God's steadfast love and compassion. Micah 7:18-20.

This post will be the end of our journey through Micah's prophecy.

The NLT translation headlines this section as,

God's Steadfast Love and Compassion

If you have been following my study on Micah, then you will agree that what Micah had to say was hard to hear. Much applies to our lives although we don't want to admit it, but pay attention to the last three verses.

Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago. (Micah 7:18-20 NLT)

• Where is another God like you? Many translations say it like this, Who is a God like you, as though there was something out there to compare Him to.

An acquaintance of mine, vehemently said, Jesus cannot come back because not everyone has heard the gospel, and yet those same people who have not heard the gospel serve a multitude of gods, many of which are carved out of the trees or palm branches near them. So then, what is the distinction?

• [It is God] “who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?” (NIV)

The ERV translation puts it this way - You take away people's guilt. What other god, if there is one, does that? Ponder this statement, “You take away people's guilt,” for a moment. Where else do we see this theme? For most of us, our minds look to the New Testament, but it is a theme repeatedly found in the Old Testament; one example is found in Exodus. Sadly, in the Old Testament, forgiveness was only temporary and required the death of a sacrificial animal, but with the New Testament, Jesus was that lamb, and He too was sacrificed once for the sins of the world. Jesus alone had that authority. Luke's gospel tells us that this forgiveness would be proclaimed to all. This process we see in Luke's gospel, how that Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead on the third day, is critical in God's plan to regain His creation, humankind, back again.

• The CEV translation phrases verse 18 like this, “We are all that is left of your chosen people, and you freely forgive our sin and guilt.”

I have sat in a Bible study, led by a man who is willing to tell you that no Jews advance into the millennium. In light of Micah's statement, and what Luke tells us, everyone who believes receives this forgiveness and therefore obtains eternal salvation and life with the Father. Religion constantly berates us for sin, almost as if the cross did not exist. But the cross indeed happened, and sins were forgiven. That is one of the reasons why both the Gentile and the Jew are forgiven. The burning question then will be, what did you do with the Son, the Messiah I sent to you? If you are a student of the Bible, then you know that there is a time of wrath coming. Sadly, we the church improperly call this time, the Great Tribulation when it is a time of wrath and judgment. An aspect of that judgment is against Israel for their rebellion and rejection. God told them it would come, and it will, but during this horrid time, many will come to understand that Jesus is the longed-for Messiah God. Understanding and believing are the requirements to obtain this eternal salvation, but once you are in the time of wrath, you must endure what that period holds.

• Many ask, what is God's character, and how can I know that? Well, here is one of those examples that tell us what His character is - “ because you delight in showing unfailing love.”

How did Micah know that? Because he and others like him were taught an oral history; a history that spoke of examples of God's love and mercy. There is no doubt that these stories were all intertwined with what seemed like perpetual war, but then that is what this community, called God's people, has been done since they left Egypt. Why call Israel a community at war? Because their mission, under God's orders, was to take the land God promised, and there was no way of doing that without conflict; that is why practically every story we read has a thread of bloodshed in it. I could not help but think about Jonah when I read this statement. The majority of the story we get on Jonah shows us a man, without reason, doing his best to escape God's directive to go to Nineveh. Bypassing all the details in-between, Jonah arrives at Nineveh and exclaims, 40 days and you are dead! This judgment is precisely what Jonah wanted; however, they repented, and God relented – showing them mercy (for the time being.) Where we find Jonah's real motive is at the end of the story where he says, I knew you would do that! What did God do? He delighted in showing His unfailing love to these barbaric Assyrians.

• “Once again you will have compassion on us.”

While God is always looking for ways to show compassion, the reality is that this will happen after Jesus comes back as the warring Messiah. Then compassion will be seen for not just God's people, but all who accept Him. 1000 years of peace, a time I have a hard time picturing.

• “You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!”

This verse has a familiar theme for me. Compare this statement above with a couple of others. Psalms 103:9-14 speaks of God's love for all who worship Him, and, how far He has separated us from our sins. Look at what Isaiah says. Jeremiah also speaks of God forgiveness. And lastly, Daniel reminds us that there is a price to be paid for sins – we have laws that uphold those penalties, but God, for reasons not explained in this verse, will put an end to their sin, atone for their guilt, and bring in everlasting righteousness? My opinion is somewhat irrelevant, but I see much of this happening on the cross. The requirement, on our part, is to believe in the Son. I suppose that means that I, in time, comprehend all that He did, but for now, to believe is enough.

• Micah 7:20 NLT  You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.

