Who is the God that walks with man? This seems like a backward
question and one might think the question should be asked ‘who is the man who
walks with God?’ But throughout history, there is only one God who walks with
man. Every ancient culture has stories of gods and demi-gods who war amongst
themselves and enslave men and women to their own wills, but the God of the
Bible is very different from those gods. While cultures and names for gods vary,
we can trace a few common points in history that will help unfold the age old
questions of gods, demi-gods, and the God of the Bible. Theological scholars
usually take a dismissive approach when it comes to the idea that the God of the
Hebrews was not the same God as the god(s) of the Chaldeans, Canaanites, Hittites,
etc. They seem to believe that all ancient cultures’ gods were derived from
similar stories, therefore they were the same. However, most theologians study
the Bible from the Masoretic text. They make observations, and theories, and
grammatical models from text that was written and altered by several
individuals dating from 300 CE to 1000 CE, yet the oldest text of the
scriptures we have available is the Greek Septuagint dated 300 BCE. The next
oldest text we have is the Samarian Pentateuch, dated 200 BCE. We find the
Septuagint and the Samarian Pentateuch typically agree with very few
differences, while the Masoretic text differs from both. We have identified
many Masoretic alterations and we will keep that in mind as we search out the
text.
When we read of ancient creation stories of how the world
was formed we see a few similarities, including the idea of chaos and water.
Interestingly, the Hebrew, Christian, and Muslim creation stories are almost
the same, and very different from other cultures’ mythology. We know from the
historical record of Jasher, that Nimrod is the one who changed and distorted
creation history. In fact, the earliest recorded stories come out of Babylon.
The Enuma Enlish is an interesting
read but it bears no resemblance to Genesis. Genesis is the only account that
shows man was cared for by Theos/Elohim, and Theos/Elohim visited man in
paradise. Food was provided for man as part of the creation, and man was given
a position of authority over the creation. In all other accounts of creation,
man was not a cared for being, and man did not have a position of authority
over the earth. Adam was in charge of the garden and the animals, and God had
Adam name the animals. In other creation stories man was used and abused by the
gods, and demi-gods at their will. It is an opposite view compared to the
Genesis account. Yet we have recorded accounts of Yahweh walking and talking
with humans. This is a very different God who likes humans and wants to be
connected to them as compared to all the other creation stories out there.
One of the first things to consider here is that Adam was
with Eve at the time of their disobedience. It may be that Adam was being tempted
by the serpent just like Eve, but Adam was the one who received the directive
not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After Eve ate, she
gave the fruit to Adam who was with her. Now that both ate they both recognized
they were naked. Whatever their covering was before they ate, they lost it,
whether spiritual or physical, their disobedience left them uncovered, so they
attempted to cover themselves.
Gen 3:6And G2983having
taken G3588the G2590fruit G1473of it,G2068she
ate, G2532and G1325she
gave G2532also G3588toG435her
husband G1473 G3326with G1473her, G2532and G2068they
ate.
7G2532And G1272[5were
opened wide G35881the G37882eyes G35883of the
G14174two], G2532and G1097they
knew G3754that G1131they
were naked. G1510.7.6 G2532AndG4475.2they
sewed G5444leaves
G4808of a
fig-tree, G2532and G4160made G1473to
themselves G4023.1loincloths.
8G2532And G191they
heard G3588the G5456voice G2962of the lord
G3588 G2316God G4043walking
G1722in G3588the G3857paradise
G3588 G1168.1at
dusk
They heard the voice of Aleph Tav Yahweh Elohim. They heard
the voice of Alpha Omega Kurios Theos. Both texts identify Yahweh/Kurios
Elohim/Theos as Aleph Tav/Alpha Omega, #H853, #G3588. It is interesting that
Elohim Aleph Tav/Theos Alpha Omega is used through Genesis 1-2:4, but once man
is created and mentioned, the addition of Yahweh/Kurios is added. This tells us
that lord is used in relation to man/Anthropos
and not just in relation to the creation of the earth. Kurios/Yahweh is Lord
over humans. Now consider this, this God is called Alpha Omega Kurios Theos, or
Aleph Tav Yahweh Elohim, and is walking and speaking in paradise at dusk,
meeting with Adam and Eve. This is a face to face meeting. This is not God
calling from the clouds or sending a lightning bolt, this is a very personal
meeting. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-choice-aleph-and-tav-part-1-of.html
Gen 3:8G2532And G2928[5hid
G3739 G50371both G*2AdamG25323and G3588 G11354his
wife] G1473 G575from G4383the face
G2962of the lord
G3588 G2316God G1722in G3319the midst
G3588of the
G3586tree G3588of the
G3857paradise.
