Podcasts about Pharaoh

Trusting God with the unknown is often harder than we expect—especially when the path feels confusing, delayed, or downright backward. This devotional gently reminds us that just like the Israelites in the wilderness, we are invited to trust God’s guidance even when we don’t understand the route. The journey may feel long, but God’s purpose is always at work, shaping our faith and leading us toward something worth the wait. Highlights We often struggle with uncertainty because we want clarity, timelines, and reassurance. God’s chosen path isn’t always the shortest or most logical, but it is intentional. Questioning the journey doesn’t mean God has abandoned us—it reveals our need to trust Him more deeply. Seasons of waiting or wandering can prepare us for breakthroughs we can’t yet see. Faith grows when we choose trust over control, even when fear feels close. Looking back often reveals that God’s plan was worth every step. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Trusting God with the Unknown Days Ahead By: Laura Bailey Bible Reading: “They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” - Exodus 4:11 NIV“How much longer? It feels like we’ve been walking forever!”“Wait, now we are going downhill, I thought we were trying to get to the top of the mountain?” “Why are there so many switchbacks? Wouldn’t it be faster to go straight up the hill?”Last week, for fall break, my husband and I took our girls to the mountains. We’d found a reasonably short and easy hike that led to not one, but two waterfalls. My husband and I were excited to share our love of the outdoors and hiking with our girls. For us, the thrill of hiking is the journey to the top. We often don’t even look at the mile markers or ask other hikers, “How much longer?” We simply enjoy the fun of not knowing. Our three young girls did not share the same sentiment, as suggested by the comments made above. I tried to brush off the first few remarks, but then, I snapped, “We will get there when we get there, just enjoy the journey, and trust me, it will be worth the trip!” As we walked on in silence, I felt that familiar pang of conviction from the Holy Spirit. While I may not ask questions about direction, timeline, or purpose on a hike, I am undoubtedly guilty of asking God for information. I want to know where He is leading, for how long, and truthfully, I want to be able to determine if the journey is worth it. Bottom line, I often doubt God’s timeline and question the journey He has me on. And, well, I am not the first person in history to wonder if God’s plan is better than my own.In Exodus 4:14, we see the Israelites' response to seeing Pharaoh and his army coming to attack and take them back into exile. A sarcastic response to their situation was typical for the Israelite people, but I can understand their frustration. The Pharaoh recently freed the Israelites after they had been in captivity for 430 years. However, they look up and find their enslavers ready to take them back into slavery. It’s a natural response to ask, “What was the point of wandering out into the desert if we were headed back to captivity?” The Lord led the Israelites to camp near the seashore. God had already stopped them from going through the territory of the Philistines, even though it was shorter, instead choosing to lead them a longer way that led them by the shore of the Red Sea (Exodus 13:17-18). God then tells Moses that He wants them to turn back around, going the opposite way He’d initially led them. While this served to confuse the Pharaoh, the switching in direction and the “aimless” wandering caused the Israelites to become restless. They began to voice their annoyance and wonder if perhaps they would have been better off staying in Egypt.God is asking the Israelites to trust in His plan and to enjoy the journey, because He is working all things for their good and His glory. And just a short time later, we see that God calls the Israelites to walk by faith. Moses stretches out his hands, and the waters of the Red Sea part, allowing the Israelites to walk through on dry land to the other side. The Egyptians pursue the Israelites; however, Moses stretches his hands back over the sea, and the waters flow back over them, killing the whole army (Exodus 14:21-31).Like with the Israelites, God asks us to trust Him, even when it doesn’t make sense. It is natural to be fearful; we are creatures who crave comfort and security. When God asks us to go on a journey into the unknown, that’s hard. However, we can rest in the truth that God is good and can be trusted. When we reached the first waterfall, my oldest daughter reluctantly whispered, “This is pretty cool, I am glad we didn’t turn back.” The path God has for us isn’t always easy; there will be times when we feel like we are wandering, have to go backward before we move forward, and think that we are wasting our time. But God always has a purpose, and one day, we will most certainly say, “This was worth the journey.”Intersecting Faith & Life:Do you ever struggle to enjoy the journey? How does knowing that God has a purpose and plan for your life’s path help you find contentment in your current circumstances?Further Reading:Exodus14Unwavering Faith Amid Uncertainty Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Romans 9:17-18 — Does God purposefully harden people's hearts? This statement causes great offense. In this sermon on Romans 9:17–18 titled “Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the meaning behind Paul's statements and the conclusions that can be drawn from it. Paul says that God raised up Pharaoh into this situation for His specific purposes and then God hardened Pharaoh's heart. God did this so that he could display His power through Pharaoh. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that when one comes across a difficult passage, they should compare it with other similar passages. He then gives several examples in the Old and New Testaments that show God hardening people's hearts. So how does God do this? Several factors that result in a hardening of the heart include God removing his restraining influence, by showing His mercy, by initiating desires that were already in a person, and by using Satan. God never creates sin or causes an evil position of the heart; He only aggravates what is already inside of a person. In this passage of Romans, Paul speaks of how God used Pharaoh to create the result of his plan. In this, Pharaoh chose to harden his own heart in addition to God also hardening his heart. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Parashat Mi-ketz [Genesis 41:1-44::17] is the second parashah in the extended Joseph saga, which stretches over 4 parashiyot, taking us to the end of Genesis in two weeks. This year, it coincides with Rosh Hodesh and Hanukkah, an occurrence which happens with some frequency. In 1991, this triple Torah header took place on the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and my senior sermon. It allowed me to begin by noting this was the Jewish version of Torah Torah Torah. I spoke then of the butler's confession, et hatta'i ani mazkir ha-yom, My sins I mention today. The midrash pays attention to the plural, sins, noting that the butler sinned against Pharaoh, which caused him to be sent to jail, and he sinned against Joseph by letting him languish in jail after promising to mention him at the end of last week's parashah. It occurred to me only recently that the butler had in mind his sin against Joseph does not make a great deal sense; what is the value of a public confession when the person sinned against is not even present. Rather, I now think, the butler recognized that his sins against Pharaoh were more numerous than he previously acknowledged. We often see ourselves as more sinned against than sinning, more deserving of being forgiven than forgiving those who have wronged us. In this reading, the butler is more worthy of praise because he is taking on more responsibility, rather than less. Our conversation focused on the character of Joseph, in someways the quintessential diaspora Jew, yearning to be at home and never quite fitting in. He is also one of the more fully drawn characters in the Bible, and his portrait is quite complex. We hope you enjoy it! We continue to keep in mind the one hostage whose body has yet to be returned, may he be returned speedily to his family. We also have in mind the soldiers defending Israel as members of the Israel Defense Forces. Shabbat Shalom. Hodesh Tov. Hag Urim Same'ah.

Rav held that Moshe served as a kohen gadol. Four tannaitic sources are brought to challenge this position, but each one is ultimately resolved. A braita is then cited to show that whether Moshe was a kohen gadol is itself a tannaitic dispute. One of the tannaitic views in that debate cites a statement of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha: whenever the Torah uses the expression charon af,  anger, it implies some concrete action or consequence. His statement is challenged by the verse in Shemot 11:8, where Moshe becomes angry at Pharaoh, yet no action seems to follow. Reish Lakish resolves this by saying that Moshe slapped Pharaoh in the face. This explanation is challenged by another statement of Reish Lakish, in which he says that Moshe showed respect toward Pharaoh. Two answers are offered to reconcile these conflicting statements. Two verses are then brought to support the principle that one must show respect to a king, even a wicked king, one verse concerning Pharaoh and another concerning Ahab. Earlier, a source had referred to Moshe as a king. However, Ulla stated that Moshe desired to be king but was not granted that status. Rava resolves this by qualifying Ulla's statement: Moshe wished for his sons to inherit kingship, and that request was denied, but Moshe himself was indeed considered a king. The Gemara then asks: from where do we derive that kohanim with any type of blemish are entitled to receive portions of the priestly gifts? Four braitot are cited, each offering a drasha that builds upon the previous one. The Mishna states that those who cannot serve in the Temple do not receive a portion, which seems to contradict the ruling regarding blemished kohanim. Furthermore, the implication that those who do serve may eat is difficult in the case of impure kohanim during communal offerings, where they may serve, yet do not receive a portion. The Gemara explains how this contradiction is resolved. Rav relates that Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon was once in the bathroom and devised various arguments that a tevul yom might use to claim a share of sacrificial portions. Yet for every argument he proposed, a pure kohen could cite a verse proving that a tevul yom is excluded, since he cannot perform the Temple service. The Gemara then asks: how was Rabbi Elazar able to think Torah thoughts in the bathroom, something that is normally forbidden?  

The Book of Revelation provides us with a wondrous vision today.   There are loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” [Ch.11 v.15].   Then the elders fall on their faces and worship saying, “We give thanks to you Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.  The nations raged, but your wrath came and the time for the dead to be judged and for rewarding your servants the prophets and saints. And those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth” [v.17/18]What a day of incredible thanksgiving this will be.   We should see the present human celebrations surrounding the Christmas period for all its emptiness.  What are people giving thanks for today?  It is the passing ‘pleasure' of the moment!   The children enjoy themselves and we recall Paul's observation “When I was a child … I reasoned like a child. When I became a man I gave up childish ways.” [1 Cor. 13 v.11]. Paul also said, “remember … Jesus how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'” [Acts 20 v.35] – we must teach our children this principle.  Do any of the children in the world (or their parents) learn anything real about Jesus? It seems impossible to think so, but God knows. Wherever opportunity offers we should “speak a word in season” to help them to do so.  It is interesting that only twice in the Bible is there any mention of celebrating birthdays – and both were those of bad men! [Genesis 40 v.20 – Pharaoh] and [Matthew 12 v.6 – Herod, when John the Baptist lost his head].  The heaven inspired celebration to come will be wondrous, but until that time true believers celebrate not the birthday of Jesus, but his sacrifice and death in the way he appointed [Luke 22 v.15-20], believing in a wondrous climax to that celebration in the kingdom.This wondrous event, called “the marriage supper of the Lamb” is also mentioned in Revelation [19 v.6-9] “Blessed are those who are invited” to that celebration which is far beyond us to imagine!  Do you believe you are worthy of receiving an invitation?  No?  It will be only by his grace!  But who is worthy?  It is interesting that the Gk word for ‘worthy' is one of the words  which occur seven times in the book – but only its first occurrence (ch, 3 v.4) is one that indicates saints that are worthy of receiving a  blessing before God; the last (ch. 16 v.6) is about those unworthy. Once again, the broad and narrow ways – make sure you on the “rewarding” pathway of the “worthy” in 2021

See how Joseph doesn't trust his brothers. He stage-manages their encounter with Pharaoh and the Egyptians, micromanaging every aspect of the conversation, like a trial-lawyer with a client. (יוֹסֵף הַפִּקֵּחַ not יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק)

Pharaoh and Lee Recaps the Finale and Reunion Episodes 15 & 16 of Survivor Nicaragua #SurvivorNicaragua #Survivor49 #Survivor #SurvivorRewindJoin our Discord Here!: https://discord.gg/fsNhjTn9GSCheck out our Survivor Borneo coverage! #SurvivorRewind - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKZIt1enO6e0eIfvvJBJcqRCvqS5CxqhS&si=icR1HmdoqdQ8mBx0Use this Link to cast your VOTE for what show you want us to cover next For our Reality Rewind! Maybe it'll make the list!: https://www.therealitykingdom.com/survey/reality-rewind-season-4-candidates/JOIN OUR #REALITYREWIND COMMUNITY HERE!: https://twitter.com/i/communities/1864154372973973632Subscribe to The Scripted Kingdom Here!: https://www.youtube.com/@TheScriptedKingdomThank you so much for watching! We love doing this content for you guys so comment what you want to hear from us!If you would rather just listen, here's a link to the podcast version of our videos:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1m9Kzqe...Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/k5unAtBLn7?amp=1

