Micah 5:4,5 - For He will be highly honored.

When I wrote on Micah 5:3 I was aware that Micah's train of thought continued beyond verse three, however, for the sake of brevity, I tried to remain focused on verse 3 alone.

Now, as I move forward, I am struck with another vague reference, as the NLT uses the word “he.”
Micah 5:4 NLT  And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world.

This word is in contrast to verse three, which also has an undefined reference to a “He.” Vague character references need to be revealed. As I have stated before there are numerous Bible translations, and it is wise to compare by checking words. Here is one of the examples.

Micah 5:2-3 NASB "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." (3) Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.

In Micah 5:3 the reference to “He” is a reference to Jehovah, while in Micah 5:4 the “he” is denoting Yeshua/Jesus.

In Micah 5:2, Bethlehem was being addressed when it stated that, “One will go forth for Me “The “Me” in this passage is Jehovah. But who is being referred to when it says, One? If you have been a follower of Christ for a reasonable length of time, your mind should be screaming out; this is talking about Jesus. You and I both know that, but what of the person that doesn't? Some passages that point to Jesus are:

Numbers 24:19 NASB "One from Jacob shall have dominion,

Psalms 78:71 NASB From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

Daniel 9:25 CEV  ... from the command to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Chosen Leader, it will be seven weeks and another sixty-two weeks...

All of these events have happened, and yet there is no peace in the world.

If I were looking for peace as the marker could I see it with my physical eye? No, you can see the evidence of peace, and the world has none. However, Jesus brought peace into the hearts of all those who seek Him. What does all this mean? It means that a day is coming, soon, in which the Messiah, the One who will go forth for the Father, will slay all those who choose to fight with Him; and, he will bring about an eternal peace for those who live on the earth.

What do I do with the phrase from verse 3, “Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child.”

God, with frequency and clarity, told Israel through the prophets, that He would send them into bondage and captivity if they did not change; evidently, they refused to listen. This refusal on Israel's part has been a problem for them since they came out of Egypt. However, Jesus reiterated many times, and, in many ways, that He and the Father are one. Therefore we cannot separate the two and their actions.

With that introduction let's get into Micah 5:4

Micah 5:4 NASB And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.

Notice how Micah 5:4 says, “He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD .”
Now I have to determine who the “he” is. There is an obvious answer, and it comes from the context I just mentioned when I spoke about verses two and three. With our minds already focused on keywords such as Bethlehem, shepherd, and flock, these are none other than Jesus. Aside from the context, there is an immediate association that my mind makes with Jesus. Matthew's gospel quoted Micah 5:4, but there are many that do not make this association. So, let's look at the phrases that might make up our apologetic.

• “Born in Bethlehem.” Micah 5:2 lays that scenario out before us, but it was discussed again in John's gospel.
• “out of you, He shall come forth.” We have established that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but I could also understand this to mean He will come forth out of Israel.
• “to become One ruling in Israel.”
  The problem many of us have is that we look at this in an immediate and literal sense. The Jews would not accept Him as the Messiah they looked for; and yet, when Herod begins to panic at the sight of the Wise Men – along with their entourage, he immediately calls in the Chief priests and elders to explain why these men have come. While the answer given by the chief priests and elders was correct and to the point, they also acknowledged that they would not serve Him. Notice Herod's reaction. It tells us that he ignored their foolishness and accepted the words of the Wise Men; the result is that killed all the male children in that region from age two and under. Why do that? Because wiser men than the elders knew that the ruler had been born.
• His goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.

All these are representations of Jesus.

Micah 5:4b NLT tells us,
“Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world.

Two things stand out to me:

• Israel may think they are undisturbed, but they are not,

and,

• Yeshua is not highly honored throughout the world.

When you read about the apostasy taking place, an event you can find in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,
“Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom.” CJB 

Apostasy, according to Strong's, is the Greek word apostasia and means the defection from the truth; a falling away, or the forsaking of what you know to be the truth.

You come to realize that this world we live in is neck deep in apostasy. How do I know that? I frequently sit with representatives from the subset we know as the church, and I am telling you, we, in general, fit into every category of apostasy.

We have seen that the Messiah came in Jesus Christ. He was born in Bethlehem, just as Micah said, and yet there are several other huge aspects.

• And they will remain because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.

What does it mean to remain – steadfast or secure in their land? How about Jesus being honored to the ends of the earth? Neither of those scenarios will take place until Jesus returns, and then there will be a thousand years of peace.

We have to cover one more verse before we go.

Micah 5:5 NASB This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.

“This one will be our peace.”
One of our prime examples of Jesus being that peace comes from the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:6 KJV  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son, is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

If you are not convinced, then perhaps this will help.
Isaiah 14:2-3 KJV  And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.  (3)  And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

Isaiah 14 sounds like so many of the passages we have already discussed, and yet having rest from your sorrows; from fear, and from bondage, sounds like peace to me.

Jeremiah, though, shows us the heart of the Father, and it is peace.
Jeremiah 29:11 KJV  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

“When the Assyrian invades our land,”
We are told, “This is a title of the Antichrist, who will come from the same general geographical territory.” The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury We are not looking for an Antichrist that comes out of Rome, as many have taught.

You should be asking yourself, where does this man come from?
The Assyrian territory ranged as far North as Armenia; West into Asia Minor; East through Iraq and Kuwait, and South into Egypt. All these nations are now Muslim or heavily influenced by Islam.
Speaking of a time to come the Psalmist had this to say.

