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Attitude Towards God

Posted in #PaulthePoke with tags , , , , , , on December 4, 2022 by paulthepoke

Scripture: 1 Kings 15:9-15; 2 Chronicles 14-15

Key Theme: A positive mental attitude towards God results in obedience and responsive action to God’s word. In return, God responds to obedience to His Word.

Asa was a good king of the southern kingdom, Judah. His mental attitude and actions towards God dictated God’s response to Judah and King Asa both positively and negatively. Asa’s mental attitude resulted in physical action and deeds. Ultimately, there are consequences to our obedience of God’s Word.

Asa’s actions were the result of his attitude. His attitude is expressed in…

1 Kings 15:11 Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord.

1 Kings 15:14b- nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.

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Because of this mental attitude, Asa was obedient to the Lord in regard to His commandments.

Societal reforms were made by Asa according to God’s Commandments. Asa called on Judah to worship the one true God in 2 Chronicles 15:10-15. As a result, the Lord gave them rest on every side.

Asa called for the removal of male cult prostitution and idolatry in the land in 1 Kings 15:12.

Asa sacrificed precious metals and dedicated family items to the Lord in 1 Kings 15:15. This resulted in peace and prosperity with fortified cities.

Military and political decisions were driven by Asa’s attitude toward God. A result of Asa’s convictions was that citizens from Israel defected to him when they saw that the Lord was with Asa (2 Chronicles 15:9).

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In military affairs, there are two examples of Asa’s mental attitude. One is positive towards God and the other is negative.

When confronted with the Ethiopians, Asa turned to God. Asa called on the Lord in battle. God responded and the Lord routed Ethiopia. The dread of the Lord had fallen on the Ethiopians.  Judah enjoyed the spoils of victory with plunder and livestock (2 Chronicles 14).

The second example involves Asa against the Kingdom of Israel. Instead of trusting in the Lord, Asa turned to the king of Aram in Damascus. Asa requested a treaty for safety with the King of Aram and gave him silver and gold. There were consequences for trusting in the King of Aram instead of God. Hanani the prophet indicated that the army of the King of Aram had escaped from his hand and that there would be wars in Asa’s land (2 Chronicles 16:1-8).

When Asa turned from God, his kingdom began to suffer. He imprisoned the prophet out of anger. Asa turned on his people and oppressed them. Ultimately, he became sick with diseased feet. Instead of turning to the Lord, he turned and trusted physicians. Asa died two years later (2 Chronicles 16:9-13).

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Asa trusted in the Lord for the first 35 years of his reign. Judah benefited during this time with peace and prosperity. In the last six years of Asa’s reign, he turned away from God. The kingdom declined, war returned, and the people were oppressed. Asa was obedient to God in his early years, but failed late in life in regards to his mental attitude.

God makes it clear that He wishes for obedience. There are consequences for our choice of mental attitude towards God. The prophet Azariah indicated to Asa:

2 Chronicles 15:2b the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

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God indicates that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will have wars.

Israel’s collective heart was not devoted to the Lord God. As a result…

2 Chronicles 15:6b When there was absence of God in Israel, God troubled them with every kind of distress.

But God is true to His Word, 2 Chronicles 15:7 “but you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work…”.

Be sure, that your work is born out of your heart and obedience to God’s Word.

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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Between Two Kings… Joshua of Ghana

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Joshua Ghana with tags , , , , , , , , on June 23, 2022 by paulthepoke

ISAIAH 7:10-25

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

https://twitter.com/beholy404

Ahaz was a weak-minded and idolatrous king of Judah. He reigned in the days of Isaiah the prophet. As a confederacy of the forces of the northern kingdom of Israel and the heathen nation of Syria made plans to attack Judah, the Lord showed up for deliverance. He asked Ahaz to ask for a sign concerning any troubling matter. But the king presented a façade of meekness, saying he would not ask for a sign nor “tempt the LORD.”

But the all-seeing Lord would not be fooled. God’s grand purpose to defeat the devil and save mankind will be done, regardless of some men’s shiftiness, tardiness or refusal to cooperate. So, He proceeded to give the sign. Ahaz lost the golden opportunity to be the vessel through whom the prophecy about the coming Savior of the world would have been made.

