GENESIS 24 says: Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."
The senior servant asked Abraham,"What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?
Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?"
Abraham said, "Make sure that you do not take my son back there. The Lord, the God of heaven, Who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and Who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offsprings I will give this land' -He will send His angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there."
So the senior servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter. (24: 1-9)
Sometimes we do not understand the importance of obedience, because we truly do not understand the severity of God. We fail to appreciate the enormous value of belonging to the kingdom of God.
MATTHEW 13 says: The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it grows larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree. The birds of the air can come and make nests in its branches (13:31-32). The kingdom of God is like leaven that a woman took and hid in 3 measures of flour, till it was all leavened (13:33). The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, and he concealed it. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field (13:44). Again, the kingdom of God is like a merchant in search of fine pearls (an already made treasure), who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it (13: 45-46). Again, the kingdom of God is like a net that fisher-folk threw into the sea. The net gathered all sorts of fish. When the net was full, the fisher-folk drew it ashore. They sat down and sorted the good fish into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and cast the evil into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (13:47-50). Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of God is like a master of a house, who brings out his treasure both what is new and what is old (13: 52).
We won't find the spiritual kingdom of God, far more greater than any of the world empires if we are not seekers of it. God's kingdom has no boundaries and it will be revealed to us only when we seek for it and its value is far superior to all of the riches of the earth. We must secure it in our heart and keep it safe from the devil tricks trying to steal the power of it, because it brings us joy that last forever. Jesus said: "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees" (Matthew 16:6) in regards of how the power of evil can permeate the heart of the believer just as much as the goodness of God can and we are the ones to notice the difference between nurturing our spiritual life or killing it.
MARK 4 says: The kingdom of God is like a man scattering seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows -he knows not how. The earth, by itself, produces first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once man puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come (4: 26-29).
The spiritual nature of the kingdom of God is shown through our hearts. The kingdom is of God, not of man. It is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. All we mortals can do is seek for it. As soon as we find it God alone make the seed grows stage by stage until it mature for harvest. We can not offer to anyone a place in heaven, we has nothing to do with that, except to nurture the process in all brothers and sisters in faith and watch it happen with wonder.
MATTHEW 22 says: The kingdom of God is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more servants and said, "Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet." But they paid no attention and went off -one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized the king's servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, "The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find." So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
"Friend," the king asked, "how did you get in here without wedding clothes?"The man was speechless.
Then the king told the attendants, "Tie him hand and foot and throw him outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Nothing is hidden from God. You cannot serve two masters. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death.
REVELATION 21 says: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead small and great, stand before God; and the Books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Book, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Sunday, 25 November 2018
Wednesday, 31 October 2018
THE SYMBOLIC ROLE OF THE EGYPTIAN ARMY.
The first evidence of horses in Egypt dates from the 13 dynasty. But they were introduced on a major scale only from the Second Intermediate Period onwards.
Horses were very luxury animals, and only the very wealthy could afford to keep them and treat them according to their worth. they were never used for ploughing and only rarely ridden during the 2nd millennium BC. For war and hunt alike they were harnessed to chariots.
Tutankh'Amen enjoyed not only driving his chariot, but also mounting on horseback. this has been inferred from a riding crop found in his tom bearing the inscription that "he came on his horse like the shining Re."
Ramses II (1278-1237BC), remembered for his military campaigns and his extensive building program,
built a complex of six rows of stables for 460 horses at Per-Ramses on the Southern edge of the Delta, covering 1,700 square meters. They had sloping floors and troughs at the lower end for keeping the floor as dry as possible and catching the horses' urine. The stables contained stone water basins and stone tethers. He, like his father Seti I, pursued a vigorous foreign policy by attacking the Hittites, the chief opponents of the Egyptian empire in the East. The army of Ramses consisted mostly of Egyptians, with a few Nubian contingents and some Sherden mercenaries. The chariots were mannered esclusively by Egyptian noblemen. It is generally assumed that an Egyptian division was comprised of 5,000 foot soldiers. Ramses setting out with 4 dividions of 20,000 seems reasonable.
Pharaohs often supervised personally the treatment their horses were getting. Ramses III frequented his stables and Piye (Pi'Ankhi, son of Kashta, the Golden Age of Nubian domination of Egypt), having conquered the Middle Egyptian Town of Shamumu after a lengthy siege, accused the defeated prince Nam'Lot of not feeding his horses properly. He said: "As I have lived and loved Re and breath is in my nostrils' thus my heart grows heavy seeing how these horses have been starved, which is worse than anything you have done from the evil in your heart."
Egyptian horses became famous throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. The Assyrian conquerors, when extracting tribute, made sure to get as many of them as possible.
The great prophet Isaiah who lived in Jerusalem says : "Those who go to Egypt for help are doomed! They are relying on Egypt's vast military strength -horses, chariots, and soldiers. But they do not rely on the Lord, the holy God of Israel, or ask Him for help. He knows what He is doing! He sends disaster. He carries out His threats to punish evil people and those who protect them. The Egyptians are not gods -they are only mortals. Their horses are not supernatural. When the Lord acts, the strong nation will crumble, and the weak nation helped by the strong nation will fall. Both of them will be destroyed.
(Isaiah 31: 1-3)
Horses were prime material in those ancient days, so multiplying horses indicated territorial aggression and warlike spirit, and most importantly, it showed a lack of Faith in God and too great a faith in the fleshy nature of the armies.
We can notice God's instruction to kings in Deuteronomy 17, which specifically warns against multiplying horses, wives, silver and gold. The king Solomon was blessed with wisdom that no one could gainsay, he was also blessed with wealth and ability no one had ever possessed before. This king, the son of Davis and Bathsheba, a man of peace and learning, was commissioned to build the most beautiful Temple to God in the City of Jerusalem. David and his armies had essentially subjugated all of the world that mattered at that time. King David of Israel, was the head of the nations and faraway kings he did not even know trembled at the mention of his name. As the sole superpower in the region, wealth poured into Israel. When Solomon was made king upon David's death, not a nation on the face on the earth would have considered attacking Israel. So, Solomon ruled the known world and as time progressed, he did not see the need to obey God's Law fully that He had commanded the kings of Israel to do. In his power and wealth, Solomon saw no problem with compromising a little with God's Law.
He failed completely in his old age, but the seeds of that failure were sown early in his reign.
1 King 10 says that Solomon had thousands of horses imported from Egypt. he also imported chariots and sold horses and chariots to other nations. Solomon armed the Hittites and Syria, providing them with the means to attack Israel and Judah in later years (1 Kings 11; 20; II Chronicles 22).
From the action of importing horses, Solomon was an accessory to the sins of idolatry and outright murder, sins that he would never have considered committing at the beginning of his reign. At the end of his life, Solomon himself worshipped Ash'Tor'Eth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech.
Horses were very luxury animals, and only the very wealthy could afford to keep them and treat them according to their worth. they were never used for ploughing and only rarely ridden during the 2nd millennium BC. For war and hunt alike they were harnessed to chariots.
Tutankh'Amen enjoyed not only driving his chariot, but also mounting on horseback. this has been inferred from a riding crop found in his tom bearing the inscription that "he came on his horse like the shining Re."
Ramses II (1278-1237BC), remembered for his military campaigns and his extensive building program,
built a complex of six rows of stables for 460 horses at Per-Ramses on the Southern edge of the Delta, covering 1,700 square meters. They had sloping floors and troughs at the lower end for keeping the floor as dry as possible and catching the horses' urine. The stables contained stone water basins and stone tethers. He, like his father Seti I, pursued a vigorous foreign policy by attacking the Hittites, the chief opponents of the Egyptian empire in the East. The army of Ramses consisted mostly of Egyptians, with a few Nubian contingents and some Sherden mercenaries. The chariots were mannered esclusively by Egyptian noblemen. It is generally assumed that an Egyptian division was comprised of 5,000 foot soldiers. Ramses setting out with 4 dividions of 20,000 seems reasonable.
Pharaohs often supervised personally the treatment their horses were getting. Ramses III frequented his stables and Piye (Pi'Ankhi, son of Kashta, the Golden Age of Nubian domination of Egypt), having conquered the Middle Egyptian Town of Shamumu after a lengthy siege, accused the defeated prince Nam'Lot of not feeding his horses properly. He said: "As I have lived and loved Re and breath is in my nostrils' thus my heart grows heavy seeing how these horses have been starved, which is worse than anything you have done from the evil in your heart."
Egyptian horses became famous throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. The Assyrian conquerors, when extracting tribute, made sure to get as many of them as possible.
The great prophet Isaiah who lived in Jerusalem says : "Those who go to Egypt for help are doomed! They are relying on Egypt's vast military strength -horses, chariots, and soldiers. But they do not rely on the Lord, the holy God of Israel, or ask Him for help. He knows what He is doing! He sends disaster. He carries out His threats to punish evil people and those who protect them. The Egyptians are not gods -they are only mortals. Their horses are not supernatural. When the Lord acts, the strong nation will crumble, and the weak nation helped by the strong nation will fall. Both of them will be destroyed.