Psalms 79:1 KJV  ... O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

Although the psalmist called them heathens, the theme is the same. Whether they are called Assyrians or heathens, they are all still the nations or Gentiles to the Jew; and these, have defiled the holy temple and laid Jerusalem on heaps. Since there is no temple currently, it either talking about 70 AD or a future time, after the last temple is built. Jerusalem too was laid in heaps, however, under the leadership of Nehemiah, it was rebuilt. Will it be laid in heaps once again? Yes.

“When he tramples on our citadels,”

Revelation is speaking of a time in the near future when it speaks of the holy city being tread underfoot.
Revelation 11:2 KJV  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

“Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.”
For myself, this makes no sense on a casual read, however, I give you this.

Eight. As seven is the symbol of a sacred whole, so eight, when united with it, is something beyond it (Pusey). The spiritual significance of the number eight often includes the thought of a new beginning (for the first day of the week is the eighth day, a new beginning), resurrection, and regeneration. The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury

Ecclesiastes also speaks in terms of sevens and eights; let's see if it helps our understanding.
Ecclesiastes 11:2 CJB  Divide your merchandise into seven or eight shares, since you don't know what disasters may come on the earth.

Micah 5:5b NLT conveys a rather negative image; does it make sense?

“When the Assyrians invade our land and break through our defenses, we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us, eight princes to lead us.”

Without additional pressures, it is much easier to make good decisions; having the enemy trample your land and sacred buildings does not help, nor is the time to make those decisions. So I have not answered the question of what the eight means, and may have only clouded the issue.

That new beginning addressed above in the comments of the UCRT, is the Millennial reign with Christ sitting on the throne as the head over all.


 I was trying to bring Micah 5:6 into this study as it fits with the context, but I was pushing seven pages. And, it was making me crazy, so next time. God Bless.

As they used to say on Monty Python, and now for something completely different.

Yes, I have been continuing to weave my way through the book of Micah, but something happened that I want to share with you.

Last Monday the wife and I went to a local Botanical Garden. I have been going there for years, and, I even took some classes there when I was a Horticulture major in college. I have two of these delightful places about equal distance from me, in the opposite direction. It matters not which one I go to as they are both places of serenity, beauty, and places of escape for me. As we were leaving, I asked the wife if anything inspired her for lunch. After a moment of thought, she replied with, let's go to a particular burger stand in a city we go by on the way back home. It's a little out of the way, but I used to work near there, and she used to live in that city, and both of us, at varying times, ate at this place; and, it has been a landmark in that city for over 30 years. (I did not tell my wife until later, that I too had thought about eating lunch there. I rejected that idea because I did not think she would go for it. So when she brings it up, I quickly said, let's go.)

We walked in the door, and immediately I am looking into the eyes of a young black woman and her two children. It is at this point that the name Newgy pops into my head. Looking at the young lady, I see no resemblance and convince myself that it is merely the association with the "restaurant" and the locale; so we went to order. Having ordered, I sat, ate, and talked with my wife about Newgy and her Mama, Jeanetta. Evidently, this young lady heard everything I was saying, and so when had to step in front of me to dispose of her trash she kept glancing at me. She began to return to her table when I raised my hand to stop her, and she responded.

I apologized for staring as I entered the business and began to tell her how that upon seeing her the name Newgy popped into my head, but I did not understand why. She said, I heard you talking about my Mama, but she has such an unusual name so I knew that this could not be a coincidence. She went on to say, that Jeanetta is my grandma. I knew both these women, and I told her that I thought her grandma was a Godly woman. For a few seconds she threw names at me, and I knew them all. Now some of my memories were a little more exciting than I needed to share, but we had something in common.

This moment in time happened so quickly, and now she was leaving. I asked her to say Hi to her mom and told her to mention a name she would remember. When I mentioned the name, she told me, that lady and her grandma were best friends. I just smiled, said God bless you and have a great day. Then I sat back down with my wife. That's when it hit me what God had just done. Jesus said it is necessary that I go away so that the Holy Spirit will come. Well, He did, and so did the Holy Spirit, and I have on many occasions asked the Holy Spirit of God to possess me, because it is in those moments I feel most alive. I suddenly realized that this day, in this little hamburger stand, we were having one of those moments.

People ask me, how do I know that it's the Holy Spirit talking to me? The problem is, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you think it is your great idea, much like the simple choice of picking a hamburger stand. I had no idea that God had arranged an appointment for me, nor do I understand all the reasons behind His actions. He may have meant for this entire meeting to remind a young lady that God was in control. Or, there is the possibility that God was trying to tell me that He still speaks to me; He is not through with me, and that the prophetic gift is still alive in me. Or, maybe He was trying to encourage me after an unusually bad week, one in which I was willing, once again, to give up.

I believe I am sharing this with you to let you know that God cares about you, loves you, and longs for you use the gift inside of you.

Micah 5:3 When she who is in labor has borne a child.

When you are doing your Bible study, there are a vast number of options you can use, such as Bible translations. All of them have issues, and all of them are translations or transliterations – as most of the time, there is no direct English translation for Hebrew, Assyrian, Greek. There is another factor you need to take into consideration; there was an even more intense version of Hebrew that is lost to us, and there were two versions of the Greek language.

Add this to the list of things that impact your understanding. Rome, as the ruling force, wanted full assimilation and therefore the Hebrew language was outlawed, and Greek was the only language permitted. Many Hebrew documents/scrolls were destroyed, and that act mandated the practice of oral history as the method of passing along history and the law of God. Imagine the difficulties involved in the recreation of this book we call the Bible. With all the possibilities for error, it still carries the power and authority God intended it to convey.

