101 — The History of Covenant Law, Part One
Examples of YoHeWaH’s Law before Sinai
The vast majority of Christendom believes that God gave His one law for the first time in human history to the Children of Israel at Mount Sinai in Exodus 20. Before Sinai, YoHeWaH’s law was not known to humanity. This assumption and belief are incorrect. The purpose of this portion of the curriculum is to show directly from scripture that YoHeWaH’s Covenant Law was known and feared by races of men other than the patriarchy, from Adam to Moses.
Pre-Flood Genesis 1 through 9
Example 1 — Mixing of Seed and The Lie Concerning It.
Right off the bat, for the details of Covenant Law to be manifested transparently, we must address a very controversial subject. Two prevailing beliefs concerning the so-called fall of Adam are at work.
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6
1 — Eve partook of the literally forbidden fruit of a literal tree called The Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then, she gave it to Adam and ate from this tree.
Or
2 — The Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil symbolized something Eve partook in and gave Adam, who also partook.
Without getting too deep into the weeds, allow us to state that there is a concept here that most Believers miss concerning this story.
The idea of separation or segregation, one thing from another, is evident once you begin to think critically about the narrative of instruction given by YoHeWaH. Society today is all about the inclusion of diversity. Partake of all trees, void of any restriction whatsoever, and do it freely without fearing chastisement. This principle spans all mediums within society today.
In the command given to Adam, which Eve did not hear directly from the mouth of YoHeWaH, the immediate concept of separation and segregation was the very first test given to Adamkind. Regardless of the tree's symbolism, the principle of fear of disobeying and crossing the line of separation remains the prevailing command and repercussion for disobedience. This action would be considered mixing, blurring the lines of separation toward confusion. Most well-versed Bible students and scholars alike would recognize this disorder as the very foundation for an entity that we will become very familiar with before this study is complete… Babylon.
Before leaving this example, we must address the lie told to Eve. Again, considering yet another shortcoming, Adam seemingly failed to properly convey the command from YoHeWaH directly.
Now, to be fair, we do not know one way or the other that Adam failed to convey the command, but since it is not in the text, it is a rational conclusion that he did not. Thus, either Eve is just stupid and gullible, or she was truly misinformed; it makes no difference; sin is sin, as John defines it in his first epistle in the New Testament.
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (aka-lawlessness).” 1John 3:4
This concept shows YoHeWaH’s seriousness concerning sin… There was no trial period, pre-season, or practice allowed. YoHeWaH demanded immediate obedience. It also reveals another principle we will become very familiar with in due time: loyalty defining perfection.
So, a critical thought question might be, where in Covenant Law was it that Adam and Eve transgressed? Answer — In the opening words, Moses recounts that YoHeWaH said 40 years after the fact, on that faithful day, that all Israel heard the Mighty One of Israel speak. Hear and obey…
“And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.” Deuteronomy 5:1
Example 2— A Murderer & Liar From The Beginning
In John chapter 8, we find Yeshua making the following comment concerning the progenitors of The Jews during His day.
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.: John 8:44
The first murderer was Cain, directly from Yeshua’s words. Yet Cain is never shown to have told a lie, ever… More on that later in this course.
Here, we must address a principle Paul makes clear in his epistle to the House of Judah dwelling in Rome in the first century.
“For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.” Romans 4:15
If there was no law at the time Cain killed his half-brother, Abel, how then can Yeshua make the case that Cain broke two of the ten commandments, to do no murder, nor to bear false witness against your neighbor?
Example 3— Punishment For Sin
As we have already conveyed, there can be no sin without law. That said, there is another way to view sin, which falls on the other side of sin after the fact. Punishment also identifies sin. Concerning the act of mixing with the forbidden fruit from The Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, there were three specific punishments handed down from YoHeWaH: first to the Serpent, then to the woman, and finally to Adam.
It can be argued that the order of these disciplines shows a pecking order to which YoHeWaH lays the blame. Poor Adam was not around when the deed went down, which shows a lack of strength and protection over the weaker vessel in Eve, his wife. Likewise, as has already been articulated, Eve did not directly hear YoHeWaH’s command concerning which trees can be partaken, as far as we know. However, The Nechash (translated Serpent) was a full member of The YoHeWaH family and most certainly did know the fullness of YoHeWaH’s law. Thus, he was the first to hear the repercussions of his action to deceive in a disloyal spirit against YoHeWaH.
The Serpent’s Punishment:
“The Sovereign YoHeWaH said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly, you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:14–15
The Woman’s Punishment:
“To the woman, he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain, you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16
Adam’s Punishment:
“And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17–19
Example 4 — A Second Round of Mixing
Somewhere around 1,200 to 1,400 years after Satan did the deed with Eve, causing the so-called fall of Adamkind, The Enemy was at it again.
“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of YoHeWaH saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then The Sovereign said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 periods of time.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of YoHeWaH came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” Genesis 6:1–4
This approach of bringing confusion to Adamkind is a top priority of the adverse side of the YoHeWaH family.
Teachable moment: In a principle that we will address later in this curriculum, it must be noted that YoHeWaH is a family of beings. Moreover, this family has righteous and unrighteous family members within its makeup, all of whom hold the family surname YoHeWaH. Thus, in the text quoted above, as Genesis chapter six opens, the sons of YoHeWaH that lusted after the daughters of Adam committed sin by leaving their first (highest) estate to manifest in human form to mix once again with Adamkind.
Yeshua’s brother Jude recounts several ancient sins committed by his people. He alludes to this fact with the following words:
“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Jude 1:6
In this text, Jude’s understanding gleaned from The Book of Enoch identifies sin via the punishment rendered: “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
Example 5 — Violence and Corruption
Today, if you were to walk the streets of any given major city in America and stop to ask various people from all walks of life this question:
“In your opinion, what are the foremost problems within our society today?”
I dare say that violence and corruption would often come up. It was no different during the days of Noah, as Yeshua testified:
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:26–27
Moses records the skeleton description of the sins that led to the flood YoHeWaH brought upon the land during Noah's time.
“Now the earth was corrupt in YoHeWaH’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And YoHeWaH saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And YoHeWaH said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” Genesis 6:11–13
The running list of sins thus far in man’s history looks like this:
Mixing, Lying, Manslaying, and now Corruption and Violence. Before moving forward to a post-flood era, let’s take the time to identify these five listed sins recorded in the pre-flood era.
Mixing—Adultery is the best-known synonym for the mixing spoken of in scripture. While the first thought that comes to mind when any given person hears the word adultery is some sexual connotation, there are many kinds of mixing and adultery spelled out in Covenant Law. Some examples are mixing oxen to plow a field, mixing different threads within a garment, mixing doctrine, and mixing races within government.
A careful study of the mixing spoken of thus far in Genesis will reveal the sexual type that leads to offspring of a Demi-god status, having both human and spiritual DNA. Yes, that is right. The teaching that Eve partook of an apple or some other kind of fruit is a dumbed-down typology of the actual event. Consider Yeshua’s words in detail, as recorded by John in chapter 8, which we quoted above.
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a manslayer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.: John 8:44
We made the case that, yes, Cain was the first murderer but mused the fact that Cain never told a lie at any moment in scripture. Cain's statement when YoHeWaH asked him after striking his brother with the stone, “Where is your brother Abel?” could be construed as a lie, for he stated, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” However, it is possible and, in fact, probable that he did not know the state of his brother, having struck him out of anger instead of premeditated murder. How can we know that?
Once again, this is where critical thought has to be exercised.
1 — Applying YoHeWaH’s Covenant Law concerning murder and the examples that we see throughout the rest of scripture, premeditated murder brings the immediate death penalty.
