Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?” But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.
After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. (Deuteronomy 9:1-6 NIV)
What had they done that was so wicked?
The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. (Deuteronomy 12:29-31 NIV)
When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 18:9-13 NIV)
Did the Israelites utterly destroy the peoples of the land, as God commanded them? No.
Did the Israelites adopt the practices of the peoples they did not destroy? Yes.
And, what was the result? The kingdom was split into "Israel" and "Judah." Then Israel (Samaria) was the first to be exiled...
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
...The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.
All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.” The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”
But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”
They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.
So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence. (2 Kings 17:1-2,5-20 NIV)
Judah suffered a similar defeat and they were exiled to Babylon. You can read about it in 2 Kings 18-25.
After many, many years, Yeshua was sent to the lost sheep of Israel. He taught those with 'eyes to see and ears to hear' how to be his disciples (apprentices). If we are his apprentices, then we are sheep of Israel.
Yeshua saves us from our sins through immersion in water (baptism), and he equips us with the ability to avoid sin through baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is a hard road, however. There are many temptations, and we will sometimes fall into sin, but repentance is always available and the Holy Spirit helps us stay on the narrow path.
We live in "enemy territory." The world around us is full of sin, just as it was for the initial Israelites. We have the same challenges, although we are better equipped.
Right now, the world is terrified of a virus. Things like this are real, and they kill people. The world is looking for answers, and the Darkness has just the thing. Typical practice: create a problem, then provide the solution... for money. The pharmaceutical industry is huge, and it is entrenched in the world's economy. People rely on it; in fact it is an idol for many. Yeshua heals all diseases and sicknesses, but the pharma companies don't want people to know that. If people knew they could be healed by the simple "laying on of hands," the drug makers would be out of business. Consequently, they defend their territory with cunning.
Many Christians see themselves as God's people. Maybe they are and maybe they aren't, but by representing themselves to the world as God's people and followers of Jesus, they are putting the Name and its reputation on the line. If their actions cause the world to mock and blaspheme the holy and righteous Creator of the universe, they are going to ultimately regret their situations. Just ask the people of Samaria and Judah.
Paul used the root word "pharma" in his letter to the Galatians...
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft [pharmakeia]; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:16-26 NIV 1984)
The writer of Revelation used the root word "pharma" several times...
The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts [pharmakon], their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21 NIV 1984)
Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
“With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again.
No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s great men.
By your magic spell [pharmakeia] all the nations were led astray.
In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.” (Revelation 18:21-24 NIV 1984)
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts [pharmakos], the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21-6-8 NIV 1984)
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts [pharmakos], the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:14-15 NIV 1984)
God did not spare the initial Israelites when they sinned, and he will not spare us either when we conform to the practices of the peoples of the world. Our job is to be different. If we fail to do our job, God will find somebody else.
All glory to God.
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UPDATE, August 21, 2022...
It's always snakes. From the beginning.
What do you see on the side of ambulances? What is the symbol of medicine?
This stuff is everywhere. Open your eyes and you will see it.
David Pawson did an interesting talk about "De-Greecing the Church." It gives practical examples of how Greek influence in our education and culture gives rise to un-Biblical thinking and behavior.
You can listen to it here.
I am currently reading Excellence of the Common Law by Brent Allan Winters. It compares and contrasts Common Law with Civil Law. The former is based on presumption of innocence, the Ten Commandments, trial by jury, and stare decisis (precedent), and it has roots in rural Europe. The latter is based on legislation and inquisition and has roots in Rome and Babylon.
People came to America from Europe so they could practice Common Law. The Salem witch trials were an intrusion of inquisition from Europe and Common Law was not followed. Winters talks about the trials in section 3.10.1, "Salem Witchcraft Trials: Common Law Ignored."
Our culture seems to use the tragedy and miscarriage of justice of Salem to propagandize the masses into believing accusations of witchcraft are ridiculous and unwarranted. The caricatures created paint 'religious Puritans' as superstitious and paranoid, which implies all claims of supernatural activity are really only tricks and frauds by people who want attention.
But the supernatural is real, as I discuss throughout this blog, and witchcraft is a real thing. I recently had a conversation with a witch and she certainly believed it was true. So do I. She just does not realize what she is dealing with.
Most people do not recognize medicine is the practice of witchcraft. We have all been taught to revere doctors and seek their advice for every ache and pain we encounter, and we submit to their authority by dutifully taking the potions... er, medications ... they prescribe. It is idolatry, and God is not pleased. We must flee from it as best as we can. It's hard because it permeates the culture, and people do not even seem to notice it.
You can learn about it by watching this video. The elites of the world do not want you to know this. Tough. It's the Truth.
"You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time."
"...It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs..." (Matthew 10:25-27 NIV)
UPDATE, October 26, 2022...
God's ways and his designs are not profitable for multinational corporations.
Healthy people do not need "health care." They do not need medicines, or doctors, or hospitals, or diagnostic equipment, or special treatments, or therapies, or, or, or...
Noah fathered Shem, Ham and Japheth after he was 500 years old (Genesis 5:32). That does not happen today, but it is God's original design. This example happened after The Fall. God the Creator originally intended our physical bodies to last forever.
Mother's milk is the perfect food for a baby. But it is not profitable. Mom's breasts provide nutrition to grow the baby's body, antibodies to supplement and build the baby's immune system, and the suckling activity bonds mother and child together through hormones such as oxytocin. "Formula" fed through a bottle only provides basic nutrition... and allows corporations in on the deal. "Vaccinations" are just... evil.
Neurological problems were unknown to me when I was in school. Now they are everywhere, and this provides plenty of work for caregivers and accessibility-equipment manufacturers, most of whom work for corporations. It's disgusting. We should love and care for the victims, of course, but those responsible for the situation should be held accountable.
Doing "Bible study" should mean actually studying the Bible, not studying derivative works made by men who pick and choose what to present. Corporations publish and distribute those books and workbooks and videos, all for profit.
Sitting down and reading God's Word ourselves cuts the corporations out of the activity, and it allows the Holy Spirit to counsel our spirits directly, as the LORD intends.
We should always follow the money with our eyes, and then walk in the other direction.
UPDATE, October 27, 2022...
Paul said...
...the wages of sin is death... (Romans 6:23 NIV)
Adam sinned by eating a piece of fruit, ... and he died.
The people of the antediluvian world sinned, ... and they died.
The participants in Korah's Rebellion sinned, ... and they died.
The people who grumbled against the LORD about the report from Canaan sinned, ... and they all died.
King Saul sinned, and the LORD rejected him. Saul continued to sin by pursuing David, ... and he died.
The priests of Baal sinned, ... and they all died.
King Ahab sinned, ... and he died.
Ananias and Sapphira sinned, ... and they both died.
When we reject the LORD's designs and foolishly adopt the ways of the world, ... we will physically die prematurely.
When we reject the LORD spiritually, ... we will die spiritually -- this is the second death.
This is extremely serious. We must run from all sin.