STEMMING THE TIDE-II—Ezekiel 22:23-31
Intervention/Confrontation/Stand against
Standing in the Gap
Attention:
The concise story behind the book & movie ‘300’(From Wikipedia)
The Battle of Thermopylae; was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas of Sparta. These fought the imperialistic Persian Empire of Xerxes-I over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece.
The battle took place in ~Aug.-Sep. 480 BC, at the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae(~25 mi. N. of Dephi & ~60 mi. NNW of Corinth).
Xerxes had amassed a huge army & navy, & set out to conquer all of Greece. The Athenian(Greek) general had proposed that the allied Greeks block the advance of the Persian army at the coastal-mountain pass of Thermopylae, & simultaneously block the Persian navy at the Straits of Artemisium.
Around 7,000 Greek troops marched north to block the pass. The Persian army, could have numbered over one million, but may have been between about 100,000 & 150,000.
First Day:
Xerxes moved to attack the Greeks. He ordered five thousand archers to fire a barrage of arrows, but they were ineffective; they fired from at least 100 yards away, but the Greeks' bronze shields & helmets deflected the missiles.
The Persians then launched a frontal assault, in waves of around 10,000 men each. The Greeks fought in front of the narrowest part of the pass, which enabled them to use as few soldiers as possible. The Greek units were rotated in & out of the battle to prevent fatigue. The Greeks killed so many Medes that Xerxes is said to have stood up three times from the seat from which he was watching the battle. Xerxes’ first wave was "cut to ribbons", with only two or three Spartans killed in return.
Second Day:
Xerxes sent in the infantry to attack the pass, supposing that the Greeks had been disabled & could not resist long. Again, the Persians were thwarted with no more success than the first day. Xerxes having been met with steadfast resistance, stopped his assault & withdrew to his camp, "totally perplexed.”
That day, however, a Greek--Ephialtes--informed Xerxes of a mountain path around & paralleling the coastal road where the Greeks were located. Ephialtes offered to guide the Persian army there being motivated by a reward. For this act of treason, the name of Ephialtes has received a lasting stigma, his name coming to mean "nightmare" & his becoming the archetypal traitor in Greek culture much like Judas Iscariot is among Christians.
Third Day:
“At daybreak on the third day,” the Persians acted on a plan to encircle “the main Greek force.” King “Leonidas called a council of war at dawn.” “Some of the Greeks argued for withdrawal, but Leonidas resolved to stay at the pass with the Spartans.”
The Greeks were defeated & Thermopylae was thus opened to the Persian army, at the cost of ~20,000 Persian fatalities. Leonidas’ rearguard, was totally annihilated, with a total loss of some 2,000 men during all three days of battle.
Why did they fight the innumerable Persians?...Because they were defending their territory.
Together they sought to stem the tide of the Persian advance.
Today, the right thing to do is for the Church to stem the tide of sin! And all that is needed is one faithful & courageous person!
To ‘Stem’--“To hold back,”, from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse stemma “To stop, dam up; be stopped, abate,” from a Proto-Germanic root meaning “To strike against something.”...A source also of, German stemmen “Stop, resist, oppose.”
The Phrase—“To stem the tide” is literally, “To hold back the tide,” but often is confused with another use of “stem”—“To make headway against.”...
To ‘Stem’--“To make headway by sailing, head in a certain course,”—literally--“To push the stem through," from stem, here the ‘post’ at the prow of a ship.
Need:
To be individual & thereby corporate world changers.
YaHWeH(the LORD) sought for a man who would be willing to stand for Him in the midst of apostasy.
YaHWeH is looking for a person to stem/thwart/impede/obstruct the rampant onslaught of sin.
He is looking for a person to stem the tide of sin.
But Who will do that?...Who will stand for the Lord against sin?
We are looking at & calling out People who stem the tide of sin.
We had previously found that A person who stems the tide of sin, Addresses spiritual...
