Exodus 22:21 Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things which people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
John 7:24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.
Acts 17:26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is not favoritism.
James 2:4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
1 John 2:11 but anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
Prejudice and judgment of others has been around almost since the first sin. Adam and Eve lived fairly idyllically from what we can read. We have no idea how long they lived in the Garden, but for enough time to know the rules, and to not be tempted to disobey the rules. At least, they did not disobey for a while.
Then Satan, the Fallen Angel who was thrown from heaven to the eternal pit of hell with his demon minions, spied the relationship God had with the first humans, and crept into the Garden. He eyed his prey, and then approached the woman, and urged her to tell him the rules God had given. She expounded on the rules, and quick shyster he is, he grabbed onto that and assured her she would not ‘die’ if she ate the fruit as she had spoken. She would become just like God, just as smart with the knowledge of good and evil.
God was hurt and angry, warning the devil he would forever slither on his belly, and in time would be crushed by Jesus; and the woman and man could no longer experience the closeness of God that they’d shared. They were banned from the Garden—no longer frolicking and enjoying the bounty, but now to work the land, to gather their own food and so forth.
Eve and Adam had two sons, Cain and Abel, both worked in their capacities, but Cain’s heart was selfish and cruel, and after becoming angry when God accepted with pleasure Abel’s offering of thanks, Cain killed Abel. He was jealous and that jealousy, anger, and prejudice grew against the two brothers and down through their families.
Initially, God would not accept many of the other nations because they worshiped idols and false gods which had been made by their own hands. He ordered the Israelites, whom He had chosen to destroy these peoples and take over their land. He also ordered them to NOT intermarry since they would be risking being taken down the path of worshiping false, manmade gods, and turning from Him, the only God and Lord, the Creator of all.
The behavior of disobeying something we are told not to touch, take, or whatever—usually, initially for our benefit—so we won’t be hurt, burned, bitten, etc. But children test that command. How often have you heard a child told no, to not touch something, then watched as a cute smile crosses the face, and a quick glance to see if he is being observed, then reaching out to touch the forbidden. It does seem to be an inborn part of our make-up to disobey, then blame on someone else, or deny it was our own choice or misdeed.
During the years of moving through the desert to finally obtain the Promised Land, God gave strict orders to not co-habit with these people, and His reasoning was clear. They worshiped false gods, and they could bring down into further sinful behaviors bey worshiping those gods, and partaking of the sins these people did. They self-mutilated, they shared intimacy and sex with many, they drank and did other mind-altering behaviors, and so forth. They DISRESPECTED AND DISOBEYED God. Again, the innate desire to reach beyond the boundaries, because we should make our own decisions and everything will turn out fine. WE ARE NOT IN CHARGE!
God laid down the rules for our safety, benefit. I do wonder if some of them, since so stringent, were also to test their hearts. I will be the first to confess, I would have failed. There were some tough laws to follow, and I know me well enough to know I would have sinned with my grumbling, whining, poor attitude, and probably would have grabbed the head of hair of another female living and sharing chores and not pulling her weight. I would have been truly put out to be out of camp for a week of menstruation, and EVERYONE knowing why. No, I would not have suffered in silence—grumble, whine.
We are sinful beings, and full of prejudice, including thinking we might be working harder than someone else. Unless told, we have NO idea what someone else is walking through and dealing with. We have no cause to judge—yet it’s a pretty common sin within all of us.
I used to wonder why the Israelites were so disgusted with the Samaritans, when the two most frequent stories of the Samaritans tell of a woman who was thrilled to be touched by the Word of Jesus, and went and told and shared with her townsfolk, who rebuked her and her lifestyle at the time. But the other is the Samaritan man who rescued a man beaten and left to die in the street. He was passed by two ‘men of God’—who increased their speed and crossed the street, but not the Samaritan. He cared for the man, paid and enlisted the help of the innkeeper to continue caring for the man, and on his return, he would compensate fully for the man’s care. I wanted to grow up and be that generous, good and loving man. but the Israelites who had not fraternized with other people from other countries, considered themselves pure, while the Samaritans were Israelites who had intermingled with other cultures and people.
But prejudice is and has been real since the beginning of time. Cain killed Abel in anger but because God preferred Abel’s sacrifice, and Cain was the prejudiced against his brother. In our own country, there are/were issues of north vs south, and the lists go on and on.
