great. I started out that way. But it took a lot of dogged determination to get through the Levitical code in Leviticus, the genealogies of Chronicles, and the strange images of Ezekiel. Today, I know how those things fit together. But I certainly didn’t understand them on my first reading. VK: And that’s okay. People are not likely to understand everything they read the first time they go through the Bible. But persistence in studying the Bible is like farming – time and faithful cultivation will yield results. But also like farming, a little bit of up front knowledge will increase the crop and can yield a bountiful harvest. RD: Right. Understanding the cornerstone of the Bible can help tremendously – as can having a context in which to fit the information that comes from the various books and stories. We want people to have their minds and hearts illuminated and inspired by the Bible each time they come to it. And that is possible. It is especially possible because the Holy Spirit will personally teach them from the Bible. That’s something that we can say about the Bible that can’t be said about any book that is purely a product of man. VK: That’s really an amazing thought. The Holy Spirit inspired the people who wrote the Bible. Jesus tells us that even the words and pen strokes of the Bible were inspired. And the Holy Spirit is still available to us today when we come to the Bible. The Holy Spirit, as well as the Father and Son, are eternal. We heard that from our opening scripture from the first chapter of the book of Revelation. God tells us that “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” There are 3 powerful affirmations of God’s eternality and infinitude in just that short verse. RD: Yes. Alpha is the first letter in Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter. Saying that He is the alpha and omega is merism. VK: Merism is a rhetorical term for a pair of contrasting words or phrases (such as near and far, body and soul, life and death) used to express totality or completeness. When Jesus told John in that verse that He was the alpha and omega it was a way of him saying that He is source and beginning of everything and all of history is progressing toward the end that He has ordained. One Biblical commentator, Albert Barnes, puts it this way, “The language here is what would properly denote "eternity" in the being to whom it is applied, and could be used in reference to no one but the true God. It means that he is the beginning and the end of all things; that he was at the commencement, and will be at the close; and it is thus equivalent to saying that he has always existed, and that he will always exist.” RD: Right. And Barnes’ explanation of that verse is a good example of how knowing the cornerstone of the Bible helps us begin to develop a clear understanding of passages or idioms that may initially be strange to modern readers. Most people today don’t know the Greek alphabet. If they encountered it at all it was probably in the context of the name of a college fraternity or sorority. VK: Or the name of a character in a superhero movie or video game … RD: … or a nutritional supplement like “omega 3” fatty acids. So, when they read the words “I am the Alpha and Omega” they may not have a clear idea of what the writer is trying to say. But when you understand that cornerstone of the entire Bible is Jesus – and that Jesus is fully God as well as being fully human – we gain additional clarity about what that passage is communicating to us. But I don’t want to get too far over our skis. We are talking about how people can build a solid understanding of scripture. And certainly one way we can be sure that it is possible to do so is because of scripture’s perspicuity. God wrote scripture with the specific intent that it could be understood. VK: And then God also gives the indwelling Holy Spirit to further help us. In other words anyone who has a heartfelt desire to know and understand scripture isn’t going to be left to flail about on their own. God will actively aid them in their quest. And one way God can aid them is by good Bible study tools and programs. And you think that another way people can improve their Biblical understanding and comprehension is by starting out with a solid understanding of the cornerstone of scripture: Jesus. And also by having a good contextual framework that will enable them to organize the material they learn. Correct? RD: Correct. Buildings that have weak cornerstones are not going to stand. Reading the Bible without understanding that Jesus is its cornerstone is not only going to lead to frustration but worse. It is going to lead to gross misunderstandings that can give way to heresy. VK: And Jesus himself tells us that. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 21, verse 42 Jesus when Jesus was speaking to the chief priests and elders he said to them: “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” The scriptures Jesus was quoting was likely Psalm 118, verse 22 which says, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” RD: And there are other Old Testament scriptures that reinforce this same point. Isaiah, chapter 28, verse 16 says, “So this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.’” Jesus is the cornerstone of the Bible. It’s fair to say that every book, chapter, and verse in the Bible relies on this fundamental truth in some way. It may not always be immediately obvious how it does so, but some diligent meditation will help us gain insights and that same meditation will certainly improve our overall understanding of scripture. VK: Can you give us an understanding of what you’re thinking about? RD: Sure. Certainly, one of the best known stories in the Bible is about Jonah and the whale – or really the Bible just says it was a large fish. Now, it may not seem like this story has much to do with Jesus but it does. Jonah is one of the so-called Minor Prophets which are part of the Old Testament. After his life was saved from drowning by being swallowed by the fish or whale and then disgorged onto dry land, he finally did what God told him to do – go preach to the people of the city of Nineveh which was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. In other words they weren’t Hebrews. When Jonah did so, the whole city was converted. So, on one level the story of Jonah seems to just be about God saving a group of non-Hebrews. But it turns out that when we get to the New Testament book of Matthew we find out that the story of Jonah has profound messianic implications. VK: You’re referring to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 16, verses 2 through 4. In that portion of scripture Jesus is confronting a group of Pharisees and Sadducees who are trying to test Jesus to see if Jesus really is the Messiah, the Savior. In response to the demand from the Pharisees and Sadducees that he perform some kind of miracle to prove who he is Jesus “replied, ‘When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.’” The Bible then tells us that “Jesus then left them and went away.” RD: Yes. So, let’s think about this for a second. At first the story of Jonah doesn’t seem to have much to do with Jesus. But when Jesus actually arrives on the scene we find that it does. The first messianic implication of Jonah was that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days. In Matthew, chapter 12, verse 40, Jesus told his disciples that “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Then, as we just heard, Jesus later told the Sadducees and Pharisees that this was the sign that was going to be given to them when they wondered whether He really was the promised Messiah. VK: Now, unlike people today, the Sadducees and the Pharisees knew the Old Testament inside and out. They knew exactly what the book of Jonah said – probably some of them could recite it word for word. So, when Jesus told them that the sign they were going to receive that would absolutely prove to them that He was the Messiah they knew, or should have known, that Jesus was telling them that He was going to rise from the dead. That’s what Jonah had done. Jonah should have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea but God saved him by the intervention of the great fish. And when Jonah was delivered onto dry land by the fish it was as if he had come back from the dead. Jonah’s delivery was a miraculous sign that would receive its greater fulfillment in Jesus’ life. Jonah was only in the grip of a seeming death before he came back. Jesus would actually experience death. Jonah needed God’s intervention to save him. Jesus would actually walk out of the tomb by His own power because Jesus is God. And Jonah would go on to preach to save a gentile city. After His resurrection Jesus would commission his Apostles to go out and begin a session of salvation that would reach every tribe, tongue, and nation. All of this is truly amazing. RD: Right. So, the story of Jonah is just one example of how knowing that Jesus is the cornerstone of the Bible helps us understand the Bible’s messages more clearly. We have an advantage that the people who physically heard Jesus speak did not. At that point in history the scriptures consisted only of what we call the Old Testament. And, by the way, that was more than enough for them to be able to know that Jesus was who He claimed to be – the Savior promised by God thousands of years earlier. In other words, the Jews of Jesus’ time had enough in their own scriptures to validate his identity and claims. Their failure to do so wasn’t because they didn’t know enough. It was because they chose not to accept the evidence. VK: Like a lot of people today. RD: Sadly, yes. Today we have the complete special revelation of God because we have the New Testament as well as the Old. But many people today still reject the lifesaving message that is contained in them. But that does not need to be the end of the story. Those of us who do know that the Bible contains the words of life still have the opportunity to add our testimony to the Bible’s witness. And one of the best ways we can do that is by improving our own understanding of the Bible’s message. By doing that we are going to be in a far better position to answer questions, assuage doubts, and direct people to the real source of the truth that can transform their lives. VK: In other words, the better we understand the Bible the better able we are to help others anchor themselves to the Truth. And