| After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I[am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward. Vision - Hebrew for 04236
Num 24:4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling [into a trance], but having his eyes open: Num 24:16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, [which] saw the vision of the Almighty, falling [into a trance], but having his eyes open: Act 10:10 And he became very hungry, and would have SHIELDeaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, _________________________________________ Hebrew for 04043
Shield/ of armor, was an essential garment when at war. Shield and breastplate develops into cascading metaphors of grace, finally coming to represent our FAITH. Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. A shield protects from blows from an opposing swords: Psa 3:3 But thou, O LORD, [art] a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Psa 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as [with] a shield. Psa 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. Psa 28:7 The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler. Psa 115:9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he [is] their help and their shield. | |||||||||
| And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus? FINALLY! Abram asks the LORD, plainly: "How am I blessed if I am cursed with being childless?" Children were the blessing in this antideluvian land, more than today. I married a non-believer, and we were cursed by not being able to get pregnant. As much as I love and fear God, I never prayed to him for a child, thinking that I deserved the curse for marrying someone who was outside the fold of faith in Christ. I never asked God whether I should marry this man. I ignored any signs. After this, I didn't think I could ask him for a child. I think Sarai may have felt cursed for marrying her half-brother, even though that wasn't uncommon. I live in an era where women's roles are expanded beyond plain domesticity. I had a career, but, the feeling of sorrow for not having children, was matched by believing I was unworthy. I kept rearranging my life around childless women, younger people, so I wouldn't have to deal with it. If I felt like that, in a modern era, what must Sarai felt? A woman's importance was connected to childbearing. It's odd how when we need intercession the most, we are often blocked. When things aren't going well, instead of clinging to God more, my tendency was to back away even more, feeling like God was angry with me, and that I didn't deserve much consideration. How do we entreat the LORD? Our prayers are represented, the same way as the LORD's presence, in the Old Testament, in a manifestation of smoke. How can something intangible have a physical presence? God came down in smoke, and we go up in smoke. Our prayers are represented as real smoke that appears visibly to the LORD. This spectacular encounter Abraham had with The LORD follows Abraham being blessed by Melchizedek, King of Salem, in 14:14, when the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated, and when Abraham bravely risks his life to save Lot and his family. | |||||||||
| And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. | |||||||||
| And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. I didn't have a baby, but, my childlessness saved my brother Louis' life when he became ill with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, and needed a Bone Marrow Transplant. As his only sibling, and a female, if I had children, there would have been harmful antibodies, that may have killed him. I wouldn't trade my brother's life for ten nurseries of babies. His life is precious to me, and obviously to the LORD who mediated this miracle in our lives. In Sarah's case, the LORD not only came through, but, blesses her above other women. Even though the princess of the tribe, she must have felt cursed and not worthy. Yet, she had a faith in God. She also had a beautiful soul mate in Abraham. I love their love story. Sarah was the first female saint. It was through her, and then Mary, who the Messiah came through. When she becomes a living miracle, her name will change from "Sarai" (Princess) to "Sarah" (Mother of all.) An important lesson, though, is how sure she was that the LORD meant things figuratively, and in limiting his power, she inadvertently causes a rift in brothers, that affects us today. In willfulness, not faith, did Sarah allow Abraham to have sexual relations with her young handservant, Hagar. After the surrogate mother bares Abraham's firstborn son, it's not hard to imagine how deeply Abraham loved Ishmael. Sarah was understandably downtrodden, especially being trumped by her servant, Hagar, a young woman. There was new strife in her life that was very destructive. These original conflicts have rippled down to the day we're in now, and will be the grinding wheel of judgment. We water down Scripture to suit us, and make our own independent solutions, which seem logical, like Abraham and Sarah did, circumventing the power and truth in God's true words. | |||||||||
| And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. | |||||||||
| And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. | |||||||||
| And he said unto him, I[am](YHWH) the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. | |||||||||
| And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? Most believers have had experiences where the Holy Spirit was saying things, and it was exciting, but, then we have doubts, to make sure it is God, and not our own voices or our own deceptions, delusions, or even psychoses!! Abraham had quite an advantage on most of us, because, the LORD physically has spoken to him, and he has seen his resplendence in many ways, from the King of Salem Melchizadec, to the Angel of the Lord. He had ample evidence to be assured of God's Holy Presence, in Angels, in Messengers, and even in other humans who have His Spirit, or regarded His wonders, like Pharoah did in the presence of Abram and Sarai. Most believers know that God is not limited, in any way. He is with us, whether Angels come down to minister, or not. Abraham is in God's sight, and is becoming recognizable to Abraham, and he is learning. He asked God to show him a sign. Most of expect something like the rainbow for the sign. Trouble is, rainbows don't thrill us anymore. It rains, the light shines and causes light refraction in color. Piece of cake. It's science, not supernatural. Is it? Rainbows are cool. for a multitude of reasons, mainly that the storm is over, and they're soooooo pretty. Animal sacrifice must have been excruciating. To need to kill something to pay for our sins, really humbles our spirits, especially when it's purpose is to show us our own wretchedness. We are compared to grass, by the Prophets, and we are only given a few days to bloom in the sun, and then we die, and turn to dust, eaten, as we have consumed. Plants turn the energy of the sun and water into basic sustenance. How can any Scientist be an Atheist? The role of the sacrifice in ancient religions is