Soothsayers

This Sabbath reading is about a persistent attempt to curse and destroy the people of God, specifically in this case, Israel. We can also see this same determined attitude against Israel, and all of the people of God, today. Jesus told His disciples: "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you...If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you...But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me...that the word might be fulfilled..."they hated Me without cause." (Jn. 15:18-25). Concerning the end times, Jesus prophesied a similar persecution: "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake." (Mt. 24:9). Jesus told us that HE and His Father, are the Ones against whom all of this irrational and murderous hatred is directed. Scripture tells us that because of this hatred, a particular false messiah, the antichrist, and a false prophet will come doing great signs and wonders because they have been empowered by Satan. From this week's Sabbath reading entitled "Balak", in Numbers 22-24, I think we can get a deeper understanding, not only of something that occurred thousands of years ago, but the root of what is prophesied to happen in these last days before the return of Jesus. Let's look at the beginning and root cause of this account: "Now Balak (meaning "devastator, to lay waste, to annihilate") the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was exceedingly afraid ("excite oneself, to dread, fear, to gather for hostility because of fear") of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread ("to loathe, abhor, sickening dread, to make disgusted or anxious") because of ("face, countenance, presence which causes to turn toward and approach or to turn away") the children of Israel...And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at the time." (Num. 22:2-4). We could state it this way: as the king and people of Moab looked at the great company of Israel, they had an irrational, sickening dread and loathing to such an extent that it stirred up violence, particularly in the one whose name means "devastator". This fear and loathing is the result of that "face, countenance, presence" that was present within Israel. In a similar way, Revelation 12:13 and 17 says that the dragon was enraged with the woman who gave birth to the male Child, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The dragon is enraged in this case by the woman because she gave birth to the male child. We will see the direct connection between the Sabbath account in Numbers, and a revealing of Jesus later. In our account from Numbers 22, we start out with a great fear and loathing towards Israel by the country of Moab. Because of this, Balak, "the devastator", the king of Moab, makes several attempts to connvince a soothsayer to come with him to curse the people of Israel. Balak understood that the battle against Israel could not be won by natural warfare, but would have to begin in the spiritual realm. This soothsayer sought out by Balak the king was named Balaam (meaning "not of the people"), son of Beor ("Burning, consume, burn up"). Balaam lived at Pethor ("soothsayer"), and he had quite a reputation as a practician of the occultic arts (see Num. 24:1), including the practice of sorcery (defined as "divination, incantation, enchantment, fortunetelling"), because the king, Balak, said to him regarding Israel: "See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! Therefore please come at once, curse ("execrate, bitterly curse") this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed." (Num. 22:5-6). As this account continues, God and the Angel of the LORD, first forbid, and then directly turn the repeated attempts to curse Israel by the "devastator" and the "soothsayer", into the blessing of Israel, and a revelation of the Messiah. As Balak and Balaam travelled to different sites in their futile attempts to curse God's people, the prophet Micah would later reveal: "O My people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab counseled, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from Acacia Grove ("Shittim- scourging thorns, to pierce") to Gilgal ("heaven, sacred circle of stones, roll away the stone"), that you may know the righteousness of the LORD." (Mic. 6:5). As Balak took Balaam to various places from which to attempt to curse the children of Israel, Balaam brought forth, these amazing prophetic words from the LORD, which he felt compelled to speak: "Rise up Balak and hear!...God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them...For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, "Oh, what God has done!" Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion..." (Num. 23:18-23). From among the people of Israel, Balaam heard the shout of a King, and a presence like a lion. Because of this "countenance" among the children of Israel, it can be prophesied and declared that there is no iniquity nor wickedness among them, even though we know from the scriptures that Israel displeased and sinned against the LORD on numerous occasions. Again, Balaam was compelled to prophesy: "His King shall be higher than Agag ("I shall increase", "I shall overtop", a king of Amalek), and his kingdom shall be exalted...He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you." (Num. 24:7-9). We can see that a special King is again prophesied, and we know from Balaam's description that this King from among Israel is the Messiah. Balaam then prophesies to Balak about the latter days: "Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days...I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star ("pertaining to Messiah") shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter ("branch, rod, staff, Shepherd's rod, mark of authority") shall rise out of Israel...Out of Jacob, One shall have dominion (tread down, rule)..." (Num. 24:14-19, see also Micah 5:2). As we see and apply by the account of Balak and Balaam, although the enemies of God will persist, by the supernatural tools of the devil, in the fear, hatred and persecution of God's people, especially in these end times, God has already put His Word in their mouths, as it says in scripture: "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him (Jesus) and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:9-11). The Devastator may come, but the King, the Lion, in the midst of God's people has already defeated him. God has promised that He has cut off the soothsayers and sorceries from the midst of His people (Micah 5:12). As we face these times, we can pray: "Heavenly Father, although the world becomes more and more hostile both to Israel, and to the people of faith, You have already spoken Your blessing, which cannot be overturned. You have placed the face of Your Son, and the shout of Your King, the Messiah, among Your people. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is perceived to be dwelling among Your people, and He will never be defeated. Every tongue, even those which have been dedicated to speak evil, will confess the name of Jesus. Those whom You have blessed, LORD, no man can curse. I want to dwell among Your people, called out of the world by Your Salvation, Jesus, Who died for me, and rose again from the dead for me as the stone was rolled away from His grave. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to lead me in the way of righteousness, "from the Acacia Grove to Gilgal". Help me to grow in the grace and the knowledge of God through His Son. In Jesus' name, I pray. AMEN."

Ordinances

This Sabbath's Torah reading is titled Chukkat, which means "Ordinance of". The lesson taught by the readings of this Sabbath is that God gives ordinances that are sometimes beyond man's ability to understand, seeming to have no reasoning behind them, but they are to be trusted and kept by faith. Proverbs advises the same teaching: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Prov. 3:5-6). Jewish tradition says that there is an ordinance commanded by God for which even Solomon, who was given the gift of wisdom by God, could not find an understanding. Tradition points to this statement by Solomon: "All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise"; But it was far from me. As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?" (Eccl. 7:23). A mystery that Solomon and the sages have tried to look into with understanding for thousands of years is the ordinance of God concerning the red heifer (Num. 19). This sacrifice, which was begun and kept outside of camp, had the ability to make clean a person defiled by coming in contact with a corpse. If that person was not cleansed by the ashes of the red heifer, he would be cut off from his people. Yet those who came into direct contact with the red heifer in the sacrificial process became unclean. It was a paradox that confounded the religious scholars. Another ordinance that seemed to make no sense to the human mind involved the fiery serpent (Num. 21). The people became rebellious to God and Moses because they had to travel around a Canaanite tribe that refused to allow the Israelites to cross their land. Because of this rebellion, God released among the children of Israel a plague of fiery serpents, and many were bitten and died. As the people repented, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent, and to set it up on a pole. Any who looked upon the bronze serpent would live. An image of the same serpent that was killing them, when lifted up, would save them! Who could understand that? From the revelations of the New Covenant, we can now see that the image of the Messiah, Jesus, is found in both the cleansing power of the ashes of the red heifer, and the lifting up on a pole of the bronze serpent. Into this mix of "strange" ordinances from this week's Sabbath reading, comes an account from the Book of Judges. It seems to have nothing to do with God's ordinances, but it illustrates the gap between man's understanding, and God's thoughts and works. In Judges 11, we meet a mighty man of valor named Jephthah ("he (God) opens"), the son of Gilead (meaning a pile of stones that certifies covenant; a witness heap). Gilead fathered Jephthah with a harlot, and then went on to have other sons with his wife. When his half-brothers became adults, they drove Jephthah out of the house, saying: "You shall have no inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman." (v. 2). Jephthah fled to the land of Tob ("good"), where disreputable characters banded together with him, and raided the countryside. In the