1. CLEANSING-CLEANLINESS(:23-24)
2—A person who stems the tide of sin, Addresses spiritual...
TREASON(:25)
Explanation:(:25)
:25—“The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure & precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.”
Treason—A)“the crime of betraying one's country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government”; B)“The action of betraying someone or something.”
The Hebrew text has aybn(“prophets”[also :28]) while the LXX has aysn(“princes”[See :27]).
The land(:24) of Israel remaining uncleansed thru YHWH’s indignation is directly related to the faithless operations of the “prophets”/princes themselves!
There ARE “prophets” in Israel’s “midst.” But yet these “prophets” are not agents of God’s healing, direction, & correction. Rather they have become agents of the destruction of their own “people.”
These “prophets” are going against the very God who called & blessed them!
The “prophet’s” lack of faithfulness with the revelation of God, has made them culpable so as to “devour” “people” in the same manner as does a brute beast such as a “lion.”
By means of “roaring,” lions openly & simultaneously...
1)Call others of like mind to the kill, —(focus on ME)
2)Announce their personal prowess in attaining the kill, & —(focus on ME)
3)Protect their portion of the kill.—(focus on ME)
These treasonous(“conspiracy”) “prophets” forsake their own ‘country’(God) for the sake of personal gain/profit.
Jer. 11:9—“And the LORD said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah & among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. “They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, & they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel & the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.”
Such “prophets,” by means of their faithlessness, indeed “take” from others, that which is “treasured” & “precious.” Prophesying lies, they act as thieves. By so doing they have left “many” a “widow” in their wake among God’s chosen people.
Mat. 23:11-15—“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted. But woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, & for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. “Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land & sea to win one proselyte, & when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
Rev. 18:9-13—“The kings of the earth who committed fornication & lived luxuriously with her will weep & lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, “standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ “And the merchants of the earth will weep & mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold & silver, precious stones & pearls, fine linen & purple, silk & scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, & marble; & cinnamon & incense, fragrant oil & frankincense, wine & oil, fine flour & wheat, cattle & sheep, horses & chariots, & bodies & souls of men.”
Merchants continuously, today & in the future, traffic in the “souls of men.”
“Conspiracy”—rvq keh’-sher—Noun Masc.—1) Conspiracy, treason, (unlawful)alliance. Strong—An (unlawful)alliance. Used 16X.
“Prophets”(See :28)—aybn naw-beey’—Noun Masc.—1) Spokesman, speaker, prophet—1a) Prophet, 1b) False prophet, 1c) Heathen prophet. Strong—A prophet or generally--Inspired man.
“Midst”2X(See :27; :26—“Among them”)—Kwt taw'-vek—Noun Masc.—1) Midst, middle—1a) Midst, middle, 1b) Into, through(after verbs of motion), 1c) Among(of a number of persons), 1d) Between(of things arranged by twos), 1e) From among(as to take or separate etc). Strong—from an unused root meaning to sever; A bisection, i.e. by implication--The center.
“Roaring”—gav shaw-ag’—Qal Participle Active—1) (Qal)--To roar—1a) Of lion, conqueror, Jehovah, cry of distress. Strong—a primitive root; To rumble or moan. Used 21X.
“Lion”—yra ar-eey' or (prolonged), hyra ar-yay’—Noun Masc.—1) Lion—1a) Pictures or images of lions. Strong—from hra[a primitive root; to pluck] (in the sense of violence); A lion.
“Tearing/Revening”(See :27)—Prj taw-raf’—Qal Participle Active—1) To tear, rend, pluck—1a) (Qal) To tear, rend, 1b) (Niphal) To be torn in pieces, 1c) (Poal) To be torn in pieces, 1d) (Hiphil) To provide food. Strong—a primitive root; To pluck off or pull to pieces; causatively--To supply with food(as in morsels). Used 25X.