2 — YoHeWaH changes not
3 — Whenever a law is broken for the first time, YoHeWaH immediately shows Its seriousness by issuing the punishment yet withholding His wrath for consequential acts of the same variety following the initial act of sin until the day of Judgment.
4 — Within Covenant Law, accidental murder held an opportunity for the accused to flee to a sanctuary city and receive a proper trial.
The above four facts led us to believe that Cain did not murder Abel. Thus, YoHeWaH, as the judge, allowed him to flee to a type of sanctuary city. His sentence was that Cain could live due to no malice and preplanning, which would define murder as opposed to death by killing.
Thus, Cain was not lying when he stated, “I do not know, am I my brother’s keeper?”
So, who is the father of lies that Yeshua spoke of in John 8:44? This same person would also be the father of the first murderer and the bloodline father of the Jews in the first century. Any way you cut it. The only conclusion a critical-thinking Believer can come to is that Satan fathered Cain, and Cain was the physical progenitor of the Jews in the first century. This piecemeal Demi-god reveals the mixing that YoHeWaH was so adamant against… And we can clearly see why.
Lying — Bearing false witness against your fellow man has to be one of the most irresponsible actions known to man. Usually committed in response to a sin committed by the one bearing false witness, it is the seemingly easy way out of taking the hard road of responsibility for one’s actions or mistakes. It doubles down on the original sin just about every time. Bearing false witness usurps proper judgment. It spreads gossip like wildfire. It causes errors to manifest in every direction possible.
When The Serpent gave the half-baked truth to Eve, stating that she would not surely die when she partook of the forbidden fruit, The Serpent was bearing a false witness concerning and against YoHeWaH Himself. A specific action of disloyalty toward the Sovereign of all Creation. A Big mistake.
Manslaying — The action of taking away human life, whether premeditated or accidental, has certain ramifications and restitutions. In the case of Abel’s death at the hands of his Brother Cain, the case has already been made. The action has to be considered manslaying, not outright premeditated murder. We also can be sure of this fact because of the word used by Yeshua in John 8:44 compared to the Greek translators used in Deuteronomy 5:17, “You shall not murder.” These are two different Greek words.
All that said, to take a life is still a sin, which must be dealt with accordingly. Ask anyone who has ended the life of a person, whether deserving or not, and in most cases, they will tell you that something is gnawing at them from within that says it was wrong to do so. Even the hardest of psyches will confess this fact. It is a punishment written on our DNA already. It is what Cain meant when he stated:
“My punishment is greater than I can bear.” Genesis 4:12
Corruption — The single best-defining synonym of corruption is ruin or even decay. Corruption is the result of long-lasting sin. It would certainly define our society today. To be perfectly correct, corruption is not a sin; it is the consequence of sin. Not really a punishment but rather a result.
That said, the point of this course within the curriculum of Covenant Law is to identify Covenant Law before Sinai. Sin is the transgression of YoHeWaH’s Law, and where sin is present, the vastness of causing an entire society to be corrupted, ruined to the point of decay… YoHeWaH’s law certainly has to be in the equation.
Violence — The word carries many facets to its meaning. Wrongdoing and/or iniquity or unrighteousness seem to fit the bill best. In all these cases, lawlessness is involved, and where lawlessness is measured, it is surely measured against YoHeWaH’s Covenant Law. Note the following example of this word being used in conjunction with YoHeWaH’s Covenant Law—the time setting in the last days, our time today.
“Her (JerUSAlem / America) prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.” Zephaniah 3:4
Post Flood To The End Of Genesis
Example 6 — The Drunken Noah Incident.
Sin begets sin. Just like compounded interest, iniquity doubles down on iniquity. Let’s visit the account.
“Noah began to be a man of the soil and planted a vineyard. He drank the wine, became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, walked backward, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
He also said Blessed be YoHeWaH, the Mighty One of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant. May The Almighty enlarge Japheth,
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.” Genesis 9:22–27
Now, whether you believe it was a sin for Noah to drink too much and inadvertently lay uncovered, it was clearly a lapse in judgment brought on by an apparent gluttony of wine.
The so-called wisest man that ever lived, besides The Word, said it this way.
“Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.
Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. Proverbs 23:19–21
In the case of Noah’s misstep, drunkenness unclothed his rags, exposing his nakedness, and the sin of disrespect or dishonor lay at the door in the form of Noah’s mischievous son, Hamm. Clearly, within the telling of this story, we see both honor and dishonor played out. The fifth commandment is at the heart of the event as a well-known biblical number rises to the forefront… two-thirds/one-third.
Two-thirds of Noah’s sons brought honor and respect to his house, while one-third represented the opposite extreme. Just as HaSatan drew one-third of the Angels of Light into darkness, so did Hamm bring one-third of all Adamites into darkness… Literally. I’ll refrain, at this time, from diverting down the road explaining the thrice-cursed Negro race in scripture, only to say this is the second time Cain’s bloodline / DNA was cursed into some form of physical slavery.
Teachable Moment: Question for you… Why did Noah curse Canaan, Hamm’s son, rather than Hamm himself?
It’s a reasonable question to dwell on deeply.
To answer this inquiry, I must relay the principles I have attained through many studies and objective analyses. Certainly, the answers to those critical thought questions can only come from the Set Apart Spirit of The Highest. I’ll list them in bullet form and tie them to this story.
1 — It’s rarely thought of in this way, but when Cain killed his brother, Abel, no two witnesses confirmed the matter. YoHeWaH confirmed, but Covenant Law speaks to the fact that there must be two or three witnesses to convict a murderer or any sin worthy of capital punishment. That said, YoHeWaH could not just let the episode go… So, what did The Almighty do in the matter? Answer —If Cain, being a Demi-god, had a soul, then certainly YHWH removed it, and as a second sign, YoHeWaH placed a mark on Cain. While that mark certainly can be debated, it is my dissertation Cain’s mark was being turned into a form of a human Beast of The Field. More on this later.
2 — Despite what almost all of “unthinking” Christianity will tell you, there were more than eight persons on the Ark of Noah during the days of the flood. How do we know this? Let's examine the text with this assertion that only eight people were on the ark.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, EIGHT SOULS, were brought safely through water.” 1 Peter 3:18–20
The conclusion that only eight persons or people were brought through the flood of Noah, assuming you believe in a worldwide flood, can be disputed by the critical thought of one proof text that took place ten generations after Noah.
“When the sun had gone down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day, YoHeWaH made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring, I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites (The sons of Cain), the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:17–21
Four hundred years after Noah's flood, Cain's sons dwell in the land that YoHeWaH intends to give to Abram, who would soon be called Abraham. How did Cain’s seedline make it past a worldwide flood that only eight persons (sons of Adam) lived through?
The key word in the passage from Peter, quoted above, is the word “souls.” Only eight souls lived through the flood. Not eight persons or humans. Note the command given to Noah concerning what animals were to be brought on the ark:
“And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive.” Genesis 6:19–20
Question… Would Cain’s descendants fall into the category of “every living thing of all flesh”? The answer is obvious once you consider this question via the information given in Peter’s first Epistle. Therefore, Cain nor his offspring after him had souls and were considered an animal or Beast of The Field.
3 — The principle of exclusion and a modern-day aspect of racism have to be dealt with from Covenant Law. Please note the following text.
“No one born of a forbidden union (mamzer, also translated bastard) may enter the assembly of YoHeWaH. (Not) even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of YoHeWaH” Deuteronomy 23:2
On the surface, by the standards of Modernity, the above passage reeks of exclusion and racism, but it gets even worse.
What exactly is a Mamzer anyway?
