Category: Moses

To Spite the LORD! #4

Monday, February 26, 2024

“Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments” (Exodus 7:11 KJV).

Is it really wise for us to spite the LORD? In the grand scheme of things, will He or we lose?

God’s second judgment on Egypt: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:5-7). As with the rods transformed into serpents, and the first plague (blood turned into water), the magicians of Egypt imitated the LORD. Think of all those disgusting frogs overrunning the land (verses 8-14)!

Now, watch carefully as touching the third pestilence: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast” (Exodus 8:16-18). “But they could not!” Verse 19 is especially astounding: “Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.” Perhaps Pharaoh executed these men because of their “blasphemous” admission!

The magicians of Egypt also could not duplicate plagues four through 10—flies, murrain (infectious disease), blains (blisters or boils), hail and fire, locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn (chapters 8–12). In fact, “And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians” (Exodus 9:11). Egypt’s religious leaders are unable to save it from the LORD’S unmitigated fury….

To Spite the LORD! #3

Sunday, February 25, 2024

“Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments” (Exodus 7:11 KJV).

Is it really wise for us to spite the LORD? In the grand scheme of things, will He or we lose?

Egypt’s magicians used occultic (satanic) power to prove they could match the LORD God. “See, Moses and Aaron, our deities are equally mighty. Whatever your ‘God’ can do, they can do and even outdo!” This is actually not as clever as it first appears. For example, re-read Exodus 7:10-12 (today’s Scripture): “And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”

Initially, it really looked like the God of Israel was inferior to whatever or whomever Egypt was worshipping. At least two snakes were produced to contend with the LORD’S solitary serpent. However, the LORD’S rod ate the Egyptians’ rods—but Pharaoh and his servants were unimpressed, so Israel was not freed. Once the first plague was meted out, Egypt’s bodies of water—streams, rivers, ponds, pools, and so on—were blood. Water, especially the Nile River (Egypt’s primary water source), had been worshipped as a god. Now, it was contaminated because of the LORD God.

“And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river” (Exodus 7:21-24).

The magicians added to their people’s misery with water so filthy and odors so foul….

To Spite the LORD! #2

Saturday, February 24, 2024

“Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments” (Exodus 7:11 KJV).

Is it really wise for us to spite the LORD? In the grand scheme of things, will He or we lose?

Pharaoh and the other Egyptians viewed themselves as superior to the Israelites. After all, the Jews were their slaves, and Pharaoh himself was believed to be the Egyptian god Horus reincarnated in human flesh. Who were Moses and Aaron compared to this mighty king of Egypt? Who was this “LORD God of Israel” who challenged his authority? With a heart lifted up with pride, the king of Egypt was not the least bit intimidated. “As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?” (Exodus 9:17). “And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day” (Nehemiah 9:10).

The king of Egypt and his magicians were drawing on Satan’s power (see today’s Scripture). Since they had given themselves over to the Devil, to do his work and entertain his thoughts, they were not about to hearken to the LORD God who was confronting them through Moses and Aaron. These Egyptian magicians were never identified in the Book of Exodus, but, as per the biblical principle of subsequent narrative, the Holy Spirit reveals their names through Paul: “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was” (2 Timothy 3:8,9).

In short, the ministry of Pharaoh’s magicians consisted of nothing more than counterfeiting the LORD’S work (re-read Exodus 7:10-12,19-22; Exodus 8:5-7). Actually, whereas Aaron’s rod resulted in one snake, the magicians seemed to outdo him by producing two! It appeared as though the LORD God was less than powerful than the gods of Egypt, right? The magicians copied the LORD, but they were still limited.

By “spiting the LORD,” they were inflicting injury only upon themselves….

To Spite the LORD! #1

Friday, February 23, 2024

“Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments” (Exodus 7:11 KJV).

Is it really wise for us to spite the LORD? In the grand scheme of things, will He or we lose?

The LORD God endowed Moses with miracle-working power: “And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods” (Exodus 7:10-12).

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments:…” (Exodus 7:19-22).

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:5-7).

Imagine these revolting circumstances….

A Family Enterprise #5

Thursday, February 8, 2024

“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger” (Jeremiah 7:18 KJV).

What is their family enterprise?

Generally, society looks down upon people who take their children with them during the commission of their crimes. They wag their fingers, shake their heads, and cry out, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” To see a son accompany his father in a theft, or a daughter go with her mother to commit a murder, is an extremely appalling situation to anyone who possesses integrity and seeks justice. Yet, and this is most (most! most!! most!!!) unfortunate, almost no one has any spiritual sense to recognize the eternal disgrace connected to parents taking their children to religious services that will damn their souls.

It is no secret that children copy their parents. When children in today’s Scripture collect wood, it is because their parents by example taught them to do it! For what purpose are these children gathering this wood? Why, their fathers will light a fire with those sticks. The mothers, their wives, are hard at work in the kitchen forming cakes to bake on that fire. What is their reason? The queen of heaven, the mother goddess, is to be worshipped with food and drink! A holy meal will be held in her honor, and she will be venerated because of all her goodness, power, and wisdom! Apparently, she deserves far more attention than JEHOVAH God! (While it is offensive, the fact of the matter is that this blasphemy is being committed all over the world this very moment, and the most obvious form is the Eucharist or the Mass of Roman Catholicism [wherein Mary is actually called “the queen of heaven!”]. Check the warning in 1 Corinthians 10:19-22, what the professing church has ignored for 20 centuries!)