“Prey”(See :27)—Prj teh’-ref—Noun Masc.—1) prey, food, leaf—1a) Prey, 1b) Food, 1c) Leaf. Strong—Something torn, i.e. A fragment, e.g. A fresh leaf, prey, food. Used 23X.
“Devoured”—lka aw-kal’—Qal Perfect—1) To eat, devour, burn up, feed—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To eat(human subject), 1a2) To eat, devour(of beasts & birds), 1a3) To devour, consume(of fire), 1a4) To devour, slay(of sword), 1a5) To devour, consume, destroy(inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought), 1a6) To devour(of oppression). Strong—a primitive root; To eat(literally or figuratively).
“People/Lives/Innocent people”(See :27; :29—Me)—vpn neh’-fesh—Noun Fem.—1) Soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion—1a) That which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man, 1b) Living being, 1c) Living being (with life in the blood), 1d) The man himself, self, person or individual, 1e) Seat of the appetites, 1f) Seat of emotions & passions, 1g)Activity of mind—1g1) dubious, 1h) Activity of the will—1h1) dubious, 1i) Activity of the character—1i1) dubious. Strong—properly--A breathing creature, i.e. Animal of (abstractly)vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense(bodily or mental). Corresponds to Greek—quch.
“Taken”—xql law-kakh’—Qal Imperfect—1) To take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To take, take in the hand, 1a2) To take & carry along, 1a3) To take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away, 1a4) To take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept, 1a5) To take up or upon, put upon, 1a6) To fetch, 1a7) To take, lead, conduct, 1a8) To take, capture, seize, 1a9) To take, carry off 1a10) to take(vengeance). Strong—a primitive root; To take(in the widest variety of applications).
“Treasure”—Nox kho’-sen—Noun Masc.—1) Riches, treasure, wealth. Strong—from Nox khaw-san’[properly--To (be) compact; by implication--To hoard]; Wealth. Used 5X.
“Precious things”—rqy yek-awr’—Noun Masc.—1) Price, value, preciousness, honor, splendor, pomp—1a) Preciousness, 1b) Price, 1c) Honor, esteem. Strong—Value, i.e. concretely--Wealth; abstractly--Costliness, dignity. Used 17X.
“Many”—hbr raw-baw’—Hiphil(causative) Perfect—1) Be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things), 1a2) To be or grow great; 1c) (Hiphil)—1c1) To make much, make many, have many—1c1a) To multiply, increase, 1c1b) To make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly, 1c1c) To increase greatly or exceedingly, 1c2) To make great, enlarge, do much; 2) (Qal) To shoot. Strong—a primitive root; To increase(in whatever respect).
“Widows”—hnmla al-maw-naw’—Noun Fem.—1) Widow. Strong—A widow; also--A desolate place.
Feminine of Nmla al-mawn'; prolonged from Mla[To tie fast/be tongue-tied] in the sense of bereavement; Discarded(as a divorced person).
Argumentation:
Jer. 5:26-31—‘For among My people are found wicked men; They lie in wait as one who sets snares; They set a trap; They catch men. As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great & grown rich. They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend. Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the LORD. ‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’ “An astonishing & horrible thing Has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”
Deut. 13:1-10—“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, & he gives you a sign or a wonder, “& the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’--which you have not known--‘& let us serve them,’ “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart & with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God & fear Him, & keep His commandments & obey His voice, & you shall serve Him & hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt & redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst. If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go & serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, & afterward the hand of all the people. And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. So all Israel shall hear & fear, & not again do such wickedness as this among you.”
2Tim. 4:3-4—“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; & they will turn their ears away from the truth, & be turned aside to fables.”
Acts 17:1-8—“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis & Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, & for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining & demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer & rise again from the dead, & saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded; & a great multitude of the devout Greeks, & not a few of the leading women, joined Paul & Silas. But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, & gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar & attacked the house of Jason, & sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason & some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. “Jason has harbored them, & these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king--Jesus.” And they troubled the crowd & the rulers of the city when they heard these things.”