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
mamzer: (H4462) a bastard, child of incest
Original Word: מַמְזֵר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mamzer
Phonetic Spelling: (mam-zare’)
Definition: a bastard, child of incestFrom an unused root meaning to alienate; a mongrel, i.e., Born of an Israelite father and a heathen mother — bastard. The Hebrew word Mamzer used by Moses in this text is defined as:
A Mamzer is a race-mixed seedline excluded from joining the House of Israel for ten generations—that is, forever. Science has proven that it takes ten generations to breed in or out of a race from a bloodline.
So, why did YoHeWaH make such a proclamation? An edict that, by today’s standards, seems just cruel and inhuman. Well, consider a little detail behind this command from Covenant Law from one of the most well-known Hebrew Targums in existence today.
“He who is born of fornication, or who hath upon him THE EVIL MARK which is set upon the UNCLEAN Gentiles, is not fit TO TAKE AN UPRIGHT WIFE from the congregation of the people of YoHeWaH; nor unto the tenth generation shall it be fit for him to enter into the congregation of YoHeWaH.” Targum of Jonathon Ben Uzziel Targum Jonathan on Deuteronomy 23:3 with Connections (sefaria.org)
Jonathon Ben Uzziel lived and wrote in the first century BC, about 30 years before The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Now, please remain mindful of the topic as I delve a little deeper into the weeds, searching for the ball of truth. We are still laying a foundation for why Noah cursed Canaan instead of Hamm, but I have to make the following points concerning this expanded passage from Covenant Law.
The statement, “THE EVIL MARK which is set upon UNCLEAN Gentiles,” very clearly refers to the descendants of Cain. This conclusion hails from the principle that the scripture will interpret scripture as we have eyes to see.
Also, at the heart of this command is the idea that YoHeWaH desires to keep Israel pure racially and ideologically. Carefully considering scripture will reveal that these qualities of an impure race and a corrupted ideology run parallel throughout it.
… And at the risk of looking further into the weeds for the ball of truth, I may add one more insightful tidbit that the Set-Apart Spirit has revealed in my studies. No one born of women will be able to shake their fist in YoHeWaH’s face, stating they did not have an opportunity at salvation because they were excluded from the assembly of Israel due to their racial birth defect. If you divorce the words of Deuteronomy 23 from the rest of scripture, I'm sure one could draw that conclusion… However, there’s quite a lot more to consider. Since we are so deep into the weeds, I will make my final point here before placing a bow on this foundation as I return to Noah’s curse and why.
One born of a mixed racial seedline could enter the congregation of Israel, not to seek a wife but rather for 100% spiritual reasons, via one very ancient concept that modernity would never consider. Any Mamzer could become an Eunuch and then enter the congregation void of any ability to carry on the curse of his parent's or grandparents' mistake. Consider the following text revealing this mystery.
“Thus says YoHeWaH: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
Let not the son of a foreigner who has joined himself to YoHeWaH say, “YoHeWaH will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For thus says YoHeWaH: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.
“And the son of foreigners who join themselves to YoHeWaH, to minister to him, to love the name of YoHeWaH, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant — these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The Sovereign YoHeWaH, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.” Isaiah 56:1–8
Notice that the son of a foreigner and an Eunuch has an avenue to enter life and can actually end up with a name more significant than that of sons or daughters in Israel. If I went too much further explaining this avenue, I would have delved into the subject of regeneration, which is a course all to itself… So, maybe getting back to Noah and his wayward son Hamm would be best.
Oh, but wait… There is one more point I need to make about Cain and his seedline. I alluded to this fact near the beginning of this study, and I’m sure the case will be made later that Cain’s semen father wasn’t Adam. A deeper explanation is needed; however, for time's sake, I will conclude that Cain and his bloodline is a Demigod, defined as the seedline of a Spirit Being mixed with a Human Being… Or a half-god being. It also must be noted the Demi-god race is carried through the mitochondrial DNA instead of the nuclear DNA, as Numbers 1:18 states.
“Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, as YoHeWaH commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai. Numbers” 1:17–19
Demigod = Mitochondrial DNA of the Mother
Human Being = Nuclear DNA of the Father
Now, we are ready to return to the curse of Noah upon His grandson, Canaan.
Putting all the above information together within the context of the story given to us from Genesis chapter 9, where Hamm dishonors Noah, the only logical conclusion one can come to is this.
At some point, Hamm did the deed with the female member of the Kenite (Cain) seedline long before the incident of Noah’s drunken nakedness, producing a Demi-god child named Canaan. Noah, recognizing the child to be cursed already, furthered the curse with the words:
“Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
And
“He also said, Blessed be YoHeWaH, the Mighty One of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant. May The Almighty enlarge Japheth,
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.”
Thus the Mixed-Negro skin of Canaan’s seedline hails from the union of the pure white man Hamm with the Negro seedline of Cain, as sin begets sin, multiplying man’s troubles for what has been somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,400 years.
Example 7 — The Foundation of Idolatry
Idolatry has many facets and characteristics. However, it has only one foundation… The subduction of YoHeWaH. Anything that discounts or discredits YoHeWaH or His Creation is the starting point and a fertile breeding ground for idolatry to become manifest.
Covenant Law's first and second commandments speak to the steadfastness of the above statement. First, we must have no other Mighty Ones before the one true Mighty One… YoHeWaH. Second, we must honor Him by not subjugating any of His work.
The very first action of the post-flood world was to build a structure reaching as high as heaven—a city with a centralized form of government. We have come to know this structure as the Tower of Babel, but there’s much more at work.
“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make A NAME FOR OURSELVES, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:1–4 ESV
The above passage hails from most of our Bibles' MSS text. The Masoretic Text from the much-mistranslated scriptures must always be weighed in the balance. Two credible sources can be used to complete this: the LXX and the Hebrew Targums.
“And all the earth was (of) one language, speech, and counsel. In the holy language spake they, that by which the world had been created at the beginning. And it was while they were journeying from the east, they found a plain in the land of Bavel, and dwelt there. And they said, a man to his fellow, Come, we will cast bricks, and put them in the furnace. And they had brick for stone and slime for cement. And they said, Come, we will build us a city and a tower, and the head of it shall come to the summit of the heavens; and we will make us AN IMAGE FOR WORSHIP on the top of it, and put a sword in his hand to act against the array of war, before that, we are scattered on the face of the earth.” Genesis 11:1–4 Targum of Jonathon Ben Uzziel Targum Jonathan with Connections (sefaria.org)
A careful study of the two texts will show that Jonathon Ben Uzziel fully understood the passage's main point. The use of the words “an image for worship” in place of the words “a name for ourselves” speaks to the true meaning of the Tower of Babel account.
Still, this text contains yet more information that must be considered. Jonathan Ben Uzziel continues with the words, “and put a sword in his hand to act against the array of war.”
Suddenly, with the addition of these highly important words, we desire to complete a geopolitical aspect of the Tower of Babel… And with geopolitics comes government. The post-flood peoples of the world desired to run ahead of YoHeWaH’s will and create for themselves the world’s first man-made government. A Religious, Military style government seeking the sword to be in YoHeWaH’s hands, backing them as His people.
YoHeWaH was having none of it.
He recognized it instantly for exactly what it was… Idolatry in the first degree.
One more point from the Tower Of Babal account must be considered. Let’s compare the following two texts and see if there is any insight we can draw from.
“And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.” Genesis 11:3
And
“And YoHeWaH said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause my name to be remembered. If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.” Exodus 20:22–26
It has been noted that the Tower of Babel was a giant alter of government. A brick is a man-made stone with a tool-laden design. Using bricks to build this altar breaks the first judgment listed in Covenant Law after the Ten Commandments. It must also be noted that stones throughout scripture are a category of people. There are two categories of people within the applicable typology of stones.
