Jehovah is the Lord Jesus Christ

Judgment is Coming

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

From Judgment to the Presence of God

Book of Joel

Joel is another of God’s prophets that we know very little about and is called a Minor Prophet.

Joe 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

We know that the message of the minor prophets is just as important as that of the Major prophets. They are called Minor Prophets because their message is shorter. We know that the Holy Spirit used Joel to give Israel and the Church a message good throughout all the Ages.

2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The purpose of the Book of Joel is just like the message of all the writers chosen by the Holy Spirit, to turn the hearts of God’s people back to the LORD.

LORD being Jehovah. Jehovah designates God’s nature as He stands with mankind as the only almighty, true, personal, Holy Being, a Spirit, and the Father of all Spirits.

Num 16:22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26 “Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he”.

Our Lord Jesus says He is Jehovah in the flesh, the Father of all Spirits.

We will see that Joel may not mention Judah by name, but he begins with a description of God’s “judgment”.

Joel mentions the Day of the Lord more than any other Book in Scripture:

The Day of the Lord is the day of the Lord’s vengeance: Isa_34:8 For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

From Joel: Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

From Joel: Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

From Obadiah: Oba_1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

There are other Scriptures by other Prophets as important as these.

Our lesson begins with repentance.

What is repentance?

Repentance is first a change of mind.
It is second, a change of purpose.
It is then a change of life, and these things come with the promise of a remission of sin.

Repentance is walking in the opposite direction from the way we walked as sinners.

Repentance is coming out of the darkness of the Devil and into the Light of Jesus Christ.

Luk_24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

We can only do this if we have a true sense of our own guilt!

Psa 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

We need to study all of Psalm 51 to learn how to truly ask for forgiveness.

What we know is that far too many who started with Jesus Christ are now forsaking Him!

This was readily seen during the time of Covid 19.

*Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

The Prophet Joel gives us much information on the coming “Day of the Lord,” but before God’s Day of wrath, He will first call for repentance.

There is more to repenting than just saying you are sorry!

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Joel is believed to be one of the prophets during the time of Joash who had Zechariah stoned between the courtyard and the altar on the Temple Mount.

How do we question our God, who pleads with His people to return to Him?

Anytime Jehovah calls for repentance then it is not too late to do so.

What we know is the Lord is patient, but His patience will one day run out.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

God is tired of seeing the tearing of garments and wants to see the tearing of the hearts.

We must reach that point in our life where we hate sin but not the sinner.

We might ask ourselves why we should turn to the Lord.

1) The Lord is full of “Grace and Mercy” and has pure love for us.
2) The Lord will repent of His promised wrath if we repent and turn to Him.
3) He will answer prayers. Which means He can restore our economies and our bodies.

We may not understand the true power of Jehovah, but over and over in the Scriptures, God tells us exactly what he is going to do, especially on the Day of the Lord.

Returning to the Lord also means returning to worship of Him.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Those who say we do not have to attend Church to be saved are one hundred percent correct, but after we are saved, we should do our best to obey all the Word of God, and it says not to forsake the assembling of the Church.

This passage says we should be assembling more and not less, for we know we are in those end times.

Every person who calls upon the Lord is to attend Church worship services and be sanctified, which means “set apart” for the Lord’s use.

In this day of Joel, the Lord told the priests and preachers to pray specifically that the Lord spare the people from the coming judgment on those who refuse to repent.

*Joe 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Joe 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Joe 2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Joe 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

If we know anything about the Word of God, we know the Lord could return at any moment to get His Church, and His wrath will begin once the Church has been removed.

There may not be much time for anyone to repent, so now is the right time to repent, and it is certainly time to be sincere about it.

Sin is an inward thing that comes from a sinful heart, and repentance must come from the heart.

We must be sorrowful for any law of God that has been broken!

Until the Lord returns in “judgment” means we still have time to repent!

Repentance is essential to escape the “Day of the Lord” and the ‘Judgment” of God!

