Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "revelation-20"
Scary Teddy Bears – Part 1
For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is His name [Amos 4:13].
Once upon a time when I had a couple of teeny tiny tots to rear, I discovered a spiritual truth by means of experience. Sometimes I was Mr. Dad, with his course and stern voice and disciplinary disposition. At other times I was Nice Guy Dad, who took his kids to the recreation center and coached their basketball teams.
And you know what? Neither of my rug rats was ever confused by the split personality involved in proper parenting. Not once did we enjoy a time of play and relaxation at the rec center, and then come home to become discombobulated by the switch from Nice Guy Dad to Mr. Dad the rules enforcer. It just didn’t happen.
Do you know why? Well, it’s like this. Kids want to have fun with their parents, yes, they most certainly do. But if that’s all they get—if Dad and Mom are simply one of the gang of kids from the neighborhood—kids cannot help but feel insecure. They need guidance and protection from their parents. It’s why the Lord gave them parents!
In the quoted text which commenced this study, Amos acknowledged these two simultaneous attributes of God. God has them, which explains where we got them! We share with God these same two attributes. I believe it’s part of what the Bible labels “the image of God”.
There is a qualification to this as it applies to God, however. Amos identified God as “the Lord God of hosts is His name”. The two attributes don’t stand out in the case of “God”, at least as the Bible employs the identifier. In order for both attributes to receive honorable mention at the same time, the terminology for deity requires both the words “Lord” and “God”.
Allow me to explain. The word “God” is a term which identifies deity or the divine being. It is used in much the same way the word “human” or “human being” is used to identify humanity or man. Such is not the case with the word “Lord” in Scripture. The word “Lord” (written in the Bible as all capital letters, LORD) is the actual name of God.
Let me present an equivalent as applied to myself. I am a human being and my name is Randy. The word usage “the Lord God” as applied to me would be “Randy the human being”. God’s actual name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). In the English Bible His name is written as “LORD”. When you see those four capital letters used together in the Bible, recognize it as the actual name of God.
At times I have been addressed as “Pastor” or “Teacher” or “Reverend”. At other times I’ve been addressed as “Randy” or “Mr. Green”. What’s the difference? Well, the words “pastor”, “teacher” and “reverend” are not names. The words are impersonal, formal, stiff, and not necessarily friendly.
On the other hand the word “Randy” is my personal name. By using it another person is being personal with me. Perhaps he’s even taking undue liberties because he doesn’t know me and shouldn’t speak to me in such a personal way. But the word “Randy” when employed appropriately toward me is personal. It implies a relationship between the speaker and myself.
When both these aspects express themselves in a parent, a scary teddy bear materializes. But let us pause here and continue on the morrow. Enjoy your time with the Lord Jesus now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Once upon a time when I had a couple of teeny tiny tots to rear, I discovered a spiritual truth by means of experience. Sometimes I was Mr. Dad, with his course and stern voice and disciplinary disposition. At other times I was Nice Guy Dad, who took his kids to the recreation center and coached their basketball teams.
And you know what? Neither of my rug rats was ever confused by the split personality involved in proper parenting. Not once did we enjoy a time of play and relaxation at the rec center, and then come home to become discombobulated by the switch from Nice Guy Dad to Mr. Dad the rules enforcer. It just didn’t happen.
Do you know why? Well, it’s like this. Kids want to have fun with their parents, yes, they most certainly do. But if that’s all they get—if Dad and Mom are simply one of the gang of kids from the neighborhood—kids cannot help but feel insecure. They need guidance and protection from their parents. It’s why the Lord gave them parents!
In the quoted text which commenced this study, Amos acknowledged these two simultaneous attributes of God. God has them, which explains where we got them! We share with God these same two attributes. I believe it’s part of what the Bible labels “the image of God”.
There is a qualification to this as it applies to God, however. Amos identified God as “the Lord God of hosts is His name”. The two attributes don’t stand out in the case of “God”, at least as the Bible employs the identifier. In order for both attributes to receive honorable mention at the same time, the terminology for deity requires both the words “Lord” and “God”.
Allow me to explain. The word “God” is a term which identifies deity or the divine being. It is used in much the same way the word “human” or “human being” is used to identify humanity or man. Such is not the case with the word “Lord” in Scripture. The word “Lord” (written in the Bible as all capital letters, LORD) is the actual name of God.
Let me present an equivalent as applied to myself. I am a human being and my name is Randy. The word usage “the Lord God” as applied to me would be “Randy the human being”. God’s actual name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). In the English Bible His name is written as “LORD”. When you see those four capital letters used together in the Bible, recognize it as the actual name of God.
At times I have been addressed as “Pastor” or “Teacher” or “Reverend”. At other times I’ve been addressed as “Randy” or “Mr. Green”. What’s the difference? Well, the words “pastor”, “teacher” and “reverend” are not names. The words are impersonal, formal, stiff, and not necessarily friendly.
On the other hand the word “Randy” is my personal name. By using it another person is being personal with me. Perhaps he’s even taking undue liberties because he doesn’t know me and shouldn’t speak to me in such a personal way. But the word “Randy” when employed appropriately toward me is personal. It implies a relationship between the speaker and myself.
When both these aspects express themselves in a parent, a scary teddy bear materializes. But let us pause here and continue on the morrow. Enjoy your time with the Lord Jesus now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Scary Teddy Bears – Part 2
For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is His name [Amos 4:13].
We paused our last study by noting I am a human and my name is Randy. The “human” part is impersonal, the “Randy” part is quite otherwise. Let’s now see how this applies to the Divine Being.
The words “God” and “LORD” when used to identify the Deity, the Supreme Being, accomplishes the same function as the words “Randy the human” in identifying me. In the Bible when the Divine Being is referred to as “God”, the emphasis is upon His being the Creator, the high and mighty One Who is far above His creation, including mankind. It is impersonal, evoking dread in man and prompting us to draw back and move away from Him.
