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nerdygaymormon · 4 months

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Idk if you'd know this, but has the Word of Wisdom been properly canonized in the Church or are we just... Trusting it? Not that God hasnt asked people to change their diets before, but I'm curious to know how vetted it is.

The short answer is if it is in the scriptures, then it has been canonized. Since the Word of Wisdom is in the Doctrine & Covenants, it is considered part of the LDS canon.

In the LDS Church, usually something is considered canonized if it is included in the scriptures (there's two notable exceptions, each regarding the Bible). The LDS Church currently has 4 books in its scriptural canon:

1. Authorized King James Version as the official scriptural text of the Bible (other versions of the Bible are used in non-English-speaking countries). Although there's two exceptions to this:

a) The manuscripts of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible states that "the Songs of Solomon are not inspired scripture," and therefore it is not included in LDS canon and rarely studied by members of the LDS Church. However, it is still printed in every version of the King James Bible published by the church.

b) Although the Apocrypha was part of the 1611 edition of the KJV, the LDS Church does not use the Apocrypha as part of its canon. Joseph Smith taught that while the Apocrypha was not to be relied on for doctrine, it was potentially useful when read with a spirit of discernment.

2. Book of Mormon

3. Doctrine and Covenants (D&C)

4. Pearl of Great Price (containing the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith–Matthew, Joseph Smith–History, and the Articles of Faith)

The LDS Church's scriptures are printed together with several non-canonized study aids, including the maps, photographs, a Bible Dictionary, a gazetteer, summaries at the beginning of each chapter, a topical guide, an index, footnotes, cross references, and excerpts from Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible

LDS Church president Harold B. Lee taught "The only one authorized to bring forth any new doctrine is the President of the Church, who, when he does, will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be so accepted by the Council of the Twelve and sustained by the body of the Church." Here is the history of this happening in the LDS Church:

June 9, 1830: First conference of the church, The Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ, now known as D&C 20. If the Bible and Book of Mormon were not sustained on April 6th at the first meeting of the Church, then they were by default when the Articles and Covenants were sustained. (see D&C 20:8-11)

August 17, 1835: Select revelations from Joseph Smith were unanimously accepted as scripture. These were later printed in the D&C. (this includes the Word of Wisdom)

October 10, 1880: The Pearl of Great Price was unanimously sustained as scripture. Also at that time, other revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants – which had not been accepted as scripture in 1835 because they were received after that date – were unanimously accepted as scripture.

October 6, 1890: Official Declaration 1 was accepted unanimously as scripture. It later began to be published in the Doctrine and Covenants.

April 3, 1976: Two visions (one received by Joseph Smith and the other by Joseph F. Smith) were sustained as scripture and added to the Pearl of Great Price. (The two visions were later moved to the D&C as sections 137 and 138.)

September 30, 1978: Official Declaration 2 was sustained unanimously as scripture. It immediately was added to the Doctrine and Covenants.

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The revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was received in 1833 and first published by the Church in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants, it was viewed as scripture but wasn't seen as binding for many years. The original revelation was given “not by commandment or constraint,” but rather as a “word of wisdom.” It would take decades for it to be accepted as a requirement for Latter-day Saints

In 1834, the Kirtland high council decided that those who were taught the Word of Wisdom but didn't follow it were unworthy to hold an office in the Church. A few years later the Missouri high council made a similar decision. Records indicate there were some members who were reprimanded for not following the Word of Wisdom, and even excommunicated for a pattern of disobedience. Which is interesting since the revelation only describes blessings for keeping it and does not give punishments for not following it.

During the Nauvoo period, the Word of Wisdom was not emphasized and there seems to have been a more relaxed attitude about it.

In 1842, Hyrum Smith said that 'hot drinks' refers to coffee and tea. Ever since this has been the accepted interpretation.

After the Saints moved to Utah, in the 1851 General Conference, Church patriarch John Smith spoke on the Word of Wisdom and Brigham Young proposed all Saints formally covenant to abstain from those things prohibited in the Word of Wisdom. (This seems to be where the attitude of only those parts of the Word of Wisdom, what to avoid, are emphasized but not the parts of what we should eat). Despite this, it seems even Brigham Young didn't completely follow this instruction until 1862.

In the 1860s and 70s, there was a renewed emphasis on the Word of Wisdom, but it was not required as a test of membership.

In 1883, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve commit to more fully live the Word of Wisdom, and others are encouraged to follow their example. By 1900, the majority of general and local leaders were following it.

In 1902, leaders were being instructed to refuse temple recommends to flagrant violators of the Word of Wisdom, though to still be lenient with others.

In 1905, it was taught that following the Word of Wisdom is a requirement to hold leadership positions.

In 1906, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve began using water instead of wine in their sacrament meetings.

By 1915, living the Word of Wisdom was required for young or middle-aged men to be ordained to the priesthood or be given a temple recommend.

In 1921, adherence to the Word of Wisdom was required to be admitted to the temple.

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For me, personally, I'm fine with the Word of Wisdom. Dietary rules are common in religion. Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism also have dietary codes.

In a way, such codes can feel like a parent who is concerned about what you're eating for lunch, it's a way of showing concern for us. However, I think there are two main purposes to such codes.

One is to implement health rules about what to eat, including sanitary measures, and how to ethically/morally approach eating meat (or forbidding meat) because it requires the death of another living creature.

The other purpose of these codes is they are a way to distinguish us as a group, to separate us from other people amongst whom we live. If we're at a company meeting where food is served, Mormons may notice who else has chosen not to have coffee or tea and wonder if they're also members of the LDS church, while non-members are unaware of this shibboleth.

To go along with these codes as cultural markers, I have observed that when someone is separating themselves from the LDS church, often one of the first things they'll do is have their first beer or cup of coffee. It’s s way of breaking that identity marker.

It is interesting that the Word of Wisdom includes prohibitions against alcohol when the consumption of wine is widely reported in the Bible. It highlights that there isn't consistency among these different religious dietary codes.

I think of Peter's vision in the New Testament where he is commanded to eat animals which were prohibited under Jewish law. God declares that all these animals are clean, meaning they are okay to eat. And the apostle Paul taught that non-Jewish converts were not required to eat kosher, however it would be helpful if they'd abstain from eating unkosher foods around their Jewish fellows so as not to offend them.

These two stories inform my opinion about the Word of Wisdom. I am LDS and follow our traditions against coffee, tea, tobacco, and alcohol, however I don't view breaking these norms as a sin. The revelation specifically says this is not a commandment, so it seems to me to be more of a cultural marker. One reason I choose to not drink coffee is it would concern or offend my fellow LDS friends, some because they think of it as a sin and others because they see it as me separating myself from this community

#word of wisdom #tumblrstake #because WofW isn’t commandment I wish wasn’t temple requirement #long post

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gatekeeper-watchman · 1 year

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Daily Devotionals for February 22, 2023 (Ash Wednesday)

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Provbuilt1-5:(KJV):

1 Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

Thought for the Day

These verses contain a powerful message. Wisdom, personified as a woman, calls us to her banquet of "best things," in contrast to the foolish woman mentioned later in chapter 9, who calls the simple to drink "stolen waters." Here, as in chapter 8, wisdom is more than a trait or quality. It is a symbol of Jesus, who is also referred to as the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys, the One who brings us to His banqueting table (Song of Solomon 2:4).

