Friday: The Agony

MESSAGE for Friday of Easter week; "The Agony"

 

> The crucifixion starts with the scourging that literally skinned Jesus alive. This was not common with a crucifixion but I feel Pilot thought it would invoke pity from the crowd so they would release Jesus. During this physical ordeal, He was struck, mocked and spit on by a company of Roman soldiers. Mt. 27:26 and Mk. 15:16 - 19.

Shame is a big element of eastern cultures. It was shameful to be crucified naked in public; to one’s self, family and community, Jn. 19:23.

 

> There appears to be some conflict about who carried the cross and when. Reading the accounts in the first three gospels closely, Mt. 27:32 & 33, Mk. 15:20 & 21, and Lk. 23:26, we conclude the weakened Jesus carried the crossbar as far as the city gate, where they ran into Simon, the Cyrene, who was on his way into the city.

On the cross, Jesus was offered wine twice. The first time, was standard to crucifixion. Wine was mixed with “gall” (1 grain of frankincense) to numb the senses. He refused this wine mixture, Mt. 27:34. He was supposed to suffer in our stead.

 

> The second was after He stated He was thirsty. This was wine vinegar and He drank from the sponge on the stalk of hyssop. {Looking at Heb. 9:19, a cleansing ceremony was performed by Moses using the blood of a sacrifice (wine on the cross) with a red woolen cloth and hyssop to confirm the covenant between Israel and God. You can find this in Ex. 24:8. Jesus, the sacrifice, was redeeming that covenant.

 

> Jesus died at the time of day (3:00 pm) that the last sacrifice of the day was made in the temple. The last animal sacrifice of the day; Jesus the one true sacrifice for mankind. 

 

 

 

SEVEN LAST STATEMENTS:

1. “Father forgive them, they know not what they do”, Lk 23:34. Our glorious Savior was asking forgiveness for unrepentant people. In the language of the Bible, the number one represents the head of the house; the leader. Jesus is speaking, in His number one statement, to the head of our house, Father God.

 

2. “Today you will be with me in paradise”, Lk. 23:43. The number two, His second statement, represents a house. Jesus was assuring the repentant sinner that he has an eternal home with his Savior.

 

3. “Woman here is your son. . . Here is your mother”, Jn. 19:26 & 27. This perfect man was thinking of others as He hangs naked and stripped of His very skin, Ps. 22:17. The number three means to lift up in pride. The mother He was proud of and the apostle He was proud of were being lifted up to care for each other.

 

4. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”, Mt. 27:45. This is a reference to Psalm 22. This is the only time Jesus refers to the Father as “My God”. He is a man taking the sins of the world for all time upon Himself; He was speaking for sinful man. For a brief heart wrenching moment, the Father became God in judgement of men. They were not speaking as the perfect son to a loving father; it was ultimate sinner, under judgement, to God. The number four references the earth. Jesus was man of the earth with the sins of the world upon Him.

 

5. “I thirst”, Jn. 19:28. Jesus thirsts for us to be with Him. How much do we thirst for Him? The number five is the number for grace. Jesus is the ultimate grace of God to us through His sacrifice.

 

6. “It is finished”, Jn. 19:30. The number six refers to mankind. Jesus work on this earth, as man, was over. He made His stand and finished what He was born for. Just as He created the universe in six days, His six statements summarize the reason for His life on earth. It is time to rest.

 

7. “Father into your hands I commit my spirit”, Lk. 23:46. The number seven means completion. His human life is now complete, cut off from this physical earth. Here is the power of our Lord Jesus. Then, He hung His head and GAVE up His spirit.

 

> Through archeological findings, we know that everyone who died on a cross died with their back or neck broken because they threw their head back so violently reaching for that last breath of air. Jesus was in complete control when He BOWED His head and He gave up His spirit. No one took His life. He died exactly the moment He was supposed to, under His own power; fully in control of the situation.

This is our Lord

The First Communion

Names are so fascinating in the Bible.  They help translate events and their meanings.

Interesting chain of events: Gen 14:18 Melchizedek, king of Salem (Salem means "peace"), gave communion to Abram (means "Father of Altitude"), later named Abraham ("Father of Multitude"). He blessed Abram and Abram gave tithe.