Hezekiah

A contrast came some decades later when another king of Judah, Hezekiah, was given the chance to ask for a sign following a sickness that was about to take his life. He called for a sign from the Lord who not only healed him, but also prolonged his life by fifteen years. Hezekiah was a righteous monarch, who was not afraid to present his supplication before the Lord; unlike Ahaz who was scheming to forsake the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for an alliance with Assyria. Ahaz trusted in the Assyrian army, not the Lord of hosts.

Man is the loser when he turns down His Maker’s open invitation for a resolution of the conflicts in his life. The ‘Immanuel’ the Lord promised would establish heavenly peace in the hearts of those who believe in Him through His presence.

But wicked men and women, regardless of their status in society, will not enjoy His presence until they acknowledge Him and His signs, wonders and miracles; the greatest being the salvation He brought to the fallen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Rejecting the sign of Immanuel leads to eternal regrets.

The Bible IN ONE YEAR: NUMBERS 16 – 18

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Nehemiah, Resume

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels with tags , , , , , , on November 29, 2020 by paulthepoke

Nehemiah 1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel…

Nehemiah means “Yah comforts”.

Of note, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book. They were divided into two books by Jerome the Latin translator (Holman Illustrated Pocket Bible Handbook).

Nehemiah is one of three men who would lead the Israelites back to Jerusalem. The process would take close to 100 years to complete the return from exile to Jerusalem.

First, Zerubbabel lead a group of about 50,000 back to rebuild the Temple. Ezra followed about 80 years later and re-started the Temple worship service. Roughly 13 years later, Nehemiah made the request of King Artaxerxes to return and rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 11:1b Now I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah was a cupbearer or a mashqeh in the Hebrew. The word is also translated as butler. This is the position of one who serves the king wine. He would be a highly trusted individual and he would be paid well. A cupbearer was also be a high ranking official in the kingdom. This was a position of influence.

A cupbearer would also be the taste tester for the king. Historically, some of these folks were poisoned instead of the king. At times, a king would have requested the cupbearer drink and swallow wine before him. https://biblehub.com/topical/c/cupbearer.htm

Nehemiah served as a governor of Judah for King Artaxerxes for 12 years.

Nehemiah 5:14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.

Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judah a second time. The length of this term is unknown.

Nehemiah 13:6-7a While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king and came to Jerusalem…

It is clear from reading the remainder of Nehemiah 13, Nehemiah is in a position of authority and made multiple declarations and decrees. He returned vessels to the Temple. Nehemiah reinstituted the tithe on the people for the Levites. Elements of the sacrificial were re-started. Treasurers were appointed for the store houses. The Sabbath was enforced.

Socially, Nehemiah called on Jews to not intermarry and swear an oath of allegiance to God. Arguably, he was for one common language of the people.

In summary, this is what Nehemiah completed as governor of Judah.

Nehemiah 13:30-31 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.

Remember me, O my God, for good.

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Gabriel’s 70 Weeks: Why 70 Weeks? Part 2

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 15, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city…

God knew from the beginning of Israel being a nation, ultimately they would not let the land rest. Israel was commanded to let the land rest in Leviticus 25:1-5.

God let Israel know. If the land is not allowed to rest from your activity, then God would make sure the land would rest. The consequence of disobedience was prophetic.

Leviticus 26:34-35 Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies. At that time the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not receive during the Sabbaths when you lived in it.

Later, the concept is stated again.

Leviticus 26:43 But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes.

God communicated His Law to Moses around 1446 BC as estimated by Biblical scholars.

By historical accounts, the practice of ignoring the land’s Sabbath rest began around the time of Samuel the prophet and judge around 1100 BC. Israel continued to farm for economic purposes and development. It did not make economic sense to let the land rest.

Fast forward to the prophet Jeremiah circa 627-580 BC.

In Jeremiah 25, the prophet is warning Judah and the city of Jerusalem. Because of your disobedience, 70 years of captivity are coming.

Jeremiah 25:11-12 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.

Keep in mind, Daniel was already in Babylon in 605 BC under King Nebuchadnezzar’s first captivity of Jerusalem. Daniel was protected by God who knew the future of Jerusalem. Daniel was acutely aware of Jeremiah’s prophecy.