Please note, prejudice started with us flawed humans—NOT with God. God loves each and every one—He created each and every one. And He created each and every one in His image.
Jesus thankfully did not have any prejudice. He sees the heart and it is the hearts of some He has issues with—Pharisees, Sadducees, and others who think they are higher and more righteous in God’s eyes although they have NO compassion, no love or respect of others, and are full of judgment, not understanding or caring, and continuing to charge high amounts to fill the “church” coffers, that gradually became some of their pockets.
Even Saul was full of anger and prejudice as he traveled throughout the country killing and imprisoning people who believed in the Way. This new man didn’t even wash his hands appropriately before eating. He hung about with lepers, with dirty filthy people, waiting to jump into the waters to be healed, prostitutes, and tax collectors. This Jesus definitely was not worthy and should be killed and all His followers ousted.
Until Paul was touched, blinded, spoke with, and was healed by Jesus, he was an adamant opponent of this man carrying on with Words and loving ways that were not totally of those strict Laws.
I do not want to be a person who has the heart of a Pharisee or Sadducee. Lord, help my heart be cleansed from any prejudice and nasty judgment. I want to be more like Your Son, my Savior. Thank You for Your patience with this work in progress and all You have done for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Zingers: Some convictions are nothing more than prejudices. Prejudice is a loose idea held tightly. the difference between a conviction and a prejudice is you can explain a conviction without getting angry.
1 Samuel 8:10-17 These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to e his horsemen to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers.
1 Samuel 15:3-6 “Go and attack the Amalekites! Destroy them and all their possessions. Don’t have any pity. Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies. Slaughter their cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.”
1 Samuel 15 :13-23 Samuel finally caught up with Saul, and Saul told him, “I hope the Lord will bless you! I have done what the Lord told me.” “Then why,” Samuel asked, “do I hear sheep and cattle?” “The Amy took them from the Amalekites, ” Saul explained. “They kept the best sheep and cattle, so they could sacrifice them to the Lord your God. But we destroyed everything else.” “Stop!” Samuel said. “Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.” “All right.” Saul answered. Samuel continued, “You may not think you’re very important, but the Lord chose you to be king, and you are in charge of the tribes of Israel. When the Lord sent you on this mission, h 6ole you o 2ip3 out tho qorthless Amaleki3w. @hy esp vs 22didyn’t you listen to the Lord? Why did you keep the animals and make him angry.” “But I did listen to eh Lord!” Saul answered, “He sent me on a mission, and I went. I captured the King Agag and destroyed his nation. All the anmals were going to be destroyed anyway. That’s why the army brought the best sheep and cattle to Gilgal as sacrifices to the Lord your God.” “Tell me,” Samuel said, “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him. Reelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to dowhat God told you, so God has decided that you can no longer be king.”
1 Samuel 16:14-16 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our Lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.” Distressing spirit from the Lord
Psalm 56:3,4 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Philippians 4:6,7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understnading, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Saul was the first man God chose to be King of Israel at the peoples’ insistence. ‘We have to be like the other countries. We want a King.’ Samuel, the last judge of the Israelites, dedicated to God by his mother as a young child and raised by an old priest was warned by God that kings were not going to go well with the people. God warned the people that they would have high taxes; their sons and daughters would be sucked up and into the work areas to support the kingdom, and there would not be much left for them. But He loved them, so gave full warning about the dangers of having a king lead them. 1 Samuels 8:10-17.
But, since often people believe they are in charge, they make their own decisions without consulting, praying, seeking God, and often suffer consequences. They insisted they wanted a king, a human king to love and protect them and they could be like the other nations.
God chose Saul. I wonder if it was because Saul, although physically appeared strong, tall, competent, but was emotionally weak? Was he lazy? He was apparently very close to adulthood and needed his father’s direction to go looking for lost donkeys? He did not volunteer and go, and search for the animals without being told? Is this how a grown young man would act if he were responsible and able to look ahead and judge circumstances? Hmmm. Maybe God wanted them to see immediately that His warning of the demands of a king were true.
When he was told he had been chosen to be the king, and Samuel would come to his home and make the announcement, then he hid behind some barrels. Hmm, was that shyness, recognizing he had little spunk and perhaps much would be asked of him? Hard to say, but right away, he decides to do things in his way and on his own time, not as he was told. And, when confronted with all he did wrong, he denied it. “I saved the animals and just the king for sacrifices to ‘your’ god.’ What part of ‘have no pity; destroy all people, babies included, all animals and possessions’ did he not understand?