meantime, the Ammonites attacked Israel, and the elders of Jephthah's home town of Gilead sought him out and asked him to lead the fight against the people of Ammon. Jephthah threw it in their faces that they had rejected him previously, and threw him out of his home: "Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?" (v. 7). The elders from Gilead promise to make Jephthah their head. Jephthah then sent a message to the king of Ammon, and the king answered with a lie saying that the children of Israel had come across Ammonite land under the leadership of Moses, and took their land away from them. Jephthah knew the history of his people, and contradicted the king's version with the truth (v. 12-21, see also Num. 21:21-24). The king of Ammon rejected Jephthah's attempt to reason out a peace. The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he advanced against the Ammonites, and defeated them (v. 32-33). However, Jephthah had made a vow before the LORD before the battle, asking for the victory over Ammon. Jephthah vowed to sacrifice by burnt offering to the LORD the first thing he saw when he returned home after the victory. His home was in Mizpah/Galeed (Gilead), where generations before Laban had made a heap of rocks to mark a covenant agreement with Jacob. While it always seemed that Laban was more interested in his riches in flocks, and Jacob's free labor, it becomes evident that Laban had a greater concern for his daughters and grandchildren, who were leaving his home and oversight. Laban's covenant at that place of Mizpah/Galeed was to protect his daughters and their children from any affliction that they might suffer under Jaccob (Gen. 31:44-49). When Jephthah came home from his victory over the Ammonites, ready to keep his vow to offer to God the first thing he saw, his daughter, his only child, came out to meet him. Although he was brokenhearted, he remained steadfast in the need to keep his vow regarding the sacrifice of his daughter (v. 34-39). What do we learn about God's ordinances from the account of Jephthah? Jephthah was born in shame, but God had a mighty purpose for his life. God raised up this raiding bandit who was the son of a harlot to be a judge to deliver His people from the hands of the enemy. Many people, who believe they know the ways and thoughts of God, might not understand why God would choose a man like Jephthah to lead His people. Jephthah, as the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, travelled through Gilead/Mizpah on his way to fight the Ammonites. He would know the importance of that place as the "heap of witness" between Laban and Jacob. In the same place that a vow was made to protect daughters generations before, another vow would be made that would cause an end of a daughter. Perhaps some would say that Jephthah deserved what he got for making such a reckless vow to God. How did the LORD look upon this event? The rabbis have an interesting contribution to make. They point to the fact that the prophet Jeremiah wrote: "For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; Astonishment has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?" (Jer. 8:21-22). The rabbis write that the LORD was looking for a spiritual remedy to come forth from a people who should have an understanding of His law. Phinehas, who was the high priest in that generation, had the authority to come and annul the vow made by Jephthah. It should have been understood under the law that something not fit to be offered on the altar, shall not be so offered, and accordingly possesses no sanctity. The prophet Jeremiah also made this clear by stating that God never imagined nor commanded that the Israelites should offer their children as burnt offerings (Jer. 19:4-5). God calls the shedding of innocent blood, including children born and unborn, an abomination (Prov. 6:16-19). In rabbinical writings, the high priest, Phinehas, refused to go to Jephthah because of his shameful beginnings. In the same manner, they write, Jephthah, as the appointed leader of the tribes of Israel, refused to seek out the high priest, whom he looked upon as a "commoner", for the annulment of the vow. Scripture doesn't confirm this haughty attitude of pride and protocol on behalf of the two men. However, if the writings of the rabbis are accurate, these attitudes unnecessarily cost an innocent daughter of Israel her life. Even today in Israel, Jephthah's daughter is remembered yearly, and mourned for four days. Whether we understand the reasons behind specific ordinances of God or not, we are still expected, as the people of God, to administer the Balm of Gilead, Jesus, Who has been provided to heal and save life. Our Father expects us to heed His ordinances, rather than our own understanding. "Heavenly Father, You have given us both Your written Word, and Your living word, Jesus. By Your Holy Spirit, help me to respect and honor Your ordinances because they are life and truth. Let me not rely upon my own understanding, but follow You by faith and trust. Even the sacrifice of Your Son for my sins, and His resurrection from the dead on my behalf, is bigger and deeper than my understanding can contain without the help of Your Spirit. Direct my path, LORD, as I follow Your Word. In Jesus' name, I pray. AMEN."

