Questions a friend asks me. Today's is based in Matthew 18:10.

Matthew 18:10 NASB "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

• What are these angels doing in Matthew 18:10, do they guard children?

When I look at the notes in my Dake's bible I am referred to Psalm 34:7

Psalms 34:7 NASB The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
So I can understand that angels operate on our behalf. But what does a child understand about fear for and of the Lord? They don't unless we indoctrinate them with the notion that God can kill them, which He can, but that is not the nature and character of God, and certainly would not explain the caring and compassion God has for children.

Knowing that God cares for children, then why would He allow such horrible things to happen to them, especially since there are angels assigned to them, just as they are assigned to us?
I am not sure I can answer this appropriately, as there are innocent children, on a daily basis, kidnapped, tortured, blown up, and they were nothing more than innocent victims. One of my friends read a statistic that said there were 200,000 children that go missing every year in America.

• Where then were these angels?

Perhaps God's plan surpasses our understanding and is, therefore, a part of this mystery.

In what other ways do angels surround us?

• In the case of Elijah and Gehazi, they were surrounded by the Syrian army. Gehazi was the only that seemed terribly concerned by this and cries to Elijah about the situation as though Elijah did not know.

2 Kings 6:15-17 NASB Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" (16) So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." (17) Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

• On behalf of Daniel, an angel shut the mouths of the lions.

Daniel 6:22 NASB "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime."

• The angel Gabriel came to deliver a message to Daniel and had to physically fight.

Daniel 10:13 CJB  The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but Mikha'el, one of the chief princes, came to assist me; so that I was no longer needed there with the kings of Persia.

• Angels are commissioned to work for us.

Hebrews 1:14 NASB Are they, not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

• In the latter days (days which we may see.) Michael will stand up and deliver those whose name is found written in the book.

I can apply this to the church, or to the Jews in general. If I project the idea of latter days into the time of wrath, then it becomes those who are to be delivered because of their testimony. Sadly, for many, deliverance comes by the sword or some other form of death.
Daniel 12:1 CJB  "When that time comes, Mikha'el, the great prince who champions your people, will stand up; and there will be a time of distress unparalleled between the time they became a nation and that moment. At that time, your people will be delivered, everyone whose name is found written in the book.

• On our behalf

Psalms 91:11 CJB  for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go.
The standard argument is, why then did He let me go through (insert the horror you experienced here?) The answer lies in God drawing your heart back to Him, and, should you survive it, making you the great witness that you are today.

• If God knows already who his heirs are, then why do we need angels to guard us, and how does play into fate/destiny vs free will?

The angels guard us because we are flimsy, weak, mortals, with an inherent genetic defect that drives us to sin. To prove my point the flood scenario depicts a pre-flood world left to its own devices, the world was filled with violence and every thought of man was evil.


Free will works in opposition to God most every time. Free will is overrated. And fate is an allusion to sin. God is in control, no matter what it looks like, and sometimes it looks like the bad guys just won.

Micah 1:5 part two, What is the transgression of Jacob?

So let's go back to Micah 1:5 for a moment.

Micah 1:5 NASB All this is for the rebellion of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?

The verse states, “All this is for the rebellion of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel.” As you can see the verse ends with a period, and then, inserts a question. Perhaps they should have ended with a comma and then said, “but,” what is the rebellion of Jacob, because I, nor you, know. I can now conclusively tell you how Samaria came to hold such disdain in the eyes of the Jews, but I cannot tell you what this rebellion was with any specificity. So let's find out.

"What is the transgression of Jacob?"

The transgression of Jacob. (According to the UCRT cross reference all these references apply to Jacob's transgression.) 2Ki_17:7-23, *2Ch_36:14-16, Isa_50:1-2; Isa_59:1-15, Jer_2:17; Jer_2:19; Jer_4:18; Jer_5:25; Jer_6:19, Lam_5:16, 1Th_2:15-16.