Prophetic Christmas Judgment? (audio) David Eells 12/24/25 Christmas 2025 Alison Pound - 12/21/25 (David's note in red) It's worth noting that I received the following word just 14 days out from Christmas Day. He previously said that we are right in the season for some specific events He has been warning about for some years now, to come to pass. This is the time of sorrows. Increasing magnitude and occurrence of earthquakes, of wars, deaths, mourning, floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes……. As I was preparing to post this, the Lord said read Psalm 68 [1] Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. [2] As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. The Psalm also says “LET THE RIGHTEOUS BE GLAD”. We are to PRAISE HIM, BECAUSE HE IS A GOOD GOD. ALL HIS JUDGMENTS ARE RIGHTEOUS! The whole chapter can be read below. This is what the Lord said to me on December 11. “That Christmas I told you about, where it would not be celebrated as in other years, this is the one. This year of 2025, Christmas will not be at all like other Christmases. All around the earth, every household will be affected by what I Am doing in the earth. Remember that My judgments are now in the earth and are upon its people. I Am dealing with believers. My people. Those who claim to know Me. I Am about to test all believers in the hardest test they have ever had to endure. Many will not make it. They will be taken away and the next time they awaken they will be standing in front of Me, being asked to account for themselves. This is a very serious time. All of heaven has paused. They take this time very seriously. Most of those on earth are completely unaware of what goes on in heaven, and what I Am about to do on the earth. But this Christmas, they will be right in the midst of My judgments. You know of what I speak. (He has warned of imminent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods in various places, and wars.) Many this year will have no home. Many homes, whole communities have (already) been destroyed by flooding. Lives have been lost. I speak of the fires also. (lives have been lost) And there will be more of both flood and fire.” Psa 68:1-35 For the Chief Musician; A Psalm of David, a Song. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; Let them also that hate him flee before him. (2) As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. (3) But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God: Yea, let them rejoice with gladness. (4) Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: Cast up a highway for him that rideth through the deserts; His name is Jehovah; and exult ye before him. (5) A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, Is God in his holy habitation. (6) God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a parched land. (7) O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah. (8) The earth trembled, The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God: Yon Sinai trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel. (9) Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. (10) Thy congregation dwelt therein: Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor. (11) The Lord giveth the word: The women that publish the tidings are a great host. (12) Kings of armies flee, they flee; And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil. (13) When ye lie among the sheepfolds, It is as the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold. (14) When the Almighty scattered kings therein, It was as when it snoweth in Zalmon. (15) A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A high mountain is the mountain of Bashan. (16) Why look ye askance, ye high mountains, At the mountain which God hath desired for his abode? Yea, Jehovah will dwell in it for ever. (17) The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands: The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the sanctuary. (18) Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led away captives; Thou hast received gifts among men, Yea, among the rebellious also, that Jehovah God might dwell with them. (19) Blessed be the Lord, who daily beareth our burden, Even the God who is our salvation. Selah. (20) God is unto us a God of deliverances; And unto Jehovah the Lord belongeth escape from death. (21) But God will smite through the head of his enemies, The hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his guiltiness. (22) The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring them again from the depths of the sea; (23) That thou mayest crush them, dipping thy foot in blood, That the tongue of thy dogs may have its portion from thine enemies. (24) They have seen thy goings, O God, Even the goings of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. (25) The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, In the midst of the damsels playing with timbrels. (26) Bless ye God in the congregations, Even the Lord, ye that are of the fountain of Israel. (27) There is little Benjamin their ruler, The princes of Judah and their council, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. (28) Thy God hath commanded thy strength: Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. (29) Because of thy temple at Jerusalem Kings shall bring presents unto thee. (30) Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples, Trampling under foot the pieces of silver: He hath scattered the peoples that delight in war. (31) Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall haste to stretch out her hands unto God. (32) Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; Oh sing praises unto the Lord; Selah. (33) To him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens, which are of old; Lo, he uttereth his voice, a mighty voice. (34) Ascribe ye strength unto God: His excellency is over Israel, And his strength is in the skies. (35) O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: The God of Israel, he giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.   Tragedy is Coming Just Praise Him – Glynda Lomax October 25, 2016 (David's note in red) A tragedy is coming that is so immense, so widespread in its effect that all the world will mourn with America. This tragedy will bring about a financial crisis like nothing before it. The shock will cause all to take an inventory of their lives. Many lost will run to Me then, to know more of Me, and you must be ready for this time. You must be ready to answer their inquiries about Me. You must be walking in My ways to model Me before them. I will begin soon to call more of my aging saints home to Me. I do not desire they to see this tragedy. These are the ones who have served Me long and well, and their rewards are great in heaven. The scope of this tragedy will be shocking. Many souls will be lost in what is going to happen. This is My last judgment call to the world to turn away from their sins, to turn to Me, to give Me their hearts. At the same time, many who know Me shall turn away, blaming Me for this tragedy, and laying down their faith. Satan will enter their hearts then and their end shall be far worse than their beginning. Hold tight to your faith, My precious children, do not let the enemy have your souls. Remain steadfast, for I have not forsaken you, and the end of all things is near. NOTE: I had been praying for days about why I keep feeling there will be no Christmas celebrations this year when I got this word. (It seems she had some reluctance. However many prophetic utterances don't come to pass the year they are spoken, but later so many can take warning. Many are just hearing this warning now when others are getting the same warning. Joseph taught that when a revelation is doubled it will come to pass.) I know it would take something huge to stop Christmas in America. Suddenly, I heard rumbling, and what came to my mind was an earthquake. I cannot say it is one, because He did not say that. I cannot say for sure that this (earthquake) will happen before Christmas, because the Lord did not say that. I was concerned about the term “judgment call” as it generally means a summary judgment based on known facts, but then I realized “call” could mean “calling” the lost to Himself. Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 2 Peter 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (We have certainly seen this sign.) Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. What we see in these revelations below is the faction in Church and state are trying to take down the righteous, but God is directing their wrath to take them down instead, just as Pharaoh at the Red Sea, or Sennacherib at Jerusalem, or the 3 armies against Jehoshaphat at Jerusalem, etc. The glory of the Lord is going to be seen by the whole world at our Red Sea. The fear and respect of the Lord will be on many from among the nations. A common timing theme in these dreams is Christmas time, which symbolizes the time of the Man-child's birth. The day cannot be ruled out either. Individuals in these dreams represent corporate bodies of people around the world.   Coming Attack and Man-child Provision  Eve Brast - 11/27/18 (David's notes in Red) I had a dream where I was in my paternal grandparents' house in Highland Park in Dallas, Texas. I was in the living room and decided to go down to the basement (in real life there was no basement) to check on my three sons. As I went down the basement stairs, I saw my husband moving large containers of some sort from outside the house through the left brick wall of the basement, as if the wall was an illusion of some kind. (The breaching of a wall on the left symbolizes breaking with our sanctification, or separation from the world.) My sons were all younger in the dream: Noah was 9, Elijah was 6, and Josiah was 4. I called out to my husband over the commotion and asked if I could spend some time with the boys. He never stopped what he was so busily doing, only replied, “They are busy helping me. We don't have time for that.” (The left has always hindered the fellowship of the Bride with the children and this actually came to pass.) Then I heard and felt a shaking sound (I wrote this interpretation in 2018 before the recent revelations: This could represent the shaking coming at Christmas time, OR the time of the Man-child Body's birth, or both? - Even though the timing of Christmas and its traditions are false, it can represent the time of the Man-child's birth, whenever that comes. Why Christmas? We will see.) coming from behind me and I could see a large red CGI dragon in the spirit coming for me. (A realistic 3D animated dragon. The dragon in Revelation 12 is the beast of the first 3 1/2 years, who fails to devour the Man-child and then seeks to devour the Woman Church. From other dreams, we know that we are NOW in the time of the immature dragon, hence a cartoon dragon. I had a dream where this exact dragon was sneaking in a back window of our assembly to devour us. It came and failed.) I then hurried down the stairs and went around the stack of containers that he had brought into the basement, and turned around to see the dragon coming down the stairs. It had yellow eyes. (It looked just like the dragon Smaug from The Lord of the Rings movies.) It said, “I'm coming for you.” I hid behind the containers as it stomped past. Once it was past where I was, I noticed a Christmas tree over to the side of the basement. (Another Christmas time/Man-child birth revelation) So I hurried over and knelt down behind the tree and was praying and telling myself, “If I'm very still, he won't be able to see me.” Noah came over and began to ask me, “What are you doing, Mom?” I told him, “If I'm very still, he won't see me.” Noah laughed and said, “You mean him?”, pointing to the dragon. I said, “Yes.” He then started pushing on me and making me move. The dragon saw me and narrowed his eyes and said, “I see you!” He began to lumber over towards me as I woke up. (Children who are temporarily in the camp of the Left do not understand the true nature of the Dragon. The Woman escaped the Dragon in the dream here by waking up.) I asked Father for a couple of words by faith at random concerning this dream, and my finger was on “I have broken Moab” in Jeremiah 48:38 (Moab was the Children of Lot who factioned away as leftists from their brethren of Israel as a type of the Church) Jer 48:35-46 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith Jehovah, him that offereth in the high place, and him that burneth incense to his gods. 36 Therefore my heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and my heart soundeth like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath gotten is perished. 37 For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. 38 On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets thereof there is lamentation every where; for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein none delighteth, saith Jehovah. 39 How is it broken down! how do they wail! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all that are round about him. 40 For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle and shall spread out his wings against Moab (the factious in Church and state). 41 Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. 42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against Jehovah. 43 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith Jehovah. 44 He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon him, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah. 45 They that fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and hath devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. 46 Woe unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh is undone; for thy sons are taken away captive, and thy daughters into captivity. (Both of these texts involve a visitation of the Lord to punish the wicked and reward the righteous. The Lord is coming, manifested in the Man-child body ministry by Word and Spirit. Jesus was first born as a baby and later was anointed to Minister. These two stages happen to the Man-child body of our day also.) The second one I received by faith at random, my finger was on “he will carry them in his bosom” in Isa.40:11 (The right and righteous will escape)  In context Isa 40:1-11 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem (the Bride); and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins. 3 The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (The humble will be exalted and the proud humbled); and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: 5 and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it. 6 The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. 9 O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (the Bride), get thee up on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! 10 Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm (Jesus in the Man-child) will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. (Judgment on the Factious Edomites just before He rewards the Righteous) 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young. Notice the same words “his reward is with him, and his recompense before him” when God saved the Bride from the factious Edomites. And here it is in Isa 62:11-63:3 Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 12 And they shall call them the holy people, The redeemed of Jehovah: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken. 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. When the Lord separates the factious spirits from some of the factious people, they will return to righteousness, although they will have missed the Bride. Others will die in their sins.   A Remnant of the Faction Begins to Return Around the Birth of the Soloman Man-child Body Eve Brast - 08/08/18 (David's notes in Red) I dreamed this morning that our local UBM assembly was meeting on an upper floor of an apartment building (An apartment represents a body of houses built together into a holy temple in the Lord, as Ephesians says.). The living room was smaller than the Shaw's and there was a small room to the right of the long entry way that was a kitchenette (Where the spiritual food is prepared). We were all sitting in a large circle singing acapella praises to the Lord. David was sitting along the wall where the entryway led into the living room. Michael was on his left, and I was on his right. I (As a type of the last Adam's Bride, Eve) was wearing a beautiful dress with a floral pattern on it. (A symbol of Fruit and beauty being born as in Springtime, by the corporate Bride body.). But I was very weak and thin from fighting a long illness. (Representing the corporate Bride fighting off the faction infection. Faction is division through unforgiveness, criticism, slander, etc. We fought it off in the Church and we saw the same spirits in the government. At this time, Eve actually was fighting off this infirmity, which the medical Journal says comes from an abusive relationship that she has been through. When she had this dream, she wasn't suffering from this, and we wondered what this dream spoke of. This shows us the timing is near for these things. (I believe I represent a corporate body sick of faction. But once the factious leader below was born again and he and others came back into an inferior fold, I was recovering as a body of people. Part of the text was good concerning those Father knows and will bring them back to Him, and the other part is concerning those in the dream who were too fearful to enter the door again.) I couldn't stand or move around for long before I had to sit down and rest. David and Michael had to help me by each holding my arms for support when I needed to stand or walk. But I was slowly regaining my strength day by day. (At that time, there were factious people returning.) Suddenly, the factious leader came through the front door and was encouraging others who had factioned away to enter also. The others had followed him to the door but wouldn't enter. (This represents the outer court of God's house) A couple of men came right inside the door, but were fearful to come any further. (Content to be in the holy place but not the Holy of Holies.) The factious leader himself came all the way up to the threshold of the entryway where the living room began, but wasn't interested in joining our praise and worship. (Not going to return to the Bride in the Holy of Holies, but to a lesser degree, the holy place) He was concerned more about undoing some of the damage he'd caused by factioning some away from the truth. He was trying to get them to come through the door. (The door being Jesus). He kept gesturing to the two men with an inviting motion to come into the entryway further. But they only stood right inside the door. The factious leader was wearing a white Polo shirt and tan shorts. He had an old baby blanket (Infected by memories from childhood), the size of a large shawl, draped around his shoulders. It had a silk edge sewn all the way around it and pink and baby blue stripes. Since it was from the 1970s it was not as white as it used to be and it was faded because of many washings. (He had fallen away from his new birth many times and had many washings so it has faded.) His right hand clutched it at his neck, like he didn't want it to fall off of him. (He didn't want to forget and lose his salvation again) I was shocked to see him with that blanket around his shoulders. I said, “Hey, everyone, the factious leader is here!” And I wanted to go over to give him a hug. So David and Michael helped me over to him. But Brandy was angry and alarmed and said, “He's not for real. He's just here to spy on us all and cause us more damage! Don't touch him!” (We have had dreams and attempts of faction acting as though they are cured to sneak into the body and cause damage. So suspicion is natural.) David and Michael said, “We asked the Lord if it was okay for him to come and got two heads for ‘yes'. But Brandy became incredulous and offended about it. I didn't know what to believe, so I didn't hug him. I decided to go to the kitchenette and wash the dishes. So David and Michael helped me to the counter, and I was able to lean against it for support so I could wash them. After our plates were clean, (Symbolizing the end of faction) I came back out and sat down, R. S., who was sitting at the 12:00 position, was directing the acapella singing and said, “Let's all sing Silver Bells! We'll sing it 6 times.” David was at the 6:00 position. So David and Michael helped me back up and we all held hands and walked in a circular, clockwise direction. (Time going forward) We sang, “Silver bells, Silver Bells, it's Christmas time in the city...” (Symbolizing the time of the Man-child's birth) I became tired and had to go sit down, and I thought, “Christmas time??” Then there was a couch behind the kitchenette in a little room and David was sitting wearing a blue shirt (representing heavenly) and blue socks and he had a baby diaper on. (The birthing of the David Man-child. The anointing could come shortly after, since the Man-child grows up very quickly). Then I woke up. I asked for a general text that covers this dream, and my finger was on Psalm 50:11, “I know all the birds of the mountains” (1-23) 1 A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God, Jehovah, hath spoken, And called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth. 3 Our God cometh, and doth not keep silence (The visitation of the Lord in the Man-child): A fire devoureth before him, And it is very tempestuous round about him. 4 He calleth to the heavens above, And to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 Gather my saints together unto me, Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; For God is judge himself. [Selah] 7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, even thy God. 8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt-offerings are continually before me. 9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goats out of thy folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains; And the wild beasts of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the Most High; 15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. 16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, And that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth, (We have received this text for the faction) 17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, And castest my words behind thee? 18 When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst with him, And hast been partaker with adulterers. 19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, And thy tongue frameth deceit. 20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; Thou slanderest thine own mother's son. 21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. 22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: 23 Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; And to him that ordereth his way aright will I show the salvation of God.   Remnant of Faction Returns  Anna Stewart - 12/07/18 (David's notes in Red) I dreamed we arrived at the Shaw's for a Wednesday Bible study and a factious leader had returned and was sitting in his old place against the front wall. Brandy was sitting next to him because Michael had left Brandy to share in the bible study because neither he nor David could make it yet. I had the sense that David knew the factious leader had returned, but I felt very uncomfortable that David and Michael were not there. He was thinner in the dream (less flesh) and wearing dark blue (heavenly, yet still in darkness?) and at one point showed his new guitar to someone. More and more people from our local body kept coming in, even those who normally cannot be there, until every person was there. The house changed at some point with two very large rooms to the back added on (Incoming brethren joining us from other places) and the main room where we were become an upper story (Symbolizing the people from the Upper room receiving the outpouring? Original foundation of people on higher level of leadership) with a sliding glass door opening onto a deck on each side of the house. David and Michael finally showed up and David had told the factious leader he couldn't be in there with us. (In Eve's dream, he also did not come into the assembly but was in an outer room. We believed this was a sign that he would come back, but not be in the Bride or be trusted yet because of falling away into faction.) The factious leader was outside on the deck, sometimes on his knees and forearms, sometimes sitting cross-legged. Everyone inside ignored his presence. Every once in a while, he would tap on the glass as if asking for some compassion from someone to let him in. Several times I saw him sitting out there with a pile of quarters on his knee and each time they were either all heads or all tails. I was wondering if he was asking the Lord questions. Things inside went on as normal, some people had brought food, others were eating a little bit and fellowshipping. David was in the back room working hard and I knew he was very busy and tired. At some point I felt led to look up my niece's name, Natasha, who has come to live here, and found in this dream that it meant something along the line of “to take authority and cast out spirits”. (This may be a sign of timing to begin to cast out the factious demons) In real life Natasha means born on Christmas day; resurrection. [In Eve's dream, this man came back with others when we were singing “Silver Bells, It's Christmas time in the city”. The Man-child is coming to the Bride, Jerusalem.] I felt it was from the Lord concerning this man [and likely a body of people he represents] and that I needed to tell David but I was afraid of getting out of place and doing something I shouldn't. I decided to find David and asked if he had a minute. He looked tired and said, “Not really. I have two seconds.” As quickly as I could, I told him what I felt the Lord told me, “to take authority and cast out spirits”. The scene changed and it was getting late and people began leaving for home until there were just a few of us left. Mostly the morning prayer meeting people remained: Eve, Matthew and me, and a few others. Everyone was sitting down, and things were pretty quiet. I realized that I wasn't doing what I should've been doing all along, and got down on my knees and began to intercede for the factious leader who was still outside. (Amen, it is a good time to pray restoration to a remnant of the faction) Then the dream ended.   The Last Holiday, Christmas  Sandy Shaw - 12/03/18 (David's notes in Red)  In this dream was like a scene from the movie, The Last Holiday (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Holiday_(2006_film). A man was sitting on the very edge of a building's top with a bottle of alcohol, contemplating whether he should jump. The building was old and tall, and like the architecture of the Swiss Alps. It was castle-like. Queen La Tifah walks out and says, “What are you doing here?” He says, “I think I'm going to jump!” She says, “It ain't worth it.” Then she sits down next to him. (The last Holiday is Christmas, symbolizing the time of the Man-child's birth. The Queen here represents the Bride and has a false sentence of death on her, which she later finds out is false. The drunk man committing suicide represents the left-wing, delusional, factious people who are committing spiritual suicide through spiritual drunkenness.)  LL Cool J (Jesus) says, “What are you doing?” She (The Bride) says, “I'm trying to get this guy to back into the hotel.” The guy on the ledge says, “I'm not going!” (Factioned away from the body of Christ built together into a Holy Temple as Ephesians says) LL Cool J says, “Well, you let that fool fall then. And you get back in there!” (I.E., separate yourself from them until they repent. Tit.3:10 A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse; 11 knowing that such a one is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned.) LL is reaching for Queen La Tifah. But she is a few inches short and he can't reach her, and I'm standing behind him. I say, “Just grab her.” (I.E., Man-child rescues the Bride from the spiritually drunken faction.)  Then, when I saw that he grabbed her, I got his legs and we fell through the window into the building. (The Bride is rescued from the suicidal faction by Jesus in the Man-child)  As I'm trying to get up, I'm no longer there...I'm in a car, in the back seat. The doors are locked, I can't get out, and I'm in a seatbelt that won't unsnap. A big spider was coming toward me and was going to bite me on the leg. But back in reality, I got shook up because I'm on dialysis. And the nurses are shaking me, one was shaking my leg in the area where the spider was going to bite me. (A warning the Pharmakeia is poison and deadly. Many now know this.) The spider was the size of a golf ball, though oblong, the size of one I saw in our garage. (The Bride is rescued in parallel to the first scene)  I received by faith at random (About the factious in Church and government.) Eze.11:7. (In context, 7-12) 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. 8 Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, saith the Lord Jehovah. 9 And I will bring you forth out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. 10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. 11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; I will judge you in the border of Israel; 12 and ye shall know that I am Jehovah: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye executed mine ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you. (Judgment on the faction)    Christmas Eve - What is Coming   Winnie Osegueda - 6/8/22 (David's notes in red)  ... I prayed and asked the Lord to show me what was coming and when I fell asleep He gave me the following dream: I dreamt that I was in a very nice suburban area and it was the evening time of Christmas Eve. (Wow Christmas again!  Another confirmation that the baby boy Man-child is coming.) I could see all the houses decorated with colorful Christmas lights throughout this neighborhood on my left. My mother's house was also located on the left side of this suburban neighborhood. (Winnie's mom is being used to represent the apostate church on the left  that all of God's elect are born out of. Many apostates are in idolatry with the world and its traditions of men represented by the celebration of Christmas which is a pagan holiday. There is a connection between the modern day Christmas tree and the ancient symbol for the fertility goddess named Asherah  Jer. 10:1-5 Hear ye the word which Jehovah speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 thus saith Jehovah, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are like a palm-tree, of turned work, and speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.) There was a remake of an older movie being made except it wasn't actually a movie; it was really happening. Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.   I recognized and remembered this old movie that they were remaking and it was starring Kiefer Sutherland who is an actor who played a great villain in movies in the 80s and 90s, and he was a villain in the movie in this dream as well). (The meaning of the name “Keifer” is a German nick name for someone who was quarrelsome, from an agent of Middle High German kiben, kiven 'to quarrel'. All of the factious are quarrelsome.) They brought in a new "actor" for the remake of this movie who looked just like a younger, rounder-faced version of Kiefer Sutherland. His haircut was like the one Kiefer Sutherland had in the movie "The Lost Boys," a film in which he played a vampire. ("The life of the flesh is in the blood." The spiritual vampires of the apostate churches who are “lost” children who “bite and devour” and suck the life out of people with their contentious and slanderous ways.) Because I had already seen and knew this movie very well, I knew that this Kiefer Sutherland look-alike had a plan to enter into each suburban home in this neighborhood and kill every family. I could see him lurking in the shadows of his brick house spying on the neighborhood through his window on the top floor. (Their leaders are stalkers and “peeping Tom's”.) These families were not suspicious, as he made himself appear to be trustworthy and friendly…  (Rom 16:17-18  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.  18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent. Remember, they are actors.) I was now inside my mother's home... and this new "actor" was there as well. He handed my mother a box of Marlboro Red cigarettes and she accepted them. (She actually smoked these in real life when I was much younger.)  As soon as this actor walked off, I said "NO! NO! Why did you accept them?! Now you're marked!" and she said, "I like Marlboro Reds, so if he gives me Marlboro Reds, I'm going to take them.” (The cigarettes represent receiving bad and false spirits.) (Breath and spirit are the same word in scripture and taking in smoke represents taking in an unclean spirit. If you receive slander from a factious person, you will receive their same spirits.)  She seemed to be very bothered by my objections to her receiving these cigarettes, but I knew how this movie was going to play out, so I was desperately trying to warn her to no avail. (Many in apostasy aren't heeding our warnings currently. They will have to experience judgment before they turn back to righteousness, and still, many won't repent of their wickedness and they will be killed spiritually with an eternal death.) At this point, I knew that this actor was going to come back and kill her because she was marked, and that I had to go. (The mark of the beast) I couldn't stay with her there, or I would be killed as well, as much as it pained me to know what was going to happen. I didn't understand why no one else could see what was happening here. Since this movie was a remake of an old film, it should have been obvious what was going on, but it wasn't to them. (I know people who have seen this happen to others fall into the trap because of disobedience.  John 12:37-40  But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 For this cause they could not believe, for that Isaiah said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and he hardened their heart; Lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, And should turn, And I should heal them.) I left this suburban area to find an escape and I entered into the city. I stopped by a clothing store that I used to go to when I was younger. (We should not shrink back represented by visiting the younger clothing store. Heb. 10:39 But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul.)  I recognized one of the women that worked there in the dream, but not in real life. She was an overweight black lady with a fake ponytail. (This represents people who are walking in darkness; who feed the flesh.) She met me outside with a hug and said "Merry Christmas!" I said Merry Christmas as well ... (I don't personally celebrate Christmas, but I believe the Lord is just using this as a parable.) (A parable of judgment on the apostates at the time of the Man-child's birth.)   I noticed that I had a large overweight, gray, striped cat with me and it walked into the store. The cat wanted to stay behind and I agreed that it was best, because I could not escape what was happening with this cat tagging along. (The fat cat represents an abundance of flesh, self will and rebellion. Grey symbolizes lukewarm people, not white or black. These type people will not escape the faction demons because they must be separated from the Bride and ultimately the body itself.) I thought about the verse Hebrews 12:1-2  Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.) (We must leave the weight of our rebellious sin nature behind, represented by the fat, grey cat, if we want to escape the judgment of faction that is coming.) The lady in the store agreed that the cat could remain there in the store, but again, I was sad because I knew what was coming and that they would not be safe if they did not escape. This "actor" would come and kill them too, including the cat. (Psa 37:38 As for transgressors, (or the “rebellious”) they shall be destroyed together; The end of the wicked shall be cut off. And   2Pe 2:12  But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed.) I left the store and continued up a flight of stairs to leave this area as well, and then I woke up. The dream felt so real that when I woke up I felt like this was still happening, and I was trying to figure out what movie this was that they were trying to remake. (The people who don't learn from His-story are doomed to repeat it.) I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random and received: Joel 2:19 (15-20 in context)  Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. (Notice: At the time of the attempted attack on the Bride she and the Man-child will be revealed and delivered.)  17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18 Then was the Lord jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 19 And the Lord answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations; 20 but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things. (The northern army is like Pharoah's army at the Red Sea. It is the end of the persecutors and the beginning of the wilderness tribulation.)