In the time of Jonah: Jon 3:9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Jon 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

The Bible would not say these things if they were not true, but His judgment and His wrath are also true.

Things will get so bad in the “Day of the Lord” that there will be people who say, “Where is God?”, but they should have already considered what He said.

With repentance comes the Lord’s pity.

*Joe 2:18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

If we truly repent, no matter what we have done, the Lord will pity us. This is His promise!

Will we still suffer for our sins? Yes, but we are now justified, and our name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Chastisement leads to repentance.

We should know that the Lord is always jealous of His land, and the Lord will provide well-being for His land.

All those who attack Israel will find this out soon enough, but the Lord is jealous for all His creation.

Maybe this is why we see so much turmoil in the lands today, which we call climate change.

It is a Holy God who controls all our climate: Mar 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Things could be so much better if God’s people would return to the Lamb of God!

We should know that compassion is what the LORD will show to repentant people!

It is also the Lord who provides all our needs and who can end wars.

*Joe 2:19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
Joe 2:20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

The LORD promises mercy to all those who return to Him!

It is called the “Grace of God”.

Material prosperity can be restored.
Respect and honor can be restored.
Peace and national security can be restored.

These are just the little things that come to us when we love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many of us see these words as the end of the War of Armageddon.

What had God said?

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2Ch 7:15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

In type, this happens in verse 17.

The LORD is still waiting for His people to repent and pray this prayer!

God the Father fulfilled His promise to send the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is in Jesus Christ that everyone can receive the gifts of God’s Mercy and God’s Grace.

It is in Jesus Christ that this world will be restored for one thousand years.

This is the reason Our Lord Jesus came to this earth to offer reconciliation, and He will return as King of kings and LORD of lords and all the promises that were made will be fulfilled.

*Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Every denomination of the Church knows that “judgment” is coming, and once it has taken place according to the Word of God, it will be the end of human history!

The only thing that is left for all people to do is to repent!

Just before the Lord returns will be a time of unparalleled tribulations.

Those who are wise will not be victims of these tribulations because the LORD has given us a way out.

Those who love the LORD have the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are not paying attention if we have not seen wonders happening in the heavens.
We are not paying attention if we have not seen wonders happening on this earth, no matter what scientists call them.
We should be waiting for something like an eclipse of the Sun and the Red Moon.

We of the Church know that our time is really short and we need to be working on our families with the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Day of Salvation is now!!!!!!!

*Joe 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

The Valley of Jehoshaphat is the valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.

We should understand that the scattering of God’s people and the division of God’s land are an insult to the property of God.

Notice God says, “My people” and “My land” and He adds “My heritage”.

As I think upon this passage, I can recall the spot where the Lord Jesus will return.

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

When the Lord returns, He will return to the Mount of Olives to the place where He had ascended.

Zec 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
Zec 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zec 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Zec 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Zec 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

I believe that this is the day the LORD will judge all the nations that have gathered to destroy Israel.

And Joel continues:

*Joe 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Every nation that has opposed the Kingdom of God, as well as all those hostile nations that surround Jerusalem, are to be awakened.

Joe 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Up until this time, the lord has been standing, but here, we see that He will sit on His seat of judgment.

Isa 50:8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.

The Lord says Bring them on, He is ready to meet them.

Joe 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

The Lord says it is far past the time to harvest the fruit of the earth because it is rotten.

Rev_14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

God has already condemned these nations.

Multitudes and multitudes are in the valley of decision.

The nations have made their decision, and Jehovah will pronounce His decision at that moment.

Once the LORD begins, He will not end until it is over for wickedness and evil.

*Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joe 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Multitudes in the Hebrew suggest the confused noise of a great multitude.

Isa 17:12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
Isa 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

On this day, there will be many cosmic disturbances. All the heavenly bodies will be darkened, and this does not mean an eclipse of the Sun or the Moon because it concerns all heavenly bodies.

Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

Why? It is the Day God will punish this world for its evil.

Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Isa 13:12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

The entire Solar System will shake violently.

Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jer 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

It certainly will not be a good day for the militaries of those evil nations.

There is much more that can be said about the Day of the Lord, but this would be a complete study in itself.

We can see that the Lord will certainly judge the nations of this world.

*Joe 3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Israel will finally wake up to the truth of Jehovah as they see the work of the Messiah, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev_5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

This will be the time for Israel to repent!

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

*Joe 3:20 But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
Joe 3:21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

Israel will become the honcho nation in this world for one thousand years, and Our Lord Jesus will sit upon the Throne of David and rule this world with a rod of iron.

Zec 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Amen

There Must Be Limits To Our Freedom

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Limits of Freedom

Book of Exodus Chapters 23 and 24

We should understand that our freedom is a gift from Jehovah! The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall “make” you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Remember our Lord is also our Creator!

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

By nature we are in bondage to sin.

By “Grace” through “Faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are made free from sin!

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

So, there must be limits to our freedom.

We must understand Jehovah will exalt any nation that diligently listens to His voice.

We can understand that voice as the words that Jehovah gave to all the writers of the Scriptures of which we have a copy.

Deu 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deu 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

It is the blessings of Jehovah that become reality when we love the Lord Jesus Christ!

Psa 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

We are foolish if we cannot see that Jehovah has removed His hand of blessing from the United States of America, because so many have rejected the voice of the Lord.

You see it does not matter what national laws that exist if those laws are not written according to the voice of God, what we call the Bible.

Not just any book called a Bible, but a Bible that is written according to the received text, the true Greek, and Hebrew Scriptures.

Our freedom must be limited according to the laws of Jehovah!

It is critical to our eternal life that we follow the voice of God!

False religion, false gods, false worship, will cause us to miss the benefits of living with the Almighty Living God!

*Exo 23:10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
Exo 23:11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
Exo 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

We hear so much about climate change today. It is mentioned in every conversation and every news broadcast.

We should have listened to the voice of Jehovah on how to take care of our lands.

In our last lesson we talked about a Sabbath Day so now let us see as our God talks about a Sabbath Year.

We all certainly know that without farmers there would be no real food for anyone. Few of us own enough land to grow food to meet all our needs.

Jehovah told the children of Israel that once they entered into the Promised Land, the land promised to the descendants of Abraham, that every seventh year was to be a Sabbath Year and the land was to rest.

Before Israel was allowed to reclaim that land in 1948, we know there was nothing more than a piece of desert where no crops could grow.

Today we see just how fertile that land truly is.

Every seventh year the land was to be unplowed and unused.

This is where crop rotation had its beginning.

That same land left untouched would still feed the poor and the animals.

Why would Jehovah do such a thing? No other nation did such a thing.

Many a farmer today have learned the hard way of the problems of overusing the land.

They plowed too deeply.
They destroyed soil nutrients:
They failed to rotate crops.

The children of Israel did not know about such things, so they had to be taught and their teacher was Jehovah.

This lesson for the land was not the only lesson that was taught.

They had a need to learn compassion because Jehovah is a compassionate God.

Whatever this land produced in the Sabbatical Year was to be shared!

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord of life!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and “the life”: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

So, this was not just a time to allow the land to rest, it was also a time to get closer to the Lord.

Deu 31:10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,
Deu 31:11 When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
Deu 31:12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:
Deu 31:13 And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

There was to be a special time of worship.
There was to be a time of reading and studying the Word of God.

Remember Moses had written down everything that Jehovah had said.

The key to this worship was learning how to follow the Lord and to live as He commanded!

What do we know? We know that Israel failed to keep this Sabbatical Year for at least 490 years and God allowed Babylon to remove Israel from that land and the land laid at rest for 70 years.

2Ch 36:21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

We can see that the Word of God is to be obeyed including to allow the land to have her rest every Sabbath Year.

We must understand that God knows what He is doing all the time, and nothing ever surprises Jehovah!