1 — Natural stones void of any tool work. A Believer that is unique to all others around him or her, carrying spiritual gifts worthy of YoHeWaH’s Creation. Thus, YoHeWaH gets the glory.
2—Stones cut by man's toolwork. Counterfeit Believers are all the same, like bricks designed with a tool, in lockstep with their spiritual leadership (the Church), where idolatry flourishes.
Example 9 —The Genesis 16 Unwise Triangle
The trap of Polygamy may be the most unwise situation a man can fall into. While scripturally lawful, having more than one wife bears nothing but strife within the family. So the question begs, why would YHWH allow such a thing? The answer to that question is simple: as in heaven above, so too on the earth beneath… Or the physical always follows the spiritual.
YoHeWaH = Husband. One Mighty One. One Husband.
Wife = Believers. Many Believers. Many Wives.
That said, there is one relationship… That being the relationship between you and your Lord / Master / King… YoHeWaH.
We are not in competition with one another concerning who YoHeWaH loves more. No one should think in those terms, right? The same goes within the household, but there’s always one singular within the polygamy equation… The Husbands are not YoHeWaH, and a spirit of competition is written on the DNA of mankind, which includes females as wives.
Teachable Moment: Within any given situation, there are always two Spirits that anyone applies.
1 — The Spirit of Competition
2 — The Spirit of Cooperation
The goal of Believers is always to seek out a Spirit of Cooperation first. Then, a Spirit of Competition may have to be entered into the equation.
So, let’s read the Genesis 16 family debacle and see what we can glean.
The statement, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May YoHeWaH judge between you and me!” shows that a wrong was done. It also shows the no-win situation when the spirit of competition arises.
Teachable Moment: Sin isn’t accomplished unless a wrong is done to a victim. If there is no victim, there is no sin, even when a law is broken.
A careful reading of Genesis 16 does not reveal a breach of the Law of Covenant, yet Sarai complains of a wrong. What gives? The moral of this story is: While in some situations, all things are lawful, not all things are wise. Over and over again, throughout scripture, having more than one wife is imprudent and foolish to no end.
Example 10 — The Outcry of Sin
In a society where the victims of sin are so troubled by the corruption surrounding them, there is an outcry serious enough to draw divine intervention; you know, Covenant Laws were thrown out the window. Such is the case within the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18–19
“Then YHWH said, ‘Because THE OUTCRY against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.’” Genesis 18:20
Question: How many were saved out of Sodom? How many of those showed evidence of an outcry against sin? Who was crying out to YHWH for deliverance?
As far as we can tell from scripture, only Lot’s family—a total of six humans—were offered an opportunity to leave Sodom. Half of those didn’t make it because of their love for the society they dwelt in. The exact ratio Christ spoke of many times in his warnings concerning the last days — 50%. The ten virgins, the two women grinding at the mill, and the two men working in the field… 50% were saved out of tribulation.
The list of laws broken during the time of Sodom and Gomorrah is well-known and understood. It is the greatest example of sins that identify laws in the Book of Genesis. So, while we could detail what we know concerning this place and time in history, I will concentrate on the outcry of the people and the divine intervention as the main sign that defined Covenant Law's existence at the time.
“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I WILL SURELY HEAR THEIR CRY, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” Exodus 23:21–24
So, apart from the known sexual and murderous contempt for fellow man in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, we can add to that list the suppression of a Sojourner and the mistreatment of widows and orphans.
Then there are the various passages that speak concerning men who cry out to YoHeWaH, and He will not hear nor intervene, which is an in-depth study all to itself. After carefully investigating these two circumstances, it becomes clear that some have been trapped by a society loaded with sin and receive YoHeWaH’s ear instead of those who willingly desire such a society and cry out to YoHeWaH.
Much to the chagrin of those who do not know their God, your modern-day Christian falls into this category. They recognize the sin of society but fail to examine themselves as the avenue allowing such sin to exist.
Example 11 — The Wisecraft of Abraham
In modernity, Witchcraft and Wisecraft have similar meanings tied to the power of the supernatural, so-called magic. However, anciently, this was not the case. Wisecraft used wisdom, usually to cancel or manifest a thing accordingly.
When Abraham withheld the knowledge that Sarai was his wife from Abimelech in Genesis 20 due to what can only be described as outright fear. Let’s examine the text:
“From there, Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb lived between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah, his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Now, Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “YoHeWaH, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.” Then YoHeWaH said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and I kept you from sinning against me. Therefore, I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” Genesis 20:1–8
Now, here, many questions arise.
1 — Why did Abraham, for a second time, use wise craft to conceal the fact that Sarai was his wife?
2 — What kind of witness did Abraham leave before Abimelech, as a Prophet, that would use Wisecraft in this way?
3 — Was YoHeWaH’s reputation damaged by his actions?
That’s right. This was Abraham's second time guilty of using Wisecraft in this way. Let’s visit the first time:
“Now, there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he told Sara,i his wife, “I know that you are a beautiful woman, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake, he dealt well with Abram, and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.” Genesis 12:10–16
By this time, you would think Abraham had learned the lesson… Don’t fear being killed because of your wife’s beauty. YoHeWaH will certainly lend His protection within the constructs of obedience, especially after promising Abraham would be the father of many nations.
So, what is the sin?
Bearing a false witness means falsifying another person's identity for your own benefit.
Yes, but there is so much more at stake than just that. For instance, The Almighty told Abimelech that Abraham was one of his true Prophets, a representative of YoHeWaH Himself. Was the reputation of YoHeWaH tarnished in any way? While Abraham most certainly had to have learned a lesson after the second attempt being shot down, his Mighty One and Creator were just as certainly left diminished in the eyes of Abimelech and those surrounding the King for some time to come.
The fact is, Abimelech’s knowledge of YoHeWaH’s law shows the vast existence of Covenant Law, not being limited to Adam's set-apart seedline. The same can be said concerning the issue in Genesis 12 with Pharoah, King of Egypt. YoHeWaH’s law was well-known in Egypt. If only we lived in a society as rich as that?
This incident with Abraham wasn’t the only time Abimelech was forced to teach a member of the royal bloodline a lesson concerning Covenant Law. It happened again in the same way with Abraham’s son, Isaac.
“So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance. When he had been there a long time, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah, his wife. So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” Genesis 26:6–11
Obviously, Abimelech had seen this movie before. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Example 12 — Incest
Had we continued in Genesis 20, we would have to address the family relationship between Abraham and Sarah. In that chapter, Abraham explains to Abimelech why he asked Sarah to say Abraham was her brother.
So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought a great sin on me and my kingdom? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of YoHeWaH at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, THE DAUGHTER OF MY FATHER, though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. And when YoHeWaH caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” Genesis 20:8–13
I’m sure Abimelech left this conversation, shaking his head at Abraham’s reasoning, if he truly knew the details of Covenant Law.
“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ Deuteronomy 27:22
This accursed relationship from The Book of The Covenant is explained in further detail in the following passage:
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter, or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or another home. Leviticus 18:9
Many times, the belief surrounding the Patriarchs of the Bible is that they are void of sin when, in fact, this is not even close to the truth. Since we do not know the circumstances of Abraham and Sarah’s union, far be it for us to judge accordingly, but it is quite strange to consider… And by the way, this is not the only time we will encounter such incest within the set-apart bloodline leading from Abraham. Sin is sin, whether we understand it or not. That is why we have a Savior: to reconcile our mistakes, even out of ignorance.
