A Stubborn Soul Resists Salvation

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The Soul of a Nation-The Affair that Started a Civil War

Many powerful leaders have fallen from grace and power due to the uncovering of seemingly private matters. While impeachments have been levied against modern politicians for lying about their illicit activities to the public while under oath, and rising political careers have stopped short or completely ended, few nations have experienced the same fracturing that Israel experienced when its king was seduced by a married woman. This affair not only led to a broken marriage, but destroyed many families, and started a Civil War.

In the springtime, when kings went off to war, King David sent his nephew Joab to command the whole Israelite military, while David remained in the capital city of Jerusalem. During a nightly stroll around the roof of his palace, King David saw a beautiful woman bathing in the moonlight. When inquiring as to who she was, his servant reminded him that the woman was Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, one of David’s thirty most elite warriors, who had fought beside him when he fled the previous King Saul’s murderous rampages (ref. 2 Samuel 23:34). Bathsheba’s father, Eliam was the son of Ahithophel, one of King David’s most trusted military and political advisors (ref. 2 Samuel 15:12; 16:23). Not only was Bathsheba the daughter of one of David’s most trusted battle companions, and the granddaughter of one of his most wise consultants, she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite another member of King David’s the Thirty who protected David when he had to flee Israel and survive amongst the Philistines as a refugee.

Despite the fact that Bathsheba was related or married to many important men in King David’s inner circle, he still gave in to his lusts and brought her to his palace. David did this while knowing full well that Bathsheba was not some poor peasant girl he could easily turn into a concubine in his haram, but a well-connected and high status woman, part of an influential family network, who not only could have chosen to turn down his sexual advances, but could have created a huge scandal in the courts for David’s attempted abuse of power. But Bathsheba was receptive to David’s invitation for intimacy and became pregnant by him (ref. 2 Samuel 11: 1-5).

In an attempt to cover the affair, David pulled Uriah from the battlefield and twice tried to convince him to go home and sleep with his wife, so that Uriah would believe that the child was actually his. But Uriah had been a trusted battle buddy to David many years ago and this steadfast loyalty extended to his fellow troops as Uriah’s honor code prevented him from enjoying the comforts of home and his wife, while the rest of the men were fighting and dying at war. David ultimately sent Uriah as the messenger of his own execution order, as General Joab was commanded to murder Uriah by proxy, by placing him on the front lines and failing to give his unit the defensive support it needed. Uriah was killed in battle and Bathsheba mourned for her dead husband, but after the time of mourning was over, she went to the castle and became one of David’s wives and bore him a son (ref. 2 Samuel 11:6-27).

But what David had done displeased the Lord, and then began a series of events, which slowly tore David’s reign apart.

Prophet Nathan confronted David regarding his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, David’s personal friend by way of his military enemies. Nathan declared that because he killed Uriah by the sword, the sword would never depart from David’s house, and out of his own household, the Lord would bring calamity upon David. Just as he had taken the wife of his military companion, David’s wives would be taken away before his very eyes and given to someone close to him. While David’s affair with Bathsheba was done in secret, David’s punishment would be done in broad daylight before all of Israel (ref. 2 Samuel 1-12).

The son whom Bathsheba had borne for David, became gravely ill and died, but would not be the only son of David that would pass.

After the child’s death, King David’s oldest son Prince Amnon became obsessed with his half-sister Tamar. But rather than legitimately asking for her as his wife, which she even suggested as the attack began, Amnon raped his half-sister Princess Tamar before disgracing her and sending her away, rather than marrying, providing for, and redeeming the honor of his victim, which was required by law. In direct contrast to Bathsheba who was made a queen and joined the royal household after her consensual affair with King David; after her sexual assault, David’s daughter Tamar covered her face with ashes and tore her ornate robe which distinguished herself as a virgin daughter of the king, before leaving the palace to live as a disgraced and desolate woman in her brother Prince Absalom’s house (ref. 2 Samuel 13: 1-20).

When King David discovered all this, he was furious, but did not carry out Justice on behalf of his own daughter. Instead, it was her brother, Prince Absalom, who avenged Tamar. Two years later, Absalom took the opportunity to kill his half-brother Prince Amnon before fleeing the country (ref. 2 Samuel 13:21-39). Absalom was banished for three years before being called back to Israel with protection orders placed against anyone avenging Prince Amnon murder. After two years of house arrest, Absalom sought to see his father King David and confront him concerning the fact that if Absalom was guilty of anything, David should be the one to put him to death. But just as David did not punish his son Amnon for the rape of Princess Tamar, David did not reprimand Absalom for the murder of Amnon (ref. 2 Samuel 14).

Having seen that his father, King David, would not treat his own family with equal Fairness and Justice, Prince Absalom approached anyone with a complaint to be placed before the King for a decision, recognized their claims as valid and proper, but explained that there was no representative of the king to hear them. Prince Absalom campaigned that if he were appointed Judge in the land then everyone who had a complaint or case could come to see him and he would ensure they received proper Justice, unlike how his father had proceeded. With his calls for judicial reform, Prince Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel. Recognizing that the nation’s people were no longer in support of him, King David left Jerusalem to avoid being overthrown by his son Absalom (ref. 2 Samuel 15).

