Words to Ponder: Ride in the cause of Truth and Humility

Words to Ponder:

Ride in the cause of Truth and Humility...

Psalm 45:4

Ride in the cause of Truth.

Yes!!! ... Isn't it about time?

But, ... Humility?  Do we want our Leaders humble?

Well let's consider it.

How often have we read these famous words?

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." #Charles #Dickens--#A #Tale #of #Two #Cities, about the #French #Revolution.

The reason for his words?

Helping his readers understand the unrest of that day, as well as the optimism that momentous changes in history were occurring.

Yet, are not the problems back then in the late 1700's the same problems we are experiencing today, around the world? ... #Abuse #of #power and massive #governmental #debt?

So really, do not Mr. Dickens' words apply more aptly today?

Think about it ... Is an arrogant haughty attitude the answer?

Arrogantly people force others into a subservient role and fight to keep them there. Under that mentality would justice ever prevail?

How could it? Is not pride of race, privilege, background, etc. the reasons why many feel they Can dominate others?  

Also...foretold for our day, on top of this:

Great earthquakes,  food shortages, pestilence, international war ... and,

The Good News proclaimed worldwide.--Matthew 24.

Good News?!

Yes!

The #Warrior-King, Jesus, does not wage a war of conquest in order to occupy territories and #subjugate peoples.

His is a #righteous #war with noble objectives.

Like the above scripture mentions...He rides "in the cause of truth and humility and righteousness."

So you ask ... what's his "truth"?

The greatest truth that must be defended is that of Jehovah's universal sovereignty.

It was challenged immediately upon Eve's arrival on the scene. Satan chose the young and naive to introduce independence from her Creator.

Satan challenged the legitimacy of Jehovah's #rulership when he rebelled against him. Since then, the above fundamental truth has been disputed by both demons and humans.

Now the time has come for Jehovah's anointed King to ride forth ... like the picture ... to #establish the #truth of Jehovah's sovereignty ... Once  ... and for all time!

Okay, okay, you say; but "in the cause of humility"?

Yes, humility is key. As God's only-begotten Son, Jesus provided a magnificent example of #humility and #loyal #subjection to his Father's #sovereignty.

Said of him:

"The Sovereign Lord Jehovah has given me the tongue of those taught, so that I may know how to answer the tired one with the right word. He awakens me morning by morning;  He awakens my ear to listen like the taught ones. The Sovereign Lord Jehovah has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious. I did not turn in the opposite direction." Isaiah 50:4, 5.  Like his brother.

Said by him:

"Most truly I say to you, the Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son does also does in like manner." John 5:19.

Is this not the attitude a father expects of his son?

Especially if the Father is #Perfect and #Eternal!

He is total #goodness. No one need ever check his hand.

All loyal subjects of the King must follow his example and humbly #submit to Jehovah's sovereignty in all things. Only those who do so will be allowed to live in God's promised #New #World. --Zech. 14: 16, 17.

Is that fair? 

Finale...Do Not Become Forgetful Hearers

So today let's give a bit of consideration to the Israelites and their journey as God's then chosen people.

Would you not agree that many of their experiences can be called "Unforgettable"? ... The Ten Plagues, The Parting of the Red Sea.-- Deut. 34:10-12.

Do you think you would have forgotten the One responsible for them if you had seen them?

Yet, the psalmist sang: "They forgot God their Savior, Who did great things in Egypt, Wonderful works in the land of Ham, Awe-inspiring deeds at the Red Sea." Ps. 106:1, 22.

Initially,  they were grateful.  After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites "began to Fear Jehovah and put faith in Jehovah." Ex. 14:31. The men even joined Moses in a victory song to Jehovah, with Miriam and other women playing tambourines and dancing. Ex. 15, 20.

So can we say that they weren't impressed with Jehovah's mighty acts?

No we can't.  But their appreciation was short-lived. Their actions, unfortunately, were similar to those who have received repeated blows to the head--a loss of memory.

On top of that, they began murmurers and complainers against Jehovah.

Have we ever experienced this? You've done something nice or gone beyond what was necessary for someone and they can only say what you have not done? ... How does that make you feel? ... So imagine...

They even broke their promises by breaking his commandments, when they engaged repeatedly and without conscious in idolatry and sexual immorality. Nu. 14:27; 25:1-9.

Does it boggle your mind? ... Should it?

What about us today?

True, Lake Michigan has never been parted. And we have not received any Ten, nine, eight... plagues.

But, do we not see miracles daily? Have we not experienced displays of Our Creator's power in our lives? Ps. 118:15.

