Fathers

Jesus made this shocking statement to a group of people who believed in Him: "You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of it." (Jn. 8:44). Jesus discerned that these "believers" had been deeply angered to the point that they wanted to kill Him (v. 37) because of what He had told them earlier when He said: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (eleutheroo/eleutheros - make free (from dominion of sin), to liberate, deliver/cease to be a slave, exempt from liability)." (v. 31-32). These believers in Christ took great pride and assurance in the fact that their forefather was Abraham, and, because of that, they were already "free". The words of Jesus had offended what they considered to be their spiritual identity and inheritance. However, Jesus pointed out to them that Abraham, whom they claimed as a father, prophetically saw the Day of Christ, and rejoiced in it (v. 56-58). Therefore, they were not of their father, Abraham. As Jesus had correctly discerned their hearts, these "believers", when they heard His words, took up stones to stone Him to death, but He passed through them unharmed (v. 59). In another portion of scripture, Jesus had to rebuke His disciples, and say to them: "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of..." (Lk. 9:51-56). To Peter, Jesus had to issue this rebuke: "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." (Mk. 8:31-33). The father of pride is not Abraham, nor is it God (Prov. 11:2, Prov. 16:5, 18-19), and it's a problem to all people, including believers. Pride is the self-exaltation of the (deceitful) heart (Jer. 17:9-10). In last week's Sabbath study, the father of the evil spirit of devastation and annihilation was revealed. The "father" of this evil was named after a little twittering sparrow, small when compared to the awesome power that God exercised to protect His people's salvation. God continues to reveal the "father" behind an enemy in an account from this week's Sabbath reading portion titled "Pinchas" (also known as Phinehas, and means "mouth of brass, serpent, mouth of the image of a serpent") from Numbers chapters 25 through 27. The Israelites in the wilderness (B'midbar) were about to learn another devastating, but necessary lesson about a powerful spiritual father, who was not God. Balaam, the soothsayer, had been hired by King Balak of Moab, to curse the people of God in order to make them vulnerable for defeat. However, Balaam could not speak the words of cursing, because God prevented him, and placed the Word of blessing in his mouth instead. However, Balaam advised the enemy king that the people of God could be ruined by the seduction of Moabite women, who would lead them away from God, and into the worship of the Canaanite demon god, Ba'al. Our reading portion begins with the success of this strategy: "Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove/Shittim (ebony bark with black thorns that exude gum Arabic/pierce, scourge, to flog, whip), and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined (samad - bind, join, fasten, attach oneself to, combine) to Ba'al Pe'or ("lord of the gap"/open wide, gaping), and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel." (Num. 25:1-3). In the worship of this Moabite god, the women worshippers would prostitute themselves. This results in that perverse "joining" that is created to the false god referred to in the above verses. Many of these Canaanite gods demanded worship in the form of both male or female prostitutes, and sexual perversion. In contrast, God honorably, lovingly, faithfully and sacredly married Israel to Himself, and in the same manner, Christ honorably, lovingly, faithfully, and sacredly married Himself to His Bride, the believers. The spirits of darkness try to twist and profane the holiest things of God, including the concept of joining by holy marriage. The fact that the Israelites were encamped in the Acacia Grove, with its Hebrew meaning, is significant. We are reminded of the prophecy of the scourging of Jesus the Messiah from Isaiah 53: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities,; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are (were) healed." (see also 1 Peter 2:24). We can see the connection between the piercing, scourging stripes of Jesus and our healing. The "scourge" meaning is associated with the Acacia Tree of thorns, as well as the production of gum Arabia, a water-soluble fiber that is found to prevent and treat dietary tract cancers, as well as other cancers. This black thorny tree produces a healing substance. Gum Arabic also has preservative properties, so the ancient Egyptians used it in the embalming of mummies. While in this healing place of thorns, as the people engaged in this terrible "joining" with the women of Moab in the worship of Ba'al, the only way to break that joining was death. Moses ordered the deaths of all of those who were joined in this manner to Ba'al Peor (v. 5). The congregation of Israel were weeping at the door of the tabernacle in sorrow, when one of the Israelite men presented, in the middle of the congregation, a Midianite woman to whom he was joined: "Now when Phinehas (Pinchas) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin (lance, spear) in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both (sana - meaning includes change, alter, pervert, disguise) of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body/belly (qoba/qabab - abdomen, private parts/curse, execrate [meaning revile, condemn, loathe, regard with disgust, revulsion], pierce, perforate). So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died in the plague (magepa/nagap - plague, slaughter/beaten, stumble, stricken, smitten) were twenty-four thousand." (v. 6-9). The LORD said of Phinehas that he showed the zealousness of God for His people. The LORD then bestowed upon Phinehas His promise of a covenant of peace, and an everlasting priesthood for the descendants of Phinehas, because, through the zealousness of God, Phinehas made atonement for the children of Israel and prevented their total destruction. (v. 10-13). We can see the atonement work of Christ here also in the Hebrew meaning