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THE EYES OF MORNING

GOD'S EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

"His scales are his pride, shut up as a close seal. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. By his sneerings a light does shine. And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning." (Job 41:15-18)

As I waited upon God, He spoke to me regarding the "Eyes of the Morning." Recalling that in Hebrew, this phrase "Eyes of the Morning," speaks of "the eyelids of morning," I spent time seeking revelation from the Lord in prayer, as to what exactly it is important for the people of God to understand in this. When I looked for the phrase in scripture, the book of Job speaks of "leviathan," a symbol for Satan. Whereas God is omniscient, or all seeing and all knowing, Leviathan's eyes are "AS the eyes of morning." How important it is for us to comprehend the danger of trusting in an imitation or a counterfeit of what's true. Satan counterfeits God. Beware in the coming days by that which appears superficially to be the truth. Leviathin, that old sea serpent is a water dragon. There is something underneath the sea that will only be seen by those who pray and have the extent of it revealed by God. Be one of these prayer warriors.

God contrasts the very Revelation of Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ, and His everlasting light as the Morning Star to Satanic opposition, as in Satan appearing as "an angel of light." Or the manifestation of the Beast and False Prophet. Should we be afraid of the prophets because of this? Certainly not. Prophets are part of God's lawful government through out history. We protect ourselves through the knowledge of God and His Word. In this way we avoid being duped by the seducing spirits the scriptures speak of. If the parents of Jacob had not been concerned for the covenant relationship with God, he may have married a Canaanite woman. His brother Esau had Canaanite wives. (Isaac and Rebekah were grieved by their Canaanite daughters-in-law. (Genesis 26:34-35, Genesis 27:46)

The book of Daniel tells us that in the end of time, "the wise shall understand." And they (the wise) shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. Beware of those that ascribe to a "false light," who distort or "manipulate" the truth of God and His His word.

The scriptures speak of Satan appearing before God in the book of Job. The Adversary was there to oppose the man of God. And to distort Job's very revelation of God. "And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." (Job 1:7) What God ordains for His covenant people will not go uncontested. But God promoses: I will contend with those that contend with you and I will save your children! (Isaiah 49:25)

I Timothy 4:1 gives the following warning to the people of God: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." And again: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)

The Old Testament recounts the story of a prophet that was warned of God not to go to a certain place. A false prophet met him and stated the following, in direct contradiction to the word of the Lord given to God's prophet. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.(1 Kings 13:18) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house. (13:19) And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: (13:20) He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. (13:21) But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. (13:22) And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. (13:23) And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. (13:24)

The meaning of the Greek word we translate as pastor is shepherd. The job title pastor therefore refers to a spiritual shepherd. (See Ephesians 4:11) In this way, Messiah is referred to as the great Shepherd of the sheep. (Hebrews 13:20) He calls individuals through whom this office is administrated, for the maturing of believers.

In Jeremiah 12:10, the Prophet cried to God, complaining that there were numerous "pastors who have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 11 They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart." In this way, Jeremiah was courageous enough to stand against religious oppressors, who defiled God's sanctuary, as deceivers. He was a true intercessor who cried day and night to God, and was himself an instrument of righteousness through whom God could bring true spiritual reform.

THE ISSUES OF LIFE

How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. 5How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! (Psalm 84:4-5)

Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

The Hebrew term mishmar refers to the act of guarding closely, as a guard does a prisoner. The phrase "with all diligence" intensifies the importance of that which is being watched over. totz'ot chaiyim is "the issues of life," with the word "totz'ot referring to a territories boundaries or to "the boundaries of a city." The heart of an individual is a map or chart to life is drawn.

ISAAC SENDS JACOB TO SYRIA TO OBTAIN A COVENANT WIFE

(Genesis 28:1-5)
1) “Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. Laban's home was Haran, "the city of Nahor," that is, the locality where Nahor and his family remained at the time when the rest of Terah's descendants emigrated to Canaan (Gen 11:31; 12:5). Laban was undoubtedly well-known there as is evidenced by his large holdings and the immediate recognition of his name by the strangers whom Jacob met at the shepherd’s well (29:5).

The name Haran possibly comes from the Hebrew word har, = "mountain." Since Haran, and the region about it where his flocks fed, belonged to the district called Aram (see PADDAN-ARAM; MESOPOTAMIA), “Mesopotamia,” in the Hebrew is called “Aram Nahărayim,” Aram. These people were of Semetic origin (from Shem) who populated regions in Mesopotamia and Syria. Aram Nahărayim—“Aram of the Two Rivers”; Terah, a descendant of Shem son of Noah, was the father of Abram/Abraham, Nahor, and Haran. Their home's location is not certain, but it is usually supposed to have been in Mesopotamia. Besides Lot and Milcah, Haran fathered a daughter Iscah.

After Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees 'before his father Terah', his family travelled towards Canaan, the promised land. However, Terah stopped at Charan (or Haran) and settled there, as did Nahor and Milcah, whereas Lot accompanied Abraham and others onwards to Canaan. Laban is often called "the Aramean" (English Versions of the Bible, "the Syrian," See Gen 25:20; 28:5; 31:20,24. The earliest history of Israel is thus connected with the Arameans of the East, and even Jacob himself is called in one passage "a wandering Aramean" (Deut. 24.)

3) "May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples;

4) And give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that

you may inherit the land In which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham."

5) So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.”

When Jacob was of marriagable age, it was important in safe-guarding the covenant relationship with God, to obtain a godly wife for him. Isaac commanded Jacon saying: You shall not take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mothers brother. And God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you that you may become a multitude of people and give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your seed with you that you may inherit the land where you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham! (Genesis 28) Haran in Mesopotamia (Aram Naharaiim, was an area between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers in modern-day Iraq/Syria/Turkey) Laban belonged to the branch of the family of Terah that was derived from Abraham's brother Nahor and his niece Milcah.

Rachel is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 29 when Jacob happens upon her as she is watering her sheep. Jacob traveled a great distance to find his mother's brother, Laban. Rebekah had sent him there to be safe from his furious twin brother, Esau.

Some of the most detailed prophecies concerning the sons of Israel, are found in the prophecies of Moshe in Genesis. God speaks through Moshe in both commendations as well as condemnations of deeds done, in Genesis 49. The prophetic words are lengthy at times and quite descriptive, so I will not go into them all. But focusing o the original phrase "eyes of morning," as those of leviathan, I want to include the words spoken to the first four sons of Jacob. These four eldest sons were particularly impacted by the hatred that their mother states she experienced with regard to her marriage.

When Jacob first arrived at Haran he had arrived at a well in the field. It was at this well that Jacob first met Rachel who came to water the sheep. Jacob rolled the store off the well’s mouth to help water the flock of Laban, his mother’s brother. Jacob was welcomed into the family and introduced to the rest of the family. During Jacob's stay in Haran, he fell in love with Rachel. He signed a contract with Laban for seven years of labor (the usual period of indentured servants); at the end of this time Rachel was to be his wife. Jacob anticipated his wedding so much that the toil was not a burden (GEN 29:20). GEN 29:20 "So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her."

It was customary for a groom to pay a "dowry" or "bride price" to a woman's family to compensate them for the loss of their daughter. The dowry did not have to be in cash: it could be in the form of service (see 1SA 18:25 where David killed 100 Philistines as his dowry).

A woman was also given a special wedding dowry from her father if he could afford it; Rebecca's father gave her a nurse and attendants (GEN 24:59), and Caleb gave his daughter a field with water (JUD 1:15); Laban gave Leah a maid, Zilpah, and Rachel a maid, Bilhah (GEN 29:24,29).

On the night of the wedding, the bride was veiled and Jacob did not notice that Leah, Rachel's older sister, had been substituted for Rachel. Whereas "Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful," "Leah had tender eyes" (Hebrew: ועיני לאה רכות‎) (Genesis 29:17). Leah is viewed by some as an incredibly spiritual woman, whose true beauty far exceeds her physical appearance. Jacob's opinion which was certainly coloured by his romantic love for her sister Rachel.

A study of the life of Leah shows a woman and wife with a deep faith in God, whose integrity before God was capable of producing the robust warriors that came through she and her husband's marriage. Following the discovery of his consumation of the marriage to Leah, Jacob confronted Laban, who excused his own deception by insisting that the older sister should marry first. He assured Jacob that after his wedding week was finished, he could take Rachel as a wife as well, and work another seven years as payment for her.

Human nature at times dictates that people compare and judge situations by their own personal experience. This can provide a faulty analysis. God's word says to Judge with righteous judgment. This means we are incapable of arriving at the truth unless we go to God for His own counsel. Scripture must absolutely be interpreted by the original text as well as the prevailing customs of that day.

The Patriarch Jacob worked for years to establish and to sanctify his marriage relationships with his wives in a way in which his sons would have honor before Yahweh and mankind. The cruelty of Simeon and Levi was born of their own lack of proper judgment and failing to understand their own father's life and purpose. They appear to have been unable to properly assess their own worth in their parents eyes. In this they then dispised their brother Joseph, and God's dealings with and through him.

THE WILL OF THE LORD:

And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. (Genesis 29:31)

When we pray for God's will to be done, and problems arise, this doesn't mean that God is not in it. When fishermen go to sea and a storm comes up and the sun ceases to shine, their purposes are still legitimate. What they are faced with is a test of their courange and skill. As believers we must seek the Lord.