On the other hand when His name “LORD” is used, the emphasis is personal. It denotes man as having a personal relationship with the Supreme Being, as knowing Him personally and being involved with Him. It is a pleasant blessing, not an atmosphere of awkward and uneasy formality.
Such is the intimation presented by Amos’ usage of the phrase “the Lord God of hosts is His name”. The high and mighty Creator, the all-powerful and intimidating Supreme Being is inseparably bound together with the loving and personable Deity Who wants to have a relationship with man.
So how does this express itself in the remainder of the quoted text? Let’s assay Amos’ words and see for ourselves. First let’s hear the words which express personal relationship: He who…declares to man what are His thoughts.
Those words don’t leave the impression of the almighty Supreme Being calling into existence the heavens and the earth. They express the concept of the Divine One speaking to man and explaining Himself and His plans. It is personal. It is relationship. It is personal relationship. In theology textbooks this personal aspect of God’s character wears the appellation “immanence”.
Now for Amos’ words which express God as way up there in the sky and impersonal, far removed from man and unapproachable. Since there are considerable more words used to express this concept, we will employ a bulleted list:
• He who forms mountains and creates the wind
• He who makes dawn into darkness
• He who…treads on the high places of the earth
It should be readily evident to you how suchlike depictions of God differ drastically from the words “He who…declares to man what are His thoughts”. In the case of the bulleted list the Supreme Being is behaving as, well, a supreme being! He isn’t talking with man and explaining His purposes. He is creating mountains and wind and darkness, and He is walking around on the high places, far above man’s habitations. In theology textbooks this aspect of God’s character goes by the jargon “transcendence”.
The two aspects of God, the personal and impersonal, are true simultaneously. However, they only display themselves simultaneously to those humans who accept Him as their God, as their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With such folks He is indeed personal. At the blink of an eye He also marches into battle on their behalf as the mighty and invincible God.
Alas, but for those humans who reject Him as their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He only appears to them as the impersonal and not so friendly Judge of all the earth. They don’t win His favor or garner His blessings. They are under a curse for sin and, after the Millennium will stand before His tribunal, the great white throne, to be condemned eternally (cf., Revelation 20:5, 11-15).
This is not a topic which wins friends and influences people, dear souls. It is the Word of God nonetheless. We determine by our response to the Lord Jesus whether or not we know Him personally. My heart’s desire is that all men will be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We paused our last study by noting I am a human and my name is Randy. The “human” part is impersonal, the “Randy” part is quite otherwise. Let’s now see how this applies to the Divine Being.
The words “God” and “LORD” when used to identify the Deity, the Supreme Being, accomplishes the same function as the words “Randy the human” in identifying me. In the Bible when the Divine Being is referred to as “God”, the emphasis is upon His being the Creator, the high and mighty One Who is far above His creation, including mankind. It is impersonal, evoking dread in man and prompting us to draw back and move away from Him.
On the other hand when His name “LORD” is used, the emphasis is personal. It denotes man as having a personal relationship with the Supreme Being, as knowing Him personally and being involved with Him. It is a pleasant blessing, not an atmosphere of awkward and uneasy formality.
Such is the intimation presented by Amos’ usage of the phrase “the Lord God of hosts is His name”. The high and mighty Creator, the all-powerful and intimidating Supreme Being is inseparably bound together with the loving and personable Deity Who wants to have a relationship with man.
So how does this express itself in the remainder of the quoted text? Let’s assay Amos’ words and see for ourselves. First let’s hear the words which express personal relationship: He who…declares to man what are His thoughts.
Those words don’t leave the impression of the almighty Supreme Being calling into existence the heavens and the earth. They express the concept of the Divine One speaking to man and explaining Himself and His plans. It is personal. It is relationship. It is personal relationship. In theology textbooks this personal aspect of God’s character wears the appellation “immanence”.
Now for Amos’ words which express God as way up there in the sky and impersonal, far removed from man and unapproachable. Since there are considerable more words used to express this concept, we will employ a bulleted list:
• He who forms mountains and creates the wind
• He who makes dawn into darkness
• He who…treads on the high places of the earth
It should be readily evident to you how suchlike depictions of God differ drastically from the words “He who…declares to man what are His thoughts”. In the case of the bulleted list the Supreme Being is behaving as, well, a supreme being! He isn’t talking with man and explaining His purposes. He is creating mountains and wind and darkness, and He is walking around on the high places, far above man’s habitations. In theology textbooks this aspect of God’s character goes by the jargon “transcendence”.
The two aspects of God, the personal and impersonal, are true simultaneously. However, they only display themselves simultaneously to those humans who accept Him as their God, as their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With such folks He is indeed personal. At the blink of an eye He also marches into battle on their behalf as the mighty and invincible God.
Alas, but for those humans who reject Him as their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He only appears to them as the impersonal and not so friendly Judge of all the earth. They don’t win His favor or garner His blessings. They are under a curse for sin and, after the Millennium will stand before His tribunal, the great white throne, to be condemned eternally (cf., Revelation 20:5, 11-15).
This is not a topic which wins friends and influences people, dear souls. It is the Word of God nonetheless. We determine by our response to the Lord Jesus whether or not we know Him personally. My heart’s desire is that all men will be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Karen? No, Cherem! - Part 1
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed…And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones [Joshua 7:11-12, 25].
The Law of Moses was the legal code for the Israelites, during the time they inhabited the Promised Land. The Law had a stipulation known as cherem, a Hebrew word written with English letters (i.e., transliterated as contrasted with translated). This stipulation also went by the descriptions “things devoted to destruction”, “things under the ban”, and “the ban”.
