The spirit of Judas is alive and well in the church today!

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Matthew 26:14–15, Then Judas.When Yeshua plainly stated that he’d be crucified soon, Judas evidently became disillusioned, since he was expecting Yeshua to be the Conquering King Messiah, not a Suffering Servant Messiah. As the conquering king, it would have been Judas’ expectation that Yeshua would have given the Roman overlords the boot, established himself as the king over the Jews, and thus Judas could have expected a prominent position in Yeshua’s new government.

Because of these false and presumptive expectations about Yeshua’s role as the Messiah, Judas wasn’t following Yeshua for who the Master was, but for how Judas could benefit personally out of his relationship with Yeshua. Judas was a false convert, and a spiritual tare. The church is full of such people including pastors and leaders, and Scripture warns us against them.

The lust for money and power were likely the motives behind Judas’ following Yeshua (after all, Judas carried the money bag for Yeshua’s ministry). When Yeshua predicted his crucifixion, Judas’ incentives for following him suddenly vanished. Judas figured he’d salvage what he could of his unfulfilled expectations and enrich himself, even if it meant betraying Yeshua for money. Judas had come to the conclusion that Yeshua was a false Messiah faker and that he had wasted several years of his life following him, so, in his mind, giving Yeshua over to the Jewish authorities wasn’t an act of betrayal at all, but was an act of civil service to expose Yeshua as a trouble-making fraud. This goes to show that the wicked and a carnal person in his own twisted thinking can justify just about any evil deed and delude himself into thinking he is doing good. 

In Judas’ mind, the Jewish leaders had been right after all to reject Yeshua as the Messiah. To them, he was merely a pretender, a deceiver, an agitator and a troubler, and now Judas had come to the same conclusion. When Judas came to this realization, he now found it advantageous to his personal well-being to cast his lot in with the Jewish religious establishment and to make some money from it as well.

In our day, there many Judas-type people who turn away from following Yeshua. Many reasons can be given for this, but it boils down to three things: the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Selah!

 

Isaac—To Obey or Not to Obey, To Walk in Faith or in Fear?

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Genesis 26:1–29, There was a famine in the land. At the well of Lachai-roi (or “the well of the Living One seeing me,” Gen 24:62), Isaac was fruitful. There he met his wife while in communion with YHVH (Gen 24:62–64). Isaac also dwelt there for 20 years, and there he entreated YHVH because of Rebekah’s barrenness (Gen 25:21), and YHVH answered Isaac’s prayer and Rebekah gave birth to twins (Gen 25:22). 

But because of famine in the land, Isaac felt compelled to leave Canaan to seek relief in Egypt following the earlier footsteps of his father, Abraham. At this point, we must ask ourselves whether it is wise for the saint to rely on “Egypt” (a metaphor for the world) for their physical sustenance instead of trusting YHVH and believing that where he has planted us and blessed us is where we should stay? 

Evidently, YHVH didn’t want Isaac to go down to Egpty, for while en route to that land, he gracefully redirected Isaac stay in Canaan and to sojourn in Gerar (temporarily), where he would continue to bless him and his posterity (Gen 26:2–4). 

Isaac obeyed YHVH—more or less. Isaac ended up in Gerar located on the border between Canaan and Egypt and dwelt there a long time and not temporarily as YHVH had instructed him (Gen 26:6, 8). Instead of fully obeying YHVH, it was as if Isaac was hedging his bet between faith and fear, between Canaan, the land of promise, and Egypt, the land of comfort for the flesh man. How often do we halt between two opinions and compromise between YHVH’s will and our own in matters where he has given us clear direction? 

This place of spiritual indecision and weakness put Isaac in a compromising situation (Gen 26:7). He felt compelled to lie about his wife, thus repeating the sin of his father (Gen 20:1–2). Compromised obedience puts us in compromising situations where in order to “save our skin” we often have to compromise our values. 

Though Isaac was out of YHVH’s will, YHVH was still faithful to keep his promises that he had made to Isaac earlier (Gen 26:3–4). Isaac was blessed one hundred fold in his wealth (Gen 26:12–14). 

Despite YHVH’s blessings, Isaac’s labors were not without difficulty and opposition from an enemy who was intent upon stealing the water wells that were rightfully his (Gen 26:12–15). 

In the arid regions of the Holy Land, wells are essential for survival and prosperity. Wells are a spiritual metaphor for salvation, life, abundance and truth—things the enemy is intent on taking from us (in this light, consider Isa 12:3; 55:1–3; Ps 36:9; John 4:7–14; 7:37–39; 10:10). Don’t let the enemy steal from you that which YHVH has given to you.

 

Elohim helps those who help the poor

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Psalm 41:1, Blessed is he who considers the poor. This passage makes it clear that helping the poor is like a spiritual insurance policy that pays off in one’s own time of need. The old adage, “What goes around comes around” applies here. The only difference is that this law of reciprocity isn’t chance driven, but YHVH instituted and orchestrated, for verse one says that YHVH will deliver the who blesses the poor in his own time of trouble.