This is the first mention of communion in the Bible and it lays the foundation for blessing and tithing. Notice God's blessing comes first because He is so gracious.  Notice also: after the tithe is paid, God makes a covenant with Abram to give a son (to Abram's barren wife in their old age) and countless offspring. 

Jerusalem is called the foundation of Salem; Jerusalem means "God's Delight". This communion was held in the Valley of Shaveh (means "King's Valley") Melchizedek means "My King is The Lord of Righteousness".
 
Let's put this together: "My King is The Lord of Righteousness" met in the "King's Valley" for the first communion, a ritual to mark the coming out of Egypt (Egypt translates "stress"), a type of sin (OT) (in the New Testament, the crucified Christ dying to cleanse our sin), with the "Father of Altitude" in Salem ("Peace") where we find Jerusalem, "God's Delight".  

Another way: "My King, Lord of Righteousness" went to the "King's Valley" to take out/cleanse of sin the "Father of Altitude" who honored this with giving a tenth of all he had and in return received the desire of his heart. (You can't out give God) This took place in the "Peace" of "God's Delight".

Abram became Abraham and was later asked to offer his beloved son as sacrifice to God.  This is a foretelling of the sacrifice our father made with  his beloved son, Jesus.  P.S: At the last minute, our loving Father provided an animal sacrifice and spared the boy.  
 
Our gracious God wants to bless us with the desires of our hearts in a place of peace - this is His delight.

Amen

God Said "Please"

So excited, just have to share - A fact from study of the original Hebrew text of the Bible (called the Tenach):

In the Old Testament, the word "please" has been omitted over the centuries by translators, to the tune of 410 times in the Old Testament - 176 times in Hebrew version of the New Testament.

Example: Gen 22:2 Read it for yourself in your Bible. The Hebrew Bible reads: "Please take your son . . ." This portrays God in a different light than harsh and merciless.... He always allows us a choice. 






"Please" demonstrates compassion. It has a reassuring affect while asking someone to do something very difficult. In the NT, the thief on the cross said (In Heb. NT), "Lord, remember me please . . ." 
Lk 23:42







Again: Ps 118:25 and Jn 12:13 says "Save us we beseech you . . ." original Hebrew: "Save us, please, O Lord! O Lord, please, send us prosperity."

Whatever could be the reason that this significant gesture should be omitted so many times by translations ?  Perhaps the earliest of them wanted a contrast between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New Testament.  Isn't it wonderful to have such a precious God. 

Amen

The Book, Part 2

The Bible is broken down into books, penned by ghost writer authors.  Each book is broken into chapter and each of those is further broken down into verses. 

Names and numbers in the Bible have meaning.  Most often, these meanings explain a deeper understanding of the writing.  As mentioned in the first part of this writing in an the previous blog, it all points to Jesus.

Examples:
The number "1" relates to God/unity
No. 5: represents the grace of God
No. 10: represents law/ordinance
No. 12: government
No. 40: testing, trial, the end of bondage

Examples:
Sarai = Domineering   /   Sarah = Princess
Abram = Father of Altitude   /   Abraham = Father of Multitudes

Interesting facts:
The book of Esther does not mention God
Longest book = Psalms
Shortest book = II John
Longest chapter = Ps.119
Shortest chapter = Ps.117
Longest verse = Esther 8:9
Shortest verse = Jn.11:35
Oldest man = Methuselah - 969 years
Two men never died - Enoch & Elijah

Psalm 22 (from the Old Testament) refers to the death of Jesus.  Written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, this is further proof of inspiration through the Holy Spirit.

The God's Eye constellation

The word "gospel" in Greek means "Good News".  There are four synoptic (agreeing) gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  They document the life, teaching, healing and death of Jesus life. 

The Old Testament is about the "law" (commonly referred to as the 10 Commandments) where man is required to do, do, do.  The New Testament is about the grace that Jesus brought through grace where we rest emotionally and spiritually and God does all the work.

An unnamed "servant" usually refers to the Holy Spirit.
People who are named are Christian believers.  Those mentioned and their name not given are usually unbelievers (or Gentiles). 

The phrase "fear not/don't fear" appears 365 times and is the most often stated phrase uttered by the God head.  The second most stated phrase, "Oh ye of little faith".