In Jacob's life, an additional wife and a couple of concubine's were quite unforseen. Jacob was led to believe that he was working toward the marriage he'd chosen. His own father sent him specificly to this very place. Fruitfulness was part of the blessing his father spoke over him, with regard to inheriting the land God promised. How could such godly intentions go awry? God did not abandon Jacob and he was blessed with 12 sons. Like many godly parents, several of the children born to him had serious issues. The issues facing the older sons concerned their own human sexuality. Was it the hatred of their own mother that bred this attitude toward women in their lives? These days, these problems can manifest in numerous ways. Step children may hold a step parent in contempt. Or the hatred may involve an attitude toward an ex-husband or an ex-wife. Regardless of the way in which the marriage took place, God took the hatred or contempt very seriously, and dealt with those involved.

JACOB'S JOY/SIMCHA TURNS TO ANGER

As the agreement between Laban and Jacob stated, he worked for seven years to marry Rachel. When the seven years of labor agree upon as the bride price for Rachel were ended, Jacob demanded his bride. Laban prepared a wedding feast - though the Hebrew words suggest it was more of a drinking banquet. The bride was dressed in the finest clothes, including a rich head-dress and veil that covered her face.

When the feasting was over her father led her, still veiled, into the room of her bridegroom, and the bride and Jacob made love.

What Jacob didn't realize until the morning dawned was that the bride in his bed was not Rachel, but Leah. He had been tricked into marrying Rachel's older sister. And her father stated that this was what was appropriate for Jacob to marry into his family.

It would be an understatement to say that Jacob was disappointed the next morning when he discovered that the woman that had been in his arms the preceeding night was not his beloved Rachel. In-laws can at times place undue stress upon a marriage, and Jacob's life contained a series of events in which his own father-in-law Laban challenged him to be and to do what God directed him. The customary giving of the oldest daughter was a serious issue which must be dealt with. But it was the way in which Laban deceived Jacob that created difficulties.

God himself states in His word that Leah was hated, but the Lord did not leave her to face this painful truth without a reward. He would provide her with a recompence, i.e. "The ability to be fruitful, and to multiply and replentish the earth, as was His divine plan. Leah knew that she would somehow be saved in the child-bearing, and that a great deal of good would result in it. As you review the births of she and Jacob's sons, and her names for them, it is not difficult to see that she has a continuing revelation of God's purpose for her life. She lived with her husband Jacob for seven years, cared for his needs and bore him sons as was expected of her, before marriage to Rachel intervenes. As Leah and Jacob's children are born, she rehearses exactly what she believes to be the truth. This is not unlike many women today who have borne the child of a man, who loves another woman. In spite of Leah's own committment to her marriage, she was hated!" Her parents were there in her life to protect her to a certain extent, to observe and to assist her in the marriage. Her father had done his best for her in marrying her off first, as their culture dictated. God allowed Laban to keep the marriage under his watchful eye, as his son in-law worked for him.

Somewhere between Leah's feelings about herself in Jacob's eyes, and his love for her sister, and Jacob's attitude toward what Laban, his father in law had perpetrated, with it's longstanding ramifications, three of these sons act out the contempt that they feel for their father Jacob with sexual sin, as well as jealous anger toward their younger brother Joseph which turned to murderous hatred.

Jacob's life would not be unimpacted. Within a brief period of time, he would desire another sexual encounter and a new child would be born, and then another and another. Like her sister, and the her handmaids, Leah would be instrumental in helping to produce a strong nation. She would produce a squadron of Shim'ons.

Bilhah and Zilpah were the handmaidens (servants) of the patriarch Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel. With the prevailing customs of the day concerning household "servants," there was a special place of honor for this within the Hebrew culture. Rachel said to Jacob: Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. " During the final stage of labor the laboring woman would be supported under the arms by one or two other women, working in shifts to encourage the mother to stand upright and to sway or dance, or to gently rotate the woman's belly with a motion which rocked the baby and helped to ease the birthing pressure in the earlier stages of labor. The attendants contributed massage to comfort the birthing mother.

Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support. This image of a woman being supported by another woman is the most common image of women giving birth throughout the history of the world. So when Rachel meant that Bilhah would bear upon her knees she may have been referring to the actual position in which she would give birth, and the fact that Rachel intended to be the midwife present at this infants birth. Rachel named the newborn and handed the newborn child over to her husband Jacob as her very own gift to him. The child would be raised as her own. Leah was the wife of Jacob and the mother of six of the twelve tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

Nevertheless, the births of Rachel's maidservant's sons did not resolve Rachel's grief over her own infertility. Rachel eventually prevailed. God opened her womb and she gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin. After Joseph was born, Jacob told Rachel and Leah that God had commanded him to return to his homeland of Canaan. They responded that he should do what God told him and they would follow. Jacob prepared to leave and, while Laban was out shearing sheep, Rachel stole Laban’s idols without Jacob’s knowledge. The next time Rachel is mentioned is when Jacob met with his estranged brother Esau. Jacob formed a receiving line of his wives and children, putting Rachel and Joseph last, so they could escape if necessary.