After Absalom captured the palace, Bathsheba’s grandfather, Ahithophel suggested Absalom sleep with David’s concubines on the roof of the palace as a show of political defiance and dominance against the ousted king. This fulfilling of Nathan’s prophecy that David’s women would be taken from him by someone close to him, on the very same balcony David saw Bathsheba, was a cruel twist of irony (ref. 2 Samuel 15-22).

While King David was on the run, Bathsheba’s grandfather and King David’s personal counselor, advised self-declared King Absalom to strike while David and his men were in retreat. King David’s friend Hushai, acting as a double agent, instead suggested Absalom wait and gather more troops before engaging in a large scale attack. Absalom chose to follow Hushai’s misdirected counsel and this allowed David time to rally a larger fighting force to confront Absalom’s military (ref. 2 Samuel 17:1-14). When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, that the coup would ultimately fail and he would be branded a traitor and executed, Ahithophel went to his hometown to put his affairs in order before hanging himself. Likewise, Absalom’s rebellion failed as his troops were routed and destroyed at the Forest of Ephraim, and in another display of irony, Absalom himself was caught and entangled by his famous hair, also hanging from an oak tree, where he was killed.

While many powerful politicians have gone to great lengths to cover their shadowy conspiracies, God’s Sight is not blinded by their cover-ups and His Justice overwhelms corrupt judges and administrators. Despite being God’s Anointed King, David’s affair with Bathsheba and murdering of his friend Uriah, did not go unpunished and led to David’s newborn son’s death, the rape of his daughter Tamar, the murder of his son Amnon, the suicide of his most trusted advisor, and the rebellion and death of his son Absalom. When Injustice is carried out by a nation’s most influential and dominant leaders, that country suffers, and if God rules over that nation, He will enact Justice on His People’s behalf.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Soul Mates

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The Soul of a Nation-
Jonathan: The Prince who Chose Friendship over Kingship

One of the most rare and admirable qualities in a national leader is someone who is self-less and humble. Such qualities are essential to ensuring that those in charge are acting on behalf of their fellow countrymen. Prince Jonathan, son of King Saul, was a rare example of someone who was born to take the throne, but who surrendered his right to be king, because he recognized that God had chosen someone else to lead His Nation.

Prince Jonathan is introduced attacking the Philistine outpost at Geba, a town on the northern border of Judah (ref. 1 Samuel 13:3). This location is significant, since despite the fact that the city of Geba is located in the Benjamite territory, which is the tribe King Saul and Prince Jonathan are part of, Geba is a Levitical city, set aside for the Aaronites (ref. Joshua 21:13-17 ; 1 Chronicles 6:57-60). Though Jonathan was stationed at the Benjamite city of Gibeah, he felt a duty to protect the Levitical priests in the city north of him.

The ousting of the Philistines from the Levitical city of Geba with Jonathan’s meager thousand man militia (ref. 1 Samuel 13:2), was such a crushing and embarrassing defeat that the Philistines retaliated and invaded Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore (ref. 1 Samuel 13:5). The overwhelming force terrified the Israelites and they quaked with fear, fled and hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns (ref. 1 Samuel 13:6-7).

Despite their overwhelming numbers, the Philistines feared the Israelites would be able to overthrow their foreign occupation and began raiding the Benjamite region, before executing a nationwide disarmament program, even going so far as to remove all the blacksmiths in all of Israel so that the people would have to go to the Philistines to sharpen their agricultural tools. After disarming all the citizens, only King Saul and Prince Jonathan had any spears or swords, which may have only been symbols of their royal positions rather than effective fighting tools (ref. 1 Samuel 13:16-22).

One day Prince Jonathan planned a sneak attack with his young armor-bearer on another Philistine outpost located on a cliff. Despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered and the Philistines having the strategically superior high ground, Jonathan was confident that “the Lord will act on our behalf, [because] nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few”. Even then, Jonathan still waited for a “sign that the Lord [will give] them into our hands” and when it appeared, recognized that “the Lord had given [the Philistines] into the hand of Israel” (ref. 1 Samuel 14:1-12).

Jonathan’s skirmish led to an initial twenty Philistine’s deaths, but it was the catalyst that started a wave of panic that struck the whole Philistine army. The panic sent by God overtook those in the camp and field, outposts and raiding parties, and the ground shook, causing the whole Philistine military to melt away in all directions and in their confusion they turned their weapons on each other. King Saul took advantage of the chaos and pushed the Philistine battle lines out of Benjamite territory.

In his desperate attempt to avenge himself and crush the occupiers, King Saul bound his army under an oath to fast till the Philistine army was completely pushed back. The rash and foolish decision had unintended consequences, when Prince Jonathan, who was not aware of the oath, ate honey to refresh himself after his attack that turned the tide of the war. When Saul called for the death of his son Jonathan for breaking his unwise oath, the men rebelled and rescued Jonathan asking “Should Jonathan die-he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help” (ref. 1 Samuel 14: 13-46). Because of his bravery and selflessness, Jonathan was loved by the people of Israel, who recognized that God worked through him to defeat the Philistines.

