​

 
Sweat trickled in small streams down his face, making narrow rivulets through the dust and grime.  He lifted his hand over his head and brought is down again in a swift, sudden movement, beating the miniscule wheat out of the chaff.  The process was especially difficult—there was no breeze to chase away the chaff or the heat that beat down upon him, the waves dancing up and down upon the chiseled-out rock winepress. 
      “Egypt,” the man of God had said.  “Deliverance.”  “...Gave us this land.”  The words repeated continuously in his mind, in cadence with every blow.  The “God of Israel.” The One who “led” us. 
      The young man paused, lifting his back up into a standing position, arching against the pain.  His painfully thin arm reached up and scrubbed away at the sweat trickling into his eyes, the salt stinging, the moisture blurring his vision.  He looked out over the fields below.  Stripped. Bare.  Ugly. Brown. 
      They had come again and left nothing.  Seven long years they had come. He looked down again to his small pile.  All he had beaten out was barely enough to sow for next year, let alone live off of through the winter.
      He felt tears spring to his eyes, smarting painfully before joining the sweat pooling on his chin.  The man of God had given no hope. Just condemnation.  Only a reminder of what God had done for others.  Just the statement: “You haven’t obeyed.” 
      He knew it was true.  He’d watched his village meet at the Asherah pole and sacrifice what they had to Baal.  They’d hoped that serving the gods of their enemies would prevent their enemies from coming, would ensure an abundant harvest and bigger families. But the child sacrifice had only made their numbers smaller, only brought more pain and grief as the laughter in the streets had turned to silence and the sound of the little feet running had ceased.
      Even more shameful was that it was his own dad who had set it up.  As he recalled that night, his head hung lower and his shoulders, their blades sticking gauntly from his back, began to slump.  His dad had thought maybe they could be like the other nations; that wealth and abundance could come to them just like it seemed to for their enemies. 
     They used to have some things, but now there was nothing left—except his dad’s bulls.  Those he had kept.  They were a symbol of Ba’al, the storm god who controlled the rains that made their crops grow.  They were sacred. They had to be fed and fattened with the grain that was withheld from the starving people.
      A picture of the idol sprang to his mind, the golden head of the bull with his horns of strength and might raised up into the sky. His arms were outstretched, waiting for the children he would be given in exchange for his favor.  The sacred tree-pole of the Asherah goddess was erected next to him, her promise of supernatural fertility mocking the now emaciated worshippers.
      Gideon shuddered as he shook away the horror of what he’d seen, wishing to erase it from his memory.  How could people be so cruel? 
      He looked up again, eager to look elsewhere, to redirect his mind.  He sighed.  Yes, they did deserve this.  They had given their children and disobeyed God’s commands.  He had told them never to give their children or to serve those idols.         
   He felt anger grip his heart, tightening, painful in its intensity.  In a sudden, weary exhaustion, the anger collapsed back to fear and despair. 
      God would never forgive them. They were here because of their own sin.   
      There was no hope.

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yehovah, and Yehovah gave them into the hand of Midian (מִדְיָן S#4080 midyan: descended from Abraham’s son Midian by his wife Keturah; from מִדְיָן S#4079 madown: brawling, contention) seven years. 2And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3For whenever the Israelites scattered seed, the Midianites and the Amalekites (עֲמָלֵק S#6002 Amalek: a descendant of Esau; from עָמַל S#5998 strenuous human effort that carries a sense of weariness, frustration, and even sorrow) and the people of the East would come up against them. 4They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no ability to stay alive in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to Yehovah. Judges 6:1-5

7When the people of Israel cried out to Yehovah on account of the Midianites, 8 Yehovah sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says Yehovah, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10And I said to you, ‘I am Yehovah your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.” Judges 6:7-10
              

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Luke 10:16
 
And they went back and reported [Jesus' resurrection\ to the rest, but they did not believe them either. 14Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 16:13-14

11Now the Ambassador of Elohim came and sat under the oak (אִלָה S#424 or terebinth; from אַיִל S#352 strength, mighty, a pillar, a mighty man, to be twisted together to form a stronger element, as in a cord) at Ophrah  (from עָפַר S#6080-6083 dust), which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon ( גִּדְעוֹן S#1439: one who cuts down, a warrior, a feller of trees; from גָּדַע S#1438 gada  and גָּדַל S#1438 gadol: to twist, to be great, to grow, to be mighty) was beating out wheat in the winepress to allow it to escape from the Midianites. Judges 6:11
 

12And the Ambassador of Elohim (מֲלְאָךְ S#4397 / מֶלֶךְ S#4428 malek: ambassador, king, envoy of the king; אֱלהִים S#430 elohim: plural of God, the triune godhead) appeared to him and said to him, “Yehovah is with you, O mighty man of valor!” (חַיִל S#2428 chayil: mighty, valor, abundance, wealth) 13And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if Yehovah is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not Yehovah bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yehovah has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 