(Isaiah 31: 1-3)
Horses were prime material in those ancient days, so multiplying horses indicated territorial aggression and warlike spirit, and most importantly, it showed a lack of Faith in God and too great a faith in the fleshy nature of the armies.
We can notice God's instruction to kings in Deuteronomy 17, which specifically warns against multiplying horses, wives, silver and gold. The king Solomon was blessed with wisdom that no one could gainsay, he was also blessed with wealth and ability no one had ever possessed before. This king, the son of Davis and Bathsheba, a man of peace and learning, was commissioned to build the most beautiful Temple to God in the City of Jerusalem. David and his armies had essentially subjugated all of the world that mattered at that time. King David of Israel, was the head of the nations and faraway kings he did not even know trembled at the mention of his name. As the sole superpower in the region, wealth poured into Israel. When Solomon was made king upon David's death, not a nation on the face on the earth would have considered attacking Israel. So, Solomon ruled the known world and as time progressed, he did not see the need to obey God's Law fully that He had commanded the kings of Israel to do. In his power and wealth, Solomon saw no problem with compromising a little with God's Law.
He failed completely in his old age, but the seeds of that failure were sown early in his reign.
1 King 10 says that Solomon had thousands of horses imported from Egypt. he also imported chariots and sold horses and chariots to other nations. Solomon armed the Hittites and Syria, providing them with the means to attack Israel and Judah in later years (1 Kings 11; 20; II Chronicles 22).
From the action of importing horses, Solomon was an accessory to the sins of idolatry and outright murder, sins that he would never have considered committing at the beginning of his reign. At the end of his life, Solomon himself worshipped Ash'Tor'Eth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech.
Monday, 29 October 2018
THE MEANING OF INTEGRITY.
The Hebrew terms relating to integrity have the root meaning of that which is "complete" or "whole."
But mainly it describes unswerving devotion to righteousness.
The first human couple were given the opportunity to manifest integrity in the Garden of Eden. The restriction regarding the tree of knowledge put to the test their devotion to righteousness. Under the pressure of temptation from God's adversary and his appeal to selfishness, they gave way to sin. Their shame, their reluctance to face God and their lack of candor in responding to His questions all gave evidence of their lack of Integrity.
When Satan's rebellion occurred, it produced an issue of universal importance -that of the Rightfulness of God's sovereignty over all His creatures, His right to require full obedience of them.
Psalm 119 says: -Determination to Obey the Law of the Lord: "I lie defeated in the dust, revive me, as You have promised. I confessed all I have done, and You answered me; teach me Your Ways. Help me to understand Your Laws and I will meditate on Your wonderful teachings. I am overcome by sorrow; strengthen me, as You have promised. Keep me from going the wrong way, and in Your goodness teach me Your Law. I have chosen to be obedient; I have paid attention to Your Judgments. I have followed Your Instructions, Lord; don't let me be put to shame. I will eagerly obey Your Commands, because You will give me more understanding. (25-32)
Since the issue with Satan was not one of superiority of power but, rather, a moral issue, it could not be settled merely by the exercise of power, as by God's immediately crushing Satan and the human couple out of existence. This fact is an important aid to understanding why Wickedness and its author, Satan, have been allowed to continue so long.
Since God's adversary first drew upon humans for support and endorsement of his rebel course, this made the question of man's integrity to God's sovereign Will an essential part of the overall issue. Proof of this is seen in the case of Job.
Satan's challenging statements in Job's case show he held the position that all persons could be drawn away from God's side, as it occurred in the story of David and Bathsheba, that none served out of a purely unselfish motive.
Proverbs 11 says: 1-The Lord hates people who use dishonest scales. He is happy with honest weights.
3-If you are good, you are guided by Honesty. People who can't be trusted are destroyed by their own dishonesty. 4-Riches will do you no good on the Day you face Death, but Honesty can save your life.
5-Honesty makes a good person's life easier, but the wicked will cause their own downfall. 7-When the wicked die, their hope dies with them. 6-Righteousness rescues those who are honest, but those who can't be trusted are trapped by their own greed. 8-The righteous are protected from trouble; it comes to the wicked instead. 9-You can be ruined by the talk of godless people, but the Wisdom of the righteous can save you. 11-A city becomes great when the righteous give it their blessing; but a city is brought to ruin by the words of the wicked. 13-No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put Confidence in someone who is Trustworthy. 12-It is foolish to speak scornfully of others.16-A gracious
woman is respected, but a woman without virtue is a disgrace. 18-Wicked people do not really gain anything, but if you do what is right, you are certain to be rewarded. 19-Anyone who is determined to do right will live, but anyone who insists on doing wrong will die.
Since all men are imperfect and unable to measure up perfectly to God's standards, it is evident that the integrity of man does not mean perfection of action or speech. Rather, the Scripture shows that the spirit of integrity means wholeness or completeness of heart devotion.
David committed several serious wrongs, but he, nevertheless, "walked with integrity of heart," for he accepted reproof and corrected his way (1 King 9). David thereby proved that his heart still retained genuine love for God's ways (Psalms 26). As David later told his son Solomon: "Know the God of your father and serve Him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts God is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts He is discerning."
Integrity is therefore not restricted to any one aspect of human conduct; it does not apply just to matters defined as "religious." To serve God is a way of life in which the individual walks constantly searching to know God's Will (Psalms 119).
One "proves himself faultless" before God over a period of time, as did Noah, Abraham, David and others (Genesis 6; 17; 2 Samuel 22).
Integrity requires uncompromising Loyalty to God and adherence to Righteousness, not merely under favorable conditions or circumstances, but under all conditions and at all time.
But mainly it describes unswerving devotion to righteousness.
The first human couple were given the opportunity to manifest integrity in the Garden of Eden. The restriction regarding the tree of knowledge put to the test their devotion to righteousness. Under the pressure of temptation from God's adversary and his appeal to selfishness, they gave way to sin. Their shame, their reluctance to face God and their lack of candor in responding to His questions all gave evidence of their lack of Integrity.
When Satan's rebellion occurred, it produced an issue of universal importance -that of the Rightfulness of God's sovereignty over all His creatures, His right to require full obedience of them.
Psalm 119 says: -Determination to Obey the Law of the Lord: "I lie defeated in the dust, revive me, as You have promised. I confessed all I have done, and You answered me; teach me Your Ways. Help me to understand Your Laws and I will meditate on Your wonderful teachings. I am overcome by sorrow; strengthen me, as You have promised. Keep me from going the wrong way, and in Your goodness teach me Your Law. I have chosen to be obedient; I have paid attention to Your Judgments. I have followed Your Instructions, Lord; don't let me be put to shame. I will eagerly obey Your Commands, because You will give me more understanding. (25-32)
Since the issue with Satan was not one of superiority of power but, rather, a moral issue, it could not be settled merely by the exercise of power, as by God's immediately crushing Satan and the human couple out of existence. This fact is an important aid to understanding why Wickedness and its author, Satan, have been allowed to continue so long.
Since God's adversary first drew upon humans for support and endorsement of his rebel course, this made the question of man's integrity to God's sovereign Will an essential part of the overall issue. Proof of this is seen in the case of Job.
Satan's challenging statements in Job's case show he held the position that all persons could be drawn away from God's side, as it occurred in the story of David and Bathsheba, that none served out of a purely unselfish motive.
Proverbs 11 says: 1-The Lord hates people who use dishonest scales. He is happy with honest weights.
3-If you are good, you are guided by Honesty. People who can't be trusted are destroyed by their own dishonesty. 4-Riches will do you no good on the Day you face Death, but Honesty can save your life.
5-Honesty makes a good person's life easier, but the wicked will cause their own downfall. 7-When the wicked die, their hope dies with them. 6-Righteousness rescues those who are honest, but those who can't be trusted are trapped by their own greed. 8-The righteous are protected from trouble; it comes to the wicked instead. 9-You can be ruined by the talk of godless people, but the Wisdom of the righteous can save you. 11-A city becomes great when the righteous give it their blessing; but a city is brought to ruin by the words of the wicked. 13-No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put Confidence in someone who is Trustworthy. 12-It is foolish to speak scornfully of others.16-A gracious
woman is respected, but a woman without virtue is a disgrace. 18-Wicked people do not really gain anything, but if you do what is right, you are certain to be rewarded. 19-Anyone who is determined to do right will live, but anyone who insists on doing wrong will die.
Since all men are imperfect and unable to measure up perfectly to God's standards, it is evident that the integrity of man does not mean perfection of action or speech. Rather, the Scripture shows that the spirit of integrity means wholeness or completeness of heart devotion.
David committed several serious wrongs, but he, nevertheless, "walked with integrity of heart," for he accepted reproof and corrected his way (1 King 9). David thereby proved that his heart still retained genuine love for God's ways (Psalms 26). As David later told his son Solomon: "Know the God of your father and serve Him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts God is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts He is discerning."
Integrity is therefore not restricted to any one aspect of human conduct; it does not apply just to matters defined as "religious." To serve God is a way of life in which the individual walks constantly searching to know God's Will (Psalms 119).
One "proves himself faultless" before God over a period of time, as did Noah, Abraham, David and others (Genesis 6; 17; 2 Samuel 22).
Integrity requires uncompromising Loyalty to God and adherence to Righteousness, not merely under favorable conditions or circumstances, but under all conditions and at all time.