LORDSHIP

Reminder: Beginning in July, Google will stop sending automatic notifications of new postings for blogs such as this one that are published under "blogspot.com". If you have been receiving notifications, or would like to receive them, please enter your email address in the box in the upper right corner of the blog page before July. These email addresses will be retrieved, and you will be sent a notification directly from me when there is a new post available. These email addresses will not be used for any other purpose. You will receive the "new blog post" notifications from "the disciple". If you choose not to enter your email address, I recommend that after June 2021, check the blog regularly for new posts. Thank you for your patience and faithful readership. It is a constant struggle for us, or at least for me, on a day to day basis, to live in the understanding that God is in charge, and He is well qualified to be in charge. In the same way, we often forget what scripture says about Christ's rulership over all things including in His relationship with the church: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him (Christ) all the fullness should dwell...For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." (Col. 1:15-19, 2:9-10). Can there be any doubt from the above verses that Jesus is the Head, not only of the Church, but over all creation, even the spiritual principalities. Paul even warned us: "As you therefore have received Christ the Lord, so walk in Him...Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." (Col. 2:6-8). We have our beginning in salvation through the Lordship of Jesus Christ, but sometimes as we continue in our walk of faith, we lose the understanding of His Lordship in all things. The philosophies and traditions of the world systems, that can sound good to those who are about to fall to their temptation, begin to edge their way in to our thinking. In general, the philosophies of the world do not embrace either the Lordship of the Father, or of His Son, Jesus. I would like to look at two examples of this in the Sabbath reading for this week. In Numbers Chapters 16 and 17, four highly regarded men challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron. They took (laqah- take away, carry away, snatch, select, take possession of) 250 leaders, men of renown, from the congregation of Israel, and approached Moses and Aaron with the following complaint: "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD? (Num. 16:3). Even though the rebels cloak their challenge in spiritual terms, their attitude is one we see in the world even today: "Who made you the boss?" or "You think you're better than everyone else." They accused Moses of acting like a prince over the people (v. 13). One of the rebels, Korah, was a Levite, and Moses addressed his answer to him: "Hear now, you sons of Levi: Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the taberncle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them, and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?" (v. 8-10). Instead of seeing his important role in the tabernacle, the house of God's presence and glory, with which God had honored him as a Levite, Korah despised it as unimportant, and coveted someone else's position instead. Moses told Korah and his fellow rebels that they were "gathered together against the LORD", not against Moses and Aaron. Moses made clear, as he prophesies the judgment of God upon the rebels, that "the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will." (v. 28). We know from scripture how God called Moses, and that Moses did not seek nor want the position that God commanded him to take. Moses tried every argument to convince God to choose someone else, but finally and obediently acepted his role from God. Scripture also tells us that God, through His servant Moses, did many wonderful and miraculous works in order to deliver His people. Yet spiritually ambitious Israelites thought they should decide who would lead the people, rather than God. As the rebellion against Moses continued, the LORD threatened to consume the whole congregation in a moment, but Moses and Aaron, as true servants of God, fell on their faces and interceded for the congregation. The LORD relented and brought a judgment that had never been seen before against only the rebels, and those who