#Ephraimites

[lordgodjehovahsway]

Judges 12: The Ephraimites Accuses Jephthah Of Betraying Them

1 The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”

2 Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands. 

3 When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?”

4 Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.” 

5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,” 

6 they said, “All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

7 Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon and Abdon

8 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. 

9 He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years. 

10 Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. 

12 Then Elon died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13 After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel. 

14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years. 

15 Then Abdon son of Hillel died and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

[moreapples]

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not upright. The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

—Proverbs 15:1-2, 4, 7-8, 23, 28-29

~~~~~

Freedom in this Speech

By Jennifer Kane

A gentle answer

quiets the storm,

turns aside the fury

like soft rain on parched ground.

But a harsh word,

a spark that feeds the flame,

stirs anger’s heat

like wind through dry fields.

The wise adorn knowledge,

their words bloom like trees of life,

steady, bearing fruit in season,

while foolish words rush like a flood,

sweeping any peace away.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge—

planting kindness in each syllable.

But those whose hearts run crooked

cannot walk the path of truth.

The Lord knows our hearts,

accepts the prayers of the upright,

but from the wicked,

sacrifice is hollow sound.

Joy springs forth

from a word fitly spoken—

like apples of gold,

a timely gift,

an answer weighed in wisdom.

The righteous wait,

measuring words with love,

while the wicked mouth

gushes only harm.

The Lord draws near

to those who seek His way,

listening to gentle voices,

for the prayers of the righteous

delights His heart.

~~~~~

Scriptures: Proverbs 15:1-2, 4, 7-8, 23, 28-29

In a world quick to speak and slow to listen, Proverbs 15 stands as a reminder of the power of our words to build peace and bring healing. Each verse captures the significance of responding with wisdom, a gentle spirit, and a heart tuned to God’s will. Our speech reflects the state of our hearts and impacts our relationship with God and others.

"A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger." Proverbs 15:1 shows us that peace can be preserved with a gentle response. Like a soothing balm, soft words can defuse anger, while harsh words only escalate it. This approach allows God’s grace to shape our responses, making us peacemakers. Just as Gideon’s mildness brought peace to the Ephraimites, our calm words can restore relationships and prevent unnecessary conflict.

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life." the healing power of wise and gentle words, which soothe wounded consciences and restore broken spirits. Our words can be a "tree of life"—they can heal, encourage, and uplift others. When we practice speaking with kindness and grace, we spread hope and comfort, like the leaves of the tree in Revelation that bring healing.

In verses 2 and 7, we’re reminded that wise speech is rooted in a good heart. Those with knowledge should share it, using their words for the benefit of others rather than keeping it to themselves. Wise words are like seeds scattered in fertile soil, able to inspire and strengthen others. On the other hand, foolish talk is destructive, spreading confusion and harm.

God delights in the prayers of the righteous, as verse 8 tells us, while sacrifices from insincere hearts are an abomination to Him. When we come to God with humility and a desire to live according to His will, our prayers are a delight to Him. But if our words and actions lack integrity, they do not please God. A heart grounded in God is seen in sincere prayer and consistent, loving actions toward others.

The joy that comes from speaking wisely and at the right time. It’s better than just the satisfaction of simple a snappy comeback. A well-timed word brings encouragement and blessing, both to the speaker and to the listener. It’s a joy to know that our words have touched someone, offering hope or insight just when it’s needed. This encourages us to be attentive to the Spirit, ready to speak life-giving words at the right moment.

"The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." God is close to those who live righteously and speak wisely, hearing and answering their prayers. When we walk in His ways, He draws near to us, offering His comfort and guidance. Yet, those who defy Him distance themselves from His blessings. Henry emphasizes that God is a present help to those who call on Him in sincerity, and His nearness is a precious gift for all who seek Him.