of the word "plague". Christ was beaten, stricken, and smitten for our sakes to atone for the plague we deserved (Isa. 53:4,6, Jn. 19:3, Lk. 22:63-64). This sounds like a merciless, violent action, but the breakout of the zeal of God, through Phinehas, was for His people, not against them. Twenty-four thousand, at least, had joined themselves to Ba'al, a hideous, perverse god, a spirit who still exists today, luxuriating in human perversion, idolatry, and the blood of human sacrifices, especially the blood of children, born and unborn. These Israelites were the people of God from whom the Messiah would come, Whose seed and presence they already carried, the Savior Who would provide salvation to the world, breaking the curse of death, atoning for sins, and giving the eternal life of His Father, God, to all who would receive it. The plans of the enemy to pervert and destroy Israel could not be allowed to succeed. God had made a covenant promise to their forefathers, and He would not break it. So who were these two individuals, the Israelite and the Moabite-Midianite woman, who defied God and Moses in front of the whole congregation, and continued in their perverse worship of a demon god? The man's name was Zimri (Zimri/zamar - "my music", celebrated in song/make music, praise, psalms/to trim a vine). His father was Salu (elevation, lifted up, weighed in the balance scale) who was a prince (nasi/nasa - lifted up, vapors which ascend/carry, bear, exalt, rise up, forgive, lift up) of a father's house of the tribe of Simeon (Simeon/sama - hearing with acceptance/hear, obey, understand, perceive, obedient, declare, cause to be heard). This Israelite, Zimri, who was gifted in sacred music including psalms, was born a prince's son. His father was a prince of exaltation, forgiveness and rising. Zimri's father's house was the chief house of the tribe of Simeon, who carried an appointed purpose of hearing (God), obeying and preaching or declaring. No wonder the spiritual enemy was determined to destroy the son of this father's house. The Midianite (meaning "strife. contention"/rule, subjugate, contend, brawling discord/lord, master, ruler, controller) woman was named Cozbi/kazab (meaning "my lie", liar/proven to be a liar). Her father represented a very powerful spiritual enemy. Her father's name was Zur/sauar/sur (meaning "rock"/strength, beauty, mighty one, strong rock of heathen gods/besiege, distress, adversary, assault, shut in, foe). He was "head (ab - father, founder) of the people (em - like father) of a father's house in Midian." (Num. 25:14). This father was not like the "little tweeting, hopping sparrow father" that we saw in the previous Sabbath reading. This father, Zur, the adversary, represented a rock of strength and assault. As the father of Cozbi, the Midianite woman here, and considering the Hebrew meaning of her name, Zur was "the father of proven lies". Jesus told us who this "father of lies" was, above. This father represented Satan, himself (see 1 Peter 5:8-11). As we saw in the account with Jesus above, this father had the ability to lie to even believers in Christ through their weaknesses, in that case murderous pride, of their sinful nature. Peter wrote that we were to take this threat of the devil seriously, be vigilant, and resist the devil, and the God of all grace, glory and dominion would perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us (build us up on His foundation). In the wilderness, the Israelites learned a hard lesson about this father of lies, but as we saw with the little twittering and hopping sparrow father of last week, the plans and purpose of our heavenly Father for His people will not be defeated. After this Ba'al debacle was resolved, the Israelites were numbered again in Numbers Ch. 26. The (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega - see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, 22:13)) sum of the males old enough to go to war, was to be done "by their father's houses". (Num. 26:2). By this second numbering, the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land would be divided and "...they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers." (v. 55). Here are some of the meanings of the names of those in this second census who were heads of households within their tribes: Nemuel: "Day of God", Jachin: "the right hand", Shaul: "Dawning and rising of light", Areli: "the lion of God, the son of a hero", Jashub: "He will return", Jahleel: "hoping, expectant of God", Asriel: "Vow/Prince of God". These were just some of the heads of households among the tribes of the fathers of Israel. These heads of households reflected the heavenly Father and His Son in their names. This is the prophetic purpose of the godly names that travelled through the wilderness and inherited the Promised Land. Some time later, the father of Cozbi/lies, Zur, the prince of those like him, would lose his life, along with the soothsayer Balaam and four other princes of Midian. The Israelites, by the command of Moses, and with the presence of Phinehas, "with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand", killed them with the sword (Num. 31:6-8). Sadly, but perhaps not too unexpectedly, the Israelites took the Midianite women alive as captives from this victory. Moses, however, dealt with that situation very quickly! That is a study for another day. If you would like to learn more about our Father, Who is God, you can pray with me: "Our dear heavenly Father of all creation, Your Word does not return to You void, but accomplishes all that You have set it out to do, without exception, especially regarding Your people. There is none other like You. I love You as my good Father, and I love Your Son, Jesus. Keep me, and Your people, in Your Father's heart by the Holy Spirit, and by Your Word of truth that You are teaching me. Let my ears hear, and my heart obey, what You, my Father, are instructing me so that I never stray from my Father's house. You have made me a "son/daughter of God" through Your blessed Son, Jesus, so that I can dwell forever with my heavenly Father. I praise and thank You in Jesus' name for all of these marvelous things. AMEN."