a doctoral thesis subject, too extensive to cover in a daily blog in one posting. The basis for it in the Hebrew religion was to transcend. The cult of Isis.Inc. had sacrifices, and a parralel doctrine of beliefs, with one exception, God was left out, and instead, they glorified themselves with the old "God is in me" feel good philosophies. Or even worse, the Moon and Sun Gods were the deities who were venerated. ORIGINAL JEALOUSY. In some cases, the large brasen statues of the gods, were constructed and then raised. It astounds us, to this day. Could they have had supernatural help? It's very possible, in my opinion. From the beginning, there was corruption. The "sons of god" i.e. fallen angels, procreated a fierce race called Nephthalim when they had sex with human women. That's the magic behind the BEAST in Daniel. The great metal statue of Nebechadnezzar, King of Babylon, is raised to his feet. The Abomination of Desolation, was the installation of Marduk in the Temple of Solomon, by Antioches Epiphanes. Imagine the construction of a humongous Collossus, bit by bit, and some supermagical thing helped get it upright, on it's feet.  COLLOSSUS OF RHODES- ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERSThe ancients were dazzled by something, because, they were sacrificing their own CHILDREN, laying their tiny bodies in a monstrous iron furnace, shaped like a monster's mouth. Their tender children were broiled alive. The predominant RIVAL religion, in Mesopotamia, was Marduk, who emerged as the triumphant messiah in the Semiramis-Nimrod religion. The monstrous and evil Marduk, looked like an alligatorface from outer space.  Notice that there is a HUNTER (like Nimrod) and the dragon. This is the duality of Marduk, who was the original snake, the original red dragon deceiver, (crockadile from Nile- massa) The snake was in one form to Eve, but, otherwise, appears as a Nimrod-esque Hunter / KING. Abraham was not born a Jew, or Muslim. He was born a Marduk-ian. His family were no different than the surrounding pagans. They had magical amulets and rituals. But, when God called Abram, he called him OUT of all that. When the LORD tells Abraham to use animals, as proxy, it was with the same understanding that Noah had, after the flood, after saving the animals. Yet, of those who were saved, did he sign the contract with the LORD, in the smoke of the holy sacrifice. The LORD came down in smoke, and we go up in smoke. It's basic, but, a profound mystery that our souls cling to, even when we are consciously not clinging to God. How do we express this connection to our Creator? How do we, who are so feeble, do something meaningful to God, in addition to treating all creatures like brothers? Noah sacrificed the most perfect, as God ordained. So did Abram, and so will the Priest until the Lamb of God came. Their ceremony was somber, and meant to teach the Priest something holy, about life, death, sacrifice, sin and resurrection. What is the ceremonial meaning for us, today however? We have Christ, and he died as the proxy for all. He died for the animals, too! In His Kingdom, the lion grazes in the lush field, and lie down next to a lamb, as a friend. Christ represents himself as such a glorious gentle lion to us. Why does God introduce us to him through these animals? It makes sense if he's smoke, because he's mysterious and ethereal. It makes sense if He's fire from heaven, from a thunderbolt, articulating judgment and doom. As believers, we know the ridiculousness of thinking of the LORD helpless. Yet, he comes veiled in all things, even the perfect 3 year old ram being slaughtered, as a proxy for Abraham's sin. How can we ever be worthy? Were we exonnerated by the blood of beautiful young animals being slain so we can live? Don't we love a good barbecue? If we smack our lips and have a full, happy belly, how is that contrition, or learning the tragedy of our sin, and how it affects the entire creation? It's one big slaughterhouse down here. To live, something else must die. In the end, the lowly maggots consume our meat. In the end, we are brought down to the grave. We long for just ONE MORE DAY! Would the purpose of God in the sacrifice ever be understood by mankind? By the time the LORD comes back, to establish his holy city, will there even be faith in God? | |||||||||
| And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. Heifer is the main sacrifice. It has a complex purpose in the sacrifice, which I hope to get more into when I get to the LAW. I'm not sure I understand it with adequacy. I constantly pray for enlightenment, because, in this understanding we can embrace something holy. I consider these revelation blessings like prizes, along the highway. Most believers know what it's like, when you have asked questions for years, and they are finally answered. The she goat- was a propitiation for Sarah. The ram was the propitiation for Abraham. A turtledove and pidgeon was sacrificed to represent the Holy Spirit, or purpose of God. Back to Abram asking God for a sign, like we all do, God never answers Abraham with a plain answer. The LORD told him to make a holy smoke offering. | |||||||||
| And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. | |||||||||
| And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. | |||||||||
| And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. Horror - eymah {ay-maw'} (terror)
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| And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; That's a somber and terrifying prediction. Imagine hearing that you will have a child, and the joy it brings. Then, as you absorb this heart- warming news, your heart is turned to ice hearing that for the next FOUR HUNDRED YEARS, your children and children's children will be SLAVES. | |||||||||
| And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. For all the tribes that curse the tribes of Jacob, they will be JUDGED with cursing. For any tribe who bestows kindness, like Pharoah to Abraham, they will be blessed, for their generation. We know that at the end of this dispensation, the measuring rod will be what we did with not only the tribes of Jacob, but, most importantly, their Messiah, Jesus. But, will the Jews be judged because they rejected the corner stone? | |||||||||
| And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. | |||||||||
| But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full. Four generations is analogous to the four seasons. It can also refer to 100 years. There is basic symbolism in both the number 4, and how it relates in an organic way to us and our environment. ----------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||||||
| And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. | |||||||||
| In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: From the Nile to the Euphrates. | |||||||||
| The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, | |||||||||
| And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, | |||||||||
| And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. | |||||||||
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