Join as we discuss the mistakes Yosef made in his rise to the top of Pharaoh's court. Send any questions, comments, or critiques to podcasts@torahinmotion.orgIf you would like to partner with us to create more thoughtful and accessible jewish content, visit torahinmotion.org/donate, or email us at info@torahinmotion.org.You can find more thoughtful Jewish content at torahinmotion.org 

Miketz: When Yahweh Works While We Wait The Torah portion Miketz reveals a powerful truth: Yahweh never abandons us, even when circumstances feel beyond our control. Through Yosef's journey from prison to palace, we discover that waiting isn't passive. It's an active walk of faith where our attitude matters more than our timeline. Yosef endured rejection, false accusations, and years of imprisonment, yet Scripture records no complaints. His faithfulness during the hidden years prepared him for divine purpose. When Pharaoh needed someone to interpret dreams and manage Egypt's future, Yahweh positioned Yosef exactly where he needed to be. The narrative foreshadows Yeshua's own pattern: both were rejected by their brothers, exalted to positions of authority, given Gentile brides during times of rejection, and became providers of life-saving bread to all nations. Yosef's brothers didn't recognize him initially, just as Israel didn't recognize their Mashiach. Yet restoration awaits. When Yahweh changed Yosef's name, He was reshaping his character and destiny. This same transformation happens to us when we enter covenant relationship with Him. Our identity shifts, our purpose clarifies, and we become new creations. Even in seasons of concealment, Yahweh is working. The waiting isn't punishment. It's preparation for what's coming next. Watch on YouTube here:   https://youtu.be/t5iYL4OsGHQ Watch on Vimeo Here: www.vimeo.com/ruach   Have you read the Parsha yet? Check out the portion read by Will Spires here: https://youtu.be/G4LHWgkIzBY?si=phz6lQpgpUo6JEgn    If these have been a blessing to you, please consider donating to help us continue to put these teachings out. You can donate at https://www.ruachonline.com/donate     If you like this video and would like to know more about Ruach Ministries International you can check us out on many venues: website: www.RuachOnline.com  Facebook: www.facebook.com/RuachMinistries  Twitter: @RuachTweets Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/Ruach  YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/theruachlife  Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruachminintl  Podcast Hub, Main site: https://stone2flesh.podbean.com  iHeart  https://ihr.fm/3VmLpyt  Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3PXP8Bp   Amazon Music https://amzn.to/3jnsqX2  Spotify https://spoti.fi/3C71u4i  Google Podcasts https://bit.ly/3jrcTp7 & Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Ruach

Join us each day in the season of Advent as we explore the journey through the Bible old and new in a daily devotional. Today's episode is Jesus, The New Moses; Herod, The New Pharaoh, where we see the differences in the empire Herod wants to build and Jesus' kingdom of peace promised in Micah.Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

Have you ever wondered how God can be completely sovereign and yet still hold us fully responsible for our choices?Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time. In this episode, opens Exodus 8–9 to explore the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, showing how God's absolute control and human responsibility work together in the unfolding drama of the plagues.To hear more of these studies from Exodus, visit PaulTripp.com/Exodus.

Pharaoh and Lee Recaps Episode 5 of Zeus' Baddies USA: Chapter One! #Baddies #BaddiesUSA #zeus #zeusnetwork Use this Link to cast your VOTE for what show you want us to cover next For our Reality Rewind!: https://www.therealitykingdom.com/survey/reality-rewind-season-4-candidates/JOIN OUR #REALITYREWIND COMMUNITY HERE!: https://twitter.com/i/communities/1864154372973973632Subscribe to The Scripted Kingdom Here!: https://www.youtube.com/@TheScriptedKingdomThank you so much for watching! We love doing this content for you guys so comment what you want to hear from us!If you would rather just listen, here's a link to the podcast version of our videos:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1m9Kzqe...Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/k5unAtBLn7?amp=1Follow Us:https://linktr.ee/TheRealityKingdom

Have you ever wondered how God can be completely sovereign and yet still hold us fully responsible for our choices?Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time. In this episode, opens Exodus 8–9 to explore the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, showing how God's absolute control and human responsibility work together in the unfolding drama of the plagues.To hear more of these studies from Exodus, visit PaulTripp.com/Exodus.

