Sermon on Whether Satan can Attack You

There’s not much you can do. The Devil attacks whomever he wants, as it says in Daniel, in the latter times he’ll wear out the saints. If you’re not prepared to martial against him, or suffer for the cross, you’re not prepared to enter into the kingdom.

As it is, Christ shepherds us to the kingdom, in no way does He promise us health, wealth and happiness here on Earth, but rather, John says we will mourn upon the Earth.

Satan brings disease, death, destruction, wasting… as he’s a liar, thief and murderer. And that’s all there is to it. He destroys whom he pleases—that’s Satan—and like Job, he tries us in the furnace of affliction. If we come out purified, not as silver, but a worthy lump of precious metal, we are saved and therefore spared from the wrath to come.

I’d fear more having all the fortune, health and joy in the world, and risk going to hell, as the world rejoices in its foolishness, and squalor. Just look at the Kardashians or Tech billionaires. They spoil all love, but are happy and carefree. And the world does. It rejoices. It will rejoice, like a pig wallowing in the mud, and making sure everyone else is dirty, too. But, we being sheep, have nowhere to turn. Our fleeces aren’t being shorn, our nails aren’t being trimmed, our sores aren’t being balmmed, our wounds aren’t being cleaned, because the shepherds are spoiling the flock. And therefore, the goats have all the oats, as the shepherd doesn’t feed the one standing still, or balm their wounds, or seek after the kids of the flock, and they feed from our meat, telling us to feed them, but they don’t feed us.

So, it’s just a fact, suffer a little here, and be filled with good fruit, and though you are tormented by Satan, that’s to be expected. As this life is merely a furnace to burn away the dross.

As Jesus also says, there’s the thorns and rocks. Those who have the cares of this world, and it chokes out the riches and promise of the kingdom of God. Or those who spring up early on the rocks, and turn away due to offense and persecution. In the Early Church, but really all throughout history, except for about 200 years, the church has been persecuted. There’s been a time of rest, from about 1800 - 2000, where the saints were the greatest upon the planet, and had the riches of this life, and fed peacefully. But, sin crept in, and stole that away from the Earth, and it grows darker. So, we must be ready to die, be poor, and be meek and mild. Not to fight in wars. And if God prospers us, rejoice. For God can prosper whom He wishes. And He can restore one to full health, wealth and joy… but the LORD can also cause the fuller’s soap to wash over you, and to cleans you with lye, not for your sin, but because the world has wounded you, and has left you barren. And if you ever had soap against a wound it stings. But, that’s due to careless shepherds. Therefore, Christ is the Good Shepherd, and will shorn your fleece, and cut your nails, and balm and cleanse your wound, and feed you with the finest milk and grains. For you need Christ.

Exposition on the Whole Bible

Genesis (Old Testament begins)
So, Genesis is a collection of stories, from the Patriarchal line, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It details things like the Creation of the World, and gives several Allegorical reflections, through the lens of History. Not much unlike Plutarch or Herodotus would. It’s the tradition, handed down through the Patriarchs of the Hebrews, when they made their migrations from Mesopotamia and then into Egypt. Featured in this book are Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

Exodus
Exodus is probably the second most famous book of the Old Testament, next to Genesis. It’s the story of Moses. Basically, the giving of the Law, the diaspora out of Egypt and into the Wilderness. The reason why they had to spend 40 years wandering the desert, all culminating into the birth of the Nation of Israel.

Leviticus
Is a book of Law. Basically, it’s all the law of the Old Testament. What the Jews followed. It finds roots in Abraham’s system, handed down to Hammurabi, which is why you find parallels in Old Amorite Law of the same thing as the Bible. Because Abraham was an Amorite, and that law was handed down to Moses through manuscripts probably written by Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph.

Numbers
Numbers is a list of numbers, of the tribes, and various genealogies. It’s really the most boring book of the Bible, but it has some high moments, like Korah and Balaam. Some stories are in here, but not very many, and I’d recommend most people shy away from Numbers altogether, unless you’re a very serious Bible Student already and know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. It can lead to nasty habits like Divination, as you might think the throwing of lots is still a thing—it’s not. It’s a very very boring book. Probably one of the most boring things to read in history, and I’d recommend avoiding it, until you’re no longer even intermediate. It also has some of the Jewish laws regarding the tabernacle.

Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy is a book like Leviticus. It has the same laws, found in the end of Exodus, and the same ones in Leviticus—Exodus also has some of the Hebraic law, too, which I forgot to mention. It’s more advanced than Leviticus, and probably like all parts of the Bible, it’s repeated through multiple attestations of witnesses, and written records. Which is why everything in the Bible seems to be repeated more than once, it’s because it’s being compiled by two or more sources each, to create a testimony based on multiple witnesses.

Joshua
Joshua was the person after Moses, given command to lead the nation. It’s a story of the wars of Canaan and the justification of the battles, which is that Canaan was sinning and they did all sorts of wicked crimes imaginable. So, Joshua was given directive to conquer the land of Canaan, and give it to the Israelites. Not because of their righteousness, but because of the lands wickedness, so it says in Deuteronomy. Jericho is in this book.

Judges
Is the story of the line of Judges—basically warrior kings who restored order in the land. Israel was called to live only by the Law, and that was their only law. And they had judges who executed the law, and delivered them from their enemies. Gideon and Samson are in this book.

Ruth
Is about the woman Ruth—David's grandmother—and how she fell in love with Boaz, and married him, and basically was made into his wife through a beautiful story. And this shows that a person of a race that isn't necessarily of the law, if they give up their heritage, are grafted into the Nation of Israel completely, like they never were anything but an Israelite totally.

1 Samuel
This follows the Prophet Samuel who picks Saul as king. And 1 Samuel is Saul's story.

2 Samuel
This follows the Prophet Samuel who picks David as King, and David's exploits, which Saul was not a good authority, so he lost it, and was given his kingdom to David. And then David's various sins.

1 Kings
This deals with a block of Jewish history.

2 Kings
This deals with the latter block of Jewish History.

1 Chronicles
This deals with the whole of Jewish History, the first part.

2 Chronicles
This deals with the whole of Jewish History the second part. As a note both books of Chronicles are repetitions of the stories in the books of Samuel and Kings.

Ezra
Ezra is the history after the Captivity to Babylon.

Nehemiah
Is also the history after the Captivity to Babylon.

Esther
Is a history of the Jews in Babylon, and how Mordicai saved them from being utterly destroyed, through his adopted Daughter Esther.

Job
Is probably the third most famous book in the Bible. It's the book where God brings disaster on a man, who's faithful, and the man has to patiently endure it. It's a dialogue on the Theodicy. Basically, God's God, and Job has to trust in His righteousness alone to deliver him, not Job's righteousness.

Psalms (The middle of the Bible*)
This is a book of hymns sung by the Psalters of the Jewish People. Very popular among Christians. And also full of prophecies about prosperity and righteousness.

Proverbs
Is wisdom literature, giving a bunch of aphoristic sayings that are compiled in an order, to create a theme. Some of the most profound literature in history, is found here.

Ecclesiastes
This is everyone's favorite book outside of the Gospels. It's just a wisdom literature, reversing wisdom, and seeing what's actually purposeful in this life. And it gives a VERY good answer.

Song of Solomon
A book of wisdom on the passion of love, and God's relationship with the Church. Basically, the Shulamite has to choose the Shepherd over Solomon and his gold, And the Shepherd has to come and basically take her away from Solomon's harem. It's basically the plot point of every lifetime movie. The snarky, rich jerk gets put aside for the woman's true love, who is the provincial farm boy who actually can care about her. And the two must spar for her hand.

Isaiah
This gets into the most important part of the Bible. The prophecies. Isaiah is a description of Prophecies regarding fighting back, even though you've sinned. Assyria has captured the Northern kingdom of Israel—both kingdoms split after Solomon, with Rehoboam, and so the Northern Kingdom was conquered by Assyria, due to its sin, and Hezekiah had a revival of the Israelite People's faith, and restored the kingdom to faith so it was saved from disaster.

Jeremiah
Is a little different. Judah is going into captivity, but Jeremiah is pleading with it so it won't. Another good example of the Theodicy, is a good man having misfortune because of a bad culture. Jeremiah has a horrible life, and is thrown in prison, and taken against his will to do what God explicitly forbade him to do. And Jeremiah is a victim of a cruel culture, which ultimately catalyzes in Jerusalem's fall.