Wisdom has built a house; Jesus tells us how to build ours. These "houses" do not mean our physical residences, but our spiritual houses (Matthew 7:24-27). The storms of life come against the houses of both the wise and foolish, but only those of the wise remain standing after being battered. The wise are those who obey God's Word, putting into practice what they learn. The foolish hear His Word, but do not act on what they hear. If we desire our "financial houses," "career houses," and families to withstand life's storms, we about the commandments of God about each.

Verse 1 - In Scripture, numbers are not simply digits used in arithmetic; as all Hebrew names and numbers have meanings. What does it mean when it says that Wisdom has "hewn out her seven pillars?" A carpenter k that the pillars in a house are the support beams. The seven pillars in Wisdom's house symbolize that the house has perfect support because symbolically the number seven stands for perfection or completeness. When the structure of our lives rests upon Biblical principles, our building is not in vain. "Exceplabor LORD builds the house, they labor in vain that build it..." (Psalm 127:1).

Verses 2-5 - The remainder of these verses describe the banquet that Wisdom has prepared. She has butchered her meat and set her table with wine. She invites those who will listen to "come and dine." This is a picture of Jesus' invitation to come and eat His bread (understand His Word) and drink His wine (receive the Holy Spirit). This invitation is still going out from the Master today.

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, how grateful we are that You have made such wonderful things for us to feast on, at Your table. It is so wonderful to understand Your Word and to know the presence of the Holy Spirit. We do need Your help in building and setting in order the things in our life. Give us Your wisdom for the task. We also need Your love and Your strength to carry out those things, that You have spoken to us to do. Lord, we want to be a blessing today, as we labor in Your Kingdom. Help us to represent You well, and to be good and kind to all of those in our homes and offices, and all that we meet, as well. Thank you for Your love and watching care over us and all of our families and loved ones. Bless and protect Your people all over the world from those things sight unseen. I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

From: Elder Steven P. Miller

Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups

Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA.

Twitter: @GatekeeperWatchman1, @ParkermillerQ,

@StevenPMiller6; #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller, #Eldermiller1981

Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956

[email protected]

URL: linkedin.com/in/steven-miller-b1ab212From

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humbleservantprayerwall · 1 year

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Daily Devotionals 03-09-2023

Verses of the Day: Luke 16:10/John 2:1-12/Philippians 4:6/Ephesians 3:16-21/John 14:3/Haggai 2:4/2 Timothy 1:9/2 Corinthians 4:10/Song of Solomon 5:16/John 15:4/Ephesians 3:17/John 4:7–42/Matthew 19:23-25/Matthew 19:29/Exodus 2:3/ Chapters of the Day: Nehemiah 4/Matthew 17/ Bible Study – Joshua – Joshua’s Farewell Address https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/jos/23/1-16/s_210001 I also…

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kalahs-beautiful-realm · 2 years

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Art by, Thomsontm ( The bouquet)

1:1. Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breast are better then wine,

1:2. Smelling sweet of the best ointments.

1:3. Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breast more then wine: the righteous love thee.

1:4. I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

1:5. Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.

1:6. Show me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feeders, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks if they companions.

1:7. If thou know not thyself, O fairest among woman, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed they kids beside the tents of the shepherds.

1:8. To my company of horsemen, in Pharaoh's chariots, have I likened thee, I my love.

1:9. Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtle dove's, they neck as jewels.

1:10. We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.

1:11. While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.

1:12. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.

1:13. A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.

1:14. Behold thou are fair, I my love, behold thou are fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.

1:15. Behold though art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.

1:16. The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters if cypress trees.

From The Song of Solomon chapter one in the Latin Vulgate.

This is a 8 chapter of romance and a beautiful story of a woman who is black who I believe is rejecting Solomon as she expresse her love for another and is waiting for him, remember Solomon had many wives and concubines as that was the custom of many Kings of that time, she later express her love for this man to the daughters of Israel.

The church tried to say it's Solomon expressing his love for God, but in the entire of these chapters, that is the original as later bibles like my copy of the kjv it is rewritten trying to remove the romance, but even then failed. I think I will add the rest of these chapters as it's too beautiful to leave out, and I believe that is why Solomon wrote this as he had a appreciation for beauty.

#submission

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nzeikayblog · 2 years

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Today is Valentine’s day – so let’s get some love nuggets. “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men...... Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee..... Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.” – Songs of Solomon chapter 4 verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 & 11 (KJV). When people fall in love newly, they tend to adore each other and recognize all the qualities in each other both physically and otherwise. But unfortunately, after they’ve been together for a good while, they often tend to lose sight of the qualities they once adored in each other. That is when the flames of such love begin to die out. To rekindle the embers of a waning love, couples must continually refuel that love by cherishing the qualities in each other. It should be verbalized and expressed to each other like we see in the passage above. Effort must be made to keep the fire of romantic love burning. You may not always feel like doing so – but it should not always be left to how you feel. It is kindling a fire – the more you fan it, the brighter it burns and the greater the heat it generates. And here is a good exercise to bring into your relationship: Practice the generosity of lavishly loving and adoring words on your spouse, highlighting and appreciating every quality you can identify in them whether physical or otherwise. It will transform your relationship. If you have forgotten, why not start today? Happy Valentine's Brethren! https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ8bmKEDd4k/?utm_medium=tumblr

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uzochukwugiftmadu · 3 years

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: : : DAILY ESSENTIAL FOOD : : :

Monday 23rd November, 2020

Topic:

SWEETNESS UNTO MY TASTE

Verse of the Day:

"O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." – Isaiah 25:1 KJV

Thoughts on Today's Verse:

In the children department class of Assemblies of God Church, there was a hymn that I can never forget. The Cedarmont Kids sang this asynchronous melody, titled; 'His Banner Over Me is Love.' The second verse of the song is so lovely; "His fruit is sweet unto my taste/His fruit is sweet unto my taste/I’m feasting here in His banqueting house/And His fruit is sweet unto my taste. How sweet!/How sweet!/His fruit is sweet unto my taste/I’m feasting here in His banqueting house/And His fruit is sweet unto my taste." God's fruit is sweet unto our taste; it's not bitter and it's not also soured. God cannot give you stone in place of bread, neither can He give you snake instead of fish. His covering over us is love, God is love.

