ARTICLE TITLES

THE INIQUITIES OF THE FATHERS

OUR CHRISTIAN???? HERITAGE

IN DEFENSE OF JACOB

Lessons from King Asa

Things are not as They Seem

Excerpt from Blue Like Jazz

Why do the iniquities of the father’s need to be confessed? Sherri Rogers, 5.30.15

Introduction: This paper is not about original sin in any way. I am not advocating the despicable doctrine propagated by the likes of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, which is still a major tenet of many denominations today. We are not conceived as sinful beings. We are born into a world ruled by sin and sinful people. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by YHVH. Yet, from the moment of conception we are governed by both the physical genetics of our parents and also their spiritual history. 

Throughout the Word of Elohim, we are instructed to teach our children the ways of YHVH. We are also instructed about the consequences of not doing so. “I, YHVH your elohim am a jealous el, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the third and fourth generation.” (Ex 20:5; Ex 34:7; Deut 5:9; Num 14:18) 

The word translated “visiting” in English is the Hebrew word poqad - from the root paqad  (פָקָד) meaning to number, visit, muster, appoint. It is the same word used twice in Numbers 4:49 for appointing as well as numbering or counting. Perhaps if we use the term counting or numbering instead of visiting, we would see a different picture. Is it possible YHVH is saying that He will number or count the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation? If so how is this different than what we normally associate with this verse? 

If YHVH is somehow keeping track of the sins (keeping an accounting) and allowing for consequences accordingly, is that not true justice? We know that sin reaps death and who is the judge of that? Accountings must be kept in order for discipline or ultimately fair judgement to occur. It seems that this is more in line with the whole of Scripture that teaches us about a loving and just God as opposed to a God that passes out curses to unwitting children.

This accounting or numbering can be tied to the principle of sowing and reaping. The children are not punished for the sins of the fathers. This is made plain, however, scripture is clear that the fathers who do not walk in His ways, will pass those ways onto their children who will be held accountable. The law of sowing and reaping is not just agricultural in scope. 

Consider the law of sowing and reaping of sin:  1) you will reap what you sow - apple seeds produce apples, barley seeds produce barley, the seeds of bitterness will produce bitterness, seeds of fear will produce fear (2) you will always reap more than you sow, 30, 60,100 fold (increase in sin)  (3) you will reap in a different season than you sow (successive generations) 
Pro 22:8 - He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, And the rod of his fury will perish. Obedience to the ways of YHVH brings life and blessing. The children not taught to walk in His ways will suffer the consequences.

But when we come to faith in Messiah, we are a new creation, you say. Absolutely!! But, here is the thing - When we exercise faith to believe that He died and suffered the penalty for our sins (instead of us having to do it), that faith justifies us and declares us righteous or free from the penalty of separation from YHVH (1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 6:23). It is a gift and cannot be earned. We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that when Yeshua became sin for us, He enabled us to become the righteousness of YHVH through Him. This righteousness is imparted to us because we choose to believe. At the moment we choose to believe, we become complete in Messiah, but we do not become mature in Him. A fertilized egg in the womb of a woman is a complete human being, but it is not mature. Justification is the beginning/birth and sanctification is the process of obeying His instruction to grow up or mature spiritually. Healing inside and out is all about sanctification.

Gal 6:8 - Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day ... Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body. Deut 28:15-18 Does this mean YHVH curses children? No, it means they will reap the consequences of the parents not hearkening to the voice of YHVH. 

Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God? Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law. Jer 16:10-11 

Parents who sow indifference will reap a crop of insensitive, uncaring children. Parents who sow deception will reap liars and thieves. Don’t get me wrong. Each individual has a choice to continue or not continue in the ways of the fathers, but when those ways are all you have known, it becomes harder and harder with each generation to break out of the destructive pattern that has been set in motion by the disobedience of those who have gone on before. 
Look at what haSatan did in the garden. He planted a seed of doubt. That’s all. He did not force the woman to reason for herself. He did not take the fruit and force it into their mouths. They had a choice. Each one of us has a choice. The problems come when we “reason” for ourselves and dismiss the absolutes of YHVH’s Torah regarding the consequences of sin. If we do not learn from our mistakes, we are destined to repeat them.

Each of the following scriptures speak about rejecting YHVH and the consequences: Ex 20:5,6; Lev 26:39-42; Deut 4:40; Deut ch. 6&7; Deut 29:26-29; Neh 1:5-8; Neh 9; Jer 3:22-25; Jer 14:20; Psalm 78; Psalm 79:8. They each in turn, recount consequences of the sins of the fathers reaped by the descendants. 

Idolatry seems to be the sin associated with these consequences. Does this apply only to golden calf scenarios? Ez 14:3 says, “these men have set up idols in their hearts.” Inner attitudes and choices of the heart are equated with idolatry in Col 3:5 and Eph 5:5.