Sunday, 28 October 2018
WHAT WE LEARN FROM DAVID/BATHSHEBA's SIN..
David is a young shepherd, chosen by God, and anointed by Him to be a King, who first gains fame as a musician and later by killing Goliat. He went from being a shepherd boy to the Palace as king.
David, with the help of the Mighty Warriors, conquers Jerusalem, taking the Ark of the Covenant into the city and establishes the kingdom founded by Saul.
Bathsheba is the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of the Mighty Warriors in King's David army, that later became the wife of David. She was the daughter of Eliam, also a Mighty Warrior, and he is mentioned in 2 Samuel 23 as the son of Ahithophel, who is described as the Gilonite. Ahithophel was a counselor of King David and a man greatly renowned for his sagacity. During Absalom (David's third son) 's revolt Ahithophel deserted David and supported Absalom. When he saw that the revolt would fail, he left Absalom's camp at once and returned to Giloh, his native place, and after arranging his worldly affairs, hanged himself and was buried in the sepulcher of his fathers (2 Samuel 17).
The Haggadah, a Jewish text that tells to every Jew's son about the liberation from slavery in Egypt (things of the flesh), states that Ahithophel was misled by his knowledge of astrology into believing himself destined to become a king of Israel. He therefore induced Absalom to commit an unpardonable crime (2 Samuel 16), which sooner or later would have brought with it, according to the Jewish Law, the penalty of death. His astrological information had been, however, misunderstood by Ahithophel; for in reality it only predicted that his granddaughter, Bathsheba, the daughter of his son Eliam, a Mighty Warrior, would become queen.
The mighty warriors at the front battle lines are identified in 2 Samuel 23 and in its final 4 chapters as a group of his best 37 fighters (later expanded to around 80) with mighty powers, who fought side-by-side with King David. According to the text, Abishai, the brother of Joab, killed 300 men with a spear, and so became famous among the The Mighty Warriors. The Text also states that despite the fame and respect Abishai was not included among the Three Best Warriors, suggesting that being part of the The Three powerful ones, fame was not the only accountable thing, but something which an individual has to prove or achieve beyond it in order to gain such exclusive title, and that is integrity (what we do when we think nobody is looking at us).
David's first interaction with Bathsheba, the granddaughter of Ahithophel, is described in 2 Samuel 11.
David decided to leave the place where God call him to be and take a time off. The Scripture does not give us a reason why he did that. What we can see is that all of the overwhelming victory caused by his role as a leader was really beginning to affect him. He was a shepherd by nature and a leader by the calling of God. He was designed to lead men face to face, not from afar.
Bathsheba was summoned by King David during his time off, after had seen her bathing in her courtyard from the roof of his palace and lusted after her. 2 Samuel 11 says:"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, 'She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.' Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness). Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, 'I am pregnant.' (2-5) Informed that her husband was Uriah the Hittite, David summoned Uriah from battle to meet him, suggesting that he go home and "wash his feet," meaning to spend time at home and attend to his wife. He refused, claiming a code of honor with his fellow warriors while they were in battle. It was common for Mighty Warriors and in warriors in general in preparation for battle to abstain from sex. Uriah repeatedly refused to see his wife, forcing David to elaborate a sinister plan to kill him in battle due to Bathsheba's pregnancy, and finding no way to hide it. David sent Uriah to the captain and commanding officer Joab, with a letter that ordered Joab to put Uriah on the front lines and have the other Mighty Warriors move away from him so that he would be killed by the enemy soldiers.
Uriah the Hittite was from the ethnic Hittite residents in Israel that had lived in and around the region, the Land of Canaan, since before the time of Abraham. The Hebrews, upon their entry into Canaan, had been commanded (Deuteronomy 20) "to kill anything that breathes .. in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance," with the explanation that "otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do .. and you will sin against the Lord your God." Some of the earlier inhabitants were spared, in some cases for cooperating with the Hebrews (Joshua 2, Joshua 6, Judges 1) in other cases from failure to carry out the extermination order of the forces of evil (Joshua 15, Joshua 16, Judges 1).
In the era of David's rule, many residents of non-Hebrew descent followed the Hebrew faith and came to be accepted as Israelites. This included Uriah, as his name in Hebrew means "God is my light." His status as an mightier officer and his closeness to David, living closely to David's roof, would indicate this acceptance within the ethnic community.
Joab the son of Zeruiah, king David's sister, on the other hand, was David's nephew and he made him captain of his army (2 Samuel 8; 20; 1 Chronicles 11; 18; 27).The name Joab is derived from "Yahweh" meaning "Father." Uriah referred to Joab and not David as "my lord or commander" (2 Samuel 11). Joab is a king maker who dispatches ruthlessly his own military rivals, Abner and Amasa.
Joab is sufficiently powerful that David, on his deathbed, advises Solomon to arrange his death (1 Kings 2). David saw a deeper threat from Joab through his entanglement with Uriah's wife.
Joab's name is given to two other individuals in the Scripture (Ezra 2; 8). Those are the descendants of Joab of Bethlehem the son of Zeruiah, king David's sister; the subject is of the House and head of the House. The individual is Obadiah the son of Jehiel. Joab had two brothers, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was killed by Abner in combat, for which Joab took revenge by murdering Abner in Ambush, against David's wishes and shortly after Abner and David had secured Peace between the House of David and the House of Saul. (2 Samuel 2; 3 )
The prophet Nathan confronted David about Uriah's murder plan, by telling him a story of a rich man and a poor man. Hearing the story, David grew angry and replied: "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb 4 times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Nathan replied: "You are that man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's House to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the House of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you more. Why did you despise the Word of the Lord by doing what is EVIL in His Eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the Sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the Sword will never depart from Your House, because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own."
Nathan then informs David that his child with Bathsheba must die. David mourns and begs for mercy. Indeed, their first child dies after 7 days. His entire story from that moment results in civil war and division in his family. The consequences for his actions were severe.
Proverbs 28:2 says: "When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability." Every great person live by core values and integrity. They pave pathways in life rather than just allow life to take its course. What goes inside of every individual determines where they are headed in life.
It takes integrity to maintain what God gives us. It takes persistence, determination, and consistency to make sure that we are focused.
David's heart pushed him towards the throne. It was not title, prestige, good money or job, not even favor with his family that did that for him. God never held a person back from transformational leadership, and the invitation will always be on the table.
Unfortunately, temptation is like a filter that always sneak in when our guard is down. Let's no make room for temptation. We have to show integrity by keeping our word and stay faithful and hold ourselves accountable to the standards we want to live out based on God's Word and calling.
David, with the help of the Mighty Warriors, conquers Jerusalem, taking the Ark of the Covenant into the city and establishes the kingdom founded by Saul.
Bathsheba is the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of the Mighty Warriors in King's David army, that later became the wife of David. She was the daughter of Eliam, also a Mighty Warrior, and he is mentioned in 2 Samuel 23 as the son of Ahithophel, who is described as the Gilonite. Ahithophel was a counselor of King David and a man greatly renowned for his sagacity. During Absalom (David's third son) 's revolt Ahithophel deserted David and supported Absalom. When he saw that the revolt would fail, he left Absalom's camp at once and returned to Giloh, his native place, and after arranging his worldly affairs, hanged himself and was buried in the sepulcher of his fathers (2 Samuel 17).
The Haggadah, a Jewish text that tells to every Jew's son about the liberation from slavery in Egypt (things of the flesh), states that Ahithophel was misled by his knowledge of astrology into believing himself destined to become a king of Israel. He therefore induced Absalom to commit an unpardonable crime (2 Samuel 16), which sooner or later would have brought with it, according to the Jewish Law, the penalty of death. His astrological information had been, however, misunderstood by Ahithophel; for in reality it only predicted that his granddaughter, Bathsheba, the daughter of his son Eliam, a Mighty Warrior, would become queen.
The mighty warriors at the front battle lines are identified in 2 Samuel 23 and in its final 4 chapters as a group of his best 37 fighters (later expanded to around 80) with mighty powers, who fought side-by-side with King David. According to the text, Abishai, the brother of Joab, killed 300 men with a spear, and so became famous among the The Mighty Warriors. The Text also states that despite the fame and respect Abishai was not included among the Three Best Warriors, suggesting that being part of the The Three powerful ones, fame was not the only accountable thing, but something which an individual has to prove or achieve beyond it in order to gain such exclusive title, and that is integrity (what we do when we think nobody is looking at us).
David's first interaction with Bathsheba, the granddaughter of Ahithophel, is described in 2 Samuel 11.
David decided to leave the place where God call him to be and take a time off. The Scripture does not give us a reason why he did that. What we can see is that all of the overwhelming victory caused by his role as a leader was really beginning to affect him. He was a shepherd by nature and a leader by the calling of God. He was designed to lead men face to face, not from afar.