What is love? Love is a profound and caring affection towards someone. That means that everything about God is love; His promises is love, His attribute is love, His character is love. He does wonderful things; His counsels of old is faithfulness and truth. He doesn't hate anyone; He embraces the vilest of all. This aforementioned hymn was picked from the Song of Solomon Chapter 2 verse three to four, thus; "Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love." God's banquet house is a place of rest for His saints, sinners are not allowed under His covering. So, for you to partake in the sweet things of God, you must be pure and holy – "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully." - Psalms 24:3‭-‬4

Bible Text: Isaiah 25:6(GW); Matthew 7:9-10; 1 John 4:7-8

My Prayer:

God of love; let your love be shed abroad in my heart. For your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth; You are the God of all flesh; in You, there is no shadow of turning. Every good and perfect gift comes from you; in You, there is no variation; Elohim Tzavaot, thank you for your love, in Jesus name Amen.

Email: [email protected]

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Facebook: Uzochukwu Gift Madu

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lunellumcas · 7 years

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Sheep references in the Bible

This is a listing of all the sheep references in the bible, in honor of the three sheep in 13x02. Also, the bible was literally thrown in, so..

(There are a lot, but guys I gotta go all out on the religion meta, I have a need to give my religious upbringing purpose) So I’m gonna put it all under a cut. I’m also tagging a few meta writers that might be interested in seeing them all laid out, in case any of this is relevant to things they’re thinking about. (Hope that’s alright. You don’t have to respond, just thought it might be handy to have a list.)

I’m gonna start with old testament because that’s where the Song of Solomon is, which is the most direct reference to the bible in the episode. This is probably gonna be tainted by my religion, and other religions may have wildly different interpretations of some of these passages, I don’t know. I tried to just go with exactly what is in the KJV and not interpret too much for that reason. I am, however, going to give some possible show interpretation, just to get some discussion down and started

Genesis 4:2 “And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”

Woah. So, Dean has already been massively tied to Cain, which obviously casts Sam as Abel. Here, Sam is shepherding little Jack while Dean is over there being “very wroth” (verse 5). It should be noted that in verse 8 Cain has a talk with his brother and then kills him. Sure Dean and Sam are having a disagreement, but hopefully it won’t come to that…

Numbers 27:17 Here Moses is asking God to set a leader over the congregation so that they won’t be “as sheep which have no shepherd.” God tells him to put his honor on Joshua so that the congregation will obey Joshua as their leader.

Well.. Moses just found out he’s never gonna enter the promised land—so the people need someone else to lead them. He chooses Joshua. In this story, Kelly knew she was never going to get to lead Jack, so she chose Castiel. But then Cas died, and now Jack is lost. Poor little sheep.

1 Kings 22:17 This prophet named Micaiah is prophesying; “And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.”

Ok so this phrase comes up a few times. (In fact this exact story is repeated in 2 Chronicles 18 and verse 16 is nearly identical to this one, with an added “scattered upon the mountains.”) But.. Israel is God’s chosen, and in Kings it’s referring to how the present king will die if he goes to war (which he does) and the new king will lead the people to do evil and then they will be lost. So that’s foreboding and relevant. Also, our team of chosen is literally scattered too: God left Sam and Dean (and Cas (and Mary)) in charge and now they’re all scattered, by being gone in two cases, and by disagreeing in the others; And now they’re on the mountain seeking revelation? And God’s like “nah”?

Psalms 44:22 “Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Uh oh

This is a prayer to God from his followers, saying such things as 23 “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?” 24 “Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?” and 26 “Arise for our help.”

Verse 22 of this psalm is referenced in Romans 8:36, but put in a more hopeful light. Paul writes: 37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” He has faith that 38 “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Psalms 78:52 This chapter is talking about how God got mad at the Israelites for being rude to Him while wandering in the desert (read: asking for too much), and forgetting how much He had helped them, how God delivered Israel from Egypt, how He sent plagues and smote the firstborn of Egypt and sent evil angels among them, 52 “But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.” 53 “And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.” 54 “And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.”

Well.. our heroes are sort of wandering the metaphorical desert right now (with Mary (and possibly Cas) wandering a real one). Here’s to hoping they find the promised land.

(Here being sheep is a good thing, but only if you’ve got a shepherd.)

Psalms 95:7 is similar. Let’s worship the Lord our maker “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, 8 harden not your heart.”

And Psalm 100:3 “we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalms 119:176 “I have gone astray like a lost sheep.”

Another prayer to God, basically saying I’ll do anything for you, pls help

This phrase is also pretty common, it turns up again in 1 Peter 2:25 “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” (by the atonement).

Isaiah 53:6-7 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

This is about Christ atoning for the sins of all mankind. Sounds like someone’s gonna let himself die to save the world………….

This scripture is read by a Eunuch in Acts 8:32. In verse 29 “the Spirit said unto Phillip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” And Phillip did, and came upon this “eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians,” who was reading that scripture. Phillip explained it to him and started preaching, and then they came to some water, where the eunuch asked him to baptize him, which he did. Then 39 “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Phillip, that the eunuch saw him no more” and it turns out Phillip was just going around preaching in all the cities

Sounds a little like Jack converting people to his cause even in the womb, idk, like a lightning-fast conversion rate

Side note, Phillip had been told by “an angel of the Lord” (26) to go down there in the first place

Ezekiel 34 This whole chapter is about Jesus berating the shepherds of Israel for not taking care of the flock. It’s long and I don’t feel like quoting it all but it’s all about how He’s gonna take away the sheep from the shepherds so they can’t eat them anymore, and he’s gonna gather up all the sheep that are scattered and lost so they won’t be prey anymore, and he’s gonna feed them and give them pastures and cause them to lie down, and make them safe, and fix the sick and broken, and then he’s gonna make David their shepherd, and oh yeah, sheep = house of Israel

Micah 5:8 “And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.”

Uh, in this instance, it is NOT GOOD to be sheep

Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.”

So, when Jesus comes again 2/3 of the people will “be cut off and die” (8) and the last third will be refined in fire and when they call upon him he will hear them and say “It is my people.” (9).

Jesus references this in Matthew 26:31, right before going to Gethsemane, but he seems to be talking in terms of, when he dies, the disciples will be scattered, but.. he’s gonna be resurrected so… (This is word-for-word repeated in Mark 14:27).

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

Pretty obvious Asmodeus-as-Donatello thing, weirdly literal too

The next verse is “ye shall know them by their fruits,” which if that isn’t spot on for Dean and Sam arguing about Jack’s nature based on tallying up the things he does… well… worryingly, this part culminates in the assertion that “every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (verse 19).

This is part of the Sermon on the Mount which is basically a guide to goodness and how to get into Heaven instead of being destroyed, so you know, not relevant to Jack at all.

Matthew 9:36 is about Jesus having compassion on the multitudes because they “were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” And so he sends his apostles to go “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 10:6) with instruction to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.” (Matt 10:8).

Raise the dead? YUP

Matthew 15:24 Christ says he can’t cast out a devil from a Canaan woman’s daughter because he was “not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But then he does it anyway because of her great faith.