Covetousness and greed are said to be idolatry. Another form of idolatry is seen in 1 Sam 15:23 - rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and is as iniquity and idolatry. Another form is shown in Romans 1:23. When we exchange the glory of YHVH for the corruptible image of man, that is idolatry. Anytime YHVH or His ways are circumvented for an alternative, that is idolatry. I am only stating what Scripture says: that the consequences of idolatry or sin in any form will be visited (or kept track of, remember paqad) on the children to the third and forth generation.
In each of the scriptural examples above, if you read on, you will find people who are sick - physically and spiritually - of the consequences of sin and who do the hard thing and take a stand for righteousness, confessing their sin and the sins of their fathers. This is about acknowledging the problem, not placing blame. Each person is created with the ability to choose and these examples are warnings to all of us as parents, to choose righteousness so that our children can reap the benefits of righteousness. 

When we take Scripture out of context and do not consider it in light of the whole of the Word, we can get confused and even stay locked into places of stunted spiritual growth because we won’t accept that who and what our ancestors were spiritually, is as much a part of us as who and what they were physically.

There are physical problems that are said to be genetic or inherited, like diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, etc. Certain cancers run in families. If your aunts and uncles all lived to be past 90, you can be pretty sure you will have a long life. This makes sense to us physically, but when it comes to dealing with spiritual junk that has been passed down, we balk. Why is that? The same way you inherit physical traits from your forefathers - you have dad’s nose and grandma’s chin - you also inherit spiritual traits. Doors that were opened in the past, through anger, immorality, witchcraft or sin in any form, give the enemy access to us and our children.   
Some inherited physical issues may take years to manifest or they can be apparent from the beginning. Spiritual issues are the same. If they are there, they are working to destroy you, whether you believe it or not. 

Faithful ancestors are a huge blessing. Abraham was faithful and so Isaac and Jacob benefitted. My parents were not and I had to deal with what was passed on to me from their involvement with unholy things. It would have been nice to focus only on the blessings, but in the case of those who are unwittingly tainted by the iniquity of the father(s), what we inherit must be acknowledged and dealt with so the blessing can become a reality.

Were the children of Israel any less His chosen ones after 400 years in Egypt? Obviously, no. But what had they learned in Egypt? Had they incorporated Egyptian practice and beliefs into their lives?  

Let’s look at some examples of learned (inherited/passed-on) behavior recorded in the scriptures. Consider these examples and see if you can come up with more. 

Abijam reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. He walked in all the sins of his father which he had done before him...  1 Kings 15:3

“Ahaziah son of Ahav became king . . . and he reigned over Israel two years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. He served and worshiped Baal and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.”  1 Kings 22:51-53

Hezekiah realized that the faithlessness of the fathers had caused the sons and daughters and wives to go into captivity. 2 Chron 29:6-9

We are called to serve Him in strength of body, soul and spirit. New and abundant life, victory, and provision that is more than enough, are some of the promises of YHVH to His children. We are told we are to be overcomers and experience joy in our walk and fellowship with our God. Are you experiencing this kind of freedom and victory? Or do you feel oppressed, defeated, frustrated, weak and beat up? Ok, maybe not to this degree, but is there something that seems to hinder your ability to move forward, that gets you down and makes you feel inadequate? Do you feel stuck? 

His promises and blessings are conditional. He says, “If you . . . then I.” This means there is something we must do. Too many assume that the blessing is automatically theirs and demand it without applying the “if you” part of the equation. If there is something in your life that you struggle with over and over, something that you just can’t seem to get past, you may have a not-so-nice inheritance issue. You truly believe, know the Truth, do spiritual warfare, and proclaim promises. They help, but are not enough. Unless the lies and possibly spirits you have inherited (maybe it is easier for you to hear: passed down to you) are uncovered and taken care of according to Scripture, you will find yourself in a never ending battle that leaves you exhausted and weak and frustrated. 

Whether you are aware of the sin passed on to you in the form of physical or spiritual sickness or not, it is still sin. Sin is the enemy’s only access to you. Once that door is opened - by whomever - he has gained legal ground to mess with you. This principle is found in Ephesians 4:26,27. Sin gives the enemy the place, ground, opportunity to bring loss, destruction and death into our lives. He stands before the throne of YHVH accusing the brethren day and night. If sin is active because you have not closed the door(s) to what has been passed on to you through your ancestors, it will be used against you in the throne room of YHVH.
 
 The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers  (Nehemiah 9:2. See also Leviticus 26:40; Jeremiah 3:25, 14:20). Any sin, yours or your ancestors, has to be confessed, repented of and forgiven if you are to be free from it. In order to do this, you must ask the Father to show you what (if anything) is stopping you from becoming all you can be according to His plan for you. You must be willing to listen to His voice and accept HIS evaluation of what is wrong. You must trust Him. You must trust that He knows you better than you know yourself and that only He knows the thoughts and intents of your heart and the roots of the problems you are experiencing. 

Psalm 78 helped clear this up for me when I was agonizing over my sons and the curse of freemasonry that had been passed on to me and to them by extension, through my ancestors. Abba led me to this passage, verses 5 7:  For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in YHVH, and not forget the works of YHVH, but keep His commandments, [now here is the part that I love] and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to YHVH. 

It is far from easy, but so worth it! I pray that this has helped you to understand this difficult subject and that freedom and healing are soon to be yours.