Daniel 9:2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

In 586 BC, Jeremiah’s prophetic words would come to pass. Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar would capture and utterly destroy Jerusalem. Historians and commentators indicate the actual date was on the 9th of Av. A day which has become a national day of mourning for Israel.

2 Chronicles 36:20-21 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

Now, there is the matter of Leviticus 26 and God’s consistent statement, I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

70 x 7 = 490

Israel’s punishment is not complete.

To be continued…

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Ancient Ziklag and Lachish Discoveries

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , on July 10, 2019 by paulthepoke

1 Samuel 30:1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire…

Joshua 15:20, 21, 31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans. The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in the extreme south, toward the boundary of Edom, were… (included) Ziklag.

Ziklag was a member of the tribe of Judah. He was a man who inherited a city when the ancient Israelis were given the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. The word origin and meaning of Ziklag is relatively unknown.

Until recently, the actual location of ancient Ziklag has been a mystery and a point of controversy. But now, new evidence has emerged.

Under the leadership of Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, Head of the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem; the IAA’s Saar Ganor; and Dr. Kyle Keimer and Dr. Gil Davis of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, the location of Khirbet a-Ra‘i has been identified.

Khirbet a-Ra’i is between Lachish and Kiryat Gat. The site is approximately 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

This location is believed to be where David took refuge from King Saul.

Pottery discovered at the site is consistent with the era of King David.

Photo: Times of Israel

See the link below from the Times of Israel for more details.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/archaeologists-say-they-found-town-where-future-king-david-took-refuge-from-saul/

Times of Israel

2 Chronicles 11:5-12 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah. He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin. He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

An ancient fortified wall has been recently discovered in Lachish.

Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, Head of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology recently made the following statements.

“We looked in three places, and ultimately, in the northern section, we found a wall between Layer 6 and Layer 4. Later the excavators reached a floor that stretches to the wall, which could be dated using olive pits found beneath the floors. Samples of the pits were sent to the particle accelerator at Oxford, which ruled that the wall had been built around 920 B.C.E., which was exactly the rule of Rehoboam, son of Solomon and grandson of David.”

See the links below from Haaretz and The Times of Israel for more details.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-did-the-kingdom-of-david-exist-new-wall-found-in-southern-israel-reignites-debate-1.7157816

https://www.timesofisrael.com/archaeologist-thick-wall-found-at-lachish-indicates-king-solomons-son-built-it/

1 Samuel 27:5-7 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah. And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.

And once again, the Bible confirms archaeology…

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Egypt Will Fear Israel… God’s Will

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Egypt/Nile River, Isaiah, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on April 7, 2019 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 19:17 The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt; everyone to whom it is mentioned will be in dread of it, because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts which He is purposing against them.

Who and where is the land of Judah? Judah is a son of Jacob/Israel from Genesis. The lineage of Judah becomes the Tribe of Judah (Genesis 46, 49).  Jesus is from this tribe and is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). This tribe is synonymous with the southern kingdom in the day of Isaiah. It is modern day southern Israel, the area which shares a border with Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

From previous verses in Isaiah 19, we know the Nile River is dry during this time. The text does not say if the cause is by drought or if water is being withheld by a dam or whatever. Time will tell. The following is food for thought in the event the waters of Nile are restrained by the dam.

Aswan Dam

Recently as 2009, Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has stirred controversy with comments about Arab citizens and Egypt. Liberman once suggested Egypt’s Aswan Dam might be bombed. In 2008, he told Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian President at that time, “Go to hell!”

Now if Israel is threatening to bomb the Aswan Dam, this would most certainly cause fear, dread, and terror. The concept of the verse is reeling in terror. This would effectively flood and wipe out Egypt.

…because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts which He is purposing against them.

God is the One imposing fear on Egypt. Granted, God has many options at His disposal in regards to stirring up fear. He has plagues, weather, darkness (Exodus) just to mention a few.  I am not suggesting or claiming to know the mind or purpose of God. It does not say. The scenario is worth noting in today’s geo-political climate. God can absolutely plant an idea or emotion into the mind of a country’s psyche (see Ezekiel 38, 39 with Gog; note Pharaoh and his hardened heart in Exodus).