What do you do when the enemy's command directly contradicts God's promise? Pastor Maurice Yancey brings a powerful and faith-stirring message from Exodus 1, focusing on the Hebrew midwives who feared God more than Pharaoh. Drawing from Exodus 1:15–21, this sermon highlights how obedience to God became the key to survival, protection, and blessing in the midst of oppression. Pastor Maurice reminds us that the midwives' refusal to comply with Pharaoh's decree was not rebellion rooted in fear, but faith rooted in reverence for God. Their decision to honor God's authority over earthly power resulted in divine protection and unexpected increase, proving that what God has ordained cannot be canceled by the enemy. Through transparent personal testimonies, Pastor Maurice connects the biblical narrative to real life experiences of trauma, adversity, and resilience. He encourages believers to trust God's plan even when circumstances feel threatening, confusing, or painful. This sermon is a call to embrace purpose, stand firm in faith, and believe that God's intervention is greater than any opposition. When you choose obedience to God over fear of adversity, His protection, purpose, and promises will always prevail. Sermon Scripture: Exodus 1:15-17   We stream live every Sunday at 11 am and every Wednesday at 8 pm. Visit our website: https://perfectingfaithchurch.com  Connect with us on social media!  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerfectingFaithChurch/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perfectingfaithchurch/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@perfectingfaithchurch  X: https://x.com/PFCNY   Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@perfectingfaithchurch

Joseph was never supposed to stand before Pharaoh. Egypt's rigid caste system—believed to be established by the gods—kept society in line and protected Egypt's elite. Yet in a single moment, God lifted a Hebrew prisoner from a dungeon into the palace, overturned Egypt's “divine” social order and exposed the powerlessness of its gods. In this teaching, we trace Joseph's journey from prison to palace, the trials God meticulously used to position him, and how his exaltation foreshadows a Kingdom where the least become the greatest. Joseph's story reveals a timeless truth: when God moves, no system, throne, or false god can stand in the way. Torah Portion: Miketz / At the End Support Rise on Fire Ministries by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/rise-on-fireRead transcript

The Torah reading this week continues the story of Yosef, or Joseph, where it picks up in prison, after he has interpreted two dreams, for Pharaoh’s chief butler, and baker. Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a two-part look at parsha “Miketz,” Genesis chapter 41 through 44:17, where, after two full years, the story begins with a pair of dreams that Pharaoh himself has. The Erev Shabbat reading: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SSM-12-19-25-Miketz-teaching-podcast-xxx.mp3 The Sabbath Midrash explores the nature of ‘tests’. The parsha starts with “after two full years,” suggesting that Joseph was required to wait on YHVH, and the rest of the story is replete with tests. Which is where we are now. Miketz: Tests – of Faith, of Leadership, and Those Who Would Be His https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WT-CooH-12-20-25-Miketz-Tests-of-Faith-of-Leadership-and-of-gods-Real-and-fake-podcast-xxx.mp3 The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash:

Addressing one of the biggest questions the Book of Joshua raises.

Click here to WATCH LIVE STREAM Worship Service on our Youtube Channel. “Christmas, Part 2” Matthew 2 Micah 5:2-6 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; 6 they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border.   Matthew 2:1-2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”   Numbers 24:17 …a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel…   Matthew 2:3-4 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.   Matthew 2:5-6 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'”   Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.   2 Samuel 5:2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'”   Matthew 2:7-8 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”   Matthew 2:9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.   Matthew 2:10-12 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.   Matthew 2:13-15 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”   Exodus 4:21-23 And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'” Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.   Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.    Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.   Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.   Matthew 2:17-18 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”   Jeremiah 31:15-17 Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” 16 Thus says the LORD: “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD,   and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. 17 There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country.   Jeremiah 33:14-16 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.'   Mathew 2:19-21 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.   Matthew 2:22-23 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”   Jesus is our true deliverer.   Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.   Jesus is our true comforter.   Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.   Jesus is our true King.   Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Isaiah 53:2-3 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Respond | Connect | Next Steps The post Christmas 2 appeared first on Charleston Baptist Church.

St. Matthew 1:1-25 Why was the Son of God commanded to be named Jesus—the New Joshua? In this Advent reflection, Fr. Anthony shows how Christ fulfills Israel's story by conquering sin and death, and calls us to repentance so that we may enter the victory He has already won. --- Homily on the Name of Jesus Sunday before the Nativity In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. "They named Him Jesus, because He would deliver His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Names matter in Scripture. They are never accidental. A name reveals identity, vocation, and mission. And so when the angel commands that the Child be named Jesus, we are being told something essential about who He is and what He has come to do. The name Jesus is simply the Greek form of Joshua. And that is not incidental. So we should ask: Who was Joshua? And why did the angel of the Lord insist on that name? Joshua was the successor of Moses, the one chosen by God to lead His people when Moses could not. Long before Joshua's time, God had made a covenant with His people and promised them a land—a place of rest, inheritance, and blessing. But that promise had been obscured by centuries of slavery in Egypt, under pagan gods who claimed power but offered only bondage. God sent Moses to remind the people who they truly were: not slaves, but God's own people. Through signs and wonders, God revealed His power over Pharaoh and over the false gods of Egypt. The people were delivered. They were free. They were heading toward the Promised Land. And yet, because of their disobedience and unbelief, that generation—including Moses himself—was not worthy to enter the land. And so God appointed Joshua to do what Moses could not: to lead the next generation into the inheritance God had promised. Joshua defeated the enemies of God—not by his own strength, but by God's supernatural power—and led the people into the Promised Land. All of this matters, because it prepares us to understand the name of Jesus and the mission it announces. "They named Him Jesus, because He would deliver His people from their sins." Now consider the situation at the time of Christ's birth. In many ways, it looked very much like the time of Pharaoh. God's people were again under foreign rule, again surrounded by pagan power, again longing for deliverance. The prophets had promised a Messiah, and the people waited for one who would set them free. But here is the crucial difference: this Joshua would not come to conquer territory.  This Joshua would come to conquer the true enemy. Not Rome. Not armies. Not borders. But sin itself. In his homily on this Gospel reading, St. John Chrysostom says: "He did not say, 'He shall save His people from their enemies,' but 'from their sins,' showing that this is a greater and more fearful tyranny than any foreign power." (Homily on Matthew 2) And this is precisely why the Son of God had to be born as a child. In his homily on the Nativity, which, Lord willing, you will hear on Thursday, Chrysostom draws the connection between the Nativity and our salvation with striking clarity: "He became Son of Man, that He might make us sons of God. He took what was ours, that He might give us what was His." (Homily on the Nativity) Jesus is the New Joshua—not leading one people into one land, but opening the Kingdom of God to all who would receive Him. He conquers not by the sword, but by the Cross. He defeats not nations, but death itself. And we know how He did it. By obedience where Adam fell. By humility where pride ruled. By offering Himself fully to the Father, even unto death. As the Fathers remind us, the victory was not loud or coercive, but hidden and faithful—won through righteousness rather than force. So what, then, is our situation? It is tempting to compare our world to Egypt, or to the time of pagan occupation, and to imagine that we are still waiting for deliverance. After all, many of us know what it is like to feel tired, burdened, or trapped in patterns we cannot seem to break, even while outwardly everything appears fine. We live in a culture that constantly distracts us, that teaches us to manage our desires rather than heal them, and that quietly encourages us to accept forms of bondage as normal. Like God's people of old, we forget who we are and whom we belong to, and so we begin to live as though freedom were still far away. But the truth is far more sobering—and far more hopeful. We are not waiting for the Messiah. He has already come. If we live as slaves, it is not because Pharaoh rules us. It is because we have refused the Deliverer. Christ has already opened the doors of freedom. Advent is the season in which the Church calls us to turn back, to repent, and to remember who we are—so that we may step again into the life He has already given us. Christ lives within the heart of every believer. He comes into the midst of all who gather in His name. He is present here, now, in the Holy Liturgy—offering the same grace, the same power, the same deliverance. He delivers us from the death of sin and leads us into the true Promised Land: the life of the Kingdom, the inheritance of the saints, communion with God Himself. So let us give thanks for the Deliverer—Jesus, the New Joshua. Let us praise Him, trust Him, repent, and return to Him, so that we may join Him in His victory. And let us receive His supernatural grace and power here and now, as we prepare to welcome Him anew at His Nativity. [For in the end, all of us must decide: Am I a sinner – of whatever type; a fornicator, a gossip, a glutton, a miser, a coward, a bully – (are we a sinner) who occasionally does Christian things but repents and reverts to my chosen sinful form. -OR- Am I a Christian who occasionally falls into sin, repents, and reverts to his chosen path of holiness? If we truly are sinners who only play at being Christians - if we only play at being holy – then when the Lord comes looking for a place to be born and dwell, there will be no room in the worldly varmint-infested inn our heart for him to lay and He will leave us to wallow and drown in the bondage of our sin. -BUT- If we are Christians who fall into sin but truly repent, the cave of our hearts is swept clean and He will be pleased to be born in our hearts and His glory will shine within and even from us. Christ has come into the world to deliver us – how have we responded?] To Him be glory, together with His Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.  

Jesus our Deliverer (Matthew Chapter 1) - Sunday, 21st December 2025.Matthew 1:21-23 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.1. God delivered Israel from Pharaoh. Exodus 3:7-8  And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 2. God delivered Israel from their enemiesJudges 3:9  And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.Judges 3:15  But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.  3. In Isaiah, God is upset with Israel because they do not look to Him for deliverance.Isaiah 50:2  Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.4. In the New Testament, Jesus delivered from storms, death, demons, sickness blindness, deafness, bitterness and on and on!Matthew 8:26  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.5.  How can I be delivered?Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

a) Moses Returns to Egypt (Exodus 4:18-31)b) Moses Requests, Pharaoh Retaliates (Exodus 5:1-21)c) God Promises Deliverance (Exodus 5:22-6:13)

We are all horrified by the mass shootings at Bondi Beach and Brown University that coincided with Hanukkah. We mourn the tragic and senseless loss of innocent life. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded. So too we are horrified by the murder of 47-year old MIT professor Nuno Loureiro in his Brookline home. So too we are horrified by the assaults on Jews this week in the subway in New York City. How to understand such hate and darkness on Hanukkah, a time of love and joy, is on everybody's mind. The sermon tomorrow will be about that topic. In the meantime, we are going to center and anchor ourselves by the classic Jewish response to the vicissitudes of life: learning Torah.Should. A charged word. Even more charged: You should… When, if ever, should we say, “You should”? Many of us are wisely and properly reluctant to say those words. The last Daily of 2024 included an interview with Philip Galanis, the advice columnist for the Times. His advice was not to give advice. His advice was to ask questions, to listen carefully, to get the person with whom you are talking to clarify their own thinking and come up with their own solutions. When asked for a New Year's resolution, he offered: to listen better. The humility and restraint of listening, asking good questions, and helping people come up with their own solutions was the core of an essay written by Rabbi Chiel in his classic volume Beyond the Sermon: Stories of Pastoral Guidance (2004), in which a woman with a troubled marriage wanted Rabbi Chiel to offer that she should get a divorce, but he would not weigh in on the merits for cogent reasons he explains in his essay entitled “Our Limitations.” And yet, there are two famous examples in the Torah of a biblical hero saying “You should.” One is Joseph in our portion this week. Summoned out of prison to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, he does so. He interprets the dreams. Egypt will have seven years of abundance followed by seven years of scarcity. And then, Joseph offers unsolicited advice: store the abundant produce of the years of feast so that it will be there to sustain the people during the years of famine. Pharaoh heeds this unsolicited advice, and it saves the lives of hungry Egyptians (and in time the rest of Joseph's family that comes to Egypt from Canaan in search of food). The other example is Yitro, who sees that Moses is working around the clock settling disputes among Israelites. Moses is exhausted. The people are exhausted waiting in line for their turn. Yitro offers unsolicited advice that Moses tap wise Israelites who can help adjudicate the claims so that Moses will not be ground down, and the people will not have to wait so long. Moses heeds this unsolicited advice to the betterment of himself and the people. Thus the tension between our common practice and our canonical tradition. Our culture trains us to listen, to ask questions, not to pontificate, not to offer our answers. We are supposed to know that our answers may not work for the person we are talking to. Yet the Torah offers two stories of unsolicited advice that was wisely followed for the betterment of all involved. When, if ever, should we say should?