one way we can improve our understanding of the Bible is to understand the cornerstone of the Bible and then establish a contextual framework to guide our further integration of the Bible’s stores, records, and messages into our scriptural comprehension. And I think that this kind of framework is so necessary today. It might not have been fifty or even twenty years ago, but it is today. RD: Yep. As we started out saying the Bible was written in a different time and it was written to people with which most of us have little familiarity. So, we will improve our understanding by reading and learning something about those times and places. But we can also improve our biblical comprehension just by knowing how the Bible fits together. Knowing that Jesus is the Bible’s cornerstone is vital but we can’t stop there. Laying the cornerstone is the first step in building the house but we’re still going to get cold and wet if we just stop there. VK: Said differently, knowing that Jesus is the cornerstone of the Bible is necessary but not sufficient to developing a clear understanding of how scripture fits together into a unified whole. We also need the vertical columns and horizontal braces upon which to hang the many, many additional components of a mature faith. RD: Yep. The Bible is a single book about a single plan about a single man. Even though most Protestant Bible’s contain 66 books, the Bible is a unified whole. It was composed by a single mind who delivered it to the world through the hands of inspired writers. The plan is God’s plan to redeem a people for Himself. It unfolds through time and history, through people and places but everything that happens unfolds according to God’s grand plan. The grand saga of God’s plan unfolds in 3 phases or stages that occur on this earth. There will be a 4th phase that takes place when this present heavens and earth give way to a new heavens and earth. The 3 phases that take place on the current earth are creation, fall, and redemption. VK: And once people understand this grand plan and see how the grand saga has unfolded they will be better equipped to see how the various parts of scripture fit into that unified whole. They will be able to see that the seemingly tedious aspects of the Levitical code are actually giving us important information about the work and life of the coming Christ. They will see that the genealogies of Genesis, Numbers, and Chronicles are actually quite necessary for us to understand the full relevance of the genealogies of Jesus that will come to us in Luke and Matthew. And they will see that prophetic statements in both the major and minor prophets were essential to the people of Jesus’ day – and our day for that matter – to be assured that Jesus was the Promised Messiah. RD: Right. The Bible is a single book about a single plan about a single man. The plan is God’s plan of redemption that was made necessary because of man’s rebellion against His infinite Creator after that Creator had created and fitted an ideal habit for His image bearer. Once man rebelled and fell, God had to take affirmative action to make redemption possible. And that redemption and reconciliation could only be possible by God providing a representative that could suitably represent both sides of the transaction. That took a unique Being that was not only perfectly human but also fully divine. And we’ll talk more about that in coming episodes in this series. We will see that Christ is not only the cornerstone of the Bible He is the cornerstone of creation. And Christ will preside over the coming 4th phase of God’s master plan which will be the glorification of God’s redeemed people in a new heavens and a new earth. God’s grand saga has unfolded through millennia. So, of course only an eternal Being could be the centerpiece of such a plan. That’s just one of the reasons our Savior and Messiah had to be both fully God as well as fully man. VK: So understanding this grand plan and the grand saga enables people to be better equipped to see how the various parts of scripture fit into that unified whole. It gives them a contextual framework to connect the various people, stories, poems, and proverbs into a comprehensible picture. Many people come to scripture essentially as ants. The can only see what is right in front of them at a single moment. We must come to scripture not only as ants but also as eagles who can see a grander vista. Ants are hard-working and scripture commends that. But eagles can see over the horizon and ride the winds to great heights. We must do both as we study scripture. Well, sounds like we’re in for quite a thought-provoking journey. Hopefully, listeners will let others know about this series. It really can be a valuable resource to the skeptic and the believer alike. This sounds like a great time to pray. Today let’s listen to a prayer for first responders – the men and women who often put their own health and safety at risk to provide for others. This is truly service that goes beyond self and they deserve our support and prayers. ---- PRAYER FOR FIRST RESPONDERS VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Bible Quotes from the New International Version) Revelation, Chapter 1, verse 8, New International Version