Matthew 12:11-12 when the Pharisees get mad at Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath, he comes back at them with this: “What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?” 12 “How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath days.”

So this is about saving people even when your methods are questioned, cuz it’s good, and also cuz you’re the savior and you are “greater than the [priests in the] temple” (12:6).

Matthew 18:12 “How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?” 13 “And if it so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.”

Mountains in the bible are often shorthand for revelation, or seeking god. So… praying to god to find the lost sheep maybe? WINk wiNK? Also, maybe now Dean will learn to appreciate Cas more after having lost him or something idk I’m just spitballing here

Also in verse 11 Christ says he came to “save that which is lost,” so he’s also saying that he plans to save those who can be brought to repentance, ie. It’s ok if you have made mistakes as long as you repent; also, he’s talking about children immediately before and after these verses, and while I’m not exactly sure what it’s about, he’s definitely saying that the will of god is that children go to heaven, and don’t “despise” children, whatever that’s supposed to mean.

FYI this story is retold in Luke 15

Matthew 25 This chapter is all about how Christ is going to come again, ie. End of days, and no one knows when so you better be prepared. Starting in verse 32 it’s about how in the end, He will separate the souls “as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats” with the sheep being those that get to go to heaven and the goats being “cursed” “into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Because the sheep fed and clothed their brethren and the goats did not.

Sooo the Winchesters will be rewarded for feeding and clothing Jack and taking him in? (25:35 “I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 “Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

Again, also about how to be good, and why it’s important

John 10 This is another long one. Basically it’s a parable about sheep, but Jesus actually explains the parable pretty right out for once. Basically Jesus is the shepherd (sheep will follow him, and they won’t follow the “thieves and robbers” (false prophets?) that tried to sneak. Christ is also the “sheep door” and if you come into the fold through him you’ll be saved.

This is where the phrase “good shepherd” comes from: 11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” and 14 “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”

This makes it sound like Dean is the good shepherd, since he seems to be the only one seeing the sheep…

Also, after Jesus said all this stuff the people thought he had a devil and wanted to stone him for blasphemy

John 21:15-17 Jesus asks Simon Peter three times “lovest thou me?” and Jesus tells him three times “feed my sheep”.. here, I’ll just quote you 17: “He said unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….. If you love Cas… feed his nephilim man-baby?

Then there are even more if you are looking at “lamb”

Genesis 22:7-8 Abraham was getting all ready to sacrifice his son Isaac. They’re ready to go and Isaac is like… “where is the lamb?” (7) and Abraham says “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together” (8) Of course, as soon as Abraham is about to kill his son, an ANGEL turns up and tells him not to. And then they find “a ram caught in a thicket by his horns” (13) and sacrifice it instead. And then the angel blesses Abraham for being willing to kill his son, and the blessing is that his seed will be amazing

Exodus 12 describes how to keep firstborn sons safe from smiting during the Passover. Basically they were to eat one lamb per household on a specific night (with very specific instructions, including wearing their shoes and not leaving any of it til morning and then they were supposed to put the blood on the sides and tops of their doors so that their houses would get passed over during the smiting. The lamb had to be “without blemish, a male of the first year” (12:5).

Exodus 29:33-42 another specific set of rituals for sacrificing lambs, supposed to go on for generations at the door of the tabernacle, so that the Lord will “meet with the children of Israel” there. It’s supposed to be one lamb cooked in the morning with oils and wine and one cooked at night, the same.

This recipe is also laid out in Numbers 28

Leviticus 14:10 pretty much the same as above, only this sacrifice is to cleanse lepers and their leprous stuff (interestingly, verse 21 has a slightly modified recipe for those who are too poor)

Isaiah 11:6 “The wolf shall also dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fattling together; and a little child shall lead them.” When Jesus comes again. This is reiterated in Isaiah 65:25. Basically, everything will be beautiful and nothing will hurt

Lol ya right, not in this show

Isaiah 40:11 This chapter is more of the same. It’s actually pretty beautiful sounding. But the relevant verse says “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” I suppose it’s unclear if this is referring to actual lambs, but most churches probably interpret this as being, well, them

I like to think verse 12 could apply to Cas: “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?”

Luke 10: 3 Christ appoints seventy more disciples, saying “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves”

Kinda what Chuck did with Sam and Dean (/shrugs)

And then there’s “flock.” Most of these are pretty much the same and even occur in the same set of verse as “sheep” and “lamb.” But I listed the new ones

Genesis 30 Jacob tends Laban’s flocks; in Genesis 36 Jacob’s sons (except Joseph) tend to Jacob’s flocks. In Exodus 3, Moses keeps the flocks of Jethro

Leviticus 1:10 sheep or goats used as burnt offerings to atone for sins should be male and without blemish, also kill it on the north side of the altar and sprinkle the blood around

Deuteronomy 8:13 Don’t forget God even when “thy flocks multiply” i.e when things are good

Probably not relevant then

Proverbs 27:23 “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.”

This chapter is just like a lot of advice, including such gems as “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (6) and “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” (7) but this is probably all too far removed to be relevant anyway

Jeremiah 10:21 “For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and their flocks shall be scattered.”

Jeremiah 13:17 “…my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.”

Juicy

Jeremiah 31:10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.”

Luke 2:8 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” 9 “And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” 10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

The birth of a savior, heralded by an angel. I feel it’s pretty self-explanatory how this might fit in

Acts 20:28-29 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

Well.. God left Sam and Dean as overseers to the whole world, so it’s all in danger. Also, they’re totally infighting, so…

1 Peter 5:2-4 “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over god’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

Okay so here we have Dean and Sam feeding the flock of god aka Jack, who is literally god’s heritage.. and they may or may not be doing it to lord over his power. My guess is Sam kind of is tbh. And Jack was straight up copying Dean, so he was an example.. hmm.. So… this could be referring to Dean…

if Cas is the chief Shepherd, I can only hope that crown is a euphemism

BTW I think Dean would love that “filthy lucre” line. Or feel betrayed that it came from the bible

And then, finally, there’s the Song of Solomon itself

Song of Solomon 1:7-8 “Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thy maketh thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?” 8 “If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.”

Song of Solomon 4:2 “Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.” (repeated in SS 6:6)

So anyway, Tldr: sheep could easily mean followers, chosen, or sacrifices, or be a reference to any one of these passages. Who knows.

@mittensmorgul, @tinkdw, @elizabethrobertajones, @postmodernmulticoloredcloak

#spn 13x02 #the rising son #my spn meta #spn season 13 spec #religious imagery #this is the longest. it's so long im sorry

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ahopkins1965 · 4 years

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Why Does God Want Justice to Roll Down Like a River?

Bible / Bible Study / Topical Studies

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Bethany Verrett

Saturday, August 22, 2020

The prophets of the Old Testament obeyed their God, communicating His messages, His commands, and His prophecies. Some carried messages only for Israel, others to the whole world. Some were born to be prophets, while others heard the call later in life.