Bathsheba was summoned by King David during his time off, after had seen her bathing in her courtyard from the roof of his palace and lusted after her. 2 Samuel 11 says:"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, 'She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.' Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness). Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, 'I am pregnant.' (2-5) Informed that her husband was Uriah the Hittite, David summoned Uriah from battle to meet him, suggesting that he go home and "wash his feet," meaning to spend time at home and attend to his wife. He refused, claiming a code of honor with his fellow warriors while they were in battle. It was common for Mighty Warriors and in warriors in general in preparation for battle to abstain from sex. Uriah repeatedly refused to see his wife, forcing David to elaborate a sinister plan to kill him in battle due to Bathsheba's pregnancy, and finding no way to hide it. David sent Uriah to the captain and commanding officer Joab, with a letter that ordered Joab to put Uriah on the front lines and have the other Mighty Warriors move away from him so that he would be killed by the enemy soldiers.
Uriah the Hittite was from the ethnic Hittite residents in Israel that had lived in and around the region, the Land of Canaan, since before the time of Abraham. The Hebrews, upon their entry into Canaan, had been commanded (Deuteronomy 20) "to kill anything that breathes .. in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance," with the explanation that "otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do .. and you will sin against the Lord your God." Some of the earlier inhabitants were spared, in some cases for cooperating with the Hebrews (Joshua 2, Joshua 6, Judges 1) in other cases from failure to carry out the extermination order of the forces of evil (Joshua 15, Joshua 16, Judges 1).
In the era of David's rule, many residents of non-Hebrew descent followed the Hebrew faith and came to be accepted as Israelites. This included Uriah, as his name in Hebrew means "God is my light." His status as an mightier officer and his closeness to David, living closely to David's roof, would indicate this acceptance within the ethnic community.
Joab the son of Zeruiah, king David's sister, on the other hand, was David's nephew and he made him captain of his army (2 Samuel 8; 20; 1 Chronicles 11; 18; 27).The name Joab is derived from "Yahweh" meaning "Father." Uriah referred to Joab and not David as "my lord or commander" (2 Samuel 11). Joab is a king maker who dispatches ruthlessly his own military rivals, Abner and Amasa.
Joab is sufficiently powerful that David, on his deathbed, advises Solomon to arrange his death (1 Kings 2). David saw a deeper threat from Joab through his entanglement with Uriah's wife.
Joab's name is given to two other individuals in the Scripture (Ezra 2; 8). Those are the descendants of Joab of Bethlehem the son of Zeruiah, king David's sister; the subject is of the House and head of the House. The individual is Obadiah the son of Jehiel. Joab had two brothers, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was killed by Abner in combat, for which Joab took revenge by murdering Abner in Ambush, against David's wishes and shortly after Abner and David had secured Peace between the House of David and the House of Saul. (2 Samuel 2; 3 )
The prophet Nathan confronted David about Uriah's murder plan, by telling him a story of a rich man and a poor man. Hearing the story, David grew angry and replied: "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb 4 times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Nathan replied: "You are that man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's House to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the House of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you more. Why did you despise the Word of the Lord by doing what is EVIL in His Eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the Sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the Sword will never depart from Your House, because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own."
Nathan then informs David that his child with Bathsheba must die. David mourns and begs for mercy. Indeed, their first child dies after 7 days. His entire story from that moment results in civil war and division in his family. The consequences for his actions were severe.
Proverbs 28:2 says: "When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability." Every great person live by core values and integrity. They pave pathways in life rather than just allow life to take its course. What goes inside of every individual determines where they are headed in life.
It takes integrity to maintain what God gives us. It takes persistence, determination, and consistency to make sure that we are focused.
David's heart pushed him towards the throne. It was not title, prestige, good money or job, not even favor with his family that did that for him. God never held a person back from transformational leadership, and the invitation will always be on the table.
Unfortunately, temptation is like a filter that always sneak in when our guard is down. Let's no make room for temptation. We have to show integrity by keeping our word and stay faithful and hold ourselves accountable to the standards we want to live out based on God's Word and calling.
Saturday, 22 September 2018
THE CHARIOTS AND ITS SUPERNATURAL USE OF POWER.
A chariot is a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle, developed for the battlefield rather than as a means of transportation for troops movement behind the lines of war. Basically, it consists of a semicircular platform mounted on a single axle, with sides thigh-high and curved around the front. The open back of the car has a tongue and yoke harnessed to speedy horses and a floor of rope network that provides speed, maneuverability and stability for fast and easy entrance in combat and gives soldiers a mobile firing platform and furnish them with psychological shock power when charging into ranks of foot soldiers.
The Book of Joshua testifies about the power of this type of instruments of war by saying in chapter 17:
The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one part of the Land to possess as our own? There are very many of us because the Lord has blessed us." 17:14
Joshua answered, "If there are so many of you and the Hill Country of Ephraim is too small for you, then go into The Forests and clear ground for yourselves in the Land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim." 17:15
They replied, "the Hill Country of Ephraim is not big enough for us, but the Canaanites in the Plains have Iron Chariots, both those who live in Beth Shan and its surrounding Towns and those who live in Jezreel Valley." 17:16
Joshua said to the Tribes of Ephraim and West Manasseh, "There are indeed many of you, and you are very powerful. You shall have more than one share. The Hill Country will be yours. Even though it is a Forest, you will clear it and take possession of it from one end to the other. As for the Canaanites, you will drive them out, even though they do have Iron Chariots and are a strong people."
The Book of Judges also testifies about the use of the chariots' power by saying in chapter 1:
The descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went on with the People of Judah from Jericho, the City of Palm Trees, into the barren country South of Arad in Judah. There they settled among the Amalekites. The People of Judah went with the People of Simeon, and together they defeated the Canaanites who lived in the City of Zephath. They put a curse on the City, destroyed it, and named it Hormah. The Lord helped the People of Judah, and they took possession of the Hill Country. But they did not capture Gaza, Ashkelon, or Ekron, with their surrounding territories. These People living along the Coast had Iron Chariots, and so the People of Judah were not able to drive them out. 1: 16-19
As Moses had commanded, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove out of the City the three clans descended from Anak. But the People of the Tribe of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, and the Jebusites have continued to live there with the People of Benjamin ever since. 20-21
Chariots with many variations of design are widely illustrated on ancient monuments, attesting their widespread use in antiquity. Often they were outfitted with auxiliary equipment consisting of quiver and bow cases, shields and spears. And added menace to foot soldiers were the iron scythes that sometimes extended from the hubs of the wheels. When there was only one charioteer, the reins were held around his waist or hips in battle, leaving his hands free to handle the weapons. Larger and heavier chariots with multiple spans of horses had crews of two, three or four, with a driver and one or two fighters and a shield-man. Also by moving the axle toward the rear, greater maneuverability and stability were achieved. Spoked wheels replaced the solid ones, lightening the weight and increasing the speed.
In Israel no sizable national Chariot force developed until the time of Solomon. This was due in large measure to YHWH's warning that the King was not to multiply horses, as if the nation's security depended on them. Horses were used at that time to power such vehicles of war (Deut,17). Samuel warned of the burden that human kings inflict on God's people by saying, "Your sons YHWH will take and put them as His in His Chariots ... and some will have to run before His Chariots" (1 Sam 8).
Both Absalom and Adonijah, in attempting to usurp the kingship, had chariots made for themselves and put 50 men to run before each chariot (2 Sam 15). When David defeated the king of Zobah, he preserved a hundred chariot horses (2 Sam 8-10). King Solomon expanded the number of chariots of Israel's army to 1,400 (1 Ki 10; 2 Chron 1).
1 Kings 7 says: King Solomon sent for a man named Hu'Ram, a craftsman living in the City of Tyre, who was skilled in Bronze work. His father, who was no longer living, was from Tyre, and had also been a skilled Bronze craftsman, his mother was from the Tribe of Naphtali. Hu'Ram was an intelligent and experienced craftsman. He accepted King Solomon's invitation to be in charge of all the Bronze work (13-14). Hu'Ram cast two Bronze columns, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference, and placed them at the entrance of the Temple (15). Huram placed these two Bronze columns in front of the entrance: the one on the South side was named Jachin and the one on the North was named Boaz (21).
He also made two Bronze capitals, each one 7 1/2 feet tall, to be placed on top of the columns (16). The capitals were shaped like lilies, 6 feet tall (19). The top of each column was decorated with a design of interwoven chains and two rows of pomegranates (17). There were 200 pomegranates in two rows around each capital (20). The lily shaped Bronze capitals were placed on top of the columns on a rounded section which was above the chain design (19).
Hu"Ram made a round tank of Bronze, 7 1/2 deep, 15 feet in diameter, and 45 feet in circumference.
All around the outer edge of the rim of the tank were two rows of Bronze gourds, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank. The tank rested on the backs of twelve Bronze bulls that faced outward, three facing in each direction. The sides of the tank were 3 inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup, curving outward like the petals of a lily. The tank held about 10,000 gallons (23-26).
Hu'Ram also made 10 Bronze Carts, each was 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 1/2 feet high. They were made of square panels which were set in frames with the figures of lions, bulls, and winged creatures on the panels; and on the frames, above and underneath the lions and bulls, there were spiral figures in relief. Each cart had four Bronze wheels with Bronze axles. At the four corners were Bronze supports for a basin; the supports were decorated with spiral figures in relief. There was a circular frame on top for the basin. It projected upward 18 inches from the top of the Cart and seven inches down into it. The circular frame had carvings around it. The wheels were 25 inches high; they were under the panels, and the axles were of one piece with the carts. The wheels were like Chariot wheels; their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of Bronze. There were four supports at the bottom corners of each cart, which were of one piece with the cart. There was a 9-inch band around the top of each cart; its supports
and the panels were of one piece with the cart. The supports and panels were decorated with figures of winged creatures, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was space for them, with spiral figures all around. This, then, is how the Carts were made; they were all alike, having the same size and shape.
Huram also made ten basins, one for each Cart. Each basin was 6 feet in diameter and held 200 gallons.
He placed five of the Carts on the South side of the Temple, and the other five on the North side; the tank he placed at the South East corner (27- 39).
In addition to Jerusalem, other towns known as "Chariot Cities" had special facilities for taking of all this vehicles of war (1 Kin 9; 2 Chron 8-9). After Solomon's death, chariots were very common in both the Northern and Southern kingdoms. The Northern kingdom had a "chief of half the chariots"(1Ki16).
War Chariots were employed in Biblical times by many of the nations who opposed the God of Israel. At the Red Sea, Pharaoh's entire army including his 600 special war chariots, and "all the other chariots of Egypt,"were destroyed by YHWH (Exodus 14-15; Joshua 24).When conquering the Promised Land the Israelites routed the enemy and burned many of their captured chariots (Joshua 11). Jabin the king of Canaan held the Israelites in bondage for 20 years until YHWH pinned down and destroyed his fleet of 900 Chariots equipped with iron scythes and commanded by Sisera, at the Kishon River (Judg 4-5).
During Israel's kings period, at one time or another, the Philistines, Egyptians, Ethiopians, Syrians, Assyrians and Babylonians battled against them with large Chariot forces, as many as 30,000/32,000
chariots on different occasions (1 Sam 13; 2 Sam 1; 1 Chron 19; 2 Chron 12-14-16; Isa 37). Prophets, in their pronouncements of doom era, mentions the chariots in which enemy nations prides themselves
(Micah 5; Jer 50-51).
Though the Chariot was primarily a war instrument, there are also instances where it was used for other peaceful purposes. Joseph as a food administrator of Egypt rode in a Chariot of Honor, second only to that of Pharaoh. In his chariot he rode out to meet his father Jacob when he entered Egypt (Gen 41-46).
Upon Jacob's death many chariots were in the funeral procession that went from Egypt to Mach'Pelah, the burial place that Abraham had purchased (Gen 50). As a means of transportation, chariots were also employed by Kings Rehoboam and Ahab, Naaman the Syrian army chief and the Ethiopian official who invited the evangelist Philip to ride with him on the Road down to Gaza (1Ki12; 18; 2 Ki 5; Act8).
Richly decorated and shaded Chariots carried victorious rulers in processions. Sacred Chariots and the horses that drew them were dedicated to the power of the sun by apostate Judean rulers and were used in ceremonial driving to meet the energy that encompasses the rising of the sun (2 Ki 23).
In a figurative and prophetic sense, chariots are used as symbols of war, just like the bow and sword.
Isaiah 22 says: This is a message about the Valley of Vision. What is happening? Why are all the people of the City of Jerusalem celebrating on the roof of the houses? The whole City is in uproar, filled with noise and excitement. Your people who died in this war did not die fighting. All your leaders run away and were captured before they shot a single arrow (1-3). This is a time of panic, defeat, and confusion in the Valley of vision, and the Sovereign Lord Almighty has sent it on us. The walls of our City have been battered down, and cries for help have echoed among the hills. The soldiers from the Land of Elam came riding on horseback, armed with bows and arrows. Soldiers from the Land of Kir had their shields ready. The fertile Valley of Judah were filled with Chariots; soldiers on horseback stood in front of Jerusalem's Gates. All of Judah's defenses crumbled (4-7). When that happened, you People brought weapons out of the arsenal. You found the places where the Walls Of Jerusalem needed repair (8-10). In order to store water, you built a reservoir inside the City to hold the water flowing down from the Old Pool. But you People paid no Attention to God's Word, who planned all this long ago and who caused it to happen. The Sovereign Lord Almighty was calling you People then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth. Instead, you People laughed and celebrated. You killed sheep and cattle to eat and you drank wine.You said,"We might as well eat and drink! Tomorrow we will be dead." The Sovereign Lord Almighty Himself spoke and said, "This evil will never be forgiven them as long as they live. I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, have spoken."(11-14)
Isaiah 27 says: On that Day the lord will use His powerful and deadly sword to punish Levi'Athan, that wriggling, twisting dragon, and to kill the monster that lives in the sea (1). On that Day the Lord will say of His pleasant vineyard, "I watch over it and water it continually. I guard it night and day so that no one will harm it. I am no longer angry with the vineyard. If there were thorns and briers to fight against, I would burn them up completely. But if the enemies of My people want My protection, let them make peace with Me. Yes, let them make peace with Me (2-5). Israel's sins will be forgiven only when the stones of idol altars are ground up like chalk, and no more incense altars or symbols of the goddess Ash'Erah are left" (9). On that Day, from the Euphrates to the Egyptian border, the Lord will gather His people one by one, as threshing separates the wheat from the chaff. When that Day comes, a trumpet will be blown to call back from Assyria and Egypt all the Israelites who are in exile there. They will come and worship the Lord in Jerusalem, on His sacred hill (12-13).
"The War Chariots of YHWH"are said to be "in tens of thousands, thousands over and over again, "denoting YHWH's invincible power to destroy His enemies. (Psalm 68; 2 King 6).
The Book of Joshua testifies about the power of this type of instruments of war by saying in chapter 17:
The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one part of the Land to possess as our own? There are very many of us because the Lord has blessed us." 17:14
Joshua answered, "If there are so many of you and the Hill Country of Ephraim is too small for you, then go into The Forests and clear ground for yourselves in the Land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim." 17:15
They replied, "the Hill Country of Ephraim is not big enough for us, but the Canaanites in the Plains have Iron Chariots, both those who live in Beth Shan and its surrounding Towns and those who live in Jezreel Valley." 17:16
Joshua said to the Tribes of Ephraim and West Manasseh, "There are indeed many of you, and you are very powerful. You shall have more than one share. The Hill Country will be yours. Even though it is a Forest, you will clear it and take possession of it from one end to the other. As for the Canaanites, you will drive them out, even though they do have Iron Chariots and are a strong people."
The Book of Judges also testifies about the use of the chariots' power by saying in chapter 1:
The descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went on with the People of Judah from Jericho, the City of Palm Trees, into the barren country South of Arad in Judah. There they settled among the Amalekites. The People of Judah went with the People of Simeon, and together they defeated the Canaanites who lived in the City of Zephath. They put a curse on the City, destroyed it, and named it Hormah. The Lord helped the People of Judah, and they took possession of the Hill Country. But they did not capture Gaza, Ashkelon, or Ekron, with their surrounding territories. These People living along the Coast had Iron Chariots, and so the People of Judah were not able to drive them out. 1: 16-19
As Moses had commanded, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove out of the City the three clans descended from Anak. But the People of the Tribe of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, and the Jebusites have continued to live there with the People of Benjamin ever since. 20-21
Chariots with many variations of design are widely illustrated on ancient monuments, attesting their widespread use in antiquity. Often they were outfitted with auxiliary equipment consisting of quiver and bow cases, shields and spears. And added menace to foot soldiers were the iron scythes that sometimes extended from the hubs of the wheels. When there was only one charioteer, the reins were held around his waist or hips in battle, leaving his hands free to handle the weapons. Larger and heavier chariots with multiple spans of horses had crews of two, three or four, with a driver and one or two fighters and a shield-man. Also by moving the axle toward the rear, greater maneuverability and stability were achieved. Spoked wheels replaced the solid ones, lightening the weight and increasing the speed.
In Israel no sizable national Chariot force developed until the time of Solomon. This was due in large measure to YHWH's warning that the King was not to multiply horses, as if the nation's security depended on them. Horses were used at that time to power such vehicles of war (Deut,17). Samuel warned of the burden that human kings inflict on God's people by saying, "Your sons YHWH will take and put them as His in His Chariots ... and some will have to run before His Chariots" (1 Sam 8).
Both Absalom and Adonijah, in attempting to usurp the kingship, had chariots made for themselves and put 50 men to run before each chariot (2 Sam 15). When David defeated the king of Zobah, he preserved a hundred chariot horses (2 Sam 8-10). King Solomon expanded the number of chariots of Israel's army to 1,400 (1 Ki 10; 2 Chron 1).
1 Kings 7 says: King Solomon sent for a man named Hu'Ram, a craftsman living in the City of Tyre, who was skilled in Bronze work. His father, who was no longer living, was from Tyre, and had also been a skilled Bronze craftsman, his mother was from the Tribe of Naphtali. Hu'Ram was an intelligent and experienced craftsman. He accepted King Solomon's invitation to be in charge of all the Bronze work (13-14). Hu'Ram cast two Bronze columns, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference, and placed them at the entrance of the Temple (15). Huram placed these two Bronze columns in front of the entrance: the one on the South side was named Jachin and the one on the North was named Boaz (21).
