Three-Month Bible Reading Notes – Part 4 – Psalms to the Song of Solomon

Posted on April 15, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

Psalms
– 2:11 “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” Philippians 2:12 “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

– 2:12 “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.”

– 3:7 “Break the teeth of the wicked.” Lamentations 3:16 “He has also broken my teeth with gravel, And covered me with ashes.” Teeth (bone) = horn (bone) = physical power or authority.

– 4:4 “Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah.” Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.”

– 5:9 “Their throat is an open sepulchre (tomb); They flatter with their tongue.” Romans 3:13 “Their throat is an open sepulchre (tomb); With their tongues they have practiced deceit.”

– 6:8 “You hate all workers of iniquity.” Matthew 7:23, Luke 13:27 “Depart from me, all that work iniquity.”

– 8:2 “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength.” Matthew 21:16 “…and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” Jesus quoted from the Greek Septuagint (LXX), not the Masoretic Text.

– 11:3 “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Mark 10:26 “And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, ‘Who then can be saved?’”

– Psalm 16 is a rare cheerful one.

– 16:10 “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol [the grave], nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Acts 13:35 “So also, He says in another Psalm: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’”

– 18:29 “For by You I can run against a troop. By my God I can leap over a wall.” Elijah experienced that power in 1 Kings 18:46.

– 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” Sounds like Deuteronomy 4:6 “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

– 19:9 “The fear of the LORD is clean [pure], enduring for ever.” Leviticus 11:44, Leviticus 11:45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7, 1 Peter 1:16 “Be holy, for I am holy.”

– “Set to the tune of ‘The Doe of the Dawn.’” Another missing psalm *sigh*

– 22:20 “Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.” Philippians 3:2 “Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!” Dog can also symbolizes Gentiles. Matthew 15:26 “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs [puppies].”

– 30:5 “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Oh, that’s where that comes from. 2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 1 Peter 5:10 “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

– 30:7 “…You made my mountain to stand strong.” Mountain can symbolize a capital city (the City of David, where David had lived, was the seat of the king’s government) or established authority.

– 31:5 “Into Your hand I commit my spirit.” Luke 23:46, Acts 7:59

– 35:17 “Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.” Psalm 22:21 “Save Me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.” Lion = Judah, family; oxen = leaders in Israel, government, military.

– 37:11 “But the meek shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

– 48:14 “He will be our guide even unto death.” Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” Luke 16:22 “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.”

– 55:17 “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.” Daniel 6:10 “And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, [Daniel] knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”

– 58:10 “He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.” No, I do not want to dance in the blood of my enemies.

– 68:4 “…by His name, Yah…” I believe this is the earliest use of the Father’s nickname.

– 68:23 “That your foot may crush them in blood…” No, no thank you. I’m good. Revelation 19:13 “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”

– 69:6 “Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.” Oh, trust me, I’m not. My faith has never been dependent on humans.

– 71:20 “Though You have shown me many troubles and misfortunes, You will revive me once again.” Bad things happen to good people.

– 72:1 “A psalm of Solomon.” Oh really?

– 72:17 “All nations shall call Him blessed.” Bunches of passages about Gentiles (nations) coming to Yah.

–Psalm 78, Asaph wrote about the history of Israel.

– 80:8 “You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it.” Egypt can symbolize the world. John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.” Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son [Matthew 2:15].” Also, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob went to Egypt. Two were sent away with gifts because of their wives; Jacob and his family stayed until God prompted the Egyptians to drive the nation of Israel out their land.

– 80:10-13 “The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
She sent out her boughs to the Sea,
And her branches to the River.
Why have You broken down her hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.”

When I heard and read this, it reminded me of apostles, evangelists, and missionaries.

– 88:9 “Lord, I have called daily upon You. I have stretched out my hands to You.” Yes, raised hands are acceptable for prayer and worship, contrary to some people’s beliefs.

– 90:4 “For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.” 2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

– 90:10 “The days of our lives are 70 years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years…” Even back then, people expected to live between 70-80 years, if they got past childhood.

– 90:16 “Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.” We are called to recognize the Lord’s work in our lives and show it to our children. The Creator, His many Names, is what He does.

– 95:9 “When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work.” Do you see the Father’s work? If you do, celebrate it, yet do not make the Lord prove His affection towards you.

– 96:1 “Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth.”
Psalm 33:3 “Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.”
Psalm 40:3 “He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God.”
Psalm 98:1 “Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things.”
Psalm 144:9 “I will sing to You a new song, O God.”
Psalm 149:1 “Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.”

Anyone notice a theme here?

– Rock badger or coney is the rock hyrax.

– What is the cup of salvation in Psalm 116:13?

– 118:17 “I… declare the works of the Lord.” Once again, we are to notice and praise the Father’s work in our lives.

– 119:20 “My soul breaks with longing for Your judgments at all times.” Keep asking for correction, guidance.

– 119:25 “My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word.”

– 119:37 “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” I think this whole section is about correction and guidance.

– 119:59 “I… turned my feet towards Your testimonies.” Feet = our walk towards or away from Him; in this case, these “feet” believe on the past works of God in his life and act like it.

– 119:83 “For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke…”

– I just noticed the repetition of the idea of “I obey You, Lord, now save me, so I can continue to worship You.” LOL!

– 119:113 “I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law.” James 1:8 “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

– 119:131 “I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments.” John 6:55 “For My flesh [the Word] is food indeed, and My blood [His life, His soul] is drink indeed.”

– 146:8 “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.” Matthew 11:5 and Luke 7:22 “The blind receive sight…”

– 147:10 “The Lord takes no pleasure in the legs [war, fight, effort] of a man.”

– 150:6 The last two Hebrew words in the last psalm: “Halleluyah! Halleluyah!” Amen.

Proverbs
– 1:25 “Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke…” Ask for, anticipate, and accept His correction.

– I wonder how much of Proverbs came from Bathsheba’s counsel? Or David?

– 3:3 “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck [wear them, show them], Write them on the tablet of your heart [make them a part of you].”

Deuteronomy 6:8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

Deuteronomy 11:18 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

2 Corinthians 3:3 “It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

– 4:23 “Keep [guard, protect] your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues [fountains] of life.”

John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his belly [heart] will flow rivers of living water.’” We are His tools, His instruments, His conduits of His Will, Purpose, and Desire.

– 6:30-31 “People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; he may have to give up all the substance of his house.” The Law of Restitution will be enforced during Christ, our King’s reign.

– 7:7 “And saw among the simple…” LOL!

– Adulterous woman = false religion or practice. Harlot = government supported false religion.