Without diving into scripture, there is the incident that all of us who have been around organized church for a long time are aware of; the short version of it goes like this. Issac is old, cannot see, and is dying., At his mother's prodding Jacob deceives his brother Esau, and then his father. Because of this deception, Issac gives Jacob (the second born) the blessing that was due the first - sheep, land, and the promise of God's best upon his life. Esau of course now wants to kill his brother Jacob, and so Jacob flees for life, at his mother's direction, to the land where her brother Laban resides, and thus begins our tale.

Now this deception aspect alone might be the answer to what the transgression of Jacob might be, but strangely, you still the blessing of God (what a coincidence that Issac gave him that blessing,) upon his life – along with constant problems. So, I am uncomfortable pinning the transgression/rebellion to this incident alone.

When searching for a reference that explains the transgression of Jacob, this passage in Genesis 31:1-3 is one of the places you are taken.

Genesis 31:1-3 NASB Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth." 2) Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly. 3) Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

Note how Jacob heard Laban's son say, Jacob has taken away all that was our father's. They were, of course, referring to the goats that had distinct markings, an agreement that Laban made with Jacob, and broke several times by stealing the goats away from Jacob.

Genesis 30:31-35 NASB So he said, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flock: 32) let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages. 33) "So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come concerning my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, will be considered stolen." 34) Laban said, "Good, let it be according to your word." 35) So he removed on that day the striped and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats, every one with white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons.

Laban agreed and then had his sons take those same sheep out of the herd so he would not have to pay Jacob. At this point, I would say that all the transgression is on the part of Laban.

The sons of Laban may have also been referring to their sisters when they said “Jacob has taken away all that was our father's,” but that too was an agreement that their father had made and did not uphold. Still, Jacob had done nothing wrong to Laban.

As I go through references to Jacob, the first thing I find is the deception performed by Jacob and his mother, against Esau and Issac. But as I follow that trail, it seems that God had his hand in it all along, and blessed Jacob regardless.

There is, however, a drastic change when they meet Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite:

Genesis 34:2 MKJV  And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and humbled her.

Almost all of Genesis 34 is centered upon Dinah, this young man Shechem and his actions, and the primary focus, the deception and deadly violence committed by Jacob's sons.

Who or what's to say men are good; but didn't this young man and his father seem to want to do the right thing. What you can't ignore is that Shechem raped Dinah; at best he seduced her, but when you consider the Jewish idea that a young girl is marriageable at 12 years and a day, how could you expect her to have the skills to resist some smooth talking man?. Besides all that, Shechem, we learn loved Dinah and wanted to marry her; while that seems excellent look at the IVP commentary below. Still, it seems men died without cause at the hands of Jacob's sons, while Jacob did and said nothing. Perhaps now we have what might be the transgression of Jacob.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary has this to say about rape.

Ravishing women. Rape as a means of obtaining a marriage contract was apparently one stratagem used in the ancient Near East. Laws regulating this practice are found in Exo_22:16-17, Deu_22:28-29, the Middle Assyrian Laws and the Hittite laws. These often require the rapist to pay an extraordinarily high bride price and sometimes forbid any possibility of divorce. Sumerian Law 7, like Genesis 34, deals with a case where a young, unbetrothed woman leaves her parents’ home without permission and is raped. The result is an option by the parents to marry her to the rapist without her consent.

On a side note: this phrase, “and he did and said nothing,” should have a familiar tone, for this was the way King David ran his own family.

Genesis 34:11-13 MKJV  And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find grace in your eyes, and whatever you shall say to me I will give.  12)  Heap upon me ever so much price and dowry, and I will give according as you shall say to me. But give me the girl for a wife.  13)  And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor, his father, speaking with deceit because he had defiled Dinah their sister.

Again, the conversation starts with Jacob but quickly turns to the sons, who are doing all the speaking on behalf of the family. Everything the son's say is deceitful, with the purpose of making them pay for what Shechem did to Dinah.

