Old Dog IV

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Bad Decisions

May 28, 2000:

Sometimes GOD does things unexpected. I was rereading the STORY OF RUTH…which is part of the REMEMBRANCE of SHAVUOT….THE FEAST OF WEEKS. Modern Christians call it Pentecost…. and quote Peter quoting the Prophet Joel. It sort of short changes the image we could have.

But THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT had something else planned for me. In the last three verses of JUDGES we have a bizarre combination of images…..

²³ And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
²⁴ And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Theoretically we have a weird downhill spiral. The tribe of Benjamin has been decimated by war with Israel because of their sins and idolatry. They seemed to only be interested in women who danced….they caught them and carried them away. Might seem romantic today but in reality it was kidnapping and rape. But it was a way to rebuild the tribe and everyone “went along with it”….but then comes that last verse….

²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Realistically the majority of the Book of Judges told us that they had been doing “what was right in their own eyes” for one long time. So when Ruth opens it is no real revelation when we hear….

¹ Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land.

Regrettably we are seeing then what is now. Amos states it clearly. No new revelation unless we keep reading.

And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
² And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
³ And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
⁴ And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
⁵ And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

I had never heard anyone teach on the next two verses. But then again much what I hear from THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT is fresh plowing. But this is indeed a warning to any with ears to hear….

The story begins in Bethlehem of Judah where FAMINE is occurring in THE HOUSE OF BREAD. It is a clear picture of the APOSTATE CHURCH in our midst. Take Ephesus, Pergamos, Sardis, Thyatira, and Laodicea and roll them up together and you have today’s reality. A carnal, liberal, church preaching humanism and the doctrines of men and demons. They should be a place where THE BREAD OF LIFE IS FREELY GIVEN to all of ABBA’S CHILDREN. Just does not happen for so many who hunger and thirst.

Now the story begins with Elimelech and his wife Naomi. ELI MELECK means “GOD IS KING” and NAOMI means “PLEASANT”. So should it be in THE HOUSE OF BREAD, only it is not. They have two sons. MAHLON means sick/ illness and CHILION means destruction/ consumption. Imagine the FAMINE so intense that THE KING’S KIDS are DISEASE AND DESTRUCTION. It is no surprise they both die.

Now the STORY OF RUTH begins in tragedy and ends with a KINSMAN REDEEMER that ”buys back” a piece of land. And a PAGAN WOMAN to be his BRIDE. We all know that story and it is a great prophetic promise we all share. But it does not negate a harsh reality that relates to the needs of today.

1. Man is in sin…..
2. Man runs away from where he would have been blessed if he repents and returns…..
3. DISEASE and DESTRUCTION come because a GOD WHO WANTS TO BLESSOBEDIENCE IS FORCED TO CURSE THE DISOBEDIENT.

Man has made BAD DECISIONS since THE GARDEN. Like in Judges we have a “professional clergy” that sold out cheaply. The story goes…

⁶ In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
⁷ And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
⁸ And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.\
⁹ And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
¹⁰ And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
¹¹ And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
¹² And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
¹³ Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

So you can see Bethlehem of Judah had a problem in THE SPIRIT long before THE FAMINE was noticed in the NATURAL. Now here is a guy both Levite and Judean. But he wanted to “find a place”. He did with Micah and Micah’s IDOLS. But it says Micah “consecrated” the man. Micah figured GOD had to bless him. How he figured that out is a mystery, but many seem to be caught up in that mindset all over modern America. Many expect GOD to bless them even when they are refusing to obey HIS WORD. GOD says there are things HE HATES….and righteously curses. Yet man continues to sin and expects blessing. This could be called “iniquity”. But it could also be seen as rebellion. In the NATURAL it could be called “INSANITY”. To demand BLESSING when HIS WORD calls for repentance is exactly that, insanity.

But will THE PRODIGAL come to his senses and return to THE FATHER’S HOUSE? In my spirit I hear two “witnesses”. Both say it is too late and I grieve.

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
⁵ And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
⁶ If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

¹ Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
² And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.

FAMINE IS BAD….BUT THE SWORD CAN NOT BE AS EASILY IGNORED….AS FOR CAPTIVITY……..SELAH…….

Let those with ears to hear

shemuel

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