chose to stand with them: the earth opened and swallowed them alive directly down into the pit (Num. 16:30-33). In truth, these rebels had not been challenging only Moses with their conspiracy, but they had challenged the LORDSHIP of God over Israel, and everything pertaining to them. In this week's haftarah reading portion from 1 Sam. 11 and 12, the prophet and judge of Israel, Samuel, admonished Israel for rejecting God as their LORD, when they chose to have a king to rule over them, instead of the man of God appointed by Him. God had placed Samuel over them as their judge, but the people of Israel yielded to the temptation of the philosophies and traditions of the world in their desire to be ruled as the other nations of the world were ruled: by a king. They put their deliverance from their enemies into the hands of that king (1 Sam. 12:11-12). Samuel warned the people that while they did get the king that they desired, they and their king, must fear the LORD and continue to serve Him, and obey the voice and commandments of the LORD, or it would not go well with them, as it did not with their fathers (v. 13-15). If they were to turn aside from the LORD, "then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing." (v. 21). As a sign of the LORDSHIP of their God, by the call of Samuel, the LORD sent rain on the day of the wheat harvest (v. 17-18). Because of the rain, the greatly anticipated yearly wheat harvest in Israel would yield far less in tonnage weight as the rain washed away a great deal of weight from the seed heads of the grain. After seeing this sign of rain sent on the harvest day, the people cried out to Samuel to pray for them: "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves." (v. 19). Responding to the people's request for his intercessory prayer on their behalf, Samuel showed the same reverence for the LORDSHIP of God as Moses did when he prayed on behalf of the people. Samuel said, "...as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way...For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people." (v. 22-23). Samuel understood and was led the covenant promise that the LORD had made with His people. The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Korach, which is the Hebrew name of the rebel, Korah. The Hebrew word means "bald". What does baldness have to do with Korah, or his rebellion? I think the title pertains to the way that Korah despised his spiritual "covering", which was Moses, Aaron, and therefore the Lordship of God Himself. He rebelliously sought to remove that covering. He became spiritually "bald" as a result, and it brought him to destruction. Most of us are familiar with the examples here of Moses, Aaron and Samuel, but this Sabbath reading carries a very timely message for today. In the same way that the LORD had set His servants over His people, He has also set, appointed, ordained servants over His Church to lead, teach, and equip the saints to "do the work of the ministry" (see above Num. 16:8-10), and to lead them out of slavery to sin, and into our Promised Land, which is found in the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13). In doing so, these appointed servants also help to keep the saints from being swayed by trickery, and every wind of deceitful plotting and doctrines (Eph. 4:14). This is especially important in these times when tumultuous events tempt us to be drawn to the empty philosophies and traditions of the world to solve our problems, and to defeat our enemies. How we view and treat those who have been ordained to be our spiritual covering by the Head of the Church, Christ, reflects what we really believe about His Lordship over us. Our Father doesn't want us to be Korach, or "bald". If you desire to place youself under the perfect All-In-All Lordship of Christ, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Head over all things, including the Church. I want You to be Lord over my life. As Lord, it is You who suffered and died for my sins, and rose from the dead, so I can have eternal life with You. By Your Holy Spirit, and Your commandments, teach me to understand and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for those whom You have appointed to cover me, to teach me, and to intercede before You on my behalf. I ask You these things in Your name, which is above all other names, AMEN."

Spies!