The Assyrian Empire is reduced to a rump state in Anatolia. Seeing an opportunity to return to its former glory, Egypt launches a lightning mission to rescue Assyria. In a move that has mystified biblical commentators, Josiah of Judah—despite having seemingly no stake in the fight—ambushes and attacks the Egyptian forces at Megiddo. The event proves to be Josiah's Waterloo, making the word “Megiddo” a byword for disaster. What was Josiah thinking?

The Matter-of-Fact Prophet (Micah) Yearly Theme: “Goodness is… Governing” Series Title: “Goodness in G minor” May 26th, 2024 Follow along in the Bible App: http://bible.com/events/49263120 As we continue our series today on the Minor Prophets, we come to the Prophet Micah. Micah was a prophet from the Southern Kingdom, Judah, and lived in the small town of Moresheth some 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem.[1] According to Scripture, he prophesied between 740 BC and 686 BC and spanned the reigns of Jotham and Hezekiah. In his lifetime, he witnessed the overthrow of the Northern Kingdom, Israel in 722 BC by the Assyrian Empire and foresaw the coming destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. [1] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan; 2002), 235.

Today we continue our study of Acts, covering Acts 1:6-11. Here's the question we'll answer as we look at the text: Does God favor one nation over another?--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --This is an important question in today's world:Issue of immigrationChristian nations vs. Muslim nations, etc.It was a question on the minds of the disciples in Acts 1Jesus had just spent 3 yrs with themAlmost exclusively did ministry among IsraelitesMatthew 15:21-24 (NLT) 21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God's lost sheep—the people of Israel.”Note three things:Jesus was silent!?Disciples wanted him to send her awayJesus was sent to help only IsraelJesus ends up healing the daughterBut it was the exception, not the ruleSeems nationalistic, right?!The point: disciples thought God favored IsraelVery nationalistic in their ideologyThe “Chosen ones”Deuteronomy 7:6 (NLT) For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.Seems like American Christians todayWe are the new chosen onesWe have the only true GodWe have a better ideologyWe are God's favoritesBut what does the Bible say about this?Let's warm up with a history lesson on Israel:Theocracy First King - SaulUnited Monarchy (c. 1000–930 BCE)King David (c. 1010–970 BCE) : David united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the capital.King Solomon (c. 970–930 BCE) : Solomon, David's son, built the First Temple in Jerusalem. After his death, the kingdom split into two.Divided Monarchy (c. 930–722 BCE for Israel, c. 930–586 BCE for Judah)Kingdom of Israel (Northern Kingdom) : Fell to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE.Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom) : Continued until it fell to the Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE.Assyrian Rule (c. 722–605 BCE)- The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, leading to the exile of many Israelites.Babylonian Rule (c. 605–539 BCE)- The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE, initiating the Babylonian Captivity.Persian Rule (c. 539–332 BCE)- Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and allowed the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the Temple (Second Temple...

Today we continue our study of Acts, covering Acts 1:6-11. Here's the question we'll answer as we look at the text: Does God favor one nation over another?--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --This is an important question in today's world:Issue of immigrationChristian nations vs. Muslim nations, etc.It was a question on the minds of the disciples in Acts 1Jesus had just spent 3 yrs with themAlmost exclusively did ministry among IsraelitesMatthew 15:21-24 (NLT) 21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God's lost sheep—the people of Israel.”Note three things:Jesus was silent!?Disciples wanted him to send her awayJesus was sent to help only IsraelJesus ends up healing the daughterBut it was the exception, not the ruleSeems nationalistic, right?!The point: disciples thought God favored IsraelVery nationalistic in their ideologyThe “Chosen ones”Deuteronomy 7:6 (NLT) For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.Seems like American Christians todayWe are the new chosen onesWe have the only true GodWe have a better ideologyWe are God's favoritesBut what does the Bible say about this?Let's warm up with a history lesson on Israel:Theocracy First King - SaulUnited Monarchy (c. 1000–930 BCE)King David (c. 1010–970 BCE) : David united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the capital.King Solomon (c. 970–930 BCE) : Solomon, David's son, built the First Temple in Jerusalem. After his death, the kingdom split into two.Divided Monarchy (c. 930–722 BCE for Israel, c. 930–586 BCE for Judah)Kingdom of Israel (Northern Kingdom) : Fell to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE.Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom) : Continued until it fell to the Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE.Assyrian Rule (c. 722–605 BCE)- The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, leading to the exile of many Israelites.Babylonian Rule (c. 605–539 BCE)- The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE, initiating the Babylonian Captivity.Persian Rule (c. 539–332 BCE)- Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and allowed the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the Temple (Second Temple...