There is also the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). As of April 2019, the dam is about 2/3 complete. The dam is expected to be finished in 2022. Egypt is expressing concern about their neighbors in Ethiopia up river withholding water. The Egyptians are discussing “dire humanitarian consequences” of the completion of the GERD. Ethiopia expects to block 19.5 trillion gallons (74 billion cubic meters) of Nile River water behind the dam. The Nile River is the definitive source of life for Egypt. This is an insane amount of water not going to Egypt.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1470516/middle-east

Plausible scenario: Egypt wiped out and flooded by waters withheld by destruction of the Aswan Dam. Nile River goes dry in Egypt by waters withheld by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

See the link below for articles related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

https://paulthepoke.com/?s=grand+ethiopian

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Isaiah 19:18 In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction.

There are all kinds of speculation and conjecture as to the symbolism or meaning of the five cities noted in this verse. Some commentators are looking for a hidden meaning. Some are seeking spiritual significance of the number five. Some are allegorizing the number of cities.

I am going to take God at His word and believe that He says what He means. There will be five cities in Egypt where those residents will speak Hebrew. Hearts in Egypt will change. Those people in those five cities will be committed to the God of the Bible.

One of those cities is named. The name of that city is debated with legitimate scholarship, not speculation or allegorical interpretation. The argument lies in which text. Here are the considerations.

The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV).

The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa (Dead Sea Scrolls) and some medieval Hebrew manuscripts read   עִיר הָחֶרֶס (ir hakheres, “City of the Sun,” i.e., Heliopolis). This reading also finds support from Symmachus’ Greek version, the Targum (Aramaic translation of the Bible), and the Vulgate (Latin translation of the Bible).

FYI, Heliopolis is located in northern Egypt on the Nile River where it branches into multiple rivers and streams.

I trust at some point in the future this city name will be clarified and make sense.

Make no mistake. God is in control. Egyptian hearts will turn to the Hebrew God of the Bible.

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The Promise of the Lion of Judah

Posted in Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , on August 25, 2018 by paulthepoke

Genesis 49:8-10 Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

The promise of the Jewish Messiah coming from the line of Judah has its foundation in Genesis 49. Israel or Jacob is on his death bed. His sons have been called and prophetic blessing is being announced. The focus is on the line of Judah.

 

Judah means “praised” in the Hebrew.

Judah’s family line was chosen by God because of His grace. Judah was far from perfect. He was greedy in dealing his brother Joseph (Genesis 37:26). Judah committed adultery with a prostitute. The result was a child. (Genesis 38:18).

Genesis 49:8a Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah was granted the birthright leadership position in the family as if he was the first born. Future leadership was to descend from the line of Judah. He was promised to be successful in matters of war and conflict.

Genesis 49:9a Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey… This is how the line of Judah started in King David. He was the little runt who challenged the giant Goliath. Like a lion’s “cub” or “whelp”, David was a kid when he approached battle. David was portrayed as overmatched “prey” against the giant Philistine. All he had was a sling and rocks.

Lion-Spirit-Animal

Genesis 49:9b …he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? At some point, a future Messiah from the line of David will be stretched out, relaxed, comfortable, and in absolute control. He will be firmly established. Nobody will dare challenge Him.

Genesis 49:10a The scepter shall not depart from Judah… This was not fulfilled until King David 1,000 years before Jesus Christ. From the time of King David until the time of Christ, a king from the line of Judah ruled. There has been a gap of almost 2,000 years since the Jewish people were scattered from Israel in 70 AD. There will be another.

Genesis 49:10b …nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet… Some scholars take this phrase to be idiomatic language in reference to the genitals. Descendants are to come from “between his feet” is the idea. And these descendants are to be rulers.

Genesis 49:10c …until Shiloh comes… The definitive meaning of Shiloh is not clear. Strong’s Concordance defines the term as: he whose it is; that which belongs to him; tranquility. Ancient Jews took the term “Shiloh” to mean the Messiah.

Genesis 49:10d …and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. The idea in the Hebrew is the nations will be cleansed and purged. The Messiah is going to clean house.

 

Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

John identifies the Lion of the tribe of Judah as Jesus Christ.

The Lamb of God is currently at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. And when He returns to Earth, He will rule and reign with a rod of iron as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

There is time now. Identify with the sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Please…

Please…

Please…

 

 

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Birth of Jesus: Region of Judah/City of Bethlehem

Posted in Christmas, Gospel, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 13, 2015 by paulthepoke

Micah 5:2 But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.