Allow me the opportunity to explain this stipulation of the Law of Moses. To do so we need to understand a second stipulation, i.e., the Firstfruits. The first tenth of every Israelite’s crops, as typifying the best portion, automatically belonged to the Lord. The Lord was King in Israel, literally. He made their laws and He ruled their land.
In the other nations of the world the king charged his subjects taxes, just as we pay taxes today. This was the equivalent of the Firstfruits under the Law of Moses in Israel. Other kings wouldn’t accept whatever their subjects had left over, after they paid their bills and bought what they wanted. No! First came payment to the king, and what was left served as the people’s living expenses.
So the first, the best, portion went to King Yahweh in Israel. Here’s the thing. King Yahweh (i.e., the Lord) is holy. He cannot look upon sin and He cannot be a part of ritual uncleanness.
Huh? What in tarnation is “ritual uncleanness”? I know you wanted to ask that. Yes, you did! Well, under the Law of Moses the Lord employed visible physical realities to teach invisible spiritual truths. He used everyday things of this world to teach about eternity.
One way He did this was to legislate regulations about “uncleanness”. He identified classes of animals and birds and fish and insects, labeling some of them “clean” and others “unclean”. When these regulations are properly understood, we learn truths about spiritual things. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with the physical visible realities themselves. The Lord labeled them “unclean” to teach spiritual truths.
The problem arose when some of the Firstfruits came from things which were “ritually unclean”. The Lord is holy and cannot have anything to do with “unclean” things. So what was to be done with such portions of the Firstfruits?
We will answer that question in our next study. For now let’s retire to the prayer closet and visit with Jesus a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Law of Moses was the legal code for the Israelites, during the time they inhabited the Promised Land. The Law had a stipulation known as cherem, a Hebrew word written with English letters (i.e., transliterated as contrasted with translated). This stipulation also went by the descriptions “things devoted to destruction”, “things under the ban”, and “the ban”.
Allow me the opportunity to explain this stipulation of the Law of Moses. To do so we need to understand a second stipulation, i.e., the Firstfruits. The first tenth of every Israelite’s crops, as typifying the best portion, automatically belonged to the Lord. The Lord was King in Israel, literally. He made their laws and He ruled their land.
In the other nations of the world the king charged his subjects taxes, just as we pay taxes today. This was the equivalent of the Firstfruits under the Law of Moses in Israel. Other kings wouldn’t accept whatever their subjects had left over, after they paid their bills and bought what they wanted. No! First came payment to the king, and what was left served as the people’s living expenses.
So the first, the best, portion went to King Yahweh in Israel. Here’s the thing. King Yahweh (i.e., the Lord) is holy. He cannot look upon sin and He cannot be a part of ritual uncleanness.
Huh? What in tarnation is “ritual uncleanness”? I know you wanted to ask that. Yes, you did! Well, under the Law of Moses the Lord employed visible physical realities to teach invisible spiritual truths. He used everyday things of this world to teach about eternity.
One way He did this was to legislate regulations about “uncleanness”. He identified classes of animals and birds and fish and insects, labeling some of them “clean” and others “unclean”. When these regulations are properly understood, we learn truths about spiritual things. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with the physical visible realities themselves. The Lord labeled them “unclean” to teach spiritual truths.
The problem arose when some of the Firstfruits came from things which were “ritually unclean”. The Lord is holy and cannot have anything to do with “unclean” things. So what was to be done with such portions of the Firstfruits?
We will answer that question in our next study. For now let’s retire to the prayer closet and visit with Jesus a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Karen? No, Cherem! - Part 2
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed…And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones [Joshua 7:11-12, 25].
The Firstfruits always belonged to the Lord, but He cannot use it if it is unclean. What was to be done with it under that situation?
I got it. Let’s give it to the poor. Uh, that would be a no. The Lord’s people were not permitted to contact ritual uncleanness either, or they became unclean and out of fellowship with the Lord and His people. The long and the short of the matter is this, dear friends. The Lord couldn’t use ritually unclean things and neither could His people. What’s more, the things which belonged to the Lord could not be used by others, even if those things were clean.
The solution was that all suchlike things were put under the “ban”, “devoted to destruction”, cherem. Since they belonged to the Lord and He could have nothing to do with them, they were utterly destroyed. That is what it meant to be under the ban or to be cherem. The items were literally “devoted to destruction”.
The Israelites crossed the Jordan River under Joshua’s leadership to conquer the Promised Land. The first city they attacked was Jericho, the city of palms. This made Jericho the Firstfruits of the Promised Land, so all its people and property belonged to the Lord.
Trouble was, Jericho was a heathen city, living under paganism and idolatry. Accordingly, Jericho was “ritually unclean”, making it unusable by the Lord. Ergo, Jericho was cherem, under the ban, devoted to destruction. The Israelites were commanded to utterly destroy every person and thing in Jericho.
One Israelite, a certain Achan ben Carmi, saw some valuables he liked in Jericho. He fixed his eyes on them and lusted after them, until sin won out and he stole them. He took them to his tent and hid them there. Here’s the list of crimes with which the Lord charged Achan:
1. sinned
2. transgressed the covenant
3. took things under the ban
4. stole
5. deceived
6. put banned things with his own possessions
You may read the verses quoted at the start of this study to confirm that Achan was charged with those six crimes.
Well, criminals must be tried and sentenced justly, so consequences followed Achan’s crimes. We’ll assay them in our next study. Jesus calls us at this time. Let us arise and go to Him.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Firstfruits always belonged to the Lord, but He cannot use it if it is unclean. What was to be done with it under that situation?
I got it. Let’s give it to the poor. Uh, that would be a no. The Lord’s people were not permitted to contact ritual uncleanness either, or they became unclean and out of fellowship with the Lord and His people. The long and the short of the matter is this, dear friends. The Lord couldn’t use ritually unclean things and neither could His people. What’s more, the things which belonged to the Lord could not be used by others, even if those things were clean.