14And Yehovah turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה S#4519; from נָשָׁה S#5382 to cause to forget), and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16And Yehovah said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 17And he [Gideon] said to Him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. 18Please do not depart from here until I come to You and bring out my present and set it before You.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”
​

[God\ allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
15saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!”
When [God\ summoned a famine on the land
and broke all supply of bread,
17He had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18His feet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19until what He had said came to pass,
the word of the Lord tested him.
20The king sent and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21he made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions, Psalm 105:14-21 ESV
  

19So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth [oak\ and presented them. 20And the Ambassador of Elohim said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this Rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21Then the Ambassador of Elohim reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the Rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the Ambassador of Elohim vanished from his sight. 22Then Gideon perceived that he was the Ambassador of Elohim. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the Ambassador of Elohim face to face.” 23But Yehovah said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24Then Gideon built an altar there to Yehovah and called it, Yehovah Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah (dust), which belongs to the Abiezrites (אֲבִי הָעֶזְרִי S#33 abi (father of) ezer (help).
​

 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:30-35

​And they [the two disciples of Luke 24:30-36\ went back and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Mark 16:13
 
36As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.  Luke 24:36-37
 
14Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 16:14
​

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26
 
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

25That same night Yehovah said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it 26and build an altar to Yehovah your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as Yehovah had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. Judges 6:25-27
​

At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Matt. 26:55-56

There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. Exodus 28:21

15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:15-16
​

After [Pilate\ had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in [Jesus\. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. 
​John 18:38-40

28When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. 29And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash (יְהוֹאָשׁ S#3060 fire of Yehovah) has done this thing.” 30Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” 31But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” 32Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.
Judges 6:28-32
​

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” Luke 23:35

22“And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
Deut. 21:22-23
​

Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrina devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate. Mark 15:1
​

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”
Gal 3:13
 
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5:21 ESV
 
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Col 2:13-15
      

The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.
There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:32-37

Love.

Listen, O Israel: The Lord our God [plural\, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your physicality [nephesh\ and with all your everything [me'od\. 
​Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”
On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened. Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
Acts 5:1-5

Listen.

...And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,...Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Rev. 12:4-11

​Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient servants, you are servants of the one you obey—whether you are servants to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
​Rom. 6:16

Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!
Romans 6:1 
​
Or do you show contempt for the riches of God’s kind grace, forbearance and mercy, not realizing that it is his kind grace that leads to repentance?
 Romans 2:4 

About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened. “Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?”
“Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”
“How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
Acts 5:7-10
​

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God [plural\ and your sins have hidden His faces from you, that He will not hear. Isaiah 59:2
  

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Rev. 3:20-22
​

 And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events.
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade. Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them. Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women.
Acts 5:11-14

Live.

"An hour is coming and is now here when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will live!"  John 5:25

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14These all continued with one unity in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. Acts 1:12-14
​

PRAYER UNIFIES BELIEVERS

​15And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16“Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17for he was numbered with us and allotted a lot in this ministry.” Acts 1:15-17
​

PROPHECY FUELS FAITH

​18(Now this man purchased a field with the misthos/reward/wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels [splachna\ poured out. 19And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field[place/land\ is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field[place/land\ of Blood [kinship\.)
20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
‘Let his dwelling place be desolate,
And let no one live in it’; Acts 1:18-20
​

PLACES OF WITNESS MUST BE STEWARDED

19You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace.
All my adversaries are before You.
20Insults have broken my heart,
and I am in despair.
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found no one.
21They poisoned my food with gall
and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.
 
May their camp be a desolation;
let no one dwell in their tents.
26For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
27Add to them punishment upon punishment;
may they have no acquittal from you.
28Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
let them not be enrolled among the righteous. Psalm 69

​16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his splachna/heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18
​
1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any splachna and sympathy, 2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full unity and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phil 2:1-4

...​and,
‘Let another take his overseership.’
21“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
23And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. Acts 1:20b-23

PROPOSALS BUILD THE CHURCH

24And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25to take place of ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” 
26And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Acts 1:24-26
​

PRAYER BRINGS THE GIFT OF GOD

Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding."
Jeremiah 3:15 

7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it a says:
“When he ascended on high,
Leading a host of many captives
and gave gifts to his people.” b
 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4

Every year Pesach is celebrated, and every year the Jewish nation awaits their Messiah. When we visited Israel two years ago, I was able to speak with a Jew at the Pool of Siloam.  He questioned me about Jesus, and told me that the Jewish people are fearfully awaiting the coming of the Messiah, because they are told that he was coming soon, ready or not.  To get ready, they are told, they must do enough good works.  Sometime between now and the end of the 6000 years of the world, he will come.  If they are ready, it will be to set up his kingdom.  If they are not, it will be to judge them.  He asked me about our Messiah.  We talked about how Jesus, a Jew, is the passover lamb, crucified for our sins to bring us back into a relationship with God.  We talked about how He is coming again, and all those who place their faith and trust in Him have no fear of His coming, but only joy and anticipation!