So, when I begin to look at a passage, aside from the information above, I consider the context; examine concordances, like the Strong's or Word Study Dictionary - to find out what other implications these simple words carry; I compare what I see, understand, and think, to accepted commentators. By the way, most of which have a bent toward the Antichrist coming out of Rome - that was a common and logical theme since the Islamic Caliphate had been effectively disbanded and outlawed globally, and then I compare other translations to see which one more closely conveys what the Holy Spirit has been speaking to my heart.

A friend of mine recently asked me, what commentary should I get to obtain the most out of my Bible study. Oddly, this brother worked in the church for a time and should probably be assisting me. I did not have a good answer as I have about 54 commentaries on my computer, and I rarely stick with just one. I recently learned that Matthew Henry's commentary was in agreement with something I consider to be a doctrine of the devil, and that certainly taints my opinion of his commentary. I frequent the commentaries of Albert Barnes, Adam Clarke, John Gill, Joseph Benson. I use them because – I have no better way to say this, in comparing my thoughts to theirs, they are in alignment with me. I added the modern pastor John MacArthur to my authors because he is a smart man, but I find his information sadly lacking and he has a definite bent against the Holy Spirit. And, I will add that there are many others, such as the IVP Bible Background Commentary, which has a wealth of information, but it, like some others, can be overwhelming.

A key to teaching that I have come to understand: If I don't know an answer, then saying so is the best thing I can do for you. To babble on does nothing more than create confusion. I fully expect those who deem themselves to be my students to research these things for yourself, as any good Bible student would do.

With that being said, let's get on with Micah, as we have made it to Micah 5:3.

Immediately I see a problem; I will explain.

I typically go to the NASB translation first; it reads like this.
Micah 5:3 NASB Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.

Whoever this “them” is has been given up until whoever this female entity gives birth to a child. If I am going to understand what is going on here, this verse is little to no help to me and requires detective work.

While the CEV spells out who this “them” persona is, the translators changed the dynamic as the implication now is that Israel will be abandoned until the rest of the family returns to Israel. Look again at the NASB above, and you will see that the action of one event causes the other to happen, while the CEV requires both to occur. Which is it? I have many translations available and could merely do a count and take the majority, but the majority is not always right.

Micah 5:3 CEV  The LORD will abandon Israel only until this ruler is born, and the rest of his family returns to Israel.

As I try to answer the question above, I find myself thinking about the Jews and wondering when they came rushing back to the homeland. That is the problem; there was no homeland, that is until 1917 when the Balfour Declaration decreed that Palestine was the Jewish homeland. From Wikipedia: “The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during World War I announcing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small minority Jewish population.” Giving the Jews some documented land to call their own indeed allowed them to call Jerusalem home once again. Sadly, as the effects of wars were coming on, even the United States refused to allow the Jews to immigrate here as they tried to escape the coming holocaust and the aftermath of those horrific years.

One other problem I have to overcome when I read the NASB, is the desire to understand who the "them" is? For me, a logical path would be the Complete Jewish Bible, as it spells out who the “them” is, but here is where I encountered another problem, as the CJB puts verse 3 in front of 2. Now, I have to decide if this transposition of verses is a game changer, and if not, what is it telling me? Verse two from the CJB tells me: “Therefore he will give up [Isra'el] only until she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his kinsmen will return to the people of Isra'el.” In a way, this is an easy out as this version gives us the name Israel instead of merely saying them. F
So let's see if there is any other validation for Israel being the "them" in this passage.

• Finis Dake tells us it is Israel but merely says this is because of the rejection of the Judge of Israel at His first advent. That did not help my mind, so I am not sold.
• Let's look at the context. As I stated in my previous post on Micah 5:1, this verse does not appear to belong here, it apparently belongs in chapter 4; however, it does help to create a context.
  So what is happening to Israel, the southern nation?

Micah 5:1 CEV  Jerusalem, enemy troops have surrounded you; they have struck Israel's ruler in the face with a stick.

This was most likely Nebuchadnezzar's troops that surrounded Israel, and the ruler being struck was Zedekiah. There is an ugly interaction between Zedekiah and a prophet named Micaiah. You can read about it here - 1 Kings 22:13-28. What I want you to see is two verses in particular. 1 Kings 22:24, but Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?  1 Kings 22:27 “ And say, Thus saith the king (Zedekiah,) Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with the bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I come in peace.  Unfortunately, Zedekiah never returned.

Regarding judgment, Zedekiah's came exactly as Micaiah had said; for they killed his sons before his eyes and put his eyes out.

If Israel was abandoned until "this" unknown ruler is born, what did that look like for Israel?

Although Israel had been released from Babylonian captivity, that doesn't mean that they were free to govern themselves. By the time Jesus came along Israel was under the control of yet another ruling force, the Romans. Quickly, if that is possible, let's name off some of those who controlled the region now called Israel.