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In episode 475 of The Reformed Brotherhood, host Jesse Schwamb explores the profound theological question: "Is God humble?" Through a careful examination of Philippians 2 and the narrative of Pharaoh in Exodus, Jesse unpacks how Christ's incarnation represents the ultimate act of divine humility. This episode reveals how Jesus—fully God and fully man—humbled himself through obedience to the point of death on a cross. As we approach the Christmas season, this timely reflection helps us understand that Christ's humility isn't just a theological concept but the very foundation of our salvation and the magnetic force that draws sinners to him. Jesse connects this humility to Jesus' parables about seeking the lost, showing that God's love manifests through the paradox of the exalted one becoming lowly. Key Takeaways Humility is fundamentally a creaturely virtue that acknowledges God as Lord and responds in obedience. Christ's incarnation wasn't a subtraction of divinity but an addition of humanity, allowing him to humble himself. Divine humility is displayed in Jesus becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Pride, the opposite of humility, is actively opposed by God throughout Scripture. Christ's humility is what draws sinners to him, as seen in the parables of the lost coin, sheep, and son. True humility embraces our limitations as creatures and recognizes God's rightful authority. Jesus learned obedience through suffering, becoming the perfect high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. The Paradox of Divine Humility Christ's humility represents one of the most astonishing paradoxes in Scripture. As Jesse explains, humility is properly understood as a creaturely virtue—it acknowledges God as Lord and obeys as a servant. For the eternal Son to humble himself, he first had to take on human nature. The incarnation wasn't God ceasing to be God but rather God adding humanity to himself. The divine Son emptied himself "not of divinity as if that were even possible, but of the privilege of not being human, not being a creature, not suffering the bounds and limitations of finitude and the pains and afflictions of the fallen world." This emptying makes possible Christ's perfect obedience. Since humility means acknowledging God as Lord and obeying as a servant, the Son took "the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men." This allowed Jesus to demonstrate a servant heart with equal passion for God's holiness and his people's purity. Unlike our inconsistent obedience, Jesus' obedience was "an all the way kind of obedience" that persisted through suffering to death on a cross. The Magnetic Draw of Christ's Humility One of the most profound insights from the episode is how Christ's humility functions as a magnetic force drawing sinners to him. Jesse notes that in the parables, tax collectors and sinners were drawn not to the Pharisees' teaching but to Jesus himself. They came "almost magnetically" to be in his presence and hear his words. Why would this be? The answer lies in recognizing that "we all have a master" and "we are all bound to something." The critical question becomes: "How good and kind is your master?" Christ's humility reveals him to be the perfect master—one who does not lord his authority over us but uses it to serve us, even to the point of death. This servant-hearted humility draws people because it demonstrates love in action. When Jesus humbles himself to seek the lost, he reveals that the gospel isn't about making "naughty people good, but to make dead people alive and alive in him so that their life is hidden within him." Memorable Quotes "To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant. In order to do so, then the Son had to take this form of a servant being born in the likeness of men." "Christ's obedience was an all the way kind of obedience, a true obedience. It wasn't part and parcel, it wasn't peace wise, it didn't be for a part of time, as long as it was comfortable and then try something else." "To humble oneself is not to be less than human. It rather is pride that is our cancer. It's pride that corrodes our true dignity. To humble ourselves is to come even ever closer, step by step to the bliss, I think, and the full flourishing for which we're made." Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: So how did Jesus humble himself and this we could spend loved ones in eternity and likely will. Talking about how did he do this By becoming obedient. It wasn't even mean to. Here is the one who is the God man. Truly God. Truly man. To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant in order to do so. Then the son had to take this form of a servant being born in a likeness of men. Again, this is so rich because I think without understanding the servant heart of Christ, where there is a power and a passion in Christ for the holiness of God that is at the same time equaled with the passion for the purity and the holiness of his people. Welcome to episode 475 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast where all of mankind is on the naughty list. Hey, brothers and sisters, I am solo hosting once again on this episode, but I don't want you to worry. Tony will be back. Tony is alive and well. He is out in the wild doing his thing. Actually, this is probably the time of year where Tony and I bring forward that annual or perennial denial. You know, the one, it's sy against the frailty, weakness, contingency of humankind. And most often manifested in this time of year in sickness. So I don't know where you live in the world, but in my part of the world, everybody's getting it and everything is going around. The sickness is everywhere. And even if you're bobbing and weaving, if you're laying low, if you're trying to keep your head down, it just seems somehow. To snipe you. And so it sniped Tony last week and this week. Now it is his family and so he's doing what we shall do for another. He's caring for those in his own regard that are sick and unwell. And so that means it's just me on this particular episode, but not to fear. We've got lots of great things to talk about. [00:02:12] The Question: Is God Humble? [00:02:12] Jesse Schwamb: In fact, the whole purpose of this episode is going to be talking about this question is God humble and. This, if you think it's just a one-off episode. It's actually born out of this continued series that we're doing where we're going through the parables. And again, we've been talking a lot about lostness and finding things and Christ coming and seeking, saving those things that were very lost. And so as I continue to process this with Tony, one of the things that keeps coming to my mind is this question is God. Humble and what does that even have to do with any of these wild parables that we've been talking about? You know the ones too, especially if you've been listening along and hopefully you have go back, check those bad boys out. We've been talking about the lost coin, the lost Sheep, and we have yet to get to because we're just teasing this for you. We, we keep telling you it's coming, but that's just to build like this amazing anticipation for the parable of the lost son or the prodigal son. It's coming, and part of that, again, for me is wrapped up in this question, is God humble? So let's talk about that a little bit. [00:03:13] Humility in Scripture [00:03:13] Jesse Schwamb: It's interesting to me that throughout the scriptures, we find across both all the New Testament, that God gives us this imperative to seek humility or to put on humility, or to have a humble mind, as Peter says. And it's something that is so ubiquitous that we kind of just flies by us. Of course. Like we would get the sense that it would be ridiculous to be like. I am so good at being humble that that in itself is oxymoronic. And yet we also know that we don't want to advertise, that we're trying to seek after humility. 'cause it seems like that's the very thing that we're trying to avoid in proclaiming or promulgating our pride and that kind of thing. But it's not just that, of course, God is seeking his children to be humble, but I think one of the most condemning things the scripture says to us about how God behaves. Toward people is that he opposes the proud. So the opposite of being humble, and we'll get to that in a second. We had to define what that means, but let's just take for a second that the opposite of that might be being prideful. It is fascinating that it's not just God is indifferent toward pride, that he does everything in his volition to push against it. And of course, because nothing can thwart the outstretched in mighty arm of God, that means that he wins inevitably against all that is pride prideful. And so he opposes it. And this is what. We should realize is that really the eschatological judgment, the fact that there is both heaven and hell reward and eternal punishment. This is a reflection of God opposing the proud that in the final state, the one who says, I want nothing to do with God because I can take care of it myself, is the one that God must oppose pose because he always. Opposes that which is prideful, and so it makes sense. Then if he opposes the proud, if that is in a way, an enemy that he will ultimately defeat, it cannot stand up against him that shouldn't. That in that path is both destruction that is internally derived and chosen, but also destruction that comes externally because it will be defeated. Then the best thing that God's people could be is to be humble. And so the question I think then persists, can God be humble? Is God. Humble. One of the things that is clear in scripture, again, this is the testimony of the entire arc of the salvific story of God and his recu of his people. Um, the coming and drawing close giving of himself so that he might draw people onto himself. Is that the testimony of humility is both positive and negative in the scriptures. So we could look at examples of those who humbled themselves. That's what the scripture says, like Josiah, Hezekiah, Rebo, Ahab, Vanessa, and then there, of course, you could probably think of as just as many negative examples who did not. What comes to my mind, of course, is Pharaoh. Or am Amen or Zetia. So what becomes clear though is when you look at those examples that the humbling first belongs to the hand of God. That even here, once again, God's doing all the verbs. That's exactly what he does. And so this idea of even like humbling yourself. Has like a precursor, there's an antecedent. And is God doing some kind of great work to allow for this humbling to even take place? He initiates the humbling of his creatures. And once he has, then the question confronts us, uh, which is, are we going to receive it? How will we bear up underneath it? Will we submit ourselves to it because God has allowed us, or has humbled ourselves first so that we don't respond in kind. So in response to his humbling hand. Will we kick against him? Or as the, you know, king James version says, will we kick against the gods or are we going to come and humble ourselves before God? So this idea, I think of humbling ourselves isn't just like you wake up one day and you say, no, it'd be really fantastic. Is my life would be better if I was just humble. I, I hear that God opposed to the proud, I don't wanna get. Lost in that. I don't wanna get wrapped in that. I would rather, instead I just become more humble. Even the ability to humble oneself first comes from this humbling hand of God, which is of course the greatest gift. And so of course Peter writes, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. I mean, that's where I'm drawing this from and. That is the first descent of humility. The first coming down is a word that God would do that for us, will put us in a place that we might be humbled. And then the creature has somewhat in his turn kind of imperfect language, but somehow in his response that God is humbling me. Will I embrace it? Will I humble myself? So given that background, I think you know exactly where I'm about to go in the scripture, and that is. The pretty, I would say, epic passage of humility, which is Philippians two. It's one of the most striking assertions in all of scriptures. That Christ himself, Jesus the Savior, the one who is truly God and truly man, he humbled himself and God himself truly divine, truly human, and the person of his son, he humbles himself. And I think that is worth the slow meditation and a little bit of marveling again, as we consider that in light of. All that happens in these parables about lostness and ness is coming from in some way this first humility. And I think that's just so critical because it's not just context, it's the air in which we breathe and operate and understand who we are and who we are in Christ. And so I think before like we even assume. I wanna assume like too much about like this idea of humility and then getting it ultimately to this question is God humble, which you may think I just answered by reading Philippians two eight, but in fact I think it's even more complex and more beautiful and more deeply layered than all of that. I think it's worth for a second, just thinking about this idea of like, what is humility? [00:08:35] Pharaoh's Pride vs. Humility [00:08:35] Jesse Schwamb: And as far as I can tell, really the first mention of humility outright, like outright mention explicit notation in the scriptures comes in that showdown between Egypt's Pharaoh and Yahweh mediated through Moses and. And I picked this because it's really instructive for getting a sense of how the Bible, how the scripture, the Holy Spirit is apprehending this word and driving it into the context so that we might learn from it, so that later on we're told that we ought to exhibit humility, put on humility that we understand it in the way that God has taught it to us. And so you'll remember. Probably that Moses dared to appear before Pharaoh. He is an Exodus five, and he speaks on Yahweh's behalf, and it's that famous sentence, that famous imperative, let my people go to, which Pharaoh replies in my paraphrase, listen, I don't know who Yahweh is. I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't listen to his voice. I don't acknowledge him, and therefore you can't go. It's just not gonna happen. What is incredible about this. What I think is like really illustrative for our lives is that Pharaoh swollen in pride here, and again, God's gonna pose him swollen with all of this. Pride has, it's not that he hasn't thought through what he's saying here, it's just that he's made an incredible miscalculation. He actually did a little mathematics here as the creature, and he decides that. As a creature in relation to the creator God that he does not need to obey. In other words, he does not acknowledge or recognize or know this God, and because he doesn't know any of those things about Yahweh, then he's well within his reason to come to the conclusion that he does not need to obey and therefore he refuses. The reason why I think that's so critical and a little bit wild is that is exactly what the natural man is prone to do to make this miscalculation built on even some kind of reasonable logic, so to speak. That says, well, because I don't understand it, because I don't see it, because I can't acknowledge it because I've never heard it. Therefore, it cannot exist. It doesn't exist. It's not worthy of being obeyed. It's a bit like saying, just because I've never seen fire, that's not hot. And so it's crazy here that in the midst of all of that, we could say Pharaoh has made this enormous miscalculation. And so what he's going to do is he's going to essentially oppose God. He refuses to obey, and then of course, Exodus 10 as we move. This story describes this call to humility, and it is a call to humility, which when I was thinking back through this, I was like, this is wild. Because we tend to think this story as like submission and beating down and humility might not be the principle word. That comes to our mind when we think about how Har Pharaoh has to ultimately respond. But after seven plagues on the cusp of the eighth plague, God speaks to Pharaoh, and again, he's listen. He says to him, how long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? So fascinating because we have this. Humbling, mighty hand of God, the outstretched work of God, his hand and arm going out into the world of his creation and putting Pharaoh in a particular place and position. And the piercing question in this context of this extended powerful encounter gives us this glimpse into the heart of humility, which I think is this humility recognizes and obeys the one who is truly. God. So there's not just an intellectual scent, but an experiential knowledge that comes from the revelation of who God is that is under his purview granted to his people, and that then causes us to acknowledge and obey the one who's truly Lord. It's exact opposite of affairs response, which again says, I don't know that voice. I've never heard it. Who is Yahweh? And instead it's replaced with a humility that acknowledges that God is Lord of all, that Jesus Christ is one only son, and that his Holy Spirit is with and indwells his people and that he is truly Lord. So humility entails this kind of right view, I think of self. Because Pharaoh Miscalculates, but the humble person makes the right calculus, the one who is created by God and accountable to God, which requires the right view of God as creator and this authority in relation to all his creatures. And so humility then is of course, like not a preoccupation with self or one's, even one's own lowness only in so much as it's in relation to what we just mentioned. That's a right view of self. It's an agreement with God. Of course confession coming alongside agreeing with God, but it's a mindful and conscious understanding of who God is and his highness, his holiness, that he's high and lifted up, and then the self in respect to his position. You know, that's one of the things that I think always strikes me about humility is that it's this idea and this acknowledgement that God is high and lifted up. And so while we don't come too hard on ourselves merely because we want to create a pity party, it's a recognition that. Aside from the mediator work of Christ to to stand in the presence of God would to be literally torn asunder by the molecule because his holiness cannot be, or rather, I would say our sinfulness cannot be in this presence of the one who is perfect in majesty and in righteousness, in intellect, and in in comprehension and creativity. We cannot exist in that space apart from this mediated work of Christ the beautiful. Be editorial, like benevolent distance, so to speak, that Christ creates so that we might come into the presence of God, as Hebrew says, running as it were, coming in, not haphazardly, but purposefully into the throne room of God because. And his holiness. He's a way to, he's made a way for him to be just and justifier. That is incredible. Loved ones. It's beautiful. And that is all. Again, I think just underneath this parable, it's starting with this sense of humility has brought all of this into play, and it's a critical part of God's design and plan. There's a condescension, but I think even here, underneath that condescension is something about humility. That is worth discussing. And there is, the question again, is God humble. So put it another way. Humility, I think embraces the reality that you and I. We're not God. You know, pride led to humanity's fall when Adam and Eve desired to be like God, which is contrary to his command and humility would have obeyed his command, which is what we'll see when we come to Christ and especially Christ's work. So. [00:15:06] Christ's Humility and Obedience [00:15:06] Jesse Schwamb: It strikes me then, and this is why I threw out this question, is like, is God humble? It's kind of a setup, I'll be honest, because all of I said so far, if you are keeping score at home, you probably should be drawing out then that I'm essentially saying that humility is a creaturely virtue. Actually, it's not just me. A lot of people have said that, a lot of the old ones. I postulate that, that when we think about humility explicitly and in a narrow context, that's a creaturely virtue. It's a posture of. All of who we are, our soul, our body, our life, our activities, our families, our possessions. It's acknowledgement in those things and embracing that the goodness of God and that he is the one who controls and commands all things, all of our destiny, which means. This question is God humble? It is kind of like linguistically and theologically tricky, like not for the sake of creating a tricky question for like a part of the game, but the the answer is in a sense, no, but not because God, I think is the opposite of what we'd consider humble. He's not arrogant, he's not prideful. Rather, humility is a creaturely virtue and he's God. So we need to be again, in this appropriate separation of our state and who God is, recognizing that those are two very different things. All of this though, I think, contributes to moving us in a direction of understanding, well, what does this mean then? For Jesus Christ, the God man, the one who humbled himself. You've probably been screaming the entire time. Will you get to that? What about that? And I think that is the critical question that is behind everything that we're reading about. In these parables. In other words, why is Jesus this way? What has brought him into this particular place to say these particular things to these people? We talked last time about how one of the things that's remarkable is that all of these sinners, like the down out, the broken, the marginalized, the pariahs, they were all drawn to Jesus teaching, not even drawn. I mean, there's distinction not drawn to the Fara teaching, to the rules of the law, but drawn to Jesus, almost magnetically coming to him. Compelled as it were, to be in his presence, to hear the things he was saying. Captivate, I mean, can you imagine yourself there? Not necessarily there in that environment, but captivated again by the teachings of Jesus, how good they are, how true they are, how incredible they are. And so I think it's possible for us to marvel then at that remarkable word then from the impossible, Paul, when he says that Christ humbled himself in Philippians two, eight. And no, I think that that confirms our definition above of humanity, uh, of. Humility rather as being something in humanity, of being a, a creaturely virtue in that the eternal son first became a man. That's what Paul says in verse seven, and then humbled himself in verse eight. And I'm gonna submit to you that this is really the one of the most epic parts of the gospel that. This is the only way we can get this kind of humility, this humbling of God is if first he comes to undertake the creaturely virtue so that then he himself or become rather, lemme say it this way, I'm getting too excited, loved ones. It's rather that we first must have God become a creature, so to speak, not emptying himself as we'll. Talk about. Of, of his godness, but instead taking on this flesh so that he might humble himself be to be like his children who must be humbled and in fact will ultimately be humbled in the ES eschaton no matter what they believe. And so the verb Paul uses to capture the action of the incarnation is, is not humbled here first, but it's this idea of emptied. So again, Philippians two is verse six and seven. Paul writes, being in the form of God, Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of man. And so this movement. [00:18:59] The Incarnation and Humility [00:18:59] Jesse Schwamb: From heaven to earth, which if you're listening to this in more or less real or New York time, as we're coming into the season of the calendar where we celebrate the incarnation, again, I've been thinking so much about this beautiful gift of the incarnation, and I've been thinking about that in light of Jesus coming to seek and to save the lost and this real heart to hearts kind of way where he's speaking the truth to the people who need to hear it most, and they're drawn magnetically to him, into his teaching. And so that movement. From Heaven to earth is an emptying. It's the divine son emptying himself, not of divinity as if that were even possible, but of the privilege of not being human, not being a creature, not suffering the bounds and limitations of finitude and the pains and afflictions of the fallen world. I think a lot, honestly, especially this time of year, I think a lot about strange things like Jesus has fingernails and blood vessels and eyeballs and hair and toes. And shins and knee bones, you know, all of these things. Because to me it's this incomprehensible reality that God loves me so much that he would send his only son to be a creature, but in a way that was limited to the same creatureliness that I have. And then would forever, in a way, in his glorified state, identify still with that creature. And only in that process could he come and humble himself. I mean, that's incredible. I mean. Could not have grasped like the divine privilege of not being subjected to the rules and realities of creation. But instead, he empties himself by taking our humanity. He was emptying not by subtraction of identity, but by addition of humanity. This is the taking, the taking on, and this allows him then to become obedient and in that obedience, that passive and act of obedience. What we find is that Christ is able to say these very things that are exemplified in the parables, that this is the height of God, and he says, it is in your midst. The kingdom of God is here and I am the kingdom, and it's all because he has come in such a way. To empty himself again, where that was not a subtraction of divinity, but addition of humanity. It is an amazing and glorious truth. It's the thing upon which like turns all of salvation and all of the world that God would do this and do it so completely that again, it's finalized, it's complete, it's already done. So first, Jesus became a man. And then as a man came the ly virtue, he humbled himself. And Paul confirms what we learned about humility. In the negative example, I think in Pharaoh of Pharaoh in Nexus 10 and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [00:21:49] Christ's Obedience to Death [00:21:49] Jesse Schwamb: So how did Jesus humble himself and this we could spend loved ones in eternity and likely will. Talking about how did he do this By becoming obedient. It wasn't even mean to. Here is the one who is the God man. Truly God. Truly man. To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant in order to do so. Then the son had to take this form of a servant being born in a likeness of men. Again, this is so rich because I think without understanding the servant heart of Christ, where there is a power and a passion in Christ for the holiness of God that is at the same time equaled with the passion for the purity and the holiness of his people. And those two things come together and coalesce in the gospel because we know that righteousness and holiness is completely vouched, safe to God. It's under his purview and his control, and it comes to his people when he draws close. That's how it was in the Old Testament, and that's how it was in the New Testament. And so as Christ in human form is coming and drawing near to his people, he's preaching this good news message that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will have salvation and eternal life in him So intimately wrapped up that again, he hasn't just come. In the Christmas season to make naughty people good, but to make dead people alive and alive in him so that their life is hidden within him, and therefore, because he's the indestructible life, your life and mine cannot be destroyed either. I. So it is this amazing mark of the fullness of humanity and identification with us that he didn't just come on special terms. You know, I often think it's not like God on a deck chair laid out looking down as a creation separate as he were, as it were, just observing and kind of more or less interjecting here and there. It wasn't Jesus coming at. Arms length, distance. It wasn't God snatching him up when the frustrations of our limits or the pains of our world fell him. He had the full human experience. He was all in fully human and body mind. Hearts will and surroundings. Fully human in our finitude and all of this frustrations that we share that are just part of our lives, fully human in. Vulnerability to the worst of the civil world can work. Clearly that's manifested in his ign Ammonious death. Nor was he at the bottom spared the very essence of being human. He was accountable to God. Even there, that humility is incredible, that he himself learned, undertook, became obedient so that he would be accountable to God a father. Hebrews five celebrates this. Exactly. I love this set of words. Although Jesus was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered and being made perfect. He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. And if he is our first brother, then the calling that we have is to do exactly the same, to come before him, to obey him and to see him as the one who is high and lift it up. But that self humbling, that humiliation doesn't just stop with obedience. And that's why the apostle keeps going. It says to the point of death, how far did it take him? How far did he go? How far was he willing to go? Volitionally all the way. To the point of death. And Christ obedience was an all the way kind of obedience, a true obedience. It wasn't part and parcel, it wasn't peace wise, it didn't be for a part of time, as long as it was comfortable and then try something else. You know, of course, even in the garden when he's praying and the disciples are with the in your shot and he asked that the cup might pass, we might reasonably ask what other option was there. And so here even Christ says. Even to the point of death, forsaking all other things, real obedience endures in obedience, which is a really difficult thing. And so I'm grateful because my obedience is peace wise, it is part and parcel, it is weak, it is feeble. And instead we have Christ who is transferred all of his righteousness into our account. And all of that righteousness is because of real obedience that he undertook, endured in obedience. And so Christ did not begin obedience and then surrender disobedience once the greatest threats loomed even in the garden. There he again. He is coming before the father and he is continuing to obey. He's humbled. So I think God does indeed command our humility and one of the ways that he can command that it, well, there's many ways. First and foremost, by fiat, he's God and his character demands it. The second way is that, again, coming back to these parables. Finally, and lastly, we see that Christ is exhibiting great humility in the message that he's bringing forward and all of this, that he comes forward to save and all of the seeking that he undertakes, he conspires with God in humility to bring his children. Into the fold. There was no other way without this incredible humility of Christ, this humility that shows us that it's not denigrating of humanity, but it's God's image shining in its fullness. That this is the very thing he comes to restore and to humble oneself is not to be less than human. It rather it is. Pride that is our cancer. It's pride that corrodes our true dignity to humble ourselves is to come even ever closer, step by step to the bliss, I think, and the full flourishing for which we're made. And Christ exemplifies that very thing. And I submit to you loved ones. It's that very humility. This is what I buried the lead on last week. It's that very humility that draws the sinner. Because we all have a master. We are all slaves to something, which I know is really unpopular to say, but hear me out. We are all stuck on something. We are all bound into something. It's just like we say with worship, it's not whether we not, we choose to worship. It's what we worship and we are what we worship. All those things are true. All those cliches stand and if they're true, then the opposite is true and that is that we're all bound to something. The question is how good and kind is your master. The thing in which you are bound to the thing which you choose to serve and submit to how life giving is that thing. And the humility of Christ clarifies that not all of our hum lings are owning to our own sin that Christ had. None, none. Yet he humbled himself. Sometimes repentance is the first step in self humbling. Other times it's not. Our self humbling may often come in response to our exposure to sin, but even in Christ sinless as he was. He heeded the father's call to humble himself. And so I think for us, as we think about what it means then to go and study these parables, we first even need to humble our understanding, our cognizance, our reasoning, our logic, that the scripture as given by God as his very word to us, stand so far above us. That while we study it and we interrogate it, that we dare not stand in opposition to it because it is the high and lofty command of God for us because he's good and his love endures forever. So I hope that as we continue to build into this next step of looking at this final lost parable, that we can all continue to just appreciate and boast in the God man who in his humility, makes the gospel possible, and that in his humility shows. A greater sense of what it means to have the abundant life. And we have to take Jesus at his word, loved ones when he says like He's come, not just to give life, but to give it in abundance that that is a real quantity, and that the humility of Christ in his life and death and resurrection testifies to one of God's clearest and most memorable promises in all of scripture. That again, he humbles the proud and he exalts the humble. So it was with Christ. He humbled himself and God has highly exalted him. I remember reading John Owen writing about. Justification and Christ's time of suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and his preparation for the cross and inevitably his, his forsaking, his forsakenness on that cross and how Jesus himself entrusted his justification to God the Father, which I think is a. A, a conception that will make your mind do a somersault. I mean, think about it long enough that even Jesus himself in learning obedience and taking upon himself the full measure of what it was to sit under the law and then to obey it perfectly, was still going to his death, knowing that he was gonna be the greatest sinner who ever lived yet was gonna be the one without sin, having committed any, that he himself was entrusting all of that he had accomplished and who he was. To God the father, to justify him and his resurrection on the third day loved ones is proof positive that he is the savior. That we all long for that in our sickness right now, as in our world, as all these things groan, as they all say, in some way, maratha, Lord, come quickly, that we are acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the one. Who in his complete humility satisfied the law of God to such degree that he was justified before God the father, and raised TriNet on the third day as proof positive that he is in fact the Savior, the chosen one, the Messiah, the first brother, the firstborn among the dead, the serpent crusher. The one who will come and redeem all of his people. So I hope there's something in there for you that's an encouragement that lifts up as if they were even possible to do more than they already are. That lifts up these parables that we've been talking about, that it's not just, of course, that Jesus on this mission because. He's full of love. His love predated all of this. Now, this is why we keep coming back to, uh, all Christians at all times, in all heirs. John three 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. Now whosoever should believe in him. Now, all the believing ones should have eternal life, and that eternal life is purchased by the blood of Christ and through his humility, but also it is a, a stark reminder that love always leads to giving. And here we have God the father, giving his son Unreservedly for us, becoming Creature Lee, so that he might undertake the humility of the creature. And in so doing fully, not just, I would say identify with who we are, but become like us in every a. Way yet without sin, which is why can we rejoice that even now in the sound of my voice or yours, wherever you are, there is Jesus Christ in Heavenly Rumble. Before the God the Father interceding perfectly as this incredible representative, as the scriptures are, he says, as this best of all, the high priests, the perfect one. Who is ushering us in to bend the ear, as it were of God because of what he's accomplished on our behalf. Man, that is good news. And if it's not good news and you don't think it is, you better check your pulse. Check it right now. [00:33:20] Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser [00:33:20] Jesse Schwamb: So you need to come back. And listen to the next episode because we are, I mean, I think assuming everybody's healthy, Lord willing, we're gonna talk about the Prodigal Son and really wrap up this culmination of the lost parables. But of course, you know that I'm contractually obligated to say to you all. That you don't have to just wait to interact until the next podcast. You can come hang out with us, and I gotta say it again for all the people in the back. The way that you do that is this little app called Telegram. You might be using Telegram already to message with your friends and your family. If so, you might not have known that. There's also a little group within Telegram for the Reform Brotherhood. Everybody who listens, everybody wants to hang out and talk about theology or life share prayer requests. It's all happening right there, and I promise you, you will not be disappointed if you come check it out. So you're probably saying enough already. Tell me how to do that. Alright, here's what you do. Get a piece of paper, stop the car, put down the backhoe for a second, and listen up. You go to your favorite browser and you type in t me slash reform brotherhood. T. Me Reform Brotherhood. Come hang out with us. Come talk about the episode, and until then, everybody stay. Well keep your head down. Don't list sick sickness night people. But remember, even if it does, you have this great high priest who endured obedience, in obedience to bring you abundant life, to identify with you, to resonate with you, to give you the love of God, and to finally conquer sin, death, and the devil. I say loved ones, so until next time, you know what to do. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.