Joshua reminded these children of Israel the importance of the Word of God as they entered the Promised Land.

Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

And according to the Word of God, we must never turn our backs on those who are poor in worldly things and also those who are poor in the knowledge of Jehovah God.

And again we see that a day of rest is emphasized.

And there was to be no talk about false gods.

*Exo 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

To be circumspect is to reverence the Word of God, guard it as the truth, be obedient.

That word circumspect means to be cautious, carefully examining all the circumstances that affect our lives.

These children of Israel would have to admit they had seen some of the awesome power of God and those false gods of Egypt had done nothing for them except to place them in bondage.

God decided that they needed a law concerning false gods.

1) They must obey Jehovah.
2) They must not call on false gods.

In fact the names of false gods must never be heard from their lips.

It is no different for us today. We are to obey all the Word of God, rightly divided.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Today we should lean on that phrase “What Would Jesus Do” being cautious in every situation that we face in this world.

We must be fully awake to the importance of the Word of God!

We should give no thought to false gods they are fantasies that deserve no mention. By the way this includes Allah, and Budha and all others!

We must be careful to remember the commandments of God and do them!

Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

We must spend time with our Lord!

*Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

Three times each year each male of a certain age was to make the journey to the Tabernacle.

No matter where they were nor how far away, they were, they were commanded to appear before Jehovah.

By reading the Scriptures we know that most of them took their families with them as they traveled to the Tabernacle and later to the Temple.

They were to thank the Lord for their bountiful harvest.
They were to praise the Lord for His deliverance.
They were to never come before the Lord empty handed.

**The “Feast of Unleavened Bread” began with the Passover.

The Passover commemorates God’s deliverance of Israel out of Egypt.

The Passover meal commemorates the deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery.

The annual Passover was a memorial to these truths, but they were also symbolic.

A memorial in memory of that first Passover night in Egypt.

Symbolic because its ultimate fulfillment was at Mount Calvary, where the lamb of God (Jesus Christ) took away the sin of this entire world in all its Ages.

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

On that first Passover Jehovah revised the Hebrew calendar.

On Mount Calvary the Lord Jesus Christ revised the calendar that the world still uses today.

Today the Jews use two calendars:

Their legal documents are dated by the Civil Calendar.
Al religious events are dated by the Sacred Calendar.

This first feast began with Passover, but it continued for seven days.

They worshipped Jehovah on the first day and again on the last day.

The unleavened bread reminded then to flee from slavery not even taking the time for the leaven to cause the bread to rise.

Notice also that Jehovah said no man was to appear before Him empty handed, but this offering was to still be a freewill offering.

Jehovah had done far too much for this people for them to offer nothing!

Deu 16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

**There was then the Feast of the Harvest:

This Feast is also called the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, or the Latter First fruits.

This Feast commemorates the “Giving of the Law” to the children of Israel and these laws were given to the Children of Israel.

We need to rightly divide the Scriptures to know which laws affect which people.

The three groups in the world are the Jews, the Church, and those who are Lost and without the Lord Jesus.

It was a time to present an offering of the new grain of the summer harvest to the Lord.

This Feast is tied to the Ten Commandments.

We are always to thank Jehovah for the harvest He gives to us, for the income and blessings He pours out upon us, and the offerings due to Him!

Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

**There was the Feast of Ingathering:

Also called the Feast of Tabernacles because the people were commanded to make small booths or lean-toos to live in during the time of this feast.

This feast was to remind them of that 40-year journey to the Promised Land.

This Feast celebrated the harvest of the grape vines and orchards and lasted for seven or eight days.

Neh 8:17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
Neh 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

We can see that the Children of Israel were lax at keeping these feasts.

Jehovah demanded the observance of these feasts:

1) To bring these people together in the spirit of unity and oneness to build a strong, unified nation.
2) To show the people the great blessings of Jehovah, His deliverance, and His guidance day by day.
3) To cause this people to give thanks, to praise Jehovah and to give their tithes and offerings to Him.