It was deeply sad to me that, for many of the Jews, a "veil lies over their hearts," so that they cannot see that their Messiah has come.

Yet hidden in their own Seder meal is the very heart of the gospel.  Moses prophesied that a “Prophet like” him would come, One whom God’s people must listen to.  The Messiah, a prophet deliverer like Moses has come, was rejected, suffered and died for our sins to reconcile us to the Father and rose again to give us new life! This good news is first for the Jews, then to the Gentiles.  Not only that, but the Exodus story is prophesied to repeat itself, when our Messiah returns for His people.  On that day, The Suffering Messiah will come as the Triumphant King!  God’s people will be delivered and the Enemy we see before us today, we will see no more forever! (Ex. 13:14)

As we meditate on this holy and deeply meaningful feast, I invite you to join us as we discover the meaning behind each element and the incredible hope we have as we await our Messiah, Jesus, who will return again for us!
​

Yeast Removal 

Fast of the Firstborn

Cessation from Work

Seder Meal (Last Supper/Communion)

Bringing the Firstfruits (Bikkurim)

Isaiah 53  
​
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief;
when his soul makesh an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall seei and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” John 21:15
​

We must hear and 0bey by agape-loving God.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deut. 6:4-5

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas (Peter)” (which is translated, A Rock). John 1:40-42

We must agape-love God more than anything in the world.

 And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. Luke 5:10-11

Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:12-14, 25-33
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If we love Jesus, we must Shepherd His Church. 

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deut. 6:4-7

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? 1 cor. 3:1-3
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Jesus said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you agape-love Me?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I have affection for You.”
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He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”
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We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Heb. 5:11-14
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Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter (a small pebble or easily moved stone), and on this Rock (a large, cliff-side rock used as a foundation to build structures) I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying  “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
 Matthew 16:16-28
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“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:11-13
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He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for  Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you have phileo-affection for Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I have phileo-affection for You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
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Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
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Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”
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Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Matt 16:28
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It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.
So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”
Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, 'come, let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side.' But he did not tell his father.  And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron.  The people who were with him were about six hundred men.  Abijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod.  But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.  1 Samuel 14:1-3 ​

'Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side.  And the name of one was Bozez {slippery|, and the name of the other Seneh {Thorny| Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, 'Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us; For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.' v. 4-6   ​

“So his armorbearer said to him, 'Do all that is in your heart.  Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.'  Then Jonathan said, 'Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.  If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them.  But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.”  v. 7-10   ​

“So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines.  And the Philistines said, 'Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden!.'  Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said 'Come up to us, and we will show you something!' Jonathan said to his armorbearer, 'Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.  And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan.  And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them.  That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within half an acre of land.  And there was terror in the camp, in the field, and among all the people.  The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling.  Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there. Then Saul said to the people who were with him, 'Now call the roll and see who has gone from us.' And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.  And Saul said to Ahijah, 'Bring the ark of God here (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel).  Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, 'Withdraw your hand.' Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man's sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.  Moreover the Hebrews (Israelites) who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.  Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.  So the Lord saved Israel that day....” v. 11-23a   ​

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.  And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall be built up by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.  So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.  And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.  And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”  But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai humbled her, and she fled from her. Genesis 16:1-6

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. Lev. 19:33-34

The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.  And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”  The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael,  for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: El Roi: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”  That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Genesis 16:7-16
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Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.  For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.  You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.  Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. 1 Cor. 7:21-24
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And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”  And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son.  But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.  And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”  So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes.  Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept.
Genesis 21:8-16

If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has acted treacherously deceitful  (bagad) with her. ….If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. If he does not provide her with these three [food, clothing, marital rights] things, she is to go free, without any payment of money. Ex. 21:8, 10, 11
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And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”  Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.  And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow.  He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. 
​Genesis 21:17-21
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Yahweh will turn our running into relationship,
our hostility into harmony and our victimization into victory! 