The solution was that all suchlike things were put under the “ban”, “devoted to destruction”, cherem. Since they belonged to the Lord and He could have nothing to do with them, they were utterly destroyed. That is what it meant to be under the ban or to be cherem. The items were literally “devoted to destruction”.
The Israelites crossed the Jordan River under Joshua’s leadership to conquer the Promised Land. The first city they attacked was Jericho, the city of palms. This made Jericho the Firstfruits of the Promised Land, so all its people and property belonged to the Lord.
Trouble was, Jericho was a heathen city, living under paganism and idolatry. Accordingly, Jericho was “ritually unclean”, making it unusable by the Lord. Ergo, Jericho was cherem, under the ban, devoted to destruction. The Israelites were commanded to utterly destroy every person and thing in Jericho.
One Israelite, a certain Achan ben Carmi, saw some valuables he liked in Jericho. He fixed his eyes on them and lusted after them, until sin won out and he stole them. He took them to his tent and hid them there. Here’s the list of crimes with which the Lord charged Achan:
1. sinned
2. transgressed the covenant
3. took things under the ban
4. stole
5. deceived
6. put banned things with his own possessions
You may read the verses quoted at the start of this study to confirm that Achan was charged with those six crimes.
Well, criminals must be tried and sentenced justly, so consequences followed Achan’s crimes. We’ll assay them in our next study. Jesus calls us at this time. Let us arise and go to Him.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Karen? No, Cherem! - Part 3
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed…And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones [Joshua 7:11-12, 25].
Achan was charged with six crimes. Consequences followed. Let’s see what they were.
The next city attacked by the Israelites was Ai. Though Ai was a rinky dink hick town, those few souls in Ai whupped Israel’s rear end and sent them packing! You see, the Israelites sinned by stealing some of King Yahweh’s Firstfruits. They cheated on their taxes, to employ a contemporary phrase. Until the sin was judged by all Israel, they were officially cherem. They took the cherem, so they became cherem along with the cherem they took.
It didn’t matter that only Achan took the cherem. The Law applied to the entire congregation of Israel, and they had to enforce it. They didn’t, so they paid the price at Ai. When they finally did judge the sin, they no longer had the cherem among them and accordingly were no longer cherem themselves. So they returned to Ai and destroyed that city because the Lord again fought for Israel.
There is a powerful invisible spiritual truth taught by the concept of cherem. We want to investigate this teaching because it is a heavy message we dare not miss out on.
Because Achan stole the cherem, he himself—along with those in cahoots with him, viz., his family—were also cherem. This means they and all their possessions had to be utterly destroyed too. Listen:
And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones [Joshua 7:25].
Doesn’t that seem wrong to you? Do you see overkill there? I mean, they stoned them to death and then they burned their bodies and property with fire! Why bother to burn them after they were dead? Can the Lord really be that vindictive?
In response, would you rather the Lord had them burned alive? The Lord, you see, taught spiritual truth by means of Achan’s judgment. This truth required that Achan be burned to cinders. Having Achan killed by stoning first was merciful, compared to simply having him burned alive. So, no, the Lord wasn’t being vindictive with Achan.
In our next study we will see why the Lord had Achan burned after he was dead. For the time being let’s meditate on what the Lord has taught us today.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Achan was charged with six crimes. Consequences followed. Let’s see what they were.
The next city attacked by the Israelites was Ai. Though Ai was a rinky dink hick town, those few souls in Ai whupped Israel’s rear end and sent them packing! You see, the Israelites sinned by stealing some of King Yahweh’s Firstfruits. They cheated on their taxes, to employ a contemporary phrase. Until the sin was judged by all Israel, they were officially cherem. They took the cherem, so they became cherem along with the cherem they took.
It didn’t matter that only Achan took the cherem. The Law applied to the entire congregation of Israel, and they had to enforce it. They didn’t, so they paid the price at Ai. When they finally did judge the sin, they no longer had the cherem among them and accordingly were no longer cherem themselves. So they returned to Ai and destroyed that city because the Lord again fought for Israel.
There is a powerful invisible spiritual truth taught by the concept of cherem. We want to investigate this teaching because it is a heavy message we dare not miss out on.
Because Achan stole the cherem, he himself—along with those in cahoots with him, viz., his family—were also cherem. This means they and all their possessions had to be utterly destroyed too. Listen:
And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones [Joshua 7:25].
Doesn’t that seem wrong to you? Do you see overkill there? I mean, they stoned them to death and then they burned their bodies and property with fire! Why bother to burn them after they were dead? Can the Lord really be that vindictive?
In response, would you rather the Lord had them burned alive? The Lord, you see, taught spiritual truth by means of Achan’s judgment. This truth required that Achan be burned to cinders. Having Achan killed by stoning first was merciful, compared to simply having him burned alive. So, no, the Lord wasn’t being vindictive with Achan.
In our next study we will see why the Lord had Achan burned after he was dead. For the time being let’s meditate on what the Lord has taught us today.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Karen? No, Cherem! - Part 4
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed…And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones [Joshua 7:11-12, 25].
The Lord wasn’t being vindictive with Achan. Now that we have that issue out of the way, the remaining issue has to do with the spiritual truth which the Lord taught by means of Achan’s judgment specifically, and with the concept of cherem generally. Because of the specific example of Achan, we can better understand the general teaching about cherem all the better.
When something belongs to the Lord, if it violates His holiness He cannot have anything to do with it. If something isn’t clean but it is devoted to the Lord, then it must be destroyed. Since it is the Lord’s, no one else can have it. Since the Lord cannot use it, it must be utterly destroyed, lest someone find himself taking the Lord’s things and becoming cherem himself.