He also made two Bronze capitals, each one 7 1/2 feet tall, to be placed on top of the columns (16). The capitals were shaped like lilies, 6 feet tall (19). The top of each column was decorated with a design of interwoven chains and two rows of pomegranates (17). There were 200 pomegranates in two rows around each capital (20). The lily shaped Bronze capitals were placed on top of the columns on a rounded section which was above the chain design (19).
Hu"Ram made a round tank of Bronze, 7 1/2 deep, 15 feet in diameter, and 45 feet in circumference.
All around the outer edge of the rim of the tank were two rows of Bronze gourds, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank. The tank rested on the backs of twelve Bronze bulls that faced outward, three facing in each direction. The sides of the tank were 3 inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup, curving outward like the petals of a lily. The tank held about 10,000 gallons (23-26).
Hu'Ram also made 10 Bronze Carts, each was 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 1/2 feet high. They were made of square panels which were set in frames with the figures of lions, bulls, and winged creatures on the panels; and on the frames, above and underneath the lions and bulls, there were spiral figures in relief. Each cart had four Bronze wheels with Bronze axles. At the four corners were Bronze supports for a basin; the supports were decorated with spiral figures in relief. There was a circular frame on top for the basin. It projected upward 18 inches from the top of the Cart and seven inches down into it. The circular frame had carvings around it. The wheels were 25 inches high; they were under the panels, and the axles were of one piece with the carts. The wheels were like Chariot wheels; their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of Bronze. There were four supports at the bottom corners of each cart, which were of one piece with the cart. There was a 9-inch band around the top of each cart; its supports
and the panels were of one piece with the cart. The supports and panels were decorated with figures of winged creatures, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was space for them, with spiral figures all around. This, then, is how the Carts were made; they were all alike, having the same size and shape.
Huram also made ten basins, one for each Cart. Each basin was 6 feet in diameter and held 200 gallons.
He placed five of the Carts on the South side of the Temple, and the other five on the North side; the tank he placed at the South East corner (27- 39).
In addition to Jerusalem, other towns known as "Chariot Cities" had special facilities for taking of all this vehicles of war (1 Kin 9; 2 Chron 8-9). After Solomon's death, chariots were very common in both the Northern and Southern kingdoms. The Northern kingdom had a "chief of half the chariots"(1Ki16).
War Chariots were employed in Biblical times by many of the nations who opposed the God of Israel. At the Red Sea, Pharaoh's entire army including his 600 special war chariots, and "all the other chariots of Egypt,"were destroyed by YHWH (Exodus 14-15; Joshua 24).When conquering the Promised Land the Israelites routed the enemy and burned many of their captured chariots (Joshua 11). Jabin the king of Canaan held the Israelites in bondage for 20 years until YHWH pinned down and destroyed his fleet of 900 Chariots equipped with iron scythes and commanded by Sisera, at the Kishon River (Judg 4-5).
During Israel's kings period, at one time or another, the Philistines, Egyptians, Ethiopians, Syrians, Assyrians and Babylonians battled against them with large Chariot forces, as many as 30,000/32,000
chariots on different occasions (1 Sam 13; 2 Sam 1; 1 Chron 19; 2 Chron 12-14-16; Isa 37). Prophets, in their pronouncements of doom era, mentions the chariots in which enemy nations prides themselves
(Micah 5; Jer 50-51).
Though the Chariot was primarily a war instrument, there are also instances where it was used for other peaceful purposes. Joseph as a food administrator of Egypt rode in a Chariot of Honor, second only to that of Pharaoh. In his chariot he rode out to meet his father Jacob when he entered Egypt (Gen 41-46).
Upon Jacob's death many chariots were in the funeral procession that went from Egypt to Mach'Pelah, the burial place that Abraham had purchased (Gen 50). As a means of transportation, chariots were also employed by Kings Rehoboam and Ahab, Naaman the Syrian army chief and the Ethiopian official who invited the evangelist Philip to ride with him on the Road down to Gaza (1Ki12; 18; 2 Ki 5; Act8).
Richly decorated and shaded Chariots carried victorious rulers in processions. Sacred Chariots and the horses that drew them were dedicated to the power of the sun by apostate Judean rulers and were used in ceremonial driving to meet the energy that encompasses the rising of the sun (2 Ki 23).
In a figurative and prophetic sense, chariots are used as symbols of war, just like the bow and sword.
Isaiah 22 says: This is a message about the Valley of Vision. What is happening? Why are all the people of the City of Jerusalem celebrating on the roof of the houses? The whole City is in uproar, filled with noise and excitement. Your people who died in this war did not die fighting. All your leaders run away and were captured before they shot a single arrow (1-3). This is a time of panic, defeat, and confusion in the Valley of vision, and the Sovereign Lord Almighty has sent it on us. The walls of our City have been battered down, and cries for help have echoed among the hills. The soldiers from the Land of Elam came riding on horseback, armed with bows and arrows. Soldiers from the Land of Kir had their shields ready. The fertile Valley of Judah were filled with Chariots; soldiers on horseback stood in front of Jerusalem's Gates. All of Judah's defenses crumbled (4-7). When that happened, you People brought weapons out of the arsenal. You found the places where the Walls Of Jerusalem needed repair (8-10). In order to store water, you built a reservoir inside the City to hold the water flowing down from the Old Pool. But you People paid no Attention to God's Word, who planned all this long ago and who caused it to happen. The Sovereign Lord Almighty was calling you People then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth. Instead, you People laughed and celebrated. You killed sheep and cattle to eat and you drank wine.You said,"We might as well eat and drink! Tomorrow we will be dead." The Sovereign Lord Almighty Himself spoke and said, "This evil will never be forgiven them as long as they live. I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, have spoken."(11-14)
Isaiah 27 says: On that Day the lord will use His powerful and deadly sword to punish Levi'Athan, that wriggling, twisting dragon, and to kill the monster that lives in the sea (1). On that Day the Lord will say of His pleasant vineyard, "I watch over it and water it continually. I guard it night and day so that no one will harm it. I am no longer angry with the vineyard. If there were thorns and briers to fight against, I would burn them up completely. But if the enemies of My people want My protection, let them make peace with Me. Yes, let them make peace with Me (2-5). Israel's sins will be forgiven only when the stones of idol altars are ground up like chalk, and no more incense altars or symbols of the goddess Ash'Erah are left" (9). On that Day, from the Euphrates to the Egyptian border, the Lord will gather His people one by one, as threshing separates the wheat from the chaff. When that Day comes, a trumpet will be blown to call back from Assyria and Egypt all the Israelites who are in exile there. They will come and worship the Lord in Jerusalem, on His sacred hill (12-13).
"The War Chariots of YHWH"are said to be "in tens of thousands, thousands over and over again, "denoting YHWH's invincible power to destroy His enemies. (Psalm 68; 2 King 6).
Monday, 10 September 2018
ANCIENT INDIAN RELIGION.
Indian religions based on a contemplative life and not centered on the idea of deities, are the ones that originated in the Indian subcontinent: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
Evidence attesting to prehistoric religion in the Indian subcontinent derives from the corresponding final period of hunter-gatherer cultures and from which scattered rock paintings have been found.
- Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world and today scholars refer to it as a way of life widely practiced since 1500 BCE. It contains a broad range of philosophies linked by shared concepts, rituals such as worship (Puja) and recitations, meditation, family oriented rites of passage, cosmology, annual festivals, textual resources and pilgrimage to sacred sites. Sources of authority and eternal Truths in its texts play an important role and there is a strong tradition of questioning authority in order to deepen the understanding of these Truths and to further develop them. Hinduism prescribes the eternal duties, such as honesty, refraining from injuring leaving beings (Ahimsa), patience, forbearance, self-restraint, and compassion, among others. Prominent themes include the 4 proper goals or aims (Purusarthas) of human life: 1) ethics/duties (Dharma), 2) prosperity/work (Artha), 3) desires/passions (Kama), 4) liberation/freedom/salvation (Moksha); action, intent and consequences (Karma), cycle of rebirth (Samsara), and the various paths or practices to attain liberation/freedom/salvation (Yogas).
- Jainism postulates an eternal and ever-existing world which works on universal laws. It has a firm and an unalterable shape which is measured by means of a unit (Rajju) that is supposed to be very large. The universe is divided into 3 parts. The world is surrounded by 3 atmospheres: dense-water, dense-wind, and thin-wind. It is then surrounded by infinitely large non-world which is absolutely empty. The whole world is said to be filled with living beings. In all 3 parts, there is the existence of a very small living beings (nigoda). Nigoda are of 2 types: Nityas which will reborn as Nigoda forever and the Itaras which will be reborn as other beings too. Within the mobile region of universe there are animals and plants everywhere and where humans are restricted to 2.5 continental area of middle world. The beings of the lower world are called Naraki (hellish). The demi-gods (Deva) live in whole on the top and middles world and the top 3 realms of lower world. Living beings are divided into 14 classes (Jivasthana): 1)fine beings with one sense. 2)Crude beings with one sense. 3)Beings with two sense.