God gives direction and IF we follow, things will go smoother for us. The path, even when it looks convoluted, rocky and barren, we are able to get through. With Saul, God gave specific orders. Although God had chosen Saul–a shy, doubting, fairly unremarkable, yet tall and good-looking young man to be the nation’s first King. He recognized the people were really casting Him aside, and He clearly warned them the cost of having a King, making a royal family, having the king tax them to support the king’s every desire, and so forth. But they were insistent. It reminds actually me of my insistence to have bell bottoms and whatever the latest style might be.-That clothing gained me nothing, truly nothing changed my station in life or in school, and yet, it was the mentality of wanting what others had. Hmmm, too bad that insight came 50+ years after the fact.
But Saul, within less than a week was already disobeying God, through the direction Samuel had given him. He was told to wait for Samuel’s arrival then they would offer sacrifices. Saul was disobedient in several ways involving this incident, and because of it, he eventually lost the kingdom for his family. He did not destroy everything within the Amalek nation, he did not wait for Samuel to appear to offer sacrifices, and he was not considered clean, and not fit to offer sacrifices; he was no priest, no judge, not in personal contact with God.
Saul was prone to pity parties, and although made several errors, he was never responsible for a single one. . . of course not! How sad to go through life believing you are not at fault, you never mess up, and if you do it is not your fault, but ‘someone’ caused you to make the error. Definitely no growth of character there.
An evil spirit came upon Saul from God, tormenting him and making him full of anger, suspicion, and violence. He was unstable with those in his household and family. Evil spirits are fallen angels thrown from heaven at the time Lucifer was thrown out and have since spent time tormenting and causing all sorts of unrest, fear, anxiety, possession, and cause physical, emotional and bodily harm. I believe Saul was under that kind of a spirit at times, and certainly it is evident he wanted to kill David, God’s chosen one to replace him. Just as God allowed Satan to torment Job years before this, I believe he allowed Saul to be tormented by an evil spirit. Certainly, Saul was not a strong and God fearing man, he did not claim God as his Creator, Lord, so I think it unlikely that he would pray to have this anger, anxiety and tormenting removed so he could more closely follow God. He was weak, never at fault or responsible, so I can easily see he would not seek God for forgiveness and freedom from the spirit.
God tests us and verifies our thoughts will stay humble, our actions will be kind, gentle, not hurtful to Him or others, and certainly obedient to all He commands us to do/go. Saul failed, and lost, and the kingdom of God’s chosen people suffered.
But 2000+ years ago, God sent His Son to be the new covenant, to be the Way, the Truth, and the Light, and it was easier to see God’s love for us, His people. He still wants obedience, but now when we sin, we turn to His son, confess our sins, disobedience, and have no bloody animal sacrifice to suffer through. We have the peace and love and rest of a Savior that Saul did not have.
Thank You, God, I live in this time when I can learn about the constant love and persistence of You and Your Son and Holy Spirit to keep me on track. May I always follow the path You have chosen for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
ZINGER: Christ departed so the Holy Spirit could be imparted. The Christian’s heart is the Holy Spirit’s home. The human spirit fails unless the Holy Spirit fills
Exodus 15:25, 26 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, “IF you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, IF you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brough on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” (Capitization of IF, mine to stress)
Deuteronomy 8:2 You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
Psalm 7:9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; for the righteous God tries the heart and minds.
Psalm 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and try me; test my mind and my heart.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts.
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for god, but the LORD tests hearts.
Ecclesiastes 3:18 I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”
Isaiah 48:10 “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Jeremiah 17:10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind. Even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.
James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance
James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Nivine Richie from Wilmington NC, a professor of finance and involved with Christian faculty at the university wrote regarding God testing us: “Tests are not for the sake of the teacher, but for the benefit of the student.”. . . “God ordains tests for us, not for his sake, but for ours.”