Example 13 — Miscegenation
Today, the subject of race-mixing seems so ancient in the minds of modernity. However, just a century ago, Miscegenation was shunned and against the law in most states in America. Just over two hundred years ago, the punishment for race-mixing was slavery for a period of time and slavery for the child born up to 13 years old.
“I am not, nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people” Abraham Lincoln” Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858
While Esau was the apple of Isaac’s eye because he was a man’s man, he displeased both Isaac and Rebecca by taking the wives of Heth's daughters, an act of demagoguery and miscegenation.
“When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, to be his wife, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” Genesis 26:34–35
Note the command in Covenant Law:
“When YoHeWaH Your Mighty One brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it and clears away many nations before you, the HITTITES, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, and when YoHeWaH Your Mighty One gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. YOU SHALL NOT INTERMARRY WITH THEM, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me to serve other gods. Then the anger of YoHeWaH would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, chop down their Asherim, and burn their carved images with fire.” Deuteronomy 7:1–5
We will discuss miscegenation later in this course, but for now, know that Esau committed a great sin by taking the daughters of Heth as wives, mixing Cain’s seed into the family of Adamkind. Notice Rebecca’s words in the following text:
“Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?” Genesis 27:46
The above words would be labeled hate speech by Christian modernity today. Where have we gone wrong?
Example 14 — The Trap Of Laban
Sin begets sin, and the love of money is the root of all evil. Sometimes, even the innocent are caught up in the SNARE of covetousness. I’m sure we all know the story of Jacob working 20 years for the two SISTER wives, the daughters of Laban. At least Esau married two daughters of Heth who were from two different families… But Jacob was not so fortunate, being entangled in the encumbrance of a man who placed the value of material goods over family values… Uncle Laban.
“Then Jacob told Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go into her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. But in the evening, he took his daughter, Leah, brought her to Jacob, and went into her. (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What have you done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “It is not so done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) So Jacob went into Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah and served Laban for another seven years.” Genesis 29:21–30
So, where is the sin?
Well, notice once again the stipulation concerning family law…
“And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.” Leviticus 18:17
Once again, Jacob's situation appears to be a no-win state of affairs. He was tricked by Uncle Laban and possibly a massive amount of corn liquor. This is why we must have a Savior in the equation.
The subsequent chapters following Genesis 29 tell the story of two rival wives and the family drama/trauma unleashed. Some would say it was YoHeWaH’s will. I utterly disagree.
Example 15 — Life and Death, In The Power Of The Tongue
The following examples are not so black and white within Covenant Law; however, they are based on the concept of blessing and cursing, founded upon esoteric legal ground principles. Solomon said it best:
“Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
The concept of blessing and cursing is based upon the adherence to or the breaking of Covenant Law. This concept will become abundantly evident later in this course. However, there is a fluid dissemination of law in the spiritual realm for everything that is cut and dry physically. Our beloved father, Jacob, is guilty of cursing the one he loves and his offspring using only the dynamo of words spoken in vain.
In case number one, Laban is searching for his household Gods, which were taken by Rachel, his daughter, the wife Jacob loved the most. Laban searches Jacob's camp, failing to find his idols because Rachel is sitting on them, claiming to be in her menstrual time. Indignant, Jacob says this to Laban:
“Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live.” Genesis 31:32
Jacob unknowingly spoke a curse upon his beloved wife, which would be fulfilled two chapters from now, when Rachel dies of childbirth to Benjamin.
The second case takes much longer to play out. Thirty-five centuries, to be exact. As Jacob is coming to meet Esau, who has sworn to kill him for cheating him out of his birthright and blessing, he bows to Esau seven times, stating the following to his elder brother:
“No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, WHICH IS LIKE SEEING THE FACE OF GOD, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing brought to you because YoHeWaH has graciously dealt with me, and I have enough.” Thus, he urged him, and he took it.” Genesis 33:10–11
Today, Brother Esau is the religious progenitor of Judaism, and the geopolitical entity in the Middle East called the state of Israel. Christendom, apart from all things Christ and Him crucified, runs its theology through that of Edomite Judaism because of the curse placed upon it by their father, Jacob. They must see the face of God through Brother Esau and thus bow to Esau sevenfold.
Truly, life and death are in the power of our words. Choose your words carefully.
Example 16 — The Pagan Easter Celebration
Let us begin this section with the Law from Covenant. YoHeWaH says:
“Take care that you do not worship me in this way.” Deuteronomy 12:4
This principle and the traps laid are repeated many times throughout scripture. The pagan world has a multiplicated system of idolatry that can easily snare any Believer at a moment’s notice. Now, let's read the account.
“Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.” Genesis 34:1–4
The Masoretic reading of this event in our Bibles lacks context, so let's dig deeper. Consider what the Hebrew Targums say about this time in Jacob’s family drama/trauma.
“And in some time after Jacob went away from the borders of the land, and he came to the land of Shalem, that is, the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and he rested in front of the city.
And he bought a parcel of the field which was there from the children of Hamor, the people of the land, for five shekels.
And Jacob there built himself a house, and he pitched his tent there, and he made booths for his cattle, therefore he called the name of that place Succoth.
And Jacob remained in Succoth for a year and six months.
At that time, some of the women of the inhabitants of the land went to the city of Shechem to dance and rejoice with the daughters of the city's people. When they went forth, Rachel and Leah, the wives of Jacob, with their families also went to behold the rejoicing of the daughters of the city.
And Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, also went along with them and saw the daughters of the city, and they remained there before these daughters whilst all the people of the city were standing by them to behold their rejoicings, and all the great people of the city were there.
And Shechem, the son of Hamor, the land's prince, was also standing there to see them.
And Shechem beheld Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, sitting with her mother before the daughters of the city, and the damsel pleased him greatly, and he there asked his friends and his people, saying, Whose daughter is that sitting amongst the women, whom I do not know in this city?
And they said unto him, Surely this is the daughter of Jacob the son of Isaac the Hebrew, who has dwelt in this city for some time, and when it was reported that the daughters of the land were going forth to rejoice, she went with her mother and maidservants to sit amongst them as thou seest.
And Shechem beheld Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and when he looked at her, his soul became fixed upon Dinah.
And he sent and had her taken by force, and Dinah came to the house of Shechem and he seized her forcibly and lay with her and humbled her, and he loved her exceedingly and placed her in his house. Jasher 33:1–11
The rejoicing of the daughters of the city was a spring fertility festival known in the ancient world dedicated to Ishtar, aka Astarte. Modernity is known here as Easter, the Christian Pagan counterfeit to Passover. Thus, Dinah and the other women of Jacob’s house, Rachel, Leah, and their handmaidens, were taking part in a pagan sex festival, walking into the legal ground of The Enemy… And the repercussions were instantaneous.
Let’s gather a little more detail from Deuteronomy 12 and the verses leading up to verse 4 quoted earlier.
“These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that YoHeWaH, Your Mighty One of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days that you live on the earth. You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains, hills, and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, and burn their ASHERIM with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship YoHeWaH, Your Mighty One, in that way.” Deuteronomy 12:1–4
Please note the Strong’s Definition of the word translated ASHERIM in the above text:
Asherah: Asherah, grove
Original Word: אֲשֵׁרָה (H-842)
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: asherah
Pronunciation: ah-she-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ash-ay-raw’)
Definition: Asherah, grove
Meaning: Asherah
Or masheyrah {ash-ay-raw’}; from ‘ashar; happy; Asherah (or Astarte) a Phoenician goddess; also an image of the same — grove. Compare Ashtoreth.
The modern Easter and Christmas Tree fall into the above grove of worship every year in the Western world. There’s nothing new under the sun.