                                           
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OUR CHRISTIAN???? HERITAGE   by Sherri Rogers, 1999

Please, understand that I am aware of the blessing of being a citizen of the united States of America. I am not, however, naive and believe I was put on this earth, in this place and time for a purpose designed and established by my Creator, YHVH Elohim, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This country has been great and may be great again, if and only if, righteousness prevails (2 Chron 7:14). The law of sowing and reaping is taking its toll on the USA and it is reaping what it has sown - 30, 60, 100 fold. That said, I proceed . . .

    The U.S. Declaration of Independence guarantees us certain unalienable rights, one of which is to be free and independent. This, in turn, ensures life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our Constitution guarantees U.S citizens a government “of the people, by the people and for the people,” a form of government most recognize as democracy or self-rule. (You may argue here that the United States is a republic as opposed to a democracy. We are a democratic republic where the people vote representatives of similar values to act governmentally on their behalf. In a Republic, sovereignty resides in the people. Study this quote attributed to numerous people: Democracy can last only until the voters discover they can vote themselves the treasury. Majority rules is the basis of democracy. When the majority becomes bent on getting their way and what they have not earned, government MUST step in to restore order. It is now that the Repubic/Democracy/ Democratic Republic - whatever - becomes a Dictatorship out of necessity.) Based on our founding documents, the U.S. expects its citizens to be independent, free thinkers able to have a moral compass of what is right and wrong, good and evil, so that we live peaceably and in order. This is precisely what our fore fathers intended and today we are reaping the consequences of this Declaration of Independence.

    An entire “Christian” movement has been built around the philosophy that our forefathers penned a “Christian” document based on “Christian” principles and even included within that document the “right” to defend those “Christian” principles to the death. The dictionary defines independence as: the freedom from influence or control of others. I may be missing something here, but how are people being ruled by other people free from the influence of others? The paradoxes run rampant, particularly in “Christian” circles where we take on faith the principles put forth in the founding documents as being Scriptural, when in fact, they are not.

    I use definitions so there are no misunderstandings. A form of language abuse called deconstruction is widely used to promote confusion and deception. In a nutshell, deconstruction is allowing a word or phrase to be given as many different meanings as there are people hearing it, thereby rendering it meaningless. For instance, if four people hear a word and they all attribute their own meaning to the word, it means four different things or in effect nothing. There must be an accepted definition for the word used in order for it to be effective in communication.

    Many philosophies use Biblical language, but attribute their own definition to the language. It is a subtle form of deception. The words are used knowing full well that most people will assume its accepted meaning. Few if any will investigate to see if the meanings have been changed. What appears fine on the surface has hidden or occult implications. The definitions used in this paper are compiled from dictionaries and are included to provide clear and unhampered understanding of what is being said. 

Definitions - - - 

Christian: One who believes in Jesus as the Christ, professes faith in His teachings, and follows His example.

Right: a power or privilege - many “Christians” have been sucked into the age-old lie that they have the “right” to decide for themselves what is right/wrong, good/evil. In fact, our founding documents guarantee it. The question is - as “Christians”, what is our source of authority, government documents or YHVH’s word?

Democracy: government of, by, and for the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. This is a Greek system.

    After choosing self-rule (democracy) instead of obedience to YHVH, haSatan was relegated to his current position. Even with 1/3 of the angels who chose to follow him, he was not satisfied. Adam and Eve had a particularly enviable position. They were made “a little lower than the angels”  and so did not possess the supernatural powers of those beings. However, unlike the angels who were created to worship YHVH, man was created for the added purpose of communing with Him. “The Adam (humankind) walked with YHVH in the cool of the evening.”  And the Adam was given dominion over the earth, a position previously held by haSatan.         

     haSatan’s objective after Adam was made and given dominion over the earth, was to devise a way to regain what he had lost and reclaim what was no longer his. In Genesis 3, haSatan’s tactic is clearly defined: to usurp the place of YHVH by getting man to follow him instead of YHVH. Does haSatan say that by disobeying YHVH we will ultimately be indebted to him? Of course not! What this master of deception does do, is deceive. He stirs up fear. He plants doubt. He fosters pride. He appeals to the flesh. He said to Eve, “In the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you shall be like Elohim (God) knowing good and evil.” What haSatan proposed to Eve was that she could, by taking charge of her own destiny (self-rule/democracy) evolve into YHVH and be able to choose for herself what was right and wrong/good and evil. This is the first time the theory of evolution reared its ugly head. Scripture plainly tells us YHVH created all things “after their kind”. We know from Scripture that animals are animals and never become other animals or men. We also know that men are men and do not become animals or angels or YHVH. When the end of the age arrives, we will receive glorified bodies that are not subject to decay, but they will still be our bodies after their kind.

    During this age, YHVH has allowed haSatan to exercise authority and power in the world for a time. (See Luke 4:6; Heb 3:8; 2 Cor 4:4) That means there are two forces vying for the obedience of men on earth. YHVH, who is sovereign and determines even haSatan’s boundaries, and haSatan. haSatan is determined to keep us believing that we can be in control. As believers, we are subject to the Holy Spirit. When we submit to him, our lives manifest fruit consistent with that control: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-restraint. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to give glory to YHVH. When the Holy Spirit is in control, we recognize that we are not YHVH, and YHVH gets the glory. On the other hand, if we believe we are in control, we are obviously deceived because there are only two forces in control and we are not one of them!