They traveled to Beth-El and from there began a journey to Ephrath. Rachel was pregnant again and, on the way, suffered a hard labor and died in childbirth. In her last breath, she named her son Ben-oni ("son of my suffering") but Jacob called the child Benjamin ("son of the right hand" or "son of the south"). Jacob buried Rachel on the road where she died and set up a monument. Information about Rachel is found in Genesis chapters 29-35.

In spite of the woman's pain in child birth, men never truly grow beyond the moment of seeing their "firstborn" as Jacob: "You my son are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power." The passing years, or meeting the perfect woman to wife, and bear a new son by will not replace your firstborn. Jacob loved all of his sons. They would become a great nation. But before he died he called them together, knowing that the things said must be heard by them all. He would not allow his soul to cleave to that which was dishonorable and they must see this. The fact that they were born to Leah was not what brought dishonour or disgrace to the family. What defiled the family honour was the fact that family members made the decision not to sanctify themselves in the proper way. The sons of Israel would take Caanan and occupy it and this called for the choicest vine and the strongest seed. The lesson in this concerns "how we play the game," as they say. But the chronology of Israel, as with others has every bit to do with decisions that individuals themselves make, which don't just hurt them, but the lives they touch. God Himself has been and will be a witness. He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him!

REUBEN: JACOB'S FIRSTBORN SON

(Genesis 49:3) Jacob prophesied: Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. Concerning manhood, there's a growing trend for men not to exercise responsibility toward the offspring that they bring into the world. The sexual experience is viewed as a "having a little fun." Jacob reverenced the ability to bring forth his children, not just to engage in a sexual encounter. For Reuben, unfortunately, his pleasure intruded into discovering pleasure with his own father's wife. This attitude is not seen in the life of his firstborn in the following narrative.

Genesis 35:22 says "And it was during the stay of Israel in that land, and Reuben went and lay with Bilha, his father's concubine, and Israel heard..." As a result of this adultery, he lost the respect of his father, as Genesis 49:4 says: "Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled.

Bilhah is referred to in scripture as both a wife and as Jacob's concubine. A concubine was a secondary wife with somewhat inferior social standing. She did not possess all of the rights of the primary wife. However she did have legal status. She was his own wife's handmaid. There was an agreement between husband and wife that she woould be given to him to wife for the express purpose of child bearing. From this point on, she was considered Jacob's wife, and the mother of his sons.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. (Genesis 35:22) 1Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. (1 Chron 5:1) Jacob's poignant words echo the thought: You stood in a position like this, as my firstborn son, and yet you have done this grievious wrong to me???

The prophecy given by Jacob on his death bed, before all of his brothers, continues to be stated to Reuben as follows: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. Jacob in preparing to die, doesn't hesitate to be brutally honest in declaring this word concerning the firstborn before the entire family. In doing so, he noted the instability of the sex offense committed by his own son, stating that he saw him as unable to truly excel in life, because he lacked the basic respect for rights of others, namely his own father, or even himself. Jacob honored the marriage relationship between himself and Leah, although his father in law had not been totally forthright at the onset, concerning the requirements. Yet Jacob honored what was required of him, though it was at a substancial personal cost. It appears to have hurt him, that this integrity before God was not one of the essential characteristics possessed by his own firstborn son. There is no indication that Reuben was removed from the family for his actions. Reuben lost the birthright for his deed. "Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, since he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be recorded according to the birthright." (I Chron. 5:1) As serious as this punishment was, he could have been slain as was carried out speedily by the brothers of Dinah when she was sexuaally assaulted. There must have been repentance, because in Moses prophecy to Reuben he states: "Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few." (Deut. 33:6)

The Hebrew word for unstable is pahaz. It is from the root that describes the lawless mob of Judges 9:4 and the defiant prophets of Zephaniah 3:4. It suggests wildness as well as weakness. Individuals don't always respond to their circumstances by becoming sex offenders. They also choose violence or even murder. There's increasing violence in the land. It's imperitive that we learn from Jacob's prophecies to his 12 sons, that these things will definately befall them in the "last days," even as he said. We must be observant and deal with people not just as we wish them to be. For the sake of our relationship before God and our families, we must be discerning about who even our own family members are choosing to be today. What do they set before the family by way of example? How do they spend their time? Do they have respect for others? Do they regard the authority of their own parents? If not, this is accomodating forces of evil within the family unit.

SIMEON & LEVI: AS INSTRUMENTS OF CRUELTY

December 13, 2011: The leader of Israel Defense Forces Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi, said he is stunned by the level of hatred directed at the military by Jewish youths who rioted in Samaria, Tuesday.

Approximately 50 youths slashed and burned tires, threw stones and Molotov cocktails, and dumped nails on the road near the Ephraim Brigade army headquarters in northern Israel.

The rioters were apparently upset by rumors that the army was going to evacuate a Jewish outpost in Samaria.