Amos carried messages to several audiences after years of working as a shepherd. His book of prophecy touches on contemporary issues in Damascus, Tyre, and Jerusalem. It recounts visions and judgment. It also chastises Israel for worshipping false gods and mistreating the poor.

During one of these chastisements, it is declared, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). In context, God wanted His chosen people to obey Him, by ruling justly and behaving righteously, to stop living as hypocrites and idolaters and return to Him.

Photo credit: Pexels/Johannes Plenio

What Is the Context of Amos 5:24?

In chapter 5 in the Book of Amos, God is speaking to Israel. He communicates several messages, and “thus says the Lord” repeats three times. After David and Solomon, there were some good kings of Israel and Judah, but there were many who turned from the precepts of the Lord. By the time these messages were communicated, the culture had devolved into idol worship and wickedness. First, the Lord foretells the exile of the Israelites, talking about the future reduction in the population. The second message from the Lord in this chapter encourages the nation to, “seek the Lord and live” (Amos 5:6a). He says, “let justice roll like a river” in the third message.

The phrase is not on its own. In its full context, the message reads,

“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:21-24).

Here, God emphasizes each of the events and sacrifices mandated by Levitical law - feasts, assembling together, burnt offerings, grain offering, and peace offerings - and rejects them.

Centuries earlier, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the Levitical Law to show how to live a righteous life, govern justly, and to atone for sins. Even though the people were enacting these religious rituals, they did so without love for God, or love for their neighbor.

Earlier in the chapter God said, “They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth. Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them” (Amos 5:10-11). Israel was clinging to its routine, but did not have the love and compassion that marked them as people of God.

Here, God clarified that He would prefer to see them conduct their affairs justly, and live righteously, before He would accept their offerings. In the New Testament, the Apostle John would reinforce and clarify this point, saying “anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). God called on His people to have the love for Him and for others that they once did.

Photo credit: ©Sparrowstock

What Does "Let Justice Roll Like a River" Mean?

Understanding the nuance of this verse requires seeing it in two parts: what does justice mean in context? What does it mean for it to roll like a river?

The word in the Hebrew for justice is mishpat (מִשְׁפָט). This word has legal implications. Some definitions from various concordances include, “an act of deciding a case,” “case or cause presented for judgment,” “judgment,” and “the execution of judgment or justice.”

Of course, some judgments are not just. So choosing to translate the word mishpat as justice when talking about judgment that aligns with God’s justice can be seen as an appropriate translation; most translations chose to do so.

The other part of this phrase is the idea that justice should roll like a river. This imagery brings forth the image of constant movement. The river is always rushing towards a larger body of water. In this way, correct judgment, or justice, in human matters should have been constant, something Israel always should have strived to achieve. They turned away from the Lord’s justice, instead behaving in a way characterized as, “you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate” (Amos 5:12b). Instead of being an oasis in the dessert, where God’s nature was demonstrated through the lives of Israel, it had become a sad trickle, where injustice was common.

There is little variance in the way this verse is translated, though there are some slight differences. These differences are semantic, either alternating between judgment or justice, changing the adjective in front of “stream,” or similar changes that do not alter the meaning of the verse.

Examples:

KJV: “But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”

CSB: “But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.”

GNT: “Instead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry.”

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Utah778

Who Wrote Amos?

Amos was a prophet of Israel as a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea. At this point in Israel’s history, there were two kingdoms, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Amos was from Judah, but became a prophet to the north.

It is generally accepted that Amos was the first of the prophets to write his message, and that he wrote them himself, implying a good education. He is also an example of someone who God called to ministry later in life, as a type of second career.

Of himself, Amos wrote, “Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, ‘I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’” (Amos 7:14-15). He did not come from a special line of prophets or priests. He was a tradesman who God called to a faraway land to give warnings about the results of disobedience.

The Book of Amos is broken into three sections. The first chapter has judgments against Israel’s neighbors Damascus, Gaza, Tyrr, Edom, and the Ammonites. The second are judgments against Israel and Judah. Chapters 3-5 are styled as sermons which outline the transgressions of the people in the first half of each chapter, and the second half contains the decreed judgment. The remaining chapters are the visions God sent Amos which represented coming disasters and judgments in Israel’s future. It emphasizes that Israel is as accountable for their sins, and the state of their hearts as their neighbor.

They worshipped the same idols and treated the poor as badly as their neighbors; going through the motions of sacrifices and feasts did not change the state of their hearts. It also shows that God wants justice for all people. To the unjust He said, “Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!” (Amos 5:7). It is important to note that God expects His chosen people to live up to this standard, because they know how they should treat others.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Ben White

What Does God's Justice Look Like?

God’s justice is perfect. He understands the depth of a sin, and the appropriate response. He calls on His people, which today includes the church, to strive to treat one another fairly and deliver appropriate justice.

One of the ways He does this is by setting up governments. The Apostle Paul wrote, “...for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4-5). It is the primary purpose of the government to fulfill laws that punish crime to enact earthly justice. Because man is sinful, governments often fail at achieving this perfect justice. All societies have failed at this task.

One behavior that is not God’s justice is taking justice into one’s own hands. It is not for man to seek retribution or revenge. “ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19). Even when people behave wrongly, or when the government fails, believers should not try to rectify the situation themselves. God will one day sit on a throne of judgment, where He will dispense perfect justice.

In light of the day of judgment, God has tempered His right to perfect justice with His perfect mercy. Romans 3 states that all deserve to receive punishment, and fail to live up to God’s holiness by sinning against Him and others. While it can be easy to look at others and hope that God will dispense justice against them, or for them, it is important to remember that if God only acted as the true judge, all would be found guilty in His court.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Rawpixel

God's Unfailing Justice

When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for mankind’s sin. For those who accept this free gift of mercy and grace, they are pardoned, and will not be judged for their sins, but only for their deeds. For those who already believe in the power of the cross, and are saved from the judgment of their sins, they are commissioned, like Israel was, to love God, love others, and share the good news about redemption.

Striving to be a person who values justice, and to be a community where justice flows like a river, is important. Doing what is right and ensuring that wrongs are addressed is part of God’s design for people while they live in this sin-filled world. Like God did for us, tempering this justice with mercy, and knowing that flawed humans will never truly achieve it is also important.

Look to God for true justice and eternal mercy, because He does not fail. One of the commands to Israel in the Book of Amos is equally applicable today: ”Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:15).

Sources:

Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. Grand Rapids: Academie Books, 1960.

Birch, Bruce. Hosea, Joel, and Amos. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997.

Strong, James. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: Updated and Expanded Edition. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC, 2007.

Wilmington, H.L. Wilmington’s Guide To the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 1981.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Gordon Images

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry.

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bibleonline2017 · 4 years

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lordcomesoon · 5 years

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DID YOU KNOW?