– 8:30 “Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.” Behold, servants of the Most High, your future, watching Him create the new heavens and earth (Revelation 21:1, Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13), celebrating every move He make as the seraphim around His throne do (Isaiah 6:2-3, Revelation 4:8).

– 9:4 “Whoever is simple, turn in here.” LOL! Mark 7:18 “Are you so dull?” I don’t care for the NIV, but this translation is spot-on accurate.

– 11:26 “The people will curse him who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.” This reminds me of Joseph, who used grain to bankrupt the Egyptians, placing them all under Pharaoh’s rule.

– 11:28 “He who trusts in his riches will fall [die]…” Luke 12:20 “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’”

– 12:1 “But he who hates correction is stupid.” LOL! Ba’ar, the Hebrew word translated “stupid’ also means “burned up” and “consumed/destroyed.” Burnt brain?

– 13:22 “May the wealth of the wicked pass to the hands of the righteous.” Yes, I am guilty of praying this.

– 13:23 “Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, And for lack of justice there is waste.” Food waste is nothing new.

– 16:4 Some Bibles use the phrase “for Himself,” others use “for His purposes” or “for its purpose.” The Hebrew word, maaneh (מַעֲנֶה) means “an answer.” Although I favor the Bibles that have used the Received Text (Textus Receptus), they got this one wrong—“purpose” is more accurate, seeing as Hebrew is a dynamic (motion-oriented) language. Ultimately, we need to seek Him for the clarification we desire and wait for the answer.

– 16:5 “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” Pride (ego unchecked) is the sin the Father hates the most; ego (self alone) was/is the fruit (result) of the tree (provision) of the knowledge of good (His function/order) and evil (dysfunction/disorder/good twisted). Eating in Scripture is the symbol of taking in knowledge.

– 16:17 “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who keeps his way preserves his soul.” Isaiah 35:8 “A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray.” The name “Israel” means “the (working at being) upright of God.”

– 26:2 “…a curse without cause shall not alight.” Numbers 23:8 [Baalam said], “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?” Deuteronomy 23:5 Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. 2 Samuel 16:12 [David said, while enduring Shimei’s cursing], “Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.”

Stay clean, repent quickly, and ask Him for correction to avoid ill will, from any adversary, to land on us. Bless any who harm us or others in any way in return.

– 26:11 “As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.” 2 Peter 2:22 “But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’”

– 26:19 “Is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, ‘I was only joking!’” The Father appreciates clever humor, especially to teach a lesson, not crass crap or pranks.

– 26:25 “When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart.”

6:16-19 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.

– 26:27 and Ecclesiastes 10:8 “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.”

Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

“And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.” Wile E. Coyote has had that happen a few times.

– 28:5 “…those who seek the Lord, understand all.” I have this theory: that studying Scripture, applying it, and seeing His word played out in life makes one smarter.

– 28:8 “One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion gathers it for him who will pity the poor.” Same as 13:22.

– 29:3 “Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, but a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.” Sounds like the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Ecclesiastes
– I love this book. It is a great reality check for the soul.

– 5:15 “As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.” Sound like Job 1:21.

– 7:20 “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” Romans 3:23 “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

– 12:6 “Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed…” That is symbolic of our lives connected to Father Yah, even some pagans understand this. The scarlet cord of Rahab is our salvation. Everything comes from Him; therefore everything will return to Him—blessed be the Name of the Lord. Amen.

– 12:7 “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was [Genesis 3:19], and the spirit will return to God Who gave it.”

3:21 “Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?”

Job 34:14-15 If He should set His heart on it,
If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit. [Psalm 31:5]’” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Song of Solomon
– 6:8 “There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number.” So, this was very early in Solomon’s reign? Heh, heh.

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Three-Month Bible Reading Notes – Part 3 – Nehemiah, Esther, and Job

Posted on April 12, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

Nehemiah
– The wealthy people did not help in the rebuilding by physical labor. Why mention that?

– 3:12 “He and his daughters made repairs.”

– I love that Nehemiah had spiritual discernment and recognized when either God or the enemies were at work.

– The written record of those who had return within Levi still kept track of the positions they were born to do.

– They consulted the ummin and thummin to decide if a family was valid to serve in the priesthood. This and the linen ephod (sleeveless priestly garment).

– The people asked Ezra to read Torah to them.

– Ezra stood on a platform above the people. So that is where that practice started.

– When Ezra opened the scroll, the people stood up. The Jews still do that today.

– “…for all the people wept when they heard the words of Torah.”

– “…the joy of the Lord is our strength.”

– “From the days of Joshua until this time, the children of Israel did not [celebrate Succoth].” There is a lot they didn’t do after Joshua passed.

– They should have separated from the foreigners back in Babylon, but some were with foreigners in Judah, too.

– They mourned over their fathers’ sins and their own sins.

– They struggled to keep the Sabbath yet again.

– Nehemiah cracked down hard on everybody. even beating people up because their children spoke a foreign language. Dude was not perfect.

Esther
– The comments over Vashti’s disobedience causing the women to rebel against their husbands demonstrates the importance of influence. Do we truly understand this today?

– Mordecai’s concern for her welfare is touching.

– Xerxes had a second gathering of virgins. Why?

– Haman was going to pay the king for the permission to kill the Jews, coupled with puffing the king up. Ego is a monster.

– Having an evil obsession is sure way to ruin.

– I think this book exists to get us to recognize and practice seeing God at work.

– Haman forced to honor Mordecai, LOL! Yes, Father Yah has a sense of humor, but also reminds us through this Who is in control.

– Esther humbled herself as she made her request to save herself and her people.

– The two different official declarations forced people to choose to do the right thing.

– Even Mordecai had a moment in which he had to submit to Esther’s directions.

– Some foreigners converted because of the fear of the Jews. When needed, Our King will place His fear upon our enemies.

– “…the day in which the Jews had rest from their enemies.” Rest = His working Will and our trust in it.

– Hearing about another missing book make me sad.

Job
– The adversary does some of God’s dirty work; curses (negative reactions to an agreement), demons/evil spirits, and humans make up the rest.

– Someone pointed out to me how little the adversary is in Scripture. This mean the onus is on us.

– “[In distress], Job… fell to the ground and worshiped.” We are supposed to do this!

– God to the adversary, “You incited me against him.” Ay? The King of Creation used reverse psychology on the adversary. This is amusing…

– Job waxing poetic on hating his life at the moment.

– 3:14 “…kings and rulers of the earth, who built ruins for themselves.” I just realized they had those even back then, LOL!

– Were Job’s friends actually jealous of the man’s former prosperity/reputation and found an opportunity to catch him faltering?

– I hate the way chapters are divided, making it look like its a separate thought. My pastor said it is because they numbered the whole Bible by the length of the scrolls.