In stages over many centuries. Thank you for listening! Please leave a 5 star review, share and subscribe!

Nineveh was one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia. Situated on the eastern bank of the River Tigris, it rivalled cities like Babylon and Persepolis as the capital of the great Assyrian Empire and the seat of power for towering figures like Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal. But what were its origins, how did it become such a great city and how did it fall? In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Paul Collins to tell the story of Nineveh's history from start to end. Beginning with its Stone Age origins, they discuss its conquest by the Akkadians, its golden age as Mesopotamia's foremost city, and its obliteration at the hands of the Babylonians. This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here.

Nineveh was going to fall, the Assyrian Empire would fall with it, and the king would be the last to know. Nahum 3:8-19 Series: Death Of A Nation Gene Pensiero Jr Find the rest of the series at https://calvaryhanford.com/deathofanation Find audio, video, and text of hundreds of other studies through the Bible at https://calvaryhanford.com/ Follow […]

King Tukulti-Ninurta II slows down the pace of conquest for a crucial decade. Conquest still happens, and at a breakneck pace, but compared to what we have seen and will see, it is much slower. More importantly, Tukulti-Ninurta spends a lot of his time focused on really establishing what has already been built, constructing more buildings, conducting diplomacy, building out the administration, and that sort of groundwork that will keep the empire stable and strong going forward. Also, Tukulti-Ninurta goes camping, and seems to have a great time doing it. Being an Assyrian king, his version of camping involves razing towns, but cheerfully razing towns rather than being all mean about it. Razing towns and raising spirits, if you like. If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially: Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/ or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckley or on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/join --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/oldeststories/message

God was patient and gentle with Israel for 200 years. Over and over again he called Israel to repent of their sins and come to him with open arms. Yet, they never did. The consequences of such impenitent, hard hearts was exile, just as Moses had foretold in the Book of Deuteronomy. Thus, the Kingdom of Israel in the North fell to the mighty Assyrian Empire in the war 722 B.C. Even in this calamitous event, God still promised the hope of restoration! Enjoy this sample from Lesson 9, "The Exile of the Northern Kingdom" (2 Kings 14-17)," from Dr. Nick's course, "1-2 Kings: The Glory and Exile of the Davidic Kingdom." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire audio lesson and full course (and other courses too!) whenever they wish.

The king today is Adad-Nirari II, but we have a lot to discuss in the background as well. The Nairi get their spotlight right before they get destroyed, and we look at the dating system for the Neo-Assyrian period and why it is so reliable, compared to the earlier parts of ancient history. And we also ask what an Empire is and whether or not the Neo-Assyrian Empire counts as one, which it does. Adad-Nirari is a conquering king, and though we know little about the army at this point, we know it is doing quite well under his leadership. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/oldeststories/message

The Assyrian Empire was the first world empire. Founded in the small town of Ashur on the Tigris, the Assyrian kingdom would eventually engulf much of the known world until it vanished nearly overnight. The kings of Assyria play leading roles in the Bible and the northern kingdom of Israel falls to Sennacherib in 722 BC. In this episode, Terry and Cole discuss the empire and what the Bible has to say about the Assyrians. 

As a result of the problems we face, from political tribalism to economic inflation to the decline of civility in our society, it's easy to lose hope. Yet, for us who follow Christ, we have strong reasons to have hope. Looking to examples like Hezekiah's deliverance from the Assyrian Empire, Jesus' heroic suffering and death on the cross, and Martin Luther King's belief in overcoming, we can see how incredibly empowering hope can be. God calls us to be the people of hope who shine the light of His hope into a dark world. 1 Peter 1:3-5   God has begotten us to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ. This hope includes the righting of wrongs and the renewal of creation (Isaiah 25:6-9). 1 Peter 1:6-9   When we face trials, hope can help us endure as it did for Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:13-19:37). 1 Peter 1:10-12   Looking to Christ's example, we can see the true power of hope in the face of intense and prolonged suffering (Matthew 27:42-43; Hebrew 12:1-2). 1 Peter 1:13-16   Hope should affect how we live. It is the anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6:19). In addition to getting us through hard times, our strong belief in the coming Kingdom should also motivate us to pursue holiness in our lives.