Consider your words today—are they gentle, healing, and wise? Do they bring peace or stir up conflict? As we cultivate hearts aligned with God’s wisdom, our words become a powerful witness of His love and grace. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to use your words thoughtfully, so they may bring life and healing to all who hear them.

~~~~~

My Lord God,

Please fill my heart with Your wisdom, so that my words may bring peace, healing, and joy. Help me to speak with gentleness and truth, reflecting Your love to those around us. Draw me close to You, and may my words honor and delight You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

[dhaaruni]

And now here we are, almost at the end of this little stream of words. We’ve arrived at the point at which I must state clearly “where I stand on the issue,” that is, which particular political settlement should, in my own, personal view, occur on the other side of a ceasefire. This is the point wherein—by my stating of a position—you are at once liberated into the simple pleasure of placing me firmly on one side or the other, putting me over there with those who lisp or those who don’t, with the Ephraimites, or with the people of Gilead. Yes, this is the point at which I stake my rhetorical flag in that fantastical, linguistical, conceptual, unreal place—built with words—where rapes are minimized as needs be, and the definition of genocide quibbled over, where the killing of babies is denied, and the precision of drones glorified, where histories are reconsidered or rewritten or analogized or simply ignored, and “Jew” and “colonialist” are synonymous, and “Palestinian” and “terrorist” are synonymous, and language is your accomplice and alibi in all of it. Language euphemized, instrumentalized, and abused, put to work for your cause and only for your cause, so that it does exactly and only what you want it to do. Let me make it easy for you. Put me wherever you want: misguided socialist, toothless humanist, naïve novelist, useful idiot, apologist, denier, ally, contrarian, collaborator, traitor, inexcusable coward. It is my view that my personal views have no more weight than an ear of corn in this particular essay. The only thing that has any weight in this particular essay is the dead.

[transgenderer]

in case you ever need to identify the seattle-ites in a mixed crowd for purposes of murder a la the ephraimites a good shibboleth seems to be to have them say "measure" - they like to pronounce it as "may-jure" - an adjunct professor at my college has gotten no end of shit for this

oh like fred scooby doo trayjure...kind of charming. trayjure

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Lord Will Care for Judah

1 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. 2 The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

3 “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. 4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. 5 Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.

6 “I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. 7 The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. 8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. 9 Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. 11 They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away. 12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord. — Zechariah 10 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: 2 Samuel 22:43; 1 Kings 8:47-48; Psalm 33:21; Psalm 44:5; Psalm 135:7; Isaiah 5:26; Isaiah 11:11-12; Isaiah 19:5; Isaiah 30:23; Isaiah 44:21; Isaiah 49:19-20; Isaiah 51:9-10; Isaiah 54:4; Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 25:34; Ezekiel 30:24; Ezekiel 34:10; Micah 4:5; Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34; Luke 20:17; Ephesians 2:20; Revelation 7:9

Faithless Shepherds Condemned

[stoweboyd]

Word of the Day: Shibboleth

'Art thou an Ephraimite?'

a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning

[jbfly46]

Sephardim Vs Ashkenazim

Currently, there exist two types of Jews: the converted “Israelites” and the Judahites. Despite being converted Berbers themselves, the Sephardim are considered the true descendants of the ancient Judeans and thus, the royalty of the Jews. The ten tribes of northern Israelites, represented by the converts, are now the Ashkenazi European Jews. In the minds of Sephardics and powerful Kabbalists, Ashkenazis pursue science and reason, reject faith and spirituality, and make themselves, rather than the Lord, sovereign rulers over the world. Zionism is an expression of their rejection of God's plan for the Jewish people in favour of their own self-determination. The Sephardics believed that the European Ashkenazis would be punished for this. There is a plan to exterminate the Ashkenazis in the name of healing the rift between Esau and Jacob. The ruling Kabbalists have plans to do to the Ashkenazim what they believe happened to the ancient Ephraimites. The plan is to have their souls resurrected into the bodies of Ishmaelites after the great war to purge their ranks of unclean blood. This event is supposed to occur once the Palestinian genocide is complete and this is why the Jews expect ⅔ of Jews to be sacrificed during the great war.

[walkwithgod07]

12 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.

2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.

3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?

4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.

5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;

6 Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

9 And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.

11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

13 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.

14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.

15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

[helpfromheaven]

Putting Your Life in the Lord's Hands: A Devotional

Judges 12: 1-3 The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.” Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands. 3 When I…

[marysittingathisfeet]

Jacob's Blessing to Joseph