Lamentations
A prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem, and a lamentation about sin.

Ezekiel
Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel is prophesying the fall of Jerusalem, and is prophesying the horrid things that will happen to it. It's already going to be destroyed, and he's telling the people who were taken to Babylon to not look back, but to look forward and make their lives in Babylon because they aren't going back to Jerusalem. But a remnant will be restored, and brought back to Jerusalem, at the end.

Daniel
Daniel is probably one of the most important books of the Bible. It has a ton of End Days Prophecies, and it gets into all the most important stuff. Also Shadrach Meshack and Abedinigo are here, and so is the story of Daniel and the Lion's den. Basically, Daniel is made Satrap because of his righteousness, and it's a story telling us how we're to gain our possession of life, in an unrighteous society, which is not budging on the truth.

Hosea
Talks about the Christian's walk. You either walk as Judah, Israel or Ephraim, and it's a pattern of the Christian's walk, and redemption. It's an allegory through prophecy of the trial of a Christian.

Joel
Joel talks about the ministry of the Two Olives in Revelation, and the War of Armageddon.

Amos
Is a prophecy detailing the sins of all the nations, that leads Babylon to Conquer it.

Obadiah
Is a short prophecy about Edom, which is a principality against Israel. It comes from Jacob's Brother Ishmael, and how they persecuted Israel during their captivity, and this will lead to their destruction. It's probably about Abaddon.

Jonah
Probably the fourth most famous book in the Old Testament, is Jonah, which is just a book about Jonah's prophecy to Nineveh, which caused it to be restored and Jonah was quite mad about this, actually. But, he prophesied, and Nineveh wasn't destroyed through his prophecies. I'm sure God rewarded him after his temper tantrum. He was a reluctant prophet, showing the compulsion of prophecy, that if you have a prophetic burden, God will cause you no matter what to fulfill it. NO MATTER WHAT. God will cause you to fulfill your prophetic ministry if you have one.

Micah
Is about the prophets of the End Days, the two Olive Trees, and their ministry.

Nahum
Is about one of the three end days figures.

Habakkuk
Habakkuk is too.

Zephaniah
So is Zephaniah.

Haggai
Is about rebuilding the temple, and about doing what's right, and restoring the temple to its former condition, after the captivity.

Zechariah
Is an end days prophecy concerning the War of Armageddon and various curses that will happen, and also various blessings.

Malachi
Is about another of the two Olive Trees.

Matthew (New Testament begins)
Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, and is about The Ministry of Jesus, in the framework of a Jewish Messiah.

Mark
Is another Gospel, about the Works of Jesus, and how good He is. Mark is snappy, phenomenal, and is one of my absolute favorite, if not my all time favorite, book of the Bible. It's just the Gospel in the most simple, and concise, and action packed way possible.

Luke
Is another Gospel, about the Messiah Jesus and His Ministry in the framework of a Savior of the Gentiles.

John
Is a book of Jesus' secret teachings, and His most in depth, and most esoteric sayings, that only John records, but this is probably the most important Gospel of them all, as it tells you, explicitly, salvation is in faith alone, through Christ's work, and the one who Believes on Jesus, that is the one who is saved.

Acts
Is about the Apostles—only some of them, as many of them don't make an appearance—and their ministry throughout the world. And this is where Paul gets introduced. Paul is the replacement of Judas Iscariot. And Paul has a ministry to the Gentiles, and you see Peter, Paul and James' ministry, as well as some of the others.

Romans
Is about the way Salvation works. And some of the Laws not taught in the Gospels, it's found in Romans. It's basically the method by which you're saved, which is much of Paul's writings, is telling you about how salvation works.

1 Corinthians
Is a diatribe against sin in the church, and how we're not to be sinners, or do unlawful deeds. And also how grace works.

2 Corinthians
Is a follow up, where Paul talks more about how grace works, and admonishes the church for its excesses and its lascivious lifestyle.

Galatians
Is a polemic against the Jewish Law. We're no longer to follow it. At all. Like, all those books of Moses, those are good stories, but our primary Law is found in the Gospel. Nowhere else.

Ephesians
Is a work telling you how Grace Works, and God's election. And also commends you to put on Christ, and defeat the world.