• By 1420 BC Israel is under the first Assyrian dynasty. This Assyrian rule continues until 612 BC. Note: The Assyrian rule was brutal, and one of the reasons that Jonah wanted nothing to do with them.
• Ruler-ship then transferred to the Neo-Babylonian reign under Nabopolassar, and then Nebuchadnezzar who reigned from 605 – 526BC Both the Northern and Southern kingdoms were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar.
• While under the rule of Belshazzar, a Babylonian, the Persian Empire overtook the Babylonian's in 550 BC. The Persian Empire reigned until 358BC. In 539 BC the Neo-Babylonian empire fell entirely to the Persian Empire, now under the rule of Cyrus.
• While under the rule of Darius 111, 335-330BC the Medo/Persian empire fell to Alexander the Great and the Grecian Empire. 359BC was already feeling the Grecian influence under the rule of Philip of Macedonia; however, Alexander the Great exerted his power in 336 and ruled until his death in 323BC. On a timeline, I can see that Alexander ruled over Palestine from 333-323 BC. Alexander made Israel a Greek province in 333BC. What this tells me, is that while Israel may have still been in Babylon, Alexander was already in Palestine.
• With the death of Alexander, the kingdom was divided between his four generals. Eventually, the territory comes to rest in the hands of two generals, Seleucus in the North, and Ptolemy in the South, this primarily put Ptolemy in charge of Egypt and the Northern African nations.
• This “Grecian” rule continued, in some form until 64BC While Rome had been making steady inroads into the region with its Punic wars, it did not gain a solid foothold until 110BC. The Seleucid empire, although ending in 64BC, had been under attack by Julius Caesar since 100BC.
• If we take this timeline up to the destruction of the temple in 70AD, we are talking about 1490 years of having foreign nations and entities ruling over Jerusalem. By 1917 Jerusalem was under British ruler-ship and it continued, even though inroads like the 1917 Balfour declaration had been established, all the way to 1948 when Israel declared its independence from British rule, and itself a nation.

So what we saw in Micah 5:3 continued for well over 3,000 years of foreign powers ruling over God's land.
“Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.”
In 1948 the dispersed began to return and continue to this day in 2019.
Once again, the passage is:
Micah 5:3 KJV  Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

• “he” is Jehovah.
• “them” is the Jewish people.
• “she” is Israel.
• What was brought forth? 1. Jesus, but the more logical answer is; 2. Israel, the nation.
• “the remnant” - God has always had someone standing on the ground in Israel, and they were the remnant.
• “his brethren” is the Jewish people.

The (NET.) translation of 5:3 -
So the LORD will hand the people of Israel over to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth. Then the rest of the king's countrymen will return to be reunited with the people of Israel.

 The personage indicated by the phrase "he" was Jesus, and the time has come. Although Israel would not receive Him, the one who brought in the beginnings of the everlasting kingdom walked among the Jewish people, just as he will do once again.

Micah 5:2. The LORD will choose one of your people to rule.

I rarely watch the regular news channels. If you are wise and have resources like the internet, then you know that France, Germany, and Italy are having violent protests. The reasons are various, as they are in opposition to governmental decisions, taxation, and the aggressiveness of “immigrants” that have been allowed to flood in uncontrolled. We have an unchecked problem here in America as well.

I don't know about you, but I feel as though there is little I can do that is useful, and so I write. Maybe that's the condition we find Micah in as we move into chapter five of Micah.

Jerusalem, enemy troops, have surrounded you; they have struck Israel's ruler in the face with a stick. (Micah 5:1 CEV)

Surrounding you doesn't always sound so bad unless of course it is associated with the fear of brutal torture and death, as many of the “Christians” have experienced in the nations that suffered through ISIS. Daniel, the prophet, was what we understand to be, one of the valuable ones, but even then, he had to prove himself to Nebuchadnezzar. So, even for Daniel, there were no guarantees. For Micah, there is no guarantee of what will become of him.

Adam Clarke's commentary gives us some rather startling information when it tells us that Zedekiah wasn't just struck in the face with a stick.

He (Nebuchadnezzar) hath laid siege against us; (Jerusalem ); they shall smite the judge of Israel (Zedekiah) with a rod upon the cheek - They shall offer him the greatest indignity. They slew his sons before his face; and then put out his eyes, loaded him with chains, and carried him captive to Babylon.

Interesting how God has either turned the focus or, verse one of chapter five is merely the closing lines of chapter 4. Adam Clarke once again confirmed what I thought when he says,
“But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah - I have considered this subject in great detail in the notes on Matthew 2:6, to which the reader will be pleased to refer. This verse should begin this chapter; the first verse belongs to the preceding chapter.”

Now, let's dive into the meat of what I wanted to talk about, Micah 5:2 and hopefully beyond.

I was not aware that there were two cities called Bethlehem. Quickly we will see the importance of Bethlehem Ephratah.

Bethlehem Ephratah, to distinguish it from another Beth-lehem, which was in the tribe of Zebulun, Joshua 19:15

Micah 5:2 CEV  Bethlehem Ephrath, you are one of the smallest towns in the nation of Judah. But the LORD will choose one of your people to rule the nation— someone whose family goes back to ancient times.

From Adam Clarke's commentary on Matthew 2:1.
“Bethlehem of Judea - This city is mentioned in Judges 17:7, and must be distinguished from another of the same name in the tribe of Zebulon, Joshua 19:15. It is likewise called Ephrath, Genesis 48:7, or Ephratah, Micah 5:2, and its inhabitants Ephrathites, Ruth 1:2; 1Samuel 17:12. It is situated on the downslope of a hill, about six miles from Jerusalem. בית לחם Beth-lechem, in Hebrew, signifies the house of bread. And the name may be considered as very properly applied to that place where Jesus, the Messiah, the true bread that came down from heaven, was manifested, to give life to the world. But לחם lehem also signifies flesh and is applied to that part of the sacrifice which was burnt upon the altar.”