Interesting:
Psalm 117 = shortest chapter
Psalm 119 = longest chapter
Psalm 118 = middle chapter of the Bible
   594 chapter before Psalm 118
 +594 chapters after Psalm 118
 1188 = Ps. 118:8  Read this verse !
*(This has to be divine order)

The book of Psalms is called "heart of the Bible"
David, the author, is called "A man after God's heart"
The Psalms are written as songs to God
The word Psalm means "Song/hymn"

Amen

The Book, Part 1

It all comes from "The Book" so let's start there.  If you don't have one, get one.  They come in all forms and prices.  It has withstood the test of time being the best selling book of all time - ever - still; translated into 2,018 languages and surviving 7,000+ years from the first entry until today.

The entire book is about Jesus, cover to cover.  The Old Testament points to Him, His coming, His life, His message and His death.  The New Testament tells all about Jesus along with His resurrection and second coming.  Jesus is concealed in the Old Testament and revealed in the New.

The Bible is the "manufacturer's handbook".  God himself inspired all the writings by His spirit working through people.  It tells us how to live so we might be healthy and prosper with friends, family, spouse, children, parents, neighbors, work, play and worship.  It tells us how to handle finances, relate to people, deal with problems and just about anything else we need to know in order to create for ourselves a happy, peaceful life. 
Dt.8:3,  Heb.4:12,  Pro.1:7

You cannot believe anything from the Bible if you do not believe that it is God speaking to us.  Some find it difficult to read and understand.  I hope to help you with some of these difficulties.  This is the most fascinating book ever AND . . given a chance, will prove itself.  We do not need the pamphlets and booklets of other writers. 
II Pet.20 & 21,

Stats:  There are 66 books; 39 in the OT (Old Testament) and 27 in the NT (New Testament) contributed by 40 writers over a period of 7,000 plus years; 5,000 years before the birth of Christ (BC) and 2,000 after the death (AD) of Christ.

The one book of Genesis spans 2,200 years of time (of the total 7,000), records 10 generations from Adam to Noah and ten generations from Noah to Abraham.  The first eleven chapters of Genesis alone span 1/2 the time span of the entire Bible.

There are 1189 chapters (the middle chapter: Ps.117) and approx. 774,000 words - depending on your translation.

Testament means covenant or contract.  God made two contracts/testaments: one with the Israelites and one with Christian believers.

In the Old Testament, the most recent/newest book is Malachi and the oldest book is Job.  In the New Testament, the newest book (last one written for the Bible) is Revelation and the oldest is James.

Moses wrote the most books of the Old Testament - 5, called the Foundation of the Bible; commonly referred to as "The Law".  Paul wrote most of the books in the New Testament (14); over half.

The Bible was first accepted as being inspired by God in 375 AD and the first English translation was accomplished in 1382 AD.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew.  This is what Moses wrote and all the prophets and poets of the Old Testament.  That is the language the first translation was taken from.  So Hebrew should be studied to get the clearest meaning.  It also helps to understand society, customs, geography and life style of the time.

The New Testament was penned in the Greek language, one of the three main languages of the day; the others being Hebrew and Aramaic, with Roman a large influence.  Yes, Jesus probably spoke Aramaic.  He would also speak Hebrew in the temple.  He also spoke Greek in His travels and sermons to the public.  (Let's face it, the son of God could speak any language.)  My point is that the writers of the New Testament penned the original text in Greek and Greek should be used for translation. 

The New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament (a truly exciting study) and the Old Testament is revealed in the New.  The entire book is about the son of God come to earth in physical form and His mission.

Ghost writers are: shepherds, fishermen, priests, kings, philosophers, farmers, tent maker, tax collector, warriors (and others), all via God by way of his Holy Spirit inspiring them.

The Bible is cohesive, uniform and fits together like a beautiful quilt of names, numbers, "begats" and parables.

Next writing, I will compare several verses to explain some of the Bible codes.  This is why it is written you must "seek" to find.
Amen

A Study of Gideon

It takes only three chapters: there are miracles, an amazing battle, the rise and fall of a hero, action and revenge, Judges 6,7,8.  In the book of Judges you can find all the men and women in charge of Israel before God appointed the first king, Saul.  Ooooops!  God did not appoint Saul.  The people wanted a ruler so bad that they insisted on him.  If you don't know how that turned out; well, let's just say God knows what He is doing.