The Lord Sees and Tests Us
“After these things God tested Abraham….” Gen 22:1a
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After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Gen 22:1-4

When We Hear God Calling,
​We Must Obey and Look Expectantly to Him
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הִנֵּֽנִי

​​Hineni
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“…a pure astonished, unguarded affirmation given before all the facts are known.  It is a spontaneous, unequivocal commitment promising: ‘I am here,’ where and as you find me, fully attentive, focused, all in.  And even more, ‘I am here’- all of me, with all that I am and all that I can be.1​
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With reference to the past or present, it points generally to some truth either newly asserted, or newly recognized…. With reference to the future, it serves to introduce a solemn or important declaration….It is an offer of complete availability, of total readiness to serve.  When we utter, ’hineni,’ we make ourselves fully available to whatever it is God might ask of us.  Even without knowing what that might be. The answer of ‘hineni’ is one of faith….We see ‘hineni’ appear at pivotal moments throughout Scripture.  Moments when profound change is about to take place in the lives of those responding to God.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. HEB 11:17
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On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
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When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
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The Lord Sees to the Exchange
מוֹרִיָּה

Moriah

But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, (Yahweh Yireh) “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
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And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.
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God’s Provision Is Far Greater: God Gives Himself
יְהוָ֣ה יִרְאֶ֑ה 

Yahweh Yireh
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“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I (hineni)” Isaiah 58:9
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There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years, and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 ​

We must prepare the way for our Redeemer! ​

We must wait expectantly on the Lord!  ​

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:18-21 
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We must tell the good news! ​

  “In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 

    “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. 

    Seated on his own judgment seat, Pilate stared down at the King of the Jews.  Jesus stood before him beaten, sleepless and, most recently, flogged, the blood dripping down his entire body and pooling on the stone pavement.   
    It was clear that the witnesses against this man had been incited to perjury. The charges should be dropped. But angry mobs don’t listen to reason.  Fear-driven hearts no longer make logic-based decisions.  
     As was true of them, so also of himself.  
  Pilate sat staring into nothingness, as the near-riotous throng chanted incessantly, “crucify Him,” while the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar,” their voices mingling in a kind of macabre counterpoint rising in a mighty crescendo and crashing upon itself. The scene was chaotic and frenzied, and his efforts at de-escalation had miserably failed.   
     Internally, however, he was terrified. “We have a law,” the Jewish leaders had insisted, “and according to that law He must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God....” 

      Jesus, the Son of God.    

     As the king of Judea, the smallest nation the might of Rome had consumed, there was nothing about this Jesus, vulnerable, pathetic and near-dead, that looked like a threat to Caesar.  But Pilate could not escape the fear gripping his heart:

     What if this Jesus is the Son of God?     
                                                                       Adapted from John 18:38

Objective truth is necessary for life

Humans have no inherent ability to set their own standard

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:22-26  ​​

Only God can set an objective standard for His creation

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8 
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“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."  John 15:9-13

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” Daniel 6:1-5
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Let’s remain—faithful and thankful.
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Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. v. 6-10
​

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38
​

 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 
Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
​Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
 
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. v. 11-18

Persecution is the catalyst for
​restorative relationship with God. 
​

Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be to the end.
He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. v. 19-28
​

 אַֽעַלְךָ֣  
’a-‘al-ḵā 
Verb: Imperfect Hiphil
"​I myself will continuously bring you up"​

So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Genesis 45:25-28 ESV
 
So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”
​Genesis 46:1-4 ESV
​

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Genesis 15:12-16

The time that the people of Israel
lived in Egypt was 430 years. 
At the end of 430 years, on that very day,
​all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 
​It was a night of watching by the LORD,
to bring them out of the land of Egypt…. 
Exodus 12:40-42a
​

perílypos 
​from 4012 /perí, "encompassing" and 3077 /lýpē, "sorrow") – properly, being sorrowful "all-around," i.e. engulfed in sorrow.1
​

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.  “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Matthew 26:36-41
​

    "During Roman rule, olive presses numbered in the thousands—in groves scattered all over Israel and the Roman Empire. Large and small presses made of stone crushed the harvested fruit. The larger presses included stones suspended with ropes from wooden crossbeams—stones that weighed up to a ton. The pulp eventually underwent enough crushing that the precious commodity could be emptied into clay jars. The refined oil was used in cooking, anointing oil, and Temple lights.  
      In Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) we read this compelling verse, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Like the wooden beams holding the stones on the olive presses, our Savior Jesus bore the wooden beams of the crucifixion tree crushed under the incalculable weight of our sins." 4
​

Stay Here

Keep Watch

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
  Who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
   And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name above all names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

​For my Father’s will is that everyone
who looks to the Son and believes in him
shall have eternal life,
and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 6:40
​