Today, the Church can grow through our association with other true believers.

When we surround ourselves with other Christian believers we benefit from their wisdom and counsel.

Pro 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
We benefit from encouragement and edification.

We benefit from encouragement and edification.

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We benefit from safety and protection.

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

We benefit from unity and a common purpose.

Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

We benefit from worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ with like-minded people!

Php 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Jehovah had these same intentions for these Children of Israel!

*Exo 24:3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
Exo 24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

You see, the Lord genuinely wants us to know about Him!

The Lord wants us to understand why His Word involves commandments and not suggestions!

This group of people did not think the Word of God was too harsh and they all agreed they needed to be obedient to the Word of God.

Jehovah is seeking a people committed to being obedient to all the things He says, and it is really not that hard.

We must overcome the pull of our own flesh to do terrible things that go against the Word of God!

Moses declared all the things of Chapter 19 and all the things of Chapters 21 through 23 and these people agreed that they needed to be obedient to all the Word of God.

These were the laws that were to govern their nation and they agreed that these were good laws.

This is the one thing that Jehovah wants from us all, “obedience”!

Deu 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

For a brief period of time all of Israel was in one mind and one accord with Jehovah God.

*Exo 24:5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
Exo 24:6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Exo 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

Moses sealed this agreement with Jehovah and now the Mosaic Covenant was made.

Remember a covenant is a mutual agreement between two parties with each bound to fulfill certain agreements.

Moses wrote down all the words of this covenant so everyone could see what this agreement consisted of.

It was then that all people needed to study the Word of God so we could know this agreement.

2Ti 2:14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Moses sealed this agreement by making it public.

Moses built an altar to sacrifice unto the Lord, a blood sacrifice.

In the Old Testament, to approach God required a sacrifice.

The burnt offering was a freewill offering.

The animal had to be a clean animal. Free from defects.

The blood of that animal was a substitute.

So we know all these sacrifices pointed these children of Israel to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

When Moses read all the Word of God to the people, he was giving them the words they had committed themselves to, so there would be no confusion.

We know that in order to keep the Laws of God, we need to hear God’s Word over and over again!

These children of Israel needed to learn those Ten Commandments.

They needed to base their civil laws upon that Word of God.

Moses then sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice upon the people saying this blood confirms this covenant between them and Jehovah God.

Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Jehovah is very serious concerning the covenants He makes with any and all people!

We have come to understand the Laws of Moses as a symbol of a schoolmaster who brings us to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

Sheep in Need of a Shepherd

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God’s Sheep Find Their Shepherd

Ezekiel Chapter 34

Today we will begin this quarter in the Old Testament, and we will see that God was the same in all His “judgments” as He is today and the answer to every question is still our “Perfect Shepherd” the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must remember, all the Old Testament teaches us about the character of our Heavenly Father.

How He expects us to live a holy life.
How He will chastise us when we go against His Word.
How He will judge those who reject Him.
How He will be a Shepherd to those who love Him.

In the world of animals, sheep may be the dumbest of all animals.

This is evident as a trait of our own human character! I realize main will object to this statement, but the truth is never well accepted by all!

What is the truth? If you have a flock of sheep, then there is a great need of a shepherd!

In our lesson today we will meet a nameless shepherd who would eat from his flock. He would kill them for meat and clothing. He would take from them their milk for nourishment and the products that come from the milk, and he felt that this was the only reason for having this flock.

What do we find? We find that this shepherd would not feed his flock. He would not lead his flock to drinkable water. He would not fight off the predators. He saw his sheep only as merchandise.

What would these sheep do? They would go in search for food and drink, they would be scattered. Their strength would soon fade. The stronger sheep would push away the weaker sheep until those weaker sheep would become weaker and diseased and become easy prey for their enemies and worthless or be of very little value.

This shepherd did not care for his sheep. He would just continue to take from this flock for his own personal needs, regardless of the needs of his flock.