Now let’s weigh this truth in the context of everything which belongs to the Lord. All things were created by the Lord, and apart from Him nothing exists. Ergo, everything belongs to the Lord. In the final judgment—i.e., at the Great White Throne on Judgment Day—whatever isn’t clean will be utterly destroyed. It will be cast into the Lake of Fire to burn eternally.
No, the Lord is not being vindictive in this case either. I answered that before you suggested it because I know you were going to! And no, it won’t be possible for Him to simply kill folks outright, rather than have them burn eternally in the Lake of Fire.
Why not? Because unlike animals and inanimate objects, man is created in the image of God. All living things were formed from the dust of the ground. However, only man became alive because the Lord breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. This means that man has God’s very own life in him, unlike all other living things. Hence man is created in the image of God.
Whereas God’s life exists eternally, so too does man’s life because his life is the life of God. Ergo, man cannot simply cease to exist: he exists eternally. When man sins he becomes separated from God because God cannot tolerate sin. If man refuses to repent, at the Lord’s Great White Throne he will be adjudged guilty and permanently removed from the Lord’s presence.
The fire of God is directed against all men. Those who repent and are born again are purified by the fire. Those who refuse to repent are burned up by the fire…except they cannot cease to exist, so they burn eternally. This is the concept of cherem.
This was why Achan & Family were stoned to death but then burned to cinders after they were dead. The judgment of fire inflicted on their corpses was a type of the Lake of Fire. Here’s a depiction of that place:
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever…And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire [Revelation 20:10, 15].
This is not a pleasant topic to study. The topic isn’t noted for winning friends! But we had best study it, lest we find ourselves swimming in fire due to self-imposed ignorance of the law. May we take it to heart and examine our hearts in the light of God’s Word. To God be the glory! Great things He has done.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Lord wasn’t being vindictive with Achan. Now that we have that issue out of the way, the remaining issue has to do with the spiritual truth which the Lord taught by means of Achan’s judgment specifically, and with the concept of cherem generally. Because of the specific example of Achan, we can better understand the general teaching about cherem all the better.
When something belongs to the Lord, if it violates His holiness He cannot have anything to do with it. If something isn’t clean but it is devoted to the Lord, then it must be destroyed. Since it is the Lord’s, no one else can have it. Since the Lord cannot use it, it must be utterly destroyed, lest someone find himself taking the Lord’s things and becoming cherem himself.
Now let’s weigh this truth in the context of everything which belongs to the Lord. All things were created by the Lord, and apart from Him nothing exists. Ergo, everything belongs to the Lord. In the final judgment—i.e., at the Great White Throne on Judgment Day—whatever isn’t clean will be utterly destroyed. It will be cast into the Lake of Fire to burn eternally.
No, the Lord is not being vindictive in this case either. I answered that before you suggested it because I know you were going to! And no, it won’t be possible for Him to simply kill folks outright, rather than have them burn eternally in the Lake of Fire.
Why not? Because unlike animals and inanimate objects, man is created in the image of God. All living things were formed from the dust of the ground. However, only man became alive because the Lord breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. This means that man has God’s very own life in him, unlike all other living things. Hence man is created in the image of God.
Whereas God’s life exists eternally, so too does man’s life because his life is the life of God. Ergo, man cannot simply cease to exist: he exists eternally. When man sins he becomes separated from God because God cannot tolerate sin. If man refuses to repent, at the Lord’s Great White Throne he will be adjudged guilty and permanently removed from the Lord’s presence.
The fire of God is directed against all men. Those who repent and are born again are purified by the fire. Those who refuse to repent are burned up by the fire…except they cannot cease to exist, so they burn eternally. This is the concept of cherem.
This was why Achan & Family were stoned to death but then burned to cinders after they were dead. The judgment of fire inflicted on their corpses was a type of the Lake of Fire. Here’s a depiction of that place:
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever…And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire [Revelation 20:10, 15].
This is not a pleasant topic to study. The topic isn’t noted for winning friends! But we had best study it, lest we find ourselves swimming in fire due to self-imposed ignorance of the law. May we take it to heart and examine our hearts in the light of God’s Word. To God be the glory! Great things He has done.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Scary Teddy Bears – Part 1
For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is His name [Amos 4:13].
Once upon a time when I had a couple of teeny tiny tots to rear, I discovered a spiritual truth by means of experience. Sometimes I was Mr. Dad, with his course and stern voice and disciplinary disposition. At other times I was Nice Guy Dad, who took his kids to the recreation center and coached their basketball teams.
And you know what? Neither of my rug rats was ever confused by the split personality involved in proper parenting. Not once did we enjoy a time of play and relaxation at the rec center, and then come home to become discombobulated by the switch from Nice Guy Dad to Mr. Dad the rules enforcer. It just didn’t happen.
Do you know why? Well, it’s like this. Kids want to have fun with their parents, yes, they most certainly do. But if that’s all they get—if Dad and Mom are simply one of the gang of kids from the neighborhood—kids cannot help but feel insecure. They need guidance and protection from their parents. It’s why the Lord gave them parents!
In the quoted text which commenced this study, Amos acknowledged these two simultaneous attributes of God. God has them, which explains where we got them! We share with God these same two attributes. I believe it’s part of what the Bible labels “the image of God”.
There is a qualification to this as it applies to God, however. Amos identified God as “the Lord God of hosts is His name”. The two attributes don’t stand out in the case of “God”, at least as the Bible employs the identifier. In order for both attributes to receive honorable mention at the same time, the terminology for deity requires both the words “Lord” and “God”.