“Joseph is a fruitful vine,     a fruitful vine near a spring,     whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him;     they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady,     his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,     because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father’s God, who helps you,     because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above,     blessings of the deep springs below,     blessings of the breast and womb. Your father’s blessings are greater     than the blessings of the ancient mountains,     than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,     on the brow of the prince among his brothers." Genesis 49: 22-26

The blessing can be broken into four parts. The first part talks about Joseph's blessing. Jacob and originally given Joseph a double blessing when he

Joseph is a fruitful vine,     a fruitful vine near a spring,     whose branches climb over a wall.

The first part talks about how God will bless the tribe of Joseph which was represented by Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. First of all it is important to note that Ephraim means fruitful- "The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” Genesis 41:52. Prior to this blessing, Jacob had blessed both of Joseph's sons placing Ephraim above Manasseh. It is not by coincidence that Jacob indirectly speaks of Ephraim here.

Historically the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh had the central land in Canaan. The territory of the tribe of Ephraim was located in the central part of the northern kingdom, while the territory of Manasseh was to the north of Ephraim. These two tribes also predominated over the other tribes in wealth and power especially Ephraim who lead the revolt in 930 BC that established the Kingdom of Israel. An Ephraimite, Jeroboam, was declared king and Samaria, the new capital, was located in Ephraim's territory.

This coincides with Jacob's blessing/prophecy of the two boys in Genesis.

"And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,     the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,  the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;     and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude[of nations.” Genesis 48: 14-19

The second verse of Jacob's blessing discusses how Joseph had suffered loss.

With bitterness archers attacked him;     they shot at him with hostility.

We all know the story of how Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and his time in prison as an innocent man until he became in essence the ruler of Egypt. But I also contend that this verse also talks about the capture and captivity of the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE. The two tribes became part of the "Ten Lost Tribes."

The Next part of Jacobs blessing talks about God's intervention in Joseph's life.

But his bow remained steady,     his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,     because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father’s God, who helps you,     because of the Almighty, who blesses you

God not only protected and blessed Joseph, but God would also protect and deliver Joseph's descendants. Despite being part of the "Ten Lost Tribes," several modern groups claim descent from Ephraim and Manasseh, including the Yusufzai tribe of the Pashtuns, the Samaritans, and some Persian Jews.  So those two tribes are not necessarily lost.

The final section discusses the blessings that the tribe would receive.

with blessings of the skies above,     blessings of the deep springs below,     blessings of the breast and womb. Your father’s blessings are greater     than the blessings of the ancient mountains,     than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,     on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

This talks about how the tribe would be blessed with rains. How the woman and animals would have fruitful wombs. The blessings of Joseph's sons would be greater than Abraham's blessing. The lands of Joseph would be greatly fruitful and productive.

Despite all of these blessings, yet Jesus was from the tribe of Judah. Although the tribe of Joseph was financially blessed, Judah's tribe was spiritually blessed.

[lordgodjehovahsway]

Judges 8: Gideon And His Three Hundred Troops Pursue Zebah And Zalmunna

1 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?” And they challenged him vigorously.

2 But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? 

3 God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.

4 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. 

5 He said to the men of Sukkoth, “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

6 But the officials of Sukkoth said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?”

7 Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”

8 From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 

9 So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”

10��Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. 

11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the unsuspecting army. 

12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.

13 Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres. 

14 He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth, the elders of the town. 

15 Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’” 

16 He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 

17 He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.

18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?”

“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”

19 Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 

20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.

21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels’ necks.

Gideon’s Ephod

22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 

24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)

25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 

26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. 

27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Gideon’s Death

28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.

29 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. 

30 He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. 

31 His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek. 

32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god 

34 and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 