Obviously, this flock of sheep would one day perish if no one would help them and so would this shepherd for he would run out of sheep to slaughter to meet his own needs.

We must learn from this lesson and carry our learning into the Church of today, and not forget we now serve the True Shepherd, the Good Shepherd.

Joh_10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

The Holy Spirit is using this word “shepherd” to represent not only “shepherds” but also “the religious leaders of Israel” and “the government of Israel” who knew they had been told by the Word of God to take care of God’s people, but they had become so greedy they could only think of themselves and had forsaken the people of Judah and the nation of Judah would go into captivity and their lands destroyed. Even the Temple the House of God was destroyed.

This is a picture of things going on today as most governments are forsaking the people of God, in fact all people, while doing their very best to destroy the Church.

This makes no sense because Christians are normally the most productive and law abiding, people you will ever meet. They just will not go against the Word of God.

Today we see many false shepherds of the Church are doing their best to destroy the Church of the Living God from inside the Church.

*Eze 34:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
Eze 34:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

Who is the Shepherd of these sheep? The Lord God says, “my sheep”. All those who belong to the Lord are “His sheep” and He is their Shepherd!

Bad shepherds are selfish and do their best to exploit the sheep.

Our Good Shepherd loves His sheep and diligently cares for His sheep!

The nation of Israel had been destroyed. The House of God had been destroyed. Yet the True Shepherd keeps up with each of His sheep.

The True Shepherd of Israel knows exactly where every true Jew is today and there are no lost tribes and there are no lost sheep of Israel.

It is the same for each Christian, God knows exactly where all His children are and what is going on in their lives!

Notice Jehovah says “I will” search for and seek out my sheep.

Jehovah likes to get up close and personal with all His children!

Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Eze 34:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

Isa 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isa 40:12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Isa 40:13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Isa 40:14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
Isa 40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

You know when the Lord says, “I will” then you had better believe “He will”!

He will deliver His people!

*Eze 34:12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

What does the “Good Shepherd” do? He will seek out and find all His flock!

Again this Good Shepherd is Jehovah, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

He will return His people to the promised land!

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

He will feed His flock!

Psa 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He will lead His flock to good pastures!

We should understand that if we “rightly divide” the Scriptures, we will see that God wrote somethings to the Nation of Israel that will not involve the Church, and all these things will occur according to God’s timeline.

After the Church is removed and the Lord focuses on fulfilling His promises to Israel, we will be with Him wherever He goes, and He will rule Israel from the city of Jerusalem, and we will be with Him.

Also “rightly dividing” the Bible there are some things that will happen to non-believers and these things will be fulfilled also!

Remember all those who reject the Word of God are already “judged”!

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death”; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This death being eternally separated from our loving God, in a place of eternal torment!

The Lord knows His sheep and His sheep know Him!

God will deliver His people.

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

There are no lost tribes of Israel in fact God knows each of the Israelites and where they are located today!

*Eze 34:13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

Lost sheep that are scattered, will feed off whatever they can find, and it is not always good for them.
They haven’t been cared for and they become ragged.
They end up around other people who do not care for them and certainly do not love them.
They become lost sheep in a lost world!

Listen to the promises of Jehovah God.

God will gather them away from those lost people of the world who only care for themselves in most case by robbing the poor.

God will gather them away from those people who live by false hopes in countries where there is no hope of the truth.

God will gather them into their own land and feed them in a land of pleasant pastures.

God will gather them into a land where they can be loved and cared for.

Over and over again we see that God will get up close and personal with these lost sheep. Why?

Because Jehovah is the true Shepherd of Israel. He is also the true Shepherd of all those who are lost!

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

We cannot read this passage of Scripture without seeing the love, the passion, the pity, the caring, of Jehovah God, Yahweh, for His people.

We cannot read this passage without thinking about what God has said about His people.

Deu 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deu 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

God said I will take you home!

