The Lying Words ‘’The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD’, or how about ‘The western wall, the western wall’ or Temple Mount, . . . . What is wrong with these words?
It is not the “Temple”, the Wall”, the “Mount”, the “Arc of the Covenenat”, that can save or benefit you. We have missed the truth and followed after lying words, and yet we continue even today.
The Word of the LORD does not change. HIS LAWS do not change. HIS Covenants(Contracts) with us do not change. So far, we really have not changed, YET.
We will change, when it becomes painful enough for us. There are some of us alive now, that saw first hand the events in Europe at the hands of Hitler and his followers. But, it was not bad enough to cause us to change yet.
This view, while painful is not the complete problem. We actually provide the means of our own hurt and we justify the reasons for our outcome. Let’s see what the LORD has said via HIS Prophets.
Jeremiah 7:
3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying: ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, are these.’
5 Nay, but if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbour;
6 if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt;
7 then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. . . . .
16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me; for I will not hear thee.
17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke Me.
Confirmation(Second Source)
Jeremiah 44:
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives offered unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great assembly, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:
16 ‘As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.
17 But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to offer unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.
18 But since we let off to offer to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. . . .
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women: ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying: We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to offer to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her; ye shall surely establish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
26 Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, saith the LORD, that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt saying: As the Lord GOD liveth.
Is this the Shabbat bride which is bowed to at the Erev Shabbat services? Are we still doing the same things with very slight modification?
The “House of the Name” is the correct name, but it became “the temple of the LORD” and we gave no thought to HIM whose NAME the House was for. Instead it was the building that would save us.(Or the Wall) These actions have been indicative of our relationship with the LORD, where we drag whatever we associate with the LORD in to conflict or battle like a really big weapon that always saves us, but leave the LORD out of our thoughts and hearts.
Second evidence of this is:
“1 Samuel 4:2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when the battle was spread, Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said: ‘Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that He may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.’
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who sitteth upon the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said: ‘What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?’ And they knew that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said: ‘God is come into the camp.’ And they said: ‘Woe unto us! for there was not such a thing yesterday and the day before.
8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues and in the wilderness.
9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you; quit yourselves like men, and fight.’
10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent; and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.”
So what is wrong in this story? 1) It was they believed that if they brought the ARK, THE LORD would do the battle. The ARK was control over GOD! THAT IT JUST NOT TRUE! 2) The Israelites did not inquire of the LORD, if this was the right thing to do. 3) Because they did not seek THE LORD’S Council on the matter, they did not know:
“1 Samuel 3:14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever.’”
In these actions we gave no thought as to what the LORD wanted or would do, we simply had the power of GOD not the other way around.
Time for an example, of someone that did it correctly, Moses. I have always considered this a test of Moses, in that Moses has been performing all the miracles the LORD told Moses to perform. Are you a person that having demonstrated the POWER before Egypt and the Hebrews. Would not think, “I have done this thing.”? And therefore maybe you would not have waited for the LORD to say, but then maybe you would have considered I have the Staff, I can do this. Moses still waits for the LORD to say what is to be done, and does not attempt anymore than what the WORD OF THE LORD declares be done. Read, the sea is ahead, the army of Egypt is behind, all are afraid!
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people: ‘Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you to-day; for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The LORD will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.’
15 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.
16 And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. . . .
Exodus 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Another great example is Numbers 22, the story of Balak and Balaam, where Balaam is to use his ability to curse against the Children of Israel. In this story the Children of Israel do not even know it is taking place. The LORD does as HE pleases, not as we please, and we may not even know what is happening.
The point of all of this is: Trust that if you are Righteous, or maybe not righteous, the LORD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS WORD. Therefore it is good to know the WORD and become Righteous(One that does right).
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose trust the LORD is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but its foliage shall be luxuriant; and shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
It is not the Temple, the Wall, the Arc of the Covenant, the Torah Scroll, social justice, repairing the world, forcing others to act the way we want, . . . . That will make a better world. Individually, we are required to choose, GOD or not god. To follow HIM, Obey HIM or not. The result is also ours individually, and because we are the Children of Israel, on this earth, our bodies rise or fall together as a mass. Individuals are the LORD’s and HE will save them, like Daniel in the lion’s den. But, as a people, we must return to the LORD with all of our heart, all of our soul and all of our being. Then ALL will know the Lord Our GOD LIVES.
I can show you the way, if you want to know.
IT is to our benefit to HEARKEN until the LIVING GOD OF ISRAEL, and to our pain and shame to do otherwise.
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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Shalom,
Yaakov