The Hebrew name Gideon means "Warrior".  Gideon was marked with a purpose when he was born.   There is no evidence that Gideon had ever served as any kind of warrior until God called  him.

Read Verse 2 and then look up Isa 2:19, Jer 48:28 and 49:8  
I submit to you that these verses refer to Petra (Grk), also called Selah (Heb).  Both these names refer to a place next to Wadi Musa, "Valley of Moses" and offers supernatural protection.  A place where the Hebrew people wandered for 40 years. This place of red rock caves is invisible from the air and impenetrable from the ground.

Selah was the capitol of Edom.  Edomites descended from Esau, a red head.  The word "Selah" means lofty, craggy rock, stronghold, cliff.  "Selah" is also a pause in prose where one listens and God speaks.  (See Psalms)  God's word is a place of safety and rest.  *I will do a more indepth study of this in the future.

V 6:11 tells us that God manifested Himself.  (see V 14)  Gideon was threshing wheat to hide it from the Midianites, who were taking everything from the Hebrew people.  Gideon is also addressed, by God, as a "mighty warrior".  This is a positive statement from God to a man who is hiding from his enemies. 

V 12 & 13:  Gideon is talking frankly with what he believes is an angel and complains of all the troubles that have come upon his people.  Never mind that the Hebrew people have chosen to follow another god - or, rather, false gods of the Midianites.  

In V 14, Gideon is told to use the strength he has to go up against the Midianites.  God will not give him any super power.  He is expected to work on faith.

In V 15, good ol' Gideon argues with God, showing his weakness in faith.  In V 16, God tells Gideon all he needs is God in order to strike down ALL the Midianites like there were one man.  A strong statement to counter Gideon's weak argument.

V 17:  Now Gideon wants proof of God's word; a sign.  But, he is willing to make an offering to God, recognizing Him for who He is and showing gratitude and honor.  God tells Gideon He will wait - just as He waits for our gifts and offerings of faith.

In the few verses that follow, we see Gideon taking much time to prepare matzos and cook meat.  He is instructed on how to make this offering and watches as God consumes the offering with fire.  Ex.3:2, Nu 22:22, Ex 12:8
Then, Gideon built an alter to the Lord and called it "Jehovah Shalom" (God is Peace) because he had seen the Lord (pre-incarnate Jesus) face to face.  Guess Moses was not the only one.  Ex 24:11


Gideon goes on to tear down the alters and Asherah pole his father had made to Baal.  I recently viewed a short film about the Asherah pole and Baal worship.  Baal worshipers used to sacrifice young children to be burned alive.  Priests of Baal would publicly conjugate with women (representing the Goddess Asherah) then, the people would have public orgies.  Mass graves have been uncovered holding hundreds of carcasses of children.  No wonder God detested this idol worship.


In Judges:6:37 & 39, we find Gideon asking God for proof of a promise to make the Israelite army victors over the Midianites. In Judges 7:10 & 11, we find God offering yet another proof. This demonstrates the patience, understanding and grace of our Heavenly Father. We ask for something and God blesses with even more.

Great Battle Scene: Read in the book of Judges 7:2 & 8   Now see this amazing battle in Judges 7:19 - 23 WOW! This is better than an action adventure movie! Three hundred men surrounded an army that was so big it could not be counted (they were thick as locusts and camels were so many they could not be counted).

The three hundred shoulders were armed with shofars (trumpets made from ram's horns) and earthen pottery with a torch (light) inside. No swords, arrows or spears. They split into companies of 100 each and surrounded the Midianites. When Gideon gave the signal, 300 blew their trumpets and broke the pots. This would make one heck of a racket and shown a lot of bursting lights. Anyway, the Midianites (thick as locusts) were so confused that they turned on each other and ran off. Now, I would like to see this on the big screen: a multitude, action, camels stampeding, trumpets sounding, fireworks, confusion - great stuff!  Not one soldier of Gideon's was killed and the Midian army had to be chased down.