From verse one to verse three, YHVH promises to care for those who help the poor in the following ways:

  • Protect and preserve his life (verse 2).
  • Deliver him from his enemies (verse 2).
  • Sustain and restore one who is sick (verse 3).

This is an insurance policy pays rich dividends in YHVH’s spiritual economy.

The Bible on Giving to the Poor

Multiple times, the Scriptures enjoins those who have been blessed materially to help those who are poor. In fact, YHVH even has a special place in his heart for a certain class of individuals who have fallen into poverty, namely, the widows and the fatherless (Deut 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:19; 26:12–13; 1 Tim 5:3). Moreover, Yeshua declared that the poor would always be among us (Matt 26:11), so there will never be a lack of opportunity for the so-called haves to help the have-nots. Furthermore, YHVH promises to bless us when we give to the poor (Ps 41:1–3) as well as to those who have dedicated their lives to serving YHVH’s people through the ministry (Deut 14:29; 16:14; 26:12–13).  

In Deuteronomy 15:7, we discover that there should be levels of priorities in our giving to the poor. Our first responsibility is to help a poor person who is a brother, that is, who is a member of our immediate family, or someone who is like a brother to us. Second, we are to help those in need who reside in our gates, or are a member of our immediate community. Finally, and last, our charitable is to go toward those who are in need in our own land or country. The idea here is that our charitable giving is to go first to those who live the closest to us, and then go out from there geographically as we are able to do so financially.

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The Origins of the Arab-Muslim People

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Genesis 25:30, Esau…Edom. Many, if not most of the modern Moslems (especially the Arabs) trace their lineage back if not biologically then spiritually to Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar. Islam in its religious book, the Koran, claims that it was Abraham and Ishmael who built the Kaaba, which is the small building containing a stone that supposedly fell from heaven. This shrine is located in the midst of great mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. 

In Genesis 16:11–12 YHVH prophesied the following concerning Ishmael and his descendants:

The angel of YHVH said to her further, “Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because YHVH has given heed to your affliction. And he will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; and he will live to the east of all his brothers.”

The modern Moslems have twisted the biblical account of Abraham’s giving the birthright blessing to Isaac and believe instead that Ishmael was the promised son of blessing. Both Israelites and Arabs, therefore, believe that they have a right to the Promised Land of Canaan, and, hence, this disagreement is at the roots of the modern Arab-Israeli conflict.

Scripture further records that Esau, the disinherited son of Isaac, also had a jealous anger against his brother Jacob, who received the birthright promise instead of him. Scripture further records that Esau married the daughter of Ishmael (Gen 28:9). Thus in some of Esau’s descendants (he had more than one wife), the lineage of Esau and Ishmael were combined and both men had a jealous feud with the sons of Jacob, which has been passed down generationally to this day.

The Bible has more to say prophetically about the descendants of Edom than about those of Ishmael. Edom is portrayed as an aggressive and bloodthirsty people who are opposed to Israel at every step. We will discover what Scripture has to say about this below.

In the mean time, let’s take a closer look at Edom.

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Are you an Esau or a Jacob-type person?

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Genesis 25:27–28, Esau vs. Jacob. There are only two types of people on this earth: Esaus and Jacobs. Please reflect on this for a moment. The evidence of this fact is illustrated by those who hung on either side of Yeshua at his crucifixion. Let’s explore this idea.

Hanging on either side of Yeshua on the cross, spiritually speaking, there was a “Jacob” and an “Esau” (Matt 24:39–41; Luke 23:39–43). One of the sinners repented and accepted Yeshua as his Savior, and was blessed for it. The other thief only mocked and scorned Yeshua and, hence, died in his sins condemned spiritually forever.

So what type of person was Esau? He was described as a cunning hunter. Nimrod was the only other person in Scripture termed “a hunter.” What kind of person would a hunter have been then compared to the typical farmer or herdsman of the day like Isaac and Jacob? Think wild, violent, uncivilized and savage versus civilized and domesticated. 

We are given a clue to Esau’s character when Scripture reveals that Esau was “a man of the field.” Field in Scripture is a metaphor for the world (see Matt 13:38). Esau was a profane (unhallowed, worldly, ungodly) man (Heb 12:16). He had no esteem for things of spiritual and eternal value. That is why he sold his birthright. He lived for the moment and had no eye for, hope in, or faith toward the future. He sought instant gratification of his sensual nature. That’s why he sold his birthright for a bowl of lentils; his god was his belly and he lived for the moment, for instant gratification without thinking of the future consequences of his actions. In so doing, he disdained and dishonored his family heritage and those things that were highly esteemed by his father and grandfather. 

Moreover, in Genesis 26:34–35, we see, to the great grief of his parents, that Esau married one of the local heathen Canaanite girls. He did not honor his parents or respect their wishes and marry inside of the faith. 