4)Beings with three sense. 5)Beings with four sense. 6)Beings with five sense without mind. 7)Beings with five sense with a mind. These can be under-developed or developed which makes it a total of 14. Humans get any form of existence and are the only ones which can attain salvation. The followers are called "Jains," a word derived from the Sanskrit word "Jina" meaning "victory" and connoting the path of victory in crossing over life's stream of rebirths through an ethical and spiritual life.
- Buddhism is the world 4th-largest religion or 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. It is an Indian religion attributed to the teachings of the Buddha. He was moved by the innate suffering of humanity and its endless repetition due to rebirth. He set out on a quest to end this repeated suffering.
He first studied under Vedic teachers, learning meditation and ancient philosophies, particularly the concept of "nothingness, emptiness" and "what is neither seen nor unseen." Finding this teachings to be insufficient to attain his goal, he turned to the practice of a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often to the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Then he turned to the practice of meditation, which he had already pursued in his youth. He famously sat in meditation under a sacred Fig Tree. He gained insight and attained enlightenment. He attracted followers and founded a monastic order (Sangha). Now, as the Budha, he spent the rest of his life teaching what he had discovered and died at the age of 80 in India. His teachings were propagated by his followers, and in the last centuries of the 1st millennium BCE, 18 Buddhist sub-school of though were founded, each with its own basket of texts containing different interpretations of Buddha's teachings.
- Sikhism was founded in Punjab area of South Asia, which now falls into the present day states of India and Pakistan. The Sikh faith began around 1500 CE, when Guru Nanak (1469-1539) began teaching a faith that draw from the religious ideas of Hindu and Islamic thought. He was already an original spiritual thinker and expressed his thoughts in extraordinary poetry that became the basis of Sikh scripture.
Nanak's birth and early years were marked with many events that demonstrated that God had marked him out for something special and was keeping an eye on him. He soon showed an advanced interest in religion and studied Islam and Hinduism extensively. As a child he demonstrated great ability as a poet and philosopher. One famous story about him tells of his rebellion at the age of 11. At this age Hindu boys of his caste would star to wear the sacred thread to distinguish them. Nanak refused to wear the sacred thread by saying that people should be distinguished by the things that they did, and their individual qualities, rather than by a thread.
Nanak continued to demonstrate a radical spiritual streak by arguing with local holy men and sages, both Hindu and Muslim, that external things like pilgrimages, penances and poverty were of far less spiritual importance than internal changes to the individual's soul.
He worked for a while as an accountant but while still quite young decided to devote himself to spiritual matters. He was inspired by a powerful spiritual experience that gave him a vision of the true nature of God, and confirmed his idea that the way to spiritual thought was through meditation and through living in a way that reflected the presence of the divine within each human being.
In 1946, although married and having a family because of his family tradition in the Hindu faith, Nanak set out on a set of spiritual journeys through India, Tibet and Arabia that lasted nearly 30 years.
Nanak studied and debated with learned men he met along the way and as his ideas took shape he began to teach a new route to spiritual fulfillment. The last part of his life was spent at Katarpur in the Punjab, where he was joined by many disciples attracted by his teachings.
The most famous teachings attributed to Nakar are that there is only one God, and that all human beings can have direct access to God with no need of rituals or priests. His most radical social teachings denounced the caste system and taught that everyone is equal, regardless of caste or gender.
Evidence attesting to prehistoric religion in the Indian subcontinent derives from the corresponding final period of hunter-gatherer cultures and from which scattered rock paintings have been found.
- Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world and today scholars refer to it as a way of life widely practiced since 1500 BCE. It contains a broad range of philosophies linked by shared concepts, rituals such as worship (Puja) and recitations, meditation, family oriented rites of passage, cosmology, annual festivals, textual resources and pilgrimage to sacred sites. Sources of authority and eternal Truths in its texts play an important role and there is a strong tradition of questioning authority in order to deepen the understanding of these Truths and to further develop them. Hinduism prescribes the eternal duties, such as honesty, refraining from injuring leaving beings (Ahimsa), patience, forbearance, self-restraint, and compassion, among others. Prominent themes include the 4 proper goals or aims (Purusarthas) of human life: 1) ethics/duties (Dharma), 2) prosperity/work (Artha), 3) desires/passions (Kama), 4) liberation/freedom/salvation (Moksha); action, intent and consequences (Karma), cycle of rebirth (Samsara), and the various paths or practices to attain liberation/freedom/salvation (Yogas).
- Jainism postulates an eternal and ever-existing world which works on universal laws. It has a firm and an unalterable shape which is measured by means of a unit (Rajju) that is supposed to be very large. The universe is divided into 3 parts. The world is surrounded by 3 atmospheres: dense-water, dense-wind, and thin-wind. It is then surrounded by infinitely large non-world which is absolutely empty. The whole world is said to be filled with living beings. In all 3 parts, there is the existence of a very small living beings (nigoda). Nigoda are of 2 types: Nityas which will reborn as Nigoda forever and the Itaras which will be reborn as other beings too. Within the mobile region of universe there are animals and plants everywhere and where humans are restricted to 2.5 continental area of middle world. The beings of the lower world are called Naraki (hellish). The demi-gods (Deva) live in whole on the top and middles world and the top 3 realms of lower world. Living beings are divided into 14 classes (Jivasthana): 1)fine beings with one sense. 2)Crude beings with one sense. 3)Beings with two sense.
4)Beings with three sense. 5)Beings with four sense. 6)Beings with five sense without mind. 7)Beings with five sense with a mind. These can be under-developed or developed which makes it a total of 14. Humans get any form of existence and are the only ones which can attain salvation. The followers are called "Jains," a word derived from the Sanskrit word "Jina" meaning "victory" and connoting the path of victory in crossing over life's stream of rebirths through an ethical and spiritual life.
- Buddhism is the world 4th-largest religion or 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. It is an Indian religion attributed to the teachings of the Buddha. He was moved by the innate suffering of humanity and its endless repetition due to rebirth. He set out on a quest to end this repeated suffering.
He first studied under Vedic teachers, learning meditation and ancient philosophies, particularly the concept of "nothingness, emptiness" and "what is neither seen nor unseen." Finding this teachings to be insufficient to attain his goal, he turned to the practice of a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often to the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Then he turned to the practice of meditation, which he had already pursued in his youth. He famously sat in meditation under a sacred Fig Tree. He gained insight and attained enlightenment. He attracted followers and founded a monastic order (Sangha). Now, as the Budha, he spent the rest of his life teaching what he had discovered and died at the age of 80 in India. His teachings were propagated by his followers, and in the last centuries of the 1st millennium BCE, 18 Buddhist sub-school of though were founded, each with its own basket of texts containing different interpretations of Buddha's teachings.
- Sikhism was founded in Punjab area of South Asia, which now falls into the present day states of India and Pakistan. The Sikh faith began around 1500 CE, when Guru Nanak (1469-1539) began teaching a faith that draw from the religious ideas of Hindu and Islamic thought. He was already an original spiritual thinker and expressed his thoughts in extraordinary poetry that became the basis of Sikh scripture.
Nanak's birth and early years were marked with many events that demonstrated that God had marked him out for something special and was keeping an eye on him. He soon showed an advanced interest in religion and studied Islam and Hinduism extensively. As a child he demonstrated great ability as a poet and philosopher. One famous story about him tells of his rebellion at the age of 11. At this age Hindu boys of his caste would star to wear the sacred thread to distinguish them. Nanak refused to wear the sacred thread by saying that people should be distinguished by the things that they did, and their individual qualities, rather than by a thread.
Nanak continued to demonstrate a radical spiritual streak by arguing with local holy men and sages, both Hindu and Muslim, that external things like pilgrimages, penances and poverty were of far less spiritual importance than internal changes to the individual's soul.
He worked for a while as an accountant but while still quite young decided to devote himself to spiritual matters. He was inspired by a powerful spiritual experience that gave him a vision of the true nature of God, and confirmed his idea that the way to spiritual thought was through meditation and through living in a way that reflected the presence of the divine within each human being.
In 1946, although married and having a family because of his family tradition in the Hindu faith, Nanak set out on a set of spiritual journeys through India, Tibet and Arabia that lasted nearly 30 years.
Nanak studied and debated with learned men he met along the way and as his ideas took shape he began to teach a new route to spiritual fulfillment. The last part of his life was spent at Katarpur in the Punjab, where he was joined by many disciples attracted by his teachings.
The most famous teachings attributed to Nakar are that there is only one God, and that all human beings can have direct access to God with no need of rituals or priests. His most radical social teachings denounced the caste system and taught that everyone is equal, regardless of caste or gender.
Sunday, 9 September 2018
THE MEANING OF KIDRON VALLEY.
The Kidron Valley is frequently mentioned in the New Testament as being crossed by Jesus in his journeyings to and fro (John 18). It was through this Valley that Jesus walked to go from Jerusalem to the Garden of Gethsemane immediately prior to His arrest and His death by crucifixion. It was at Gethsemane that the Lord felt the full force of His upcoming death. It was also at Gethsemane that we see the Lord's perfect unselfish submission to the Will of His Father. Also, Judas Ischariot travelled the same path to Gethsemane, resulting in the betrayal and arrest of Christ.