    YHVH, who formed us, knows us intimately. He knows our weaknesses and provided the ultimate sacrifice to redeem us. He set up boundaries, not to make us unhappy or ruin our lives, but because He loves us and wants us to be as productive as possible. We have not been granted the power (review the definition of “right”) to define what is or is not acceptable. YHVH has already established this. It is up to us to choose whether we will obey Him or not. 

    This form of government called democracy that is so vehemently defended (even to the death) by “Christians” directly opposes everything Messiah Yeshua taught. It is by definition self-rule. As such it precludes YHVH-rule. It supposedly gives and guarantees us “rights” which cannot be found in His Word. We hear, ”But the laws are based on the ten commandments.” During the time these documents were written, the Bible was a significant source of proper literature and moral character. It was used widely as the textbook for teaching in homes and schools. It stands to reason that its widespread use, wisdom and literary value would give it influence over something so important. 

    Of the signers who had influence over the content of these documents, none were “Christian”. The influence of Freemasonry on those known as the Founding Fathers as well as their religious persuasions is well documented. Those responsible for the words contained in the founding documents of democracy, were by and large Deists and Unitarians. They were fundamentally men of reason, logic, and well grounded in the Age of Enlightenment. They denied the supernatural and professed only that which they could observe with their senses. Although Deists and Unitarians believe in a “creator” they deny the Christ which would make them “Christian”. 

    Advocates of the “Christian Nation” line of thought state often and loud that this nation was founded on religion and morality. Many of the founding fathers most probably led exemplary moral and religious lives, and even quoted Scripture, but quoting from Scripture does not a “Christian” make. haSatan, himself quotes from Scripture. There are many excerpts from Deist and Unitarian literature which can be taken out of context and construed as “Christian”, but when these philosophies are taken in their entirety, it is impossible to mistake them for “Christian”. Scripture can also be taken out of context to “prove” a totally unscriptural point. Those who deny the deity of Yeshua Messiah or who proclaim their God to be Lucifer are called in Scripture antichrist and idolators, respectively.

     Every culture has religion and morality. Being a moral and religious person doesn’t mean one is a “Christian.” There are many moral and religious witches, theosophists, Buddhists, and Freemasons. “Christians” have mistaken religion to mean “Christianity.” We have fallen for the deconstruction game. 

    Consider that the “rights” guaranteed by our founding fathers are called unalienable. The word means: something you are born with that cannot be transferred or lost. Included in those rights (powers and privileges) are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

LIFE: “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death”(Romans 6:23). Every person born is permitted the breath of physical life by the mercy of YHVH, for all deserve death. “The gift of God is eternal life through Yeshua Messiah, His Son.” YHVH permits us physical life to give us the opportunity to choose eternal life with Him . . . or without Him. This is a choice we make. Unlike being born United States of America citizens, we are not automatically born into God’s kingdom. Neither physical nor spiritual life are unalienable rights and neither can be guaranteed by the documents written by the founding fathers. 

They are not inherent powers or privileges, they are evidence of YHVH’s mercy toward us. We are painfully aware of phrases like “the Constitution guarantees my God-given right to ____________” (you fill in the blank). For a believer to say such a thing is to subordinate YHVH to a government document. You can say that isn’t what you mean but that is what you are saying. It is called deconstruction.

LIBERTY: According to Scripture, we are all slaves, either to sin or to righteousness. Our so-called “liberty in Christ” has been corrupted to fall in line with the doctrine of men. Examine carefully the passages in Matthew 5 and Romans 7 concerning our freedom in Christ. Many “Christians” believe that the Law (Torah, literally instruction) was invalidated by the New Covenant, that we are free from the Law in Christ. How do we escape the fact that Yeshua Himself said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments (Law), and His commandments (Law) are not burdensome (1 John 5:1-3). Messiah did not come to abolish the Law, but to restore its proper function. It was never intended to “save” us. It is to instruct us in righteousness. Yeshua did not come to die on the cross to free us from the Law, but from the condemnation (death sentence) of the Law (Romans 8:1,2,6,7), for all who disobey are sentenced to death. It is His death that allows us to freely live according to the instruction of righteousness, if we believe His death served as the penalty that should be ours. 

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS: Happiness is the state of having, showing or causing great pleasure. This is a relative term based on what constitutes happiness for each individual. The general consensus of historical accounts bears out that our founding fathers’ perception of what makes one happy is the acquisition of property - land, livestock, slaves, material goods, etc. Today, we have advanced to believe it also includes ethereal things like emotional well-being, self-esteem, and the like. The same framework that guarantees a “Christian” happiness by protecting their right to worship as they please (religious freedom), also guarantees a Satanist happiness by protecting his/her right to offer blood sacrifices, a public school teacher to maintain his/her happiness by teaching children the basic tenets of witchcraft, or an Islamic mosque to be built in your neighborhood.

    Even YHVH does not attempt to secure our happiness while we remian on this earth. Those who walk with YHVH have an undeniable inner peace and joy often in the face of the most adverse circumstances. These may include poverty, abuse, persecution, illness. The pursuit of happiness, ie., personal pleasure, the fulfillment of the flesh, is not a godly concept and indeed is warned against repeatedly in Scripture.