Reminder: Beginning in July, Google will stop sending automatic notifications of new postings for blogs such as this one that are published under "blogspot.com". If you have been receiving notifications, or would like to receive them, please enter your email address in the box in the upper right corner of the blog page before July. These email addresses will be retrieved hopefully, and you will be sent a notification directly when there is a new post available. These email addresses will not be used for any other purpose. You will receive the "new blog post" notifications from "the disciple". If you choose not to enter your email address, I would recommend that after June 2021, check the blog regularly for new posts. Thank you for your patience and faithful readership. This week's Sabbath reading includes two different spy missions. The first mission, from Numbers 13 and 14, was sent out by Moses at God's command to spy out the Promised Land. Moses sent a leader from every tribe of Israel, except for the Levites, the priests. Two of these men were unusual, which we will see. The spies searched the new land for forty days. The spies come back reporting how good the land was, and brought back a sample in the form of a large cluster of grapes. However, ten of the spies also reported that the new land was filled with giants, the Anakim, and other strong people who lived in fortified cities (Num. 13:27-29). The conclusion of the ten spies: "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we...we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (v. 31-33). Although one of the spies, Caleb, spoke up assuring the people: "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it", the people believed the report of the other ten spies, and refused to go into the land promised to them by God. They reacted in fear to the negative report of ten of the spies, rather than the Word of the LORD that had promised to bring them into the Promised Land. The people wished that they had died in the wilderness instead, and planned to select a leader to lead them back to Egypt (Num. 14:2-4). Joshua and Caleb appealed to the congregation, spoke of the goodness of the new land, and begged the people not to rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land (Num. 14:6-9). The congregation picked up stones to stone Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the Tabernacle in front of the people. The LORD spoke that He would strike the people with a pestilence, and make a new nation from Moses. Moses interceded on behalf of the people, and the LORD relented. It is at this point, however, that God banned that generation from ever entering into the new land. They would wander for forty years, one year for every day that the spies had been in the new land. Only Joshua and Caleb would enter the land. Of Caleb the LORD said, "But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will brung into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it." (v. 24). As mentioned earlier, Joshua and Caleb were unusual men. Joshua was really named Oshea ("salvation"), the son of Nun (fish, heir to the throne, son), from the half tribe of Ephraim (meaning "I shall be doubly fruitful") (Num. 13:8). The patriarch of that tribe generations before was Joseph, and the mother of that tribe was an Egyptian woman whom Joseph married. Moses changed Oshea's name to Jehoshua ("God is Salvation"), or Joshua (Num. 13:16), and we know him as Joshua from that day. This is also a form of Jesus' Hebrew name. Caleb also had an unusual story. He is described as being from the Tribe of Judah ("Praise") (Num. 13:6). His name translated into English means "yelping dog" from a root meaning "contempt or abasement, to attack, male prostitute". This is not a very impressive beginning, but he became part of the tribe of "Praise", the tribe of the Messiah. Surprisingly, he was not from any of the Israelite tribes originally, but was a Kenizzite (Joshua 14:6, 14). The Kenizzites were a nomadic Canaanite tribe of people who were friendly to Israel, and often dwelt among Israel's tribes. It is believed that they were descendants of Esau, who had married local Canaanite women (Gen. 26:34). Caleb's father's name was Jephunneh, meaning "he will be facing", or to turn, to make a turn. Perhaps this name indicates that there was a turning to the LORD, to be facing the LORD. In any case, it seems that Caleb was adopted into, and even considered a leader of, the Tribe of Judah, which is the tribe of Christ. Remember, the LORD said of Caleb, "He is of a different spirit...". The LORD is prophesying something in the lives of these two men: the Church, both Jew and Gentile, is hidden in the lives of these two men. One was only half Hebrew, and the other was part of the Tribe of Judah by the Spirit, rather than by the flesh. Later on, as The Israelites took possession of the land, Caleb, at the age of 85, specifically asked for and received the mountain filled with the fortified cities of the giants as his personal allotment of the Tribe of Judah (Josh. 14:6-15). This land included the ancient city and Anakim stronghold of Hebron. As he promised, Caleb successfully took out the three giant sons of Anak from that place, and conquered that mountain (Josh. 15:13-14). The second spy mission also covered in this week's Sabbath reading is from Joshua Ch. 2. The mission occurred forty years after