     Daniel stared down at the plate of meats in front of him, its steam wafting enticingly.  His mouth began to salivate, and his stomach tightened uncontrollably.  Looking up, Daniel stared around him at the other young nobility, conflicting thoughts racing through his head. Surveying the room, he saw each of them reaching hungrily for the plentiful varieties of cheeses, meats, fruits and wine. 
     The richest of the king’s food, from the king’s own table, would now be provided for each of the captives.  Royal heirs of each of their distinct yet conquered lands, they had been hand-selected to serve the great King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the ruling emperor of the farthest reaches of the known world. 
     They had just begun their three-year training period, where they would be trained in all wisdom, magic arts, and languages.  Only those eminently qualified to learn, those without any physical or mental defect, would be qualified to serve the king personally. 
     Daniel’s eyes stopped as he caught the agonized stares of his relatives, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  They too, he thought, must be wondering the same thing he was.  In a land far from home, with false worship, false gods, and cultures that could not conform to all-encompassing worship of Hashem, the one true God, they had each been given new and idolatrous names to reflect what was decided by others to be their new allegiance to Babylon.  His own, Belteshazzar, was meant to change his identity from “God is my judge” to “Bel will protect him.” 
     Daniel looked down again, pondering the effect of his next choice. They had so very little control.  Their time, their food, their career training—it was all decided for them.  Even the possibility of spousal relationships had been removed from their control.  The control over their lives extended to worship, clothing, and even their very lives.  There wasn’t a choice left for them to make, it would seem.
     It was understood that they were to forget their homelands, gods, cultures and families, and become one with the diversity of the melting pot of the world.  Eating from the king’s table, consuming the meat sacrificed to the idols of Babylon, would, in effect, be their own, individual entering the rituals of the pagan rites and becoming one with them through that worship.
In a moment, Daniel knew what he must do. 
     He was Daniel: a worshiper of YHWH, a son of Abraham.  It was a value and identity worth more than any life he could have in Babylon.  He resolved that he would never defile himself with the idols of the nations.  Praying quickly for Hashem’s protection and wisdom, Daniel got up and approached the head of the eunuchs. 
   Smiling at Daniel’s approach, Ashpenaz greeted Daniel warmly, “Belteshazzar!  How can I be of service to you?” 
“Ashpenaz, I appreciate all that you do for us!  We wish to serve you and King Nebuchadnezzar with the best of our abilities, according to what Hashem, God Most High, has given to us.  But as followers of Hashem, we will not have His blessing or wisdom in order to bless the King if we participate in the sacrifice to other gods.  King Nebuchadnezzar will only benefit from Hashem’s wisdom through us in his court if we keep ourselves from other sacrificial worship according to Hashem’s law.”
    As Daniel spoke, he watched Ashpenaz’ face. The smile faded, and anxious creases formed above his eyes.  As Ashpenaz absorbed the information, a look of panic swept over him as he realized both the enormity and impossibility of this situation.  For the king must have the wisdom of all the gods!  But if Belteshazzar and the others refused to eat from the king’s table and grew weak, he, Ashpenaz, would be blamed.  His punishment would be unmerciful and unnegotiable.  He would be killed for dereliction of duty.
    His face ashen, Ashpenaz turned pleading eyes to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you!”
    Daniel’s face softened with compassion. This man, as much as he seemed to control every aspect of Daniel’s life, was himself a pawn in a much broader and destructive game.  He himself was controlled, not by his own choices, but of that of another. 
     Surely Hashem would not value ceremonial laws above one of His own created people! There must be a way to walk in obedient worship while still caring for others.
     An idea came to Daniel.  “Ashpenaz, Hashem values you and your life and family as well as the king and our people.  He will make a way to bless all of us through our worship of Him.  Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but plant food to eat and water to drink.  Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 
    A look of relief spread over Ashpenaz’ features. Smiling again, his eyes gratefully acknowledging the wisdom and care Daniel had shown, he nodded vigorously and agreed to the arrangement. 
 
Excerpt Fictionalized from Daniel 1

ἐγκράτεια 
egkráteia --en, "in the sphere of" and krátos, "dominion, mastery") – properly, dominion within. "Self-control" – proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself. True mastery from within. 1
​

Love Resolves in Self-Control

 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Cor. 5:14-15     

​praótēs– temperate, displaying the right blend of force and reserve. This "strength in gentleness" produces an appropriate response out of unselfish care for others while simultaneously avoiding compromise.  
​

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
​
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
 Phil 2:1-11

pístis (from peithô, "persuade, be persuaded") – properly, persuasion (be persuaded, come to trust); 
​faith.
​

    There she was: disheveled, dirty, her hair flying raggedly in the breeze.  She just wouldn't leave them alone.  It felt so frustrating. 
     And there was Jesus just ahead, moving silently along the road, each footstep raising small clouds of dust in the wind.  He was still ignoring her, his silence dramatically different from the crowd and marked by the absence of the slurs and racial epithets of the throng. Of course,  as a rabbi Peter wouldn't have expected any less of Him.  Esteemed rabbis didn't even speak to their own wives in public, but she was a Gentile woman. Jesus' toleration of her insolence without rebuke was angering.  
   Moving through the Gentile areas of what had once belonged to the Chosen People under King Solomon, and still yet was their inheritance by God, they were now walking in the region of Tyre and Sidon. Simon cringed again as she called out, her incessant voice rasping with overuse: “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”
    Unclean, defiled-- in so many ways.  Like the small street dogs that ranged through the villages, rolling in excrement, eating rotting food. Every kind of Gentile sin marked her from her clothing and jewelry to her lack of a veil, with not even an attempt at keeping the Jewish law given them from God.  How dare she come now in all her perversity and call out the Messianic name of Jesus!  "Son of David"--The Jews' Messiah!  The anger and frustration kept mounting.  