Genesis 49 contains a prophecy to Simeon and Levi, two brothers of one household of the Patriarch Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel; and God's one covenant. Jacob prophesied of what would befall these sons of Israel "in the latter days," saying: Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self will they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

The cruelty toward Joseph was not simply because he was a dreamer. The envy the brothers harbored caused them to despise the prophetic word that the Lord brought to bless, train and to prosper his own. The scriptures warn in I Peter 3:3: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts." Joseph's dreams or visions were not the problem. Their attitude toward their own lusts and God's purpose got between Joseph's brothers and a prophetic word yet to be fulfilled: (Genesis 49:10.) The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. We begin this explanation with looking to what the Hebrew text has. There you read: Lo-yasur shevet miyhudah, umechokek miben raglaw; ad ki-yavo shiloh, welo yikhat amim. Translated does this become: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and to him shall the people be obedient.

For those that have ever received a genuine prophecy from the Lord, they know that it is warred against. There will be those individuals who will contest God's very plan and purpose. Israel knows the strategies of warfare. But there's an unseen war that can ensue among family members even at the dinner table as individuals gather to celebrate the feast.

A Hebrew word study into the phrase "Come not thou into their secret," sheds light on this passage. Strongs Concordance-#5475 lists the Hebrew word here as SOD, meaning confidential, talk, conspiracy, council, confidant, secret, assembly, in word, or secret counsel.

The Hebrew term for "assembly," is QAHAL, which is used of Israel's assembling for religious ceremony.

Simeon is not listed in the prophecies of Moses to the tribes of Israel. The following was God's word to Levi: And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.

Cursed be their anger." The word anger here means nose as representative of the face, or "hot of nose," and wrath. In the phrase, "Mine honour be not thou united, the Hebrew term for honour is KABOD, and it speaks of honour, splendor, or wealth. With regard to Simeon and Levi being "instruments" of cruelty," the Hebrew word for "instruments, is KELI, denoting: vessels, instruments, jewels, armour bearers, weapons, sacks, carriages (vehicles) and even psaltery.

In Ezekiel 48:28, Simeon is to have their own territory in the Messianic kingdom, where the new nature imparted to believers on Messiah is a marvelous work and a wonder to all that believe on His name. (Acts 2:38) They are mentioned again in Revelation 7:7. When Jacob was old lay dying, he gave instructions to his sons to bury with him with his forefathers, next to his wife Leah. She was the primary legal wife and this was absolutely appropriate. At times it is difficult for individuals to exercise the sound judgment required in life, and to set an example of godly integrity. But as he called his 12 sons together, and prophesied to them, Jacob was an older and a wiser man with years of experience serving the God of his fathers. His wisdom shines as the brightness of the stars in the firmament.

Nevertheless, whatever pain is involved in the producing of children, men will never truly grow beyond seeing their "firstborn" as Jacob: "You my son are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power." The passing years, or meeting the perfect woman to wife, and bear a new son by will not replace the firstborn. Jacob loved all of his sons. They would become a great nation. Before he died he called them together, knowing there were things which must be heard by them all. He would not allow his soul to cleave to that which was dishonorable and they must see this too. The fact that they were born to Leah and his unintended marriage, was not what brought dishonour or disgrace to the family. What defiled the family honour was the fact that family members made the decision not to sanctify themselves in the appropriate way. The sons of Israel would take Caanan and occupy it and this called for the choicest vine and the strongest seed. The lesson in this concerns "how we play the game," as they say. But the chronology of Israel, as with others has every bit to do with decisions that individuals themselves make, which don't just hurt them, but the lives they touch. God Himself has been and will be a witness. He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him!

JUDAH: NOW WILL I PRAISE GOD!

With the birth of the fourth son Judah, Leah named him: Judah, saying now will I praise God. For believers, it takes more than praising God when a child is born. It's believing, and training up the child in the way he shopuld go, so that when he is old he will not depart from the ways of the Lord. Scripture tells us that Judah grew up to be a man who made friends readily with those outside of the covenant of God. His marriage came in this way. Two of his three sons were such wicked men that the Lord killed them. Moreover through one of friendships with these pagans, Judah is presented as a man that engaged in illicit relations with a woman he believed to be a prostitute, promising to pay her for the sexual encounter with a goat from his flock. He sends the Adullamite to pay the prostitute her wage, but the man returned to say that he was unable to locate her.

JUDAH'S MARRIAGE

Judah married the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite. His foolish marriage with a Canaanite-woman, a match made, not by his father, who, it should seem, was not consulted, but by his new friend Hirah, Genesis 38:2. The Adullamite had kept a kind of lodging house, for Shuah the Canaanite and his family lodged with him; and there Judah lodged also. Judah developed a business relationship of some sort with Hirah the Adullamite. He was a resident of the city of Adullam, a small Canaanite city-state located southwest of Jerusalem, about 30-40 kilometers from Hebron, his home.