Who’s their king?...It’s not Jesus!
Jn. 1:10-11—He[Jesus] was in the world, & the world was made through Him, & the world did not know Him. He came to His own, & His own did not receive Him.”
2Pet. 1:16-2:2—“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power & coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor & glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns & the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, & bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.”
Acts 20:27-36—“For I[Paul] have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves & to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, & remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night & day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God & to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up & give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. “Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, & for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” And when he had said these things, he knelt down & prayed with them all.”
Mat. 7:15-20—“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
Rom. 16:17-18—“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions & offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, & avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, & by smooth words & flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”
Illustration:
*A particular man was born in Connecticut, who was a merchant operating ships on the Atlantic Ocean when the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775. This man became a general during the American Revolutionary War fighting for the American Continental Army. However, he was becoming disappointed with the way things were going in the country with a devalued currency, discontent with the army, & internal bickering in Congress regarding the course for America’s future.
While a general on the American side, he was given command of their fortifications at West Point, New York(future site of the U.S. Military Academy), overlooking the cliffs at the Hudson River(upriver from British-occupied New York City). While in command at West Point, he plotted to surrender the city to the British forces. In September 1780, American forces captured British Major John André carrying papers that revealed our man’s collusion with the British. Our man fled down the Hudson River to the British sloop-of-war Vulture, narrowly avoiding capture by the forces of George Washington.
Our man received a commission as a brigadier general in the British Army. He even led British forces on raids in Virginia, & against New London & Groton, Connecticut, before the war effectively ended with the American victory at Yorktown. His name... Benedict Arnold.
“An ISIS fighter who calls for jihad...was trained in counterterrorism tactics on American soil, in a program run by the United States, officials tell CNN....Former police commander from Tajikistan named Col. Gulmurod Khalimov. He appears in black ISIS garb with a sniper rifle & a bandolier of ammunition. He says in the video that he participated in programs on U.S. soil three times, at least one of which was in Louisiana. The State Department has confirmed this claim. “From 2003-2014 Colonel Khalimov participated in five counterterrorism training courses in the United States & in Tajikistan, through the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security/Anti-Terrorism Assistance program.” The program is intended to train candidates from participating countries in the latest counterterrorism tactics, so they can fight the very kind of militants that Khalimov has now joined. Khalimov says in a video, “Listen, you American pigs: I’ve been to America three times. I saw how you train soldiers to kill Muslims,” he says in Russian. “You taught your soldiers how to surround & attack, in order to exterminate Islam & Muslims.” Then...he looks directly into the camera & says, “God willing, we will find your towns, we will come to your homes, & we will kill you.”/TREASON
Application:
?Are you continually Addressing spiritual TREASON?
?Are you Stemming the Tide of sin?
3—A person who stems the tide of sin, Addresses spiritual...
DISCRIMINATION(:26)
Explanation:(:26)Discernment/Differentiation/Distinction
:26—“Her priests have violated My law & profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy & unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean & the clean; & they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.”
The “priests” have treated YaHWeH’s “law”[hrwt] so violently, that the mediators between God & men, actually “profaned” those “holy things” which are God’s proclamation & possession in holiness.
These so-called “priests” are NOT “priests” of YaHWeH in that they have made no distinction “between” “holy & unholy” & “unclean” & “clean.” A true “priest” should always be one who possesses an ability(God given) to properly “distinguish” that which is of God & that which is not of God.
It is one thing to discriminate or know a difference, but it is another thing entirely to believe & relate that difference to others!
FYI—A pastor is no more priest than any other Christian! All Christians act as mediators between God & lost men, lost men & God.
“Priests”—Nhk kohen’—Noun Masc.—1) Priest, principal officer or chief ruler. Strong—literally--One officiating, a priest; also(by courtesy)--An acting priest(although a layman).
“Violated”—omx khaw-mas’—Qal Perfect—1) To wrong, do violence to, treat violently, do wrongly—1a) (Qal)--To treat violently, do wrong—1a1) Of physical wrong, 1a2) Of ethical wrong, 1a3) Of physical & ethical wrong. Strong—a primitive root; To be violent; by implication--To maltreat. Used 8X.
“Law”—hrwt towrah to-raw' OR hrt torah to-raw’—Noun Fem.—1) Law, direction, instruction—1a) Instruction, direction (human or divine)—1a1) Body of prophetic teaching, 1a2) Instruction in Messianic age, 1a3) Body of priestly direction or instruction, 1a4) Body of legal directives, 1b) Law—1b1) Law of the burnt offering, 1b2) Of special law, codes of law, 1c) Custom, manner, 1d) The Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law. Strong—from hry[properly--To flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively--To lay or throw(especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively--To point out(as if by aiming the finger), to teach]; A precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch.
“Profaned”2X—llx khaw-lal’—Piel(intensive/intentional/repeated/extended) Imperfect—1) To profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin— 1b) (Piel)--1b1) To profane, make common, defile, pollute, 1b2) To violate the honor of, dishonor, 1b3) To violate(a covenant), 1b4) To treat as common; 3) (Piel)--To play the flute or pipe. Strong—a primitive root; properly--To bore, i.e. by implication--To wound, to dissolve; figuratively--To profane(a person, place or thing), to break(one's word), to begin(as if by an "opening wedge"); denomonstrative(from lylx[flute])--To play(the flute).
“Holy things...Holy”—vdq ko’-desh—Noun Masc.—1) Apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness—1a) Apartness, sacredness, holiness—1a1) Of God, 1a2) Of places, 1a3) Of things, 1b) Set-apartness, separateness. Strong—A sacred place or thing; rarely abstract--Sanctity.
“Distinguished/Put No Difference”—ldb baw-dal’—Hiphil Perfect—1) To divide, separate—1a) (Hiphil)--1a1) To divide, separate, sever, 1a2) To separate, set apart, 1a3) To make a distinction, difference, 1a4) To divide into parts. Strong—a primitive root; To divide(in variation senses literally or figuratively, separate, distinguish, differ, select, etc.).
“Unholy/Profane/Common”—lx khol—Noun Masc.—1) Profaneness, commonness, unholy, profane, common, sand. Strong—from llx[To Bore, Wound, Dissolve, Profane, Break(one's word), Begin, Play(the flute)]; properly--Exposed; hence--Profane. Used 7X.
“Made known”—edy yaw-dah’—Hiphil(causative) Perfect—Qal—1) To know; 1f) (Hiphil)--To make known, declare. Strong—a primitive root; To know(properly--To ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically & inferentially(including observation, care, recognition; & causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.).
“Unclean”—amj taw-may’—Adj.—1) Unclean, impure—1a) Ethically & religiously, 1b) Ritually, 1c) Of places. Strong—Foul in a religious sense.
“Clean”(See :24—rhj taw-haer’[Verb])—rwhj taw-howr' OR rhj taw-howr’—Adj.—1) Pure, clean—1a) Clean(of animals), 1b) Pure(physically), 1c) Pure, clean(morally, ethically). Strong—from rhj taw-hare’; Pure(in a physical, chemical, ceremonial or moral sense).
“Hidden”—Mle aw-lam’—Hiphil(causative) Perfect—1) To conceal, hide, be hidden, be concealed, be secret; 1a) (Qal)--Secret(participle); 1b) (Niphal)--1b1) To be concealed, 1b2) Concealed, dissembler (participle); 1c) (Hiphil)--To conceal, hide; 1d) (Hithpael)--To hide oneself. Strong—a primitive root; To veil from sight, i.e. Conceal(literally or figuratively). Used 28X.