Amen

Language of The Bible

The Jewish People are known as the chosen people of God.  This, because they were picked to be the ancestors of Jesus from among the twelve sons of Jacob, whom God renamed "Israel".  The Israelites are not Jews, but the Jews are Israelites.  Judah was the fourth son of Jacob/Israel and represents the fourth tribe of Israel.  (The number 4 is representative of the earth and the name Judah means: "The Praise of The Lord")  His mother was Jacob's beloved Leah.  Gen.46:12

The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language by Moses, the poets and the prophets, Genesis through Malachi.  It was the language Adam spoke.  In my writings, I will make frequent reference to the Hebrew language for translations in the Old Testament.  The same goes for the Greek of the New Testament.

FYI:  the Hebrew language reads right to left, has 22 letters in the alphabet and uses those letters for numbers.  It is a bit complicated when you grow up with English but highly descriptive and beautiful in meaning.  Hebrew goes much deeper in meaning than English, rendering more to the meaning.  A typical example is the word "Shalom" which is translated "peace".  BUT indeed, is much more.  To understand it in Hebrew, you have to translate it as "perfect peace" with a meaning of health, calm assurance, great peace and prosperity; the perfect peace of God.  Heb.4:12 

Letters represent numbers; there is no actual number system in Hebrew outside of the alphabet.  This gives greater significance to  numbers.  Each number/letter has a meaning.  ie:  7 is the number of completion, 5 represents God's grace, 10 is the number representing law and 12 the number to represent government.  Every number in the Bible has deeper meaning than just a count.  We can go deeper into this in another writing.

Another interesting word is "hesed". I have seen this word translated as "faith" which does not go near the description of all of the positive aspects of God: faithfulness, peace, love, truth, honor, eternal, steadfast, gentleness, shelter, and on and on, encompassing every adjective that describes this magnificent being.

"Hesed" - a beautiful Hebrew word that cannot be defined by one English word. This word encompasses all the positive assets of God: faithfulness, honesty, love, wisdom, compassion, generosity, grace, devotion, joy, loyalty, etc, etc, etc. This amazing word can only define God because any human beings are incapable of possessing all of these qualities. 

There are no swear words in Hebrew.  Of course, it is God's language.  To curse or swear, the Hebrew people must borrow a swear word from another language.

I find that Jewish people have a reverence for God that I have never witnessed.  They will not write His name; instead you may see "G_d" or the term "Hashem" which means "The Name", referring to "Yahweh". 

When studying any culture, it is important to know the language in order to truly understand.  In studying the Old Testament, it is an enormous help to understand the basics of Hebrew. 

Jesus was Jewish of the Hebrew people.  He spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and probably Roman.  What the heck, He was God in flesh so He could speak any language at any time with anyone.  I am sure He could speak in one language to a crowd and the Holy Spirit would translate in any tongue to a listener who spoke a different language - just like on the first Pentacost.

The Bible will make you wise.  As Jesus often said, "It is written."
Rev.1:3

Amen

The Woman At The Well

Who, in the Bible do you identify with?  Peter?  David?  Esther?  Martha?
I can identify with many characters but, if I'm being honest, it is the woman at the well.  She had several husbands and a "live in".  A situation like this is commonly the result of abuse, rejection or the lack of a father figure when growing up.  When she repented, she never looked back.

Jn 7:28 is commonly sited as the first time in John that Jesus states "I Am".  In Jn 4:26 (three chapters prior to chapt. 7) Jesus says, "I Am" to the Samaritan woman at the well. (Samaritans were idol worshipers who intermarried with the Jewish people and counted themselves as Jews.  For the most part, Jewish people despised them.)  Jesus had many dealings with women and always we find Him understanding and gentle.

Jesus went looking for her to specifically save her from herself.  Jn 4:4 says He "had to go through Samaria".  No He didn't; not physically.  It was actually out of the way.  He had to go because He knew this woman would be at this well at this time of day.  In v. 8 we see His disciples had gone for food.   He was "tired and sat down".  I am assuming He sent them for food so He could visit with the Samaritan woman alone.  Let's also notice that He "sat down".  I am reminded of the phrase, "Let go and let God".  When we struggle for control, He "sits down"; let's us work at our problems alone.  If we "sit down" and let him have the wheel, He gets up and goes to work on our problems.  He was sitting in this scene because He was waiting for a woman who had been trying to work out her life by herself.