*Eze 34:14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
Eze 34:15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

If we count, we will see God use the “I” 15 times in this passage. He uses the word “my and myself” 3 times.

There is nothing on this earth God will not do for those people who obey His commandments!

We know that God never changes because these things are the basis of the love our Savior has for the Church.

Joh_10:30 I and my Father are one.

Joh_14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Our God does not have two messages but only one!

We will be fed in a good pasture.

That good pasture is upon the high mountains of the promised land.

This is where the fold of God will be and there is no mountain higher than Heaven.

This is the place of “rest” is only for the believer!

Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

There cannot be many shepherds, there can only be One Shepherd!

*Eze 34:23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
Eze 34:24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

King David had been dead 400 years when Ezekiel penned these words by the Holy Spirit.

Ezekiel is a prophet of God and in this Scripture, he prophesies of the Messiah.

This Shepherd/King who will feed them and be the true Shepherd that will come from the line of King David!

David was a shepherd who minded the sheep of his father Jesse.

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Isa 55:4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Jer 30:9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

Hos 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Again we see the object of Jehovah, is to get up close and personal with His sheep and be the Good Shepherd and even more than this, a Righteous King.

We know that this has not taken place yet, so this prophesy will come together after the Church has been called to be with the Lord.

God’s promises will be fulfilled one by one, but we can see that God’s timing will come quickly once the Church has been taken out of this world.

What will King Jesus do?

*Eze 34:25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
Eze 34:26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

When King Jesus sits on the throne from the city of Jerusalem, He will rule this world! The Scriptures say for 1000 years. This promise He made to the people of Israel.

There will be peace:

1) The animal world will finally be at peace as in the first days of Adam and Eve.

Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

2) The human world will finally see peace when King Jesus sits on His throne.

Col_2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

3) The lands of all the world will finally be at peace.

*Eze 34:27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
Eze 34:28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

This will be a time when all foods will be grown without fertilizers and poisons, without even organic fertilizers and pest controls!

Farmers will not have to go to Monsanto to buy seed. The plants will produce their own perfect seed.

What precious promises the Lord makes and rest assured, our Lord never breaks a promise!

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
Amo 9:13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
Amo 9:14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
Amo 9:15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

In America, I can remember when we did not have to lock our doors and most of the population still feel that we are safe in our homes.

In reality we are just not as safe as we use to be!

Weapons are in the minds of most all Americans. Some in a good way and some in a bad way. You want to stop the rise of gun purchases, make us feel safe in our homes again? Quit providing for the needs of the crooks, robbers, and murderers and provide for the victims!

Today the people of Israel never know when the sirens will blare telling them that a rocket is headed their way.

Where that greatest part of their national budget must be spent on the defense of their nation.

Where everyone born must spend some time in the military, so a defense force is always ready.

These people simply do not know what peace is all about, but one day in the future, the City of Jerusalem will become the City of Peace and the enemies of Israel will all be destroyed!

They will dwell safely in that land, because they will have chosen to serve the Lord.

Luk 1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
Luk 1:74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
Luk 1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

God will remember His promise!

Luk 1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Luk 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
Luk 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
Luk 1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
Isa 44:25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
Isa 44:26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

There is coming a day when the children of Israel will have no fear of any nation!

This day has not come yet, but is still in the future and I would hope that all of that nation feel security in the Word of God.

*Eze 34:29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
Eze 34:30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 34:31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

That plant of renown is none other than, the “stem of Jesse”, the Lord Jesus Christ, the True Messiah.

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

All these prophesies meant much in the past of Israel, but their true fulfillment is still in the future at the return of Christ Jesus.

And the Lord picks up where He began, because we are all still sheep in need of a Shepherd!

Our Divine Shepherd is Adonai, His name is Jehovah the one true God!

Today if you want to be in the flock of the true God you must realize that you are a sheep in need of the true Shepherd!

If you have not found your Shepherd, I will tell you that He is seeking for you today.

Call out for Him and He will find you!

Amen

Let’s Pray!