– Eliphaz’s spirit visitor was not a good one.

– Listening to these friends, one will have to have some serious discernment, so much mixture in what they say. Use Scripture to verify the truth.

– 6:10 “…though in anguish, I will exalt.” Once again, we are to praise the Lord even over the evil in our lives, for everything is for our good, although we may not see it yet.

– 7:17–18 “What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him, That You should visit him every morning, And test him every moment?” Job’s complaint remind me of David’s (Psalm 8:4, Psalm 144:3, Hebrews 2:6). I am sure David knew the book/story well.

– 9:17 “For He crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause.” This reminds me of Naomi’s complaint, “Call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” We usually never notice the cause (the “why did this happen”) until we seek the Lord in earnest. May He reward those who do. Amen.

– 10:8 “Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, And would You destroy me?” A personal touch indeed.

– 13:4 “But you forgers of lies, you are all worthless physicians.” Job getting nasty here. I still contend his so-called friends found an opportunity to down him.

– 13:15 “Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him.” Ah, that is where that comes from. More evidence that we are, in His Name, to celebrate and embrace trials.

– 13:23 “How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin.” We can ask this.

– 14:4 “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!” but God can and did—His Son in the flesh.

– 19:17b “And I am repulsive to the children of my own body.” I thought they had died? Is he speaking of children from slaves (Ew) or using hyperbole? I reckon the latter.

– “I know that my Redeemer lives. … I will see Him in the flesh.” Amen.

– “And what prosperity will we have if we pray to Him?” A great description of the wealthy who ignore God.

– Job is too far on the negative side of life.

– Eliphaz, ugh, shut up, looking for evil when there is none.

– 22:16 “Who were cut down before their time, Whose foundations were swept away by a flood [river]?” The flood of Noah or a regular one?

– 23:10 “When He has tested me, I shall go forth as gold.” Job understands testing and trials, but presumes it is for the wicked only, like his friends do.

– “They spend the night naked, for they have no covering against the cold.” Can you imagine, being so poverty-stricken, that you don’t own a stitch of clothes?

– 27:11–12 “I will teach you about the hand of God. What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. Surely all of you have seen it? Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?” Job assumes they know personally the works (hand) of God, so their accusations against him are unfounded. This means we also should be able to see God at work in our lives.

– Job understands Ecclesiastes 1:18 “For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

– “For behold, the fear of the Lord. That is wisdom.” If you understand Who and What Yah is, you will fear Him, be in awe of Him, respect His Will, and obey.

– “No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, For the price of wisdom is above rubies.” Reminds me of Proverbs 31:10 “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.”

– “…when the friendly counsel of God was over my tent.” Now, He dwells in tents not made with human hands [John 14:23, Acts 7:48, Ephesians 3:17, Ephesians 2:22, Romans 8:9, 1 Peter 2:5] and wants to be friends with us [Matthew 12:50, John 15:14–15] as He did with Moses [Exodus 33:11, Numbers 12:8, Deuteronomy 34:10].

– 36:27-29 “For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man.” Before the flood, there was no rain, for a mist came through the ground and watered everything. “…on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” So, this story takes place after Noah’s flood.

– 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” A mere thought in your mind, O Infinite One.

– 38:5-6 “Who determined [the Earth’s] measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone?” sounds like Proverbs 8:29 and Isaiah 40:12.

– “…when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” The angels.

– God describes His perfect Order in function, how His Order keeps us live and moving.

– He controls man, too, according to His Will (instruction) and Purpose (His reason for creation).

– The Father likes His creation, even the large beasts.

– Leviathan sneezes (or snorts) light? LOL!

– Eliphaz and the other two had to set up altars and sacrifices to redeem themselves from Yah’s wrath, to open the way for Job to pray over them as a priest (representative or ambassador) to the Most High Elohim.

– Everyone close to Job recognized the Lord’s work upon him, comforted him, and even gifted him with money. Do we honor the living touched by God today? Do we celebrate His Work in, around, and through our lives and others?

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Three-Month Bible Reading Notes – Part 2 – Judges through 2nd Chronicles

Posted on April 9, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

I had to change the title of this series. I did not mean to draw anyone looking for the Bible in 90 days website or their affiliates.

Judges
– A small repeat of Joshua – Caleb offering his daughter and her asking for springs (land).

– The Kenites, with whom Moses had dwelt, dwelt with Judah. These are the people Jael, who killed Sisera, came from.

– Judah took Gaza (the Gaza strip today) and its territory.

– They put the Canaanites under tribute, but could not drive them out. I will wager they were inconsistent with seeking after the Lord (sometimes they did, most times not). Are we guilty of this today?

– Isn’t putting people under tribute a type of treaty?

– Dan did not get their land.

– The Angel of the Lord “You failed to tear down these foreign altar as instructed. Therefore, I will nor drive these foreign out and they will be thorns in your sides.” Paul talked about a thorn in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7) as well—people under the influence of the adversary. These people would be a snare to Israel. We have to fight the snare all around us daily, but we have help, the Spirit of the Most High Who can tolerate our corrupt flesh.

– The Lord “I will test the children of Israel to see if they keep the way (will) of the Lord their God,” a constant theme throughout Scripture.

– A second name for the book of Judges → Israel Gone Wild.

– Gideon said the Lord was to rule over them. Right afterwards, he collected gold earrings that were war spoils and made an ephod, a garment worn by the priests. It became an image for worship, then Israel was led astray again!

– the diviner’s terebinth tree?

– Good grief, this is a frustrating book, but it demonstrates our need for the blood and the Spirit to dwell within us.

– The Lord “I will deliver you no more. Go, cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your trouble.” LOL!

– Samson’s behavior was of the Lord to judge the Philistines.

– Bee hive in a dead lion? Samson did his parents dirty. They did not know they were unclean.

– The Lord encouraged Samson’s temper tantrums to judge the Philistines.

– When Samson complained about needing water, he declared he was a servant of the Lord.

– The Philistines declared victory through their gods by Samson’s capture. They forgot hair grows back and did not realize it was a trap set up by the Lord. I want to be used of the Lord, but not through my sins.

– Samson’s womb mates or family members?

– The story of Micah the idolater and the strong men of Dan is crazy.

– Lots of symbolism in the man with the concubine. First, he is call husband, then master.

– Went against Benjamin twice, succeeded the third time. I get the feeling God did not want this.

– Wife stealing was not ordained by Yah, all power and glory to His name. Places like Kyrgyzstan and Kenya still practice it, although it is illegal. A tribe in Niger has a wife swapping party.