When the Philistines returned to try to retake some of the land they had lost, they sent out their champion Goliath who was crushed by future King David. This victory caused a deep fear to fill current King Saul’s heart, but even though he had been the previous Champion of the People, Prince Jonathan had a different response to David. Jonathan recognized that God had anointed David to be the next king, despite the fact that Jonathan had the birthright to replace his father Saul. But instead Jonathan humbled himself and became one spirit with David and loved him as himself, making a covenant with David. Jonathan’s dedication to the true heir to the thrown extended so intensely that he publicly gave David his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt. He literally stripped all the symbols of his princely status and gave them to his friend (ref. 1 Samuel 19; 18: 1-4).

As Saul’s jealousy intensified and he sought to kill David, Jonathan remained loyal and made multiple efforts to reason and calm his father’s increasingly intensifying anger, while still hiding David. They were only reconciled briefly before Saul’s murderous plans led to David having to flee the nation. In their final meeting, Jonathan and David wept together, but David wept the most. Their bitter goodbye had them reaffirm their “sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying ‘The Lord is witness between you and me and between your descendants and my descendants forever’”.

But there would be no everlasting friendship.

During a campaign against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, King Saul and all his sons, including Prince Jonathan, were killed in battle. When David was informed of his companion’s death, he tore his clothes to shreds and wept and fasted the rest of the day grieving the loss of a true friend. David’s grief was channeled into a dirge, and the funeral song of lamentation was taught and sung throughout the nation.

Jonathan’s bravery struck huge blows against the Philistine army time and time again, but he did not rely on his own skills in battle, but trusted that God was the source of his victories. This humbleness and reliance on God was tested and proven true when Jonathan gave up his priestly adornments to David, whom Jonathan recognized as the rightful King, anointed by God. Jonathan’s love for his friend David and his country Israel was so great, that he died in the defense of both of them. Nations are blessed when their leaders do not believe they are owed positions or that it is their turn to rule, but step aside when they recognize that God has placed His Favor on another. Israel was blessed with a humble and self-less prince who placed his nation’s interests before his own.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

What Happens to Your Soul?

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The Soul of a Nation-Phinehas: Zealous Patriot

Many countries have legends of their founders and the brave acts they undertook to ensure the survival of their fellow countrymen and beloved nations. These stories serve to underscore the ideals that are valued by the peopleand hold up examples of model citizens. A very public killing was at the center of this patriot’s imminent fame, but his accomplished career as a political and religious leader molded the establishment and future of Israel.

As the tribes of Israel were traveling to the plains of Moab, they camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. The King of Moab, Balak, son of Zippor, sent messengers to Balaam, son of Beor, asking him to divine a curse against the Israelites, whom he feared because of their multitudes. But because God had blessed them, Balaam could not curse them (ref. Numbers 22:1-20). Even after seven attempts to curse Israel, every one of Balaam’s curses were turned to blessing towards Israel as they left his lips (ref. Numbers 23-24).

Despite his failure to curse Israel, Balaam devised a plan to corrupt the Israelites (ref. Numbers 31:16; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11; Revelation 2:14) so that God would punish them Himself. The Diviner Balaam convinced King Balak to have the Moabite women seduce the Israelite men into indulging in sexual immorality, making sacrifices to their gods, eating of food offered to their idols, and worshiping their idols. God’s anger burned against them because they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and He unleashed a plague upon them which killed tens of thousands (ref. Numbers 25:1-3).

God explained to Moses that in order for His fierce anger to be turned away, they must “take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord”. While Moses was explaining what needed to be done, a prince of the tribe of Simeon named Zimri, son of Salu, defiantly brought a Midianite woman, implied to be a temple prostitute of Baal of Peor, into the camp. This was not a secretive act, was done “right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping” over the deaths of those who had fallen due to the plague (ref. Numbers 25: 4-6).

“When Phinehas, son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the High Priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed Zimri into the tent. He drove the spear into both the Israelite prince and into the woman’s stomach, ending the plague” (Numbers 25:7-8; Psalm 106:30).

God declared that Phinehas’ actions turned away His Righteous Anger because Phinehas was focused on preventing more of his countrymen’s deaths and restoring the Fear of God within Israel. God established His Covenant of Peace: an everlasting priesthood for Phinehas and his children after him; because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel (ref. 25: 11-13).

This was just the beginning of the heroic acts Phinehas conducted on behalf of Israel.

To avenge the events of Peor which led to the plague, Moses raised an army to wage war against the Midianites, with Phinehas helping to lead the charge with the holy instruments and the sounding trumpets in his hand (ref. Numbers 31:4). The campaign was so successful that not a single person of the 12,000 man army was lost (ref. Numbers 31:48-49).

Because of this military victory, and the fact that “the Lord was with him” (ref. 1 Chronicles 9:20), Jewish tradition holds that Phinehas was one of the two spies sent to scout the walled city of Jericho.

Later, as the Israelites began to settle into their respective territories, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, set up a monument to commemorate their conquering the land. Because the Jordan River divided these tribes from the rest of Israel, it was misinterpreted that they were forming a separatist movement and a competing center of worship in revolt against God’s Tabernacle at Shiloh. Phinehas was again chosen to lead the military to confront the supposed insurrectionists in order to preserve the nation (ref. Joshua 22:10-13).