Allow me to explain. The word “God” is a term which identifies deity or the divine being. It is used in much the same way the word “human” or “human being” is used to identify humanity or man. Such is not the case with the word “Lord” in Scripture. The word “Lord” (written in the Bible as all capital letters, LORD) is the actual name of God.
Let me present an equivalent as applied to myself. I am a human being and my name is Randy. The word usage “the Lord God” as applied to me would be “Randy the human being”. God’s actual name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). In the English Bible His name is written as “LORD”. When you see those four capital letters used together in the Bible, recognize it as the actual name of God.
At times I have been addressed as “Pastor” or “Teacher” or “Reverend”. At other times I’ve been addressed as “Randy” or “Mr. Green”. What’s the difference? Well, the words “pastor”, “teacher” and “reverend” are not names. The words are impersonal, formal, stiff, and not necessarily friendly.
On the other hand the word “Randy” is my personal name. By using it another person is being personal with me. Perhaps he’s even taking undue liberties because he doesn’t know me and shouldn’t speak to me in such a personal way. But the word “Randy” when employed appropriately toward me is personal. It implies a relationship between the speaker and myself.
When both these aspects express themselves in a parent, a scary teddy bear materializes. But let us pause here and continue on the morrow. Enjoy your time with the Lord Jesus now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Once upon a time when I had a couple of teeny tiny tots to rear, I discovered a spiritual truth by means of experience. Sometimes I was Mr. Dad, with his course and stern voice and disciplinary disposition. At other times I was Nice Guy Dad, who took his kids to the recreation center and coached their basketball teams.
And you know what? Neither of my rug rats was ever confused by the split personality involved in proper parenting. Not once did we enjoy a time of play and relaxation at the rec center, and then come home to become discombobulated by the switch from Nice Guy Dad to Mr. Dad the rules enforcer. It just didn’t happen.
Do you know why? Well, it’s like this. Kids want to have fun with their parents, yes, they most certainly do. But if that’s all they get—if Dad and Mom are simply one of the gang of kids from the neighborhood—kids cannot help but feel insecure. They need guidance and protection from their parents. It’s why the Lord gave them parents!
In the quoted text which commenced this study, Amos acknowledged these two simultaneous attributes of God. God has them, which explains where we got them! We share with God these same two attributes. I believe it’s part of what the Bible labels “the image of God”.
There is a qualification to this as it applies to God, however. Amos identified God as “the Lord God of hosts is His name”. The two attributes don’t stand out in the case of “God”, at least as the Bible employs the identifier. In order for both attributes to receive honorable mention at the same time, the terminology for deity requires both the words “Lord” and “God”.
Allow me to explain. The word “God” is a term which identifies deity or the divine being. It is used in much the same way the word “human” or “human being” is used to identify humanity or man. Such is not the case with the word “Lord” in Scripture. The word “Lord” (written in the Bible as all capital letters, LORD) is the actual name of God.
Let me present an equivalent as applied to myself. I am a human being and my name is Randy. The word usage “the Lord God” as applied to me would be “Randy the human being”. God’s actual name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). In the English Bible His name is written as “LORD”. When you see those four capital letters used together in the Bible, recognize it as the actual name of God.
At times I have been addressed as “Pastor” or “Teacher” or “Reverend”. At other times I’ve been addressed as “Randy” or “Mr. Green”. What’s the difference? Well, the words “pastor”, “teacher” and “reverend” are not names. The words are impersonal, formal, stiff, and not necessarily friendly.
On the other hand the word “Randy” is my personal name. By using it another person is being personal with me. Perhaps he’s even taking undue liberties because he doesn’t know me and shouldn’t speak to me in such a personal way. But the word “Randy” when employed appropriately toward me is personal. It implies a relationship between the speaker and myself.
When both these aspects express themselves in a parent, a scary teddy bear materializes. But let us pause here and continue on the morrow. Enjoy your time with the Lord Jesus now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Scary Teddy Bears – Part 2
For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is His name [Amos 4:13].
We paused our last study by noting I am a human and my name is Randy. The “human” part is impersonal, the “Randy” part is quite otherwise. Let’s now see how this applies to the Divine Being.
The words “God” and “LORD” when used to identify the Deity, the Supreme Being, accomplishes the same function as the words “Randy the human” in identifying me. In the Bible when the Divine Being is referred to as “God”, the emphasis is upon His being the Creator, the high and mighty One Who is far above His creation, including mankind. It is impersonal, evoking dread in man and prompting us to draw back and move away from Him.
On the other hand when His name “LORD” is used, the emphasis is personal. It denotes man as having a personal relationship with the Supreme Being, as knowing Him personally and being involved with Him. It is a pleasant blessing, not an atmosphere of awkward and uneasy formality.
Such is the intimation presented by Amos’ usage of the phrase “the Lord God of hosts is His name”. The high and mighty Creator, the all-powerful and intimidating Supreme Being is inseparably bound together with the loving and personable Deity Who wants to have a relationship with man.
So how does this express itself in the remainder of the quoted text? Let’s assay Amos’ words and see for ourselves. First let’s hear the words which express personal relationship: He who…declares to man what are His thoughts.
Those words don’t leave the impression of the almighty Supreme Being calling into existence the heavens and the earth. They express the concept of the Divine One speaking to man and explaining Himself and His plans. It is personal. It is relationship. It is personal relationship. In theology textbooks this personal aspect of God’s character wears the appellation “immanence”.
Now for Amos’ words which express God as way up there in the sky and impersonal, far removed from man and unapproachable. Since there are considerable more words used to express this concept, we will employ a bulleted list:
• He who forms mountains and creates the wind
• He who makes dawn into darkness
• He who…treads on the high places of the earth
It should be readily evident to you how suchlike depictions of God differ drastically from the words “He who…declares to man what are His thoughts”. In the case of the bulleted list the Supreme Being is behaving as, well, a supreme being! He isn’t talking with man and explaining His purposes. He is creating mountains and wind and darkness, and He is walking around on the high places, far above man’s habitations. In theology textbooks this aspect of God’s character goes by the jargon “transcendence”.