In the OT He certainly tested his people, and it was not long before they failed. We all fail sometimes out of fear–will we suffer? Will we ever get water? Will our bills really get paid? Will God really come through? In the OT, crossing the desert, one of His first commandments was I am the only God; do not have false gods. In less than 40 days, the people begged Aaron for a god, and the community threw in their gold, melted it down and formed a calf. Aaron was one of the leaders, he was with Moses during all the plagues handed to pharaoh–he saw God’s greatness CLOSE UP AND PERSONAL.
he never tests someone to sin, but does test to show us the weakness in our heart, the strength, or lack of our spiritual condition toward sinning, and to show us the way to overcome sin; we need Him. He may put a test in front of us to determine our reaction. Has our response become more godlike since He threw the last test at us.
How are you when you have left on time to get somewhere, and then work is being done on the road and you have to WAIT before the worker turns the sign to indicate your side of the road may now advance forward SLOWLY? How did you react the last time? What about when something is askew–incorrect amount on a bill, a charge you did not agree to, or some error that causes stress. Okay, time to make a phone call to see about getting the matter straightened out. You have to go through numerous computer-generated voice commands to get to the correct department, and it seems close to impossible, and finally you get through to a human being. But the human’s English is so difficult to understand your problem is still not being resolved. Do you become angry, impatient, unkind? Do you typically pass the test or fail it?
We may be tested to see our weaknesses. Will you gossip about someone, spread a story? You do know it can spread as fast and far and be as damaging as fire in a wooded area. Will you complain about your lazy husband or children? Will you complain about how hard you work, all the burdens you carry? Will you have spouts of anger, impatience, discontentment, and frustration. Will you feel your anger is entirely righteous and therefore no need to apologize? Are you impatient and unkind? Do you vent your household issues to others? Kids leave their rooms a mess and seem to have follow through for any of the commands given to clean their room, pick up clothes, help with household chores–taking trash out, feeding the pets, mowing the lawn, getting the mail, and anything else that routine, daily needs to be done to run the household.
Do you given in to some of your lusts? Do you feel justified in shopping for new clothes even though you don’t need them because of stress, boredom, overwork, and or something else? Was it part of the planned monthly budget? Was it needed–or you were just tempted and rather than seek Him and check about the purchase, you quickly bought it, quelling the warning sensation? If you bought it, did you wear it right away, or shove it into the back of your closet? Do you recognize you cheated your monthly budget? Do you recognize you actually sinned? If you have done this, do you recognize you were also selfish? Out of selfish lust, you spent money not granted in the budget, then hid the evidence and repeatedly tried to justify it in your mind. There’re a few sins in there if you think about it.
Once we recognize our weak response, or that we did fully commit the sin, it shows us clearly our need for Him, and how easy it is for us to fall into temptation and if given into, we fall into full blown sin. God wants us to be aware of areas we are weak in, and with each test, it is an opportunity for it to dawn on us, and we can choose to NOT sin, to take another way to prevent sin.
If I have an appointed time to be somewhere, I try to leave in enough time to ensure I get there at least a few minutes early. Many things can impede that plan, baking something took longer than package said, dog still needed to be walked before I could leave and she was in a dawdling mood, not caring about the urgency of my time, and then the traffic was heavier than expected or there was some work being done which slowed traffic to a stop for a few minutes. I have groaned and reminded God testily, “You know I am supposed to be somewhere, and I HATE being late.” Now, I get the reminder that I am exactly where I am supposed to be at that moment. I don’t like the reminder, I still feel a bit stressed, but I could have started out fifteen minutes earlier, I could have at least not complained and groaned, I could have looked around at all the signs of Spring and sent up a prayer of thanks, I could also remind myself I am not homeless, I have a vehicle that gets me where I need to be, and the world is not going to crash if I am a few minutes tardy.
How many times am I going to fail the test? I can see God seeing my sin, shaking His head, and saying, ‘We will have to do this one AGAIN with her. She still doesn’t have it down.’
Lord, I thank You for Your patience with me as I continue to stumble and fall over so much of the testing. Forgive me impatient and disobedient spirit–AGAIN, and I pray someday, I will be able to pass the tests and recognize You have refined me. Thank You Lord for all You continue to teach and do for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Matthew 1;1-17 Jesus’ Lineage
Genesis 25 Esau despised his birthright and traded it for a meal to his twin, Jacob
Genesis 27 Jacob deceived his father, pretending to be the firstborn, thus stealing the blessing for the firstborn, Esau, and leaving nothing positive for him.
Genesis 28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddam Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Genesis 29:13-43 Jacob worked 7 years to marry Rachel, the younger daughter of Laban, then seven more after he was deceived by Laban and the daughters, and then worked longer for his own herd
Genesis 31:19-35 Rachel continues deceiving as was the apparent custom of this family.