And most of all ... Do we not appreciate the sacrificial death of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have the hope of salvation? John 3:16.

We do forget. Imperfection and temptation affect our memories often. We daily overlook what our Father does and has done for us.

But can we ... today ... remember to "become doers of the word and not hearers only"?

Balaam...Part VI ... The Midianites

The Midianites

So the question was raised...what could the Midianites have done differently?

They could have demonstrated the same attitude as the Gibeonites who found themselves in the same position. . . Humility.

I divert to an excellent example!

Let me tell you about them.

They lived about six miles north of Jerusalem. And they heard..."The Israelites are coming!  The Israelites are coming!" . . . Maybe not quite like Paul Revere, but you see the point.

They were worried. They had just heard about Joshua and his winning battle at Jericho. These Canaanites of Gibson saw that a battle could not be won against a nation with divine backing.

So what did they do?

They tricked the Israelites! They sent representatives who posed as travelers from a distant land. Their suing for peace was successful. Israel ended up making a covenant with them and when the ruse was finally exposed, the Gibeonites became gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the Israelites.

You just may be thinking ... what kind of life is That?

It is Life, as opposed to death. And really, it wasn't a bad life. It was a job reassignment with perks, since Jehovah was not displeased with them. They actually gained divine favor and protection.

When five kings attacked the Gibeonites, Jehovah even performed the miracle of extending daylight for that battle. Joshua 9:3-27; 10:1-14.

So are you wondering: Do we have evidence that this people actually existed?

Yes, for excavators found on the mound where the city was located a deep pit, or pool, cut into solid rock. The Gibeonites could step down into this and obtain water from an underground chamber.

Did not 2 Samuel 2:13 mention "the pool of Gibeon"?

Archaeologists also discovered cellars cut into rock and a large amount of wine-making equipment.

This tells me that after a long hard day of toting, they knew how to relax. No need to feel too sorry for them :-)

Plus, being a slave for the Jews then was not bad. Notice what the Jewish scholar Moses Mielziner stated:

A "slave could never cease to be a man, he was looked upon as a person possessing certain natural human rights, with which the master even could not with impunity interfere."

Is this not a stark contrast to the abusive systems of slavery that mar the annals of history today?

So back to the original question: What could the Midianites have done differently than try to curse God's people?  ... They could have sued for peace. Used their old noggins for coming up with an alternative to death.

How about Life? ... Surely death was not preferable to a good clean life with divine protection and guidance?

It was for most of the Midianites and many other Canaanites nations. The obedient Israelites continued their conquests with Jehovah's backing.

But things didn't always fare well with them. Many times they also lacked humility, finding themselves later pleading for God's forgiveness and direction.

Sounds familiar?

My Castle

My Castle

by Seah Greenhorn

(Poem with copyright)

A dragon proclaims:

"You can fly!

Jump off this cliff."

"No thanks!

I'd die.

That's not faith.

That's lunacy!

To believe in that

an unreality.

Do I have wings

to catch a breeze,

to soar with the eagles,

gliding

and at ease?"

No, real faith

is a

castle

solidly

built

brick-by-brick

on a concrete

foundation--

God's Word of Truth

not

meticulously upheld by

traditions on silt.

A fortress to store

treasures

secured/protected

behind a

massive door,

since

Deep

in the ocean

beautifully blue

I dove

frequent,

Yes,

excitely

often

to procure

and

accumulate, 

True

Pearls of high value

with a slight rosy hue.

No,

faith is not

credulity

Blind in the eye,

thinking without wings

A child can fly.

Yet,

Faith

does

have actions.

It's

not dead

but

ALIVE

Inside

My Castle.

Based on Hebrews 11:1; Matthew 4:5, 6; 13:36, 45, 46; Acts 17: 10, 11; 1 Thess. 2:13; James 2:26.

A Visit To Mongolia

A Visit To Mongolia

Like cashmere?

Isn't the feel of it wonderful?

Well, it just may have come from Mongolia.

How much do you know of them as a people?

Why not find out a wee little bit more...since they are our brothers.

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201507/visit-mongolia-facts/

BALAAM...Part V

Alright!

So we left off with King Balak of Moab telling Balaam to "go home immediately."

Is that what he did?

No...He died away from home.

Hold up you say? ... He died!

Did you really think that he would live in his continued fight against the Creator?

Okay... I am sorry. Many people are not familiar with the rest of the account.