In the Book of Matthew, the Kidron Valley is mentioned as the place where Jesus was tempted by Satan. It says: "Then, after Jesus was baptized, he was led out into the Wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. For 40 days and 40 nights Jesus ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the Devil came and said to Him, 'if you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.' But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scripture says, People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every Word of God.' Then the Devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, 'if you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scripture says, God orders His Angels to protect you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your food on a stone.' Jesus responded to the Devil, 'the Scripture also says, Do not test the Lord your God.' Next the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the World and all their glory and said, 'I will give it all to you if you will only kneel down and worship me.' "Get out of here, Satan,' Jesus told him. 'For the Scripture says, 'You must worship the Lord your God; serve only Him.' Then the Devil went away, and angels came and cared for Jesus.
The Book of Mark mention the Kidron Valley in relation to Jesus by saying: "Immediately after finishing supper, Jesus and his disciples leave the Old City and cross the Kidron Valley heading towards the Mount of Olives."
The Hebrew name Kidron is derived from the root "Qadar,"meaning "to be dark, ashy dark color, or turbid" The Valley is related to the feeling of sorrow, the state of mourning and death.
The central point of reference for the Upper Kidron Valley (a mountain ravine) today is its confluence of Jerusalem's richest concentration of rock-hewn tombs and graves. Burying people here became a practice in the days of Josiah (2 Kings) in the Second temple period. Its precipitous, rocky banks (outskirts of the Old City) are filled with ancient tombs, especially the left bank opposite the Temple area. The greatest desire of the Jews of today is to be buried there, from the idea that the Kidron is the Valley of Jehoshaphat mentioned in the Book of Joel. Through this mountain ravine no water runs, except after heavy rains in the mountains round about Jerusalem.
In the Old Testament the Scripture says in the Book of Jeremiah: "The days are coming"declares the Lord, "when this City will be rebuilt... The whole Valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the East as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The City will never again be uprooted or demolish."
In Christian tradition the similarity between the Greek word for "cedar"(kedros) and the Greek name of the valley "Kedron," has led to the Kidron Valley being wrongly called "Valley of the Cedars."
The Kidron Valley is on the Eastern side of the Old City of Jerusalem, and runs North-South separating the Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives (the city of David). The Valley then continues through the Judean desert in the West Bank towards the Dead Sea, descending 4000 feet along its 20-mile course. It is important to realize that the Kidron Valley was much deeper 2,000 years ago. The bottom of the Valley has been raised by the rubble and debris of centuries falling into it.
The Gih'On Spring naturally filled this Valley, but the settlers of Jerusalem diverted the natural water into pools and channels to be used by the city. In the Book of Genesis, the Gih'On (to burst forth) is described as one of the 4 Rivers that branched out from the main River issued on Eden and "encircling the entire land of Cush."
At various times in the Old Testament it was at Kidron, where false idols were destroyed, symbolically representing termination, or death of idolatry itself. This took place 3 different times: under the rule of Asa (1 King 15, under the rule of Josiah (2 Kings 23), and under the rule of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29;30).
In 2 Samuel, a situation is described involving King David fleeing bare-foot and weeping, across the Valley of Kidron up to the Mount of Olives with all his followers, to escape his son Absalon.
In 2 Kings, Athaliah is mentioned as being executed at the entrance to the King's House, out to the Gate where the horses enter the palace grounds, in the Kidron Valley, after her evil reign in Judah was brought to a violent end.
The Kidron Valley afterwards became the receptacle for all manner of impurities. 2 Chronicles 29 says,
Hezekiah was 29 years old when he became the king of Judah and he reigned in Jerusalem 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. He did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight, just as his ancestor David had done. ..Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repair them.
He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the Courtyard East of the Temple. He said, "Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, our God. They abandoned the Lord and His Temple; they turned their backs on Him. They also shut the doors of the Temple's foyer, and they snuffled out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting Burnt Offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel. That is why the Lord's Anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made us an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can so plainly see. Our fathers have been killed in battle and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity. But now i will make a Covenant with he Lord, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us. My dear Levites, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence, to minister to Him, and to lead the people in worship and make offerings to Him." ... The work began (by specific men whose names were mentioned) on a Day in early Spring. These men called together their fellow Levites, and they purified themselves. Then they began to purify the Temple of he Lord. They were careful to follow all the Lord's instructions in their work. The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the Lord to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple Courtyard all the defiled things they found. From there the Levites carted it all out to the Kidron Valley. In 8 Days they had reached the foyer of the Lord's Temple. Then they purified the Temple of the Lord itself, which took another 8 days. So the entire task was completed in 16 Days.
The Lord's end times renovation of Kidron is a beautiful picture of us being saved permanently from the darkness of sin to the light of God's Holiness.
In the Book of Matthew, the Kidron Valley is mentioned as the place where Jesus was tempted by Satan. It says: "Then, after Jesus was baptized, he was led out into the Wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. For 40 days and 40 nights Jesus ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the Devil came and said to Him, 'if you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.' But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scripture says, People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every Word of God.' Then the Devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, 'if you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scripture says, God orders His Angels to protect you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your food on a stone.' Jesus responded to the Devil, 'the Scripture also says, Do not test the Lord your God.' Next the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the World and all their glory and said, 'I will give it all to you if you will only kneel down and worship me.' "Get out of here, Satan,' Jesus told him. 'For the Scripture says, 'You must worship the Lord your God; serve only Him.' Then the Devil went away, and angels came and cared for Jesus.
The Book of Mark mention the Kidron Valley in relation to Jesus by saying: "Immediately after finishing supper, Jesus and his disciples leave the Old City and cross the Kidron Valley heading towards the Mount of Olives."
The Hebrew name Kidron is derived from the root "Qadar,"meaning "to be dark, ashy dark color, or turbid" The Valley is related to the feeling of sorrow, the state of mourning and death.
The central point of reference for the Upper Kidron Valley (a mountain ravine) today is its confluence of Jerusalem's richest concentration of rock-hewn tombs and graves. Burying people here became a practice in the days of Josiah (2 Kings) in the Second temple period. Its precipitous, rocky banks (outskirts of the Old City) are filled with ancient tombs, especially the left bank opposite the Temple area. The greatest desire of the Jews of today is to be buried there, from the idea that the Kidron is the Valley of Jehoshaphat mentioned in the Book of Joel. Through this mountain ravine no water runs, except after heavy rains in the mountains round about Jerusalem.
In the Old Testament the Scripture says in the Book of Jeremiah: "The days are coming"declares the Lord, "when this City will be rebuilt... The whole Valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the East as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The City will never again be uprooted or demolish."
In Christian tradition the similarity between the Greek word for "cedar"(kedros) and the Greek name of the valley "Kedron," has led to the Kidron Valley being wrongly called "Valley of the Cedars."
The Kidron Valley is on the Eastern side of the Old City of Jerusalem, and runs North-South separating the Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives (the city of David). The Valley then continues through the Judean desert in the West Bank towards the Dead Sea, descending 4000 feet along its 20-mile course. It is important to realize that the Kidron Valley was much deeper 2,000 years ago. The bottom of the Valley has been raised by the rubble and debris of centuries falling into it.
The Gih'On Spring naturally filled this Valley, but the settlers of Jerusalem diverted the natural water into pools and channels to be used by the city. In the Book of Genesis, the Gih'On (to burst forth) is described as one of the 4 Rivers that branched out from the main River issued on Eden and "encircling the entire land of Cush."
At various times in the Old Testament it was at Kidron, where false idols were destroyed, symbolically representing termination, or death of idolatry itself. This took place 3 different times: under the rule of Asa (1 King 15, under the rule of Josiah (2 Kings 23), and under the rule of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29;30).
In 2 Samuel, a situation is described involving King David fleeing bare-foot and weeping, across the Valley of Kidron up to the Mount of Olives with all his followers, to escape his son Absalon.
In 2 Kings, Athaliah is mentioned as being executed at the entrance to the King's House, out to the Gate where the horses enter the palace grounds, in the Kidron Valley, after her evil reign in Judah was brought to a violent end.
The Kidron Valley afterwards became the receptacle for all manner of impurities. 2 Chronicles 29 says,
Hezekiah was 29 years old when he became the king of Judah and he reigned in Jerusalem 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. He did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight, just as his ancestor David had done. ..Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repair them.
He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the Courtyard East of the Temple. He said, "Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, our God. They abandoned the Lord and His Temple; they turned their backs on Him. They also shut the doors of the Temple's foyer, and they snuffled out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting Burnt Offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel. That is why the Lord's Anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made us an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can so plainly see. Our fathers have been killed in battle and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity. But now i will make a Covenant with he Lord, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us. My dear Levites, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence, to minister to Him, and to lead the people in worship and make offerings to Him." ... The work began (by specific men whose names were mentioned) on a Day in early Spring. These men called together their fellow Levites, and they purified themselves. Then they began to purify the Temple of he Lord. They were careful to follow all the Lord's instructions in their work. The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the Lord to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple Courtyard all the defiled things they found. From there the Levites carted it all out to the Kidron Valley. In 8 Days they had reached the foyer of the Lord's Temple. Then they purified the Temple of the Lord itself, which took another 8 days. So the entire task was completed in 16 Days.
The Lord's end times renovation of Kidron is a beautiful picture of us being saved permanently from the darkness of sin to the light of God's Holiness.
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