Genesis chapter 38 Judah and his wife had three children, Er, Onan, and Shelah. "Judah went down from his brethren and turned in to a certain Adullamite named Hirah. (Genesis 38:1f)

1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

The Sons of Judah

2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
3And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 9Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. 10But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He took his life also.

11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house. Judah disobedient to the law of God which protected and provided for widows and their husband's offspring. He was dishonest and failed to keep his word to his daughter in law, to marry her to the youngest son when he became of appropriate age to marry.

7And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

GOD FORGAVE JUDAH'S SEXUAL SIN
The Collaboration With the Adullite in the Sexual Sin

12 Now after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. 14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

Judah never knew the identity of this “prostitute,” Genesis 38: 20) who turned out to be his daughter in law, Tamar, from whom he with held the promised marriage to his son, Shelah, as the law prescribed. She had removed her widow's garments and veiled herself, so appeared a totally "strange woman" to Judah. Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?”

“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.

22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.”

23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.” She then became pregnant by her father in law Judah! The father in law was not the man God ordained to marry the widow and raise up seed. When Judah learned of the pregnancy, he demanded that she be burned. This did not actually occur because Judah had provided her with his own signet (the equivalent of a man's identification papers in modern times. The staff is symbolic of Judah’s strength and might. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. (Psalms 110:2) Leviticus 21:9 states that stoning is the usual penalty for adultery, but burning is the penalty when the woman involved is the daughter of a priest.

Interestingly enough, Judah must have repented for any sins he committed. Tamar has twins. And it came to pass at the time that she gave birth, that, behold, there were twins in her womb.... And [the firstborn’s] name was called Peretz. Afterward came forth his brother ... and his name was called Zerach. (Genesis 38:27-30) In the prophecy of Jacob for his sons concerning what will actually befall the sons of Jacob in the latter days, Judah is praised valiently, in some of the most beautiful language in the scriptures.

END TIME DREAMS & VISIONS

There's the sound of war on the horizon. I was given a vision in which I saw a man wearing his prayer shawl. He was standing on a hill, holding his baby son Shim'on in his arms. As he looked out over the land, he took the small arm of his infant son and straightened it out. He said: O-o-oh Shim'on! They are coming at you! In the vision, suddenly the boy was grown. The father put his hand to the hand in which the son held a rifle, training it in the direction of the enemy. This small son will live through the war and will one day be a hero. Israel must rid themselves of attitudes that haSatan has planted to bring them down and to destroy them.

For several weeks I have seen dreams or visions of perilous times ahead for the nation of Israel. In one day there was the following series of visions:

A Hassidic boy. There were men with bags of grapes. The grapes were being poured out into a glass held in the youth's hands.

THE CHERUBIM AS SYMBOLIC OF THE HOLY PEOPLE OF GOD MOVING AS ONE WITH HIM

The cherubim are guardians. From Ezekiel 10:2, they appear to dispense God's judgment. "And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight."

The cherubim are vehicles of the glory of God, and bearers of the throne or authority of God Himself. As attendants of God, they bear the throne upon which He descends from His high abode. Thus in the description of a theophany in Psalm 18, we read: "He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind." (Psalm 18:9, 10) In Ezekiel 9:3 the chariot or throne, from which the glory of God went up, is spoken of as a cherub. the creatures run and vanish as the appearance of a flash of lightning (Ezekiel 1:14). The cherubim do not turn as they change direction, but always go straight forward. The "four living creatures" of Revelation 4:6 are clearly modeled upon Ezekiel, with supplementary touches from Isaiah. Full of eyes before and behind, they are in the midst of the throne, and round about it. One resembles a lion, the other a calf, and the third a man, and the fourth a flying eagle. Each of the creatures has six wings. "They have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."

In the temple of Solomon, two gigantic cherubic images of olive-wood plated with gold, ten cubits high, stood in the innermost sanctuary (the debhir) facing the door, whose wings, five cubits each, extended, two of them meeting in the middle of the room to constitute the throne, while two extended to the walls (1 Kings 6:23-28; 1 Kings 8:6, 7 2 Chronicles 3:10-13; 2 Chronicles 5:7, 8). Ezekiel represents the inner walls of the temple as carved with alternating palm trees and cherubim, each with two faces, the lion looking on one side, the man on the other (Ezekiel 41:18-25).

The Chronicler represents them as the chariot of the Lord (1 Chronicles 28:18). There were also images of the cherubim carved on the gold-plated cedar planks which constituted the inner walls of the temple, and upon the olive-wood doors (1 Kings 6:29, 35 2 Chronicles 3:7); also on the bases of the portable lavers, interchanging with lions and oxen (1 Kings 7:29-36). According to the Chronicler, they were also woven in the veil of the Holy of Holies (2 Chronicles 3:14).