Genesis is mentioned by Adam Clarke, as it contains what would be an oral history delivered by Jacob. Here in Genesis 48:7 we Jacob burying Rachel as he traveled to Ephrath.

Genesis 48:7 NASB "Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

If we were to consider ancestral lineage, Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, plays a tremendous role. However, it is her father-in-law that brings our attention to Bethlehem.

Ruth 1:2 NASB The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.

In a relatively short period of time, Boaz marries Ruth.
Ruth 4:13 MKJV  And Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And when he went in to her, Jehovah made her conceive. And she bore a son.

Odd how the path leading to the birth of Jesus begins and ends in this little town. It makes you wonder if God had everything perfectly planned out.

Ruth 4:17 MKJV  And the women, her neighbors, gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi. And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

With that in mind, look at this piece of information, for even the future king, David was born there.

1 Samuel 17:12 NASB Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men.

Micah 5:2 in the NASB, declares
“From you, One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.”

The NIV translation puts it this way:
“out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,”

I might conclude that this prophecy came to pass with King David, as I just showed you that he came out of Bethlehem; but this prophetic statement, like so many other prophecies of end times events, has multiple occurrences. An example of this would be the destruction of the temple.

In response to the disciples' question, when that would happen, Jesus did not directly answer their question, but said, “There shall not be left here one stone on another that shall not be thrown down.” This had nothing to do with the calendar, however, only a few years later in 70 AD, the temple was destroyed, but much like our example of David becoming king, this immediate destruction of the temple was not His focus. His discussion covered two chapters in Matthew and included significant events that projected well over two thousand years into the future. While ignoring the millennial reign, He included the final judgment upon the earth. (You find this exchange in the 24^th and 25^th chapter of Matthew.)

But we have one other clue that diverts us away from King David.
“whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Think about the idea that Jesus, the physical image of the Father, appeared all throughout the Old Testament. One of those places was here in Genesis 18.

Genesis 18:1-2 NIV  The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.  (2)  Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Note that Abraham looked up and saw three men. Although in hindsight, the storyteller addresses one of them as the Lord, I do not think Abraham knew that immediately. A piece of evidence for that would be the next verse.

Genesis 18:3 NIV  He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.
The Word Study Dictionary tells us that the word lord, as used here in verse 3, is this: ’ādôn: “A masculine noun meaning lord or master. The most frequent usage is of a human lord, but it is also used of divinity. Generally, it carries the nuances of authority rather than ownership.”

So, I can perceive Abraham's address as one made toward authority; a polite gesture in the face of men you do not know.

When we get to verse 17, the tenor of the conversation changed, and here the word Lord means y^ehōwāh: A noun meaning God. The word refers to the proper name of the God of Israel, particularly the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses (Exodus 6:2-3).

Genesis 18:17-22 NIV  Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?  (18)  Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.  (19)  For I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."  (20)  Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous  (21)  that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."  (22)  The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
Abraham stood before y^ehōwāh. As I said, Jesus told us that no man has seen the Father, and lived; yet Abraham lived. So what did he see? He saw Jesus, the express image of the Father.

John 12:45 MSG Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me.

And though most try to avoid the subject of Melchizedek, there are huge clues which lead us back to another, an ancient appearance of Jesus.

Genesis 14:18 NASB And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.


 The ISBE informs us that “the name is explained in Hebrews 7:2 as “king of righteousness.” There is only one who holds that title, and his name is Jesus.

Micah 4:8 The hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion.

Due to issues popping up it has taken me a couple of weeks to get back to working on Micah.
As I migrated through the Christmas season, I became aware that Micah spoke of Bethlehem, and that got me even more excited. Sadly, I am finding it more difficult to remember things and therefore find it difficult to communicate what I am feeling and experiencing as I go through these studies with you. On the plus side, a lack of memory leaves me with no ammunition for fights that arise, but that is okay as I have not been called to fight.

The following is from a blog site run by Jewish believers and was the devotional feature of their daily news headlines. It is called Worthy Christian Blogs.

I used to post my blogs there, but I found it to be filled with Pharisees and scribes who have nothing better to do than to berate people who are trying to point people to Jesus. With that said, I am nothing short of suspicious of when it comes to their editorial side. However, this one, right before Christmas, caught my attention, and I was just in awe of what I saw, as it spoke to me on so many levels.

Micah 4:8 AMP And you, O tower of the flock, the hill, and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, unto you, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem.

The devotional included Micah 4:8 and 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." (Micah 5:2 NASB)

“There are many who are not aware of the very deep significance of Bethlehem, Yeshua's (Jesus') birthplace. Everyone knows that Bethlehem was a place where shepherds grazed their sheep, and where the Messiah was to be born, but do not realize that it was a town designated as the birthing place for lambs which were used for the Passover sacrifice. The Scriptures give significant details about this little town lying slightly south of Jerusalem.

In Micah 4:8 we read about the "Watchtower of the flock," or in Hebrew, "Migdal Edar." According to the "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah," by Alfred Edersheim, a Jewish believer in the late 1800's, Migdal Edar was the location where the Messiah was to be revealed. This watchtower stood as a place of protection for the city from approaching enemies, but it was also utilized by shepherds to watch over the specific flocks from which sacrificial Passover lambs were taken.