By: Steve Shirley

For those out there (like me) who are fascinated by both useful and useless bits of trivia, this is for you.Please let me warn you ahead of time not to take all of these as absolute fact. I have checked most to see if they are true, but some (like there are 31,102 verses in the Bible) I have not completely verified. Feel free to check them out on your own, and if you find an error, please click on the comment button to the left and leave a message letting me know.

The Bible (KJV) has: 31,102 verses and 1189 chapters.p

Shortest verse: Jn 11:35: "Jesus wept"

Longest verse: Esther 8:9

Longest chapter: Ps 119

Shortest chapter: Ps 117

Shortest book: 3 John

Longest book: Psalms

Most used word: "the"

The longest sentence in the Bible (KJV) is the genealogy of Jesus found in (Lk 3:23-38) (467 words!). The 2nd longest is found in (Eph 1:3-14) (268 words). (I counted )

The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years by approximately 40 different authors.

Nine out of every ten people own a Bible.

The complete Bible has been translated into over 500 languages (according to Wycliffe - 2014).

Have you ever taken the time to read your Bible cover to cover? Assuming your Bible is 1000 pages long (not counting study notes), and you read a page every 5 minutes, it should take you 84 hours or just under 3 and a half days to read it all. You have read many other books cover to cover, but have you read the most important book of all time?

BIBLE TRIVIA/FACTS:

Methuselah was the oldest man at 969 yrs old (Gen 5:27).

Six other people also lived to be over 900 yrs old: (Adam 930 yrs old: Gen 5:5)

(Seth 912 yrs old: Gen 5:8)(Enos [Enosh] 905 yrs old: Gen 5:11)

(Cainan [Kenan] 910 yrs old: Gen 5:14) (Jared 962 yrs old: Gen 5:20)

(Noah 950 yrs old: Gen 9:29)

** Note: After the flood, longevity of life greatly decreased.

Seven people committed suicide in the Bible: (Zimri: 1 Kin 16:18) (Judas: Mt 27:3-5)

(Abimelech: Judg 9:53-54)(Ahithophel: 2 Sam 17:23) (Samson: Judg 16:25-30)

(Saul: 1 Sam 31:4-5, 1 Chr 10:4-5) (Saul's armorbearer: 1 Sam 31:5, 1 Chr 10:5).

There are 10 places where people were raised from the dead in the Bible:

Elijah raised the widow's son (1 Kin 17:17-24).

Elisha raised the Shunammites son (2 Kin 4:18-37).

A dead man came to life when his body was set on the dead bones of Elisha (2 Kin 13:20-21).

Jesus raised a widow's son (Lk 7:11-15).

Jesus raised the daughter of Jarius (Lk 8:41-42,49-56).

Jesus raised Lazarus (Jn 11:1-46).

Jesus was resurrected (Mt 28)(Mk 16)(Lk 24)(Jn 20-21).

Many dead saints came out of their graves after Jesus' resurrection (Mt 27:51-53)

Peter raised Tabitha (Dorcas) (Acts 9:36-51).

Paul raised Eutychus (Acts 20:9-12).

The 10 commandments had writing on both sides (Ex 32:15).

Ehud was the 1st left handed man in the Bible (Judg 3:15).

Dogs are mentioned 41 times in the Bible, cats are never mentioned.

Ostriches are mentioned only twice in the Bible: (Job 39:13-18)(Lam 4:3). They are described as cruel and harsh towards their young, having no wisdom or understanding, but faster than a horse.

Jubal invented the harp and flute (Gen 4:21).

Delilah did not cut Samson's hair (Judg 16:19).

Everyone spoke the same language until the incident at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9).

There was a lady named Noah (Josh 17:3).

Samson used the jawbone of an ass to kill 1000 men (Judg 15:15).

The only boat mentioned by name in the Bible is the Castor and Pollux (Acts 28:11).

Manasseh was the longest reigning king at 55 years (2 Kin 21:1).

Zimri was the shortest reigning king at 7 days (1 Kin 16:15).

Joash was the youngest king at 7 years old (2 Chr 24:1).

Genesis never says Adam and Eve ate an apple, only that they ate fruit.

The only place an apple tree is mentioned in the Bible is (Song 2:3).

Er was the 1st person God killed for being wicked (Gen 38:7).

Lamech was the first person recorded in the Bible to commit polygamy (Gen 4:19).

Noah's Ark was 450' long, 75' wide, and 45' high, and had 3 stories (Gen 6:15).

God shut the door of the Ark (Gen 7:16).

There were 4 creatures sent as part of the 10 plagues against Egypt: frogs, lice, flies, and locusts.

Goliath's armor weighed 125 pounds (1 Sam 17:5).

David kept Goliath's armor in his tent after defeating him (1 Sam 17:54).

Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kin 11:3). Stephen was the 1st Christian martyr (Acts 6:7-8:2).

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olusegundare · 5 years

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Sermon

TOPIC: CHANGED TUNE

Bible: Zechariah 4:10

"Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They 'll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place! Going back to the vision, the messenger-Angel said, "The seven lamps are the eyes of God probing the dark corners of the world like searchlights""-The Message Bible

"For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth"- KJV

This is one of the common bible verses in the bible, and we do often hear the preachers speaking to us on the need for us not to despise the days of the small beginnings (or start).

I have however given my message a different topic, which I called "changed tune".

When musicians are playing, they may either signal to those handling the instruments that they intend to change the tune of the song they are singing, the change of tune may now be to a fast one or a slow one, or in a case where they cannot send signals to their instrumentalists, they will say it out that people will hear. I hope you grasp this? This is just to introduce you to what the prophet is saying here about changed tune, that the people who have been saying something about the ongoing project before would say another thing. Interestingly what the people were initially saying were deregatory, what they were saying could not be written home about. Now if these kind of people will change their tune, they will say what could be written home about as per the ongoing work of the temple.

Shall we for the sake of clarity bent over backwards on this verse, briefly talking about what led the people to this stage.

Bible students know that before the countries of Israel and Judah were plundered and destroyed by the enemies, they have gobe into ostentatious sins, the chief of which was idolatry. The Lord had been repeatedly warning them to desist from such act but they have refused, according to prophet Jeremy, the Lord was rising up early to talk to them through his messengers, the prophets, but they have refused to listen, even at night the Lord would send his messengers to them, but yet they rejected God's messages and continued in their sinful state and status un-abated. (Jer. 7:13, 25; 11:7; 12:7)

Our parents know the importance of early morning talk or discussion and late at night discussion, and this is what God was emphasizing to the people through the prophets, that despite the fact that they knew the import of early morning and late at night discussions, just as he did, yet they did not change.

Their recalcitrant position grieved the Lord, moved him to anger and he removed his banner of love and protection over them, allowing the enemies to come into the land. The enemies entered in full force, destroyed their cities and they did not spare the temple from being destroyed.

When these countries were overtaken by the enemies they were led to the slavery lands.