The two aspects of God, the personal and impersonal, are true simultaneously. However, they only display themselves simultaneously to those humans who accept Him as their God, as their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With such folks He is indeed personal. At the blink of an eye He also marches into battle on their behalf as the mighty and invincible God.
Alas, but for those humans who reject Him as their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He only appears to them as the impersonal and not so friendly Judge of all the earth. They don’t win His favor or garner His blessings. They are under a curse for sin and, after the Millennium will stand before His tribunal, the great white throne, to be condemned eternally (cf., Revelation 20:5, 11-15).
This is not a topic which wins friends and influences people, dear souls. It is the Word of God nonetheless. We determine by our response to the Lord Jesus whether or not we know Him personally. My heart’s desire is that all men will be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
We paused our last study by noting I am a human and my name is Randy. The “human” part is impersonal, the “Randy” part is quite otherwise. Let’s now see how this applies to the Divine Being.
The words “God” and “LORD” when used to identify the Deity, the Supreme Being, accomplishes the same function as the words “Randy the human” in identifying me. In the Bible when the Divine Being is referred to as “God”, the emphasis is upon His being the Creator, the high and mighty One Who is far above His creation, including mankind. It is impersonal, evoking dread in man and prompting us to draw back and move away from Him.
On the other hand when His name “LORD” is used, the emphasis is personal. It denotes man as having a personal relationship with the Supreme Being, as knowing Him personally and being involved with Him. It is a pleasant blessing, not an atmosphere of awkward and uneasy formality.
Such is the intimation presented by Amos’ usage of the phrase “the Lord God of hosts is His name”. The high and mighty Creator, the all-powerful and intimidating Supreme Being is inseparably bound together with the loving and personable Deity Who wants to have a relationship with man.
So how does this express itself in the remainder of the quoted text? Let’s assay Amos’ words and see for ourselves. First let’s hear the words which express personal relationship: He who…declares to man what are His thoughts.
Those words don’t leave the impression of the almighty Supreme Being calling into existence the heavens and the earth. They express the concept of the Divine One speaking to man and explaining Himself and His plans. It is personal. It is relationship. It is personal relationship. In theology textbooks this personal aspect of God’s character wears the appellation “immanence”.
Now for Amos’ words which express God as way up there in the sky and impersonal, far removed from man and unapproachable. Since there are considerable more words used to express this concept, we will employ a bulleted list:
• He who forms mountains and creates the wind
• He who makes dawn into darkness
• He who…treads on the high places of the earth
It should be readily evident to you how suchlike depictions of God differ drastically from the words “He who…declares to man what are His thoughts”. In the case of the bulleted list the Supreme Being is behaving as, well, a supreme being! He isn’t talking with man and explaining His purposes. He is creating mountains and wind and darkness, and He is walking around on the high places, far above man’s habitations. In theology textbooks this aspect of God’s character goes by the jargon “transcendence”.
The two aspects of God, the personal and impersonal, are true simultaneously. However, they only display themselves simultaneously to those humans who accept Him as their God, as their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With such folks He is indeed personal. At the blink of an eye He also marches into battle on their behalf as the mighty and invincible God.
Alas, but for those humans who reject Him as their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He only appears to them as the impersonal and not so friendly Judge of all the earth. They don’t win His favor or garner His blessings. They are under a curse for sin and, after the Millennium will stand before His tribunal, the great white throne, to be condemned eternally (cf., Revelation 20:5, 11-15).
This is not a topic which wins friends and influences people, dear souls. It is the Word of God nonetheless. We determine by our response to the Lord Jesus whether or not we know Him personally. My heart’s desire is that all men will be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Karen? No, Cherem! - Part 1
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed…And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones [Joshua 7:11-12, 25].
The Law of Moses was the legal code for the Israelites, during the time they inhabited the Promised Land. The Law had a stipulation known as cherem, a Hebrew word written with English letters (i.e., transliterated as contrasted with translated). This stipulation also went by the descriptions “things devoted to destruction”, “things under the ban”, and “the ban”.
Allow me the opportunity to explain this stipulation of the Law of Moses. To do so we need to understand a second stipulation, i.e., the Firstfruits. The first tenth of every Israelite’s crops, as typifying the best portion, automatically belonged to the Lord. The Lord was King in Israel, literally. He made their laws and He ruled their land.
In the other nations of the world the king charged his subjects taxes, just as we pay taxes today. This was the equivalent of the Firstfruits under the Law of Moses in Israel. Other kings wouldn’t accept whatever their subjects had left over, after they paid their bills and bought what they wanted. No! First came payment to the king, and what was left served as the people’s living expenses.
So the first, the best, portion went to King Yahweh in Israel. Here’s the thing. King Yahweh (i.e., the Lord) is holy. He cannot look upon sin and He cannot be a part of ritual uncleanness.
Huh? What in tarnation is “ritual uncleanness”? I know you wanted to ask that. Yes, you did! Well, under the Law of Moses the Lord employed visible physical realities to teach invisible spiritual truths. He used everyday things of this world to teach about eternity.
One way He did this was to legislate regulations about “uncleanness”. He identified classes of animals and birds and fish and insects, labeling some of them “clean” and others “unclean”. When these regulations are properly understood, we learn truths about spiritual things. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with the physical visible realities themselves. The Lord labeled them “unclean” to teach spiritual truths.
The problem arose when some of the Firstfruits came from things which were “ritually unclean”. The Lord is holy and cannot have anything to do with “unclean” things. So what was to be done with such portions of the Firstfruits?
