Genesis 14:5-7 More Giants in the Land

And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.

If you remember back in Genesis 6, just before the flood, we saw the Sons of God come down to the Daughters of Man and have Nephylim, Giants as their offspring. In Genesis 4, it says, "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that..."

Here in Genesis 14, we have giants again, trying to make a revival. It doesn't say it here, but I feel that G-d used Chedorlaomer to cut that revival down before it gets too far along.

In our last post, we saw that Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and the king of Zoar were rebelling against Chedorlaomer and he was about to put down that rebellion. Here in Genesis 14:5-7, we have Chedorlaomer, and the kings loyal to him, head down to Sodom, Gomorrah and friends. However, they make a pitstop in order to smite or kill the Rephaims, Zuzims and the Emims. The normal reader would make their normal attempt to pronounce the Samarian name here  and travel unto the more familiar pages of the story of Abraham and Lot.

Being inquisitive reader, we know that anything that appears as wierd, in the Scriptures, normally holds a revelation or insight. This is no different. The first thing, that got my attention, was, "Why did Chedorlaomer stop to kill off the Rephaims, Zuzims and the Emims when it was the Sodomites, Gomorrahim, Admahim, Zeboiim, and Zoarim that were rebelling, not the Rephaims, Zuzims and the Emims.

My next thought was maybe they smelted them for practice before they came to the others. But, if we dig into the Hebrew, an interesting picture materializes. The Samarian names of Rephaims, Zuzims and the Emims reveal who they were.

Rephaims = Giants. Nephylim and Anakim are alternate names used in the Scriptures.
Zuzims = Roving Creatures
Emims = Terrors

Were the Sons of God up to their shenanigans again? Were the Rephaims, Zuzims and the Emims the aberrational offspring similiar what was occuring when God destroyed the world by flood in Genesis 6? If so, I can see God using Chedorlaomer and his loyal subject to cut them down. This type of thing continued to occur, even after this. Remember the Giants in the land when Joshua and Caleb spied the promise land and we can't forget Goliath, the giant brought down by David.

I leave you with these questions. Could this be going on today? What did Y'shua mean when he said, about the end times, "...as in the days of Noah? Could the end of days see these giants come back?

What do you think?

Genesis 14:1-4 A Message From God concerning Satan and his Antichrist?

"And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled "

Here we have a strange story injected by the Holy Spirit into the account of Abram. For twelve years, the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and the king of Zoar had served Chederloamer, the king of Elam. Obviously, they had enough and rebelled and met for war in the valley near the Salt Sea or the Dead Sea. This is an actual story involving a well known figure, Hammurabi.

Hammurabi is known for the set of laws called Hammurabi's Code, one of the first written codes of law in recorded history. These laws were inscribed on stone tablets standing over eight feet tall. They were found in Persia in 1901. Because of Hammurabi's reputation as a lawgiver, his depiction can be found in governmental buildings world wide.

However, what intrigues me is the possible message found in these passages. If we take the names of the kings and their kingdoms and find their meaning, we find the following:

Amraphel = "fall of the sayer of darkness"
Shinar = "Babylon"
Arioch = "one who is fierce, savage and vicious"
Ellasar = "God will chasten"
Chedorlaomer = "to bound after the harvest"
Elam = "for eternity"
Tidal = "the great son"
Goyim = "nations"
Bera = "son of evil"
Sodom = "will burn forever"
Birsha = "iniquity"
Gomorrah = "will be submersed"
Shinab = "For the Glory of the father"
Admah = "man of the earth"
Shemeber = "lifted high in arrogance, flight"
Zeboim or Zeboiim = "swift"
Bela = "destruction"
Zoar = "be no more"

Putting them in sentence form, do we find the punishment for Satan and/or the Anti-Christ?

The fall of the Sayer of Darkness, Babylon, one who is fierce and vicious will be chastened by God, to be bound after the harvest for eternity.

The Great Son of the Nations, the Son of Evil, will burn forever, because of his iniquity.

By the splendor of the Father, the man of the earth, who will is lifted up in arrogance will fly swiftly into destruction and be no more.

 In Proverbs 25:2, it is written, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter."

What do you think?

Shalom

Genesis 13:14-18 True Separation

"And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD."

Finally!!! We have Abram where G-d intended him to be, by himself. If you remember, back in Genesis 12:1, G-d told Abram to get out of his country, away from his family unto a land he would show him. However, Abram has done everything else but what G-d wanted him to do. Now we see Abram maturing to the point where he is ready to begin the next step in his relationship with G-d.

This is great example of how we respond to G-d. Instead of being where G-d wants you and me to be, we run the opposite direction. G-d wants us to be separated from the world and reliant on G-d alone. We need to ask ourselves on a daily basis, are we where G-d wants us to be?

Here we also have G-d, not only promising the land to Abram, but also to make Abram's seed more numerous than the dust of the earth. At first thought, you would think that Israel and all the Jews were his legacy. However, all the Jews from the beginning of time could not fulfill what G-d intends here. Fulfillment also includes the body of Christ. Also, Israel has never occupied the land is now showing Abram here.

In the future, we will see the Jews inhabit the land he is showing Abram. However, we will also see the complete seed of Abram, the Body of Christ, inhabit the new earth and the new Jerusalem.

Genesis 13:5-13 A Sign of Faith

And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

Even though both Abram and Lot lived a short time outside of G-ds will, they were children of G-d and were rewarded with riches. However, as we discussed back in Genesis 12, Abram was called out of Ur not his family. At that time, Abram lacked the faith to leave without his family. Now, we are seeing circumstances in Abram's life move him further in that direction. G-d wanted Abram to rely on G-d alone in order to build the faith that will build a nation.