The shepherds who were tending these particular flocks were no ordinary shepherds. They were specifically trained by the Rabbis for a holy task. They had to ensure that, as much as possible, every lamb was free of any blemish or injury, in order to be used for the Passover sacrifice. Since they were instructed by the Rabbis, they almost certainly knew of those passages in the Targums (Aramaic translations) and the Mishna associating the birth of the Messiah with "Migdal Edar." For example, Migdal Edar is translated in one of the Targums as "The Anointed One of the Flock of Israel." It is also written in the Mishna that "He spread his tent beyond Migdal Edar, the place where King Messiah will reveal Himself at the end of days."

I finished reading this, that day, and suddenly I realized that Jesus, the lamb, was intentionally born in Bethlehem, under the watchful eye of these trained shepherds, with the intent of making sure that God's lamb would be born without spot or blemish, just as scripture called for. Those shepherds we deem poor were the richest of all for they knew, listened, and tended to the King of Kings that day. The Wise men also knew and came, however, they came later when Joseph and Mary were no longer in a manger; and, they brought enough gold and salable items that the family could live comfortably for several years. This was important as they immediately went into hiding after this event.
Consider something. When Herod saw the considerable entourage that came with the wise men he panicked and called the Chief priests and elders, and asked them why they were here. They knew the answer, but they would not come, nor would they worship. After the wise men left, Herod then had all the male children two and under killed.

Their post ended with a personal address and said this:

“those shepherds had strong hints of Messiah's advent in the very town where they lived so that when the angelic host appeared announcing his arrival, they responded immediately and went to worship Him. We too have increasing signs of His soon Second Coming. Are we also prepared to respond? “

In trying to finish out chapter 4, there is this. Verses 9-13 are, to say the least, dismal. Micah came from Israel, the Southern region, and was the last to go into captivity.

"Now, why do you cry out loudly? Is there no king among you, Or has your counselor perished, That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth? "Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth; For now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field, And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; There the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies. "And now many nations have been assembled against you Who say, 'Let her be polluted, And let our eyes gloat over Zion.' "But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, And they do not understand His purpose; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. "Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, For your horn I will make iron And your hoofs I will make bronze, That you may pulverize many peoples, That you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. (Micah 4:9-13 NASB)

Here Micah points out:

• The anguish. “ That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth? "Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth.”
• That Israel would go into captivity but be rescued eventually, and in time, be redeemed. “ For now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field, And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued for the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies.”
• Even though many nations assemble against Zion, “they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, And they do not understand His purpose; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.”
• Although it is hard to see, Israel will have her day. “Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, For your horn, I will make iron And your hoofs I will make bronze, That you may pulverize many peoples, That you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.”

Where do we go when we die? A spin-off of our home group.

A couple of times a month, a brother in Christ opens his home, and a few of us gather for a home church meeting. This brother-in-Christ does the teaching/preaching and recently attempted to cover the question – where do we go when we die?

He had a well-drawn graphic which showed what many call the upper level and the lower level of hell. While he had some additional terminology essentially what we saw, according to our teacher that night, is representative of hell.

A typical representation of hell.

In theory, all this conjecture about multiple layers of hell is based on the “story” about the rich man and the poor beggar Lazarus. As you may remember, Lazarus was now comforted in Abraham's bosom, while the rich man was now in torment, separated by a great gulf. As the evening progressed, all of what we saw in the graphic was interpreted as spiritual places. I had to question that concept because the rich man was in torment, and his condition sounded very physical to me.

He opened by asking the group this question, do you believe you would be in the Lord's presence when you die?
I was unclear what he was trying to accomplish, and so I asked him if he wanted an answer from the group. He replied, yes. While a few others raised their hands, I was, in those few seconds, the only one that added because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I said nothing more to clarify my statement as most every follower of Christ has heard this passage at some point.

2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT  Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

Apparently, our leader had not heard anything like this, and though he said nothing as a challenge, his utterances indicated disbelief. Several minutes later, another brother-in-Christ interjected with the passage, to which the leader replied, oh, that is in the Bible.

The next question/statement went like this: then is it true that the dead know nothing and merely lay in the ground until some day of judgment? Again I replied, yes, both statements are true. The man leading the group would not acknowledge or look at me. No, it is not all about me, but some form of recognition that you heard what I said would be nice.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 NLT  The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.

Ever since I read this passage years ago, I have understood nothing less than the dead, lying in the ground, in some form of sleep, until they are awakened and brought before the great white for final judgment. Now, I could be wrong. For one, there are those stories of people that have died and spent time in hell, and they describe it as pure torment. Something doesn't make sense. I suppose this is one of the primary reasons I stay away from this topic.

Let me show you what I might use to substantiate what I understand about the dead.
Matthew 25:31-34 NASB "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. (32) "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; (33) and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. (34) "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

The struggle most people seem to have with this is that they see these, from the nations, as alive. Alright, how do we understand this then?

First, this is the same scenario that we see in Revelation 20. Make a note of the thrones:

• In the Revelation account, we only comprehend those before the throne to be dead while Matthew's rendition presents them as alive. Keep in mind that death is a relative term as we never really die. Jesus, on the cross, cried out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me. We understand from that He experienced a total and complete separation, and that friends is death.

• In the Revelation account, we see the book of life; however, all we see is the result of those not being found in the book of life. In contrast, Matthew's account shows us no books in the event, and yet many receive mercy.

The assumption most make is that there is no one found worthy of salvation and all are thrown into the lake of fire, henceforth hell. But an honest inquiry into this verse will show you that Revelation 20:12 speaks of books; the implication is that God is desperately looking for those to which He can show mercy. To see this any other way, is nothing less than a cruel and morbid joke on God's part, for He knew whether He would find their names in those books, and is therefore merely having fun at the expense of those standing there. Anyone who understands God's nature knows that this scenario would never happen.