Ruth
– Judah and Tamar was the levirate vow done wrong; Ruth and Boaz was the levirate vow done right. https://www.gotquestions.org/levirate-marriage.html

1 Samuel
– Elkanan was of Ephraim, not Levi. Therefore Samuel was not a Levite, but served in the Tabernacle.

– Hannah’s humility with Eli reminds me of the Syro-Phoenician woman’s response to Jesus’ mild insult (called her a little dog or puppy).

– Elkanah understood the situation and did not counter her as he could have (Numbers 30), admirable. He had plenty of other children, so Samuel was not his firstborn son.

– Hannah’s prayer/psalm reminds me of Mary’s in Luke.

– Eli knew the Lord, but his sons didn’t. What does it really mean to “know the Lord?”

– Hannah bore 5 more children; 5 is the number of grace.

– “…and the Lord desired to kill them.” LOL! Dark humor in Scripture…

– Eli got judged by “a man of God” first, and then through the child Samuel.

– The city where the Ark was taken to and the Israelites had set up camp was called Ebenezer – stone of help.

– The Ark (God) defeated Dagon (the Philistines’ god) in Dagon’s temple, then the people suffered from a rat infestation and hemorrhoids on their private parts. LOL!

– Samuel marked a victory with a stone he called Ebenezer, saying, “The Lord has helped us so far.”

– Ramah, his home’s location, Samuel built an altar to the Lord. What happened to only sacrificing at the Tabernacle?

– Samuel blessing the sacrifice at the high place? I’m confused.

– Saul anointed king over the Lord’s inheritance—the people called the “upright of God.” Feel kind of distant verses a covenant.

– Saul cut up oxen and sent the pieces all over Israel as a warning. It reminds me of the concubine whose body was cut into 12 pieces and scattered.

– Why did Israel outsource blacksmith/blade sharpening work to their enemies, the Philistines? This is happening today, relying on cheap labor from those who do not have our best interests at heart.

– I love Johnathon.

– Saul “Bring the Ark of the Covenant.” Uh, not a good idea.

– Because the people saved Johnathon, they were cursed with continuous war. Johnathon would fulfill the oath later during battle.

– Don’t make stupid oaths; seek the Lord first and trust His leading.

– Do we take the time to look at someone’s heart. Do we ask the Lord to reveal the person’s heart to us?

– The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, but Saul’s anointing remained.

– Saul’s servants knew it was an evil spirit from the Lord. Does anyone have that type of awareness today?

– How did Saul’s servant know about David? Besides, David was too young for war. I believe that was of God.

– David has two/three jobs – shepherd, armor-bearer of Saul, and musician against an evil spirit.

– Was his brother jealous of David’s favor with Saul? Did David tell him about the lion and bear?

– David received the day-old showbread (12 or less loaves of flatbread) to feed him and his 200 men; the group swelled to 400, and then 600 later.

– Did giving David the showbread cost Ahimelech, the high priest, his life? Was that why his son, Abiathar, betrayed David later? Or, was the betrayal due to sharing the high priestly role with Zadok?

– Saul declared David was delivered into his hand. Nope, just a vessel used by the Lord to refine David.

– David speaking to the Lord by holding a sleeveless linen robe. The ephod had “holiness” residue on it. This demonstrates why the priests had to change out of their priestly garment before leaving the sanctuary of the Lord (Leviticus 6:11), reinforced by Ezekiel 42, 44, and 46.

– David prophesied how Saul (and by default Johnathon) would die.

– Did David know he wasn’t supposed to collect wives? Was there an exception made because they were Israelites? Why not retrieve Michal sooner?

2 Samuel
– Dude died over a lie. Hoping for glory, a reward?

– 24 young men, 12 each for David and Saul (Abner), killed each other at once and they named the place the Hill of the Sharp Swords. Ridiculous…

– Abner killed Joab’s brother; he paid for that later. David cursed Joab’s family as a result.

– People continued to misjudge David, thinking he operated as other men. Two more men, who had killed Saul’s sons, were executed.

– When Uzzah touched the Ark and died, David was mad at first, despaired at how to transfer the Ark, and then feared the Lord (for the first time ever? He had respect/fear of Saul’s anointing, even after Saul’s death). He had gotten too comfortable with the Lord’s presence in his life.

– “If [your son] commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rods of men and with the blows of the sons of men.” Is this true today?

– David humbled himself and Israel on their behalf before the Lord.

– David did not inquire of the Lord about avoiding going to battle with his men.

– David announced fasted for the living, not the dead, is proper.

– David handled the rape badly. I assume he didn’t want to kill his son?

– Absalom broke Torah by setting Joab’s field on fire.

– (David said “Remember…”) People still gave credit to a woman throwing a millstone on Abimelek to kill him.

– Absalom had 3 sons and a daughter, Tamar, after he had set up a monument declaring he had no sons to carry on his name.

– Joab had no heart, no chill about him.

– After Absalom’s defeat until his full reinstatement as king, David was called “the king” more than any other part of 2 Samuel.

– The Gibeonites were the remnant of Ammon, descendants of Lot.

– A repeat of Psalm 18 in 2 Samuel 22.

– Uriah the Hittite listed last as one of the might men in 2 Samuel 23.

– Joab, of all people, advised against numbering the people, which was wise, unless God asked for it.

– David “…nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that that costs me nothing.” Ooo… He is right, though. A real sacrifice has to cost us something. For believers, we (ideally) sacrifice our entire being to the Father so the Son and Spirit can operate on and through us to get the Father’s Will and Purpose done.

1 Kings
– Bathsheba and Nathan the Prophet scheming for Solomon (his name means peaceable, wise), fulfilling the prophecy that a man of peace would build the Temple.

– David declared Joab had shed blood in peacetime for he had bound himself with blood on his waist and belt (determined to do so) and his sandals (motions toward doing so). Proverbs 1:16 “For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.” Proverbs 6:18 “A heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to evil…” Romans 3:15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood.” Isaiah 59:7 “Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.”

– At first, David let Shimei live and even defended the Benjamite’s actions. Now, David wants him dead? OK…

– Abiathar exiled, fulfilling the prophecy of Eli’s bloodline removed from the line of the High Priest. Zadok takes over.

– Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada (one of David’s officers), hitman for Solomon.

– He made a treaty with Egypt and married Pharoah’s daughter—two strikes against Torah.

– God to Solomon “…and have not ask for the life of your enemies…” LOL! I don’t know why I find that funny, dark humor?

– Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous, Ancient Middle East.

– Another treaty with Hiram, king of Tyre—strike 3

– What happened to the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod that was in the Ark? Did they disintegrate? Reminds me of the dust in the Ark from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

– Solomon prayed for the Temple to be also for foreigners who worship the One True God, a truly progressive step. I love that.

– Solomon made the foreigners, whom they could not expel from the land, forced slaves.