Genesis 34:14-17 MKJV  And they said to them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised. For it is a reproach to us.  15)  But in this we will agree with you, if you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised,  16)  then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will live with you, and we will become one people.  17)  But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will go.

Jacob is sitting right there, listening to every word, and yet he says and does nothing. Maybe he thinks this is all reasonable, and perhaps it is.

Genesis 34:18-24 MKJV  And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.  19)  And the young man did not hesitate to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter. And he was more honorable than all the house of his father.  20)  And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying,  21)  These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them live in the land, and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.  22)  Only on this condition will the men agree to us, to live with us, to be one people, if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised.  23)  Shall not their cattle and their substance and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will live with us.  24)  And all that went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son. And every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

The assumption, on the part of the Hivites, was that these people and their “wealth” would be joined to their community, making it stronger. The sons of Jacob had no intention of doing that and therefore waited until the third day after this barbaric surgery so that they could kill them all.

Genesis 34:27-29 MKJV  The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city because they had defiled their sister.  28)  They took their sheep and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field.  29)  And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives, they took captive and plundered even all that was in the house.

What was it that Laban's sons accused Jacob of taking, all that belonged to their father; and now Jacob's sons have done just that to the Hivites. Jacob, who has said nothing, now has something to say.

Genesis 34:30 MKJV  And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have troubled me, to make me stink among those who live in the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And I, being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and kill me. And I shall be destroyed, my house and I.

Now the story goes on, but is it possible that this incident is one of the primary roots of Jacob's transgression?

2 Kings 17:7 MKJV  And it happened because the sons of Israel had sinned against Jehovah their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

Note what 2Kings 17:7 says, “ And it happened because the sons of Israel had sinned against Jehovah their God.” While the reference has little to do with Shechem and the Hivites, these are the tribal names that evolved from the same sons that we just witnessed, deceiving the Hivites, slaughtering all the males, taking all the females captive, and looting all that they possessed. Is it possible, that as representatives of God on this earth, that they just misrepresented God? Why can I ask that question, because I have learned that God is, above all else, filled with mercy and justice?

If you know the story of Jonah, then you know that narrative ends with Jonah having a pity party because God showed the Ninevehites mercy and temporarily spared them. I can think of one other misrepresentation, and that was performed by Moses when he, against God's direction, struck the rock instead of speaking to it. Oh sure, water flowed, but what I see is Moses misrepresenting God. The people, most likely see God as an angry, vengeful God instead of one who operates out of mercy.

What is a predominant belief that most of us have?

That God is a vindictive God with one purpose, send as many people to hell as possible. I have come to understand this twisted theme from the mouths of church elders who lead studies at the churches I have attended over the years.

There is one last predominant thing that stands out against Jacob, although it is preceded by God's blessing once again as God changes Jacob's name to Israel.

Genesis 35:6-16 MKJV  And Jacob came to Luz in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people with him.  7)  And he built an altar there and called the place El-bethel, because God appeared to him there when he fled from the face of his brother.  8)  But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel, under an oak. And the name of it was called Oak of Weeping.  9)  And God appeared to Jacob again when he came out of Padan-aram and blessed him.  10)  And God said to him, Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name. And He called his name Israel.  11)  And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall be from you, and kings shall come out of your loins.  12)  And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your seed, after you, I will give the land.  13)  And God went up from him in the place where He talked with him.  14)  And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone. And he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it.  15)  And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.  16)  And they moved from Bethel. And there was only a length of land to come to Ephrath. And Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor in her bearing.

This is where things get even tougher for Jacob, as Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin, and Reuben has sex with one of Jacob's concubine.

Rachel's Tomb circa 1930

Genesis 35:22 MKJV  And it happened when Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard it. And the sons of Jacob were twelve:

You follow the story out to the end of Genesis 35 and what do see happening to Reuben? Nothing. The next time we hear of Reuben is in Genesis 37:21 where he is trying to save Joseph's life. While his words may have diverted the brothers from killing Joseph, Joseph was still sold into slavery. Reuben says something interesting here which tells us that many things happen in the background and we are not aware.