35 They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

ON HIS TERMS

Do you have people in your life who call on you for prayer, help, advice, yet inevitably never do much more than what rescues their situation for the moment? We graciously go to where they are, offering hope, help, and sound biblical answers that can change their lives for far more than that immediate crisis. We think, maybe this time will be the game changer for them! Finally, they will get saved, really saved, and come into the fellowship of a body of believers to grow and be nurtured, let alone, be an encouragement to others. However, sadly, in many cases, it doesn’t happen.

I just wrote a letter to someone who, in so many words, asked me to come to where they are again, which I have so many times done. Each time I went, and since they allege being saved, I go having in view that they would, as a result, finally come into the Church, and dig into Christ. I had such grief this time with their new request of me coming to their ground – not to mention, the premise of the request was unbiblical - that I declined.“They, for their part, may turn to you, but as for you, you are not to turn to them” (Jer.15:19).

God dropped into my heart Judges 17: The failure of the tribes of Israel to persist in overtaking their foreign Canaanite neighbors, as the Lord had commanded, made allowance for mixture and the partaking of other gods and pagan practices in their households. Ultimately, one such Hebrew, an Ephraimite by the name of Micah, consecrated one of his own sons to be his household priest while having a shrine of idols in his home. When a young Levite sojourning through the area came looking for a place to stay, Micah offered a place in his home paying him a year’s wage to be both “a father and a priest” to him. Although, Micah made him rather to be like one of his sons. So much for being a father to Micah! Micah consecrated the Levite to be his priest. (How is that possible?!) The young Levite, content to be Micah's personal priest, received the comfort and convenience of his salary and a place to do his ministry. Like the people, like the priest... both undone. Micah concludes contentedly in verse 13, "Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest."

Of course, maybe the most significant line of this chapter is verse 6, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." God, as rightful King, had lost His place to reign over the children of Israel, which were both the words of warning from Moses and Joshua to the Israelites (Deut.4; Joshua 24). Are we, in our day, seeing something of the same?

The Lord's take away to me in this situation was... “You've seen their response, forsaking the assembling of the brethren together. Be aware that they are taking you to be their household priest while they enjoy their other gods, paying you compliments from their place, but not coming to My House, nor living on My terms. They, like others, have no king for having forsaken Me with doing what they are doing and thinking it will yet be well with them from Me. They know, that to come among you in My House they will see that I am King where they will have to forsake their ways, the lies and excuses they have made for their actions, and the life they are not living, but are meant to. You are priests of the House of the Lord, reaching out to bring those who’ve become strays again back into the fold. And to bring also, those who know not yet, that they are Mine. Remain a priest of the Most High and His House while still reaching out to bring them into the certainties and security of the fold.”

There is more to be mused over from Joshua and Judges regarding this, but in the aftermath of anything we read and say we believe in God’s word, we stand or fall on the basis of whether we regard it enough to obey. If not, our faith without the work of obedience is dead! I still believe God believes better things of us. Let’s prove Him right!

- DSC

[fordecree7]

THE BIBLE BOOK OF GOD

Old Testament

Psalm 78

Tell the Coming Generation

A Maskil of Asaph.

78 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;     incline your ears to the words of my mouth! 2 I will open my mouth in a parable;     I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3 things that we have heard and known,     that our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children,     but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,     and the wonders that he has done.

5 He established a testimony in Jacob     and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers     to teach to their children, 6 that the next generation might know them,     the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, 7     so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God,     but keep his commandments; 8 and that they should not be like their fathers,     a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast,     whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9 The Ephraimites, armed with the bow,     turned back on the day of battle. 10 They did not keep God's covenant,     but refused to walk according to his law. 11 They forgot his works     and the wonders that he had shown them. 12 In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders     in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea and let them pass through it,     and made the waters stand like a heap. 14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud,     and all the night with a fiery light. 15 He split rocks in the wilderness     and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. 16 He made streams come out of the rock     and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

17 Yet they sinned still more against him,     rebelling against the Most High in the desert. 18 They tested God in their heart     by demanding the food they craved. 19 They spoke against God, saying,     “Can God spread a table in the wilderness? 20 He struck the rock so that water gushed out     and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread     or provide meat for his people?”