We will answer that question in our next study. For now let’s retire to the prayer closet and visit with Jesus a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Law of Moses was the legal code for the Israelites, during the time they inhabited the Promised Land. The Law had a stipulation known as cherem, a Hebrew word written with English letters (i.e., transliterated as contrasted with translated). This stipulation also went by the descriptions “things devoted to destruction”, “things under the ban”, and “the ban”.
Allow me the opportunity to explain this stipulation of the Law of Moses. To do so we need to understand a second stipulation, i.e., the Firstfruits. The first tenth of every Israelite’s crops, as typifying the best portion, automatically belonged to the Lord. The Lord was King in Israel, literally. He made their laws and He ruled their land.
In the other nations of the world the king charged his subjects taxes, just as we pay taxes today. This was the equivalent of the Firstfruits under the Law of Moses in Israel. Other kings wouldn’t accept whatever their subjects had left over, after they paid their bills and bought what they wanted. No! First came payment to the king, and what was left served as the people’s living expenses.
So the first, the best, portion went to King Yahweh in Israel. Here’s the thing. King Yahweh (i.e., the Lord) is holy. He cannot look upon sin and He cannot be a part of ritual uncleanness.
Huh? What in tarnation is “ritual uncleanness”? I know you wanted to ask that. Yes, you did! Well, under the Law of Moses the Lord employed visible physical realities to teach invisible spiritual truths. He used everyday things of this world to teach about eternity.
One way He did this was to legislate regulations about “uncleanness”. He identified classes of animals and birds and fish and insects, labeling some of them “clean” and others “unclean”. When these regulations are properly understood, we learn truths about spiritual things. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with the physical visible realities themselves. The Lord labeled them “unclean” to teach spiritual truths.
The problem arose when some of the Firstfruits came from things which were “ritually unclean”. The Lord is holy and cannot have anything to do with “unclean” things. So what was to be done with such portions of the Firstfruits?
We will answer that question in our next study. For now let’s retire to the prayer closet and visit with Jesus a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Karen? No, Cherem! - Part 2
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed…And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones [Joshua 7:11-12, 25].
The Firstfruits always belonged to the Lord, but He cannot use it if it is unclean. What was to be done with it under that situation?
I got it. Let’s give it to the poor. Uh, that would be a no. The Lord’s people were not permitted to contact ritual uncleanness either, or they became unclean and out of fellowship with the Lord and His people. The long and short of the matter is this, dear friends. The Lord couldn’t use ritually unclean things and neither could His people. What’s more, the things which belonged to the Lord could not be used by others, even if those things were clean.
The solution was that all suchlike things were put under the “ban”, “devoted to destruction”, cherem. Since they belonged to the Lord and He could have nothing to do with them, they were utterly destroyed. That is what it meant to be under the ban or to be cherem. The items were literally “devoted to destruction”.
The Israelites crossed the Jordan River under Joshua’s leadership to conquer the Promised Land. The first city they attacked was Jericho, the city of palms. This made Jericho the Firstfruits of the Promised Land, so all its people and property belonged to the Lord.
Trouble was, Jericho was a heathen city, living under paganism and idolatry. Accordingly, Jericho was “ritually unclean”, making it unusable by the Lord. Ergo, Jericho was cherem, under the ban, devoted to destruction. The Israelites were commanded to utterly destroy every person and thing in Jericho.
One Israelite, a certain Achan ben Carmi, saw some valuables he liked in Jericho. He fixed his eyes on them and lusted after them, until sin won out and he stole them. He took them to his tent and hid them there. Here’s the list of crimes with which the Lord charged Achan:
1. sinned
2. transgressed the covenant
3. took things under the ban
4. stole
5. deceived
6. put banned things with his own possessions
You may read the verses quoted at the start of this study to confirm that Achan was charged with those six crimes.
Well, criminals must be tried and sentenced justly, so consequences followed Achan’s crime. We’ll assay them in our next study. Jesus calls us at this time. Let us arise and go to Him.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Firstfruits always belonged to the Lord, but He cannot use it if it is unclean. What was to be done with it under that situation?
I got it. Let’s give it to the poor. Uh, that would be a no. The Lord’s people were not permitted to contact ritual uncleanness either, or they became unclean and out of fellowship with the Lord and His people. The long and short of the matter is this, dear friends. The Lord couldn’t use ritually unclean things and neither could His people. What’s more, the things which belonged to the Lord could not be used by others, even if those things were clean.
The solution was that all suchlike things were put under the “ban”, “devoted to destruction”, cherem. Since they belonged to the Lord and He could have nothing to do with them, they were utterly destroyed. That is what it meant to be under the ban or to be cherem. The items were literally “devoted to destruction”.
The Israelites crossed the Jordan River under Joshua’s leadership to conquer the Promised Land. The first city they attacked was Jericho, the city of palms. This made Jericho the Firstfruits of the Promised Land, so all its people and property belonged to the Lord.
Trouble was, Jericho was a heathen city, living under paganism and idolatry. Accordingly, Jericho was “ritually unclean”, making it unusable by the Lord. Ergo, Jericho was cherem, under the ban, devoted to destruction. The Israelites were commanded to utterly destroy every person and thing in Jericho.
One Israelite, a certain Achan ben Carmi, saw some valuables he liked in Jericho. He fixed his eyes on them and lusted after them, until sin won out and he stole them. He took them to his tent and hid them there. Here’s the list of crimes with which the Lord charged Achan:
1. sinned
2. transgressed the covenant
3. took things under the ban
4. stole
5. deceived
6. put banned things with his own possessions
You may read the verses quoted at the start of this study to confirm that Achan was charged with those six crimes.
Well, criminals must be tried and sentenced justly, so consequences followed Achan’s crime. We’ll assay them in our next study. Jesus calls us at this time. Let us arise and go to Him.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