Consider this. God so loved this world so much, that even while they spit in His face, He gave His only Son, Jesus, so that through the horrors of death He could redeem the world and then they could love Him freely if they chose.

• In contrast to the Revelation account, Matthew tells us that He already knows the answer to what His eyes were searching for in those books, and therefore, separates the crowd into sheep and goats. He gives those He deems sheep entrance into the kingdom of peace.

Puzzled, knowing that they did not measure up by religious standards, they ask, what did we do to deserve entrance into the kingdom of Heaven?
What did they do that gained their entrance into the kingdom? They acted in the nature and character of God.

So back to the problems with the graphics before us and the multilayered hell.

While it is clear that there was something like this during Jesus time on earth, we have nothing beyond the resurrection, primarily Paul's writings, that would enforce a multi-layered hell.

If Paul did not preach it, then why should I, and know this, I would not.

Paul, wrote about the dead in Christ, in an attempt to address such misconceptions.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NASB (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Paul used the word nekrós, which means corpse when he spoke of the dead in 1 Thessalonians. I have thought about the whys of needing our corpses, and I suspect God could merely make another body for us if we needed it, but then, Jesus did not just leave His lying around, did He. Imagine if Peter and John had come running back to the tomb and found His body lying there; nothing about the resurrection works in this scenario. And, when Jesus did show himself to the 120 in the upper room, where He showed them that same physical body, along with its wounds. It was a proof of His rising from the dead, as He said; and, it validated His previous statements.

I suspect that we have more than a couple of significant players in our misconceptions about hell.

1. Dante Alighieri and his book The Inferno. The book is known to have been a method to confront what he perceived as religious: persecution, error, disagreement, and graft. Dante placed real people in various levels of his creation, each level having its own nasty punishment. Dante showed some mercy by implying that his victims could earn their way out, although none ever made it out.
2. It would seem that the Catholic church adopted the concepts within Dante's book. One of those concepts is purgatory. From what I understand if you comply with some monetary demand, you can buy your way out. It did not happen to any of Dante's characters, and it has not happened here on earth.
3. The last and scripturally the most damaging is the story of the poor beggar Lazarus and the wealthy Jewish man. So let's pursue this for a moment.

The passage in Luke is detailed and lengthy, so I am not going to put the entire thing in here. Suffice it to say; the rich man is still attempting to order Lazarus around; and, the rich man is in torment, while Lazarus is not.

Luke 16:19-31 NASB ... "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom, and the rich man also died and was buried. (23) "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. (24) "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me,... (25) "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. (26) 'And besides all this, between you and us there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' ...

• “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom.”

There are no mystery words in this sentence. Bosom means just that, and if Jesus told us that the angels carried this dearly departed Jewish man to Abraham, then that is believably what happened.

What is the difference between the event that Jesus described and how we should perceive this today? The resurrection.

Here, in Luke's gospel, Jesus is talking to Jews who have little to no comprehension of grace, nor of the catching away of the Church. The Jews do, however, understand that the soul seems to lie in a state of waiting, in Ecclesiastes, we learn that.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 KJV  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Another source of Jewish understanding comes from King David.
Psalms 31:17 KJV  Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

Again, the general idea is that the dead lie in silence, until called
In looking at the word paradise, which comes up in the conversation between Jesus and the thief on the cross, we see Jesus saying,

"Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43b NIV

In the Jewish understanding, the word paradisos is an oriental word which the Greeks borrowed from the Persians, among whom it meant a garden, park, or enclosure full of all the vegetable products of the earth. ...The original Eastern word pardes occurs in Neh_2:8; Ecc_2:5; Son_4:13. In Sanskrit, paradésha and paradisha meant a land elevated and cultivated. In Armenian, pardes means a garden around the house planted with grass, herbs, and trees for food and ornament. The Sept. uses it to refer to the Garden of Eden (Gen_2:8). In later Jewish usage and in the NT, parádeisos is used for the abode of the blessed after death. Paradise, before Christ's resurrection, has been thought to be the region of the blessed in Hades although it was not specifically called by that name (Luk_16:23). [From the Word Study Dictionary]

And finally, the early church deemed paradise to be an upper level of heaven where the dead would wait.

It does not matter how eloquently you deliver the evidence that backs your thesis, or arguments against some false or skewed teaching, someone will have a comeback. The mere fact that the rich man was in torment, and there is the possibility that he could see the beggar Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, only fuels their fire. This is again, one of those places where looking up the simplest of words, such as “saw,” where you can gain some additional understanding.

• “and the rich man also died and was buried. (23) "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment,”

Torment is the Greek word basanos and also means torture. The NASB tells us that he saw Lazarus. This word saw is the Greek word horaō and means to stare at, (by implication) to discern clearly (physically or mentally.)

So, none of us can prove that the man could even see Lazarus, and therefore it would be just as easy to assume that the rich man was allowed to discern mentally that Abraham now held Lazarus peacefully and securely.

If there is a point to this, it is this, refrain from preaching and teaching things you do not have an accurate understanding about, unless you are willing to humble yourself and tell the people that you really don't know, that this is your opinion and that your audience should search the scriptures to gain a clearer picture.