THE TRUE LIGHT: MESSIAH: THE BRIGHT & MORNING STAR

"Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, have I stationed watchmen; all the day and all the night continually they are not silent. O ye who remember Jehovah, leave yourselves no rest! And give Him no rest, till He raise up, and till He set Jerusalem for a praise in the earth."

"Then spake Jesus unto them, saying: I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12) In the Old Testament, the golden lampstand stood in the holy place with it's seven branches. It originally was set up by Moses in the sanctuary and later in the temple in Jerusalem. Fresh oil of the purest quality which was consecrated was used to light the lamps. Each of the six branches and the center shaft ended in a cup made in the form of an open almond flower. At the very top the opened petals of the flower held an oil lamp. The branches and the central shaft were skillfully decorated with that same open-almond blossom design with three on each branch and four on the center shaft.

On the triumphal Arch of Titus, in Rome, is depicted the Roman victory over the Jews and the Roman soldiers carrying off the Temple Menorah. Jerusalem's fall in 70 AD was celebrated by Titus Vespasion as a great victory and a commemorative arch was erected in Rome to mark the occasion. This robbing of individuals of the light of Messiah is what the powers of darkness focus their efforts on, often through the pride of man. But Messiah enlightens men and women through the spirit of revelation and of power.

THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF YESHUA HAMASHIACH/JESUS CHRIST

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:6)

I enquired of the Lord: Is there something that you have to say to your people with regard to this phrase at this time? In studing the life of David in scripture, David "enquired of the Lord." He didn't just follow what worked for him last time. He wanted the presence of God to go with him, a fresh word. (2 Samuel 5:23) I wanted to know if this was a personal word, or if there was something that I should publish that others might be strengthened with.

The apostle Paul quoted from a popular and well known poem in the culture of his day, which God knew his listeners would be able to relate to. The words of a song came to me which speaks of light in this way, and it goes like this:

The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes. And the moon and the stars...I found myself pondering the life of the Patriarch Joseph, who saw visions of the sun, moon and stars bestowing honour upon him. Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob, was the firstborn son of Jacob and Rachel. He was but a youth, when his father bestowed on him a "coat of many colors," and he was made to endure the scorn and hatred of his older brothers. They hated him all the more, when he began to relate to them his dreams and visions. He related this to his family and it was not a popular message. Within a short time, a plan was enacted to "pull him down from off of his high horse," as the saying goes. Joseph was sold, enslaved and transported far from home.

This week, for the first time in a long time, I felt drawn to search the internet for what was happening in the Christian art field. This is a subject that has been of great interest to me in the past, and have written about yielding ones self to God, in this area of the arts. I saw a considerable number of artists with Acts 2:38 on their websites. They are hungering and thirsting after God. They want to know Him. These are also evangelists, that will not be afraid to preach the gospel as it was delivered to the Jews at the Feast of Pentecost! (Acts 2:38, Acts 8:16, Acts 10:46-48, Acts 19:5)

Prior to conversion to the Lord, I looked for salvation to come primarily through people, seeking the counsel of friends, or what provided an escape from whatever unpleasant state in which I found myself. When I believed on the Yeshua haMashiach/Lord Jesus Christ, he began to teach me many things about Himself from His word which caused me to see thigns in a different light. Through faith in Messiah, I learned that trials are not some strange thing visited upon believers for no good reasons, but come and are allowed by the Lord to test our faith in God. I read that Messiah did not trust himself to man for he knew all men. (John 2:24) I saw this dependance upon man as a weakness. And yet, in and through the people of God, Messiah has revealed aspects of His own heart. God promises that this will be so in His Word, and for this reason we are not to say, even of individuals who have received Him as Saviour and Lord, that we have no need of them. The Revelation of Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ is being poured out in these last days, as the holy prophets have said. God wants the eyes of His body to be as clear as the pools of Heshbon spoken of in the Song of Solomon. Hatred, varience and strife being harbored, is a hinderance to truly knowing God's love, as exemplified in and through Messiah in the holy scriptures. It's an important truth found in scripture, that where the presence of God abides, the angels cry: Holy! Holy! Holy! This outpouring will be God's love in holiness and purity of the truth. Through this God will reach the lost with the message of salvation. It will absolutely transcend the ankle deep superficiality, which enables individuals not to seek the will of God, but of their own. Do nothing through strife or vain glory. Remember Messiah's own wilderness testing. He didn't need to disprove Satan's "if you are's...then do this or that." Do what you are anointed of the Lord to do. There will always be those that do not understand. But trust that what is borne of God will bear fruit. In every walk of life, believers are not doing chalk talks at their place of employment. Artists of a century ago painted florals, landscapes, historical art, religious art, and art meant to correct sinful behaviour and inspire to righteousness type art such as individuals giving to the poor, or a husband bringing his whoring wife home. Judaica art wasn't entirely paintings of Old Testament stories, but records the Jewish faith in European homes, and the setting in which the artist worked and lived. Our family background with it's rich faith, containes a broad spectrum of individuals. People of deep faith, as well as those close to the earth, some of whom were doctors, lawyers, business financiers, teachers, artists, and fruit growers in the Yakima Valley, and I love painting scenes from everyday life, such as craftsmen and women, landscapes, workers in the market places, fruit trees and fruit and vineyards. For some 40 years, Tom's employment has taken him into of the wealthiest homes of the Pacific Northwest. The stone mason, can preach, so can the hair dresser or the vacuum cleaner salesman. If God doesn't instruct you to give your labor away, then charge for it and believe and expect that it will support you in the ministry.