In v. 6, we find out it was about noon - in the desert - lots of sun - few trees - it was the heat of the day.  People do not go out to get water in the heat of the day.  They would go early morning and evening when it was cooler.  Why did this woman come in the heat of the day?  She was shunned, gossiped about and scorned for her life choices.  The people knew who she was in this small town.  I have lived in a small town.  Believe me, they knew all about her.  

Verse 7 calls her "a Samaritan woman".  Commonly, when the Bible refers to a person without giving their name, they are a non believer.  This, and being Samaritan gives us evidence that she is not a believer.  Samaritans were people intermarried with the Jews and separate.   Some knew the God of Moses, some were even idol worshipers.

In v. 9 He asks her for a drink.  He initiates the conversation.  So many times in the Bible, Jesus approaches those He knows are in need.  He got her attention.  She comments on Him, as a Jew, speaking to her as a Samaritan.  Keep in mind, she was also aware of her status among her people.

In v. 10, He states the "gift of God . . . . would have given you living water."  He is revealing Himself to her; something He seldom did directly.  Jesus revealed Himself to women many times.  He was being intimate and sharing a special moment. I believe it is so much easier for women to relate to and understand Him than it is for men.  We see by church attendance that there are more Christian women than there are men.  Interesting, when you think of how Eve was fooled.  

Of course, the living water He spoke of was the Holy Spirit, as He explains in v. 13 and 14.  (Jer. 2:13)   In v. 15, she is still not clear on what He is saying.  He continues to gently guide her into the truth.  She is making progress; she wants what He has to give.  Then, He tests her in v. 16 and she comes through with the truth about herself in v. 17 where Jesus compliments her for her honesty.  

  Through v. 18 he tells her about herself, pointing out her sin WITHOUT any condemnation.  What a beautiful Savior!  Now, she is catching on; in v. 19 she has upgraded him to the status of "prophet".  She has had revelation:  In v. 9 she called him a "Jew".  In v. 11, she addresses Him as "Sir".  Now, in v. 19, she sees Him as a "prophet".  (Three is the number of the God head.)  She has increased in understanding with each step of their encounter.

Their conversation continues through v. 24 while He tells her of a time, that is coming, when WHERE people worship will not be an issue.  All will worship God through the Holy Spirit, wherever they are.  Our worship of God will come from within and through the spirit.  God, who is spirit, can only be worshiped through spirit.  (I see a hidden reference here to grace over the law.)

The Samaritan woman reveals her faith in v. 25.  Now that this is out in the open, Jesus reveals His true self to her in v. 26 with the declaration, "I Am".  (See my blog titled, "I Am".  Every Jew and certainly most,if not all, Samaritans knew the name of God, "I Am As I Am".)   First comes your faith, then comes Jesus.  You take the first step and He is waiting.  This is the first "I Am" declaration to a Gentile woman.  It may be the only one - I would have to research that.  

Now, the disciples return and here is their Rabbi talking with a Samaritan and a woman on top of that.  Verse 27 says they did not ask any question.  They presumed it was alright because they presumed she was married.  They didn't know anything about her. 

Verse 28 is interesting because she left her water jar.  She came to the well, in the heat of the day to get this water that she surely needed.  Why did she leave without it?  SHE NO LONGER NEEDED IT.  She now had the living water; the Holy Spirit or a temporary facsimile.  (The Spirit was not sent permanently to all until Pentecost, recorded in Acts.)  We can assume this because of what follows in the next couple verses.  She no longer cared what people had to say about her or to her.  She had the spirit and she was going to talk about Jesus.  She was excited.  She was not shy or hesitant.  This woman was "on fire".   

As she spoke with Jesus, you can see her revelation of what He was saying and who He was.  She accepted without doubt or question and became an instant evangelist to people who despised her - much like Jesus himself.   She never  questioned Him or anything He was telling her as He brought her gently along to the understanding of who He was and the gift of The Spirit.  

Now comes one of my favorite parts of the story.   The disciples urge Jesus to eat and He tells them He is no longer hungry.  He is talkative and refreshed.  Why?  Because this wonderful woman took what He was giving.  She had a need and He has so much to give.  Just a step out in belief and He gives freely, without condemnation.  This is what He does; He is our Savior, Jesus, the Christ.  He is here for us; the Shepard taking care of the sheep.  Believe on Him and He will give to you because it replenishes Him to give more.

