These are words that I used to hear people say when I was young. Okay its fifty or sixty years ago, I’m not that young anymore.
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Recently I was watching a dvd I purchased last year called “Hell Freezes Over” -an Eagles album. They mention this song in the introduction to this concert, and the song is toward the end of the event. A very nice song, which is worthy of listening to and reflection upon its content.
So what does any of this to do with the Written Torah?
I am so glad you asked that, . . . .everything.
The song is about the need for people to find a reason to be owed something or to be able to blame someone else for your life and then want them compensate you. More to the point would be: You don’t want to be responsible, but you want everything to be given you, because you want it.
Like a one year old, getting anything it wants by crying for it.
This is demonstrated in the Written Torah in a way. Let us look at our behaviour(humans) from Beginning.
In the discussion with the serpent, Eve makes a leap in her mind to ‘Wisdom’ from “Knowledge of Good and Evil”, and then She eats of the tree. No wisdom there, nor it her next act. She then takes the fruit and offers it to Adam, he does not question it, he bites it. Now each person blames somebody else in this story, but Adam blames GOD, when he says ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’ [Genesis 3:12]. This is not the end of the story but we need to move on.
When Cain’s sacrifice is not respected, instead of hearing the LORD tell him that he can be better by doing better. Cain unleashes his rage and blame, on his brother Able, killing him. This does not work out so well for either Cain or Able. Nothing that Able did actually involved Cain. Cain just blamed his bother for being there.
When the Children of Jacob are taken out of Egypt by GOD and lead by Moses, they habitually blame Moses saying things like:
1) “Exodus 14:11 And they said unto Moses: ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt?”
2) “Exodus 16: 3 and the children of Israel said unto them: ‘Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'”
3) “Exodus 17:3 and the children of Israel said unto them: ‘Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'”
4) “Numbers 14: 1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them: ‘Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would we had died in this wilderness! 3 And wherefore doth the LORD bring us unto this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey; were it not better for us to return into Egypt?'”**
There are four of the many, many times the Children did this. In event #4, the LORD demonstrates HIS justifiable anger, which is so great that HE again declares, HE would erase us(the children of Jacob) and start over with Moses. Of course if you read the Written Torah account of the event, you learn that the result is: “Numbers 14: 28 Say unto them: As I live, saith the LORD, surely as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you: 29 your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, ye that have murmured against Me; 30 surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand that I would make you dwell therein, . . . .32 But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your strayings, until your carcasses be consumed in the wilderness. 34 After the number of the days in which ye spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know My displeasure.”
It seams that many view their lives as victims and declare that they are owed something, even forgiveness at times.
Let’s look at someone that actually has every reason to have a victim status, but doesn’t claim it.
His brothers despised and or loathed him, even to the point of planning to kill him and throw him a crevice in the desert. But, they have their minds changed, and decide to get some money while still ridding themselves of this brother. They make money by selling him in to slavery.
Sold in to slavery, he becomes the most trusted in and with his masters house. Yet, having done no wrong, he is then thrown into prison, where he becomes the over seer, trusted to make everything, that under his hand work well. After some years in prison, he is taken out and made Second in Command over all of Egypt. Only Pharaoh with regards to the throne was higher.
Nine years later his brothers find themselves owning their existence to this Lord which they do not recognize, but he does them. This Lord to which they are in awe and in fear for their very lives, turns out to be their brother which they sold into slavery so many years ago. When they know who he is, they are sure he will take revenge upon them for their deeds.
Instead twice he tells them: “Genesis 45: 5 And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life.” and “Genesis 50: 15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said: ‘It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him.’ . . . . 19 And Joseph said unto them: ‘Fear not; for am I in the place of God? 20 And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not; I will sustain you, and your little ones.’ And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them. “
Joseph, some where along the way, figured out that the GOD of his Fathers was in control and to make the most of every situation, being thankful that the LORD is GOD, thankful for HIS Blessings and HIS control of everything.
The great lesson to be learned here is that: We, when thankful to the ALMIGHTY GOD, start seeing we are not the owners of this life, this world or even the next heart beat. THE LORD is. What we have, is on loan from HIM. Should you not know what HE wants of you? What HIS rules are? Should we not Praise the ONE GOD, CREATOR of the Heavens and the Earth, as HE has brought you to This very day? HE Lifts up who HE WILL and brings low who HE WILL and none can say nay!
Even King Nebuchadnezzar learned this, and he was King of Babylon.
The LORD GOD knows what you need, when you need it and how to give it to you. Have you really been thankful for what you have received? Or, are you still blaming HIM for your life. Perform your Life according to HIS Instructions ONLY, then watch HIM keep HIS word. Only do your part by keeping HIS LAWS and instructions, give HIM the Credit and Glory HE IS DUE. Count your blessings, ONE BY ONE, and you will see HIS works in your Life.
**Note about this last entry(#4), while it is not the last time this type of complaint is performed by us. It was a very costly time to let fear overwhelm us, so that we blame others for the blessings we receive.
As a comparison, when the LORD tested Abraham, by instructing:
“Genesis 22: 2 And He said: ‘Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.'”
This is indeed worrisome on the face of it, save the LORD’S promises and Covenants with Abraham. Why just before this command, this transpired.
“Genesis 21:12 And God said unto Abraham: ‘Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee.”
The Covenants go through Issac, and if the Giver of your blessings demand of you that blessing, . . . . Is not everything HIS? Why worry about it. So Abraham does exactly what is told him to do, demonstrating his personal trust if the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
The result is:
“Genesis 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven,
16 and said: ‘By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,
17 that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast hearkened to My voice.'”
When we get over ourselves, our fears and our desire to blame, we become truly blessed by our FATHER.
Maybe, . . . . just perhaps, it would be better to learn exactly what the ALMIGHTY wants and then do it. Or not. It is your choice and your personal outcome!
My prayer is that The LORD grant you eyes that see, ears that hear and an understanding heart, then you return unto HIM soon!(Isaiah 6: 9 And He said: ‘Go, and tell this people: hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return, and be healed.’)
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Yaakov