In this Parshas Miketz review—always read on Shabbos Chanukah—Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe uncovers the profound link between Pharaoh's disturbing dreams and the miracle of Chanukah. Pharaoh dreams of seven gaunt cows devouring seven robust ones, and seven thin, scorched ears swallowing seven healthy stalks—images that shatter his worldview where the strong always overpower the weak, the many dominate the few, and the beautiful prevail. This reversal terrifies him, as it defies the "laws of nature" he knows.The rabbi explains that Pharaoh's nightmare encapsulates Jewish history: the Jewish people, perpetually the few, the weak, and the persecuted, miraculously overcome mighty empires—from Greece in the Chanukah story to countless assaults over 2,000 years (with scarcely a decade without pogroms, expulsions, or blood libels). Chanukah celebrates precisely this reversal: the weak Maccabees defeating the vast Greek army, the pure overcoming the impure, and a single cruse of oil burning for eight days.Just as Pharaoh's dream disturbed the natural order, Jewish survival and triumph defy logic—proving Hashem's direct intervention. Our mission is not physical conquest but spiritual illumination: proudly displaying the menorah, living Torah values openly, and thanking Hashem ceaselessly for both light and darkness, success and challenge. Shabbos candles even take precedence over Chanukah lights for the sake of shalom bayis (peace in the home), underscoring that harmony is the foundation for all miracles._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on December 19, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 19, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #Joseph, #Chanukah #Miketz #Pharaoh, #Dreams, #Miracles, #Weak, #Strong, #Hanukkah, #JewishHistory, #Divine, #Light, #Darkness, #ShalomBayis ★ Support this podcast ★