Genesis 38:1-30 Judah and Tamar
Joshua 2 Two spies and Rahab
Book of Ruth Naomi and Ruth. Ruth, a woman from Moab became the mother of Obed, the grandfather to King David.
2 Samuel 11:1-5 David’s wanting Bathsheba
2 Samuel 11:6-21 David arranged Uriah’s death
1 Kings 1:11-40 Solomon is crowned king by his father, King David
1 King 2:1-4 (I underlined verse, not bible) When the time drew near for David to die. He gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said, “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: “’If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’
2 Kings 18:1-8 King Hezekiah loved God—he destroyed the worship of false idols and destroyed all the altars his father had used to offer children as sacrifices to Molech and other false gods.
2 Kings 19:1-37 King Hezekiah, Isaiah and God. When the Assyrians had surrounded Jerusalem and were taunting how they would ‘overtake the city, so give in and things will go better for you’ Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed, and God reassured that the city would not be overtaken and the Assyrians would have a bad ending.
Have you given much thought to Jesus’s human ancestors? There were some scoundrels who were rather sly, to the point of cheating and stealing from siblings. There were others who were admirable and almost always tried to do the right thing.
God called Abraham to be the Father of many nations, and after YEARS of waiting, deep into old age, he and his elderly wife gave birth to one son, Isaac. Isaac was eventually given a wife, a cousin from his mother’s side, Rebekah who came from a sneaky, shady family, but she was willing and anxious to go with the servant and meet the man she would marry.
They had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau was a rough, fairly gruff, and impatient man with a hearty appetite for many things. Jacob was gentler, a hard worker, but enjoyed staying closer to home; but he had a bit of a devious manner, probably learned from his mother. . .she did come from a family who practiced some underhandedness in dealings with others. One day when the impatient and impulsive Esau came into the family home after a hard day’s work hungry, he demanded his brother serve him food. Jacob readily agreed IF Esau would hand over his birthright. Apparently with no qualms, Esau gave it to him, enjoyed his meal and went about his business.
Shortly later, their father Isaac was dying and wanted to bless his sons. Rebekah, wanting the blessings to go to her favorite son, maneuvered this to happen, with AGAIN Jacob getting the elder son’s blessing. Again, devious actions that caused hurt and separation. Again, at his mother’s urging, Jacob fled to his uncle’s home. This was Rebekah’s brother, so of course there is bound to be some deception to some of the agreements made.
Long short, Jacob agreed to work for seven years to attain Rachel’s hand in marriage. However, Laban, Rebekah’s brother, insisted the girls switch places on the wedding night, ensuring that Jacob bed Leah and not Rachel. I wonder if he ever saw the irony of his cheating Esau and Laban AND the two girls deceiving him?
In total, twenty plus years have passed, and Jacob has had enough and wants to return home. The families pack up and start the journey. I am sure Laban would have come after them anyway, but he was more incensed to find his idols had also disappeared. All denied knowing anything about them, Jacob challenges Laban to find them, but Rachel, again possibly well trained in her deceptive family, lies to her father and reports she is having her period so she cannot get up so he can search her animal and belongings—and yet, SHE has stolen the objects.
Jacob had twelve sons from his two wives and two concubines, Judah being the fourth son from Leah, Rachel’s unloved sister. Judah marries and has three sons, the eldest marries Tamar, but he was a sinful man and God killed him, so the middle son, according to Jewish law then had to marry Tamar and the first son’s lineage could be continued. Not wanting to do that, he refused to impregnate her, God killed him, and Judah sent her home to her own father stating the youngest son was too young, but he would call for her when the lad was old enough to marry.
When that did not happen, Tamar entrapped her father-in-law, Judah, by appearing as a harlot, when in with him demanding his cane and a few belongings, became pregnant and had told him when he brought her money, she would return his belongings. She was never found until it was observed that she was pregnant. ‘SLUT! We must stone her!’
She then presents Judah’s belongings to him and others, and Judah realizes he had deceived her by withholding the youngest son. He became the father of twin sons, Perez and Zerah.