– 666 talents of gold—that number represents the best man can do.

– Kings paid Solomon for his wisdom/advice.

– He collected horses and chariots, which was against the rules for the king. He was in peacetime so what was the point?

– “Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh…” another requirement broken.

– Solomon was not only collecting women, but cultures and knowledge, instead of developing his own with the Father of All. Therefore, like most, wealth dulled his mind, despite his wisdom. Thankfully, he figured it out before he had died (Ecclesiastes).

– The prophet Ahijah, the Shilonite, tore his new garment into twelve pieces and handed 2 to Jeroboam. Was this the start of the “one-acts plays,” as one theologian put it, to symbolize what would soon take place? I have noticed the Lord tends to make announcements of either His Will or Desire at least twice. In this case, Solomon and Ahijah were the vessels.

– “…the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word…” Sounds similar to Samson’s behavior being used by Yah. How much control does the Father have? As much as we give Him by our behavior, both good and bad.

– “King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died.” LOL! Poor man…

– Judah and Benjamin actually obeyed the Word of the Lord from a prophet. Amazing…

– Rehoboam, like Aaron wanting to get the people under control, made two golden calves and told the people not to go to Jerusalem, here is your god who led your fathers out of Egypt. *sigh*

– That whole story about the disobedient prophet trips me out. The lesson: Stay on course, and seek God whenever you desire to deviate.

– Jeroboam’s wife receiving prophecy from Alijah reminds me of Saul and his servant going to a medium to talk to Samuel and the actress Joab used to confront David about Absalom, combined.

– “[Rehoboam’s] mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.” His mother was a descendant of Lot and his younger daughter.

– It mentioned Asa’s grandmother instead of his mother. Was she the one who had raised him in the ways of God?

– Jezebel was a Sidonian, and Elijah was sent to a widow in Sidon.

– It amazes me when heathens give respect to God, yet will not serve Him (Namaan being the exception).

– The widow “Are you here to bring my sin to remembrance?” Err, what sin? Was that child of her deceased husband’s?

– Obadiah had the first mentioning of translation travel in reference to Elijah.

– Elijah “How long will you waver between two opinions?” Israel, as usual, was worshiping God and everybody’s else gods, always looking for an advantage, hedging their bets.

– “I have reserved 7000 who have not bowed the knee to Ba’al and every mouth that has not kissed him.” What? Kiss? They kissed statues? Ew…

– They mustered 7000 to go against Ben-Hadad.

– The Ahab, Jehoshaphat, and the prophets section is hilarious.

2 Kings
– Elisha fed 100 people on a small amount of food. “And the Lord said they shall eat and have some left over.” Jesus fed a multitude of 5000 men (not counting women and children) twice, once on the Jewish side and the second in Gentile territory.

– “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and mother.” Well, that is a relief, *snort*

– Jezebel’s leftover body parts remind me of the broken head and arms of the Philistines’ Dagon statue (Dagon was a merman, no feet).

– I just now noticed the name of Jezebel’s god (Bel or Ba’al) is in her name.

– All this killing and conspiring makes listening to this tough.

– These stupid high places were working my nerves. Thank God Josiah and Hezekiah wrecked them.

– “You shall not fear other gods.” The war of the gods through people.

– “At least there will be peace in my day.” Hezekiah is like a typical decent human with slip-ups. Nice way to care about your legacy.

– Hillkiah, the high priest, is believed to be Jeremiah’s dad.

– They lost and then found the Book of the Law centuries later? Sad…

1 Chronicles
– 5:20 “And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.”

– 7:24 “Now [Ephraim’s] daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen Sheerah.” A woman had areas built? In that age?

– 9:20 “And Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the Lord was with him.” Prophetic, no?

– 9:22 “David and Samuel the seer had appointed [the Korahite gatekeepers] to their trusted office.”

– 10:13-14 “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse.” Saul did inquire of the Lord, but he did not do it consistently or persistently, which is a requirement of faith.

– “Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said:

‘We are yours, O David;

We are on your side, O son of Jesse!

Peace, peace to you,

And peace to your helpers!

For your God helps you.’

So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.”

This means through the anointing of Christ’s Spirit upon us, we should be able to recognize the Spirit upon others. Why aren’t we?

– Did somebody corrected David on how to move the Ark? God?

– Were the priests reading the Law to the people? I am going to say no.

– David’s psalm in 16 has been used in a lot of songs.

– 16:36b “And all the people said, ‘Amen!’ and praised the Lord.” So that is where that practice came from.

– 2 Samuel 24 said that God moved David to number the people; 1 Chronicles 21:1 said the adversary did.

– Onan the Jebusite was not an Israelite. I saw this as more evidence of Israel sacrificing on behalf of the Gentiles.

– Onan and his sons saw the Angel of the Lord. The sons hid, while Onan kept threshing until David had arrived. LOL!

– “You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.” How important is blood and its shedding, regardless of its container (Israel, Gentiles, or animals).

– I want scribes and performers following me around, waiting to put God’s revelation to music, LOL!

– The descendants of the two sons of Moses were the treasurers over the dedicated things for the Tabernacle.

– 28:10 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” No wonder Solomon asked for wisdom. Seek Him, and you will find Him. His Will becomes Our desire.

2 Chronicles
– Solomon counted the aliens and made half of them burden bearers (and forced laborers). I take it then it was a menial task?

– Why did they name the pillars at the entrance Jachim and Boaz?

– “…from City of David, which is Zion.” Therefore, Zion symbolizes the gov’t, not Jerusalem, the worship center. Notice Jesus never uses the term Zion in the Gospels.

– Solomon’s wife, the Princess of Egypt, was not qualified to live in the City of David. She was decoration.

– “Rehoboam did evil in the sight of the Lord because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.”

– “Is there a prophet of the Lord?” I like Jehoshaphat, despite him dealing with two kings of Northern Israel. Two prophets agreed.

– Jehoshaphat’s prayer, full of praise, pleading, and reasoning with the past promises.

– I love when the Lord uses random people to speak on His behalf, this time a Levite within the assembly.

– Two women, daughters of Lot, conspired to have Joash killed. That is a new one to me.

– Judah and Israel worshiped together under Hezekiah’s rule.

– They did the Passover on the second month because the priests hadn’t cleansed themselves.

– God blessed and healed them because of Hezekiah’s prayer and the people’s submission.

– They gave God presents.

– Should we keep count of the kings who got “lifted up” (prideful)?

– “…and did not heed the words of [Pharaoh] Necho from the mouth of God.” Josiah got puffed up, too. It is like we humans cannot handle having peace.

– I think they burnt up the land, no crop rotation or Sabbaths to revitalize the soil, so the Lord had to get them out of there.