King Nebuchadnezzer who was the king of Babylon and the most powerful person on their then world led them away, and there they were as slaves. After Nebuchadnezzar died, his heir assumed the throne, after his heir was his grand son and on and on like that until Darius became the king, the most powerful person in the land.

When Darius became the king he did not destroy the structure put in place by his fore parents which was having governors to rule (oversee) certain countries subjecy unto the Babylonian kingdom. One of the countries under the leadership of King Darius was Israel and Darius the king appointed Sheshbazzar (Zerubbabel) to govern the land of Israel.

The bible dictionary says Zerubbabel is a Babylonian name called Zerubabili which means the seed of Babylon. Sheshbazzar who alongside others had been slaves in the Babylonian seat of power was given a name in line with religion of the land, just as we shall all remember that the same happened to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These people were given other names in tandem with the culture, custom and religion of the land (Daniel 1:6-7). The same thing also happened to Esther (Esther 2:7).

I thence presume after Zerubbabel had undergone the studies of the land of Babylon and had been found worthy in character and studies, the King, Darius, made him ruler (governor) who shall be overseeing the affairs of the people who had been left behind in the land of Israel and will be reporting back to him.

After neing crowned governor, he was sent to the land by the king alongside other released captives into his custody. As this happened off they left for the land of Israel.

I shall be explaining this topic under these headings:

I. Why despise?

II. Why did he start?

III. How could he complete the work?

IV. Applications

I. WHY DESPISE?

Zerubbabel after he got to the land of Israel saw the position of the country and above all the deplorable state of the temple and he was moved to tears by what he saw and purpoted in his heart to do something on what he has seen.

History had it that as fate would have it, King Darius at this time was battling with some enemies which prevented him from focusing on the land of Israel, vizaviz, supervising the work which he had commanded Zerubbabel to be doing then.

As a governor, an officer, who is in direct contact with the king, Darius, he made use of the presenting opportunity, that is the shift in focus, shift of attention of the king from him to start the work of rebuilding the temple.

After laying the foundation of the temple, the people who had knew that he had deviated started to despise him that he was wasting his time, he was doing what the king had neither commanded him to do nor commissioned him to do. Zerubbabel was despised by these people because according to them he was doing what was not in the constitution, what was not in the budget, what has not been approved. I hope we get it to this point?

II. WHY DID HE START THE WORK?

As i have above explained that when this governor, Zerubbabel and others returned to the land of Israel, the state of the country and most importantly that of the temple had broken down, the governor and he decided to do something on what he has seen.

(a) ZEAL: The zeal to re-construct the house of God consumed him when he returned to the country. He knew that country is a vast place and couldnt be rebuilt within frame of months unlike the temple, he thus concentrated on the reconstruction of the temple, to get a place for God where his people would go to to commune with Yahweh their God and his God who had brought him back to the land safe and in good health. (Psalms 69:9; 119:139)

(b) GRASPING THE OPPORTUNITY: The zeal to reconstruct the temple that had consumed him made him grasp the opportunity when it presented itself. And what was the opportunity? The opportunity was that the king was battling with some enemies then which took all his time, energy, intelligence, workforce, military etc.

When Zerubbabel saw this he quickly and promptly grasped it, using it to build the temple. May we not miss the presenting opportunity to make it in life in Jesus name. Amen.

Some of us are as we are at the moment because our fathers or parents failed to make use of the presenting opportunity that appeared to them years, decades back. I am not talking about illegal opportunities. I am talking about genuine and legal opportunities. When those rare opportunities appear then, they do not want to try, they prefer their low estate and thence the opportunity slipped off.

(c) SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE (OR UNITY): There is nothing anyone could achieve in life if the person does not have the backing, support of the people. Zerubbabel knew that the work cannot be done alone despite being the governor thus he confided in some people and carried them along. Interestingly those he confided in share his dream with him and they wholly supported the move. This support really helped him in carrying out the work and in succeeding in the work despite the few ones who were despising him for taking that giant stride.

For a family to breakthrough, all members of the family must support the leadership of the family. For a husband to make it, he will enjoy the support of his wife so also is the wife, for her to make it, her hubby must support him, anything short of this would result in set backs.

A student who shall make it will be supported by his/her teachers, an institution that shall make it will receive support from all stakeholders of the institution.

The disciples were able to make it because of the unity amongst them. Jesus Christ could come to world because of the support he received from God and the heavenly beings.

What is it that you and I have been doing but we have not been making it? We may need to check this area, what is the level of support we are receiving from our spouses? What is the level of support we are receiving from our business partners, from our friends, from our fiance or fianceé, from our siblings, from our colleagues etc? If the level of support is nothing to write home about, that may be the source of the set back and if not addressed, we may be at that position for a long while to come.

Support or unity is very, very important in all our undertakings in the world. The God who created the heavens and the earth when he wanted to form man, knew the important of support and he thus briefed others of what he wanted to do, he could have gone ahead with our creation without telling them, but yet he told them because he wanted us to know and learn the importance of support or unity (Genesis 1:26).

King Solomon, whom majority of the Theologians believed to have authored the book of Ecclesiastes was talking about the importance of unity in chapter 4 and verse 12 of the book when he said, "and if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a THREEFOLD CORD is not quickly broken". This is where a unity subsists. lf a boyfriend and his girlfriend or fiance and his fianceé are in unity, you will see that even if they are not immediately succeeding, the support one receives from the second would be the fire, the enigma

enigma that would keep the other person on and on, and inevitably both of them. Now when they are in unity, they will keep their secret verily secret such that no one would know what's happening amongst them. That is the power there.

Now, looking at the word I emphasised in the book of Ecclesiastes 4:12 above, we shall see that when a family or spouses or dating partners are in unity, one will find it hard to break them because they are now like the three standed cords. A twined cord cannot be easily broken or cut as one will cut a twine that is single stranded. Is there unity in our relationship? Is there unity between you and your spouse? If not that the bible documented the birth of Jesus Christ we all know that Joseph did not sell out his spouse, Mary, that is unity. And I think unity also comes from understanding of one another.

The people gave Zerubbabel support as such he could continue the work.

III. WHY HE COULD COMPLETE THE WORK:

(a) Zerubbabel and his team were able to complete the work of rebuilding the temple because after the revolt that rose against the king was doused and the king became fully aware of what governor Zerubbabel was doing, the king supported him and infact sent a message to the effect requiring everyone to join hands with him in seeing that the work was done, was perfected. (Zech. 4:7)

All those who had initially been despising Zerubbabel based on the fact that he had gone out of his boundaries, based on the fact that he was executing projects which the king did not tell him to execute were put to shame when they heard that the king had supported the dream of his governor.

I perceive that some of them would not believe when they hear that the king had approved the work, they will be saying it couldnt be, they will be saying they were saying that to make the people happy, they would be saying those people were telling the populace what they wanted to hear just like our politicians today do tell the populace what they wanted to hear and they would not tell them the truth.