Example 17 — The Rape of Dinah
Ok. Get your stones ready. The so-called rape of Dinah was lawful, under judgment.
“If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.” Deuteronomy 22:28–29
Now, the deed went down like this:
“Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.” Genesis 34:1–4
By Shecham law, a union between the two obviously did not constitute a marriage. However, under Covenant Law, it does. So, with this knowledge, Jacob had the advantage in any negotiations between the two tribal leaders. Jacob’s sons chimed in with their thoughts:
“The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done.” Genesis 34:7
Thus, on the one hand, Jacob had the King of Shecham and Prince of Shecham pleading for Dinah's hand, and on the other hand, Jacob’s sons were throwing the “hell no” to the equation.
Question… Where would you have stood? What would you have done if you were in Jacob’s sandals?
It is from this point forward that sin compounds sin… But we will get to all that. Was Jacob in a no-win situation?
Teachable moment: One of the principles you come away with once you factor in all the points of Covenant concerning women is this. A woman or girl has to be under two witnesses of authority.
The Apostle Paul clarifies this in his first epistle to the Believers in Corinth.
“But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head since it is the same as if her head were shaven. If a wife will not cover her head, she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head since he is the image and glory of God, but a woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife should have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord, a woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; as a woman was made from man, man is now born of a woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does nature not teach you that if a man wears long hair, it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.” 1Corinthians 11:2–16
There are three coverings to which a woman can fall under. They are:
1 — Her hair
2 — Her Father or Husband
3 — A head covering
If a young girl is of marrying age, she will wear a head covering to let potential suitors know she is available to be wed. Thus, she was stepping out from under her father's covering. Once married, her husband and hair were witnesses to the fallen angels that she was off limits to their desires. Likewise, a divorced woman was to wear a head covering showing her lawful desire to fall under the authority of YoHeWaH as her covering—the same comment for a widow.
What you need to know about the Dinah incident is that the festival the women of Jacob attended was an ancient fertility festival of Ishtar, where all women in attendance were there for the taking.
Question… Who was at fault in this incident?
It can be argued that Jacob trusted his newfound neighbor, who offered his family sanctuary in their countryside. However, it can also be argued that Jacob was naive to the laws of foreign nations. The fallen angel aspect that Paul referred to in the above-quoted passage is, at the very least, in the equation in Paul's mind as he wrote this text. The fallen Angels are embodied in men like this foreigner, the Prince of Shecham, who would not be able to defile a righteous woman lawfully had she not been in attendance at a Pagan Fertility Festival, giving up her legal ground accordingly.
Thus, the King and the Prince held the lawful legal ground, and Jacob was at fault because he, like Adam, failed to cover and protect his woman in need properly.
Example 18 — The Frenchman
It has been said that the French can never win a war because they can never keep their pants zipped long enough to fight. This tendency begins right here in scripture. It’s a little-known secret, but Reuben is the father of the French people in the modern era.
“While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.” Genesis 35:22
Technically, Bilhah was not only Jacob’s concubine but also Rueben’s mother-in-law, the mother of Reuben’s brother. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we first seek to deceive.
What is this now, the sixth or seventh event of incest in the so-called righteous bloodline of Adam? The Covenant Law states this:
“Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife because he has uncovered his father’s skirt.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.” Deuteronomy 27:20
Example 19 — Jacob’s Love For Joseph — An Almost Grave Sin
Can the love for a son cause sin? Absolutely. Case in point. Jacob loved Joseph more than his older sons, so he twisted Covenant Law 180 degrees, bringing much consternation to his entire family. Here is the law:
“If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.” Deuteronomy 21:15–17
Now compare what Jacob did:
“Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.” Genesis 32:15–17
Later, we read this:
“Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him” — that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.” Genesis 37:12–36
Still later, right before Jacob’s death, we read how Jacob still did not learn the lesson.
“Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but The Almighty will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”” Genesis 48:21–22
Sin From Exodus 1 through 19
Example 18 — Uncovenanted Slavery… A sin?
The circumstances of Israel’s slavery to the new king of Egypt are unknown. However, the Book of Jasher does provide information that Israel’s fall into captivity was a gradual process surrounding the building of Pharoah’s cities. Scripture seems to imply that there was no agreement or legislative process regarding Israel’s slavery inside Egypt. Nor was Israel’s captivity a prize of war. It was forced labor…
What’s more, it was forced, unpaid labor with rigor. So, was this action by Egypt, no matter how drawn out it occurred, a sin?
So, let’s list all the various possibilities where there is sin.
1 — Slavery itself… A sin?
2 — Forced, Unpaid Labor… A Sin?
3 —Slavery With Rigor… A Sin?
Leviticus 25 ESV Beginning in verse 35.
Covenant Law is clear… Slavery of other nations is permitted under Covenant Law; however, Israel was not to enslave one another or any other Hebrew. Reading between the lines, we can ascertain the following principle:
If a condition has been completed, there is no need to have that condition repeated unless the lesson was never learned. In other words, such a condition such as slavery bears two fruits if the lesson is learned:
1 — Learning what it is like to be under that condition… Being a slave under rigor. Or later in Israel’s history, being a slave under occupation, void of rigor.
2 — How to live righteously on the other side of that condition… Being a slave master, using rigor or not.
The point is, before The Almighty could teach Israel how to rule righteously over slaves, He had to first bring Israel into the subserviency of a cruel nation, causing Israel to remember their captivity. Even still, based on what we did in America to our inherited slaves, mistreating them just as Isaiah 14:5–6 states, we obviously didn’t learn that lesson well enough.
What’s more, YoHeWaH uses this principle throughout scripture. He constantly reminded Israel to remember that they were slaves in Egypt. Make no mistake: the principle behind this lesson is a build-up toward righteous government within YoHeWaH’s Kingdom.
The bottom line… Slavery itself is not a sin. However, the case can be made that the abuse and mistreatment of slaves within a system of slavery can easily fall into the category of sin, but there’s more to the equation that must be considered.
So, what about forced labor?
“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” Proverbs 12:24
And
“When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer peace terms to it. And if it responds to you peaceably and opens to you, then all the people found in it shall do forced labor for you and serve you. But if it makes no peace with you but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. And when YoHeWaH Your Mighty One gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword, but the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as plunder for yourselves. And you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which YoHeWaH Your Mighty One has given you. Thus, you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here. But in the cities of these peoples that YoHeWaH Your Mighty One is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes. Still, you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as YoHeWaH Your Mighty One has commanded, that they may not teach you to do according to all the abominable practices that they have done for their gods. So you sin against YoHeWaH, Your Mighty One.” Deuteronomy 20:10–18
Later, after Moses’ death, Joshua and his band of merry men followed this passage to a tee.
“However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.” Joshua 16:10
And
“Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.” Joshua 17:13
And
“Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them but became subject to forced labor.
Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob; so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land.
Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.” Judges 1:30–33
… And what of forced labor with rigor? Is that a sin? Well, no.
Now, I know the bleeding hearts of modernity will gather their stones to throw whenever the subject of slavery comes to the forefront. Anyone who desires to dissect this topic with any interspecific lens is a quick target for the casting. Especially when it comes to the rigor of slavery… But what does scripture say concerning this?
“And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have — from the nations that are around you, from them, you may buy male and female slaves. Moreover, you may buy the children of the strangers who dwell among you and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land and shall become your property. And you may take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them as a possession; they shall be your permanent slaves. But regarding your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with rigor.” Leviticus 25:44–46
The last sentence in the above text is curious. It almost implies that Israel may have slaves from the nations, and they may, if necessary, rule with rigor, but this stipulation does not apply to brothers within the House of Israel or any line of Hebrew. However, that detail is not directly inferred.