The family enterprise, the family business, of today’s Scripture is nothing but devil worship. Yet, it has nothing to do with murder, stealing, adultery, gambling, smoking cigarettes, drunkenness, prostitution, gangbanging, drug-dealing, or any other sin of the flesh. It is the sin of the spirit, a transgression committed in works-religion… with children in tow….

A Family Enterprise #4

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger” (Jeremiah 7:18 KJV).

What is their family enterprise?

Mother-goddess worship can be traced back to the Tower of Babel 4,000 years ago. Her original name was Semiramis. When the LORD God scattered the nations from Babel (Babylon) because of their pagan idolatry (Genesis 11:1-9), they took with them worldwide that concept of a mother goddess.

Consequently, all peoples paid her homage, though under various names because of language differences: Nana (Sumerians), Indrani/Isi (Indians), Disa (Scandinavians), Venus/Fortuna (Romans), Nutria (Etruscans), Aphrodite/Ceres (Greeks), Shingmoo (Chinese), Hertha (Germans), Venus/Fortuna (Romans), Isis (Egyptians), Cybele (Asians in Turkey), Virgo/Patitura (Druids), Astarte/Ashtaroth (Phoenicians—see Judges 2:13, Judges 10:6, and 1 Samuel 7:3), and Diana/Artemis (Ephesians—see Acts 19:24,27-28,34-35). In fact, she is the Virgin Mary of Roman Catholicism, and Mother Earth or Mother Nature (also known as Gaia)!

The Jews during Jeremiah’s ministry (today’s Scripture) knew God’s attitude about pagan idolatry, especially mother-goddess worship, but they engaged in anyway. This resulted in their deportation to Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. Even after the Babylonian exile was underway, they kept worshipping her. Jeremiah chapter 44: “[17] But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. [18] But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. [19] And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?”

How sad it was that (in today’s Scripture) they even brought their children into this heathen darkness….

A Family Enterprise #3

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger” (Jeremiah 7:18 KJV).

What is their family enterprise?

Despite what natural-man thinking dictates, the biblical model is for the husband-father to be his family’s spiritual leader. God gave His Word to Adam first, for Eve was not yet in existence. Adam, apparently, had the responsibility of committing that Divine revelation to his wife when she came later. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

“And if they [the women of verse 34] will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church” (1 Corinthians 14:35). “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety” (1 Timothy 2:11-15).

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing” (Ephesians 5:22-24). “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

In today’s Scripture, however, we find families in spiritual disarray, for they have strayed quite far from the Creator’s design. The men are leading their families—their wives and children—down the path of certain spiritual destruction….

A Family Enterprise #2

Monday, February 5, 2024

“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger” (Jeremiah 7:18 KJV).

What is their family enterprise?

Consider the following passages that form part of the Law of Moses. “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children” (Deuteronomy 4:9,10).

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).

“Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the LORD’S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 11:16-19).

Re-read today’s Scripture in light of these passages. Do you see any negligence on anyone’s part? You should….

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He Was One of The World’s Richest! #4

Friday, September 8, 2023

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20 KJV).

He was “one of the world’s richest,” but now he is among its poorest!

The Lord Jesus posed these solemn questions in Matthew 16:26 (cf. Mark 8:36,37): “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Examining the context (Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38), we ascertain this applies to Israel’s situation leading up to His Second Coming.

Read Matthew 10:32,33; Revelation 12:11; and Revelation 13:1-18. With the Antichrist ascending to power, individual Jews will have one of two choices. Firstly, they can confess Jesus Christ, upon which time they forfeit their material possessions and are executed. Secondly, they can deny Jesus Christ, after which the Antichrist allows them to retain their physical belongings and they avoid the death penalty. Ultimately, when Christ returns, He resurrects the slain saints to enter His kingdom (Revelation 20:1-5) but He kills the living sinners to be taken to Hell (Revelation 14:9-12)!

Christ’s questions in Matthew 16:26 and Mark 8:36,37 are rhetorical. He knew the answers, and we do too—provided we have the renewed mind. To “gain the whole world” means to be in full fellowship with Satan’s evil world system (see Galatians 1:4)—all its diabolical desires, thoughts, values, preferences, and goals (see 1 John 2:15-17). If it were possible for a man to acquire all secular knowledge, all earthly riches, everything this life has to offer, it would really amount to nothing because he lost his soul. Not only would his earthly life be taken, his soul would be eternally damned! Here was the precarious fate about which Christ warned during His earthly ministry.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:…” (Matthew 6:19,20). This part of the Sermon on the Mount was Jesus’ way of preparing Israel to escape the Antichrist’s deception….

He Was One of The World’s Richest! #3

Thursday, September 7, 2023

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20 KJV).

He was “one of the world’s richest,” but now he is among its poorest!

Since Israel is God’s literal, physical, visible, earthly people; He promised them literal, physical, visible, earthly blessings. Read Deuteronomy chapter 8, elderly Moses’ counsel to the Jewish people preparing to enter the Promised Land with Joshua: “[10] When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. [11] Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:…. [17] And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. [18] But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. [19] And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.”

Yet, unbelieving Israelites concentrated so much on wealth—worldly possessions, earthly goods—they forgot the LORD precisely as Moses foretold. When Messiah Jesus came to minister, they were still preoccupied with physical property to the point of disregarding spiritual truth. This necessitated Christ to twice declare, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24; cf. Luke 16:13). These two verses sit in the context of material wealth (see Matthew 6:19-34; Luke 16:13-31), with “mammon” being riches deified or idolized (worshipped as a god). Extreme materialism was distracting the Jewish people from the LORD God, so Christ issued that warning.

Moreover, today’s Scripture was spoken with a similar transgression in mind. Focusing on self, self, self, the physically-rich Israelite died a spiritual pauper….