9G2532And G2564God
called G3588 G2316 G3588 G*Adam, G2532andG2036said G1473to
him, G*Adam, G4226Where G1510.2.2are
you?
10G2532And G2036he
said G1473to
him, G3588 G5456[2your
voice G1473 G1911I
heard] G4043while walking
G1722in G3588the G3857paradise,
G2532and G5399I
feared, G3754for G1131I am
naked, G1510.2.1 G2532and G2928I hid.
11G2532And G2036[2said
G14733to him
G3588 G23161God], G5100Who G312announced
G1473to you
G3754that G1131you
are naked, G1510.2.2 G1508unless
G575from G3588the G3586tree G3739of
which G1781I gave
charge G1473to
you, saying, G3778This G3441alone G3361you
are not
G2068to eat
G575from G1473it --G2068you
ate
Anthropos was given the ability to choose, and as we know
Adam’s choice changed everything. It is hard to imagine what it would be like
to live in a luxurious garden paradise with no knowledge of anything else. What
we do know is that that choice made everything change, not just the ground
which became thorns and thistles, but it changed dynamics in the animal kingdom
as well. Have you ever been tempted to do something different than what you
usually do because you believe the hype that the new thing will be better, only
to find out that it was not better at all? Imagine living in paradise where all
you know is paradise, and you make a choice to leave paradise for what is
different (remember The Truman Show?).
Ever since that time when paradise had to be closed, humankind has longed to
get back to the garden. And really who doesn’t want to run around naked in a
luxurious garden? As we have studied, the first part of Jesus’ plan was to open
paradise for the dead redeemed. Now there is a way back to the paradise of the
delicacy. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/09/eden-garden-of-god-jesus-plan-for-lower.html
Even though paradise was lost, AO Theos/AT Elohim, who is
now Kurios/Yahweh over mankind still came to meet with, walk with, and talk
with humans. One of the great differences between the Genesis stories and other
creation stories is that the people who Theos/Elohim meet with are not trying
to win a war or conquer a land when they attempt to invoke help from the gods;
instead they are simply reverent to the Creator. The Creator is also not
changing and rearranging the dynamics of man’s everyday life, but instead is
guiding man as to what to do. The dynamics of interacting with Theos/Elohim
changed with Adam’s decision. No longer could humans and God walk together
unless the human had faith that He Is.
One of the reasons we have mythologies of gods and
demi-gods is because some angels decided to leave their angelic bodies and
become human-like and procreate with earthly women. We looked at the race that
was created through that union last week, the Nephil. This was a race of
demi-gods, part angelic and part human. They were tyrants, and became overlords
to mankind, and were large in stature. The flood was necessary to keep humankind
from extinction.
Gen 5:22-24 And Enoch walked with God after he begat
Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:23 And all the
days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:24 And Enoch walked with
God: and he was not; for God took him. KJV
Gen 5:24G2532AndG2100Enoch
was well-pleasingG* G3588toG2316God.G2532AndG3756he was
notG2147found,G3754forG3346[2transposedG14733himG3588 G23161God]
Notice the word transposed, #G3346 as well as #G3331 following
in Hebrews. Transposed and transposition mean changing places. Enoch was found
well-pleasing to the AO Theos/AT Elohim.