SATAN'S LYING LIGHT VS THE LION OF JUDAH'S EYES

In pondering a title for this message, what came to me to call it is "Israel & The Eyes of Morning." I opened a concordance with the Hebrew language, feeling certain, that there was a connection between this word "eyelids," as seen in Job 41:15-18, and "the dawn." Whose dawn will this be? The book of Job, in chapter 41, relates leviathan's "sneering eyes." Satan walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He seeks to divest you of what is yours in and through God. Job teaches us that leviathan's scales are so close, no air can come between them. Can you imagine people that fuel one anothers jealousies and pride with such regularity that there is no fresh and living water is flowing to them? Their focus is to thwart that "new thing springing up as willows by water courses. " As God leads you into revival, they will say you are "Out of your league, destined to fail, they'll mock and sneer, like Israel's enemies did as the wall was rebuilt in the time of Nehemiah. But Nehemiah stayed focused upon doing the will of of from his heart. You will too if you will allow God's word to be your strength, and come through this victoriously, as an overcomer in and through Christ.

The man Jacob wrestled throughout the night with the angel of the Lord, and as dawn was breaking, came his greatest test, to see if he was willing to relinquish his hold. The scriptures, in Hosea 12:4, teach us that "He had power over the angel and prevailed. He wept and made supplication to Him. He found him at Bethel and there he spoke with us. Not only his name was changed from Jacob, meaning "Deceiver," but his very nature was changed, to one that prevails with God. The circumstances seemed to say: Give is up! The odds are against you! You are small and powerless in the face of this.

The Lord told me to focus on the fact that the idea conveyed is that of the eyes having been opened. They are there early on, surveying the horizon, watching and in readiness. This is how God wants us to be. Jeremiah the Prophet watched in this manner. God showed him a landscape and said: What do you see. Jeremiah replied: I see the rod of an almond tree.

I saw the Revelation of Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ, with His prophetic spirit, contrasted to Satan's power, as seen under the figure of leviathan in chapter 41 of the book of Job, in which Satan's armor is so vividly described as seemingly impenetrable. This armor, to a large extent, functions under secrecy, and the devil is proud of it. As the powers of darkess infiltrate into the very territory, they change the very thought processes and concepts of mankind, exchanging information, and passing it on to various levels of hierarchy.

THOU O LORD ART A SHIELD FOR ME: THE GLORY & THE LIFTER UP OF MY HEAD:

How many times have we battled some sort of a problem, finances, the salvation of a family member or whatever the difficulty may be. Who or what seems to plant their feet in your path, so as to make it difficult for you to progress? At times it appears that there is virtually no way out. But Messiah is ever present to show us that path in the Red Sea, when the enemies are closing in on us and only a barrier seems to confront us. With the barrier is a "strongman" that is alert, and will alert others to join him in the defeat at of YOU. At times, the stronghold is a refuge of lies borne out of envy. Messiah Himself dealt with enemies of this sort, which sought to prevail against him. "Lord how are they increased that trouble me. Many there be that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my sould: There is no help for him in God. (Psalm 3:1) But God wants you to be assured of this very thing: They stand against your very Revelation of Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ. Do not give place to the enemy. Press deeper still... Possess the land promised to you by your Heavenly Father.

The Psalmist, in Psalm 19:6, speaks of the penetrating rays of the sun, and that there is nothing hidden from the heat of it. This is the way in which God's power advances. Absolutely nothing that you need, nothing in God's power to transmit to you is witheld from you. Day after day, speech is poured forth from the heavenlies. The point is this: "Are we listening," and hearing from heaven? Like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, the Lord goes forth on behalf of His own. He is as a champion, rejoicing to run his course. This is in direct antithesis to the demonic assault, which comes to convince you that God doesn't care, or hear and answer your prayers. These forces "oppose all that is called God." They want you to cringe. To hide your light under a bushed. But not to be that lamp on the lampstand...That City set on a hill that cannot be hid." Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

O TOWER OF THE FLOCK: TO THEE THE FIRST DOMINION COMES

"And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem," Micah 4:8. In the verse above, 'tower of the flock' in the Hebrew is "Migdol Eder." Migdol Eder was not just the watchtower for the shepherds. It was also used as a military watchtower. Thus, it was the strong hold of Bethlehem, a daughter of Zion.

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