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Three-Month Bible Reading Notes – Part 1 – Torah and Joshua

Posted on April 6, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

Genesis
– Adam and Abraham both put into a deep sleep.

– Cain built the first city, named after his first son, Enoch (not the good one).

– Nimrod built Nineveh and Babylon.

– The name, Mizraim (from Ham’s bloodline), is Hebrew for Egypt.

– Terah left Ur of the Chaldez with his family and died before Yah called Abram.

– Abram should not have taken Lot and his family with them, for Yah told Abram to leave his family’s house (relatives). Through Abram’s decision, the Father separated the two groups later. I believe Lot’s family was supposed to be like Laban’s family was, providing women for marriage to Abram’s sons.

– After the Egypt drama, Lot and Abram returned to an area between Bethel and Ai (Bethel is mention twice in the verse) where Abram had built an altar to the Lord and called to Yah. They separated there, and the Lord spoke to Abram about the future descendants on the land.

– Abram called “the Hebrew” after Lot’s capture. Hebrew or Ivrie (עברי) means “to cross over” or “to pass through,” which means he had a reputation of traveling, obeying the Lord by traveling the lands where his descendants will be (including Egypt).

– 318 servants of Abram to save Lot (divisible by three).

– Abram made sure no one could make a claim on him concerning wealth, which is symbolic of giving Yah the glory. Abram knew Who made him wealthy.

– Abram believed in the Lord, counted to him for righteousness, but he missed the clue Yah had given him that Sarai would bear the son—the protection of Sarai by Yah from Pharoah’s lust.

– Hagar means “the stranger” or “the foreigner” or “the Immigrant” ←the last one is the definition He prefers.

– Why didn’t the Father tell Abram the child would be through Sarai? Was he supposed to figure it out? Was he supposed to ask how?

– A slave was part of the family and tribe.

– How did Abram know those 3 men were from the Lord and the Lord Himself?

– The H added to Abraham and Sarah’s names—the Lord breathed life into them to produce Issac?

– Abraham’s servant asked the Lord to do something for his master’s sake. Are we allowed to do the same?

– Why was Eliazer in such a hurry to leave with Rebekah?

– Both the Egyptians and Philistines saw taking another man’s wife as grounds for a curse?

– The new Abimelek allowed the Philistines to break the treaty established by Abraham with Issac.

– Yah used the incident with Abimelek and the shepherd in Gera to move Isaac.

– The new Abimelek made a treaty with Isaac.

– I love how they run to tell news and greet people plus the kisses.

– Laban and the other heathens remind me that pagans and new agers sometimes understand the spirit realm better than most Christians. I hate that.

– Jacob got a dream from the Lord about how He swayed the breeding animals to Jacob’s favor.

– Laban had some honor towards the true God. No longer true today, for technology and information are man’s new gods.

– Rocks baring witness to oaths and agreement with the spirit realm through altars.

– LOL at Jacob’s arrangement for his family approaching Esau. No bias there. *sarcasm*

– Shechem was considered more honorable than Hamor, his father, because Hamor plotted with the men of Shechem to breed out Jacob’s possessions.

– a 2nd altar at Bethel by Jacob

– Joseph’s brothers, “God is punishing us.” LOL!

– Joseph saying he practiced divination…

– Jacob and Israel used interchangeably; Israel mostly by God, Jacob by humans.

– Jacob “I’ve had nothing but trouble all of my life.” A summation of Genesis 49:7. Now a catch phrase throughout Scripture, “Jacob’s trouble.”

– Joseph abuses the Egyptians in Pharaoh’s name. LOL!

– Jacob gave Joseph something Jacob won against the Ammorites with sword and bow.

– Leah was buried with Jacob’s family [honor]; Rachel was buried by a road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

– Joseph “[The LORD] made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”

Exodus
– “The more that [the Egyptians] afflict the children of Israel, the more they grew.” Similar to followers of the Way suffering affliction while spreading the Good News, which increased their numbers to a majority of the Roman Empire within 300 years. Also, to spread the Good News, the persecutions caused believers to leave formerly safe areas [comfort zones] and fulfill the Great Commission.

– “I have made you as god to Pharaoh, and Aaron will be your prophet.”

– Pharaoh tried to save face, but Moses wasn’t having it.

– “Bless your bread and your water.” If they take in His spiritual food (the Word and the leading of His Spirit), He will bless the physical food they need as well. Reminds me of the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us each day our daily bread.”

– “Make no covenant with them.” Said three times in different books, yet Joshua forgot it and did not inquire of the Lord.

– When pleading for the lives of the Israelites due to the golden calf and other crap, Moses used the name “Israel” instead of “Jacob.”

– firstborn donkey redeemed by a lamb, or break the donkey’s neck. Why? Does it symbolize us (stiff-necked)? Our stubbornness against His Holiness?

Leviticus
– “You shall eat no fat nor blood.” Fat was a valuable food back then, kept people’s tummies full for longer periods of time. The Lord really wanted them to depend upon Him.

– The sacrifice for sin was expensive (bull) and more detailed for the anointed priests. Sprinkling the blood in the Holy Place was similar to the High Priest doing it for the whole nation at Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

– Whether aware or not of something making one unclean, the person is unclean. When the person recognizes the uncleanliness, that person is unclean and goes through ritual cleansing and be unclean until evening (the start of the next day).

– “Do not put a stumbling block in front of a blind person.” Why do that? Entertainment? He does not like harmful pranks.

– “If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she may not eat of the holy offerings.” What about if an outsider is married to a priest, like Joash’s aunt, who had saved his life as a baby?

– A slight defect (legs uneven) is allowed for the peace (goodwill) offering, but never a vow offering.

– “The men shall not touch their wives.” We today try to get young folks to abstain from sexual activity before a competition, like a sporting event.

Numbers
– I think the Lord had the Israelites go to battle for several reasons: to demonstrate His care for them, to understand how to work together for His glory (Moses having his hands held up), to be tools in His hand for cleansing the lands (a vessel fit for the Master to use), and to remind them there is work to be done (God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works) to maintain His blessings (continue to operate in their lives).

– The listing of offerings reminds me that He cares about the minutia (For who has despised the day of small things?).

– “They cry all over me.” I laughed, but I understand his pain.

– “…come through your nostrils…” LOL!

– They decided to go up and claim the land, but the Lord, through Moses, warned them not to transgress what the Lord had declared against them. They should have thought themselves blessed enough for the warning, since we rarely get one.

– An offering for unintended sin for the whole of Israel reminds me of Job’s offerings on behalf of his 10 children.