Enoch did not experience death due to his living witness of being well
pleasing to Theos. Some would say that this is a contradiction to the idea that
it is appointed once for every man to die, Hebrews 9:27, however Enoch will
die. Enoch and Elijah both were taken off the earth and both return as the two
witnesses who will be killed by Apollyon. In order to be killed and risen up in
three days the two witnesses have to have physical bodies, and both Enoch and
Elijah still have their physical bodies. So there is no contradiction as every
man is appointed to die, the question simply becomes when. Then, after death there is judgment; which is interesting because
right after the two witnesses die they join with others at Jesus’ coronation
and rewards ceremony. For typical man, the judgment is paradise or hades at the
time of death. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/benchmarks-for-end-two-witnesses.html
Hebrews 11:5G4102By
belief G*Enoch G3346was
transposed G3588 G3361to not
G1492know G2288death,
G2532and G3756was
not G2147found,
G1360because
G3346[2transposed
G14733him G3588 G23161God]; G4253for
before G1063 G3588 G3331his transposition
G1473 G3140he
bore witness G2100to
have been well-pleasing G3588to G2316God.
This gives us a great insight as to what it takes for
humans to now walk personally with Theos/Elohim. Pistis is moral conviction #G4102.
This is necessary (#G1163) and is a binding conviction. That is what makes
approaching Theos possible and Theos rewards/pays those who behold this
conviction.
Hebrews11:6G5565But
apart from G1161 G4102belief
G102it is impossible
G2100to
well-please; G4100[6to
believe G10631for G11632it is
necessary G35883for
the one G43344coming
forward G3588 G23165to
God] G3754that G1510.2.3he is;
G2532and G3588to the
ones G1567seeking
after G1473him G3406[2a
paymaster G10961he
becomes].
This is the commonality of those people we see who walked
with Theos/Elohim. They had moral conviction that He exists. This again is
quite different from the gods of other ancient cultures. There is no ritual
preformed here. There is no sacrifices being made by Enoch to invoke a response
from the emotionally unbalanced gods above. No pentagrams, blood, or batwings;
just being convinced of his existence is all. This is the simplicity of
relationship with Theos/Elohim and again faith is a rare procedure compared to
the other ancient stories of men connecting with gods. One will now consider
the contradiction of the Deuteronomical and Levitical laws that seem to require
sacrifices and purification rituals. We will look at this idea and why it came
to be shortly. But first let’s look at Abraham. There are many people who
communicated directly with Theos/Elohim, but we will look at Abram/Abraham as
he has a lifestyle we should take note of.
Gen 12:1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of
thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land
that I will shew thee: KJV
Gen 12:7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto
thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who
appeared unto him.KJV
The Lord over man, Kurios/Yahweh directs Abram and appears
to him. The word appears #G3708 means
“to see, or to look upon”. Abram had a personal relationship with Kurios/Yahweh
and he then built an altar. He did not build the altar first to invoke a
response from a god, he communed with Kurios/Yahweh, then built an altar, then
left. Abram didn’t stay near the altar, he used it once and then left, then
built another altar somewhere else. There were no perpetual or repeated
sacrifices, in fact we don’t even know if this altar was an altar for blood
sacrifice, all we know is he made an altar, worshipped, and then left.
We come to a time in Abram’s life where he meets up with
Melchizedek/Shem. This is an important understanding, Shem, Noah’s son, lived
in the land of Canaan, in a place eventually known as a Jebusite city,
Jerusalem. He had a school there where Isaac spent three years, and Jacob spent
over thirty years. The Book of Jasher gives us the historical insights we need
for understanding.
Jasher 16:11 And Adonizedek king of Jerusalem, the same was
Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine,
and they remained together in the valley of Melech. 12 And Adonizedek blessed
Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had brought from the spoil
of his enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before God. http://www.ccel.org/a/anonymous/jasher/16.htm
At Sarah’s death:
Jasher 24:14 And at her bier was Shem, his sons Eber and
Abimelech, together with Anar, Ashcol and Mamre, and all the grandees of the
land followed her bier.
Jasher 24:17 And when the days of their mourning passed by
Abraham sent away his son Isaac, and he went to the house of Shem and Eber, to
learn the ways of the Lord and his instructions, and Abraham remained there
three years.
Jasher 28:18 At that time Isaac sent his younger son Jacob
to the house of Shem and Eber, and he learned the instructions of the Lord, and
Jacob remained in the house of Shem and Eber for thirty-two years, and Esau his
brother did not go, for he was not willing to go, and he remained in his
father's house in the land of Canaan.