Once again, with men like Jeptha, Gideon, and Samson, all you focus on is the violence as they tried to free their people, but maybe that is where the faithfulness and unfailing love is hidden in the background as God is calling Israel back to Himself. A friend of mine seems to be undone by the possibility that God created evil. He heard Radio Pastor John MacArthur say God created evil. At this point, my friend became so inflamed that he turned off the radio and swore never to listen to Pastor MacArthur again. Perhaps created is an entirely inappropriate choice of words, and here is why. I hate when Pastors say, “this is what James is saying,” this is especially redundant and insulting when it is obvious what, in this case, James is telling us. Consider the logic as we learn that:

• “it is not possible for God to be tested by evil.”

Fortunately, we have an explanation, for God spoke about the person who foolishly says, God put me through this test or evil.

• “and He tempts no one.” (MKJV)

That would eliminate Him tempting or testing you and I. My friend, influenced by far too many voices, suggests that God instilled Adam with evil. If you read the creation account, you see nothing that indicates that, and there is definitive evidence that Adam and Eve obtained the knowledge of evil through the consumption of the fruit of the tree that represented that knowledge.

Let's play out one more scenario. If God, as Isaiah tells us, created evil, and humankind, in the spirit form, is made in the likeness of God, why wouldn't Adam know evil as well? To answer the question I need to understand what Isaiah said!

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” Isaiah 45:7 KJV

Form - yāṣar: A verb meaning to form, to fashion, to shape, to devise. The primary meaning of the word is derived from the idea of cutting or framing. [Word Study Dictionary]
The word create. Heb. bara, Poel Participle, which with "evil" requires the rendering "bring about." So I can understand the idea of creation, in Isaiah 45:7, as God brought about.
Light – the Hebrew word ’ôr. It is a masculine noun meaning light. In a literal sense, it is used primarily to refer to light from heavenly bodies.
Darkness is the same word we see in Genesis chapter one where we find the creation account. Most innocently read Genesis 1:2 where it says, “and darkness was upon the face of the deep,” and see the earth as a place that simply had no light. But an in-depth look into a simple word like darkness and you find something ominous.
Darkness - chôshek - the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness: - dark (-ness), night, obscurity.
Isaiah gives us one more word, evil.
Evil is the Hebrew word ra‛ or râ‛âh. It means bad or (as noun) evil (naturally or morally). This includes the second (feminine) form; as adjective or noun: - adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress,

But, in speaking through Isaiah, only moments later, we get this:
“For the LORD is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the LORD,” he says, “and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:18 NLT 

He (God) made the earth perfectly, and, inhabitable from the moment of its origination; and yet, something appears to have happened, and because of that we find the earth covered in darkness – chaos. Isaiah distinctly tells us that God brought about evil. Since God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He tempt any man with evil, then evil must have come from some other direction or source, and God, in time, had to allow it to be brought forth; we see that happening with Adam at the forbidden tree of knowledge. Jesus told us that He beheld Satan fall like lighting to the earth. Since Satan's one purpose in life now is to usurp God's authority and position, then it is safe to assume that the evil, calamity, distress, and adversity came with him.

• [What does the BBE translation of James 1:13-17 say?] “But every man is tested when he is turned out of the right way by the attraction of his desire.”

So, are you telling me that Eve was turned out of the right way because of personal desires? Yes. The MKJV puts it this way - “But each one is tempted by his lusts, being drawn away and seduced by them.” Having struggled most of my life with self-esteem issues, I asked a counselor that used hypnotism about how this is done; this was important to me as I desire freedom from the fear associated with low self-esteem, and, I have seen stage shows where people do odd things like acting like a chicken. On a positive note, I have also seen a hypnotist get a lady past her morbid fear of snakes. When he was done with her, she was comfortable enough to hold a rather large snake. The counselor I spoke with, told me that the people doing odd things have a deeply inset desire to do those things and that these are the same people who drastically change with alcohol consumption. The counselor also told me that there was nothing they could make a person do if it is against their will. So, the hypnotized are only acting out upon their lusts/desires. In the MKJV you can see that they used the word lusts in James 1:13-17. Many perceive lusts as purely sexual, but it is not. Lusts are only desires that you have, like a fast or flashy car. In the case of Eve, she saw that the tree was not only good for food but that it gave you knowledge. The problem is that it was a knowledge that was not beneficial, for so many reasons; nor did she understand or care that her actions included the genetic alteration of the human species from that point forward – this is the best way for me to understand how we could all be born into sin.

The Lord Restores Israel, again. Ezekiel 39:25-29

Let's bring this look into the Ezekiel 38, 39 to an end.

What have we learned? That well over 900 years before Ezekiel came along there was a man named Gog. That man moved north and formed a nation (people group) built on alliances and similar destructive goals. Gog, in time, became the title of a leader, and though this man does not go by this title, we are feeling his wrath as we speak. This leader (Gog) will head a coalition of forces against Israel and many will die, including Gog. However, God has no intention of letting all of Israel get killed and so He sends a firestorm of some manner upon those who have chosen to fight against Israel, not only on the mainland but in the coastal regions as well. When you associate Islamic nations and their goal to wipe Israel off the map, this attack against the coastal areas makes more sense

Joel Rosenberg wrote a fictional book called the Ezekiel Option, which lays out an exciting and plausible scenario. In his book the war comes before the catching away of the church, and, there is an interesting background twist as some leadership in the Middle East have survived and made their plays for the oil. It may help to build an interesting visual in your mind.

Most Bibles entitle this last section: The Lord Restores Israel

And he certainly will, but the question is when?

Ezekiel 39:25-29 NASB Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for My holy name. 26) "They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid. 27) "When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. 28) "Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land, and I will leave none of them there any longer. 29) "I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.

Verse 25 boldly states, “thus says the Lord God, Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for My holy name.” But there is a problem with this if you take it at face value. Most people, and I am one of them, will read the statement and say, the war is over, and now God is immediately going to put Israel on the pedestal where He meant them to be. The problem with that assessment is that we stop reading and ignore verse 27, which says, “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies.”

Anyone that has a simple understanding of the Bible knows that God already scattered Israel, several times; and, that they were restored as a nation-state on May 14, 1948. So what are God and Ezekiel saying to us, that this attack by Gog will scatter Israel once again.

Is there anything in Ezekiel 38,39 that tells us that Israel is scattered once again and restored before our eyes? No. If they are dispersed and taken captive, we can only understand through passages like verse 27, 28. Since we see nothing in the two chapters that demonstrate anything but the possibility of death -

Ezekiel 39:14 “They will set apart men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through,”

then the instrument of restoration can only apply to the moments after Jesus comes back as the warring Messiah for which Israel longed.

Ezekiel 39:26 tells us, “They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid.” I have events that occasionally run through my mind and make me cringe every time I think of them. Short of mental health issues you do not forget anything. So verse 26 has to include an event that changes the heart and mind of the person. For those who are followers of Christ, there will come a day, a moment in time, in which we will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NASB ... we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Will it work this way for the remnant that enters the Millennial reign? We don't have an answer to that question; at least it is not spelled out how God will make that adjustment, but it will happen. We know that some change will be made because we are told that no evil thing will enter the New Jerusalem.

Does Israel live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid? Relatively, for they have enemies to the North, South, East, and West from the Mediterranean. During the days of Solomon, there was peace.

1 Kings 4:25 NASB So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

However, peace is short-lived, and Israel once again went into captivity. And yet, God's heart still spoke of the time when they would live in peace, and He would be their God.

Jeremiah 32:37-39 NASB "Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. 38) "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39) and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

The mere fact that they live in a relative peace right now does not mean that Jehovah is genuinely their God. Sadly, they will continue to feel His anger, wrath, and indignation, until the day that He brings them to the New Jerusalem.

If you watch the news, there is, on a daily basis, a car ramming; a knife attack; a fire kite or mortar being launched from Gaza. Have they eliminated the causes of fear? Not hardly. If you think about the New Jerusalem, things are going on outside the city walls that could bring alarm. How and why should God have to say, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15) Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.” Revelation 22:14-15 NASB.

Why would you be afraid if you were immortal and invincible? As we will be during the thousand years.

Ezekiel 39:27-28 NASB "When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. 28) "Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land, and I will leave none of them there any longer.

A friend of mine said I thought God was going to gather them already!

After World War two, there was a mass migration toward Israel, something you might have expected. However, the idea of living in Israel must have slowed, and for several years now Israel has been actively advertising Aliyah (This is the Hebrew word for immigration,) and for many, Israel supplemented your move and income for a time.

• “then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations.”
  Sanctified means to be set aside as Holy. So, God is telling us that because of His actions toward Israel, that He will now be thought of as Holy in the eyes of the nations; the very ones whom you would least expect to see Him as Holy.
• “ Then they will know that I am the LORD their God...”
  I intentionally only gave you a portion of the self-explanatory passage, however, without the complete sentence one might take the logical approach and look at the context. Since the previous sentence had to do with the nations, you might think that they would be thinking of God as their own. You might expect me to say yes, and you would be partially correct, but the sentence ends with:
• “because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land;”
  If you applied a broken human nature to this, the typical reaction would be anger and thoughts of revenge; instead, you see them come into an in-depth and respectful knowledge that the Lord is God, their God. This would be another reason to think that the Jews specifically, go through an internal change, just as the Church did.
• “and I will leave none of them there any longer.”
  Think about this, “because I made them go into exile,” and yet, there is no anger and remorse, only love and a longing for the God who taught them a lesson.

Why this change? The opportunity to love and understand had been there are along. Seriously, even I learned that He was love. I comprehend that God made me go into exile also, but I cannot say that I have fully embraced the love in those moments that have, in some cases lasted for years.

It's odd, how I can write these words and yet think of at least one Bible teacher whom it seems has lived his entire life protected in the arms of Jesus. Is that possible? What I know for sure, is that we are ALL broken people. Some, like myself, have learned to embrace the brokenness, as it allows me the opportunity to find some healing and mental health. An added benefit is that in expressing my understanding, it encourages others to share and not be afraid. Sadly, there are those in the religious world, that will use your words against you. Stay brave and do what God told you to do anyway.

Ezekiel 39:29 NASB "I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.

At some point I expressed the idea that God never turned His back on me, but how would I know that if He did. If He did it was meant to drive me back to Him; and, I have always known He was right there, arms open wide, waiting for me to come back to Him. Is that what we see here? Perhaps. There is a key to understanding this, it is in the statement, “for I will have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel.” I am one of those who chose to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; yes, we are told that the Holy Spirit is a gift. Gifts are given and we, the recipient merely have to open the package to obtain what is inside. Well, I opened my package, this free gift, and over time have come to depend upon His Spirit in my life.

Consider these verses in your own time for this is what God will do for and to Israel. 

John 7:38-39; John 14:12-13, 16-17; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 20:22

God was sorry he made man on the earth. Is that even possible? Edited.

I was asked by a friend about the Book of Enoch that I was recently reading. I acquired it several months ago but have never taken the time to read the book. Having recently decided to pursue its contents, I find it requires my full concentration. Waiting for this friend to get out of his medical appointment, I had a few minutes to spare, and so I began rereading pages of the book I had already read. This time I had determined to make notes as I went because I wanted to build some word pictures in my head (it's how I learn best.) Waiting for some paperwork from the front desk, there were a few brief minutes before we left and so I started talking about what I had learned so far.

I mentioned that the Book of Enoch had been an integral part of the early Church, and had been read aloud among the body for 700 years. Early Church fathers, such as Clement, Barnabas, and Irenaeus referenced and quoted from the Book of Enoch. Th D. JR Church published the book, “Enoch, The First Book Ever Written,” and he does the commentary on it as it progresses.

I have come to realize that verifiable evidence is not enough to convince some people of the necessity nor the authenticity of information that gives us more insight into Biblical events that are otherwise eternally obscured. I am a firm believer that the answers are in scripture, and, if not they might be obtained through some other source, like the Book of Enoch.

Keep this in mind as you read. Jude, the author of his own book, quotes a prophecy from Enoch that is not in our Bibles and can only be found in the Book of Enoch. The writer of Hebrews places Enoch in the hall of fame for his great faith, by which he walked off this earth and into God's arms, never to see death (Hebrews 11:5). And we find the name of Enoch in Luke 3:37, where he is listed in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

I can't remember how we got there, but my friend said, then what do you do with Genesis 6:7 where God said, I am sorry that I made man?

Perhaps I had attempted to point out how the fallen angels had, as Jude tells us, cohabited with the daughters of men, with the express purpose of circumventing God's plan of redemption. How can I make that statement? You have to go back to the garden where God is addressing Eve about her actions. She is cursed, but there is some good news, as one from her seed will bring about the redemption of the world. (Okay, I did not use the exact wording, but you should get a general idea.)

Genesis 3:13-15 NASB Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14) The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; 15) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

Satan's evil plan almost worked prior to the flood.

Consider what was happening at this time. God, seeing that the earth was FILLED with violence and that the thoughts of “men” were only evil. The fallen angels, by taking whomever they wanted among women, had filled the earth with hybrids. The International Standard Bible says it best.

Genesis 6:4 ISV The Nephilim were on the earth at that time (and also immediately afterward), when those divine beings were having sexual relations with those human women, who gave birth to children for them. These children became the heroes and legendary figures of ancient times.

These titans became the foundation of mythology.

Question, does all indeed mean all? No, because there was at that time a handful; specifically the close lineage that produced Noah. This family line was, as yet, untouched by the genetic corruption that these fallen angels were introducing.

So far I haven't focused on any passages that touch on the word all, but the question was asked, “didn't God say that he was sorry he created man on the earth?” Doesn't that phrase imply that God was offended by all, including Noah? There is nothing about this question or the verse, that paints a correct picture of God or His character. If He was disgusted with all, then why waste any time communing with Enoch. The disjointed logic we use when we focus on one verse out of context makes no sense and is incorrect. So let's rethink the generalized question, wasn't God sorry He created man.

Genesis 6:6-7 NASB The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7) The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."

While it is true that the Bible translations range from sorry to regret, and grieved; but remember, God, put the man on earth so that He could share His life with and talk to the man.

[Right here is where the understanding that God was not caught off guard by Satan's/Lucifer's actions, and the plan of salvation – that is the securing of the creation, including God's finest creation, man, was initiated. All of our confusion and misunderstandings stem from how we perceive these first few moments of time. God knew full well what would happen and adapted to the perverted twists. The day will come when our relationship with the Father will once again be restored to the condition it was prior to Adam's fall in the garden.]

When you understand God's nature and character, the emotion of being sorry doesn't seem to accurately convey His heart toward men like Enoch, Methuselah or Noah, and they should be excluded from such a generalized statement. Therefore, it must mean something more specific.

To merely quote this verse is to ignore the context in which it is said.

The context begins in verse two, where fallen angels are taking human women, having intercourse with them, and filling the earth with their own version of hybrids. Not only that, but these hybrids are not just tall, they are massive, and they are violent hunters of humankind.

Genesis 6:2-5 CJB the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were attractive; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3) Adonai said, "My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore their lifespan is to be 120 years." 4) The N'filim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the ancient heroes, men of renown. 5) Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only.

The attention grabber in this paragraph above is verse 5, where it says, “Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only.” Evidently, the Satanic scheme to hijack the redemption of the earth was so efficient that it had reduced the unpolluted lineage from Adam to the close relatives of Noah.

Now, if the earth had been infiltrated to the point there were only a handful of undamaged humans left, wouldn't God be justifiably disgusted to the point where he was not only willing but needed to remove this malignancy from the earth.

Genesis 6:6-7 NASB The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7) The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."

Sorry, the word used in the NASB is the Hebrew word nâcham and means to sigh that is, breathe strongly; by implication to be sorry.

For me, an implication is not a translation, nor is it definitive. It is, however, something that may explain or add clarity. The words sigh and breathe strongly are words that I can understand, as I do it frequently. I sigh when I am angry, frustrated, and have enough. In this case, God had enough.

The phrase “he had made,” is the Hebrew word ‛āśāh: A verb meaning to do, to make, to accomplish, to complete. This frequently used Hebrew verb conveys the central notion of performing an activity with a distinct purpose, a moral obligation, or a goal in view (cf. Gen_11:6).

I could just as comfortably read Genesis 6:6 as The Lord was extremely frustrated that His good intentions had come to this.

Isaiah tells that the earth was habitable in the day that it was formed, and yet, something transpired because there was most certainly some imperfection taking place.

Isaiah 45:18 NASB For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.

Likewise, man was perfect in the day he was made as well.

Genesis 1:27-31 NASB God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28) God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29) Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30) and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so. 31) God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

What is there about this paragraph above for God to be disgusted with? Nothing.

How about here in Genesis 2:7-9?

Genesis 2:7-9 NASB Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8) The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 9) Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Still good. But things are about to change. I am cutting it short for space sake.

Genesis 3:7-10 NASB Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. 8) They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9) Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10) He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

Eve was deceived, but Adam was wide awake and chose to trash his relationship with God. The passage also demonstrates an event that may have happened on a daily basis, God communing with the man and his wife. The tragedy here is that the connectedness and ease of communication with God were now broken.

I pointed out earlier, how in talking with the serpent, God said, “I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Not too long after this, is when Satan's plan to stop this seed, gets put into action.

Ask yourself a question. Through intercourse and a maintained level of violence, how long would it take you to redirect the global order of things? Now, consider the added benefit these hybrids had in their completion of Satan's ugly plan. Can you now see why the history of man on earth, has been riddled with holocausts?

Why would John have to say that? John 1:18

English: Jesus and Nicodemus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Apostle John had just finished saying,

“John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” John 1:15-17 NASB

What the Apostle John had just said was almost too much to handle, and, keep in mind that John is addressing Jewish converts. A group that before receiving salvation seemed to struggle with the idea that Jesus was the Messiah/God in the flesh. He finished the thought with, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

You can almost feel the tension in the air as they read this last statement.

I imagine the converts wanted to understand, but this needed to be chewed on for a moment. I can just picture John taking an intentional pause, breathing deeply, and then adding this next statement:

“No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” John 1:18 NASB

Why would John have to say that?

We have to go back to his opening lines and try to grasp how the minds received what he said. Some may have been wondering if Jesus still walked the earth. Besides, we are talking about the all mighty God, right?

You would think that the concepts the Apostle John was setting forth were already understood.

Even I can understand that the law of God came through the mouth of Moses, but if God conveyed what we typically see as anger and wrath through the law, then how do I embrace grace and truth, which almost seems in opposition to the law. Furthermore, how do I accept this “freedom” as being through Jesus, who was also here as God, or at least a representative of Him?

Let's try to grasp this for a moment.

• On two occasions Jesus spoke of how he and the Father are one. We find both of those detailed in John's Gospel: John 10:30 and John 17:22.
  When Jesus made the statement in John 10:30, the religious Jewish crowd (this probably consisted of the chief priests, elders, scribes, Pharisee, and Sadducees) reacted, and poorly. To them Jesus words were blasphemous, and, as you can see by their response, they were willing to stone Jesus to death.

John 10:31-33 NASB, The Jews, picked up stones again to stone Him. 32) Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" 33) The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."

But what is the obvious problem for the religious Jews? They were not going to accept Jesus words. This is not true of all of them because of Nicodemus, one of the elders, came to Him by night. Nicodemus tells us that many believed. Believed what? Jesus word.

• Young's Literal Translation of John 17:22, gives another view of Jesus relating who He was when He said, “And I, the glory that thou hast given to me, have given to them, that they may be one as we are one;”
  Fairly direct, wouldn't you say?
• In Luke's gospel, chapter 22 verse 30, it is recorded that Jesus referred to the table of God as His table.

  “that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (NASB)

  
  
  But once again we have a problem.
  To whom is Jesus saying this? The disciples. We make the assumption that this means twelve men, but we find out that by the time the Holy Spirit fell on them all, there was as many as 120 who carried that title. If the message was that Jesus and God were one and they were excited about that aspect, then how and why would that have been prevented? Only through fear, intimidation, and threats, and that is exactly what the religious Jews did.
• I will end this rant with a passage from Mark's gospel.
  Held like a criminal before the high priest and elders, Jesus was challenged.

  Mark 14:60-64 NASB, The high priest, stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?"

  
  
  As you can see, He answered them with “I am.”

  61) But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62) And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."

  
  
  Those listening, and they were listening intently, heard every word. It didn't take lengthy discussion because they understood the implications of every word, comma, and period, and yes, I know that the Greek has no punctuation. The list of accusations was already sufficient and substantial. As soon as Jesus said these words, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” the high priest intentionally ripped his garments.
  From Kenneth Wuest's Word Studies in the New Testament, we get this: “This tearing of garments was an old sign of mourning or sorrow first mentioned in Gen_37:29. The law forbad the high priest from rending his garments in the case of private troubles (Lev_10:6; Lev_21:10), but when acting as a judge, he was required by custom to express in this way his horror of any blasphemy uttered in his presence.” - Me, this was, of course, their interpretation, not knowing that Jesus was God.

  63) Tearing his clothes, the high priest *said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? 64) "You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

  
  
  We assume that this was the last straw for putting Jesus to death, but they had tried to kill him on many occasions. What we have to keep in mind is that death was a necessary price to pay for our redemption and a price that He paid willingly.

Now the question, why would the Apostle John have to say the things he said, comes full circle. Hopefully, I presented enough evidence to convince the Bereans among us, that Jesus was God. Do I fully grasp the concept? No, but I am not foolish enough to challenge the idea any longer, and my lack of understanding has created an insatiable desire to learn more completely these things the Jewish leadership understood – and yet repressed. This desire to know the God I choose to serve is the main reason I write, that and the horrific lack of knowledge we "followers" of Christ have about most anything when it comes to the Bible. Simply put, we choose to live in a world of fairy tales, such as David and Goliath, believing that David was just the cutest little twelve-year-old boy. Wake up! What fool would let a child attempt to defend a nation, knowing full well the horrors of enslavement that would befall all of Israel?

Setting the idea of fairy tales aside, the question now is, who do you say this Jesus is?

The answer is important, whether you believe it or not, because:

1. Jesus is coming soon to gather those who belong to him, back to himself.
2. This void left by a praying church will leave many here on earth to suffer the hateful indifference of a godless society; hell bent on the collection of riches. Their decisions, which we are already experiencing, include the killing of those associated with Christ.

While I am not the judge and do not know the hearts of those around me, God does, and the religious practices of these cult religions have shown them enough truth to understand that God is real and that the world around you, at this point, wants you dead.

All my life, practically living in the church, has sheltered me, to some degree, from the world. What that means is that I am thankful I did not develop a taste for most of what the world offers, like drugs and alcohol. What I did find myself consumed by was co-dependency, anxiety, depression, and a Viking-like anger that I used to keep myself safe (so I thought) from people who had the skills to push others around. [This idea of pushing people around is often subtle and done under the guise of people skills.] So, does growing up in church give me an advantage? Hardly, it puts you in the sights of individuals, who have a religious side to them but are almost as twisted and evil as the world.

I am not going to lie to you, growing up in the church was hard, it should not have been, but it was. Later on in life, after a wife cheated on me for the second time, I allowed myself to indulge in some Viking-like rage and ended up in a psych hospital for a month. Thankfully I learned some things about myself that enable me to walk calmly through most of those anger filled moments. To add to my grief, the psych staff asked me how long my parents had been alcoholics. Try to imagine the questions your mind throws at you in a moment like that, when, to my understanding, my parents have never touched alcohol and yet act like they guzzled the stuff. I still have trouble with it, and, have considered going to something like an Adult Children of Alcoholics group, just to see what help I could gain in understanding me.