Several generations later, the Israelites have been enslaved in Egypt, and God chooses Moses to free them and bring them all into the Promised Land. Of course, there was much grumbling, doubt, whining, and the trip of eleven days was extended to 40 years. But the time has finally come when God will lead them to victory to conquer the lands of milk and honey. Moses has died, and Joshua is leading this massive group of people. He sends two spies across the Jordan river, and they came upon a woman named Rahab who had the reputation of serving men in the King’s reign. Some believe she had been sold as a young girl since her family could not pay the taxes, and Rahab had become a favorite in the upper echelon of the palace grounds. She had her own living quarters, and she chose to hide these Israelite spies and help them IF they agreed to help her and her family.
Both sides of the IF held up. She protected them, helping them escape, and when the walls of Jericho came crumbling down, the spies rushed to get Rahab and her entire family safely across the Jordan. Although not raised with the Jewish laws and customs, this woman believed in God and God’s power, and she wanted that—and risked her safety to get it for herself and her family. She and Salmon married, this non-Israeli woman, and she too became one of the ancestors of Jesus.
Soon after the birth of Obed, a Moabite woman, Ruth, followed her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem and Jerusalem area. Ruth was an honorable woman but had been raised in a home that believed in many gods, the chief one being Chemosh, but living with the Jewish family of Elimelech, Naomi, and Mahlon, I believe she came to respect there was one God and chose to stay with Naomi. God directed her to the “right” field and owner to accomplish His will for her, Naomi, Boaz, and us. Ruth was awarded another husband, caring, protective, and kind; they had a child, Obed, who was King David’s grandfather.
Most of what we read of King David showed him to be a good man—defender, strong soldier, loyal, and patient regarding waiting for what God had promised him (the kingship). He wanted to please God and did most of the time. But, like us, he was a man, just a man, and therefore was full of a sinful nature also. He had several wives and many concubines.
One day while walking on his roof, he spied a woman on her roof bathing, and demanded she be brought to him. She was, became pregnant, and then he arranged to have her husband, one of his chief and loyal soldiers to be killed. David’s servants had told him who the woman was—her father, and her husband! Yet, he still proceeded with what HE wanted.
I always have questions about this—why did Bathsheba go along with this? Why or did she tell him she was married to one of his top soldiers? Was there no conversation between the two; was it just a quickie?
He was also not a very involved father, showing his sons how to be men and kind, not selfish and self- serving. There was little to NO discipline; he didn’t even defend his daughter after she was raped by a half-brother.
After David, his son Solomon was appointed and chosen king by God. Solomon was the fourth son born to him and Bathsheba, but as there were 19 sons between all the wives, of which there were 10, and Solomon was listed as son number 10.
Initially, Solomon asked for wisdom to govern well, and God granted that, but over time he became arrogant and smug, and started dealing with women of non-Jewish descent and at least allowing them to have full worship to these fake gods and idols. For all his wisdom, that was NOT very smart, and eventually cost the kingdom.
The next King I admire was Hezekiah. His father threw children into the furnace and fire of Molech an idol and ‘god.’ He did not want to live like his father did, and tried to make good decisions for the people and ensured they follow God, destroying much of the idol altars. When the Assyrians were going to destroy the kingdom in Jerusalem, Hezekiah sought God instead of succumbing to the bully’s threats, and God came in and saved them. Later, however, Hezekiah was bragging to another nation about his wealth and that country, Babylon, rose up and stole it from his son, Manasseh.
Several centuries after Hezekiah, the royalty is dissolved, there has been times of captivity, enslavement, and rebuilding and returning to God and Jerusalem, and then another act of God, which could have been a huge, gossipy scandal when a young virgin, betrothed to wed, but they had not, becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Mary was a descendant of King David’s son, Nathan, so also in the line of King David, and her mother’s family was probably of the Levite clan since Elizabeth was married to a Levite and from the tribe of Levi. And although, through Matthew’s first chapter, it is easy to trace the lineage of Abraham to King David then to Joseph, he was not a biological father to Jesus, he certainly raised the child to close to manhood.
Even before Jesus walked the earth, there were fallen people, non-Israelite people, and so forth who served their purpose in the Kingdom and in His lineage. That does my heart good—we all have a place to serve Him. It is God’s will and direction for His purpose.