Genesis 37:29-30 MKJV  And Reuben returned to the pit. And behold! Joseph was not in the pit! And he tore his clothes.  30)  And he returned to his brothers and said, The child, he is not. And I, where shall I go?

Much time has passed. Joseph has become second in command in Egypt, and the brothers have convinced Jacob/Israel that they need to go and get some grain from Egypt or they will die. Things go badly for the brothers because Joseph recognizes them and wants them to squirm a little.

Genesis 42:22 MKJV  And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you saying, Do not sin against the youth? And you would not hear. Therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

After all these years, Joseph is a middle-aged man with a family, since Reuben's indiscretion with his father's concubine, and finally, we hear some disdain against him.

Genesis 49:3-4 MKJV  Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.  4)  Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch.

Jacob/Israel called his sons to him and spelled out prophetically, how their lives would go, in life, and as a nation. Jacob had no idea it would include 400+ years of slavery in Egypt, but that was yet to come. Jacob died and was buried with Rachel in Samaria.

Now that is the summary of Jacob's fraudulence, the transgressions done to him, and his lack of action about his sons' bloody violence. Can I pin any one thing on Jacob and say this is what got him in trouble? Not really, but if you noticed, God seems to portray a consistent family line and ownership of problems through that line. Rebecca, taught Jacob; and Jacob taught his sons; and when they got out of line, we see nothing done to them.

On the subject of vengeance.

Several weeks ago the Monday morning study leader announced that the following week we would be starting a study on vengeance. To show that the carnal side of me still exists, I wrote this on my notepad, Coming up next week, Vengeance!, Yeah baby! I was messing around, as the first reaction I had, was to moan because every study is a fitful barrage of legalism. However, when that particular “study” ended, I turned to my friend and said, that wasn't all bad.

The leader was giving an introduction, but he had already lost me, as I was looking up passages on vengeance. The first thing I came to was a passage in Leviticus.

Leviticus 19:18 ISV "You are not to seek vengeance or hold a grudge against the descendants of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."

The first thing I realized is that this is “the law,” and we, are not under the law; or, are we? If we are not under the law, then what do I do with this statement from the Apostle Paul?

Romans 12:16-19 ISV Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are. 17) Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people. 18) If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with all people. 19) Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord."

Wait a minute, Paul, the reformed Pharisee, and one of the most prominent advocates of grace; tells his audience of Jewish converts, and us, do not put yourself back under the bondage of the law. And yet, here it is.

Nahum 1:2-3 AMPC The Lord is a jealous God and avenging; the Lord avenges, and He is full of wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries and reserves wrath for His enemies. [Exodus 20:5] 3) The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. [Exodus 34:6-7]

There are many scriptural illustrations that Paul could have pulled from, but Nahum conveys the idea of vengeance well. If Paul could be comfortable drawing examples from the “law” while speaking of those same laws as a return to bondage, then your spirit should be telling you that there is something more involved in this idea of bondage than mere constraints put on us by God. The “laws,” such as, love your neighbor as yourselves, are, at the very least, a better way of living; And, they are the very thing that keeps us out of God's way, as we focus on the positive rather than our hidden agenda of supplanting God by dishing out vengeance and judgment.

So then, even the New Testament conveys constraints that parallel the law.

I have mentioned, many times, how we live under the perfect law of liberty.

James 2:10-12 NASB For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11) For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12) So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

James is also the one who tells us that we are blessed when we walk in this law.

James 1:25 NASB But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

We then, do not have the freedom to seek vengeance, nor are we entirely free from the God's law.

As the morning's study progressed a brash statement was made, when we get to heaven, you will not find a Pharisee there as they will all be in hell. A quick inventory in my head put me in remembrance of Nicodemus, Simon of Arimathea, and the Apostle Paul, all of which, were prominent Pharisees who displayed a love of Jesus Christ.