As a result of the problems we face, from political tribalism to economic inflation to the decline of civility in our society, it's easy to lose hope. Yet, for us who follow Christ, we have strong reasons to have hope. Looking to examples like Hezekiah's deliverance from the Assyrian Empire, Jesus' heroic suffering and death on the cross, and Martin Luther King's belief in overcoming, we can see how incredibly empowering hope can be. God calls us to be the people of hope who shine the light of His hope into a dark world. 1 Peter 1:3-5   God has begotten us to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ. This hope includes the righting of wrongs and the renewal of creation (Isaiah 25:6-9). 1 Peter 1:6-9   When we face trials, hope can help us endure as it did for Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:13-19:37). 1 Peter 1:10-12   Looking to Christ's example, we can see the true power of hope in the face of intense and prolonged suffering (Matthew 27:42-43; Hebrew 12:1-2). 1 Peter 1:13-16   Hope should affect how we live. It is the anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6:19). In addition to getting us through hard times, our strong belief in the coming Kingdom should also motivate us to pursue holiness in our lives. The post Focus on Hope first appeared on Living Hope.

Brought to you by Dark Shore IndustriesThe Best Company You Never Have to Work ForUltimate Christian Coaching Network for Manhood"From 12 to 23 in a single year.""Help us build your ark."Get the Mad Mondays newsletter, a round up of news from a Christian perspective with encouragement from Rev FiskFind out more about the Sons of Solomon, a prayer discipline for menSupport Rev Fisk at SubscribeStarOrder Rev Fisk's books at AmazonCatch Rev Fisk on A Brief History of Power podcastHear Rev Fisk's sermons at St PaulIf you'd like to submit a question or comment for the show, click hereThis week, the Mad Christian and Meridith speak about: 00:00 You are forgiven!06:55 Children in the sanctuary20:29 A call to arms for men26:54 An armada of arks not Titanics29:52 How often do you think about the Assyrian Empire?39:51 The image and the reality43:52 You can't do it all now58: 40 Battlefield desk01:06:24 The gentle way requires less01:15:17 Unprogramming 01:27:23 Stuffed bananas, Swifts and hasty01:35:31 Thinking in colors01:38:37 Wedding planing brings out the gremlins 01:42:35 Know what you're marrying into01:47:27 Men, women and unsolicited advice02:05:51 You are forgiven, you are freeThe opinions expressed on the Stop the White Noise are those of RevFisk and Meridith, but sometimes also God. Studies show that learning to tell the difference greatly enhances your viewing experience.If you need help, the Holy Bible stands ready to assist you, as (hopefully) does your local, trustworthy pastor.To join our Discord community online, request an invitation linkFind everything else go to revfisk.com

Synopsis: Sarduri II rules at the pinnacle of Urartian power, conquering lands from the Black Sea coast to the Zagros Mountains to the kingdoms of northern Syria. Matti'el of Arpad unifies Aramean lands north of Damascus then allies with Urartu against the Assyrians. His defeat by the mysterious ruler of KTK only results in a temporary setback, and an Assyrian Empire pressed on all fronts seems destined for imminent collapse. “I am the ruler Yariri - the prince beloved by the Storm God, Kubaba, Karhuha and the Sun. The gods have made me strong and exalted over Carchemish. I strengthened Carchemish and I exalted my lord's house in Carchemish. I caused the river to pass (here)…I built the temple of the god of Harmana and I made my own statue...I brought up Kamani as a successor, wherefore I showed virtue above all kings. And I brought up his younger brothers, I let them in as brothers and I extended protection to them, the children of my lord Astiruwa.” – Yariri's inscription on the Royal Buttress at Carchemish Map of the Iron Age Near East: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Near_East.jpg Map of Iron Age Northern Syria: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Syria.jpg Map of Iron Age Southern Syria and Canaan: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Canaan.jpg Regional Kings List: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/C24_Kings_List.pdf Episode Images: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/C24_Images.pdf References and Further Reading: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/C24_References.pdf Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices