Category: Ears to Hear, Listen!

A Moabite Woman Who Would Not Give Up

In those days when the judges ruled the nation of Israel, there was a famine in the land. (Ruth 1:1a). Elimelech, his wife Naomi and family moved to Moab at that time. However, their future became uncertain with the death of Elimelech and his two sons, who were married to Moabite women named Orpha, and Ruth.  Naomi decided to move back to Israel with her two daughters-in-law. However, she insisted on them staying, but as she was leaving, they wept aloud; Orpha, one of the sisters, kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. She said, urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1). Ruth’s decision to leave everything behind, including her gods, family to follow the God of Naomi and her people was an attitude of sacrificial love. This action was prophetic in itself of a beautiful future. A future so special, she never dreamed of. Descendent of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, from a nation with an embarrassing beginning, nonetheless, God had a future and a hope for Ruth in a far and distant future, although she would not have a chance experience the excitement of it. Ruth was a chosen one unknown to her. She was both a widow and an alien, touching the heart of God. With courage and determination, she entered an unfamiliar territory, where a Moabite was not looked at with favor. But she performed all that her mother-in-law suggested her to do in that foreign land.  Strong physically and emotionally, Ruth remained faithful to the end. Where she was gleaning was in the field of Naomi’s husband kin, Boaz.

Naomi stayed behind the scene teaching Ruth how to behave in that culture, not knowing how she was being used to bring about God’s plan for Ruth’s life, a plan in which Naomi would be part of.  She would no longer be alone. Her life would be filled with joy in the fulfillment of God’s plan for Ruth, whose life was an ordinary life with an extraordinary future ahead of her. Ruth was in the right place in the space of the right time for all to happen as God planed.  She had to be willing to leave behind all that was important to her, including her religion and her family. YAHSHUA said, Truly, I tell you, there is no one who has given up and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the Gospel’s  who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecution – and in the age to come, eternal life (Mar. 10:29-30). Although, Ruth did not have in mind this concept YAHSHUA presented, she took a path of obedience for God to fulfill His plan through her. In spite of being a foreigner, she was respected for her act of compassion toward her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi. When the time came for her to marry Boaz, the people rejoiced with her and Naomi, saying, May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachael and Leah, the two who built the household of Israel. May you do worthily and get wealth in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem, (prophetically of YAHSHUA) and let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman (Ruth 4:11-12). Ruth’s future as well as Naomi’s took root in these prophetic words uttered by the people which took thousands of years for its fulfillment, while generations multiplied. God, however, in His appointed time brought all to fulfillment.

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The Tree that Changed the Destiny of Mankind

The serpent in that perfect garden of Eden served as an instrument for Satan to fulfill his plan against God’s creation in his fallen state. Obviously, he hated men, whom God created as His image and wanted them condemned to hell. Eve became his target and was deceived by the serpent which was crafty and she was prone to listen to the devil. A battle for men was happening at that time, and Eve made it easy, for not perceiving the reality. Was she aware of whom Satan was and his enmity against God since they did not have the understanding of good and evil, with the exception of not “to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.” Obviously, Satan hid himself behind the voice of the serpent to deceive Eve and bring them to condemnation of the curse. The battle raged on and he won. The beautiful garden, pure and perfect, where there was the presence of God was painted black; its shinning disappeared in the waves of sin; men’ destiny shifted to Satan’s control. So, it was that the earth bent to him lost its beauty, peace, and love. Now, violence, hatred, homicide and everything evil took the form of the curse.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity was not to be eaten from (Gen. 2:17a). That command sealed God’s agreement with men. Obviously, Adam was the recipient of that command, for Eve to fall for the serpent’s idea without defending God’s command. When the prohibited fruit was yanked from the tree it felt the pain, as If it knew what was happening to the human race from eating that prohibited fruit whose message carried consequence to all who ate it for generations to come. When Eve listened to the serpent’s voice, disregarding God’s voice, she lost her relationship with Him, for she had believed the serpent’s words, doubting God’s word and breaking the agreement with Him to obey. As a result, she brought down the entire world with her, including her husband.

The tree was disregarded and dishonored by Eve. So, God sent Adam out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So, “He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim with the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22-24). In this, we see nature changing, as well as the ground being cursed. Life was left marked by sin and a curse. Men multiplied, so did their iniquity, while nature of all kinds suffered the consequences of their evil acts.  “How long must the land mourn and the grass and herbs of the whole country wither? Through the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away… “says Jeremiah “because the ground is cracked and the tillers are dismayed, since there has been no rain on the land, the plowmen are put to shame, and they cover their heads. Yes, even the hind gives birth to her calf in the field and forsakes it, because there is no grass or herbage and the wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; their pant for air like jackals or crocodiles; their eyesight fails because there is no grass. O Lord though our iniquities testify against us, deal and work with us for Your own sake! For our backslidings are many; we have sinned against You” (Jer. 12:4; 14: 4-7).  In Romans 8:19-23 Paul says: “For the creation waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known, for the creation was subjected to frailty, not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it with the hope that nature itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children . We know that the whole creation has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now, and no only creation, but we ourselves too…” (Rom. 8:19-23a).

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Adopted into the Family of God, We Cry out “Daddy”

When men sinned, they were separated from God. And what that meant, eternally. Men were now under the curse of sin and under its condemnation, under God’s judgment, because with the mind of the flesh, men can never please God. For the mind of the flesh is death; those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh. When we sinned, it took control of our mind and body. We became enslaved to its desires. No one could free us from the curse, as Paul described men situation under the power of sin: For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it, for I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am doing… O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from this body of death? O thank God! [He will] through YAHSHUA Messiah our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin (Rom. 7:20-25). As a result, condemnation is removed from those who walk not after the desire of the flesh, but after the dictated of the Spirit (Rom. 8:1)

When YAHSHUA came to the world, He came to break the chain of sin that held us prisoners to its power from all those who believe on His name (Jn.1:13). It was the love of God that compelled Him to save His creation from the power of Satan. He did by giving up His own life to give us His own life, restoring us to Himself for ever. With that, He gave us the power to become His children. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jn. 3:18). If we are living according to the flesh, we must die; but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the body, we will live, for we have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but we have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8: 15). There is nothing more touching to the human heart, than YAHSHUA’S love. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm! He chose us before the foundation of the world, He adopted us as His own children through YAHSHUA Messiah, He redeemed us through His blood and forgave us in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, in Him we also were made [God’s] heritage; and we obtained an inheritance, so that we who first hoped in Christ live for the praise of His glory! We were stamped with the seal of the long -promised Holy Spirit. He is the guarantee of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring possession of it- to the praise of His glory (Eph.1).

[Page 2 includes the poem, The Orphan’s Cry”]

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Faith, the Sparkplug Necessary to Activate the Word of God

God’s Word says, without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would come near to God must believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  When we approach God to present our needs to Him, we must mix our faith with His word, so that His word will be affective in our prayer life. Asking without believing is without a doubt an insult to His attributes. It constitutes a serious spiritual problem in the sense of relationship with Him. How many times our prayers are not heard because our attitudes didn’t line up with faith in order for a harmonious relationship between us and our heavenly Father? Knowing our heart and its motives, knowing how wicked and faithless it is, our God will not be pleased with us. Our faithless life style finds no pleasure in our spiritual growth, because it is faith that connects us to Him. “Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered, let us be afraid [to distrust it], lest any of you should think he has come too late and has come short of reaching it. For indeed we have had the glad tidings proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe)” (Heb. 4:1-2).

The Word of God has been given to us thousands of years ago. While the message it displays remains quiet and ineffective for most of the time in the lives of Christians, its messages are powerful and strong. He said, “Is not My word like fire? Says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?” (Jer. 23:29). “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and the spirit, and the joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Knowing these truths about the Word of God, shouldn’t we demonstrate honor and respect to it? Since it is the spoken words of God? Shouldn’t we desire to learn about God better and His commandments in order to have a closer relationship with Him, our heavenly Father? The Israelites missed the mark for not listening to His spoken and written word. Even though having experienced God’s presence at Mount Sinai and all throughout their pilgrimage to the Promised Land, miracles upon miracles, supernaturally fed and cared for. But Israel suffered from ATTENTION DEFICIT (ADHD). They did not have faith to mix with the Word of God and were left in the desert, without reaching the Promised Land. We read in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1-3 the following: “In many separate revelations and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets. [But] in the last of these days, He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, all by and through Whom of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time; He is the sole expression of the glory of God; nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power,. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.” To us He has given His precious words of warnings, teachings, sanctification in order for us to be more as He is. The effectiveness of God’s Word is based on faith that pleases Him. Faith that connects to His words, faith that assures us of our prayers answered. Experiencing a life of answered prayers is a confirmation that our faith is being mix with God’s word. It has been connected to Him in a relationship that unites us to Him, never again to doubt what He said.

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The Price YAHSHUA Paid Positioned Us of no More Condemnation

That means that we are no longer debtors to the flesh, with its demands. We are now children of God and heir with His Son, YAHSHUA, chosen before the foundation of the world to be molded according to the pleasures of His will, to be like Him. So, All things work together for good, so God will accomplish His will of molding us into the image of His Son. It is a permanent thing from the time we were born again until eternity when we see Him face to face and as it, we will be as He Is. It is progressive from glory to glory; with unveiled face continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another from the Lord (II Cor. 3:18). Our salvation is a continuous work of sanctification, we must submit ourselves daily, moment by moment. Not only on Sunday while in church. We have been raised with Christ; our aim is to seek that which are above, where our Savior is seated at the right hand of God; our mind must be set and kept set on heavenly things. Because as far as the world is concerned, we have died for the world and our new life is hidden with Christ in God. And the beautiful promise is that when Christ appear, we will appear with Him. (Col 3: I-4) If you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul was made a minister (Col.1:23)

Now, if we were chosen before the foundation of the world unto salvation and sanctification, why do we think that leaving the path of sanctification will we be saved?  What does Romans 8:28 says?  That all things are working together for God’s purpose of our salvation and molding unto the image of His Son in a continuous plan until eternity, when all will be consummated in His time. That means We are in a new covenant- the covenant of blood with Him. YAHSHUA did His part of redemption and we are to do ours of agreement to its requirements.

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God’s Final Judgment to Come on the Earth

It started with our forefathers Adam and Eve, when they transgressed God’s law and fell into disobedience.  God’s judgment in the form of a curse fell on the entire world as a result. Generation to generations to come have experienced and seeing the misery sin brought to all of us, even before we were born! Condemned, we were! It was a judgment that only YAHSHUA, God’s Son could ransom us from eternal condemnation. With that, His image was restored with the presence of His Holy Spirit given to us. The world, however has rejected this gift and remains under God’s condemnation. In the days of Noah, the people also rejected Noah’s message. They were swept away under the fury of God’s judgment. Noah witnessed the severity of the wrath of God while safe in the ark. Nature revolted against the sin of the people and responded with force against them, until they were gone, as God directed it.   In another time, when the sins of men reached God, He brought judgment to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the days of Lot. Only he and his family were saved. In this case, God’s judgment was isolated to those cities, not to the entire world. But God showed mercy to the righteous Lot and his family.

The Apostle Peter has warned us that this present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people. It is a fact, we must consider, for it will happen against the ungodly people. Peter left a warning for us to take: to be found by YAHSHUA without spot and blemish and at peace (II Pet. 3).  The book of Isaiah chapter 24 is a mini book of Revelation without  seals and bowls: The earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is shaken violently; the earth shall stagger like a drunken man and shall sway to and fro like a hammock; its transgression shall lie heavily upon it, and it shall fall and not rise again… said, Let me warn you therefore, beloved, that knowing these things beforehand, you should be on your guard, lest you are carried away by the error of lawless and wicked and fall from your own firm condition (II Pet. 3). Come my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you hide yourselves for a little while until the [Lord’s] wrath is past.  For Then the moon will be confounded and the sun shamed, when the Lord of hosts, Who will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders, will show forth His glory (Isa.24). It will be days of divine vengeance. No one will escape. Behold, the Lord is coming out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her and will no longer cover her slain and conceal her guilt (Isa. 26:20-21). This perhaps seems too far away from you in your frame of time. However, a thousand years in God’s sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night (Ps,90:4). Peter confirmed Moses words and warned us saying, Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day (II Peter3:8). So, where does it leave us as we are waiting for our Lord? We must be prepared all the time. Scoffers are asking, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the forefathers fell asleep, all things have continued exactly the as they did from the beginning of creation (II Peter 3:44). This is a position of disbelief in the Word of God. Therefore, if we remain in this position, we will be left behind to suffer all the consequences of our disbelief.  When the disciple Thomas doubted the resurrection of our Lord, He told him, Reach out your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in My side, Do not be faithless and incredulous, but believe! Then Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God! (John 20:27-28). Thomas repented and was saved.  If you do not repent of your incredulities, you will be found condemned to eternity out of the presence of God. For it is a fearful thing to incur the divine penalties and be cast into the hands of the living God! (Heb.10:31).

When God’s judgment comes it will be merciless. We all know how patient He is, but He is also holy; when our sins reach His holiness, He will stand to defend it by destroying the earth and its inhabitants. Chapter 6 of Revelation starts with the opening of the seals of judgment.  When the Lamb broke open the sixth seal, I looked, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun grew black as sackcloth of hair, the moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky dropped to the earth like a fig tree shedding its unripe fruit out of season when shaken by a strong wind  and the sky rolled up like a scroll and vanished, and every mountain and island was dislodged  from its place. Then the kings of the earth and their noblemen and their magnates and their military chiefs and the wealthy and the strong and everyone slave or free hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains and they called to the mountains and the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne and from the deep-seated indignation and wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand before it? (Rev. 6).

When God’s holiness touched Mount Sinai, it was wrapped in smoke, for the Lord descended upon it in fire; its smoke ascended like that of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly (Exod. 19:18). We have no idea how serious it is when we disrespect the holiness of God! We might not be aware of it, but in time, continuing in this path, you know soon or later how holy He is.  The Egyptians were judged for having many gods and mocking the Israelites God. They were judged with several plagues and at the end, they were drowned in the Red Sea in pursuit of Israel.  Israel, experienced and witnessed God’s judgement in many ways while in their journey to the Promised Land. They always seemed to have touched the holiness of God. And in their life time as a nation, they continued with their wicked ways. Many did not make to the Promised Land and were killed in the desert. The writer to the letter to the Hebrews confirms saying, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion and their provocation and embitterment in the day of testing in the wilderness (Heb. 3:7-12). God’s time frame for judgment will come when many do not expect. For the nation of Israel, God’s plan is to refine her as gold and silver. The Prophet Zachariah says, I will hear and answer them, I will say, It is My people; and they will say, the Lord is my God! And in all the land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be out off and perish, but one-third shall be left alive; and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will hear and answer them.  I will say, It is My people: and they will say, The Lord is my God. (Zech.13:8-9)

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Behold, One Like a Son of Man Was Coming With the Clouds of Heaven

The glorious promise YAHSHUA left before He ascended to heaven is getting closer and closer to its fulfillment. The Word of God mentions in various places the promise of His return. Look up! For our redemption is very near! In one of the Prophet Daniel’s visions, he said, “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass way; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

ALLELUIA! So, that at the name of YAHSHUA every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue will confess that YAHSHUA Messiah is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phi. 2:10-11).  Answering to the high priest a very question, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” YAHSHUA said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless, I tell you, here after you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:63-64). At the ascension, while the disciples were gazing intently into the sky while YAHSHUA was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This YAHSHUA, Who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Hours before His trials, while comforting His disciples He said, Do not let you heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go and prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also… (John 14:1-3). In YAHSHUA’S own words, the promise stands.  Daniel’s vision of hundreds of years earlier, is echoed and confirmed by YAHSHUA Himself – the Son of Man Daniel saw in his vision. In the message to the seven churches, John said, Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So, it is to be. Amen (Rev. 1:7). “AND BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY. BLESSED IS HE WHO HEEDS THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK.” (REV. 22:7).

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And They Were Blessed

In the beginning, God created the woman to be man’s help mate, “for Adam there was not found a helper meet for him.” And then the first surgery happened while God put Adam down for a deep sleep. While he slept, God took one of his ribs or a part of his side and closed up the flesh (Gen. 2).  So, the woman came from one of Adam’s ribs. We can’t imagine how a body is formed from a rib, with all its intrinsics complicated parts coming together to form the perfect creation of a body. But so it happened that the woman was created to be a help mate for her husband. All through the ages, women carried the character of a leader in certain things, as she became the mother of her children, and the controller of her household. Proverbs 31 well gives a picture of a virtuous woman. The picture given does not show her to be passive, but one that shows her active in every aspect of life. What her husband and children had to say about her?  “Her children rise up and call her blessed and her husband boasts of and praises her [saying], Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well, but you excel them all” (Prov. 31:28-29).

There are a few women in the Old Testament I would like to mention for their courage in times of great challenges. Debora the prophetess and the only woman Judge in Israel, left a legacy of leadership many of us admire; it ultra passes that of many men of yesterday and today. In her simple  life style, she sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment; and she sent and called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel commanded you, Go gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali  and Zebulun? And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the trip you take will not be for your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Debora arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.” (Judges 4).  That was not an easy task Prophetess and Judge Debora took under her. She was rewarded however, with victory, and her life lives forever in the pages of the Word of God. Among others, there is Esther. A young Jew who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives taken away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile.

Hadassah had no father, and no mother; they both died and Mordecai took her as his own daughter. Hadassa was the chosen girl to replace the king’s wife Vasti for not submitting to her husband’s orders in his great celebration. She was dethroned, losing her position of queen. The law of the country was that the queen could only appear in the presence of the king when called. Meanwhile, Mordecai her uncle, learned of a plot that to destroy all the Jews from the province of Babilon. Being a Jew, he took the matter to Esther for a solution in her position of a new queen. He warned her, saying, If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion? Esther instructed her uncle to gather all the Jews present in Shushan, and fast for me; three days night or day. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish (Esther 4). Queen Esther sacrificed her life to save her nation with courage and determination. This is a beautiful act of love for her people. And she found favor in the king’s sight and he held out to [her] the golden scepter that was in his hand. He said, What will you have Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of the kingdom. (Esther 5). The story has a nice ending, because of faith and courage of a young girl.

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Jacob and the Stone Pillow

When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob (Genesis 25:24-26).

This is the beginning story of two brothers – Esau and Jacob. A story with future significance that has shaped their world and continues shaping, embracing the entire world as it turned to the future of yesterday and will continue writing its pages until the end. The emphasis is given to the younger brother, Jacob. To start with, his name means supplanter. Jacob well lived his name, bringing grudges between the two to this day. The older, Esau was supposed to be the right heir of the blessing before his father Isaac died. But Jacob was always envious of that blessing, so much so that he would not give his brother a bowl of soup without having him give up his blessing. That had come when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, so he could not see, he called Esau his older son, and said to him: My son! And he answered him, He I am. He said, See here now; I am old, I do not know when I may die. So, now I pray you, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out into the open country and hunt game for me, and prepare me appetizing meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat of it, to giving you my blessing before I die (Gen. 27:1-4). But Rebekah had a plan for her favorite son, Jacob, that of stealing the blessing from her older son to give to his brother.