The fulfillment of Jesus being born in Bethlehem is in Matthew 2:1a, Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king…

Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth (70 miles north of Jerusalem) to Bethlehem (10 miles south of Jerusalem). The distance is approximately 80 miles. They were ordered to travel due to a request for the census. The government was counting people in order to collect taxes. Luke 2:3-4 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David…Mary would later give birth in verse 7 in Bethlehem.

bethlehemmap

It is promised, the Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10-11 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.”

The Micah 5:2 prophecy confirms the Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah. Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. Revelation 5:5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

David was born and raised in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16). Bethlehem is in Judah as confirmed by Matthew 2:6. Matthew is quoting Micah 5:2.

Christ is in the line of David. This fulfills the David Covenant (2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17:11–14, 2 Chronicles 6:16). The covenant is a promise that Israel’s Messiah will come through the offspring of King David. It is also a promise that this kingdom will be eternal. The covenant is totally up to God to fulfill.

For a detailed account of the Genealogy of Jesus, see Matthew 1. The abbreviated notes of the lineage of Christ are in Matthew 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

In the Hebrew language, Bethlehem means “house of bread”.

Jesus proclaimed to be “the bread of life”. John 6:35a Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger…”

Jesus, the bread of life, was born in Bethlehem, the house of bread.

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Isaiah 9:19-20 Cannibalism and Civil War

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , on September 8, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 9:20-21 They slice off what is on the right hand but still are hungry, and they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied; each of them eats the flesh of his own arm. Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and together they are against Judah. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out.

Scholars debate whether verse 20 is figurative or literal language in regards to the topic of cannibalism. The point (whether figurative or literal) being made is that people are hungry and food is scarce.

The Hebrew word for eat is ‘akal. It is the verb used for the consumption of humans. The context of the verse is humans.

There are other verses in the Bible where cannibalism is discussed and it is literally humans eating other humans. In some cases, it is a judgment proclaimed by God. In other cases, people are acting independently out of hunger.

Leviticus 26:29 is a series of judgments being proclaimed by God for disobedience to His commandments. ‘Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat.

In 2 Kings 6:28-29 hunger and famine were in Samaria due to military conquest. And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow, so we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.” 

Draw your own conclusions, literal or figurative cannibalism.

Ephraim and Manasseh were members of the northern kingdom. They were fighting against each other. There was civil war in the northern kingdom. But they did manage to get together to fight Judah. Judah is the region in the south of Israel. It is the southern kingdom. There was civil war throughout all of Israel.

The phrase His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out is noted for the third time in Isaiah 9. The third judgment has been completed. Israel still has one more remaining judgment before completion.

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Isaiah 8:5-10 Raging River Rapids

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , , on April 13, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 8:5-6 Again the LORD spoke to me further, saying, “Inasmuch as these people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoice in Rezin and the son of Remaliah”;

Shialoah is synonymous with the pool of Siloam as noted in the New Testament. In Isaiah’s day, Shialoah was known as a healing spring in Jerusalem (Ryrie Study notes). This is likely the same place where Jesus told the blind man to go wash his eyes. John 9:6-7 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

Rezin is the king of Aram. The head of Aram is Damascus. The son of Remaliah is Pekah. He is the king of Israel or the northern kingdom (Isaiah 7:1, 8).

The people of Judah, the southern kingdom, rejected the healing waters of God and chose the turbulent, flooding waters of the Israel and its treaty with Assyria.

Isaiah 8:7-8 “Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, it will reach even to the neck; and the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel”.

The raging waters of the Euphrates are used in idiomatic language. These verses were fulfilled historically in 732 BC when Tiglath-Pileser III tore through Damascus and Samaria. In 701 BC, Sennacherib invaded Judah.  Jerusalem escaped the 701 BC invasion. The area from north to south was pummeled in a 30-35 year period (Ryrie Study Notes).

Isaiah 8:9-10 “Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered; and give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; gird yourselves, yet be shattered. Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not stand, for God is with us.”

God gives a shout out to the nations of the world. Suck it up and bring it! Give me your best shot! It is not going to matter. Ultimately, Jesus is coming and He will be in charge.

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