Though Prince Zimri’s insubordination was blatant and obvious and Phinehas’ actions were swift and just during the Peor Incident, Phinehas instead took the time to confront the leadership of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh and ask why the altar had been built. Phinehas’ patience and wisdom prevented his fellow Israelites from going to war with each other needlessly due to a misunderstanding (ref. Joshua 22:14-33).

When faced with a legitimate crisis during the Benjamite Rebellion, Phinehas again showed that he was not a blood thirsty man, but one who went to God asking “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?” It was obvious he was dreading fighting his fellow countrymen and seeking another solution as he’d been presented early, but was obedient when the Lord instructed him to “Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand.” (Judges 20: 28)

Though Phinehas is known for his zeal confronting Prince Zimri’s disrespectful affront to people mourning those who died in the plague, Moses’ leadership, and God’s Laws, he was not a man eager to kill. His actions were done to save his fellow countrymen from further destruction from the plague and out of his zealousness for God’s Honor. When avenging the events at Peor, he ensured that every single one the 12,000 men under his command returned home. If Jewish tradition is correct, he put himself in the way of great danger as a spy within Jericho to gather intelligence, so that many of his fellow Israelites would not die en masse trying to scale the walls. When it was incorrectly believed that the commemorative altar the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh erected was a challenging religious center, Phinehas did not attack mindlessly, but was deliberate with his first understanding why they’d built their monument to prevent a needless battle. Even when war was necessary during the Benjamite Rebellion, Phinehas did not take joy in it, and inquired of God if there was a way the fighting could end. When another battle was necessary, Phinehas carried out God’s Will, even though it meant fighting his fellow Israelites.

Phinehas served as a model example of leadership and someone who placed the needs of his countrymen above his own feelings or concerns. He was not only the hero who stopped a deadly plague, but saved his nation multiple times. Because he was focused on his fellow citizens and God’s Honor, he was chosen by God to be honored by his countrymen.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

The Art of Listening

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Wise Timers vs Old Timers-Samuel: The Boy who Heard the Voice of God

After Israel conquered the Promised Land, there was a period of several hundred years where they had no centralized leadership and were ruled by a series of Judges under a loose confederation amongst the Tribes. The Voice of God was rarely heard, except for military emergencies, until a servant boy heard his name in the middle of the night.

Samuel’s mother Hannah had been childless for many years, which weighed so heavy on her that whenever she and her devout husband went up to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was stationed, to worship each year, she would be so overcome with grief and shame that she would weep and refuse to eat. During one of their trips to the House of the Lord, Hanna, in her deep anguish, prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly, making a vow “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

Eli the Priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house, and as Hannah prayed to God, Eli watched her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, so her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli misinterpreted this and thought she was drunk, chastising the broken woman, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

Hannah explained, “I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. I am a woman who is deeply troubled. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

Eli, realizing his mistake, blessed “Go in Peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him”

After thanking him for his blessing, she went back to her husband, finally ate her portion of the sacrificial meal, and her face was no longer downcast and sullen. Early the next morning, Hannah and her husband worshiped before the Lord and went back to their home where Hannah became pregnant and gave birth and named the child Samuel, because she was “heard by God”.

Because Samuel had been dedicated to the Lord, Hannah resolved that “after [Samuel] is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always”. After making a sacrifice, Hannah brought Samuel to Eli the Priest, reminding him, “I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted me what I asked of Him. So now I will give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord” (ref. Samuel 1).

While Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli the Priest, Eli’s sons, Hophni & Phinehas, were scoundrels, holding no regard for the Lord. They insisted on taking a larger portion from sacrifices than the priest’s allotted share and were sleeping with the women who ministered in front of the Tent of Meeting. Even after Eli had heard about his sons’ behavior and confronted them, they did not listen to their father’s rebuke & continued in their evil ways. (ref. Samuel 2)

When Samuel was still a young man, he heard a Voice calling his name in the middle of the night. Believing it was Eli, Samuel went to Eli’s room, but Eli instructed Samuel to go back to bed. Samuel heard the Voice again and went to see if Eli needed him, only to be sent away once more. When Samuel heard the Voice a third time and checked on Eli, the Priest recognized that the Voice was from the God of Israel and instructed Samuel to respond “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening“ the next time he heard it.

This was a significant thing that someone heard directly from the Voice of God, since after the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land, God typically spoke through His Angels. No one had spoken plainly with God in this way since Moses.

To confirm his dedication and willingness to not only hear God’s Voice, but follow it, God tested Samuel. God instructed him to explain to Eli that because of their lack of respect for their positions, seen by their stealing from the sacrifices and abusing those who they had authority over, God would punish them swiftly and severely.

Samuel was fearful of confronting and chastising the man who had raised him and whom he had served under all his life, but Samuel trusted and valued God’s Voice more than his fears and told Eli what the Lord had told him.

After hearing the Judgement against his sons, rather than appealing to God or trying to turn his sons away from their wicked ways, Eli simply replied “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in His Eyes.” (ref. 1 Samuel 3)

Later, during a campaign against the Philistines, Eli’s sons were both killed and the Ark of the Covenant was captured. Upon hearing the devastating news, Eli fell back in his chair, broke his neck, and died.

Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas had served in the Tabernacle under their father Eli since they were young men, just as Samuel had, but they lacked a servant’s heart and the wisdom to follow the Ways of God. Though Eli served as Judge, whose role was to confront and attack Israel’s enemies, when hearing God’s Voice through Samuel, Eli did not try to save his sons from their behavior, so he and they, all died on the same day.(ref. 1 Samuel 4)

It was not enough for Eli and his sons to simply have high positions in the religious order as their unwillingness to both hear and listen to God’s Instruction, led to their ultimate demise. Samuel, in contrast, succeeded Eli as the last Judge and served as a Prophet, because he not only heard the Voice of God, but listened to it. Seniority might move you through the ranks in some institutions, but God only promotes those who Listen and Obey.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

What’s Wrong with Your Generation

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Wise Timers vs Old Timers-The Generation Lost in the Wilderness

The First Generation of Israelites experienced the horror of the Ten Plagues, crossed of the Red Sea on dry land, daily ate Manna from Heaven, and witnessed God’s Glory fall on Mount Sinai and fill the Tabernacle. In the face of all these miracles, they still constantly complained, groaned, and rebelled against God’s Prophet Moses and doubted God’s Power to be able to overtake the obstacles in the Promised Land. Their fearful hearts and lack of Faith prevented them from inheriting their share of God’s Promises.

The Israelites’ obstinacy could be seen from the very beginning, even before the First Plague began. After Moses and Aaron assembled all the elders of the Israelites and Aaron relayed everything that God had said to Moses, and Moses performed the signs God had shown him in the dessert, the people believed (ref. Exodus 4:29-30). But, after asking Pharaoh for the chance to leave for a three day journey to celebrate a feast to God in the Wilderness and Pharaoh took away the Israelite’s rations of straw to build bricks. The Israelite foremen confronted Moses and Aaron charging, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hands a sword to kill us!” (ref. Exodus 5). Despite knowing God was mighty above all human men and planned to lead the Israelites to freedom, their biggest concerns were with how they were perceived by those who were enslaving them and what these slavers could do to them.

After the Ten Plagues demonstrated God’s awesome power over all Nature and Men, Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go, but his pride caused him to change his mind and pursue them (ref. Exodus 14:3-9). When pinned between the encroaching Egyptian military and the banks of the sea, the Israelites sarcastically mocked “Because there were no graves in Egypt, you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you done this and taken us out of Egypt? Didn’t we tell you in Egypt, Leave us alone, so we can serve the Egyptians? It would have been better that we be slaves than die in the Wilderness,” (Exodus 14:11-12). Even after seeing God’s power during the Plagues in Egypt, they still feared the Egyptians, whose country had just been brought to its knees by the Hand of God.

God caused the Red Sea to part and the Israelites were able to astonishingly cross over on dry land before the walls of water collapsed on the charging chariots. And when Israel saw the great power that the Lord had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses (ref. Exodus 14:15-29). They sang songs of victory (Moses’ Song of Deliverance & The Song of Miriam) declaring God’s Greatness and Power over Egypt, but after three days wandering in the Desert of Shur without finding water, they came to Marah. The bitter waters were not palatable and the people grumbled against Moses asking “What are we to drink?” failing to remember the God who had control over the waters of the Red Sea they had just crossed. After instructing Moses to cast a nearby log into the bitter waters to sweeten them, the Lord then led them to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the waters (ref. Exodus 15).

After relishing the oasis at Elim, God led Israel to the Desert of Sin, where they again grumbled against Moses and Aaron, crying out “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt! There we sat by pot of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into the desert to starve this whole assembly to death!” (ref. Exodus 16:1-3). That evening, God caused quail to cover the camp and the next morning Manna rained down from Heaven to provide them with food in the wilderness (ref. Exodus 16:3-21).

Leaving the Desert of Sin, they were led to Rephidim, but there was no water for the people there, so they contended with Moses, demanding “Give us water to drink!” When Moses asked why they fought with him and test the Lord, they grumbled “Why have you brought us out of Egypt-to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Though God had provided them sweetened water at Marah and Heavenly food, they still quarreled and tested God, asking “Is the Lord amongst us or not?” God yet again provided for them through Moses striking the Rock at Horeb, from which water came for the people to drink (ref. Exodus 17:1-7).

They were then led to Mount Sinai where the Lord’s Presence caused a thick cloud to envelope the mountain, thunder and lightning overwhelmed the sky and the whole mountain shook as the Lord came down in fire (ref. Exodus 19:16-25). When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance, terrified of God’s Presence (ref. Exodus 20: 18-19) asking that Moses directly talk to God on their behalf. But, when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and demanded that he to make them graven idols to worship.

When they finally reached the border of the Promised Land and sent out scouts to explore the region and gather a report, only two, Joshua and Caleb, gave positive reports, exclaiming “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (ref. Numbers 13:30). But the ten negative accounts overwhelmed the people and they grumbled against Moses and Aaron, wailing “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” And the whole assembly talked about stoning Moses and Aaron (ref. Numbers 14:1-4, 10).

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?” (Numbers 14:11-12). “Not one of them who saw My Glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me will see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it,” (v. 22-23) “Except Caleb, son of Jephunneh and Joshua, son of Nun,” (v. 30) “because [they have] a different spirit and follow me wholeheartedly” (v.24).