So although God demanded the Israelites marry with only other tribes to keep the line ‘pure’ and without the potential for idol worshipers and sinful persons to taint His holy nation, He designed us to see that there were many who were not always honest, decent, or Jewish. Our progress is a continuous process as we work with Jesus and the Holy Spirit to become more like our Savior. I am so thankful for the knowledge that He accepts us as we are—sinful, not pure, and with multiple faults, but guides us to become more like Him. I praise and thank You for all You do for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Deuteronomy 11:13 So if you carefully obey the commandments I am giving you today–to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul–then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you, ” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them, and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.
Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 57:19 No matter where you are, I will heal you and give you peace.
Matthew 8:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.’
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
1 Peter 5:6-8 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
There are MANY promises in the bible–and God stands by all His promises! Have you looked them up? Some seem subtle, some are more glaring and apparent and you recognize them as PROMISES to you, to everyone who chooses to believe and choose God for their life.
When I initially started reading, truly reading, the bible, much of the Old Testament was unclear and I felt heavy-laden with much of the reading. Why did I care how many earrings and nose rings were needed to deck out the portable tabernacle? I found myself mucked under with it all. How was this important to me? I was delighted God had blessed these men with the skill to make phenomenal curtains, joined in such a complicated manner, all of the utensils needed to perform the sacrifices–shovels, incense burners, and so forth, and why it was pertinent to me NOW. I bogged on the unimportant items to me at the time, without realizing ALL of God’s words are important to me, some far more than others. But I don’t get to pick and choose which words God has determined to be important. All of His words are important.
But there are promises listed–not just to Moses, Jeremiah or Gideon and others, but promises to US. They are not just written in the Bible for that character, but for EACH of us who CHOOSES to accept God’s invitation to life, to know He is the Savior, God Almighty. Jesus was killed, buried, rose again, and resurrected and ascended to heaven to sit on the throne beside His Father. The promises are for US, not just for the ones running to beat out the Gentiles in the other lands, which God had told the Israelites would be conquered as their Promised Land. But those promises are not just for the Israelites some 4000 + years ago; they are for us now.
He will be with us. He will support us. We should not fear, because He is with us, and will fight for us. He will give us peace and reduce our anxiety. God will heal our illnesses–and that does NOT necessarily mean in this lifetime, but it maybe God’s will to heal us and give us a new form in heaven. It took a while to realize they were all, for not just one, or one time in history for a country–but they are for all of us, those who believe, and those who choose Him–He has already chosen us. But His promises only work if we choose Him back: he did give us the ability to CHOOSE. That is a blessing to have free choice, and although He has chosen all of us–unless you choose HIM, you lose. The only way to eternal life in heaven is IF, WHEN you CHOOSE Him.
You don’t find the promises, and get the promises, understand the promises and how they relate to you, without accepting the invitation and reading the Bible. As you delve further into the Word, the Holy Spirit teaches and guides you deeper into understanding and wisdom in relation to the Word. It sometimes amazes me that verses I know, cherish, suddenly have ‘sprouted’ new words or meanings for me. I have read these words, cherished the verses, but suddenly they are somewhat new; because of different timings and development, growth from the Holy Spirit has given me. It is now my time to grow in this verse, this time in my journey with God. He has handed me a new meaning, a growth, and an answer to a question, or a direction on my path…but something pertinent for my NOW. Where did those words come from? I have gone back and checked my other editions of bibles, and YES, the words/meanings/ inflections are still there. Why had I never seen them, recognized them, and adapted them? It was not time to grow with these–but yes, the words were there!
God and the Holy Spirit unwrap verses and meanings as you mature and develop and grow. It is up to you how much you take in and grow toward. How much do you yearn to know Him more? Are you stunted? Are you unsure of how to grow closer to Him? Do you strive to understand what you read? I try to pray and strive to learn more when I read. I struggle with the amounts of gifts given because EACH tribe gives the same amount. . . and why does that have to be printed out each time? My brain turns to mush, cares not, and moans and groans through the entire chapter because of the repetition. My Christian mind KNOWS those MUST be important, but I struggle. I struggle with all the laws–cloved footed vs hooves, and on and on with the animals and being able to eat or not eat. They were important to the early Israelites, but where are they in MY life. There is a reason for them. . . but what?
So many promises–forgiveness of sins, eternal life, a Helper called the Holy Spirit to live within us, to be available to help us, give us help and assistance, to guide us, to bring to memory God’s words. God designed our salvation and eternal life with the blood sacrifice of His Son, and the live-in help of the Holy Spirit. God, thank You for all You have done and given to me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!