Notice how the Targum of Leviticus spells out this passage:
“Moreover, of the children of the uncircumcised strangers who sojourn among you, of them you may buy, and of their families that are with you, which they have begotten in your land; but not from the Kenaanaee (sons of Cain); and they shall be yours for possession. And you may leave them to your children after you, to inherit as a perpetual possession; THEM YOU SHALL MAKE TO SERVE: but of your brethren of the sons of Israel no man (may enslave) his fellow; them shall you not make to serve with rigour.” Leviticus 25:44–46
So, back to Egypt’s conquest of the people of Israel. Was there any sin that we can recognize from the text? Let’s look into Exodus 1…
“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they made the people of Israel work as slaves with rigor and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.” Exodus 1:8–14
Where is the sin?
There is sin in this story. Notice the words of Stephen recounting this event:
“Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, The Almighty removed him from there and moved into the land where you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. And The Almighty spoke to this effect — that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them for four hundred years. ‘BUT I WILL JUDGE THE NATION that they serve,’ said The Almighty, ‘and after that, they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.” Acts 7:4–8
Judgment does not come void of sin, right? So, where is the sin?
The only conclusion I can draw is, indeed, with the rigor to which Israel was made to serve. Moreover, we have a second witness in establishing this nation, America.
“When YoHeWaH has compassion on Jacob and again chooses Israel and settles them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to Jacob's house. The people will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of YoHeWaH as male servants and female servants, and they will take their captors captive and rule over their oppressors. And it will be on the day when YoHeWaH gives you rest from your hardship, your turmoil, and from the harsh service in which you have been enslaved that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon and say,
How has the oppressor ceased, and how has the onslaught ceased? YoHeWaH has broken the staff of the wicked, THE SEPTER of rulers, which used to STRIKE THE PEOPLE IN FURY WITH UNCEASING STROKES And subdue the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. Isaiah 14:1–6
So, the moral of the story of slavery from the bible is this… Slavery is not a sin. The abuse of slaves certainly is a sin.
Example 20 — Ethnic Cleansing
It has been said that all sin hails from fear. If you dig deep enough into a person’s psyche who commits premeditated sin, you will eventually hit the fear of death and/or the preservation of life. In the case of The King of Egypt’s sin of committing a well-thought-out mass murder, the above conclusion is fulfilled.
“Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” Exodus 1:22.
The King’s fear is evident from the following earlier passage in Exodus 1:
“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Exodus 1:8–9
The rigor of forced labor led to a command from Pharaoh to the Hebrew midwives to kill all the male-born children at birth, which failed due to the midwives’ obedience to YoHeWaH, to outright, premeditated, mass murder, as stated above.
Example 21 — Righteous Premeditated Murder and Its Judgment
Sin is sin, no matter the circumstances. However, circumstances have to be considered in judgment. In Example 20, we did not discuss the judgment rendered to Pharaoh because I wanted to compare the two premeditated examples of murder within the opening of Exodus first.
Moses also committed a premeditated murder for very different yet related reasons… The fear of death. The fear someone else would die. In other words, Moses was trying to save another man’s life.
“One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” Exodus 2:11–12
The following day, the act was known, and the wheels of justice were already in motion.
“When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” THEN MOSES WAS AFRAID and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. Exodus 2:13–15
Moses “looked this way and that and saw no one” before killing the Egyptian. Then, once the deed was done, his premeditated fear of death because of his actions is confirmed in the above passage—another example of an improper fear leading to sin. This act of murder was just as well thought out as the mass murder Pharaoh committed. Moses wasn’t just saving a fellow Hebrew. This was murder in the first degree.
Now, let’s talk about the judgment, condemnation, and/or sentence of these two murder accounts.
I purposely skipped over the following judgment rendered by YoHeWaH after the flood account in Genesis chapter 9.
“And for your lifeblood, I will require a reckoning: from every beast, I will require it, and from man. From his fellow man, I will require a reckoning for man's life.
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for The Almighty made man in his own image.” Genesis 9:5–6
It must be noted that Moses was not the only righteous man of scripture guilty of shedding man’s blood. Both men got off scot-free, void of the above judgment in Genesis 9… Or did they?
That other man was The Apostle Paul. While there is no evidence Paul actually drew the sword against any first-century Believer in Christ, scripture is clear that he was the chief command giver of such murders—Notice Yeshua's words concerning Paul’s actions against His newly established Ekklesia. In the telling of Paul’s account concerning being struck down on the Damascus Road, we read this:
“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. I will show him HOW MUCH HE MUST SUFFER for my name's sake.” Acts 9:15–16
From then on, Paul’s life as a bondservant of Christ was nothing short of hell on earth. Yet Christianity lifts Paul up as the exemplification of Christ—an unconvicted Murderer.
The same point can be made concerning Moses. From the time Moses killed the Egyptian, his physical life went downhill from there, as YoHeWaH showed Moses just how much he had to suffer because of His name.
How many times have we witnessed this example in this series concerning the misrepresentation of the name YoHeWaH? The Almighty’s ambassador has committed sin, causing the name of YoHeWaH to be tarnished—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and now Moses, not to mention Paul in the future. Where would His work be today if YoHeWaH brought those great men to swift justice?
So what of Pharaoh?
No man stood higher than The King to do justice, so YoHeWaH, Himself, in His good time and in His own way, did indeed bring judgment to Pharaoh and his house. Here, the topic of judgment seemingly goes off the rails just a bit… But stay with me as we begin to see the vast work of YoHeWaH’s omnipotence. Please note this statement recorded by Moses of YoHeWaH’s words concerning this judgment.
“And YoHeWaH said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart so he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says YoHeWaH, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” Exodus 4:21–23
And
“And YoHeWaH spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and beast. They shall be mine: I am YoHeWaH.” Numbers 3:11–13
So, here is the sequence of events. See if you can recognize YoHeWaH’s judgment within these events.
1 — Pharaoh kills the male children of Israel
2 — YoHeWaH threatens and then carries out the killing of Egypt’s firstborn.
3 — YoHeWaH requires an entire Tribe of Israel, Levi, as payment for Egypt’s firstborn. Their service in the temple equates to Moses and Paul giving up their lives to atone for sin committed, all to keep YoHeWaH’s name on the level.
If YoHeWaH’s judgment against Pharaoh’s deed was the firstborn of Egypt dying 80 years later… And it was, then, why did YoHeWaH require the death of Israel’s firstborn, which was paid by the tribe of Levi’s service?
Enter the Golden Calf Event. We haven’t even reached Mount Sinai, and YoHeWaH's divine providence has to intervene. Suddenly, when we factor in this event of idolatry by Israel, now the order of events looks like this:
1 — Pharaoh kills Israel's male children… An Egyptian sin.
2 — YoHeWaH threatens and carries out the killing of Egypt’s firstborn… Retribution for Egypt’s sin.
3 — YoHeWaH requires an entire Tribe of Israel, Levi, as payment for Egypt’s firstborn… Divine Retribution for The Golden Calf Event before it occurred.
4 — The Golden Calf Event.
Now, we are all square. Right? Right!
This is why establishing the Levitical Priesthood will always be a punishment tied to the Golden Calf Event of Exodus 32. Understanding this fact and its order of occurrence will be very important later in this course, for everything eventually comes to the true stake of Christ when all things become square for all who accept it. Knowing the terms and conditions of the events leading up to Christ is vital before knowing the process of salvation that Christ offers. Your life must be given up just as Moses and Paul were forced to do in their calling.