Jasher 28:24 And it came to pass in those days, in the
hundred and tenth year of the life of Isaac, that is in the fiftieth year of
the life of Jacob, in that year died Shem the son of Noah; Shem was six hundred
years old at his death. 25 And when Shem died Jacob returned to his father to
Hebron which is in the land of Canaan.
Let’s get the picture, Shem was a human lord (Adoni) living in the valley of Melech (king) of Salem
(peace) or Jebu (Jebus/Jerusalem Judge 19:10) salem. In other words, Shem was a
lord and king in a valley called “peace or peaceful”. Now let’s make our timeline
as we did in elementary school so as not to confuse the first Adonizedek with
the second Adonizedek from Joshua 10. The first Adonizedek, lord and king of
salem died before Jacob went to Laban’s house. The second lord and king of
salem died at the time of Joshua. Later, in David’s time, David overtook the
Jebusite land and spared the Jebusites. David bought the threshing floor of a
Jebusite and put the tabernacle on it, also having Solomon build the temple
there. David had numbered the people and the people were dying until David set
up an altar and Kurios/Yahweh accepted his offering. Zedek is tsedeq and means “the right, natural
moral or legal, or righteous”. Zadok, tsadak, means “morally right, clean and righteous”,
and it is the priesthood of Zadok that carried the Ark of the Covenant along
with the Levites. So we see the emergence of a pure priesthood, the priesthood
of Zadok/Zedek come out of the Jebusite land, where Shem and Eber had a school
for learning to worship Theos/Elohim. Adoni-Zedek was lord of righteousness and
the priests of Zedek/Zadok were priests of righteousness. Originally Zadok/Zedek was not the name of a person
but a priesthood in Shem’s time. Later people took Zadok as a name which is a point of confusion if we think it is
only a human name not a title. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2014/12/chastening-when-yahweh-chastens.html
During the second temple period contentions arose between
the lineage of Zadok and the Levites. The Levites had gone astray and led the
Israelites astray. The Zadok priesthood became known as the Essenes of which,
John the Baptist was an Essene, a Qumran Essene. Jesus was also an Essene, a
Nazarene Essene. The Qumran Essenes were desert dwellers who adhered to
celibacy, while the Nazarene Essenes lived near Mount Carmel and were family
oriented Essenes. We start to gain some insight here as to why Jesus primarily
ministered in the north and why there are many contradictions regarding
sacrifices between the Levites and the Essenes affecting certain books of the Bible.
Incidentally, Elijah was an Essene from Mt Carmel where the school of the
prophets was established. The Essenes had a particular set of religious
practices that both John and Jesus adhered to. The Essenes were a third faction
of religious people, in the time of the first century along with the Pharisees
and Sadducees. The Essenes believed in Jesus’ Messiahship which caused later
Jews, the Masorete’s, to attempt to erase the Essene history along with Jesus.
This is why we see books like Jeremiah and Daniel chopped up by the Masorete’s,
because they joined to Levitical ideologies and practices rather than Zadok and
Essene ideologies and practices, even though they knew the Levites practiced
idolatry and legalism. Notice all the other books the Masorete’s discarded as
well. This is why Jesus was not accepted by the Pharisees, Sadducees, the
Priests, and later the Masorete’s. Again, to be clear, on one side of the fence
we have Levites, Pharisees, Sadducees, and later Masorete’s leading to the
practice of Judaism. On the other side of the fence we have Zadok-ites,
Essenes, John the Baptist, Jesus, leading to the practice of Christianity.
Notice this, vein one came from Enoch, Noah, and Shem then Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, learned from Shem and Eber. Next Jacob’s heirs (as told to
Abraham) spent over 400 years in captivity, eventually moving back to the land
where Shem, Eber, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived. In vein two we have Enoch,
Noah, Shem, Eber, Jebusites, Zadok, and Essenes. These people had populated the
land since Shem moved there and started a school of worship. They did not go
into captivity in Egypt, they were not disposed, and in fact, David merged the
Israelites into the Jebusite territory and culture, using the Jebusite
threshing floor as a place for an altar and the eventual temple. This is the
city of David. David, a man after God’s own heart, recognized who the Jebusites
were and merged the people. Solomon also installed Zadok priests in the temple.
This Jebusite land was in the land of Canaan. Who was
Canaan? He was the fourth son of Ham, brother of Cush who was the father of
Nimrod. Canaan decided to reside in Shem’s portion of land and as Noah had
divided the land and pronounced a curse on anyone who would take someone else’s
land. Canaan was prophesied to be Shem’s servant, Gen 9:26-27. The Canaanites
lived among Shem and Eber and worshipped a God named El Elyon, just like the
Israelites. They had some further mixing with angelic beings, but we are not
sure if they were descendants of the Nephil or if there were another group of
angelic beings that mixed with humans. Either way, they did worship in their
early years the same God, Theos/Elohim, as the line of Shem did. Remember that Abraham
married Keturah, a Canaanite, and had six sons with her. Abraham sent his sons
south, knowing that the Canaanite’s were to lose their land in the future. One
of those Canaanite heirs, Jethro, was Moses’ father-in-law, from the land of
Midian. They called Theos Elohim, El,
which means “highest”. Let’s look at Genesis 14 and notice the word El, #H410,
Highest or Supreme #H5945, Highest or Supreme #G5310.
Gen 14:18-22 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth
bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.19 And he blessed
him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and
earth:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies
into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.21 And the king of Sodom said unto
Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.22 And Abram said to
the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God,
the possessor of heaven and earth, KJV
OT:410 'el (ale); shortened from OT:352; strength; as
adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity): KJV -
God (god), goodly, great, idol, might (-y one), power, strong.
Compare names in "-el."(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers
and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003,
2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:5945 'elyown (el-yone'); from OT:5927; an elevation,
i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme: KJV - (Most, on) high (-er,
-est), upper (-most). (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and
Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
As the Hebrew notes, Shem was a priest of the Most High, El
Elyon, and Abram was also of the Most High El Elyon, the possessor of heaven
and earth. The Greek says Shem was a priest of Theos Alpha Omega Highest who is
the Creator of heaven and earth. The Hebrew suggest ownership of the heavens
and earth, and the Greek suggests creatorship of the heavens and earth.
Gen 14:18G2532And G*Melchizedek
G935king G*of
Salem G1627brought
forth G740bread
loaves G2532and G3631wine. G1510.7.3And he
was G1161 G2409priest
G3588 G2316of God
G3588the G5310highest.
19G2532And G2127he
blessed G1473him. G2532And G2036he
said, G2127Abram,
a blessing G* G3588 G2316to God
G3588the G5310highest,
G3739who G2936created
G3588the G3772heaven
G2532and G3588the G1093earth.
20G2532And G2128blessed be
G3588 G2316God G3588the G5310highest
G3739who G3860delivered
up G3588 G2190your
enemies G1473 G5297.2under
your hands G1473to
you. G2532And G1325[2gave
G14733to him
G*1Abram]
G1181a
tenth G575from G3956all.
21G2036And
said G1161 G935the king
G*of
Sodom G4314to G*Abram,
G1325Give G1473to me G3588the G435men, G3588but
the G1161 G2462cavalry
G2983you
take G4572to
yourself!
22G2036[3said
G11611And G*2Abram ]G4314to G3588theG935king G*of
Sodom, G1614I will
stretch out G3588 G5495my
hand G1473 G4314to G2962the lord
G3588 G2316God G3588the G5310highest,
G3739who G2936created
G3588the G3772heaven
G2532and G3588the G1093earth
#G5310 hupsistos hoop'-sis-tos Superlative
from the base of G5311; highest,
that is, (masculine singular) the Supreme (God), or (neuter
plural) the heavens
El Elyon is the same
Theos/Elohim worshiped by Shem, the Jebusites, the Canaanites, Abraham, and
eventually the Israelites. But just as all cultures decayed spiritually from
the precepts of Enoch, Noah, Shem, and Abraham, the Canaanites eventually fell
into idolatry. But let’s not forget, even after the Israelites entered the
Promised Land at the time of the Judges, the Israelites worshipped many gods as
we studied previously. So the idea of the Israelites exclusively worshipping
one God is inaccurate. I would imagine that Babylon corrupted all the nations
and all the lands just like a virus spreads between humans, or in computers,
the idolatry of Babylon infiltrated all societies. But even so, there is a
Theos/Elohim who comes into our dimensional realm and walks with humans. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/sex-cults-sacred-groves-ephods-teraphim.html
Gen 18:1-5 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of
Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;2 And he lift up his
eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran
to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,3 And
said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray
thee, from thy servant:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash
your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:5 And I will fetch a morsel of
bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore
are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. KJV
Gen 18:20-22 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom
and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;21 I will go down
now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it,
which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.22 And the men turned their
faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the
Lord. KJV
Gen 18:33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left
communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. KJV
What we see here is Theos/Elohim communing with Abraham,
and Abraham speaking and negotiating just as he might with a business deal.
This is why Kurios/Yahweh Theos/Elohim stayed faithful to Abraham’s lineage,
because, like Enoch, Abraham had the moral conviction that He exists. And if we
keep in mind, Jacob studied under Shem and Eber for thirty two years, El Elyon
stayed faithful to Jacob’s heirs because of Jacob’s commitment. What we then
notice is God’s attempt to bring all of Jacob’s heirs into relationship with
Him. Remember, some of Shem’s heirs remained in the land they were called to
inherit and they worshipped there until the Israelites came into the land in
the time of David. The Zadokites never left their promised portion. Moses came
from the Levitical tribe and he had a face to face relationship with
Yahweh/Kurios, even being so bold as to ask Kurios/Yahweh to go with them and
to show him His glory.
Ex 33:11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a
man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his
servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
KJV
Ex 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
KJV
In keeping with his faithfulness, El Elyon, the Creator,
kept his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but His promises were not
exclusive to the Israelites only. The heirs of Shem had been following proper
worship practices, and teaching their surrounding neighbors, as well as
Abraham’s six sons from Keturah. Jethro was the one who taught Moses about
Yahweh/Kurios. So we may have to put off the Masoretic religious ideas and see
through some of the contentions the Jews have had with other people groups. And
in addition we have to understand the spiritual class of beings, which the nation’s
thought of as gods because the nations were scattered according to the number
of angels of Theos, noting that the nations have angelic beings, hosts, armies,
assigned to them.
Deut 32:8G3753When G1266[3divided 5into
parts G35881theG53102highest
G14844nations],
G5613as G1289he
disseminated G5207the sonsG*of
Adam, G2476he set
G3725the borders
G1484of
nations G2596according
to G706the number
G32of the angels
G2316of
God;
From this point let’s ponder a different perspective than
the typically told story of the laws. The Israelites were in a land where they
and the inhabitants worshipped many gods, they even made a calf on the way to
the Promised Land; and once they entered the Promised Land they still had
houses of gods, and worshiped Ephods and the like. But the laws seem to have
come out of the idea of how to approach a Holy God. Purity is helpful, and
belief that He exists brings a personal relationship, but how does one direct
an entire nation that has just come from a land of idolatry into a worship
practice to connect to El Elyon? While there may have been several writers of
the Torah, and there may have been a progression of practices over time, the
jumping off point may have come from the idea that the Creator is “a-sexual”
and eternal. Therefore purification rites were established to cleanse humans
from bodily discharges both life-giving fluids and fluids due to death. It may
be that they figured the Eternal Creator could not connect with mortality so
humans had to be cleansed from death. And since the Creator was both male and
female the practice of procreation or spilling one’s life seed would make one
unclean in that it showed a male (or female) was only partially like the
Creator. Therefore the laws were an attempt to make humans “like” Theos/Elohim.
Once purified from life and death, man can approach Theos/Elohim. This has huge
implications for our understanding if we think about this. Selah.
This seems like a rational approach in keeping the nation
of Israel clean, but it was not the practice of Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham,
Isaac, or Jacob, nor the practice of the Zadok priests. Yet if one has to strip
idolatry from the nation, a set of rules seems like the way to do it. But again
it was not the practice of the patriarchs. So all the books of the laws and the
prophets are an attempt to bring Jacob’s heirs into a personal relationship
with Kurios/Yahweh, the Lord of humans. This is the opposite of the other
nations’ creation practices, where sexual rites and rituals were a way to
appease gods and appropriate good fortune. And as we have studied, there was a
whole host of crazy practices in the temple from the time of the kingdom split
(remember our time line) until the glory left the temple at the time of Ezekiel
including male and female prostitution. Remember that the Passover was hardly
ever practiced in Israel, even though it seems to be something the nation was
to do every year. They hardly ever observed Passover. The Israelites never
really put off the practices of idolatry, but by the time of the second temple
Ezra attempted to purify the nation by putting off spouses from other lands,
which just having come out of captivity was no small task. This is probably one
of the places where the doctrines of exclusivity of the Jews comes from. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2014/03/passover-male-prostitution-in-temple.html
At the time of Jesus’ birth, the angels made an announcement
to shepherds for the whole world.
Luke 2:10-14 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid;
for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the
people. 11 For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is
Christ (the Messiah) the Lord! [Mic 5:2.] 12 And this will be a sign for you
[by which you will recognize Him]: you will find [after searching] a Baby
wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. [1 Sam 2:34; 2 Kings 19:29;
Isa 7:14.] 13 Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops
of heaven (a heavenly knighthood), praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in
the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased
[men of goodwill, of His favor]. AMP
A deliverer who is the Anointed Messiah Kurios was born in
the former Jebusite city of David. And there was a large number of the military
of heaven praising Theos saying glory to the highest, or supreme, Theos. Near
the end of Jesus’ time on earth we see the people crying out hosanna, meaning “save!” It’s a call for
help, just as in Sodom and Gomorrah, Kurios/Yahweh came because he heard their
cry. But this cry for help is not in desperation as much as it is said in joy
because they recognize Jesus as Messiah. Again, the idea of the highest or
supreme is culturally known. And keep in mind the Magi knew El Elyon and found
the Messiah and they were from Babylon.
Matt 21:9 And the crowds that went ahead of Him and those
that followed Him kept shouting, Hosanna (O be propitious, graciously inclined)
to the Son of David, [the Messiah]! Blessed (praised, glorified) is He Who
comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna (O be favorably disposed) in the highest
[heaven]! [Ps 118:26.] AMP
Jesus told us how to become sons of the Most High and it
does not include following laws or religious practices. Instead it involves a
compassionate approach to humans.
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies and be kind and do good
[doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting
and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing
of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong,
intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind
and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. AMP
We see once again Jesus changed everything. We have
Kurios/Yahweh, Lord over man who wants to spend time with man. From the time of
the garden, Kurios/Yahweh provided for humans. Some faithful humans communed
with Kurios/Yahweh and the Lord over humans kept faithful to the heirs of the
faithful. It was not just the sons of Jacob who were “special”, but many of the
sons of Shem who occupied the land and never went into Egypt. The laws and
rules became more important to the leaders than their personal relationship with
the Lord Most High and the Israelites continued in the same idolatrous
practices eventually bringing defiled practices into the temple. After the
captivity, the religious leaders split into two groups, the Levites and the
Zadokites. Further divisions occurred after Jesus came and the Jews who
rejected Jesus associated with the Levites while the Jews who received Jesus
scribed and preserved some text, hiding them in clay pots in caves. But if we
want to contend as to Jesus’ Messiahship we can look at what spirits seem to
think of Jesus. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2015/09/addicted-to-delusion-craft-of-delusion.html
Luke 8:28 And when he saw Jesus, he raised a deep
(terrible) cry [from the depths of his throat] and fell down before Him [in
terror] and shouted loudly, What have You [to do] with me, Jesus, Son of the
Most High God? [What have we in common?] I beg You, do not torment me! AMP
Acts 16:17She kept following Paul and [the rest of] us,
shouting loudly, These men are the servants of the Most High God! They announce
to you the way of salvation! AMP
We see a spiritual authority ascribed to Jesus, as Jesus
has the power to torment other spiritual beings. And we see Paul called a
servant of the Most High who announces the way of salvation. There is no
temple, so if one is assuming there is a law that will help man’s corruptible
condition, and a sacrifice that will purify humans, one will die in his/her
sins. Also, as reiterated by Stephen, it does not seem as if El Elyon, AO
Kurios Theos/AT Yahweh Elohim resides in physical buildings.
Acts 7:48-50 However, the Most High does not dwell in
houses and temples made with hands; as the prophet says, [Isa 66:1,2.] 49
Heaven [is] My throne, and earth the footstool for My feet. What [kind of]
house can you build for Me, says the Lord, or what is the place in which I can
rest? 50 Was it not My hand that made all these things? [Isa 66:1,2.] AMP
Considering this idea, isn’t it understandable how Paul
explains that we are the temple of Theos, 1Corinthians 3:16? Kurious
Theos/Yahweh Elohim wants to walk with you. As Israel believed they were
exclusive and central to the whole world, we understand that they were not the
only ones Yahweh wanted to walk with. We also see a more pure priesthood in the
tribe of Zadok, who were priests in Jebu before the Israelites came out of
Egypt. Now we have a priest from that order who is our high priest.
Ps 110:4 The Lord has sworn and will not revoke or change
it: You are a priest forever, after the manner and order of Melchizedek. [Heb 5:10;
7:11,15,21.] AMP
Heb 5:6As He says also in another place, You are a Priest
[appointed] forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. [Ps 110:4.]
AMP
Heb 5:9-10 And, [His completed experience] making Him
perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to
all those who give heed and obey Him, [Isa 45:17.] 10 Being designated and
recognized and saluted by God as High Priest after the order (with the rank) of
Melchizedek. [Ps 110:4.] AMP
Heb 6:20 Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a
Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank)
of Melchizedek. [Ps 110:4.] AMP
Heb 7:8-11 Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood]
tithes are received by men who are subject to death; while there [in the case
of Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives
[perpetually]. 9 A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly
tribe] himself, who received tithes (the tenth), paid tithes through Abraham, 10
For he was still in the loins of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met
him [Abraham]. 11 Now if perfection (a perfect fellowship between God and the
worshiper) had been attainable by the Levitical priesthood — for under it the
people were given the Law — why was it further necessary that there should
arise another and different kind of Priest, one after the order of Melchizedek,
rather than one appointed after the order and rank of Aaron? AMP
Heb 7:15-19 And this becomes more plainly evident when
another Priest arises Who bears the likeness of Melchizedek, [Ps 110:4.] 16 Who
has been constituted a Priest, not on the basis of a bodily legal requirement
[an externally imposed command concerning His physical ancestry], but on the
basis of the power of an endless and indestructible Life. 17 For it is
witnessed of Him, You are a Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of
Melchizedek. [Ps 110:4.] 18 So a previous physical regulation and command is
cancelled because of its weakness and ineffectiveness and uselessness — 19 For the Law never made anything perfect —
but instead a better hope is introduced through which we [now] come close to
God. AMP
Heb 7:21 For those who formerly became priests received
their office without its being confirmed by the taking of an oath by God, but
this One was designated and addressed and saluted with an oath, The Lord has
sworn and will not regret it or change His mind, You are a Priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
[Ps 110:4.] AMP
Melchizedek is Shem, and the first Jebusite king Adonizedek,
Lord of Righteousness. The Jebusite priests were of Shem and Eber’s school. The
Zedek/Zadok priests always lived in the land of Jerusalem. Jesus is of the
order of the Melchizedek priesthood. Salvation was not attainable through the
Levitical Laws or through the order and rank of Aaron. We see why the
Masorete’s attempted to erase Melchizedek because the law made their religion
dead, just as Jesus’ way of salvation made the Masorete’s religion dead. The
law never made anything perfect. And because the Essenes were descendants of
the tribe of Zadok the Essenes were dismissed and erased as well. Yet AO
Kurious Theos/AT Yahweh Elohim wants to walk with humans. The lord of humanity wants a relationship
with you. He seeks you out and all you need is the moral conviction that he
exists.