In this Parshas Miketz review—always read on Shabbos Chanukah—Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe uncovers the profound link between Pharaoh's disturbing dreams and the miracle of Chanukah. Pharaoh dreams of seven gaunt cows devouring seven robust ones, and seven thin, scorched ears swallowing seven healthy stalks—images that shatter his worldview where the strong always overpower the weak, the many dominate the few, and the beautiful prevail. This reversal terrifies him, as it defies the "laws of nature" he knows.The rabbi explains that Pharaoh's nightmare encapsulates Jewish history: the Jewish people, perpetually the few, the weak, and the persecuted, miraculously overcome mighty empires—from Greece in the Chanukah story to countless assaults over 2,000 years (with scarcely a decade without pogroms, expulsions, or blood libels). Chanukah celebrates precisely this reversal: the weak Maccabees defeating the vast Greek army, the pure overcoming the impure, and a single cruse of oil burning for eight days.Just as Pharaoh's dream disturbed the natural order, Jewish survival and triumph defy logic—proving Hashem's direct intervention. Our mission is not physical conquest but spiritual illumination: proudly displaying the menorah, living Torah values openly, and thanking Hashem ceaselessly for both light and darkness, success and challenge. Shabbos candles even take precedence over Chanukah lights for the sake of shalom bayis (peace in the home), underscoring that harmony is the foundation for all miracles._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on December 19, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 19, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #Joseph, #Chanukah #Miketz #Pharaoh, #Dreams, #Miracles, #Weak, #Strong, #Hanukkah, #JewishHistory, #Divine, #Light, #Darkness, #ShalomBayis ★ Support this podcast ★

Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Leave me a voicemail message to use in a future podcast episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyerComment on the full post here: https://read.timschmoyer.com/p/divine-assignments-to-the-underpreparedA few weeks ago, I was texting with a friend about this “Elder My City” project. He mentioned that I'm “taking up the mantle to lead fathers in this direction” in our homes and cities.I remember sitting there thinking for a minute and then replying:“Oh man, now that you say that, taking up the mantle for this topic makes me nervous. I don't know that I'm qualified for it, but I also care about it deeply, so I will.”His reply was quicker than I anticipated:I read the message a few times. The pattern he recognized isn't that I'm competent in whatever I decide to pursue, but that I pursue the passions the Lord gives me and develop competence along the way.I replied:“Thanks. I don't feel that way, but I choose to believe that it's true.”Maybe you live in this same tension as I do, especially when it comes to fatherhood and pursuing elder qualifications as a God-fearing man. The tension is this:There's a gap between what you currently believe and what you want to believe.I Know This Gap WellAnd it keeps growing larger as I get older.* When I got married, what did I know about a healthy marriage? Nothing. But by God's grace and some hard work, we're still married 20 years later.* When my first child was born, what did I know about raising kids? Nothing. Yet here we are today with seven children.* When I started a business, what did I know about running one? Literally nothing. I didn't even know what a business plan was. But ten years later, it was a leader in our industry before being acquired in 2022.* When I started a blog called “Elder My City,” how deeply did I understand all the theological and practical implications of eldership? Not enough. Yet I know it's already been fruitful in my life and the lives of a few other men.Your story is probably similar. God's pattern isn't always preparation followed by assignment. Sometimes it's the opposite.I Think God Does This on PurposeMoses at the burning bush, stammering about his inadequate speech. Gideon hiding in a winepress, being called a “mighty warrior” while feeling like anything but. Jeremiah claiming he's too young. Peter, the impulsive fisherman, being told he'll become the rock on which the church is built.There's a pattern here: divine assignment to the underprepared.I used to think this was about God seeing potential we couldn't see in ourselves, and there may be some of that, but now I suspect it's about something else:It's about dependence.These assignments create a crisis that forces us to lean into resources we don't yet possess. Wisdom we haven't experienced. Strength we can't manufacture. Skills we haven't acquired.That's why Moses could lead Israel out of Egypt. Not because he had hidden eloquence, but because his stammering would force him to depend on God's words instead of his own. When he said, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” God didn't answer by listing Moses's qualifications. He answered, “I will be with you.” The inadequacy wasn't an obstacle to overcome—it was the whole point.Every moment of “I don't know if I can do this” has been preparation for sitting at some future gate where I'll need to say, “I don't have all the answers, but let's work through this together.”The Pattern I'm Learning to TrustEvery mission I've been sent on before I was ready has taught me that readiness isn't the prerequisite. Willingness is. The determination to show up despite limitations seems to be what God honors. It's His invitation into struggle that will form something in me I couldn't acquire any other way.I'm wrestling now with eldership — this biblical vision of becoming a man of wisdom and character who can serve his family and city. And I feel inadequate to it. Who am I to write and talk about it online?But maybe this is where every elder's journey begins. Not with competence, but with acknowledgment of inadequacy. Not with having answers, but with being willing to sit at the gate anyway, offering whatever wisdom he's gleaned from decades of stewarding businesses and families and faith.I don't feel adequate to be a city elder. But I'm learning to believe what I don't yet feel: God keeps sending me where I'm not ready because that's where He does His deepest work.And I'm sure He does the same with you. The question isn't whether you're prepared to be a father in your home, an elder in your city, and a ruler in the Kingdom to come. It's whether you're willing to go anyway. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit read.timschmoyer.com

Pharaoh, like Joseph, had clairvoyant dreams foretelling his future. Joseph dreamed of his ascent to kingship and his brother's subjugation before him. Pharaoh dreamed of Egypt experiencing 7 years of unprecedented plenty and abundance to be followed by 7 years of grinding famine. There's a major difference though in the timeline of the of the […]

Pharaoh and Lee Recaps Episode 13 of Survivor 49 #Survivor49 #SurvivorJoin our Discord Here!: https://discord.gg/fsNhjTn9GSCheck out our Survivor Nicaragua coverage! #SurvivorRewind - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKZIt1enO6e3IEIkhuzx_tL4feLhSKqIR&si=LhI8j_GDn2BPk2wAUse this Link to cast your VOTE for what show you want us to cover next For our Reality Rewind! Maybe it'll make the list!: https://www.therealitykingdom.com/survey/reality-rewind-season-4-candidates/JOIN OUR #REALITYREWIND COMMUNITY HERE!: https://twitter.com/i/communities/1864154372973973632Subscribe to The Scripted Kingdom Here!: https://www.youtube.com/@TheScriptedKingdomThank you so much for watching! We love doing this content for you guys so comment what you want to hear from us!If you would rather just listen, here's a link to the podcast version of our videos:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1m9Kzqe...Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/k5unAtBLn7?amp=1Follow Us:https://linktr.ee/TheRealitykingdom 

In Parashat Vayera, the angels told Lot, מַשְׁחִיתִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֶת הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה — "We are going to destroy this city." And then in the very same pasuk they said, וַיְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ ה' לְשַׁחֲתָהּ — "Hashem sent us to destroy it." At first glance it sounds repetitive. Rabbeinu Bachya explains that the angels initially made a serious mistake. They were supposed to say that Hashem was destroying the city, but instead they said they were going to do it. They were taking credit for something that was not theirs. Immediately afterward, they corrected themselves and said that Hashem was doing it, not them. Rabbeinu Bachya adds that these angels were punished for this error. They did not receive another assignment from Hashem for 138 years, until they descended on the ladder in Yaakov's dream to escort him. Rabbeinu Bachya concludes: from here we see how severe it is for a person to take the honor that rightfully belongs to Hashem and use it for himself. The world was created to bring glory to Hashem, and it is incumbent upon us to do whatever we can to increase His honor. Whenever we accomplish something and later tell people about it, that moment becomes a tremendous opportunity to bring kavod to Hashem. We can tell them the truth — that it was Hashem who accomplished it. But if instead we say that we did it, not only are we saying something false, we are stealing Hashem's honor and using it for ourselves. How many times do people make this mistake without even realizing it? When someone says, "I negotiated a great deal," he is stealing Hashem's honor. When someone says, "My dieting and discipline improved my health," he is stealing Hashem's honor. When someone says, "I recovered because of the treatment that I chose," he is stealing Hashem's honor. When someone says, "The project succeeded because of my strategies," he is stealing Hashem's honor. Even with Torah knowledge, we are not allowed to attribute success to ourselves. When Moshe Rabbeinu told the people about the new judicial system, he said that the difficult cases could be brought to him and he would give the rulings. Because he said that, and implied that the answers came from him, Hashem took away his knowledge when he was asked the question of the daughters of Tzelofhad regarding their father's inheritance. Moshe was meant to say, "Bring me the difficult cases and Hashem will answer them." This is something we must keep in mind always. Our purpose in this world is to bring glory to our King. Every time it appears that we accomplished something and then speak about it afterward, we are standing at a crossroads. We can give credit where credit is truly due and elevate Hashem's name in people's eyes, or we can elevate our own name and diminish His glory. In this week's Parashat Miketz, Pharaoh was disturbed by his dreams, and none of his advisors were able to help him. Finally, the Sar HaMashkim remembered Yosef and told Pharaoh about him. Suddenly, Yosef was rushed out of prison and found himself standing before the king of the most powerful nation in the world. This was his chance to impress the king, his chance for honor and glory, and his opportunity to finally escape prison. Pharaoh said to him, "I heard that you know how to interpret dreams." Yosef, at that very moment, seized the golden opportunity to bring glory to Hashem instead of himself. He replied, בִּלְעָדָי, אֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶה אֶת שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה — "It is not from me; Hashem will answer the welfare of Pharaoh." "It is not I. Hashem interprets dreams." With complete heroism, Yosef refused to take any credit for himself and gave it all to Hashem. And in the end, Hashem rewarded him with an honor greater than anything he could have imagined, elevating him to become the viceroy of Egypt. Our mission in this world is to bring glory and honor to our King. And we are given opportunities to do so all day long.

When experts fail, it is rarely for lack of information. From the Great Storm of 1987 in England, to the 2008 financial crash, and recently Israel's intelligence failure before October 7th, warning signs were present but misread. What makes Joseph succeed where others fail? Rabbi Dunner unravels the mystery of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams—and his uncanny ability to see the wood for the trees.

Parashat Miketz begins with the famous story of Yosef being brought from the Egyptian prison to interpret Pharaoh's unusual dreams. Yosef informed Pharoh that his visions of seven lean cows devouring seven large cows, and seven lean sheaves devouring seven large sheaves, foretold a seven-year period of agricultural surplus that would be immediately followed by seven years of harsh famine. After explaining the meaning of Pharaoh's dreams, Yosef proceeded to urge the king to appoint somebody to oversee the storage of grain during the next seven years to prepare for the drought years which would follow. Pharaoh promptly assigned Yosef to this role. Yosef adds a curious phrase in his remarks to Pharaoh, one which is often overlooked. In urging the king to set up a mechanism for the storage of grain, Yosef says, "Ya'aseh Pharaoh Ve'yafked Pekidim Al Ha'aretz" – "Pharaoh shall act and appoint officers over the land" (41:34). Yosef does not just advise Pharaoh to appoint officials – he says, "Ya'aseh Pharaoh," that "Pharaoh shall act." What is meant by these words? Why did Yosef emphasize that Pharaoh should "act"? Some suggest that Yosef here expressed a fundamental principle of leadership and education – the importance of setting a personal example. Yosef anticipated that there would be opposition among the Egyptian population to his plan to store large amounts of grain. During years of economic prosperity, few people have the foresight to consider the possibility of a shortage down the road. It would be hard for the Egyptians to envision a devastating famine while they were busy harvesting unprecedentedly large amounts of produce. They would not be so quick to put the surplus grain into storage to prepare for something that the government claimed would happen years later. They would need some convincing. This is why Yosef said, "Ya'aseh Pharaoh." The best way for Pharoah to convince the people to store grain was for him to set an example. Before he could appoint officials to enforce a policy of storage, he would have to "act" – he would need to show the people that he, too, was storing his surplus, that he was not overindulging during the years of prosperity. This was critical for the success of this plan. We might add that Yosef learned this concept from his father, Yaakob. At the end of Parashat Vayeseh, we read that Yaakov made a pact with his father-in-law, Laban, and as a formal symbol of their agreement they made a special pile of stones. The Torah tells that Yaakob turned to his sons and instructed them to collect stones to make this large pile ("Liktu Abanim" – 31:46). Despite the grueling labor involved, his sons immediately obeyed, without any protest. The likely reason is because in the preceding verse, we read that Yaakob himself lifted a large stone and erected it as a monument. Before asking his sons to participate in this process, Yaakob first acted himself. He first set an example for his children, and they were then far more receptive to his request that they join. Parents, educators, and anyone looking to have an impact must realize this truism about influence. A person is not likely to inspire others by sitting comfortably and trying to convince them to act. If we want to influence and inspire, we need to act, to set an example, to model the behavior. It is only if our words are accompanied by a personal example that we can hope for them to have an impact.

Pharaoh and Lee Recaps Episodes 13 & 14 of Survivor Nicaragua #SurvivorNicaragua #Survivor49 #Survivor #SurvivorRewindJoin our Discord Here!: https://discord.gg/fsNhjTn9GSCheck out our Survivor Borneo coverage! #SurvivorRewind - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKZIt1enO6e0eIfvvJBJcqRCvqS5CxqhS&si=icR1HmdoqdQ8mBx0Use this Link to cast your VOTE for what show you want us to cover next For our Reality Rewind! Maybe it'll make the list!: https://www.therealitykingdom.com/survey/reality-rewind-season-4-candidates/JOIN OUR #REALITYREWIND COMMUNITY HERE!: https://twitter.com/i/communities/1864154372973973632Subscribe to The Scripted Kingdom Here!: https://www.youtube.com/@TheScriptedKingdomThank you so much for watching! We love doing this content for you guys so comment what you want to hear from us!