In this position and disposition were some of those people who were despising Zerubbabel were until they received an authenticated message from Babylonian seat of power, where the king resides. The king officially wrote them so that it would be clear to the doubting minds that he has indeed approved the work and not only approving, that he will equally support the work financially and in other ways to see that the work is not delayed and it is completed to time (Ezra 1:1)

The mountain of doubt was removed and there was no iota of doubt again as per whether the king would grant the continuation of the work or nay.

(b) The Spirit of God as said by the prophet Zechariah in verse 6 started to work and it was by this Spirit that the work could be continued as well as being perfected.

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, this is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 4:6)

When governor Zerubbabel started the work of the temple, the prophet had approached him by the word of the Lord that the Yahweh Lord has seen his zeal to rebuild the temple and that he should continue with the work. The work was at first approved by Yahweh God because the work was in tandem with the will of God. When our works are in consonance with the will of God, nothing could stand in its way of execution.

After the prophet had uttered this, the prophet now told the governor that he needs to caution, what should he be cautious of? He should be cautious of self, he should not rely on himself, he should not rely on the arms of flesh because the arms of flesh will fail him.

This was what the prophet said by the word of God. We all know that when one wants to start something like that there is every tedency that one that even if it means i be desposed for starting this, I dont mind, one may say even if I lose my life for embarking on this project, I dont mind. And anyone who is nurturing such notion or thought would definitely want to prepare for war, would want to combat those who may want to come and stop him from doing that work.

This God had seen, and the need for him to send his servant the prophet to the governor that he should not be afraid, that the work would be perfectly done. Albeit, in doing (executing) the work, he must not rely on his might nor the might of anyone at that, he must not rely on his human power, because by thses the work would not be done. What would however make the work to be perfectly done is the Spirit of the Lord God Almighty, the prophet stated.

May I also add that does the prophet or God by this word then means that Zerubbabel and others should go to bed and not employ their human might and power into the on going construction work? The answer to this is No, God does not mean that. What he meant was that they should not rely on human strength, wisdom and power to overcome the enemies but they should put their trust in God to see them through what they have started.

When Governor Zerubbabel heard this he allowed the Spirit of God to take control although the physical preparations and arrangements were not stopped because they were by faith counting on God to crown those preparations. When God discovered the disposition of his servant, governor Zerubbabel towards this, he stirred up the spirit of the king to support the work after the king had been relieved from the troubles, enemies confronting him. (Ezra 1:1)

(c) Divine Supplies: King Darius issued out command that the work should not be stopped but that all hands should be on deck to see to the completion of the started work. When an executive order had been issued, others had no option other than supporting the project by bringing (supplying) to them all they needed for the work.

IV. APPLICATION

(a) Marital: You may have been despised by family members and friends on whom you want to marry..., or may be you have even married the person people despised you on..., this is the word for you today that all who have despised you would say another thing about you and that marriage when they see what God is doing in your family.

(b) Academics: You may have been despised on the kind of course you are doing in the college of Education, Polytechnic, University, saying such course(s) is not lucrative in our land, and you have been counselled to change the course, but you yet insisted in continuing with the course, and now, they are watching to see what will happen to you after you have finished the course. Do not be afraid, trust in the Lord as did Zerubbabel and those people will start saying another thing about you in a short while.

(c) Fellowship: this Youth Fellowship may have been despised by some people, they may have been saying the fellowship will die a natural death, I want us to have it in mind that as long as we continue to allow the Spirit of the Lord to lead us, that wishful thought of theirs would not see the light of the day because the fellowship would grow from might to might in Jesus name. Amen.

(d) Business: You may be new in the business you are doing and it seems as if all is not falling into place for you, and now the enemies have started to despise you saying, a business she or he knows little or nothing about she or he has entered into it, it is true at the moment, but always know that we don not bring anything into the world, and I know if you open your eyes very well, you will sure overcome the present presenting challenges and even overtake those you have met in the trade. All you need is openness to learn, openness to the Spirit of God, and things will change. Do you know that we cannot learn everything about a trade from a master or tutor during training, when we get into the field we would meet different things and then our intelligence would be swung into action.

May i stop here? Shall we stand to our feet? People will change their tune on what we are doing when we allow the Spirit to take control, in allowing Spirit to take control we are not saying we will stand idle, no, but we are saying the Spirit of the Lord will remove all obstacles, all barriers that may want to debar us from advancing in life.... (End)

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thunderlanewriter · 6 years

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• Basic Search • Advanced Search • Bible Index James - Chapter 1 (KJV) 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5 : James Chapter 1 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 1:4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 1:8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways. 1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 1:10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 1:11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 1:12 Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain. 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world. Bible Books Index: Genesis : Exodus : Leviticus : Numbers : Deuteronomy : Joshua : Judges : Ruth : 1Samuel : 2Samuel : 1Kings : 2Kings : 1Chronicles : 2Chronicles : Ezra : Nehemiah : Esther : Job : Psalms : Proverbs : Ecclesiastes : Song of Solomon : Isaiah : Jeremiah : Lamentations : Ezekiel : Daniel : Hosea : Joel : Amos : Obadiah : Jonah : Micah : Nahum : Habakkuk : Zephaniah : Haggai : Zechariah : Malachi : Matthew : Mark : Luke : John : Acts : Romans : 1Corinthians : 2Corinthians : Galatians : Ephesians : Philippians : Colossians : 1Thessalonians : 2Thessalonians : 1Timothy : 2Timothy : Titus : Philemon : Hebrews : James : 1Peter : 2Peter : 1John : 2John : 3John : Jude : Revelation © 2018 - King James Bible Online - Thesaurus by Princeton University KJV Pure Cambridge Edition

• Basic Search • Advanced Search • Bible Index James – Chapter 1 (KJV) 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5 : James Chapter 1 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 1:4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 1:8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways. 1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 1:10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 1:11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 1:12 Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion [is] vain. 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world. Bible Books Index: Genesis : Exodus : Leviticus : Numbers : Deuteronomy : Joshua : Judges : Ruth : 1Samuel : 2Samuel : 1Kings : 2Kings : 1Chronicles : 2Chronicles : Ezra : Nehemiah : Esther : Job : Psalms : Proverbs : Ecclesiastes : Song of Solomon : Isaiah : Jeremiah : Lamentations : Ezekiel : Daniel : Hosea : Joel : Amos : Obadiah : Jonah : Micah : Nahum : Habakkuk : Zephaniah : Haggai : Zechariah : Malachi : Matthew : Mark : Luke : John : Acts : Romans : 1Corinthians : 2Corinthians : Galatians : Ephesians : Philippians : Colossians : 1Thessalonians : 2Thessalonians : 1Timothy : 2Timothy : Titus : Philemon : Hebrews : James : 1Peter : 2Peter : 1John : 2John : 3John : Jude : Revelation © 2018 – King James Bible Online – Thesaurus by Princeton University KJV Pure Cambridge Edition

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