All-in-all, I consider myself fortunate that I found Christ at such an early age because the life I lived in Christ gave me a foundation that was rich in a diversity that included: the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Because of those experiences I have felt all the emotions, I associate with a God that loves me, but spread over many years. Feelings, by the way, buy you nothing in the long run as we are expected to live this life by faith. The problem with years of experience is that the time frame is broad enough for me to become almost numb to it, or at least not react appropriately to the moving of the spirit. It is in those times that I remind myself, as the song says, of all that he has done. Yes, I remind myself, not only from a historical point of view but also of how Jesus has shown up in my life as well.

Jesus, make me yours!!

Related articles

• God will show up

A short dive into Isaiah - Chapter 11

A short trek through Isaiah - Chapter 11

This is not very interactive, as I am doing this out of my own personal interest. Having been challenged recently about what many assume is the probability that Isaiah was quoting a mythological saying of his time, as though it was scripture, I decided I needed a deeper understanding of Isaiah. For me, there is only one way to do that, and that is to dig. 

If you don't mind digging you are welcome to join me on the journey.

---

Isaiah 11:1-3 NASB “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;”

• Of whom is the writer speaking?
  • Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Note the descriptives: “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”

You should understand that the word fear, used in instances like this passage, mean a deep and healthy respect and reverence.

Reverence: In the Old Testament, occurs as the translation of two Hebrew words, yārē' and shāḥāh. The root idea of the former is “fear.” It is used to express the attitude toward God Himself, as in Psa_89:7 the King James Version; or toward His sanctuary, as in Lev_19:30; Lev_26:2. So the group of ideas there would be “fear,” “awe,” “reverence.” The root idea of the second is “falling down,” as prostration of the body. It is used to express the bearing toward another who is considered superior.

• “And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear.”

I am involved with several churches, most of which deem themselves to be open-minded, non-denominational. And yet, from old to young they spew judgment out of their mouths. Don't get me wrong, I am adept at judgmentalism and fight against it always. Why? Because I, like everyone else, have sat under false teaching while refusing to open my Bible and find out what the truth is for myself.

Often, as some Bible study leader is trying to explain some horrid statement they made, will speak of God and His Great White Throne judgment, as a point of no return, where all brought before him are sent to the eternal torment of hell. Does that sound anywhere close to this descriptive we see of God? [Yes, I know, we are talking about Jesus here aren't we. However, I integrated a visual taken from the Revelation of Jesus. And yet, when you read Revelation 20 we presume this to be God sitting in judgment here. Why do we do that; because we take someone's word for it and do not educate ourselves.

Where else do we find this concept?

1Samuel 16:7 NASB “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."”

Isaiah 11:4,5 NASB “But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also, righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”

Alright, since you understand that the Lord looks at the heart, then this should demonstrate the mercy that far too many do not understand. That is that God, having looked upon the hearts of people, will be able to make a sound decision and grant multitudes entrance into the kingdom of heaven, solely based upon their good deeds.

I am not making this stuff up, for you see it in both Revelation 20 and Matthew 25. This mercy, found in both books, is more descriptive in Matthew's gospel because the focus is on the sheep, not the goats. In Revelation 20 it says little about those whose name is found in the Book of Life because that is not the focus there. That lack of description does not mean they don't exist, and it would be improper to say otherwise. I am telling you this because I have heard it taught that Revelation 20 is exclusively a judgment where everyone gets sent to the lake of fire and that is not the case.

Isaiah 11:6-9 NASB “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also, the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea”; this is definitely what the Jewish mind sees when they speak of the eternal kingdom.

• “For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”

A rather dramatic assertion that only God could fulfill.

Allow me to ask you a question. Why would this be a concern in the eternal kingdom?

I can't imagine it would be, but I can see a reason for an emphasis like this during the millennial reign because the nations continue to exist and continue to have a freewill choice. Forced to come to the New Jerusalem each year, they must participate in the Feast of Tabernacles. Failure to do this has some dire consequences, but this is not the final judgment, that does not happen until the Great White Throne.

Jeremiah 31:34 NASB "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Isaiah 11:10,11 NASB “Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. (11) Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea.

In that day, or, on that day, what does this all point toward?

The phrase has multiple meanings, some of which are particular moments, while others cover a broad spectrum such as the “seven-year” period and the millennial reign of Christ.

• “ The nations will resort to the root of Jesse.”

Romans 15:12 NASB “Again Isaiah says, "THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE."”