He proceeds to tell his disciples of the many people who are anxiously waiting for just such a message - "the fields are ripe for harvest".  This woman continued harvesting and brought many believers who invited Him to stay with them and teach more.  The people were grateful to her for pointing Him out to them.

Note:  Nowhere in this passage, did Jesus tell her "Go and sin no more".  Why?  It is stated that he needed to go to Samaria to this well to talk with this woman.  We know that Jesus knows each of us intimately; no secrets here.  I believe he didn't tell her that because He knew she went  home and kicked out that guy she was living with.  I believe she repented and continued being the first Gentile woman evangelist. 

My you come to the understanding of the gentle, loving heart of Jesus and how He is waiting on you for that first step in faith.
Amen

A Study of Jonah, Chapt. 1

Amazing how there is so much in just four chapters.

Jonah was a really interesting, yet reluctant profit.  He was stubborn, bull headed and jealous.   His last recorded words to God were "I'm so angry I wish I were dead."  He was angry that God spared Ninevah with 120,000 people, after they repented.  What a guy!

Jonah means "Dove".  Israel is referred to, in several places, as God's Dove.  We can derive that Jonah represents Israel's jealousy of God's relationship with Gentiles; in this case, Ninevah (which means "Offspring's Habitation").  Let me reassure anyone in doubt that God has enough wealth, love, grace and mercy for all His children - just in case you were wondering.

This little book by a minor prophet is only 4 short chapters, with 40 verses.  The number forty represents trial.  Of these verses, 8 are a prayer stating Jonah's turn of attitude after being swallowed by a huge fish.

In chapter one, we observe Nineveh was the capitol of Syria (Gen 10:11) on the east bank of the Tigris River.  Pop: 120,000

We can also observe the ups and downs: "down to Joppa", "storm arose", "below deck", "lay down", "pick me up".  We can relate this to the ups and downs of sea waves and/or the ups and downs of life along with the ups and downs of the emotions in this little book.

Ninevites were descendants of Noah's son Ham (his name means "Dark").  Since the three sons of Noah populated the earth, I believe the people of Nineveh were dark skinned.

Verse three: we read of Jonah paying fare to ride on a cargo ship.  I understand this was not custom in those days and Jonah's fare would have been high.  Moral: we have to pay when we go against the will of God.

The word "sea" which often refers to the world, in the Bible, is an interesting topic of meditation in this book.  We can get the reference of God's grace to Gentiles all over the world (not just Nineveh).

Verse 5 tells us the sailors are Gentiles and follow their own gods.

In V.7, we see the sailors casting lots for an answer (refer to Pro.16:33) and they were following other gods.  And, recognizing yet another God, Jonah's.  When people follow a god other than the one true God, one is never enough to satisfy.

Verse eight is one place in the New Testament that the word "please" is omitted from original Greek text:  "Please tell us, who is responsible . . ".

Verse nine is funny to me.  Here, Jonah is bragging about being a Hebrew who worships the God of heaven - yet, he is running away from this God he brags about.  He does not want to do the bidding of the God he worships.  Does he really believe that he can hide from his mighty God?  Others have tried.  He really is a very interesting character.

In verse 11, they asked Jonah what they should do to him.  They knew he was the reason for the stormy sea.  He told them twice that God was chasing him (v.10).  Good ol' Jonah told them to pitch him into the sea.

Now we see these sailors as honorable men.  They tried to row back to land to keep from sending Jonah to "Davey Jone's Locker".  Then, they cried out to Jonah's God, not their gods.  They have become believers thru this ordeal.  Out of desperation from the storm increasing, they threw Jonah overboard.  The sea got calm (immediately) and they made vows to God.  Such vows were generally in the form of promises to help the poor.

Metaphor:  God's dove, Israel, (Jonah) tries to flee to the world (the sea) to get away from God's bidding.  God allows them to suffer trial (the storm) until they are ready to submit (thrown overboard).   As soon as Israel submits (thrown overboard) God relents and stops their torment (storm).  This is the history of the Hebrew people over and over throughout history.  Far fetched metaphor?  Maybe.  Interesting comparison?  Definitely!

Come back for Chapt. 2

Amen