    So, in light of comparison with YHVH’s Word, this document that “Christians” maintain was ordered after “godly principles” seems to have some serious flaws. How could an entire nation of people claiming to base everything they do on the Word of God by calling themselves “Christians” have missed this? (Luke 6:46) The name of the game is deconstruction. I decide what it means for me and you decide what it means for you and none of it means anything. We are in a lot of trouble!

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IN DEFENSE OF JACOB
By Sherri Rogers, 11/98

Jacob is an evil, deceitful, scheming man.  We hear it in sermons, read it in commentaries, and have it taught to our children in Bible classes and schools.  We listen and believe it, but is it true?

And Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was barren.  So Rebekah conceived, but the children struggled within her.  After inquiring of God, she was told, “Two nations are in your womb.  And two peoples shall be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.”  (Gen. 25:23)  Rebekah didn’t decide this.  Jacob didn’t decide this.  God did.  And He did it before the twins were born.
The boys were named according to tradition, in word pictures.  The first was named Esau, meaning red, because he was “red all over like a hairy garment”.  His brother came out holding Esau’s heel, so was named Jacob which means “grabber of the heel”.  It was a term that had derogatory inferences in the culture.  Jacob has been established as a deceiver and a supplanter, first by Isaac’s accusation and then by every commentator and translator since his birth.

Genesis 25:27 says that when the boys grew up, Esau became a man of the field, a skillful hunter, a phrase describing men of Scripture who cared more about the ways of the world than of God. Nimrod, the builder of the Tower of Babel is also called a mighty hunter. We are told Jacob was a peaceful man living in tents. This word - peaceful - is the Hebrew word ‘tam’ and has the sense of being perfect or blameless. It is the same word used to describe Noah (Genesis 6:9), Job (Job 1:1), and others. It does not mean sinless, but rather describes a way of being with God that is obedient to His instruction and ways.
Seeking truth often leads to uncomfortable conclusions, especially if the “fact” being questioned is long held and firmly rooted in tradition.  First of all, God ordained that Esau, the older would serve Jacob, the younger.  This word was given to Rebekah before the twins were born.  The established inheritance determined that the eldest son exacted a double portion of the physical property as well as a double blessing spiritually.  But God isn’t typical, as scripture bears out, and He is sovereign.  Could it be that He knew Jacob had a heart that desired His blessing and Esau did not?

Let’s look at the incident of the selling of the birthright in light of Hebrew tradition.  When a parent died, the responsibility for the funeral fell on the eldest son of the eldest child, the grandson of the deceased.  This was so the child of the deceased could grieve.  Part of the arrangements was a traditional stew made from round vegetables – lentils, cabbage, etc.  The following is a table of ages:

100    Abraham’s age when Isaac was born (Gen. 21:5)          
​60    Isaac’s age at Jacob and Esau’s birth (Gen. 25:26)         
160    Abraham’s age at Jacob and Esau’s birth (100 +60 =160)         
175    Abraham dies (Gen. 25:7)          
15    Jacob and Esau’s age at Abraham’s death          
75    Isaac’s age at Abraham’s death

According to tradition, it would have been Esau’s responsibility, as Isaac’s firstborn, to take care of the funeral arrangements so his father and mother could grieve.  As you see, the boys, or rather, young men, were fifteen years old at this time.  God has given us His word and has a purpose for every detail He includes.  As several generations removed Gentiles, the importance of certain details may escape us and even seem irrelevant or insignificant.  I believe God intended us to understand that the “stew” in the passage regarding the selling of Esau’s birthright was for Abraham’s funeral meal.  According to scripture, Jacob was cooking stew and Esau, who should have been performing this duty, was out hunting.

I see a picture of two young men: one desiring to do what is right and one desiring to do his own thing.  Esau was a skillful hunter and a man of the field.  (Gen. 25:27) Certainly a skillful hunter knows how to prepare his game and take care of his hunger while on hunting trips, even at the tender age of fifteen.  But, we are told he was faint, weary, thirsty, and asked for some of the stew.  Jacob’s reply has stirred up untold animosity toward him.  Was Jacob’s heart evil when he said, “Sell me this day thy birthright”?  Or, was Jacob asking what was rightfully his from a brother who refused to take his responsibility seriously. 

I would also venture to guess that this was not the first time Jacob had covered for Esau’s lack of interest in his heritage. Poor Esau.  A robust, field-dwelling, mighty hunter, about to “die” from lack of food.  Hardly.  Esau’s response, “What profit shall this birthright do to me?” was foolish and arrogant.  (Gen. 25:32) Self-centered, live-for-the-moment Esau spurned his inheritance for a bowl of soup (Gen. 25:34), an inheritance that not only included physical property but spiritual blessing.  This was most likely the culmination of years of neglect and disdain for the responsibility that was legally his.  Hmmm.  Maybe God had it right all along.

Next we come to the account of Isaac’s death in Genesis 27.  Isaac tells Esau to hunt game and cook it for him so he can bless Esau before he dies.  (Gen. 27:3,4) Rebekah overhears and devises a plan for Jacob to get what is rightfully his.  Remember, God had decreed it and Esau willingly gave it up, sold it, whatever, despising it.