The Hebrew title of this week's Torah portion is Miketz, which translates to “at the end,” and it covers Genesis 41:1 to 44:17. After two years, Joseph's long season of suffering is almost over. This portion chronicles his meteoric rise from prisoner to the Pharaoh's chief economic advisor, second in command only to the ruler of Egypt himself. It exposes Joseph as a brilliant leader, but more importantly, it reveals a man of character whose wisdom and humility paved the way for the salvation of his family.Support the show

In this episode of The Leader's Notebook (Ep. 291) from our seven-part series, The Magnificent Seven, I take you into the long, demanding life of Moses—a man called by God and shaped by struggle. From a baby hidden in the reeds to an old prophet standing before Pharaoh, Moses learned that God forms leaders slowly and uses them despite their fears, failures, and reluctance. We walk through the burning bush, the wilderness years, and the heavy burden of leading a stubborn people, discovering that true leadership is meekness—great authority restrained by obedience to God. Moses' life points us again and again to the grace of God, a grace that still flows even when the servant falters, and ultimately to Christ, the greater Deliverer, who bears the curse and brings us into freedom. Moses reminds us that God does His greatest work through surrendered lives, and that faithfulness matters more than brilliance or strength.– Dr. Mark Rutland Chapters (00:00:03) - The Leaders Notebook(00:00:25) - The Magnificent Seven(00:01:12) - Joseph the Desecrator(00:09:53) - Why Was Moses Named Moses?(00:13:37) - THE LIFE OF MOSES(00:21:46) - Meekness and God's Plan for Israel(00:27:28) - The healing power of the Cross(00:33:46) - Moses the Great

At first, Moses did not want to return to Egypt when God called to him from the burning bush. Why was he so resistant? Why did Moses want to know God's "Name?" God promised to provide Moses with a "sign" which would assure Moses that God was with Him in Egypt. What was that sign? And when God told Moses to ask Pharaoh for a three-day cessation from work so the Israelites could go and worship God, why did He not instruct Moses to demand their permanent release instead?

Join David Heavener as he explores the spiritual journey of overcoming personal 'Pharaohs'—false authorities that enslave us in fear and doubt. Drawing parallels from the biblical story of Moses, David encourages viewers to embrace their identity as children of God, empowered to break free from the chains of addiction, fear, and trauma. This inspirational talk is a call to action for Christians to assert their God-given authority and live in true freedom. DavidHeavener.tv/donate/

Join David Heavener as he explores the spiritual journey of overcoming personal 'Pharaohs'—false authorities that enslave us in fear and doubt. Drawing parallels from the biblical story of Moses, David encourages viewers to embrace their identity as children of God, empowered to break free from the chains of addiction, fear, and trauma. This inspirational talk is a call to action for Christians to assert their God-given authority and live in true freedom. DavidHeavener.tv/donate/

Have you ever felt confused about the purpose behind the plagues of Exodus?Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time. In this episode, Paul shows how God used these signs to reveal His absolute rule over creation and to anchor His people's hope in His promises.To hear more of these studies from Exodus, visit PaulTripp.com/Exodus.

Pharaoh and Lee Recaps Episode 4 of Zeus' Baddies USA: Chapter One! #Baddies #BaddiesUSA #zeus #zeusnetwork Use this Link to cast your VOTE for what show you want us to cover next For our Reality Rewind!: https://www.therealitykingdom.com/survey/reality-rewind-season-4-candidates/JOIN OUR #REALITYREWIND COMMUNITY HERE!: https://twitter.com/i/communities/1864154372973973632Subscribe to The Scripted Kingdom Here!: https://www.youtube.com/@TheScriptedKingdomThank you so much for watching! We love doing this content for you guys so comment what you want to hear from us!If you would rather just listen, here's a link to the podcast version of our videos:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1m9Kzqe...Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/k5unAtBLn7?amp=1Follow Us:https://linktr.ee/TheRealityKingdom

Have you ever felt confused about the purpose behind the plagues of Exodus?Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time. In this episode, Paul shows how God used these signs to reveal His absolute rule over creation and to anchor His people's hope in His promises.To hear more of these studies from Exodus, visit PaulTripp.com/Exodus.

Parshas Mikeitz continues the narrative of Joseph in Egypt. We pick up his story two years after his failed attempt at earning a reprieve via his cellmate, Pharaoh's butler, who was about to be reinstated to his post as Pharaoh's side. Joseph is languishing in a dungeon for a crime he did not commit; after being […]

Join The Royal Court for our first ever Live game, Werewolf. Hosted by Pharaoh!Join our Discord Here!: https://discord.gg/fsNhjTn9GSUse this Link to cast your VOTE for what show you want us to cover next For our Reality Rewind! Maybe it'll make the list!: https://www.therealitykingdom.com/survey/reality-rewind-season-4-candidates/If you would rather just listen, here's a link to the podcast version of our videos:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1m9KzqelQUOEZ8G2xnaMEy?si=5Q3_Kik-SHO844P8ZN_dRA&dl_branch=1Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/k5unAtBLn7?amp=1Follow Us:https://linktr.ee/TheRealityKingdom

Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said. [1 hour 8 minutes]

Maybe God sometimes allows trials to remind us not to stay comfortable in our sin.

Let's turn together in our Bibles to the book of Genesis, chapter 3, and focus our attention on verse 15. This is one of those pivotal verses in Scripture that has rightly been called the protoevangelium—the first announcement of the good news of salvation. In the King James Version, which we'll use throughout our study today, it reads: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Imagine the scene in the Garden of Eden just moments after the fall. Adam and Eve have disobeyed God, eaten the forbidden fruit, and now they stand before Him in shame and fear. The harmony of creation is shattered. Sin has entered the world, bringing with it death, curse, and separation from God. It seems as though Satan, working through the serpent, has scored a complete victory. Yet right here, in the midst of pronouncing judgment, God speaks a word of incredible grace—a promise that shines like a beacon in the darkness. This verse is the seed from which the entire message of redemption grows. It's the foundation for everything that follows in the Bible, pointing us ultimately to the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I want us to unpack this promise carefully, phrase by phrase, and trace how it unfolds through Scripture. We'll see God's sovereign grace at work, the conflict between the two seeds, the suffering and triumph of the Savior, and what it all means for us personally. My prayer is that as we study this together, we'll gain a deeper appreciation for the gospel and a stronger confidence in God's unbreakable plan. 1. The Divine Initiative: "And I Will Put Enmity" Notice first who takes the initiative here. God says, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman." The "thee" refers to the serpent, and as Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 make clear, this is none other than Satan himself: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." God doesn't command Adam or Eve to start fighting the devil. No, He declares sovereignly, "I will put enmity." This is pure grace from beginning to end. Fallen humanity, left to ourselves, has no natural hostility toward Satan. In fact, we're at peace with him and at enmity with God. As Ephesians 2:1-3 reminds us: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." And Colossians 1:21: "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled." By nature, we love the darkness and hate the light (John 3:19-20). But when God plants this enmity in a heart, everything changes. The one who once listened eagerly to the serpent's lies now becomes his enemy. This is the beginning of regenerating grace—the Holy Spirit turning a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. Think about it: Eve had just been deceived by the serpent, yet God promises to create hostility between them. From that moment, humanity is divided into two spiritual lines: those who remain friends with the serpent and those in whom God has worked to make them hate sin and love holiness. This isn't something we muster up on our own; it's God's doing. What encouragement this is! If you're a believer today, that enmity toward sin in your heart is evidence of God's grace at work in you from the very foundation of the gospel promise. 2. The Two Seeds: "Between Thy Seed and Her Seed" Next, God speaks of the ongoing conflict: "and between thy seed and her seed." Throughout Scripture, this theme of two seeds runs like a thread, dividing all humanity spiritually. The serpent's seed are those who belong to him by nature and choice. Jesus said it plainly in John 8:44: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." We see this line early on with Cain, who murdered his brother Abel. It continues through history: Pharaoh oppressing Israel, Haman plotting against the Jews, Herod slaughtering the innocents, Judas betraying Christ, and every unregenerate person who opposes God and His people. But there's another seed—the seed of the woman. This is unusual language. Everywhere else in Genesis, offspring is described as the seed of the man: Abraham's seed, Isaac's seed, Jacob's seed, David's seed. Why here "her seed"? Because this points to the virgin birth. The promised Redeemer would have no human father. He would be conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a woman alone. Paul understood this clearly in Galatians 4:4: "But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." And Isaiah prophesied it in Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." This singular wording in Genesis 3:15 is God's early hint at the miraculous incarnation. The Champion who would defeat Satan would be fully human—born of a woman—yet fully God, without a sinful human father to pass on Adam's guilt. As we trace this promise, we see it narrowing. From the seed of the woman, to Seth's line, to Noah, to Shem, to Abraham (whose seed would bless all nations—Galatians 3:16 points this to Christ), to Judah (Genesis 49:10: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be"), to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16, the everlasting throne), to the virgin's Son in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting"). Every type and shadow in the Old Testament points forward to this Seed: Abel's acceptable lamb, the ark preserving Noah through judgment, the ram provided for Isaac, the Passover lamb, the bronze serpent lifted up (John 3:14), the scapegoat bearing away sins, the daily offerings—all crying out, "The Seed is coming!" 3. The Conflict and Victory: "It Shall Bruise Thy Head, and Thou Shalt Bruise His Heel" Now we come to the heart of the promise: "it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Note the pronouns carefully. In the Hebrew, it's singular and masculine: "He shall bruise thy head." This isn't a general conflict between groups; it's personal. One individual—the Seed of the woman—will deliver the decisive blow. The bruising of the heel speaks of real suffering. The serpent will strike, causing pain, humiliation, even apparent defeat. But a bruised heel is not fatal; it heals. A crushed head, however, is final—total destruction of the enemy's power. This is a preview of the cross and the resurrection. At Calvary, Satan bruised Christ's heel. From the manger onward, the enemy opposed Him: Herod's massacre, the temptations in the wilderness, the opposition of religious leaders, the demons' fury, and finally the horrors of Gethsemane and Golgotha. Philippians 2:6-8 describes the depth of this humiliation: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." The eternal Son veiled His glory, entered a virgin's womb, lived as a servant, and died a criminal's death. On the cross, darkness covered the earth, and He cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, quoting Psalm 22:1). Satan seemed triumphant—the Seed was dead and buried. But the promise was only a bruised heel, not a crushed head. On the third day, Christ rose victorious! As Psalm 16:10 prophesied: "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Hebrews 2:14 declares the result: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." And Colossians 2:15: "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." At the cross, Jesus disarmed the demonic forces. Death's sting is gone for believers (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). Satan's head received a mortal wound, though he still thrashes about. The full crushing awaits Christ's return. Then, as Revelation 20:10 promises: "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." The King will return in glory (Revelation 19:11-16), and the ancient Eden promise will be completely fulfilled. 4. The Incarnation: God Manifest in the Flesh To accomplish this victory, the Seed had to become one of us. Galatians 4:4-5 again: "But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." 1 Timothy 3:16 captures the wonder: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." The infinite God became finite, the eternal entered time, the Creator became a creature—yet without ceasing to be God. He who upheld the universe lay in a manger. This is the heart of the gospel: Immanuel, God with us. Personal Application: Living in the Victory What does all this mean for us today? Genesis 3:15 isn't just history; it's our story. By nature, we were all seed of the serpent—children of wrath. But if God has saved you, He has planted enmity in your heart toward sin and Satan. You've begun to hate what you once loved and love what you once hated. At the cross, Christ's heel was bruised for you, and Satan's head was crushed on your behalf. By faith in Him, you've passed from death to life, from darkness to light. Now we live out this victory daily. When you resist temptation, bear suffering for Christ, or share the gospel boldly, you're participating in the ongoing conflict—and the outcome is certain. Satan may bruise your heel through trials, slander, or temptation, but he cannot touch your Head, who sits at God's right hand (Psalm 110:1: "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool"). So stand firm. The battle is the Lord's. The victory is already secured. And soon, the Seed of the woman will return to make all things new. May this first gospel promise encourage your heart today. The God who spoke grace in Eden is the same God who speaks it to us now through His Son. Trust Him. Walk with Him. Look for His coming.

How would our lives change if we saw ourselves the way God sees us? Graham Cooke unpacks one of the most powerful revelations of his life—Exodus 7:1, where God tells Moses, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh." We discover that God goes to extraordinary lengths to empower us to see ourselves as He really sees us, and when we finally see it, everything changes. Through four distinct epiphanies from this single scripture, we learn that God never takes no for an answer, He calls us to the impossible so He can make all the difference, and whatever He sees in us, we get to become forever. This teaching explores why difficult people are actually grace growers and how God creates opportunities to develop what He most wants to give us.**Key Scriptures:**+ Exodus 7:1. "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet..."+ Colossians 2:10. "And you are complete in Him..."+ 1 John 4:17. "As He is, so are we in this world..."**Want to explore more?**

Are the ten plagues just divine punishment? Or are they intended to form a people? In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson sits down with Dr. Rick Wadholm and Pastor Dalton Avery, co-authors of Plagued by Faith, to explore a more layered vision of the plague narratives in Exodus. Rather than merely acts of judgment, the plagues are portrayed as formative, disruptive events that unmake Egypt's religious, political, and economic worldview—and detach Israel from it. The Nile River, Egypt's source of life, is turned to blood not only to confront Pharaoh, but to sever Israel's spiritual dependence on Egypt. The calendar is reset at Passover, reorienting the people's very sense of time and community. These acts weren't random—they were theological statements shaping Israel's identity, even while challenging Egypt's gods . As Dalton notes, “The Lord is not out here just doing violence for no reason, but there's redemptive heart, there's redemptive intent in every action of the Living God” . Rick adds, “Behold the face of God who sends plagues… somehow to offer a re-visioning of these stories as revealing this God”. We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapters: 00:00 The Genesis of the Book 03:22 God vs. The Gods: Understanding the Plagues 06:17 Deconstruction and Identity: The Plagues' Purpose 09:27 The River: A Symbol of Life and Security 18:26 Calendar and Community: Redefining Time for Israel 21:51 Lessons from Egypt: What to Keep and What to Leave Behind 23:38 The River's Dual Role: Life and Death 25:22 Corporate Responsibility and Divine Justice 27:02 Women of Courage: Midwives and Prophetic Resistance 30:49 Jesus and the Exodus: Parallels and Fulfillment 35:47 The Ongoing Plagues: Lessons from Israel's Journey 39:48 Plagued by Faith: Understanding God's Intentions