– The firepots of the 250 men the Lord burnt up become holy metal because they were presented before the Lord, and His fire touched them. The Father likes to put consecrated thing to use.

– Without those supernatural incidences, the Israelites would have thought Moses and the Levites were running a scam.

– Ammon was destroyed, but Moab spared for Lot’s sake. Both were from Lot; Moab from the older daughter. I wonder why? Was it because the Ammonites were more corrupt? I believe He had planned for someone from Lot’s bloodline, which was also Terah’s (Abraham’s father, Lot’s grandfather) bloodline to reintegrate into Israel.

Deuteronomy
– Review of the wandering and Moses’ nasty attitude. I can relate.

– “…the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son…”

– “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that precedes from the mouth of Yah.” Yahshua quote from Deuteronomy a lot (#2), but Psalms is #1.

– “Because of the wickedness of these nations, that I [the Lord] drives them out before you.” Israel had to obey in order to cleanse the land and keep it clean, spiritually speaking.

– The 7 rules for the future king:
  He must be a man chosen by God. (17:15)
  He must be a Hebrew, and not a foreigner. (17:15)
  He is not to multiply his horses for himself, creating a large military for himself. (17:16)
  He is not to take many wives, for they will pull his heart away from God. (17:17)
  He is not to create for himself great wealth. (17:17)
  He must possess a personal copy of the law, study it, and obey it. (17:18-20)
  He must be a humble man, not seeing himself greater than his countrymen (17:20)

– Judah and Levi on the blessing mountain, Ruben and Dan on the cursing one. Dan means judgment.

– The curses were to be declared first.

– “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” He wants us to choose Him (life) and His working order (good) over decay (death) and evil (dysfunction).

– “Is He not your Father Who brought [redeemed] you?” First time God calls Himself Father.

– “…and there was not foreign god with him.” Abraham, Issac, and Jacob trusted the Lord alone.

– “…and you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.” The Nazarite vow had a prohibition against alcohol and every product made from grapes.

– Moses died in the land of Moab and Yah buried him, but no one knew where. Jude proclaimed an angel took the bones of Moses at some point.

Joshua
– Rahab declared the Lord is the true God from observations. I love that.

– The scarlet cord – symbolic of the Spirit tied to us and the blood covering us.

– The curse of Joshua upon Jericho fulfilled during Ahab’s reign.

– God told them 3X not to make a covenant with anyone. Joshua curse them with slavery.

– Joshua and the people struck and conquered Libnah, which had been found in 2015.

– “…it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, so that they would come against Israel…”

– The defeat of Megiddo, a royal city (meaning it had its own king) in Canaan, also known as Armageddon (Revelation 16:13-16).

– They rested decades after several years of battle, but they still had more to conquer and Joshua had grown old. Israel had failed to drive out the rest.

– The Israelites killed Balaam, the soothsayer. I will say he was backslidden prophet, but the Lord used him on behalf of the Israelites. I believe he was killed, not only because he advised Balak to sic his women on the Israelite men, but for clear disobedience and divination [trying to use (manipulate) the spirit realm to control the physical one]. His story reminds me that we are to protect and fight for (translated keep in some Bibles) the will of God within us at all times, or He will allow us to be misled [or get our hearts hardened (a seared conscience)].

– Caleb spied out the land in Kadesh-Barnea. Kadesh means holy, so I looked up the other word. Barnea is a compound word; bar meaning desert or empty field and nua’, stagger or shake. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Kadesh-barnea.html

– Caleb’s daughter was a clever one, talking her dad into giving her more land. This detail was mentioned in both Joshua and Judges.

– Why could they not drive out the Jebusites?

– Benjamin’s lot fell between Judah and Joseph. Judah offered his life and his children to protect Benjamin. Judah and Benjamin made up the future kingdom of Judah during Rehoboam’s reign.

– Luz (Bethel) was a Canaanite royal city, defeated by Joshua and given to Benjamin. Jacob had the vision of angels ascending and descending there.

– Benjamin also got Jebus (Jerusalem). Benjamin means son of the right hand, as Messiah is to the Father of All. That means the pagan Jebusites dwelt with Benjamin, which caused the problem of Benjamin in Judges.

– Aaron’s family got land and cities for their tribe and animals from Judah, Simenon, and Benjamin.

– Other Levite families got land in other areas of Israel to serve (educate and judge) the nation. They failed.

– Golan in Bashan, the Golan Heights today, given to Manasseh.

– The altar drama, a stone marker as a witness to the Few Israelites on the other side of the Jordan.

– “One man can chase away 1000, for the Lord goes before you.”

– The Lord will not conquer the foreigners against them if they worship or intermarry (do not be unequally yoked) or have sex with the foreigners among the Israelites. Sex is a form of worship, not a game as it has been treated then and now.

– Both Terah and Nahor served other gods.

– Another stone serving as a witness to the promises from the Israelites’ mouths.

– Joshua told them to put away any foreign gods among them. Is this why they had struggled to get rid of the other Canaanites?

– Joshua wrote in the Torah.

– Joshua buried within his inheritance.

– Joseph buried at Shechem, the land which Jacob bought from Hamor, the father of Shechem (literally, the city and the man the city was named for). Why not bury Joseph in Abraham’s tomb? Did they forget the location?

– Eleazer buried in land alotted to Phineas.

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Thought Splatters – Tink!

Posted on March 31, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

If Yah gave you a direct verbal command and you disobey, that is rebellion, an insult to the God Most High. Avoid that at all costs. Repent (apologize and change your mind) quick, when you do.

I feel like I need to pray a lot more to make up for other believers not praying, so best get to praying, huh?

In areas where the Bible is silent, that is the Holy Spirit’s domain. Everyone’s walk towards the Father is unique. Let Him guide your steps.

Yahshua said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” He was reminding us that He, while in this weak flesh, remembered heaven, the Father’s Throne.

I would rather deal with external issues (e.g., car trouble, people being crappy) than internal ones (e.g., mental illness, bad health). I will try to remind myself of my blessings before I start whining to either Him or another human.

When you attempt to manipulate people into how you want then to be, that is a form of “playing God.” Don’t do it. Remember Moses. Check your motives with Yah.

Yahshua’s teachings were corrective, expansive, and a transition from relying on our own works through Torah to being Spirit-led. His blood sealed the deal.

Helping people does not a relationship make; listening does.

If you want love, be loving, yet expect little-to-nothing back. This is how God deals with mankind.

Shalom to me is a continuous balance between what we are to do and what Father Yah does. Him giving us His shalom is a gift of His Will resetting our lives, as He did with Phinehas.

Although prayers written and said within our heads are valid in certain situations, the power is in the spoken word, as it was in the beginning.

Sound is a substance. Therefore the sound of creation came from the substance of the Creator.