21 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;     a fire was kindled against Jacob;     his anger rose against Israel, 22 because they did not believe in God     and did not trust his saving power. 23 Yet he commanded the skies above     and opened the doors of heaven, 24 and he rained down on them manna to eat     and gave them the grain of heaven. 25 Man ate of the bread of the angels;     he sent them food in abundance. 26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,     and by his power he led out the south wind; 27 he rained meat on them like dust,     winged birds like the sand of the seas; 28 he let them fall in the midst of their camp,     all around their dwellings. 29 And they ate and were well filled,     for he gave them what they craved. 30 But before they had satisfied their craving,     while the food was still in their mouths, 31 the anger of God rose against them,     and he killed the strongest of them     and laid low the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they still sinned;     despite his wonders, they did not believe. 33 So he made their days vanish like a breath,     and their years in terror. 34 When he killed them, they sought him;     they repented and sought God earnestly. 35 They remembered that God was their rock,     the Most High God their redeemer. 36 But they flattered him with their mouths;     they lied to him with their tongues. 37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him;     they were not faithful to his covenant. 38 Yet he, being compassionate,     atoned for their iniquity     and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often     and did not stir up all his wrath. 39 He remembered that they were but flesh,     a wind that passes and comes not again. 40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness     and grieved him in the desert! 41 They tested God again and again     and provoked the Holy One of Israel. 42 They did not remember his power     or the day when he redeemed them from the foe, 43 when he performed his signs in Egypt     and his marvels in the fields of Zoan. 44 He turned their rivers to blood,     so that they could not drink of their streams. 45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them,     and frogs, which destroyed them. 46 He gave their crops to the destroying locust     and the fruit of their labor to the locust. 47 He destroyed their vines with hail     and their sycamores with frost. 48 He gave over their cattle to the hail     and their flocks to thunderbolts. 49 He let loose on them his burning anger,     wrath, indignation, and distress,     a company of destroying angels. 50 He made a path for his anger;     he did not spare them from death,     but gave their lives over to the plague. 51 He struck down every firstborn in Egypt,     the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham. 52 Then he led out his people like sheep     and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,     but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 54 And he brought them to his holy land,     to the mountain which his right hand had won. 55 He drove out nations before them;     he apportioned them for a possession     and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56 Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God     and did not keep his testimonies, 57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;     they twisted like a deceitful bow. 58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places;     they moved him to jealousy with their idols. 59 When God heard, he was full of wrath,     and he utterly rejected Israel. 60 He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh,     the tent where he dwelt among mankind, 61 and delivered his power to captivity,     his glory to the hand of the foe. 62 He gave his people over to the sword     and vented his wrath on his heritage. 63 Fire devoured their young men,     and their young women had no marriage song. 64 Their priests fell by the sword,     and their widows made no lamentation. 65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,     like a strong man shouting because of wine. 66 And he put his adversaries to rout;     he put them to everlasting shame.

67 He rejected the tent of Joseph;     he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, 68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,     Mount Zion, which he loves. 69 He built his sanctuary like the high heavens,     like the earth, which he has founded forever. 70 He chose David his servant     and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 from following the nursing ewes he brought him     to shepherd Jacob his people,     Israel his inheritance. 72 With upright heart he shepherded them     and guided them with his skillful hand.

Psalm78

Diane Beauford

[jamespoeartistry]

NIV, 1 Samuel 1:1

There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

[walkwithgod07]

16 And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel,

2 And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

3 And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer; and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

5 And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper;

6 And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

7 And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

8 The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.

9 And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10 And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

[thenewdeadseascrolls]

Judges 12: 4-6. "The Ford."

Once a Jew dons the Yarmulkah, and agrees with the Ark of Covenant, a conscious decision that ignites the forest under its brim, next comes the rational decision making that permit one to cross the Ford at the River Jordan.

Crossing the Jordan is poorly defined in the Midrash in my opinion. In the Torah it is likened to the final crossing before one enters the Promised Land, into Jericho in the Book of Joshua. One has to spy the territory first, then there are all kinds of speculation about how to breach the wall, kill the Nephilim and take over by sleeping with prostitutes and breaching the Western Wall.

If we perfom a little Chabad, what we discover we want to know is what is the relationship between the East Side of the Jordan and penetration of the Western Wall of the City?

First we know it is a job for a man not a boy. Boys are virgins and do not have the ability to understand adult conversations about history and society. They are supposed to learn from adult models how to handle these things appropriately.