Isaac favored Esau probably because of his machismo.  I venture to guess that the men sat around evenings and talked long and hard about Esau’s hunting exploits, no doubt a great source of pride to Isaac.  I don’t believe Isaac was ignorant of God’s declaration concerning his sons, however he desired to bless the son that gave him pleasure instead of obeying God’s voice.  Esau certainly wasn’t ignorant of the situation.  He was the one who willingly sold his birthright.  In spite of this, Esau marches off to comply with his father’s wishes knowing full well he would be getting what was no longer legally his.  Now, who is the supplanter, the trickster?

On the other hand, Jacob was concerned enough to voice an objection to Rebekah’s plan. (Gen. 27:12)  The Hebrew word used in this passage to denote “a curse” is q’lala.  It implies that Jacob feared that this action could cause him to be removed from the blessing of YHVH’s election.  This word is used other places to express the opposite of a covenantal blessing.
When Jacob came before Isaac posing as Esau and was questioned by him, Jacob’s answer is profound, “Because the Lord your God caused it to happen to me.” (Gen. 27:20)  So Jacob came near and Isaac blessed him with the blessing of the firstborn.  When Esau returned requesting the blessing scripture says Isaac “trembled violently” (Gen. 27:33).   Was this out of anger at being “deceived” or could it have been from fear of realizing that he almost went against God’s decree?

Esau cried out for the blessing, and Isaac’s reply is the first to establish Jacob as a deceiver and a thief when he says,”Your brother came with subtlety and took away the blessing.” (Gen. 27:34)  Esau continues the diatribe in verse 36 when he wails, “Is he not rightly named Jacob for supplanting me twice by taking away my birthright and now my blessing?”

How quickly we accept Isaac and Esau’s version of the situation.  How easily our flesh wants to side with “poor, wronged Esau”.  How easily we overlook the facts.  Did Jacob “take” the birthright or did Esau “sell” it?  The birthright and the blessing that came with it were inseparable.  Esau’s blessing was no longer the birthright blessing because the birthright was no longer his.  Our next bit of insight comes from Gen. 27:41.  It tells us Esau bore a grudge against Jacob and determined to kill him. Jacob, on the other hand, was obedient to his father and mother. (Gen. 28:7)  We are also told Jacob listened to and obeyed God.  (Gen. 32)

God talks about Jacob in the New Covenant in Romans 9:13 – “Just as it is written (Mal. 1:2) Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated”.  The terminology refers to degrees of affection.  God does not “hate” His creation.  It is simply a way of denoting God’s pleasure in Jacob’s desire for spiritual blessing as opposed to Esau’s materialistic and fickle nature and disdain for the things of the God of his fathers. God does not hate His creation but does hate this kind of attitude. God is not willing that any should perish.  Predestination is not about people being created for punishment but about God’s foreknowledge of heart attitudes.  He knew Esau would rebel but provided him with the same opportunities we all have to make a choice.  In fact, Esau was given numerous opportunities to prove himself.  It was when Esau made his choice against God and His ways that God said, “Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated.”  Esau despised and forfeited his inheritance which belonged not only to Esau but to God.  The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.  When we despise our inheritance we despise the God who gives it.  

I don’t disagree that Rebekah and Jacob acted in the flesh or that it was wrong, and they were both severely disciplined for their lack of faith. But, based on the scriptural evidence, Jacob did not set out to deceptively acquire something that was not his.  

It is a lie that Jacob was an evil schemer until God changed his name to Israel.  Jacob’s name was changed because his heart was always for the Lord.  Jacob loved the LORD his God with all his heart, mind and strength.  He “wrestled” with God.  Jacob is a popular name for children and it seems odd to me if the name literally means “deceiver” that we would curse our children with such a name.  If Jacob means deceiver, then God claims to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and the “deceiver” when He calls Himself the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
​
Many have believed the lie.  The name, Jacob, means “held by the heel, supplanted, or . . . protected.”  The middle eastern mindset saw the physical sign at the birth of these two boys as a sign of Jacob’s intent to wickedly usurp position and power, however Scripture is clear that Jacob did no such thing.  If you have accepted Jacob as a schemer and deceiver, you have blindly sided with tradition, have not rightly divided the word of truth, and have allowed your flesh to accept Esau’s (Edom = spirit of God despisers) evaluation of his brother instead of listening to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).



http://www.jewish-funeral-guide.com/tradition/condolence-meal.htm                                               =================


LESSONS FROM KING ASA   by Sherri Rogers, 8-1-10

Be careful, lest when you think you stand, you fall. 1 Cor 10:12
Do not harden your hearts as at Maribah. Ps 95:8; Heb 3:15

The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 2 Chr. 15:2

Asa was the third King to reign over Judah after the nation of Israel was divided. The nation was divided after Solomon’s death between his sons Jeroboam and Rehoboam,  brothers each taking what they felt was rightfully theirs, exercising self-will for the sake of power and control. We are told in 2 Chronicles 12:14 that Rehoboam did evil in the sight of YHVH because he did not prepare his heart to seek YHVH. Rehoboam was succeeded by Abijah who warred with Jeroboam. Abijah’s son, Asa became King when he died.