“Eyes”—Nye ah’-yin—Noun Fem./Masc.—1) Eye—1a) Eye—1a1) Of physical eye, 1a2) as showing mental qualities, 1a3) Of mental & spiritual faculties(figuratively); 2) Spring, fountain. Strong—probably a primitive word; An eye(literally or figuratively); by analogy--A fountain(as the eye of the landscape).
“Sabbaths”—tbv shab-bawth’—Noun Fem./Masc.—1) Sabbath—1a) Sabbath, 1b) Day of atonement, 1c) Sabbath year, 1d) Week, 1e) Produce(in sabbath year). Strong—intensive from tbv shaw-bath’[To repose, i.e. desist from exertion]; Intermission, i.e. specifically--The Sabbath.
“Among Them”(See :25, 27—“Midst”)—Kwt taw'-vek.
Argumentation:
Isa. 42:18, 19—“Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the LORD’S servant?”
1Pet. 2:4-5—“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God & precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
1Cor. 2:4-14—“And my speech & my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit & of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Mal. 2:5-8—“My covenant was with him[Levi], one of life & peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name. The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace & equity, And turned many away from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the LORD of hosts.”
Mat. 16:13-19—“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, & others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered & said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered & said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh & blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, & on this rock I will build My church, & the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, & whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, & whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Mat. 18:15-20—“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go & tell him his fault between you & him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen & a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, & whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Mat. 16:1-4—“Then the Pharisees & Sadducees came, & testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered & said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; “& in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red & threatening.’ “Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked & adulterous generation seeks after a sign, & no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them & departed.
Illustration:
*We talk of people who have ‘discriminating’ taste/They appreciate & attain the finest of things/Able to discern high quality from cheapness/These know the differences in the worth of caviars/Their knowledge of wines is impeccable/These have faultless taste in clothing/DISCRIMINATION
*Professional taste testers usually work directly for a food or drink manufacturer...
A "super taster" is a person with a particularly discerning palate. These can detect very subtle differences in flavors. Super tasters have between twice & four times as many tastebuds on their tongues as the average person & are generally picky eaters.
Manufacturers need these tasters to verify their products are the same today as a week ago & the same from plant to plant . A package of Lays potato chips bought today on the east coast should taste the same as the ones bought yesterday on the west coast."
Jennifer Koen is a Godiva[chocolate] taster.
“Tasting involves all the senses.” She first looks at the chocolate to “make sure it has a good sheen & a nice shine.” She also checks for bubbles & blemishes & analyzes the design for its aesthetic value.
The next step is to take quick "bunny sniffs" of the piece while cupping one hand over it so the scent doesn't escape.
“Eighty percent of taste is smell,” “You want to capture the aroma.” The freshest chocolates have the most intense, rich smells.
Finally, she closes her eyes & takes a small bite of the piece — but it's not just any bite.
“You have to feel the bite as you take it," Koen said. "You want to move it around all areas of the mouth because there are different tastebuds in different areas of the mouth. You want to get sweet, sour & bitter, so you move it all around to get the full intensity of flavor.”
“The most complex chocolates are bursting with several different tastes”, she said.
“Similar to wine, a chocolate piece often unfolds in different layers of flavor,” said Koen. “You might start out with a cocoa hint, then get a hint of vanilla, then maybe a coffee or nut flavor & then a finish.”
Tasters often do their jobs alone in sensory labs, with controlled lighting & air & no outside disturbances. Professionals need to be discerning eaters who take their time with food.
*DISCRIMINATION
A parent’s opinion of their son’s or daughter’s choice of girlfriend or boyfriend/DISCRIMINATION
Application:
?Are you continually Addressing spiritual DISCRIMINATION?
?Are you Stemming the Tide of sin?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The concise ‘300’ history.
Action:
A person who stems the tide of sin, Addresses spiritual...
2. TREASON(:25)
3. DISCRIMINATION(:26)
1. CLEANSING-CLEANLINESS(:23-24)
Pts. 2-3 presented 06/12/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(Ave. A SE)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