An Ephraimite, Number 307 is "a freemason'' a member of a secret society of men who have lost their virginity. Gileadites are 160, "the sun" men who have done much more than that with their time.

If we follow the metaphor, the upcoming verses state Jephthah, "the key to understanding the Words of Moses is to surpass the loss of innocence and excel at understanding all that one can understand."

Renegades are those who switch loyalty from the angels of the Alefbeis to the "Ministers of Persia", the scientists and academics of the world while still pretending to be religious.

Unless one is well versed in sex, the religion, and as many sciences as one can learn competently, one is not sporting the full glory of the Yarmulkah. The reason the Torah says we have to push and pess forward after we lose our innocence all the way to the Western Wall, and pierce it, heading Northwest, which is as far as a man can go and live, is to discover all that can be known about Ha Shem, which requires quantum mechanics, the highest hanging fruit of all the sciences.

No one knows why God concluded life should exist the way that it does. Nothing He has made is flawed or malfunctions, at least as far as are able to know. We know it results from the interaction of black space with the periodic table of the elements and quantum gravity, but why that means we are doomed to become fascinated with a woman's boobs or a boy's hairy legs (hopefully not both) we cannot come to comprehend. He has left the subject of puberty open for debate within the Self, and is the object of endless jocularity in society provided it is not overshadowed by superstition.

Superstition has no place in a world governed by a factual God. This is why we call Him Ha Shem the Witness, because one can only witness Him after one acquires the facts about Him. He is not a God over this chaotic world.

This is always the contest, faith vs. fact. The Shoftim illustrates this via the never ending struggle between classical physics and quantum mechanics as to how observation makes an uncertain phenomenon transition into something concrete. It is called shibboleth vs. sibboleth: "oatmeal vs. endurance", "chips vs. fibers", "waves versus forces", AKA "knowledge versus speculation."

Further it says Manasseh, "forget what you thought you knew...know it for sure."

All of this equates to a willingness to cross the Jordan and surpass those who are protective of the other side: Non-Jews need not apply.

4 Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.”

5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,”

6 they said, “All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

The reason black holes, singularities as they are called fascinate us is they are neither waves, which we can detect and define nor are they forces, which can be defined empirically as the result of something else. They both cause uncertainty and are themselves uncertain - they zip all over the place, bobbing and weaving in space like a piece of dry ice in a tub of water, until they quantize and when they do it is too late.

The human mind is a black hole. It is a product of uncertainty and is uncertain until it is witnessed by its owner who quantizes reality right before his eyes by training his thoughts. Gilead, another name for Ha Shem will not recognize a man that does not properly handle his mind.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 4: Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead. "The Key to Understanding the Torah is to call together all that is know about Ha Shem." Forget the rest.

The Value in Gematria is 7306, זגאֶפֶסו‎, zagapesso, "zig zag". The Torah contains a secret science after the fashion learning the ABCs or 123s contain the secrets of novels like the Lord of the Rings or advanced calculus. One must learn the Numbers and the Letters one at a time and in combination or Ha Shem shall not be attained.

v. 5: The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan. "The sciences own the West Side, the enlightened side of the Jordan."

The Number is 9633, טוג‎ג‎ , togg, "From a note to the roof."

The Angels think of the Torah as one contigous message. It is both a map and a blueprint to the Science of the Eternal, called Judaism "the true legend" in Hebrew, and Sanatan Dharma "the level of duty" in Sanskrit.

The roof is the 7th Day, also called Shabbat, but that is just the beginning until one rejects one's current level of understanding and yearns for more, then one begins a new day.

One will climb the ladder of the Seven Days all of one's life in an attempt to assuage one's desire for more life. For the most part one will discover the means except for why one loves one's honey, except this longing will not end not even in the Presence, not even on the Last Day, not even in heaven.

v. 6: Because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him. The Number is 10320, יגבאֶפֶס‎,Yagbafes, "Yah, in degrees."

The Word Yah is one of the oldest in human history. It is the first concise and comprehensive term coined for the Supreme Being and this took place early in human history. The first intelligent men who were Jews, who wrote in Hebrew, as far back as 5000 years ago, knew God was present, they knew He was invisible, they knew He could be figured out. They spent a lot of time on this.

Modern civilization is the result, except for one thing, we are able to fathom the Mystery of God. How to use the Torah to learn how stop being a violent, aggressive, ambitious human race and settle down, grow and make things and be very happy together.

Thus the contest on either side of the Jordan, between Shibboleth vs. Sibboleth, "oatmeal" or "endurance." We exist in a state relative to our understanding of this, between knowledge and supposition:

The unused verb שבל (sabal) probably means to extend or go forth in a wavy fashion. Noun שבל (shobel) denotes a kind of flowing garment. Nouns שבלים (shibbelim) and שבלת (shibboleth) either refer to a flowing stream or to ears of grain. Nouns שבול (shebul) and שביל (shebil) mean way or path.

Life is supposed to flow, it is not meant to be an endurance test. The difference is making the right choice at which point to cross a river lest one gets swept away.

Who understands the meaning of this difference can wear the Yarmulkah.