Example 22 — The Physical Before The Spiritual
The order does not change—ever. YoHeWaH always requires the physical to come before the spiritual. Or, better said, the physical is always a typology for the spiritual.
The key word in the above statement is “Order.” YoHeWaH is very big on order. Law and Order go hand in hand. If we are to judge within the coming government of YoHeWaH, we have to fully understand this concept.
“At a lodging place on the way, YoHeWaH met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin, touched Moses’ feet with it, and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. Exodus 4:24–26 ESV
First of all, the above-translated text makes no sense whatsoever. It shows a belligerent, unsubmissive wife who is in total rebellion against her husband’s obedience to YoHeWaH concerning circumcision. In my opinion, the Hebrew Targum clarifies the event as it should be.
“But it was on the way, in the place of lodging that the angel of YoHeWaH met him, and sought to kill him, because Gershom his son had not been circumcised, inasmuch as Jethro his father-in-law had not permitted him to circumcise him: but Eliezer had been circumcised, by an agreement between them two. And Zipporah took a stone, and circumcised the foreskin of Gershom her son, and brought the severed part to the feet of the angel, the Destroyer, and said, The husband sought to circumcise, but the father-in-law obstructed him; and now let this blood of the circumcision atone for my husband. And the destroying angel desisted from him, so that Zipporah gave thanks, and said, How lovely is the blood of this circumcision that hath delivered my husband from the angel of destruction! Exodus 4:24–26 Targum of Jonathon Ben-Uzziel
The Above text shows a typology of The Woman of Revelation 12:1 standing the gap for her man… YoHoWaH sought a man to stand in the gap for His people but found none… Sound familiar?
Make no mistake—YoHeWaH is serious about His commands. He was willing to remove Moses from the equation because of one seemingly small stipulation concerning whether or not Gershom was circumcised. However, once we fully understand Covenant Law, applying all the nuts and bolts and their typological meaning in place, we can clearly see why this event had to occur.
Teachable Moment:
Physical Circumcision = Physical blessings of Abraham.
Spiritual Circumcision of The Heart = A good understanding of Covenant Law worthy of governing in righteousness.
Spiritual Circumcision can not take the place of Physical Circumcision. The physically uncircumcised can not obtain an office worthy of righteous governance. The physical always comes before the spiritual.
Why?
This walk into the weeds ties directly to the other examples of profaning YoHeWaH’s name. There are many reasons why YoHeWaH’s name can be tarnished. One such reason is a “poor” dispensation. I’m reminded of the plethora of commercials we are forced to sit through between segments on Fox News, showing Jewish persons living in Palestine who have nothing to eat. They are called God’s people, yet look at them. God seemingly abandons them, and it is up to us, good Christians, to feed them. For just $19.99 per week, we can offer hope to these downtrodden… God’s true people… As the scam continues.
If ever there was a modern version of misrepresenting YoHeWaH’s Mighty Name, that would be it. However, the same applies to True Believers who are willingly poor. The doctrine that has gone out within the Assemblies that says you have to give up your worldly possessions to follow YoHeWaH and He will meet your needs is total garbage. Why would he want you to be a burden to anyone if you would represent Him and His ways?
I always tell people to fix their own lives before trying to serve YoHeWaH. Before Moses could walk boldly into Egypt, he had to cover all the bases of righteousness.
Did you catch Ziphorah's humility and support for her husband, standing in the gap for him before the Angel? Compare the two translations and tell me which one seems right to you.
“Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!”
or
“The husband sought to circumcise, but the father-in-law obstructed him; and now let this blood of the circumcision atone for my husband.”
Now, before we leave this story, allow a few passages for thought. First from Covenant Law:
“And now, Israel, what does The Sovereign YoHeWaH require of you, but to fear The Sovereign YoHeWaH, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve The Sovereign YoHeWaH with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of YoHeWaH, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to YoHeWaH, your Mighty One belongs to heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet YoHeWaH set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. CIRCUMCISE, therefore, the foreskin of your heart and be no longer stubborn. For YoHeWaH, your Mighty One is The Mighty One of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome Mighty One, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear YoHeWaH, your Mighty One. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name, you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your Mighty One who has done these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen for you. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now YoHeWaH, your Mighty One, has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. Deuteronomy 10:12–22
AND
“And say to the rebellious house, to the house of Israel, Thus says The Sovereign YoHeWaH: O house of Israel, enough of all your abominations, in admitting foreigners, UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART AND IN THE FLESH, to be in my sanctuary, profaning my temple, when you offer to me my food, the fat and the blood. You have broken my covenant, in addition to all your abominations. And you have not kept the charge of my holy things, but you have set others to keep my charge for you in my sanctuary.
“Thus says The Sovereign YoHeWaH: No foreigner, UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART AND IN THE FLESH, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. Ezekiel 44:6–9
Example 23 — The Fear Of Death
Thus far, a running theme in this course has been the role an unhealthy fear plays in compounding sin, in various examples throughout Genesis and into Israel's Exodus from Egypt. That said, we must remember these people, Israel, did not have the key ingredient to be able to obtain a healthy fear of only YoHeWaH… That key ingredient is, of course, the INDWELLING of YoHeWaH’s Spirit.
The fact is, the EXTERNAL DWELLING of His Spirit hadn’t had time to take hold either.
Teachable Moment:
The concept of the various levels of YoHeWaH’s Spirit is widely never considered within the Churches of modernity and certainly not from any aspect of Judaism; however, this understanding concerning how YoHeWaH’s Spirit interacts with the womb of our mind must be nailed down. Yeshua introduced the idea via His words to His Disciples on the night He was betrayed, within the context of the terms and conditions of the Re-Newed Covenant Passover.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and more excellent works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells WITH YOU and WILL BE IN YOU.” John 14:12–17
At the moment, Yeshua is directing His desire for His Disciples to observe Passover in the future; with these terms in place, He makes a definite distinction between those having the external dwelling of the Father’s Spirit and those having the internal dwelling of His Spirit.
The newly freed Children of Israel had not had time to exercise even the external dwelling of YoHeWaH’s Spirit before sin had run them down and overtaken Israel via the Gold Calf Event… And why? Why did anyone within the camp of Israel turn to the idol worship of the god Satyr? Answer — Because Israel feared the concept of death more than loving life.
Before the Mount Sinai Event, where YoHeWaH codified His Covenant Law and the temporary punishment for breaking that agreement, called the Levitical Priesthood Law, Israel was tested several times as YoHeWaH measured where they stood within the battle between Fear of Death and Choosing Life.
The Red Sea Event was the first stage of the testing.
“When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to YoHeWaH. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Exodus 14:10–12
Notice Moses’ response:
“And Moses said to the people, “FEAR NOT, AND STAND STILL, and see the salvation of YoHeWaH, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. YoHeWaH will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:13–14
Later, we read these words in The Book of The Covenant:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is YoHeWaH your Mighty One who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
“Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that YoHeWaH has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is YoHeWaH who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:6–8
What’s more, Joshua was most certainly paying attention because he, too, added these words as he entered this concept a second time into The Book of The Covenant:
“Now, therefore, fear YoHeWaH and serve him sincerely and faithfully. Put away the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve YoHeWaH. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve YoHeWaH, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve YoHeWaH.” Joshua 24:14–15
These examples of fearing only YoHeWaH occur as the last words entered into The Book of The Covenant by these two authors. The concept of Fear, Not anything but The Almighty, is a testament to the summation of Covenant Law. It was also the first thing YoHeWaH tested in Israel to get a feel for their metal's makeup.
The question begs… What is our metal made of today?
This concludes the first leg of The History of Covenant Law… Next up: The Exodus 19 Event — The Consecration of Israel.