Philippians
Is a book exhorting you to a life of godliness, and good works and charity, while distinguishing you to do what's right. This is probably the one book I've studied least, actually, as I drew a blank with it.

Colossians
Is a book that tells you not to obey the Hebraic laws, again. It tells you explicitly that the Gospel is in Christ Jesus, and the Law in the New Testament alone.

1 Thessalonians
Is talking to the church in Thessalonians, and it's talking about living righteously, and faith.

2 Thessalonians
Is talking about the life of a Believer, and how to identify the Antichrist when he comes.

1 Timothy
Is a book exhorting Pastoral Care, and giving teachings to Ministry, and teaching Church Organization.

2 Timothy
Is another book exhorting Pastoral Care, and giving teachings to ministry, and teaching Church Organization.

Titus
Is another book exhorting Pastoral Care, and giving teachings to ministry, and teaching Church Organization.

Philemon
Is a master class on the Gospel. It tells us how to break the law in love, in order to exhort our fellow members of Christ, and do what's good in mercy.

Hebrews
Is a way of explaining the how the Law prophesied Christ, and gives very unique pictures of how the Old Testament foreshadowed Christ's coming and His work of Salvation, throughout the whole Hebrew Law.

James
Is a book of wisdom, teaching you righteous living.

1 Peter
Is the teachings of Peter, exhorting you to a life of righteousness.

2 Peter
Is another book teaching you righteousness, but he deals with the end days, and makes many prophecies concerning Antichrist in this book.

1 John
Is an exhortation of Christian love and charity, and how we're to work works of righteousness in Christ, and love our brother, and it also teaches us how to identify Antichrist when he comes.

2 John
Is a short exhortation to righteousness.

3 John
Is an exhortation to a good man, to have godly prosperity.

Jude
Is one of the most esoteric books in the Bible, but it deals primarily with living righteously, and letting go of all sin, how faith cannot be mixed with unrighteousness or the fruits of ungodliness.

Revelation
Is a prophecy of John's, dealing with the entire mode of the End Days, which will follow in chronological order of the events it describes. So, it's basically a chronology of the sufferings of this world, created by Antichrist in order to destroy the world, and it's the testing of the Elect's salvation and fruits.

Vacation Bible School

i. The Palestinian Woman

Christ came to her at the well,
And asked her to draw water.
She said, "I worship on this mountain
"And your people worship on that."
Christ said, "Verily, Verily,
"There will come a day when
"They will neither worship on this mountain
"Or that, but in the Spirit of Truth.
"For God is a Spirit, and those who worship
"Him in Truth are saved.
"For we Christians know what we worship
"But you Muslims do not.
"Therefore, Worship the Father in Truth."
And He told her everything she ever did.

Dedicated to Pashtmaj mac Umaill

ii. Oh Thou Simple Man

Oh thou simple man, lying at Bethesda
Crippled and in sorrow, and cannot be
Put in the water. You are healed.
The Law is now not fitted
For no longer does the angel stir the water.
The authorities ask you,
"Who healed you?"
And you not knowing or understanding
Why they asked, learned who it was.
So, you went and told them.
But they were angered at Christ
For a thing of naught, and you
Oh simple man, not a villain,
But a naïve man who knows nothing
Of great ambition, power or prestige
Told them who it was that healed you.
In that there is no condemnation for you
Though the Protestant calls you lazy
And a fool, you are simply a humble man
Who was healed, and broken, and unable
To understand the powers before you.

iii. A Life of Poetry

Savior of the World,
Your life was a book of poetry.
Every action You did
Was meticulous and masterful.
Your sermons were not selfish
Nor were You unwilling to speak to fools...
You had compassion, and did
Live a life of poverty for us.
You were like Pythagoras
Or Kerouac, and then You asked,
"Eat my flesh, and drink my blood."
Living, You lived, and You died
With living waters pouring out of Your heart.
You were perfect poetry,
Living poetry, a life very very few ever live.
And You lived it for me,
For I am incapable of emulating it.

iv. The "Mad Man" of Nazareth

John's Gospel is true,
For it almost makes Christ look mad.
You hear the arguments made,
And you see it through the Jew's eyes
That this mad Samaritan came
And called Himself the Messiah.
A madman himself
Enlightened me to this nuance---