Isaiah 11:1-5. - We have already discussed these passages, and it is clear that it is speaking of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. But this speaks of a branch from the root of Jesse. When I worked with plant propagation, we learned that it was common for growers to take a rootstock that resists disease and nematode invasions common to many soils. The variant was then grafted onto the root stock. Most roses that we buy have already had that done, and we don't even pay attention to it, nor do we care.

Ruth 4:17 NASB “The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”

Obviously, he is talking about a lineage; an ancestry, specifically initiating with Jesse, the father of David. I think it is safe to say that Jesse was a righteous man, but what did Jesse do? He fathered David, who later became the king and a man after God's own heart.

Isaiah 11:12,13 NASB “And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. (13) Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim.

• “And He will lift up a standard for the nations.”

He is the Messiah.

Since an aspect of our discussion is “the day of the Lord” let's talk about that for a moment.

If you do a search for the phrase, “in that day”, the NASB produces 89 verses; most of which speak about God's anger, hiding his face, and a time of judgment. This information should prompt you to ask when this time will be. We, in Christianity, love to call this time the tribulation. I have a problem with that since Jesus told us that tribulations would be a way of life. The time that is coming is called a time of judgment and wrath, and you can find that throughout scripture, especially in the Revelation.

Isaiah 10:20 Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 17:7 In that day man will have regard for his Maker, And his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 19:21 Thus the LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the LORD and perform it.

Zechariah 2:11 "Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.

I hope you get a general idea, for this aspect has never been clear to me. If others attempted to teach on it in my youth, I do not remember, or it made no sense. Since I am a visual learner, and I have not been able to visualize this scene in my mind, I am still not sure I am getting it.

• “Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim.”

From MacArthur: "Ephraim … Judah. These were the two major divisions of Israel after the schism under Jeroboam (1Ki_12:16-20). Ephraim was the name representing the ten northern tribes, and Judah the two southern tribes. When the Messiah returns, they will reunite in a lasting peace."

1 Kings 12:19 NASB So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David (Judah) to this day. (Emphasis, mine.)

• “those who harass Judah will be cut off.”
  • Will this be in one fell swoop, or progressively?
    Since we see no relief for Israel, it might be best to see this as one massive military action, although I am not sure God calls it an operation. We see this in Revelation 19:11-21.
    Revelation 19:11-21 NASB 11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12) His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13) He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14) And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15) From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING

    

    When Jesus comes in his glory

    OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." 17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18) so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." 19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20) And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
  • This battle will be quick, decisive, and only against those who choose to fight against God. Since God sees those that fight against Israel as fighting Him, then I am certain they will be included.
  • One other thing, it will be global. But, you have to keep in mind what has going on in the world before this happens.
    • Hail, fire, stars falling from the sky, and earthquakes that are off the scales. It is entirely possible that the land masses may be reconnected at this point, making the definition of global to mean a much smaller world.

Isaiah 11:14 NASB “They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west; Together they will plunder the sons of the east; They will possess Edom and Moab, And the sons of Ammon will be subject to them.”

• “They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west;”
  • My first question is, who is being referred to when it says “they”?

Philistia along the South Western coastal border, we understand as Gaza.

Because the present subject is Ephraim, who has set aside, it's hostility to Judah, the Southern states (I suppose that is one way to look at it.) Then I think it is safe to assume Ephraim – Note: the world does see any distinction here, as any action is identified as Israel. This assumption can create problems as two-thirds of Israel, the nation, will be slaughtered during the time of wrath, while it seems the other third flees. I do not see anyone left to defend a populace. But, then I am not God, and God does not live inside my subjective box. Therefore this could happen as you read this. Currently, it seems that Gaza is allowed to live within their limitations until missiles start raining down on Israel once again, and then the active military efforts deluge them.

These efforts, however, only seem to be temporary fixes to the problem.

Isaiah 11:15 NASB “And the LORD will utterly destroy The tongue of the Sea of Egypt, And He will wave His hand over the River With His scorching wind, And He will strike it into seven streams And make men walk over dry-shod.”

A highway from Assyria

The IVPBBC states: “gulf of the Egyptian Sea. This is the only occurrence in the Bible of a body of water called the Egyptian Sea and is therefore difficult to place with any certainty. Most commentators identify it with the Gulf of Suez.

• “And He will wave His hand over the River With His scorching wind, And He will strike it into seven streams And make men walk over dry-shod.”

Isaiah 11:16 NASB “And there will be a highway from Assyria For the remnant of His people who will be left, Just as there was for Israel In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.”

Was there a highway, as we understand it, coming out of Egypt? Nope, but God did cut a path through the Red Sea, expansive enough to march over a million people across on dry land. That means that it was broad and entirely dry when they crossed. The Egyptians, when they assayed to cross were drowned in that same sea. So, in a sense, this was the highway. We might assume that this will happen again because the precedent has been set.

Egypt and the Nile