Many from Benjamin, Simeon, Ephraim, and Manassah defected from Israel and joined Judah when they saw that YHVH was with Asa. YHVH prophesied over Asa through Oded the son of Azariah to return to YHVH and be strong and to not lose courage for YHVH would reward his work. So he took courage and removed the hateful things from the land and restored the precious things to the temple along with the sacrifices. Asa did what was right in the sight of YHVH. He removed the male cult prostitutes from the land, tore down the idols and cult groves, removed the wicked queen mother, Maacah from her place of influence, and restored the alter of YHVH and the burnt offerings. Asa’s obedience and reliance on YHVH brought victory against overwhelming odds when Zerah led an army of one million Ethiopians  against Judah after which YHVH gave them rest on every side. Then “They entered into the covenant to seek YHVH of their fathers with all their heart and soul . . . and He let them find Him.”  2 Chronicles 15:12,15 

Judah continued in peace until the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign. Baasha King of Isreal rose up against Judah. Instead of seeking YHVH as before, Asa made a treaty with the King of Aram paying him with the gold and silver from the house of YHVH. So the armies of Aram went out and subdued the forces of Israel. And because Asa did not seek YHVH and trust as he had in the past, YHVH removed the peace which had been the reward of Asa’s trust. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa got a terrible disease in his feet.

Once again, Asa refused to seek YHVH.  He brought in the physicians and died in the forty-first year of his reign.
 
I am awed by this account and how in times of relative peace and/or prosperity instead of keeping our eyes on Him Who establishes it, we slide into complacency and lack of trust in the One Who is our Peace. What is it about the state of blessing that causes self-reliance to surface and override Scriptural Truth?  

I see a number of parallels today.  In the USA we live in a state of prosperity and peace.  I happened to watch the movie Patton for the second time recently.  I was struck by the fact that we, in this country, do not have any idea what it is to have war ravage our homes, stores, churches. We exercise a certain smugness about our blessing and disregard the fact that blessing is two sided. YHVH has said regarding blessing, “If you, then I.”  See Deuteronomy chapter 28 and anywhere else Scripture speaks of blessing.  Now transfer this to the “church.” We in this country have no earthly concept what persecution for our faith is. We are in a place of assuming that the peace and prosperity we experience is YHVH’s favor, even when we are in the process of selling our protection for the treasures of the Temple, and trusting our healing to a world system not remotely connected to YHVH.  

There is a grave message for us. We live in a place of easy faith. We proclaim loudly that YHVH is God that He is good and that we love Him. But, faith without works is dead. When the rubber meets the road, can we truly trust Him? When we lose our job, where so we go for financial support? Who are we trusting to protect us - UN peace keeping forces, US armed forces, technology? When we need healing, do we go to the doctors for relief or to YHVH for healing?  
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THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY SEEM by Sherri RogersApril 13, 2011 - early before completely awake - 2 visions
 
1 - mountain scene.  I am standing before a lake and looking across it to the trees and mountains across it.  I see a reflection of someone on the other side in the clear still lake, but no one was there.
 
2 - in kitchen by sink.  I hear meowing which seems to be coming from the dining room.  I go and check and see nothing.  When I turn around I see our 2 little dogs meowing away.  I hear, “Things are not as they seem.”
 
Dream -  Two rectangular boxes -5ftx3ftxft- jockying for position with an orb of light up to the right.  Heard: sibling rivalry

Night dream - two teen agers vying for the dad’s attention.  Look at me daddy!  See what I am doing!  Look at me!!.  Both were saying this.  I heard: Judah and Ephraim

Both trying to get Abba’s attention for what they are DOING, not whose they are.  And He is not happy.
 
This came after the dreams:

The false covering doctrine of the church has conditioned men and women to give up their God-given authority. Along the way, we got "classed", pitted against each other. Clergy and "full-time" ministers vs. "lay" persons, men vs. women, the educated vs. the uneducated, etc. (Please check out the blog entries under head and/or headship.) This makes the transfer of this position at hospitals when babies are born or procedures need done, that much easier.  You are required to sign a “consent form” that literally transfers your God-given authority to the doctor.  No one really looks at this because it is just accepted as normal, but it is NOT normal as far as YHVH is concerned. 

Yeshua came to reestablish or restore what had been stolen at the fall.  He hung on the tree and became the curse for us so we no longer have to stay in that fallen state.  We do have to deal with the flesh, but the power of Yah that dwells in us through His Spirit is sufficient to overcome it.  It is all about whether we choose to do it His way or our way.  His way sets us up to be blessed beyond measure, whereas our way is just one disappointment after another.  

We have rewritten Scripture to fit our way.  We don’t get blessed so we have to find a scriptural excuse - its demonic attack, God can do what He wants, it means something different now, etc.  We don’t get healed so we take Scripture out of context to justify sickness.  Why do we do this?  I am not real sure.  I think because we have believed the lie we have been fed instead of checking out YHVH’s Word for ourselves.  Or because if we went with Truth, we would have to be accountable and change and do things that would not be approved by man - either in the world or in the church.  Fear of man is a big part of it.  

In the world, we want to be perceived as successful and that includes doing things the world’s way.  Honesty and integrity in business is virtually nonexistent.  Compromise is the watchword.  The church, has established itself as an organizational structure, a corporation or business instead of an organism, a living breathing entity sustained by the very Breath of YHVH. It is following the world’s guidelines of less than honorable ethics.  And this is justified and excused instead of treated as sin.