     And still Jesus did not answer a word.

    Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Simon turned to face James and John.  Their eyes sparked as they leaned in to be heard above the crowd: "Peter, you tell Him!  He will listen to you!  You're the one he said had some faith for coming to Him on the water last week. If he listens to anyone, it will be you." 
    Simon wasn't so sure.  A wave of doubt washed over him.  He could clearly remember that stormy night, when he had yelled across the crash of the waves: he had challenged Jesus to tell him to come to Him on the water--if it was really Him.  Even after being invited, even after stepping closer and closer, he had still doubted and failed. 
  Swallowing nervously, Simon summoned his courage and caught up to Jesus, matching his long strides with Jesus' own.  "Master, send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”         The look came into Jesus' eyes then, a look Simon had grown all too familiar with: a mixture of pain, sorrow, anger and incredulity.   A wave of guilt and shame washed over Simon as a memory came suddenly back to him. A memory of the Master, just yesterday, with them in the field.  Eating the grain. They'd been hungry, and there had been no food.  They'd been sleeping outdoors every night on their way that week.  They themselves had been dirty--it had been a full week since they've had even a foot wash.
    The Pharisees had come and watched them in disgust.  They had demanded that the Master rebuke Simon and the others for not having washed their hands first--they were defiled, unclean. They could be banned from worship at the Temple and synagogues for breaking the rules. 
   Jesus' face had carried that same look then as He had rebuked the Pharisees: “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” 
   Tight-lipped, Jesus turned away from Simon without responding. Turning and looking toward the woman, her tears trailing in salt down her dirty cheeks, he called out to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
    Simon could see the waves of first pain, desperation and then determination spread over the woman's face. 
    The woman came to Jesus. The crowd fell deathly silent.  Simon could hear the breeze whistling through the shrubs behind them. Kneeling before Jesus in the dirt, she demanded persistently, “Lord, help me!” 
     All eyes followed the speakers back and forth, breaths held in.  Jesus looked up from the woman at the crowd.  Looking at Simon, the Master replied to the woman: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
     Pain welled up in Simon's heart at His words.  That's exactly what he had asked for. It's how he had felt.  It just sounded so terribly callous coming from the Master's mouth. The desperation in the woman's face flashed back to his mind.      But undaunted the woman was speaking again, lowering herself to even the worst of insults, lowering her body yet further to the ground: “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
    Jesus' face broke into a wide grin as He threw back His head and laughed, His expression exultant: “O woman, your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” 
   Simon watched her face, now radiantly beautiful as she stood shakily to her feet, thanking the Master profusely before running off into the distance.

   "Your faith is great," Jesus had said. Incredibly, Simon realized with a sudden understanding, it had taken a greater faith to come to Jesus through a hostile crowd, facing the shame and insults, than to walk on water after being invited to come!  Simon had thought he had passed such a great test--doing the impossible, walking on the water. 
​   But the greater honor of a larger test had been reserved for this Gentile woman.  She had believed after being rejected and reviled. She had pursued Jesus after being turned away.  Simon's test had won him some modicum of respect among the disciples, but the woman's faith was one that brought redemption and healing to her household, transforming her very nature through one radical word from the Master.   

"And her daughter was healed at that very moment."
​Matt 15:28

Great Faith
chooses suffering, disgrace, and pilgrimage to seek and find Jesus
​

Great Faith
​is unafraid and unhindered by the power and scorn of others
​

Great Faith
perseveres because we see the nature of the invisible God through spiritual eyes
​

Great Faith
welcomes the sanctifying and healing Spirit of God over our households
​

You need to persevere so
that when you have done the will of God,
you will receive what he has promised.  For,

“In just a little while,
    he who is coming will come
    and will not delay.”

 And,

“But my righteous one will live by faith.
    And I take no pleasure
    in the one who shrinks back.”