When Numbers 24:25 said:

"Then Balaam got up and went and returned to his place," Cook's Commentary observed:

“Returned to his own place . . . Not to his own land, for he remained amongst the Midianites to plot by new means against the people of God, and to perish in his sin. . . . The phrase, which is of frequent recurrence (cf. e.g. Gen. xviii. 33,xxxi. 55; I S. xxvi. 25; 2 S. xix. 39), is idiomatic, meaning merely that Balaam went away whither he would.”

He went "whither he would" that is, he went away to keep plotting how to get his hands on the money and gain more glory.

Tricky. Tricky.

He figured, if he couldn't get God to curse them, perhaps God himself would curse his own people, if only they could be seduced to engage in sex worship of the Baal of Peor.

Guess he thought..."give them enough rope they will hang themselves."

He knew the God of Israel, and then again ... he didn't.

To confirm, Revelation 2:14 says about Balaam:

"Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, that you have there those adhering to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel,  .... to commit sexual immorality."

Also, Numbers 31:16 says:

"By Balaam's word," the daughters of Moab and Midian "served to induce the sons of Israel to commit unfaithfulness toward Jehovah over the affair of Peor, so that the scourge  came upon the assembly of Jehovah."

Numbers 25:1-9 shows enough women of Midian had sexual relations with 24,000 men of Israel who died for their sin.

Jehovah was not playing!

Even Midian and Balaam did not escape divine punishment. Jehovah commanded that all the men, women, and boys of Midian be executed; only virgins were spared.

"And they killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword." Numbers 25:16-18; 31:1-18.

Well now...

Here we are today rehashing Balaam's story. Just thinking how different things could have turned out for him if he didn't think he could outsmart Jehovah.

Of what benefit was the money and how long was his glory? ... Half a sec!

Remember..."God is Love."  John 4:8,

But, he is also "The Rock, perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness who is never unjust; righteous and upright is he." Deuteronomy 32:4.

Is that not what you would expect of a fair God? He didn't knock off the whole nation of Israel... Just those not loyal.

So maybe now the question is raised: Then what should the Midianites have done? The Israelites were headed their way.

GOOD QUESTION...

BALAAM...Part IV

Ok...so where were we? ... Ah yes!

Jehovah's anger blazed against Balaam causing the donkey to speak. Balaam had still intended on cursing Israel. We know this because if Balaam did Not curse them he would get no reward. Somehow he thought he might evade the divine restriction imposed upon him, curse Israel and gain honor and riches.

But Jehovah shocked Balaam into fear of tampering with his messages.

Proof that Balaam went with reward in mind, hence with a curse in mind--since he couldn't get that without performing the curses, is shown by Peter's words concerning covetous ones:

"Abandoning the straight path, they have been led astray. They have followed the path of Balaam the son of Be'or, who loved the reward of wrongdoing, but was reproved for his own violation of what was right. A voiceless beast of burden speaking with a human voice hindered the prophet's mad course." 2 Peter 2:15, 16.

Also, Jude validated this thought:

"Too bad for them, for they have followed the path of Cain (of Cain/Abel) and have rushed into the erroneous course of Balaam for reward." Jude 11.

The speaking donkey and the threat of the angel was the only thing to bring Balaam around.

Do we need the same to prevent us from taking a wrong course? ... Of course not! We have Balaam's donkey story to remind us.

So now the Moab King Balak must have been happy with Balaam's arrival. But it was short-lived. After the sacrificial partying, Balak took Balaam to an elevated site, so that he could get a good look at these people causing his nation fear.

Balaam requested Balak to erect seven altars and offer seven bulls and seven rams. Then, Balaam withdrew alone to a bare hill, to evidently perform some ritual.

Anyway...it didn't work. Jehovah caused Balaam to bless Israel three different times! Numbers 23:1-24:9.

Balak was hot!

In Numbers 24:10, 11, he told Balaam to:

"Go home immediately.  I intended to honor you greatly, but look! Jehovah has deprived you of honor."

What! ... Jehovah has "deprived him of honor" from a man afraid of his enemies?

(Not that he shouldn't have been afraid. We'll discuss that another time.)

Hummm....

Should not Balak's words been like an ice bucket douse?

Jehovah has just prevented you, three times, mind you, from your usually successful rites.

Now who is stronger?

And to make matters worst, Jehovah motivated Balaam to utter prophetic pronouncements that included a message of doom for Balak's own people--Moab!

Did Balaam finally learn that resisting God's will was useless? ... Did he go back to his home in Pethor?

Or was honor and glory from a fearful King more important?

To Be Continued...