Yet, the fact remains, Christ
Performed real and many miracles.
And He taught salient teachings
More coherent than any sage before Him.
And He was a sober man
You see in the Gospels---
And He was filled with Compassion.
I know no more merciful man than He
Who could look at a Samaritan woman
A woman caught in adultery
And a lame man laying by a pool
And have utmost compassion on them.
And a Blind man, whom the Pharisees were
Furious to find was healed.

v. At the Garden

Christ, that Garden, like my beloved Pinchot,
Judas knew You took refuge there.
And the place You enjoyed and loved,
A place of joy, and of peace, You prayed
And He came and took You away
To Pilate, where in the most sober
Words, and salient tongue,
Pilate asked You if You were King,
And You told Him Your kingdom
Was not of this world, but the next.
I await to go to that world too,
Oh LORD Made Flesh...
God's Eternal Word,
The Sabbath of my heart...
You are Begotten not made
And Your Word is the Father's
And Your Flesh is the embodiment
Of the Father's Word,
Since You were pierced,
And then raised to eternal glory and fame.

vi. Pilate

Pilate begs the crowd to free Jesus,
Whips Him, scourges Him,
Trying to appease the Jew's
And save Christ's life.
But, a voice cries out,
"He made Himself a King
"And if you don't kill Him
"You are no friend of Caesar's!"
A lone, false witness from the crowd
Who twisted Christ's words;
For Christ Himself said
His kingdom was not of the World
But in the hereafter.
And the crowd wanted Him dead.
So Pilate washed His hands of it
And gave Christ over to them
For it was not in Pilate's power
To free or kill Him, but in Christ alone
And the false witness of the Jewish People.

vii. The Wine and The Grain

Jesus was a man who loved to feast;
He drank salubrious wine at weddings,
Ate perfectly roasted fish with salt and mustard,
Rubbed a head of grain from the stalk
And ate those finest grains.
Perhaps this is why they didn't like Him?
Was that He was no prude, but a man
Who taught us how to enjoy life
Though the world would never let us have it?
And that was His message,
Was how much better the world could be
If men were allowed to enjoy the good things
Instead of the lofty and high things?
But, because all was made lofty and high
That you could have no life unless you sought it,
Not to seek your life here,
But rather in the next.

viii. Rejoicing!

He meets Mary in the tomb,
And He walks through the walls.
He makes Thomas touch His hands and side.
Touch.

I was on a boat, with Peter,
And we were fishing, but caught no fish.
So, Jesus did what He did before,
And told us to cast over the other side.
And He did. I came running out of the boat
With Peter, and there was a fire
Upon the sand, which Jesus kindled.
And so, we cooked the fish over the spit
With salt, mustard and ginger.
We ate to our fill, and talked
And rejoiced...
I feel like the one who leaned on His bosom
And asked, "Is it I?"
No... it is not I.
I feel like a betrayer, but cannot be;
For the LORD loves me.

*Note: I use first person pronouns, but only metaphorically. Like my Midrash about Judas Son of James, this is just a poetic expression of how I feel. Nothing more.

List of Historical Artefacts that Corroborate the Bible

1950bc - The Lipit-Ishtar, which has a law on it, number 27, that Abraham followed with Hagar, that God told him to ignore. Abraham corresponds to this in the Genealogical record.

1750bc - We see the influence of Abraham on the laws of Mesopotamia, in the Hammurabi's Code, where some of the Hebrew laws in the Torah are first found.

1420bc - The Temple of Soleb has the name of Yahweh inscribed in Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and shows Bound Hebrew Slaves on the Pillars, making mention of the fact that the Israelites were wanderers in the land of Egypt before they were enslaved.

1330bc - The Cult of Aten begins, which corresponds with Moses in the Genealogies. The Cult of Aten was an unexpected conversion to Monotheism by the Pharaoh of Egypt, which likely occurred as a result of the miracles performed by Moses. Also, Moses' genealogical record lines up right with it.

1250bc - Joshua's Altar. In Joshua's Altar there are Kosher animal ashes, along with the lead tablet described by the book of Joshua, and it is situated at the rear face of mount Ebal. It is even in the pattern of a Jewish Altar, with ramps instead of steps. Also found at the same dig site are mentions of King Hezekiah (Circa 790bc) and Jeremiah (Circa 600bc).

1050bc - A fragmented clay artefact is found in Khirbet Qeiyafa, containing Hebrew Mnemonic verses and the Tetragrammaton, of interpretive transcriptions of the law. On the pot, it talks about being charitable to slaves, and judging them correctly, and a rebuke against idolatry.

840bc - Tel Dan Stele records the death of King Jehoram, and reveals that he is from the HouseDavid---a Portmanteau of the Dynasty's Heraldry.

597bc - The Nebuchadnezzar Chronicles are a direct reference to the Jewish Captivity, of Babylon sacking Jerusalem. Ezekiel had already been taken captive, along with Israel, therefore, the captivity had already begun. Ezekiel records the Sack of Jerusalem and how bad it will be. As well as Jeremiah the Prophet.

537bc - Edict of Cyrus, which records the restoration of the Jews back to Israel.

Notes on Isaiah 28

28 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

This verse is what inspired “Wicked John”. During this time, Ephraim was working with Assyria in order to overthrow Judah. So, “The Crown of Pride” is the leaders over Ephraim. Ephraim was beautiful at the beginning, and it describes how a wicked person, intent on overthrowing the righteous, especially one who was once righteous, is going to lose their beauty. And, it says that they drink “Wine”. The “Wine” alleviates their guilty conscience.

²Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

The “Mighty and strong one” is Christ. The whole prophesy is a prophesy about Christ, and His salvation. Christ, when he comes to heal His people, will throw down the forces that work against Israel.

³The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:

Jesus will throw down Ephraim. Ephraim has a “Crown of Pride.” That is, they use their authority wrong, and subvert the righteous in their work.

⁴And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

The real metaphor here is those who gain riches by theft. The whole type here is an allegory of that. How people who use their authority wrong in order to oppress the righteous, and take advantage of them through abuse of authority will be thrown down. So, it is talking about how the unrighteous who are high and abuse authority eat up the righteous’ labor, and consume it.

⁵In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,

So, in the day that the “Valley” fades and becomes consumed, the LORD will be like a “Diadem” that is a gem in a crown, to his people. The day that the wicked believe they have fully prospered, and have consumed all of the poor’s labor, that is the day that the LORD will destroy them.

⁶And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

And those of the righteous who sit upon the throne will have a spirit of judgment, and those who turn the battle at the gate will have strength.

⁷But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

This is talking about the people. Most of the people have erred through drinking too much alcohol. They drank it to the dregs, including the prophets and the priests, therefore they have erred in their vision. They stumbled in judgment. They didn’t loose the bonds of the captives, nor did they say, “This that the kings and queens of Ephraim have stolen, it belongs to him.”

⁸For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

This is because they are drunk. The people are drunk. The crown of Ephraim is drunk on power, but is also drunk on wine. They “Vomit” on their tables. That’s because they are dirty thieves, who make filthy the very table they eat on.

⁹Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

Who shall God make to understand doctrine and knowledge? Him who is weaned from “Milk.” The Milk is the basic tenant of scripture of Grace Salvation. That we are saved through Christ’s sacrifice. But the LORD said, “I desired Mercy and not sacrifice.” And he also says, “You have bought me no sweet cane with your money.” That is, the people who claim to be “Christian” have not helped the poor in judgment, nor have they loosed the bonds of the captives. They have, instead, simply called upon Christ’s sacrifice, and sufficed to say that was all religion was, even though the LORD has refused their sacrifice because they have not done what was right.

¹⁰For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

This is in line with the previous. But, the reason people did not execute judgment, now and then, was because of “Theology” and because of rules written outside of the scripture. At the time of Christ it was the Pharisees. Today it is Theologians who have created an entire explanation of scripture outside of what scripture teaches, relying on the teachings of Sacrifice without good works. When the LORD says “Thanksgiving” the word means to give with thanks. The preachers have taught this means the offering plate, when it actually meant giving to the poor.

¹¹For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

The LORD, when he speaks a prophetic message, will speak in a different language. In the case of the New Testament it was Greek.

¹²To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

The rest they were to fall into was the rest of Christ, which was to clear their conscience of sin, so they could perform good works without a burdened conscience. The prophets spoke in Greek to the people, to proclaim this message.

¹³But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Instead, the people thought the counsel at the time of Christ was to obey the law to the letter. Today, we obey it to the letter again, by misinterpreting the scripture to mean that men ought not do good works. This reason is that it has been a misinterpretation of the scripture. The LORD has repeatedly said he desired us to be good, not to “Deal with our sins” continually.

¹⁴Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

The people who rule the Israelites are scornful of the poor who are being thieved by Ephraim. Remember the leadership are in league with Assyria at the time of this prophecy, and they are not making a “Conspiracy” but rather because of sin, the nobles are oppressing the people of God by stealing from them.

¹⁵Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

The nobles believed they could make “Covenants” with the grave. They believed they could escape God’s wrath by hiding in the grave, and doing what was evil on the earth because the Grave would give them paradise.

¹⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

The foundation is Jesus Christ. He who believes on Jesus shall not make haste. That is, he who believes in Jesus will not hasten their work in order to try and prevent theft. Because the nobles are stealing from Israel, it would seem like the Israelites would be wise to hasten their work in order to eat. But that is not the way it is. The people who do right before God will do a good job, rather than work fast paced in order to eat. This is how the peoples are being oppressed, is that they are being told to “Hasten” in order to get the prize, but the prize is Jesus, and their haste would be sin.

¹⁷Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

The LORD will use curses to sweep away the wicked. “Hail” was one of the last curses in the book of Revelation. God will use this to sweep away the kingdoms of the wicked. But the righteous will have peace—as said in previous chapters.

¹⁸And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

And the enemies of God’s who made covenant with death will be “disanulled.” Their “agreement with hell shall not stand.” This is because they will be destroyed. They will be trodden down in the mire.

¹⁹From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

It’s talking about Zechariah’s plague, the plague that sweeps through and destroys the enemies of Israel.

²⁰For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

This is an unusual curse, bit it’s one that has frightened me my whole life. I’ve simply called on Jesus my whole life to avoid it because this is the most frightening part of it. Imagine Zechariah’s Plague, and you can’t even lay down on your bed because it’s too short, and your cover is too short. It’s very scary.

²¹For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

This is his strange work. And the LORD shall execute it on the heathen nations who oppress and steal from Israel. He shall rise up and fight for us.

²²Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

This is saying do not mock the poor who have been thieved. For “I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.” Consumption means “Illness.”

²³Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

The LORD is telling us to give ear, and hear his voice and speech. He wants us to turn and repent, and come to Him before this wrath comes to pass.

²⁴Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

The upcoming portion was always hard for me to understand, but it means something specific. “Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Doth he open and break the clods of his ground?” The answer is no. They plow all day in order to eat and enjoy.

²⁵When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

“Fitches” are the foxes and wild animals that come in to ruin the crop; these the farmer is intent on getting rid of, so the skilled laborer is not in a hurry to get rich, nor to get successful. I stop here because it is very scary to think… the people of Israel do not rush to get their work done because in their slow pace, the enemies of God, the “Fitches” get caught. Israel follows through and is skilled from point to point, each step becoming clear only when the last step was followed.

²⁶For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.

God instructs the righteous to discretion, and does teach him. The person who is working is taught by God how to work. He is told, from each step, what his steps should be. He is not in a rush to get his work done, but is rather going to work, slowly and methodically, each step being revealed what the next step will be. He is taught, and it looks foolish to the nations because they know Israel is being robbed. But, the judgment is on those nations for not doing anything to prevent it.

²⁷For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

Foxes are not “Threshed”, that is, evil people are not broken by God’s momentary wrath. They have had a prosperous life, and have no discipline from God. Cummin—a spice—is beaten with the rod because it is good, therefore, to make it ready to eat it is beaten. The fitches are beaten out with a “staff” which kills them; the staff keeps away wolves, while the rod disciplines.

²⁸Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

Good foods are bruised. They are disciplined and given to a curse for a little while in order to make them good for eating. It does not get broken by a “Cart” nor get bruised by a “Horsemen.” The metaphor is about the righteous not being punished like the rest of the world because they had their discipline before everyone else.

²⁹This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

This is how the LORD chooses to save his people, through discipline. The Pharisees have taught that “Grace is sufficient” and that “Mercy” is how God corrects a man. But, Mercy is extended only to those who have suffered the rebuke of God and Grace is appointed to the humble and righteous who do the work of God because it is like rest for them. They have a clean conscience.