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

We see a major leap of faith. Abram is not only willing to separate himself from the world, but also the rest of his family. Knowing that G-d will provide no matter what, Abram allows Lot to choose the best of the land for himself. However, as we will see, Lot is about to learn the grass isn't always greener on the other side lesson.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Lot must have been foaming at the mouth. He thought he was getting the best of both worlds. Notice he references the garden and Egypt. This shows Lot true nature and the way G-d feels about those who try to live with one foot with G-d and one foot in the world.

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

I find it interesting that Abram ends up in a land whose name means to humble and subjegate oneself while worldly Lot ends up in a land whose name means scorched. To me, this shows that G-ds Word is always teaching us lessons on how he wants us to live our lives.

Shabbat Shalom

Genesis 13:1-4 Get Back...Get Back...Get Back To Where You Once Belong

"And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had make there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD."

Here we have Abram, Sarai and Lot returning from Eqypt, through the Negev, back to where they belong, Beth-El. Symbolically, we can say that they are returning from being in the world back to G-d and sometimes, it requires traveling through the Negev, the wilderness.

G-d knew that Abram would be faithful and return to him. Therefore, he rewarded him with great riches. G-d does the same with us. There will be times that we will run or play in the world but he knows which of his children will return. Those children will be rewarded with great riches...sometimes material...all the time spiritual.

As a side note, I find it interesting the words in which the Spirit uses. In verse one, instead of saying Abram, Sarai and Lot, he uses Abram, his wife, and Lot. A closer look at the Hebrew word, "ish-shaw', naw-sheem'", which is translated as wife reveals a message. "Ish-shaw', naw-sheem'", can also be translated as adulteress.

This shows that G-d didn't just wink at Abram transgression in Egypt but also holds Sarai accountable for adultery with Pharoah. The Haggadah and other secular sources reveal that this Pharoah was Ashwerosh or Auserra Apopi.

Whenever we play in the world, we are committing adultery. Anytime we put worldly things above G-d, he commit spiritual adultery. However, just as G-d forgave Abram and Sarai, we will forgive us of Spiritual adultery if we turn away from the world and turn to Beth-El, the House of G-d.

Shalom Aleichem

Genesis 12: 11-20 Why Did Abram Lie? Did He Lack Faith?

And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou [art] a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This [is] his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she [was] very fair.The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

In the past few verses, we see G-d speak to Abram, call him out of his ancestrial home, gave him a promise of a new life, land, and blessing and then show him the actual land. We then see Abram head to Egypt at the first sign of trouble.

Now we have Abram talking his beautiful wife into lying for him in case someone wanted to kill him for her.

Before we go any further, Egypt is seen as symbolic for the world. This, along with the past couple of verses, should peak our interest. So far, we have G-d revealing himself to Abram, calling him to be sanctified, separated from the world. We see G-d giving the promise and at the sign of trouble, he heads where? The world not G-d.

That is so typical of us humans. G-d proves himself everyday as long as we open our eyes. He is there. Why is it that in times of despondency, we turn our backs on the only one who can help us. It's a lack of faith. I sorry if that sounds harsh, but it's the truth.

We say we believe but head for the nearest tree at the first sign of rain. We need to continually rely on the promises of G-d. Was Abram faithless? No. He lacked the faith to get him through. As we will see, that will change.

I have a disagreement with a lot of people concerning faith. When we come to G-d through the Messiah, we gain the gift of the indwelling of G-d's Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to be perfect b'nai Elohim. However, we lack the faith. We see the same here with Abram. He and Sarai rather run to the world instead of relying on the promises of G-d. He was an immature believer. Unfortunately, we all go through those growing pains. Even more unfortunately, some of us never grow out of it.

And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What [is] this [that] thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she [was] thy wife? Why saidst thou, She [is] my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take [her], and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

This blows me away. However, it does answer the questions many people have concerning others who call themselves Christian and appear to be evil. At first, Abram lied and now he's benefitting from it. Doesn't that seem so wrong? So evil? Secondly, It is such a bad testimony which will turn people away from G-d.

As in so many cases throughout our lives, we have to step back and separate the person from the actions. This is no different. Abram lacked enough faith to rely on G-d's promises but enough faith to believe and act intially on it.

Again, we are the same way. As we will see, Abram will grow in faith. That's what we have to do. G-d's is pleased when you believe in him and act upon it. However, it is necessary to grow continually. If we don't and we continually live in and rely on the world, we may still call him Lord, but don't be surprised if the Lord says, "Depart from me, I never knew you."

This would be such a tragedy because it's so easy....if we only rely on G-d and his promises.

Shalom

Genesis 12:9-10 Abrams First Mistake and Ours?

And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was] grievous in the land.

G-d told Abram that he was going to make him a great nation, a great people, a blessing to all the earth. However, at the site of a little trouble, he hightails it out of the country. What's up with that? Did Abram think that G-d was messing with him, only to lead him to a place in order to die.

Why is it that everytime we have problems in our life, we attempt to run away? Didn't Abram believe G-d? Don't we believe G-d? Didn't G-d promise to take care of Abram? Aren't those same promises ours to claim?

Then why do we also turn our backs on G-d and attempt to remedy the problems in our lives ourselves. Do we not think G-d is capable?

Unfortunately, it's human nature. However, we need to rely on G-ds nature, not our own. But, most of the time, we don't. And when we don't and we fall flat on our faces, the most important thing to do turn to G-d in these troubled times in order that our faith in him is increased.

Abram does exactly that but not before he gets himself in trouble and leaves us a bad example to follow. That, my friends, is for the next entry. I leave you with something Y'shua told us in Matthew 6:26.

"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?"

G-d takes care of us, even if you don't believe it. It's all about faith. Believe it.

Shalom