Despite experiencing hundreds of years of slavery while in captivity under Egypt, the Israelites kept choosing servitude over the freedom and prosperity God was trying to provide to His People. Even more so, they saw the wonders in Egypt, the Miracles in the Wilderness, and Experienced His Glory first hand and still they doubted Him and His Power. The generation was stiff-necked and hard-hearted and constantly challenged Moses whenever they came across worldly issues and failed to recognize that God had provided for them throughout their journey and would be with them as they conquered the Promised Land.

That first generation wandered through the wilderness following the Pillar of Fire by night and Cloud by day, but they never truly followed God. They never fully trusted in Him nor those He spoke through. They rebelled against Him and complained and threw tantrums like children. They were older, but lacked the Wisdom to be like Caleb and Joshua who followed Him wholeheartedly, but because they followed their own sense of direction, rather than God’s, they were lost in the Wilderness.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

The Wise Timers are Teachable

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Old Timers vs Wise Timers-Korah’s Rebellion & the Songs of His Sons

After the Israelites escaped from Egypt and God gave His Laws through Moses, their hearts began to harden and their ears were closed off to God and His Prophet Moses. Korah, the leader of a mutiny against Moses, quickly discovered that his faith in human understanding and reasoning was as unstable as the ground which swallowed him and his followers.

Korah was the son of Izhar, the grandson of Kohath, and the great grandson of Levi, making him the first cousin to High Priest Aaron and Prophet Moses. Since the priestly line came from his grandfather Kohath, Korah reasoned that he and his sons had just as much right to serve as High Priest as Aaron and his sons. Korah gathered “two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown…against Moses and Aaron” accusing that they were taking too much undue power for themselves. They argued that since everyone in the congregation was holy and the Lord was among them, they should all hold the same standing in the Tabernacle, charging that Aaron and Moses were raising themselves above the rest of the priestly class (ref. Numbers 16:1-3).

Moses challenged Korah and the rest of the Levites who had aligned themselves with the rebel to come back the next day with incense in their censers to see whose offering God would accept. It would be through trial by God’s standards, rather than man’s self-sanctification, that they would decide who was holy. Moses quipped back that it was they who were trying to take too much power for themselves (ref. Numbers 16:5-7).

Moses directly confronted Korah and his defiant fellow Levites, asking why they thought so little of the fact that God had separated them from the rest of the congregation of Israel and brought them near to Himself, to do the service of the Tabernacle and stand before the congregation to minister unto them. Despite the fact that God had brought them and the rest of the Levite Tribe closer to Himself than the rest of the other tribes, they still desired the Priesthood office as well so much, that they gathered themselves to defy God and those He had positioned over them (ref. Numbers 16:8-11).

The next day, Korah and his insurgents gathered at the door of the Tabernacle to challenge Moses and Aaron, and every man came with a censer filled with fire and incense. And the Glory of the Lord appeared unto all the congregation and the Lord spoke to Moses, instructing that the Israelites were to stay away from Korah and his cohorts (ref. Numbers 16:16-21) because God was about to punish them for their insurrection. And the ground under them gave way and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their houses and all the men that aligned themselves with Korah and all their goods. They all went down alive into the pit and the earth closed upon them. And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense (ref. Numbers 16:28-35).

Despite Korah’s revolt, God did not condemn his children (ref. Numbers 26:10-11; Ezekiel 18:19-20). Because they chose to listen to the Voice of their Father in Heaven instead, we see that they were given prominent roles in the Tabernacle service as well as the later Temple. They oversaw the baking in the Sanctuary, and bore the ark and the sacred furniture whenever the Tabernacle was moved.

The family’s most significant role was as the gatekeeper/porter (ref. 1 Chronicles 26:19) overseeing the entrance of the Sanctuary. Not only were they responsible for protecting the priests, they collected and distributed offerings, assisted with the slaughtering of sacrifices, and inspected both humans and sacrifices ensuring that all that entered the courtyard were ceremonially clean. While Korah wanted to be closer to God simply to attain the High Priest office, Korah’s descendants recognized through their roles as gatekeepers, that you must follow His laws before you can achieve greater intimacy and closeness with Him.

Korah’s lineage was listed among David’s mighty men (ref. 1 Chronicles 12: 1-2, 6), but not all were armed with physical weapons. When King Jehoshaphat went to war in the name of God, the Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, God of Israel, with a very loud voice. King Jehoshaphat appointed these men to stand ahead of the army as the spearhead and sing and praise the Lord as they entered battle, leading to a massive victory over the Moabites and Ammonites who killed each other in confusion (ref. 2 Chronicles 20:19-24).

Heman, the first of the three Levites appointed to lead the vocal and instrumental music of the Temple during David’s reign (ref. 1 Chronicles 6:31-33; 15:16-22), was the grandson of Prophet Samuel, both descents of Korah. The Sons of Korah are out rightly recognized for their contribution of Psalms (Psalms 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 84, 85, 87, & 88), which were heavily influenced by their ancestor’s infamous showdown and ultimate destruction.

The often quoted and sung Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” continues that “we will not fear, though the earth be removed” and when describing the Power of God, when “He uttered His voice, the Earth melted” are both obvious allusions to the earth swallowing up Korah and the rest of his rebels (ref. Psalm 46:1-2, 6).