We were also told by this brother-in-Christ that he did not have full confidence in his relationship, and would not, until that day when we are called home. This is not what Paul and others taught. Jesus and this word give us every confidence to know that we are loved, wanted; and, since we have accepted Jesus Christ as our sacrifice, then we can understand that we, NO MATTER WHAT, have a home with Him in glory.

Micah 4:6-7. I will assemble the lame and gather those who were dispersed.

My initial thoughts and feeling on these next few verses trouble me.
Micah 4:6-7 CJB  "When that day comes," says Adonai, "I will assemble the lame and gather those who were dispersed, along with those I afflicted.  (7)  I will make the lame a remnant and those who were driven off a strong nation." Adonai will rule them on Mount Zion from that time forth and forever.

I can get rather adamant at times, especially when someone tries to shove legalism down my throat. Because of the life I lived and the mercy God has shown me, I know that legalism is not an aspect of God's nature or character.

I realize that many of you, operating on traditions and poor teachings that you received in your religious assemblies, do not recognize God any other way; that too was my dilemma. Thankfully, I am in a constant process of change for the better. I am using the word 'constant' because recently I voiced how I wanted a particular person to suffer for the wrongs they had done to me. I no sooner caught it coming out of my mouth when I heard the Holy Spirit say, you've got to fix that, you know why, and you know how. Yes, I do; I have had plenty of practice forgiving people, and one of my friends was quick to point out my frailty, (oh, just say it, SIN,) as well.

Alright then, a quick lesson on what it is to forgive.
This lesson comes in part because that same friend also voiced how he had forgiven someone who had offended him but was troubled because he wants little more to do with this person. That gets tough, especially when that person is your sister.

Forgiveness is an act of the will; it is probably easier to see this act of forgiving as a command, as you may be more responsive to the Holy Spirit when he tells you to take care of a situation. Since the Holy Spirit has multiple reasons for having us forgive people, an important one for us is that it keeps you out of the realm of judgment.

Do you want some proof?
Matthew 7:1-2 NASB "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. (2) "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

Pay attention to the second verse of the God's Word translation.
Matthew 7:1-2 GW  "Stop judging so that you will not be judged.  (2)  Otherwise, you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others. The standards you use for others will be applied to you.

I can tell you from experience that the judgment for me, has come while here on earth, and, it came relatively quick. I suppose this swiftness makes more sense as I attempted to train a dog. Punishment for their doggie sins must be immediate, as in, at the time of the event; otherwise, all they understand is, blah, blah, blah, (insert dogs name here.) Your dog, hours later, has little to no clue what point you are trying to make. I suspect we are like that when it comes to judgment.

In my case, I knew exactly what the correlation was, for I had said to a fellow believer, I am ashamed of you, solely because they would not stop whining. [Other facts you might need to know. I was the supervisor for the day. It is much like marrying into a family with established patterns and children that don't want some new dictator in their life. Add to that, step-dads, in this day and age, can go to jail for trying to establish the rule of law in this situation, as I did with that coworker.] Six months later, for an unrelated event, I was ashamed of me, and it wasn't for whining; I whined later though. Secondly, in keeping your plate clean, you give yourself the benefit of a mind clear as well. One less thing to stress over is so beneficial.

• “When that day comes," says Adonai,”
• “ I will assemble the lame and gather those who were dispersed, along with those I afflicted.”
  So then, what could this mean?

I have become aware of times in which God has used this 'lameness' in me to test others. I typically see it in response to judgmentalism from religious folks. There is no denying that this often hurts, and later, as I nurse my wounds, the Holy Spirit tells me that I put you in front of them to test them; sadly, many of them have failed their testing. I don't know what, exactly that means for them, but I can tell you that the process of being used to test others is uncomfortable for me as well. Perhaps I too am being tested. The Apostle James speaks of this.

The Apostle Peter, who thought he could stand off those coming for the Lord with his mouth and sword, was helpless as the high priest ordered Jesus to be beaten in the dungeon below Caiaphas' home. And, Peter, not willing to be beaten or killed, denied Jesus the three times before Pilot's judgment against Jesus. Discouraged about his inability to live this life in Christ he quit and went back to fishing. Mark's gospel conveys this very well, as Peter is now disconnected from the disciples.
Mark 16:7 KJV  But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

This same Peter wrote this:
1 Peter 4:1-2 NIV  Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.  (2)  As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

1 Peter 4:8-10 NIV  Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.  (9)  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  (10)  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.

I get it, it's tough at times, but it is comforting to realize that Peter got it, and therefore, someday I will get it, hopefully, before I am dead or in heaven. I don't say that last part as though I will struggle with the idea of loving others deeply in heaven, but there is something in me that drives me to conquer my weaknesses. In this case, me, because I want to do anything but love some people.


If what I demonstrated through my actions is supposed to convey who God is, I can tell you that I have not always done an excellent job, and I imagine that I have managed to push more than a few people the opposite direction. As an example, I recently tried to discuss an aspect of Genesis 3:15 where it speaks of Satan's seed. I thought it was going to turn into a verbal brawl, as the older man began telling me that Satan had sex with Eve and therefore caused twins to born. And Cain was the bad seed, and that is why his lineage ends for no apparent reason. In response, there are reasons for Cain's heritage to virtually stop there, but the older man wanted to hear none of it. There was more loud, angry talk than I care to discuss here, but suffice it to say, I am now very uncomfortable with this “brother” as he would not, or could not give any evidence from scripture to back his claims. That style of teaching and manner moves him into the category of a false teacher. Now, how am I supposed to love this guy deeply?