Some prophets were not considered prophets until years after their deaths. Jeremiah, to a certain extent, and the minor prophets come to mind.

“Set your head like flint.” = determination. This came to mind just this morning.

One day, those lax in their Scriptural studies and seeking His revelation will regret not doing so.

If you are having trouble praying, read the Scripture aloud—in particular, the Psalms. You can even personalize the verses to sound as if they are coming from you, rather than the original writer. Quite a few Scriptural writers did that very thing. May He continue to get the glory. Amen.

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A Gem from Proverbs

Posted on March 27, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

Proverbs 26:27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

When I read this, why did I get the image of Wile E. Coyote getting smashed by a stone he set up?

Was this verse the inspiration for these cartoons?

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Thought Splatters – Whoosh!

Posted on March 12, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

Without love, the other 8 fruits of the Spirit will not work.

The reasons Yah does not give us clear and definite answers are to 1) hide His purpose from the enemy, and 2) encourage us seek Him for clarification (and train us to wait upon Him). Dreams, visions, words received spiritually, and supernatural events should cause us to seek the Father all the more.

Not only did Adam’s sin give the adversary and his minions dominion over Earth (Luke 4:5-8), but the corruption that followed became another tool the Lord uses to refine us.

Hebrews 7 states that Torah could not make us perfect. Well, of course not since its application is based on human efforts within a faulty framework. Humans are corrupt and egotistical. Torah was a starting point to transition the Israelites out of the slave mentality.

Keep testing and trying me, oh Father of All. The fire of living is hot, but through You, I will endure.

This is a war. Mankind is the battlefield and the prize. The target: your mind/heart.

I am obsessed with YHWH, but I still get distracted by the world and make mistakes.

I weary of those seeking man-made peace (peace= no conflict = comfortable = lukewarm) when they must stand their ground and fight alongside Our Savior and King.

Joshua, the son of Nun, seems like what Yahshua would be like if He were flawed like us.

Etch this into your brains: Your flesh is enemy number #1, not the adversary, the world, or other people. Train your souls to be contrary to the flesh, to choose the Spirit every chance you get. If you are not sure, ask the Father; watch and wait for the answer.

Make sure, on a daily basis, that you are not being used as a tool for the adversary.

It is not about what you get out of a place of worship, but what you contribute to a body of believers.

The Bible is a puzzle loaded with clues. If you apply those clues, it will come to life in your life.

Why did they wave two loaves of bread during the wave offering? The two parts of the Ten Commandments (first 4 concerning Yah, the last 6 concerning men’s treatment of one another); the Jew and Gentile coming before Him. –Rabbi Jason Sobel

The leavened bread of the peace or freewill offering – our words to Him and others, although not perfect as His Word (the Unleavened Bread, the Bread of Life) because of our plane of existence.

The unleavened Showbread (the Bread of the Presence) was to always be in the Holy Place—The Father is always wanting to feed us His Word. Amen.

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Prayer Trigger, Prayer Target

Posted on March 8, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies.

Nearly everything in Scripture can be used as a weapon against the adversary and his minions. With the Spirit’s guidance and our surrender, concepts (ideas), principles (our behavioral instructions from the Lord), and prayers can be derived from the Bible to help us overcome the flesh and the enemy.

Respecting His Order (creation) and Will (directions) are paramount; therefore, obedience and repentance are the first steps on the base level of spiritual warfare. Arthur Burk did a video of a concept which became popular during the tail end of the Charismatic Revival:

Here are the verses explaining the concept:

Matthew 5
44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Luke 6
27But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Proverbs 25 (Romans 12:20)
21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.

Luke 18
2In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, “Give me justice against my adversary.”

4For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect men, 5yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.”

6And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge. 7Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help? 8I tell you; He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

2 Kings 13
14When Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he would die, Jehoash king of Israel came down to him and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”

15Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows.”

So Jehoash took a bow and some arrows.

16Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.”

So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

17“Open the east window,” said Elisha.

So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot.

And Elisha declared:
“This is the LORD’s arrow of victory,
the arrow of victory over Aram,
for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek
until you have put an end to them.”

18Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!”

So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!”

So he struck the ground three times and stopped.

19But the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to it. But now you will strike down Aram only three times.”

Instructions:
1. Give the Lord praise and honor.
2. Repent.
3. Bless as many people as you can, as often as you can, especially those who have wronged you or are living in sin.
4. Give Him honor and amen.
5. Do this as often as you can. You can slow down once the attacks stop.

The results:
1. The attacks may increase a bit, then level off and decrease.
2. You are preparing each person to receive God’s Word.
3. You are giving back what He gives to you: life, breath, blessings, the honor to exist, etc.
4. A great way to invigorate your prayer life. Maybe that was what Yah wanted in the first place.

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Stop Slacking and a New Resource

Posted on February 17, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

Last month, I had noticed something. I hadn’t received fresh revelation in a while.

The answer came quick, impressed upon my person, “Why receive if you do not share what you have?”

Ouch… He has a point. I have no excuse but complacency. Posting in this blog is a part of my repentance. Sharing revelation, insight, knowledge, and declaring fulfilled prayers are others. No matter what, the Father, Our King, wants His words to flow out of our persons and into the world. Too much is happening; we must stay on guard and active in His will. May He and the Word He placed in us be ready to share at any time. Amen.

I found another ministry confirming enough of what Father Yah taught me Himself over the years to keep my attention:

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Super Quick Bible Study: Choices, Not “Free Will”

Posted on February 13, 2023 by A Whisper, Screamed

I hate the term “free will.” It implies humans are completely separate from Our Creator (all existence comes from Him, is still tied to Him, and will return to Him, all praise to His Holy Name) and sounds passive, as if accepting Christ and being good little boys and girls are all we must do. If that were the case, the Bible would be a fraction of its size. A more precise, active phrase – “If we love the Father, Our King, we have choices to make.” Even after answering His call, our souls make decisions every single day concerning our walk with Him. Does the soul choose the spirit or the beast? Remember, Eve (the soul of man), who was still considered Adam (mankind), chose the beast (the flesh of man) over the words of life (the Spirit).

Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Every choice is an action, whether in thought or deed.

Love is a choice.
Trust is a choice.
Service is a choice.
Rebellion is a choice.
Seeking Him is a choice.
Your relationship with Him is a choice.
Recognizing His supernatural work is a choice.
Embracing His judgment (correction) is a choice.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve YHWH, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve YHWH.”

1 Kings 18:21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If YHWH is Elohim follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.

Micah 4:5 Though each of the peoples may walk in the name of his god, yet we will walk in the name of YHWH our Elohim forever and ever.

Amen.

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