Psalm 84 declares that “For a day in Your Courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10) alludes to their current office as Doorkeepers and how Korah’s family only survived by fleeing their wicked father’s home before it was consumed by the earth.

Despite God not cutting off Korah’s lineage, his family suffered for his actions and were held in association with him despite resisting his rebellion. Psalms 88 reveals that they were “counted with them that go down into the pit,” which “pushed [their] friends far from [them] and made [them] an abomination in their friend’s eyes” and the singer feels as though they are “trapped and cannot come out”.

Korah tried to establish his own definition of who and what was holy and in a great example of God’s forgiveness, He gave Korah’s sons the office of Doorkeepers of the Tabernacle, assessing whether things met God’s standard to be able to enter. In another example of irony, the unteachable Korah who hardened his heart and closed his ears to God’s Voice, had sons who would lead praises to God, and write emotionally charged songs to teach others through worship.

Korah believed that his ideas concerning the priesthood were superior to what God laid out, but his family had the wisdom to recognize that God’s logic is greater than man’s. Their willingness to leave their earthly father’s philosophies for their Heavenly Father’s Voice gave them opportunity to help others align with God’s expectations and march and move to the rhythm that He set for His People.

Are you in sync with Him and where He is leading us today?

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

The Wise Timers & Their Prophetic Words

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Old Timers vs Wise Timers-Methuselah: Destroyed for Lack of Understanding

Methuselah is renowned for being the oldest person mentioned in the Bible, living an impressive 969 years. But, despite being the son of the righteous Enoch, who was transmuted to Heaven, and the grandfather of Noah, who built the Ark to save mankind from the Flood, Methuselah was not spared.

Methuselah’s father, Enoch, is famous for being the only other person, besides Elijah, who never tasted death. “Enoch waked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5: 24). “By Faith, Enoch was taken up that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had transfigured him: for before his transfiguration, he had this testimony, that he pleased God,” (Hebrews 11:5). Enoch also prophesied “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His Saints, to Execute Judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 1:14-15).

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked faithfully with God for another 300 years before he was transmuted at 365 years. Though Methuselah had 300 years to learn from his spiritually upright father, it is heavily implied that he perished in the flood.

Methuselah had lived 187 years when he had Noah’s father Lamech (ref. Genesis 5:25), who was 182 years old when he had Noah (ref. Genesis 5:28). Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth (Genesis 7:6), added with 187 years (Methuselah’s age at Lamech’s birth) and 182 years (Lamech’s age at Noah’s birth) totaling 969 years which was Methuselah’s age when he died, coinciding with the same year as the Flood.

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God”. God saw that the Earth and humanity was filled with violence and corruption and “so God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people for the Earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the Earth.” Noah was most likely around 500 years old when God gave him instructions on how to build the ark and “Noah did everything just as God commanded him” (ref. Genesis 6:9-22).

It is implied that it took Noah around 100 years to build the ark, so the destruction of the Earth would not have been an unexpected event. Noah’s grandfather, Methuselah, would have been aware of Noah’s construction project and would have remembered his father Enoch’s prophecy about God executing judgement upon all the ungodly for their deeds and words against Him, matching God’s explanation for why He was going to deluge the Earth with water.

Methuselah would have even had the benefit of having known the very first man, Adam, who was 687 years old when Methuselah was born, living another 243 years before passing away at 930 years old. Methuselah would have heard firsthand accounts of what the world was like before the Fall of Man and the Glory of experiencing God in such an intimate and connected manner before Sin entered the World.

Methuselah’s virtuous father, Enoch, set a perfect example of how to walk with God and in His Ways. His great ancestor Adam may have told Methuselah what the World was like during God’s Paradise and how sin caused the destruction of Man. Methuselah’s grandson, Noah, was trying to save a wicked and ungodly people filled with evil actions and words from God’s Judgement according to Enoch’s prophecy. In the face of all these advantages, Methuselah was not described as a righteous man as his grandson Noah is labeled, nor that he walked faithfully with God as his father Enoch did.

Even though Methuselah was the oldest recorded person in the Bible, he failed to gather the wisdom and knowledge about living righteously freely available to him from his surrounding family and most likely perished in the Flood. His advanced age made him old, not wise.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

The Road to Miracles

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Visions, Signs, Wonders & Miracles-Manna: Meaning Behind the Miracles

Manna, the Bread from Heaven, was a daily miracle the Israelites failed to truly appreciate during their time in the Wilderness. When Christ came as the Bread of Life, His own Disciples failed to recognize the significance of His most famous miracles and their prophetic symbolism.

After the Death of John the Baptist (ref. Matthew 14: 1-12), Jesus retreated in a boat to Bethsaida (ref. Luke 9:10), a fishing town on other side of the Sea of Galilee (ref. John 6:1), but was pursued by a great crowd, which arrived ahead of Him at the shoreline, waiting to be healed and taught (ref. Matthew 14:13-14; Mark 6: 31-34; Luke 9:10-11; John 6:1-2).

Seeing and being near Christ was so important to the congregation, that, rather than observing the Holy Feast in their family homes, which was typical, they were in the middle of a grazing pasture on the afternoon right before Passover, which would begin as the sun set (ref. John 6:4).