Everyone doing what is right in their eyes and condemning others who are not where they are. Pretending to be or creating an image of what you think it should be does not make it so. To whom much has been given, much shall be required. The privileged have a responsibility to be more than privileged. Things are not as they seem. Privilege for privilege's sake is anti YHVH. With privilege comes responsibility and with responsibility comes honor. Faith without works is dead. Love YHVH your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength, then love your neighbor as yourself. 

Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
You may leave here for four days in space
But when you return it's the same old place
The pounding of the drums, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead but don't leave a trace
Hate your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace -  

from: Eve of Destruction, by Barry McGuire, 1965 - lyrics by P.F. Sloan



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An excerpt from the book Blue Like Jazz, nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality, by Donald Miller, Thomas Nelson publishers; ISBN-13 978-0-7852-6370-8
 
I had been working on a play called Polaroids that year.  It was the story of a man’s life from birth to death, each scene delivered through a monologue with other actors silently acting out parts behind the narrator as he walks the audience through his life journey.  In the scene I had written a few nights before, I had the man fighting with his wife.  They were experiencing unbearable tension after losing a son in a car accident the year before.   In my heart, I knew they were not going to make it, that Polaroids would include a painful divorce that showed the ugliness of separation.  But I changed my mind. After talking with Paul I couldn’t do it.  I wondered what it would look like to have the couple stick it out.  I got up and turned on my computer.   I had the lead character in my play walk to the bedroom where his wife was sleeping.  I had him kneel down by her bed and whisper some lines:

What great gravity is this that drew my soul towards yours?  What great force, that though I went falsely, went kicking, went disguising myself to earn your love, also disguised, to earn your keeping, your resting, your staying, your will fleshed into mine, rasped by a slowly revealed truth, the barter of my soul, the soul that I fear, the soul that I loathe, the soul that: if you will love, I will love.  I will redeem you, if you redeem me?  Is this our purpose, you and I together to pacify each other, to lead each other toward the lie that we are good, that we are noble, that we need not redemption, save the one that you and I invented of our own clay?  

I am not scared of you, my love, I am scared of me.

I went looking, I wrote out a list, I drew an image, I bled a poem of you.  You were pretty, and my friends believed I was worthy of you.  You were clever, but I was smarter, perhaps the only one smarter, the only one able to lead you.  You see, love, I did not love you, I loved me.  And you were only the tool I used to fix myself, to redeem myself.  And though I have taught you to lay your lilly hand in mine, I walk alone, for I cannot talk to you, lest you talk it back to me, lest I believe that I am not worthy, not deserving, not redeemed.

I want desperately for you to be my friend.  But you are not my friend; you have slid up warmly to the man I wanted to be, the man I pretended to be, and I was your Jesus and, you were mine.  Should I show you who I am, we may crumble.  I am not scared of you, My love, I am scared of me.

I wanted to be known and loved anyway.  Can you do that?  I trust by your easy breathing that you are human like me, that you are fallen like me, that you are lonely like me.  My love, do I know you?  Why do we not connect?  Will we be forever in fleshing this out?  And how will we with words, come into the knowing of each other?  Is this God’s way of meriting grace, of teaching us of the labyrinth of His love for us, teaching us in degrees, that which He is sacrificing to join ourselves to Him?  Or better yet, has He formed our being fractional so that we might conclude one great hope, plodding and sighing and breathing into one another in such a great push that we might break through into the known and being loved, only to cave into a greater perdition and fall down at His throne still begging for our acceptance?  Begging for our completion?

We were fools to believe that we could redeem each other. 

Were I some sleeping Adam, to wake and find you resting at my rib, to share these things that God alone has done, to walk you into the garden, to counsel your timid steps, your bewildered eye, your heart so slow to love, so careful to love, so sheepish that I stepped up my aim and became a man.  Is this what God intended?  That though He made you from my rib, it is you who are making me, humbling me, destroying me, and in so doing revealing Him.

Will we be in ashes before we are one?
What great gravity is this that drew my heart towards yours?

What great force collapsed my orbit, my lonesome state?  What is this that wants in me the want in you?  Don’t we go at each other with yielded eyes, with cumbered hands and feet, with clunky tongues?  This deed is unattainable!  We cannot know each other!

I am quitting this thing, but not what you think.  I am not going away.

I will give you this, my love, and I will not bargain or barter any longer.  I will love you, as sure as He has loved me.  I will discover what I can discover and though you remain a mystery, save God’s own knowledge, what I disclose of you I will keep in the warmest chamber of my heart, the very chamber where God has stowed Himself in me.  And I will do this to my death, and to death it may bring me.

I will love you like God, because of God, mighted by the power of God.  I will stop expecting your love, trading for love, gaming for your love.  I will simply love.  I am giving myself to you, and tomorrow I will do it again.  I suppose the clock itself will wear thin its time before I am ended at this alter of dying and dying again.

God risked himself on me.  I will risk myself on you.  And together, we will learn to love, and perhaps then, and only then, understand this gravity that drew Him unto us.
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