Do these traits describe some unbelievers that you know, and even some believers or their children who have abandoned the biblical faith in which they were raised instead preferring to follow the heathen and unbiblical values of the world around them? Perhaps you were even like this before you were saved. 

Truly Esau was a prodigal son, who unlike the wayward son in Yeshua’s parable, sadly, never returned to his father’s house and to the ways of righteousness.

Genesis 25:32, I am about to die. The implication here is not that Esau was about to die of hunger, but that he would die before seeing the fulfillment of the promises YHVH had made to Isaac and Abraham regarding possessing the land of Canaan. So what good would his birthright be? He would see no material gain from it in his lifetime. 

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Blog Scripture Readings for 11-24 Through 11-30-19

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Parashat Toldot — Genesis 25:19 – 28:9
Haftarah — Malachi 1:1 – 2:7
Prophets — Judges 11:1 – 17:13
Writings — Psalms 40:1 – 47:9
Testimony — Matthew 25:1 – 27:66

Our new annual Scripture Reading Schedule for 2019-2020 with daily readings is available to download and print. If you are still working through 2018-2019’s Scripture Reading Schedule, the link will still be available on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links”. If you are using a mobile device or tablet, the link may be below, meaning you’ll need to scroll down instead.

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link or the “share your thoughts” box below.

The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day: one each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.

Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 11/24/19 through 11/30/19.

 

Standing Like a Rock in the End Times—Nineteen Tips to Surviving Evil’s Onslaught Against Us

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 In light of Yeshua’s last days warnings in his Matthew 24 discourse, what should we do? Below are some suggestions that will help you not to only survive, but to thrive in these end times as we await the second coming.

In these increasingly dark and evil days in which we are now living where evil is made to appear to be good, down is up and black is white, and where YHVH’s people are being increasingly marginalized, persecuted and even killed, what should we be doing in the face of evil’s onslaught against us? The following list provides some answers from the Scriptures.

  • Watch and pray (Matt 26:41; Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 21:36).
  • Pray that you might be counted worthy to escape YHVH’s judgments that will be coming on the earth because of wickedness (Luke 21:36).
  • Endure to the end (Matt 24:13; Mark 13:13).
  • Keep your eyes on Yeshua the Lamb and follow him wherever he goes (Rev 14:4).
  • Occupy until Yeshua comes (Luke 19:13). Be busy doing what Yeshua has called you to do.
  • Engage in intercessory prayer, though at this time, it may not do much good, since biblical prophecy has to be fulfilled as end time events occur. This means that things will be getting worse and worse until Yeshua returns and destroys Babylon the Great New World Order.
  • Be an overcomer in every way possible. Be not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Those who overcome spiritual evil will experience great rewards (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21)
  • Be prepared to engage in civil disobedience as a last resort, if necessary. If civil laws violate YHVH’s laws, the Bible tells us to obey YHVH’s laws over men’s laws (Acts 4:19; 5:29; Ps 94:16).
  • Be prepared to help persecuted brothers and sisters in any way possible. You might be next the next one to be persecuted!
  • Continue to be salt and light to those around you in every way possible (Matt 5:13–16).
  • Don’t expect things on earth to get better. Yeshua never said it would get better, but only darker before his return. He’s coming at the midnight hour when evil will be the most pervasive and rampant on the earth.
  • Expect intense persecution of Bible believers (2 Tim 3:12; Matt 5:10–12; 10:22–25; 23:34; Mark 10:30; John 15:19–21; 16:2, 33; 17:14; 1 Thess 3:3–4; 1 Pet 4:12–16; Rev 7:14). Yeshua and the book of Revelation prophesy this will occur in the end times.
  • Be wise as serpents (Matt 10:16). Find ingenious ways to circumvent Caesar’s evil and unbiblical mandates without getting caught, while at the same time being obedient to YHVH’s higher laws.
  • Love not your lives unto death (Rev 12:11). Be willing to lose some or all of yourself for Yeshua including your material possessions. Greater rewards await you for your faithful obedience to Yeshua (Matt 10:39; 16:25).
  • Be inspired by the great faith heros of the Bible and the Christianity (Heb 11).
  • Come out of Babylon more completely (Rev 18:4) starting with the spiritual aspects of this evil and ungodly worldwide system. Eventually, this may mean leaving the cities and going into communal situations into the wilderness with other like-minded believers. Some of the Roman Catholic monasteries were started by those fleeing the corruption of Rome.
  • The more evil intensifies against you, love the light of YHVH’s truth, love Yeshua more and run to and hold on to him—the Rock of your salvation—more tightly.
  • Love your enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you and pray for them (Matt 5:44).

Finally…

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love (1 Cor 16:13). Let the following scriptures admonish you:

Put on the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of Elohim; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints… (Eph 6:11–18)

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in Elohim for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Cor 10:3–6)