 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
​(Heb. 10:37-39)

     Shaul pulled his tunic over his head, his arms leaden, and his heart heavy.  His empty stomach cramped with hunger. Opening the woven reed basket, Shaul pulled out the last piece of bread and placed it on the table.  Looking over at his wife and children, still sleeping on the floor and huddling together for warmth, he walked over to them, crouched down, and pulled their blanket just a little higher.  The days were getting shorter, and the nights chillier.  Winter would soon be coming, but without work there would be no food.   
     Closing the door of their home softly behind him, he briskly started his daily walk to the marketplace.  Every day it had been the same.  He had waited all day long for work, but it was always someone else who was hired.  A sickening feeling of desperation washed over him as he thought about going home empty handed yet again.
     As Shaul reached the crowded marketplace, the workers for hire section teemed with jobless men pressing forward. Straining to see who they were reaching toward, he saw the man get down from the cart—tall, well dressed in fine robes with rings on his fingers.  His hair and beard were perfectly trimmed, and his eyes shone with health and vigor.   
    “A denarius to work in my vineyard today!  I need ten men,” the master called out. Men surged forward into the cart, filling it before Shaul had time to process the information.  A denarius would last him a week with his family!1 It was too good to be true—and now he was too late.  In spite of himself, he could feel tears painfully welling up as he watched the cart jostle its way out of the marketplace and out to the rolling countryside.   
      Shaul.  His mother had named him appropriately.  It meant to ask, beg—even to demand of God.  Always last, always waiting.  Like one untimely born.  He had been doing nothing but that since he had lost his job last year.  And today it had been all three in turns: his angry, frustrated, and pain-filled soul cries silently pleading with a God who didn’t seem to hear.
    As the day wore on, the master of the vineyard returned again and again, and each time Shaul was unable to get to the cart first.  The master had changed his agreement these later times: “Whatever is right I will give you,” he kept saying.  Around him, the marketplace workers emptied, while he and just a few others waited through the day, hungry and tired. 
     The sun was close to going down. The eleventh hour.  There would be no more work today.  Shaul turned, defeated, to go home. And then he heard the cart behind him, creaking one more time on the uneven stones. Shaul turned back to see the master sitting on the cart.
     Looking down at Sha’al, he asked the remaining men, “why have you remained standing here all day?”  “Because no one has hired us,” Shaul responded, hope rising achingly in his heart. Whatever he received, it might be enough to bring home food for dinner. The master replied, ”You also come work in my vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.”

                ********************************** 
   Shaul pulled out the silver coin again, fingering it wonderingly.  A denarius.  A denarius for only an hour of work.  An hour for a week’s worth of food!  It was crazy.  There was no way that the master could make enough profit with generosity like that.  It was too good.
   But when the first workers had seen how generous the master had been, they had been angry, assuming that they should receive more.  Shaul would never forget the master’s response: “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way.” The master had looked at Shaul then: “I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?”
     Putting the coin back into his bag, Shaul​ reached for the door of his home, the sound of little running feet reaching his ears, and “Daddy’s home!” filling his heart with joy.

      Adapted from Matt 20:1-16 

   The traveler stopped in his tracks, staring.  Pushing his donkey back, he assessed the situation quickly.  The man’s inert body lay there, blood pooling in the dry, dusty road.  His bruises, laying claim to every area of his body, had taken on rich shades of purple and blue.  His dry, parched lips were cracked and lacerated. 
     A conflict of emotions broiled inwardly as the traveler debated his choice.  He could walk away now--others certainly had.  Despised and rejected, abused and mocked by the very man who lay before him, the traveler had every reason to walk on.  But the more he looked at the injured man, the greater the compassion that welled up inside of him.  In an instant he made a choice. 
   Striding quickly over to the man, the traveler led his protesting donkey forward. Reaching into his saddlebags to take out his oil flask and wine skin, he knelt down poured first the cleansing wine and then the soothing oil generously over the wounds. He then quickly tore pieces of cloth from his own tunic to bind the man’s still spilling blood. Finally, taking off his outer tunic, he covered the man's stripped body.  Bracing himself, he gently lifted up the wounded man’s body and laid him over his own donkey.
    They would need a place to sleep.  While alone the traveler may have saved money sleeping outside.  But there was no way this man could survive in the cold desert night air.  Making a decision, the traveler led the donkey the few miles left to the nearest inn. The host greeted him, taking instant stock of the situation. 
     The night was long, and many times the traveler had to get up and care for the moaning man, giving him drinks of water, changing his bandages, checking on his wounds.  Feverish and delirious, it took all his energy to help the man pull through the fever.  The traveler looked wearily for the rising of the sun, anxious for a respite. 
     At daybreak, the fever broke, and the injured man began to sleep the deep and unbroken sleep of one who is healing. Exhausted, the traveler packed up his few belongings.  Stepping out of the dark room, he blinked wearily, his eyes bloodshot and smarting. 
      Looking around, he found the innkeeper. Pulling out his bag of coins, he quickly counted what he had available.  Two days’ worth of work.  It had been enough to last him for eight days of traveling food.  But even this wouldn’t be enough to care for the extensive injuries and extended stay.  There was no other way around it, however. 
    Handing over the money, he gave instructions for the care and healing of the Jewish man.  He gave the innkeeper assurances of further payment for costs that might be incurred before his return.
   As he turned away and walked out of the inn, his stomach empty and protesting, he pulled himself up onto his donkey and turned her home—home to Samaria.            