Several minutes passed and I raised my hand. When the leader finally acknowledged me, I said, as a recovering Pharisee who struggles with judgment I want to share a story with you. At this point, I told them about a stepson who had inappropriately taken one of my handguns into the backyard to show a friend of his. You need to understand that there had been a series of events that ended with a stolen bicycle, and this young man in my backyard had played a role in that. I that moment, with them fondling my revolver, I merely held out a hand, and my stepson placed the gun in my hand. I simply said, had you asked me I would have taken you to the range and taught you how to respect the weapon and shoot it, but since you chose to go behind my back you have lost that opportunity. I began that day to pray that God would remove bad influences from my stepson's life. Two weeks later, the other boy shot himself in the head while playing Russian roulette. The important thing was I merely asked God to intervene, but I did not try to tell Him what to do about it.

I remind you of Romans 12:19 which says,

19) Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord."

I don't know how I did it because I was angry in the days that preceded that young man's death. I was the one who walked my son into the police station and made him “return” this obviously stolen bicycle, and this entire process was laden with humiliation and fear for both of us, but it worked out, as they apparently realized that my actions had ingrained a serious lesson in my son.

Once again look at what James has to say.

James 2:12-13 NASB So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13) For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Pay close attention to verse 13 where it says, “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy.” In my story above I feel like I did it right. I feel no blame for the young man, but I grieved with his father who explained how they had seen unusual patterns beginning to develop.

I can assure you that there were multiple times that I did not get this right, and here is one.

Having been raised in the church, I was severely wounded by a few sarcastic church elders. I carried their wounds most of my life. Did they always occupy my mind? No, but a string of events that I can relate to codependency, seemed to bring their brutal tongues to the forefront of my thinking. The bottom line here is that in my mind I hated them and wanted them to suffer slow, prolonged, and painful torture, for what they did. When you think about the logic in all this, you can see that this pain I believed I inflicted upon them, and the chains I held them in, was all in my head. That means I gave them too much free space in my head. And never, were they aware of this bondage I held them in. During the time involved, I had to maintain the chains, keeping the rust off those chains by oiling them. All this maintenance cost me a tremendous amount of time and energy. Sadly, I felt justified in all this.

Primarily I learned I needed to forgive them.

Yes, I needed to forgive; the problem is, I had no idea of what to do. Oh sure, mother had her designs, which amounted to letting people continue to slap you until you are spinning, but that was not going to work for me either (anymore.) Thankfully there was a day when a prophetic woman stopped me and said, you have to forgive those men who hurt you! I responded with, alright, but how? She said, it's simple, you merely release them from the debts you think they owe you. To be honest, it only took me a couple of days to realize that I was having no impact on them and that my efforts were simply me, judging them. After, what seemed like a lifetime I released them from the bondage that I felt they owed me. Quickly, I began doing that with ex-wives and others that had offended me.

I have, over time, told these truths to others, only to have them say its hard to forgive!

I responded briskly with, no, it's not. The only difficult part is you letting go of the imaginary control you think you have. You see, when we set ourselves up as judges and put people into the prison of our minds, we have set ourselves up as God. We have supplanted God and tried to take over His job. In doing this, we have set up our own fates, which James spells out.

James 2:12-13 NASB So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13) For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Since we are not under the law, and yet have an almost identical command in the New Testament, then let's try one more and see if we can find the freedom in it.

Deuteronomy 32:35 CJB Vengeance and payback are mine for the time when their foot slips; for the day of their calamity is coming soon, their doom is rushing upon them.'

On one hand, this tells us that all vengeance belongs to God, while on the other hand, it speaks to payback, which is His also. Their day will come, whether they be religious or ungodly.

I will show you Romans 12:19 once again.

Romans 12:19 ISV Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord."

By taking yourselves out of the judgment seat, you are putting these people back into God's hand. As the ISV translation says, leave room for God's wrath.

Alright, there is time for just one more story.

On a particular day years ago, I was put in charge of the office where I was outnumbered by the women who had taught us men, how to install and repair pay phones. One lady in particular, who had a horrific case plantar fasciitis, whined incessantly about how she could not do the job. I suspect that I misread her that day, and thought that she was saying that she could not do the added dimension of installing the wiring. I asked her to stay in the office for a moment and proceeded to tell her, in my most Pharisaical tone, that as a Christian I was ashamed of her because, we, as believers, can do all things through Christ. The short of it, within about six months my judgment came back on me, and I found myself ashamed of my actions. I don't know what became of her, but I lost everything dear to me. So, I understand how this works, and you don't want to get into the judgment game.

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The evidence was so substantial that it .. Galatians 1:12-24

It almost seemed deceptive titling my last post, “It was not of man.” Having become carried away with verse eleven, I had to cut it short and hope to keep your attention. But, there is no way you can separate Paul's undefined message of hope from where he got that message.

In my previous post, in focusing on verse 11, I discussed what I believed the message Paul spoke of, may have been. The hypothesis I presented was not a guess, but a logical, scriptural approach, to what Paul said and why. I made the case that Paul preached a message to the Jews that went right along with the lifetime of synagogue training, any proper Jew, would have received.

Since all Jews are awaiting the coming Messiah, then there has to be a fulfillment of all the events they associate with the end of time, such as an associated peace; a restoration of all things; a final judgment, and the endless reign of the Messiah.

If this understanding played a role in what Paul said, then what could you say that would make this information better? It seems the only thing that would or could do that is the knowledge that the Messiah has already come. One of the things we hear in church on Sunday mornings is that we are children of the kingdom now. However, because I am alive and breathing; living in varying degrees of pain, both mental and physical, I am aware that something is missing from the simplistic statement about "living in the kingdom."

As I told the men I sit with, where we are reading a John Eldredge book entitled, All Things New, where he talks about a restored heaven and a restored us, I find it difficult at times picturing myself in this restored, heavenly scenario. Don't get me wrong, I believe without a doubt, that this time of restoration is coming, the question is when? To be honest, I thought it would have already happened by now; but alas, we are all still here. Is it possible the Jews feel the same way? As an acquaintance said to me, people have been saying this stuff (he was speaking of the rapture and how we should be looking for it,) for over two thousand years, so don't get all worked up about it. And yes, we have, but hasn't the Jew been awaiting the Messiah for even longer?

But, as you would have seen in the previous post, the evidence that the Messiah came is there – in the Torah and Tenach. The evidence was so substantial that it:

• Compelled by His star that pointed to Him, the wise men came from the East to see the young boy born the King of the Jews.
• Herod, having called the chief priests and elders of the Jews, demanded they tell him where this baby had been born.
• And what did chief priests and elders of the Jews do? They answered him by reading the information from the Holy Scrolls. The result was the death of many boys two years old and under in that region.

What do I get from all this? The Jews knew.

If we know the message that Paul preached, then where did he get this information that he obviously missed in previous readings from the law and prophets?

I did not get my message from any other human. The Good News is not something I learned from other people. Jesus Christ himself gave it to me. He showed me the Good News that I should tell people. Galatians 1:12 ERV

Wait a minute. Paul, an intelligent man; a man we have to presume had a knowledge of Isaiah's prophetic word, could not see this on his own. The Jewish leadership were able to point it out to Herod, but they could not or would not see it.

How is it that no one else saw this amazing stuff in the scriptures? They did; two of them, for example, were in or near the temple when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to be circumcised. Anna met them outside the gate; it was as far as Mary would have been able to go.

Anna, a prophetess, was there at the Temple. She was from the family of Phanuel in the tribe of Asher. She was now very old. She had lived with her husband seven years before he died and left her alone. She was now 84 years old. Anna was always at the Temple; she never left. She worshiped God by fasting and praying day and night. Anna was there when Joseph and Mary came to the Temple. She praised God and talked about Jesus to all those who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 ERV

And Simeon, a priest who, knowing what the scriptures said, awaited the Messiah.