the previous one as Joshua was about to lead the people of Israel into taking the strategic town of Jericho, before entering the promised land. However, this spy mission was different from the one a generation ago. It was of a different spirit from beginning to end. Joshua sent two spies into Jericho. This time the spies were unnamed. Names in scripture can offer a great deal of information in their meanings, but unnamed individuals are telling us something also by the fact that they are unnamed. These men came out of Shittim, the Acacia Grove. This place's name means "to pierce, scourging thorns". The two men came to the house of Rahab the harlot in Jericho. The king of Jericho heard that there were Israelite spies in the land, and questioned Rahab. She told the king that the men had left her house, but she had hidden(taman- to hide by covering over, to bury) them on her roof (root word: ga'a- triumph, gloriously, risen, to be exalted in triumph, to be lifted up, raised up), under stalks (es- gallows, tree, carpenter; root- close the eyes) of flax (peset- linen, fiber used for garments) laid in order (order, ordain; set forth a legal case). She asked the spies to deliver her whole household from death (Josh. 2:13). They promised her on their lives that they would protect her when the Israelites invaded (v. 14). Rahab let the spies down (yarad- descend, send down, sink down) by a cord (hebel- portion, sorrows, pangs, pain, travail, destruction; root: to take in pledge, to writhe, broken, offend (see Isa. 53 also) from her window (hallon- piercing (of the wall), which was in the town wall (homa- wall of protection), and told them to get to the mountain and hide there for three days, and then go their way. Before they left, the spies told Rahab to mark her dwelling by binding (qasar- to bind to oneself, to league together, to knit, to join together) a line (tiqva- hope, expectation, things hoped for,; root: wait for, look for, look eagerly for, collect, gather, remain, tarry, endure) of scarlet (sani- crimson, color used in the curtain, veil, ephod of the temple) to her window. When the Israelites come into the land, they told her, she must bring (asap- gather together, assemble, collect, gather and take away, remove, harvest) her family and they must remain behind the doors of her house for safety, and not go into the streets. From the meanings of the Hebrew words used in this account of the two spies and Rahab, we find a depiction of the passion of Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection, and the hope, expectation, and harvest of the believers in Him. The Gospel is clearly told here. Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Christ, as she ended up marrying an Israelite, one of His forebearers (Mt. 1:5). Rahab is also listed in the champions of faith in Heb. 11:31, among those who hope for things not yet seen (Heb. 11:1). These two accounts of spies are very different. The title of this week's Sabbath reading is Sh'lach L'cha, which means "Send for yourself". As the LORD commands us to spy out the land and the conditions, what are we seeing? Though the land is full of abundance that has been provided for God's people, waiting for us to gather it, do we see as being even greater the undefeatable giants and fierce people? Are we seeing the testimony of Christ in the land, hidden even in the midst of the greatest fortified cities of the enemy? Do we reject the report of the LORD because the spy who brings it is "different" from us? Do we desire to stone the spies who insist on bringing the good report that challenges us to proceed fully in God and overcome? Do we fail to discern the help that God has ordained for us because it is in the form of Rahab the harlot? Do we see that even though the enemy may instill fear in us, the enemy has heard the report of what God has done in His people, and it has produced in him the greater fear? The report of the people of God, those who follow God fully, and are of a "different spirit", has come to the enemy, and he is in desperate fear because of it. Our Father has told us to "send for yourself". What will we "see"? What will we conclude from our mission, and what report will we bring back to the people? Considering the wrath of the enemy before us today, this is the big challenge for God's people. However, the prophet Daniel wrote that in the latter days, the people who know their God would be strong, and carry out great exploits! (Dan. 11:32) If you would like to know the testimony of Christ hidden within the enemy camp, and if you would like to follow God fully, you can pray: "Heavenly Father, I have spied out the land, and although I see giants and fierce people, I believe the promises that You have made. I have found the hidden testimony of Christ in the land, that He suffered, died, descended into Hell, and rose again from the dead to cleanse me from sin, and to redeem my soul from death, to save my whole household. The report of the LORD and His people has come before the enemy, and he is already defeated by fear, according to Your Word. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may be of a different spirit, and may follow You and Your Christ fully wherever You are go. Forgive me, LORD, when I have not discerned Your greatness, when I have not discerned Your completed victory in Christ, Who is Head over all things. Thank You, LORD, in Jesus' name, AMEN."