Jacob hesitated for a while, but went along with it and deceived his father, dressed as Esau with a delicious meal which Rebeka- his mother prepared. In his desperation, when he came to receive his blessing, Esau tried to kill his brother from that day onward. Not a beautiful picture in the pages of History. But God had His plan to write on those pages- a story that would make a difference in the entire world through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As things were taking place in the lives of the brothers, Jacob had to flee to the house of his mother’s father, which was between six hundred to seven hundred miles from Canaan to Padan-aram, where his mother’s family lived. After that, Isaac blessed him saying, May the God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you until you become a group of peoples; may He give the blessing [He gave to] Abraham to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land He gave to Abraham, in which you’re a sojourner (Gen. 28:3-4). Years earlier, the righteous Abraham had been was tested, when God asked him to offer his only son to Him in the region of Mount Moriah. Abraham obeyed when he built an altar and Isaac, was put on the altar to be sacrificed. There, Abraham was blessed and, in his Seed, all the nations of the world with him for his obedience to God. (Gen.22).  The blessing continued through Jacob the day he fled from his brother. Nothing was interrupting God’s plan of salvation through Jacob’s descendance. His journey was going to be challenging, but God ‘s plan was going to be fulfilled in the fulness of time. Paul said, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Gal. 4:4). One of the beautiful things God does is to reveal His plan to His servants. He reveals to Moses, to Abraham, to the Prophets and still reveals to us today.

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God’s Purpose in Lazarus’ Death

When YAHSHUA received the news that Lazarus was sick, He was staying in Peraea beyond Jordan with His disciples, which was more than a day’s journey. By the time the news arrived, Lazarus had died. YAHSHUA knowing that, He remained there two more days, before He went to see Lazarus. He said, Our friend Lazarus is at rest and sleeping; but I am going there that I may awaken him out of his sleep. The disciples answered, Lord, If he is sleeping, he will recover. However, YAHSHUA had spoken of his death. So, then He told them plainly, Lazarus is dead (John 11:4-14). That happened at the time when the Jewish Passover was at hand, (11:55). Lazarus death and resurrection coincided two weeks before YAHSHUA’S death and resurrection. According to the Restored Vision book by A.E Ware the death and resurrection of Lazarus took place exactly two weeks before that of our Lord YAHSHUA, and precisely the same days of the week. The messenger sent by the two sisters must have left Bethany on Thursday, April 16th and reached our Lord on Friday, April 17th. Lazarus died on Friday, April 17th, and rose on Monday, April 20th; our Lord died on Friday, May first and rose on Monday 4th of May, in exact fulfillment of every statement He had made upon the subject. Lazarus death was not an isolated case, without a significant meaning that of connecting him to a prophetic event to happen many years later in the life of the Jewish nation. Lazarus, was a type of the nation of Israel, which was destroyed A.D.70 and remained dead as a nation, until the time when it was reestablished in the year 1948. Lazarus’ resurrection pointed to a time in history when his nation would arise from the ashes into life.

The urgency of the moment of Lazarus’ sickness didn’t concern our Lord, for He knew the perfect timing when He should go to attend to Lazarus’ situation, fulfilling the Father’s desire for that important moment in His life on earth, for it was the time when YAHSHUA’S messiahship would be brought to light. Lazarus’ illness and death was for the glory of God. The burial of Lazarus for four days constituted a case of no doubt in the minds of the people that YAHSHUA was the Messiah, the Son of God. The Sabbath on April 25th A.D. 33, was therefore the last day of the great Messianic time prophecy of the “seventy weeks” minus one or 483 of 490 years, as measured in Gentile time. (Dan. 9:24-27). However, that day, the Jewish nation showed their ultimate rejection, for settling their minds to kill YAHSHUA, their Messiah. Which happened two weeks later, but on God’s calendar and purpose. Our Lord YAHSHUA Messiah from the very beginning experienced the hatred of the Jewish leaders and knew well that in spite of all His miracles and manifested grace they would reject and kill Him. One week after our Lord was in Jericho He was crucified and six of the seven weeks of years (483 0f 490) were completed in A.D. 26 to 33, which would now have to be relived at the end of the Christian era as a period of retributive judgments, the desolating nature of which the Apostle John received by revelation from our risen Lord and recorded in the book of Revelation (Restored Vision, A.E Ware).

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