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel." And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed--and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." Luke 2:25-35 NASB

Both of these had been looking for the Messiah. So, the truth was made plain and available.

I already pointed out how the Magi/Wise men, came from the East – The East was a region of Babylon, and these men were probably trained in the school that Daniel had established while a captive.) And, I brought out how the priests and elders were able to answer Herod when he demanded. So, many knew of the advent and birth of the Messiah. Did they accept Him as such? Not a chance. Much of this stems from the veil that is over their eyes, preventing them from seeing the truth. So, the truth was there, and yet many could not see it, this includes Saul – soon to become the Paul that we Gentiles know of.

Obviously, Saul's eyes were opened. You find this information in the ninth chapter of the book of Acts.

“Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men, and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do." The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;” Acts 9:1-18 NASB

Well, an obvious fact is that Saul had good men interact with him. Does that mean they told Saul the better way? We are not told the answer to that question, but we do have clues that could lead to an answer.

“and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,” Acts 9:19 NASB

The logical assumption is that he is at the home of Ananias, but the picture expands, as we see him “with the disciples who were at Damascus.”

The NASB translates this simple idea of length of time as, for several days, when in reality the quaint little word “tis” can also mean some time, or a while. Here is what we know; we do not know how long Saul stayed with the disciples. However, immediately we see Saul preaching in the local synagogue.

“and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."” Acts 9:20 NASB)

Two things jump out at me.

• He is preaching this newly learned truth, to Jews
• And, he said, “He is the Son of God.”

As I said, some knew. Are you kidding me? No, I am not. So, when the scripture tells us that there will be a point at which the veil will be lifted off of, not only the eyes of all Israel, but the whole world. Then we are being told that there is a blindness, placed in some cases by the enemy, Satan. But, there is also an intentional action, much like racism, that is intentionally taught. Yes, that right, Jews are taught a separatist and discriminatory attitude that calls this Jesus we serve, the Gentile Jesus, and most will have nothing to do with the salvation message we non-Jewish, adopted branches, preach.

For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. Galatians 1:13-14 NASB

Saul was not defending the Torah and Tenach, he was defending ancestral traditions.

But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Galatians 1:15-17 NASB

Saul's sight restored, he stays for an indeterminate time frame, in Damascus, with disciples. Once again, what the writer of Acts 9:19 tell us?

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,” Acts 9:19 NASB

We hear the word disciples and what do we think? The guys who hung around with Jesus. But, that may not be the case. These disciples may have been mere followers of the Way.

Once again,

For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:12 NASB

I would think this would exclude the influence of the disciples of Jesus as well. But as I pointed out in verses 15 -17 above, Saul, did not consult with flesh and blood. We also see that he did not bring the disciples of Jesus into this either.

Three years pass.

Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother. Galatians 1:18-19 NASB

Why would he have to add this next verse?

(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) Galatians 1:20 NASB

Because, for that day and time, no one went outside of standard traditions, and Saul told us that he had been zealous for their traditions.

Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy." And they were glorifying God because of me. Galatians 1:21-24 NASB)

Why add this? Because, though there were Jews there, they were not Apostles. We will call them that, as a disciple is to broad a term, and the reference is specifically separating Saul, and his recent education, from those who had the influence of Jesus upon their lives. The Apostles, it seems, still held tightly to Jerusalem; held tightly to Jewish traditions – not that traditions are a bad thing unless they keep you from seeing the Messiah, and, finding the freedom in this perfect law of liberty - grace, thanks to Jesus, we now walk in.

There is one last clue, as Saul says, “ I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.” It may have been a Jewish audience, but most of these people did not know who Saul, the former Pharisee, was.

No, this message Saul received, though deeply intertwined in scripture, came straight out of the mouth of the Holy Spirit.

Do you think he can teach us today? Absolutely, but I still need people to be a part of the fellowship in my life; for that reason, I cannot give up on the body of Christ.