The significance and importance of observing the Passover Feast was not lost on Jesus (ref. Numbers 9:13) and He turned to Disciple Phillip asking “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” Phillip failed to recognize that Christ was testing him and his thought processes and Phillip calculated that even with six months’ worth of wages of two hundred denarii, they couldn’t even afford to feed them more than a morsel apiece (ref. Mark 6: 35-37; John 6:5-7).

A young boy, most likely a local from the Bethsaida fishing community, offered what may have been his portion of his family’s Passover meal. Because the Jewish communities had already ritually rid their homes of all flour, which had been exposed to leavening (ref. Deuteronomy 16:3-4), the bread that he presented would have been the unleavened Matzah served during the Passover meal. The fact that the bread is made out of Barley, the grain of the poor, demonstrated that the boy may have been a peasant and suffered from food insecurity, which was only more intensified by the fact that all other grain was now out of the house in preparation for Passover, so these pieces of bread and fishes he had humbly donated were the only sources of food he had.

The Sea of Galilea is home to the only fresh water sardine, a popular snack and spread in the region, and was probably one of the more plentiful fish caught and processed in the village. The Greek word “opsarion” used to describe the two small fish, implies they are not meant to act as an entrée in a meal, but serve as a savory condiment, similar to the paste Christ dipped His piece of bread in during The Last Supper a year later (ref. Matthew 26:23; John 13:26). The fact that the boy’s family could only contribute a basic condiment to their Passover meal, rather than the required lamb (Exodus 12:3), further highlighted their poverty and the relative worth of his gift.

Nevertheless, the Disciples saw the insignificant five barley unleavened loaves and two small fish as nothing compared to what was needed to feed so many hungry people, numbering around five thousand men, without counting women and children. Jesus ordered His Disciples to have them sit down in the uncultivated grassy pastures in groups of fifty before reciting the “HaMotzi” blessing which is the prayer over the unleavened Passover Matzah bread (ref. Matthew 14:19; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16; John 6:11).

Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam Hamotzi lechem min haaretz.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

After the blessing, Christ’s Disciples distributed the bread and fish to the crowds and after they had all eaten their fill, He instructed His Disciples to gather all the leftovers which amounted to twelve hand baskets. After the miracle of multiplication of the loaves and fishes, many people sought to force Jesus to serve as their King, having recognized that He was “indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world” but still they still incorrectly believed that His Kingdom was Physical and Political rather than Spiritual.

This lack of understanding continued the next day when the crowds went to Capernaum to find Jesus, looking to receive more food. Christ chastised them for looking for food that would fade away like the Manna that their forefathers ate in the Wilderness. After declaring Himself the Bread from Heaven and the Bread of Life, and whoever ate of this bread would live forever, and that It is the Spirit that gives life because the flesh is useless, many followers left him, confused and perplexed or disappointed that Christ was promising something spiritual and intangible (ref. John 6:22-59).

While Jesus was in the Gentile district of Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” After initially ignoring her and then being prodded by the Disciples, Christ explained that He was “sent on to the lost sheep of the House of Israel” and that “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs”. The Canaanite woman humbly replied “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” He was impressed with her answer, declaring “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed (ref. Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30).

Jesus left the district and went to the region of the Decapolis, a group of ten Roman cities to the north of Galilee, where people brought their sick and saw “the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing.” And these foreigners “praised the God of Israel” (Matthew 15: 29-31; Mark 7:31-37). After healing the sick for three days, Jesus decided that the crowds should be fed before they traveled back home.

Unlike the feeding of the multitude of 5,000 Jews, Christ followed the Roman custom of separately blessing bread and meats when He took seven loaves and blessed them before distributing them, then blessing the few small fish and sending those out afterwards. Christ again instructed His Disciples to gather up the remnants after the foreigners had had their fill of food and it filled seven large full-body (ref. Acts 9:25) woven baskets.

Later, when Christ questioned His Disciples about the importance of these two miracles, they suspected that He was scolding them for not bringing bread for their trip. He stressed the numbers’ symbolic significance. The miracle of feeding 5,000 Jews with five fish and two loaves during Passover, which resulted in 12 hand baskets of leftovers was representative of the Jewish Pentateuch (Their five books of scripture and law) and the twelve tribes of Israel. The feeding of 4,000 Gentiles using seven loaves and a few fish represented the four corners/directions (North, South, East, West) symbolizing the rest of the World while seven was the Gentile number for completion.

Christ first came to save the House of Israel, but they were too concerned with physical matters such as food and establishing a physical political state, failing to recognize that Christ came to serve as the Bread of Life, giving eternal spiritual life. While they were foreigners, the Gentiles in the region were more receptive to Christ’s message and praised the God of Israel. But despite seeing the miracles firsthand and Christ stressing the most important symbols, His Disciples also thought Jesus was talking about foodstuffs, not realizing that He was saying that He came to provide Eternal Life to All Peoples, whether Jew or Gentile.

While we will be growing and raising food on the Campus, to nourish our bodies and those in the surrounding community, we recognize that the satisfying of people’s spiritual needs will take precedence. We pray that you will follow the wisdom of the peasant boy from Bethsaida who trusted God to provide and gave his only food so that a historic miracle could happen. If you feel urged by the Holy Spirit to give a physical gift so that miracles can flow in our Age, we hope you not only recognize what God is doing but contribute to its completion.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator