Parashah: Genesis 25:19 thru 28:9 Sol'dot (History)

Why did Yitz'chak (Isaac) love Esav (Esau) over Ya'akov (Jacob)? Did he see the blessing of God's covenant with Avraham his father going through the line of Esav instead of through Ya'akov? Of course Esav was born first and was in line for the firstborn blessing. But Esav was a wild man of the earth, a mighty hunter like Nimrod, a leader with the potential of being a ruler of nations. Whereas, Ya'akov (heel grabber) was a peaceful man, who spent his days indoors learning Torah: the commandments, judgments and regulations handed down through his ancestors. Should Yitz'cak have shown more insight?

Both Esav and Ya'akov wrestled from the womb. Ya'akov wanted the firstborn blessing for God's sake, whereas Esav wanted it for the earth's sake. Rivkah (Rebecca) may have had more spiritual insight into this matter, for she loved (or preferred) Ya'akov over Esav, being able to see that it would take the faith of her son, Ya'akov, to bring forth godly nations of peoples. A mother always seems to know.

Rivkah saw Esav's heart was not good. At fifteen years of age he showed little deference for God by selling his birth right to his brother Ya'akov for a bowl of red stew. Rivkah was able to see the difference between the two sons from an early age and using foresight she made the right choice even though it meant possibly receiving her son's curse if they were caught deceiving Yitz'cak, who was still determined to give the blessing to an undeserving Esav.

Having seen the godliness of Ya'akov, she determined by the revelation of the Ruach Hakodesh, (Holy Spirit) that Messiah must come through the line of her son Ya'akov. Indeed God would change Ya'akov's name to Yisra'el (Israel) (He turns the head of God) when he successfully wrestled with the Angel of the Lord.

God said he hated Esav (A type of the Adversary) and loved Ya'akov (A type of the Messiah). Yitz'chak's choice of the lineage passing through Esav was based on human reasoning, strength and endurance over spiritual attributes. Esav could bring Yitz'chak's favorite food torn from the life of the desert, but what could Ya'akov bring him of any physical value? But doesn't man wrestle with this same dilemma about God? Shouldn't we have the spiritual mind set of Riv'kah!

The world, much like Riv'kah's womb, wrestles with good and evil so much that at times the righteous must wonder if it is even worth living in such a world. Evil is born with the intent of, like Esav and Nimrod, ruling the world without God. This wickedness seems to prevail as we watch the world slowly advancing toward rebuilding the Tower of Babel (One-World-Government). The Adversary (Satan) prevailed in the womb of Riv'kah by bringing forth Esav, but God prevailed by bringing the blessing of salvation to the nations of the world through Yisra'el. Now, Esav, because he was the firstborn, must return for his blessing through the Adversary, who knowing he only has a short time, will attempt to bring the world to its knees. How will he do this? Like Esav, who loved physical life more than spiritual life and sold his birthright for a bowl of red stew, Satan will cause the world to grow faint with physical hunger, so that the world must decide if they want to sell their birthright of salvation by taking a mark on their hand or forehead and prolong their life for only a moment. Shalom.

The Talk Box

No objects were hurt during this fictitious account. It was written from boredom, having elected to unplug our television and pursue more worthy ventures, like reading and staring at the blank television screen. It is not easy making new habits and ridding oneself of old ones. I felt the television was eating up too much valuable time. Thirty-three days later I can say I made the right choice. I think. Okay, I’m all most pretty sure. Needless to say—but I going to anyway--it has proven to be as difficult a habit to break as my fifteen-year smoking habit, except I don’t have the urge to put the television in my mouth and light it. Not yet anyway!

I dreamed last night that I had heard voices in the living room. I entered the empty room and discovered the television was broadcasting a late night show. The power button was off, so I leaned behind the back of the set but found it had already been unplugged. After opening the door of our second story balcony, I lifted the television onto the railing and pushed it to the shadowy depths below. The sound of shattering plastic and glass reverberated off the apartment walls like a bombshell. I looked down onto the sidewalk, which was illuminated by a low wattage lamp that chased shadows from the serpentine walkway and cast yellow light across the dismembered box.

I watched to my horror as it began reconstructing itself before my eyes. Forming legs and feet that appeared vaguely human it turned toward our apartment, awkwardly lifting each prosthetic leg up toward its home. The electronic beast labored methodically upwards, placing each foot down with a thud like a meat cleaver against dead flesh. From behind it the electrical cord coiled and released like a viper searching the darkness for a place to insert its fangs.

The resurrected body of inanimate switches and wires pulsated with an alien life, breaking forth with melodious theme songs of past sitcoms and dramas. A myriad of familiar voices competed with each other, seeking mostly answers from me for their untimely demise and loss of future revenue from reruns. It was obvious they had come for vengeance. I shrunk from the door as it heaved in and out like lungs gasping for breath. Quickly glancing at the metal appendage as it vibrated from someone or something attempting to enter, I frantically searched my memory if I had dead-bolted it the night before. The brass digit of the door’s hand beckoned for my fleshy hand, but it was held captive to my paralyzed body.

Inhaling the black night into my aching lungs, I wondered when I had last breathed, and just how many more breaths I owned. The sarcastic voice of Dr. House, ever inquisitive, sought an answer to the length of time I had been pursuing a career in stupidity. Realizing the futility of intelligently sparring with the quick-witted master of verbal abuse, I feigned ignorance of the charge of telecide being leveled at me. Nevertheless, I wondered if the charges could hold up in a court of law.

I faintly detected the British voice of Dr. Cal Lightman of “Lie to Me” in the background, competing for my attention over House’s constant bantering. Dr. Lightman uses his soothing, not his condescending voice with me. “What about it luv,” Dr. Lightman wondered. “How about you open the door and we’ll clear this misunderstanding up forthwith?” I do not fall for this clever ploy, for I know if Dr. Lightman can see my face he will uncover my deception. Moreover, I am not all together sure that Dr. Lightman cannot transform himself into General Thade from the Planet of the Apes and squash me in his animalistic fury, for I am almost certain I heard the primal voice in the background. “Is there a soul in there?”

I heard the voices of Sarah Sidal and her partner, Nick, scheming ways of collecting my DNA. I sense House is growing impatient with Lightman and the CSI crew from Las Vegas. From behind me I detected the shuffling of feet from what I could only imagine was a disembodied entity. A captive actor had somehow managed to break free from its prison cell of electrodes. If I turned around I was sure I would be staring into the rehabilitated eyes of the genius Doctor House or the mocking expression of the Mentalist’s Patrick Jane. A familiar voice smothered the silence, as my heart skipped across my chest. The wall switch snapped and darkness yielded its strength to the light. Turning toward the invading presence I met the eyes of bewilderment and concern. “Honey, what are doing out here? Come back to bed.

My anxiety was calmed momentarily like a warm blanket on a cold night. My wife stood before me. Had I only been walking in my sleep? I peered into the living room and a cold chill spread its tentacles over my entire body. My brain resisted and throbbed inside my skull as I looked to the couch, where hours of Hollywood had entertained me. Across from it the oak cabinet that held the box of perpetual stories and seductive advertisements now only contained a rectangular impression formed in dust. The sliding glass door to the balcony was ajar. I slowly stepped out into the night.

Reluctantly I stretched my head over the railing to the ground below to glance the presence of an awakened neighbor, whose body was outlined against their doorway by a glaring security light. She nervously stared back at me. To my relief, the sidewalk below was free of any large object—living or dead. But when my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could make out a trail of glittering particles that snaked toward the bottom of our staircase. From inside the apartment wood snapped and splintered as the front door flew open from what I hoped had only been a gust of wind… The End!

Season's Greetings (Part 2)

So what is Hanukkah? We must establish here that Hanukkah is not a Biblical Feast Day. It is considered to be a re-dedication of the Temple, and is observed once a year as a memorial, much the same way Americans have an annual memorial for 9/11. "Now it was the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch." (John 10:22,23) The fact that Yeshua was in the Temple, observing Hanukkah, implies that He thought it was important enough to be present.

In 167 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes, a pagan King of the Seleucid empire in Syria, made a covenant with certain Jewish leaders that actually led to torture and death of many Jews. Antiochus proceeded to enter the Temple and sacrifice swine (unclean animal) on the Altar, placing a statue of Zeus inside the Temple. The historical account of the "Abomination of Desolation" is referred to in the book of Daniel. A future "Abomination of Desolation" will take place when the "Lawless one," enters the Temple that must be built sometime in the very near future.

A small band of Israelites, intially led by a priest named Mattathias Maccabee, fought against the army of Antiochus. After Mattahias died, his son, Judah, continued to fight, defeating Antiochus' army. Having missed the scheduled feast day of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), they decided to observe Sukkot (October/September) on the 25th of Kislev, (November/December) by re-dedicating and cleansing the Temple. This may have been inspired by the historical dedication of the Temple by Solomon on Sukkot, (1 Kings 8; and 2 Chron. 7) and that sacrifices were resumed on Sukkot after the return from the Babylonian captivity. During the re-dedication of the Temple the Menorah burned for eight days. With this in mind we must not consider Hanukkah as a replacement for Sukkot, thus placing it on the same level as a Feast day.

The Temple symbolizes the physical presence of Yeshua (Jesus) two thousand years ago. While standing before the Temple, Yeshua said that if you destroyed this Temple He would raise it in three days. Of course, He was speaking of His body, which would be raised three days after His death on the cross, as a sacrifice and atonement for the sin of the world. The idea that Yeshua, the Light of the world, may have been born on Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) places even more significance on Hanukkah, a week-long festivity of lights that is to never be celebrated with grieving and fasting.

For me Hanukkah is a day for observing the re-dedication of the Temple, which is symbolic of our Lord, Yeshua (Jesus). Even though some would say that there is no Temple on earth, let us consider the Temple in Heaven. (Revelation 11:19) My personal opinion is that we should not diminish this day or make it a replacement for Christmas, which was never observed for the first three centuries, nor has it ever been Jewish custom in those days to observe anyone's birthday. Doesn't it make more reasonable sense to observe a more Biblically oriented day, than to observe a day instituted and grounded in paganism, that thing which God calls all of His children out of in order to be holy? Shalom.

Season's greetings (Part 1)

It's closing in on that time a year of good cheer, lights and presents. Yes it's time for Hanukkah. What? Did you think I was going to say Christmas? Along time ago our family attempted to fore go celebrating Christmas. I began attending Bible College, and by the way we were treated you would've thought we locked our children in the attic and fed them gruel once a day! Eventually we succumbed to the social pressure, the unwanted stigma and a guilty conscience.

My wife and I were young believers, having just begun a relationship with the Lord. We wanted to obey God and stay true to His Word. We had two children at the time (Three more later) and it was incomprehensible to people that we would deny our children the most important "Christian" holiday of the year. It wasn't the fact that it was Jesus' birthday, but that our children would be deprived of gifts, a decorated tree, lights, Santa Claus, and Elves; all the symbolism of the birth of our Lord in a stable two thousand years ago. There He was on that cold, blistering day on a snow-filled December 25th, wrapped up in swaddling red and white clothing, Candy canes lining the crib, while Santa washed down a Fig Newton with a tall glass of goat milk, rollicking with a joyfully thunderous ho, ho, ho. In the corner presents were stuffed under the olive tree, decorated with lighted oil candles, Matzo balls and tinsel. Of course the three wise men arrived late (almost a year) because all of the market places along the way were sold out of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Who in his right mind shops on Christmas Eve?

Though we limited our observance of Christmas by not having a tree or sending out cards, limiting presents to one per family member, we felt compelled recently to fore go observing it all together. We shouldn't have as much pressure put on us by a society of confused parents, who don't understand why their children succumb to so much peer pressure at school and later in life-- I include my self. I should have stood my ground and not compromised. That would have been a valuable lesson to our children, not to mention obedience to God. Instead, we assimilated into a culture that, quite simply put, places as much stock in the Bible as our government does in the Constitution.

The "Winter Solstice" which was celebrated in Rome on December 25th, came on the heels of "Saturnalia," which was celebrated from December 17 to the 23rd. Many of the traditions (gift giving and caroling) of "Saturnalia" blended into the "Winter Solstice" so that it was difficult to differentiate between them. Saturnalia is the antithesis of Hanukkah. In 217 B.C. the pagan temple in Rome was dedicated to the god of Saturn. In 164 B.C. the Temple in Jerusalem was re-dedicated to the God of Israel. Moreover, we should be aware that Saturnalia, unlike Hanukkah, was a week long celebration of debauchery and wickedness that concluded with a human sacrifice. In the 4th century A.D. the Roman "Christians" thought that this would be a good day to set aside as the birthday of the King of Peace. This act of compromise with paganism testifies to the ungodly depths the Roman church had finally sunk. It hadn't taken long before the depraved values of a corrupt government had influenced the "Bride of Messiah," that had once driven the apostle Sha'ul (Paul) to reach with the gospel only a few centuries previously.

Jewish tradition states that Yeshua (Jesus) was conceived around the time of Hanukkah and was born on or around (Sukkot) the Feast of Tabernacles. This would have been August/September, not December. The fact that the shepherds were still in the field, is a clue that it wasn't winter yet. Actually, Hanukkah and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) have much in common with each other. So what is Hanukkah? I will explain in the next segment. Shalom

Judgment Day (Part 2)

Jury duty has come and gone. How did I fare? After an hour and a half car drive on a congested freeway, which should have only taken a half hour, I arrived at the court house via a short ride from the parking garage in a large coach bus filled to capacity. Arriving early at the garage, I was the first one on the bus. I sat in the front and watched each person step up and find a seat. Immediately I found myself attempting to read each face, thought twice about it, and realized how judging appearances is so ingrained in me.

I sat on a generic chair that had just enough cushion to keep my bottom and top from going to sleep. About three hundred prospective jurors sat uncomfortably in a large room called the "Juror Assembly Room." At 9:15 a.m. they began reading off seventy-five names, assigning numbers, and directing them to another room called the "Quiet Room." I wondered if they had more comfortable chairs. It certainly wasn't quite in our room with everyone shifting in their seat.

My name not being called, I patiently waited for the next phase of what I had anticipated would be a long and nervous day. I had become anxious after reading the proposed itinerary for the main trial. It would involve at least a week of jury selection, to be followed by a three month trial. I had only anticipated a one to four day trial, most likely not being chosen and fulfilling Arizona's "One-day" obligation. .

We were all given the opportunity of saying yes or no to the long trial commitment. Having Chronic fatigue for eleven years has had severe physical effects on my health. I haven't been able to work on a regular basis. I wanted to say yes, but knew the possibility of becoming sick during the trial could be an inconvenience to the court and uncomfortable for myself. As people answered "no" when their name was called, a woman that sat across from me just shook her head. I assumed this was a gesture of disgust, she would acknowledge a dutiful yes when called upon. I inwardly struggled with the right decision while maintaining dignity. The few responding with a "yes" received applause from some of the jurors. Normally, I would have succumbed to the peer pressure, rising to the occasion in order to please people's expectations while receiving accolades.

When my name was finally called I answered with a firm "no!" immediately I felt relieved. I knew I had made the right decision. To my surprise when the name of the lady that sat across from me was called she said, "no" confirming to me that conclusive evidence can't be derived from a person's expressions. After calling seventy-five more names for another trial--again I was not on the list--they brought the ones forward that had committed to the lengthy trial, then dismissed the rest of us, having only been there for less than half a day.

So I didn't get the opportunity to be on a jury trial. However, I did learn the importance of not reading anything into people's faces, trusting my instincts about myself and committing to a proper decision without being unduly influenced by people or my own desire to do more than I am physically capable of performing. The Lord takes us through practical experiences in order to teach applicable truths. Expressions are subjective reactions of inner responses to external circumstances. Our objective judgments are biased by our own preconceptions that hold no basis for truth. Because only God can see the heart, He is the only One capable of rendering true judgment. We are assuming the role of God when we judge a person's heart based on our own reasoning. Shalom

Judgment Day (Part 1)

Recently I received by mail the unanticipated Jury notice. It was as enthusiastically welcomed as a letter from the IRS. God had been speaking to me in this general area, so I wasn't totally surprised. Jury duty has everything to do with judgment--and that can be an icy slope toward catastrophic results. I believe that a verdict should be derived solely based on facts supported by strong evidence, instead of a verdict based on the preponderance of guilt by association and appearance.

I cringe when I read of a juror on a murder trial explaining the rationale for reaching a guilty verdict being based on the defendant's lack of remorse. What does looks have to do with rendering a just decision based on evidence? Instead of following evidentiary procedure, this juror felt compelled to base part or maybe all of their judgment on a person's demeanor.

I hope I don't get called for a murder trial. Mainly because they are so long and drawn out. I just want to fulfill my one-day obligation. But no matter what trial I am placed on, if indeed I am chosen, I hope that I will judge the facts and not faces. The natural tendency to illicit the truth from facial features may come from our desire to reach the truth by the shortest and least strenuous route. It takes more time to weed through facts. So let's just take a quick look-see...

Sometimes we fall into the trap of reading into a situation by the expressions of a person's face. It's second nature for those of us who had to learn this coping mechanism for surviving as children growing up in a dysfunctional home. However this skill isn't consistent with godliness. We are told to judge the fruit of a man's work, which implies we are not to judge the person.

Our personal problems of the past lie dormant in our subconscious and can surface in the most unproductive manner when we judge other people. We see ourselves in the people we pick apart because deep down we are identifying with the same issues. (See Romans 2:1) We should be aware of these situations and allow God the opportunity of making every aspect of our life complete by asking for His assistance in correcting our own deep-seated issues. Though it's a painful procedure, like any successful surgical outcome, it only ensures for a spiritually healthy life.

I desire to have this quality present in my everyday life, with people I come in contact with, my family and friends. Undoing the natural tendencies of judging people can only be accomplished by the acceptance of God's unconditional love. So I will give you an update to the outcome of my jury experience and let you know if I was able to practice what I preach. Shalom.