​Adaption of Luke 10:25-37

Kindness leads to repentance

People without Jesus need kindness

We have an abundance for meeting people’s
true needs with kindness

---

---

Invest in variety
​

Be careful what we put in
​

Lean our children towards God
​

Keep investing and leave the results to God
​

Make the most of every opportunity
​

Fear God and keep His commandments
​

     King Belshazzar stood trembling violently, his face ashen, his finger pointing eerily to the wall. He stared at the handwriting where, just moments ago the letters, large and imposing, had been etched into the plaster. 
     All night long they had feasted, Belshazzar with his nobles, his wives and concubines. A thousand and more, drinking, celebrating the vastness of the empire over which he ruled.  As they drank, it had come to him…he should toast the gods who had given him this success! He could earn their continued favor, and what better way to do that than with the goblets from the temple of the God they had conquered! 
     He had ordered that they bring out the golden goblets, and he and his thousand nobles had praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone, and offered them tribute—perhaps they would receive this work and grant him more favor and complete his kingdom.
    Suddenly, the fingers of a hand had appeared and written on the wall while Belshazzar watched, his stomach churning and his face draining of its blood. 
     No one could tell him what the words even meant.  The queen had suggested a man, Daniel, a Jew.  She said he had the spirit of the holy gods residing in him.  She said he was insightful, intelligent, and wise as the gods.  That he possessed the power to understand deep puzzles and riddles, and to interpret dreams. 
     And now, there the man stood: confident, quiet, and filled with the wisdom of the aged.  Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
  “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
      “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your very breath and owns all your ways. Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

 “This is the inscription that was written:

                   MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

 “Here is what these words mean:

     Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
     Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
      Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

     “Mene.”  It was fifty shekels. Fifty shekels on one side of the balances, and fifty on the other side.  “Tekel,” a shekel on the first side, but yet on the other side of the scale only an “upharsin”-divided, split—a mere half shekel.  He had come up short by just a half shekel.  No matter what he had done to please the gods, no matter the tribute he had brought, the victories he had won, the amassed wealth, power, fame and women, Belshazzar knew in that moment that he had come up short in the only test that would ever matter, in the eyes of the only One who could ever truly judge. 

    That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain.   

 “Father, I choose to consider it a happy experience that You so favor and delight in me whenever I have hard tests of submission!  Why? Because I know that these tests will prove the genuineness of my faith so that I may be approved by You at the end!  I ask in Jesus' Name that this proving of my faith would work in me a definite and absolute patience that remains in constant submission to Your authority in my life. 
     I now choose to let this patience finish doing that work in me, so that I may go through the necessary stages of maturity in order to be fully mature, phase by phase, stage by stage, until I can function at a full-strength capacity and effectiveness as I serve You, Lord.  As I choose to allow patience to  finish its work in me, I ask that You would cause me to be completely whole--fully everything that You created me to be and in line to fully receive my allotted inheritance with Christ in heaven.  With these two qualities that you are giving me, maturity and completeness, I thank you that I will not come short in any way of meeting Your standard or in failing the test of my faith’s genuineness, but will rather be fully approved by God through the atoning blood of Jesus.” 
 

Peace:
eirḗnē from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole") – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God's gift of wholeness). 1
​

​Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:17-21

"Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 
by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations.

His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 

For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."
​
​Ephesians 2:12-18

What is Joy?  

Those who sow in tears shall reap with
Shouts of Joy!
Psalm 126:5 ESV

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 
But love your enemies, do good to them,
and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.
Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High,
​because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 
Luke 6:32-36

     ”If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
     "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
     "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
      "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.
                                                                         1 Corinthians 13

For forty days the Philistine came forward
every morning and evening and​
​took his stand.

1 Samuel 17:40-54

COVENANT
Let's declare our loyalty and love for God above all!​

Hear, O Israel: The Lord [YHWH\ our God [Elohim, plural for God\, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 
​You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 
Deut. 6:4-7 NKJV
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COMPILE
Let's gather what we need!
​

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself 
five smooth stones from the brook,
​and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had,
and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
1 Sam. 17:40

Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’ Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.
​Deut. 9:1-3

COMPARE
Let's assess the situation from a right perspective!
​

So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.
1 Sam. 17:41-47 NKJV
​

CHARGE!
Let's wield the weapon the enemy uses with confidence!
​

So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
​1 Sam. 17:48-54

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities[all evil spirits\, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Col. 2:13-15 NIV