Monday, May 22, 2006

SMELL THE ROSES

Yesterday morning on my walk around the settlement, my thoughts were stirred by an old adage, “wake up and smell the roses”. Following these thoughts others began to pile in behind. I pray that YHVH will bring to my remembrance some of what I perceived to be a warning from the Spirit.

There is no doubt that we are heading into very difficult days, perhaps even the days that are called “Jacob’s troubles”. But what came to my mind regarding the proverbial roses, as I have some real ones in my garden, was that the rose flower does not stay in bloom long before the petals start to drop off and the stem has to be cut so that another can grow. The fragrance, therefore, is also very short lived. In my opinion, we have entered a season in which it is too late to smell the roses and what is about to awaken all Israel (both houses) are the thorns of “Jacob’s troubles”.

The main body of believers all over the world has been put to sleep by half-truths through what is called the dispensational doctrines. They have been led to believe that the Jewish people/nation constitutes the two sticks of Ezekiel 37 that are to be joined in order to become one stick/nation. Thus, looking at the first stick that Ezekiel was asked to take in his hand, they are mistaking it for the (future) union of the two. "As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: 'For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions'” (Ezekiel 37:16).

If we do not believe or comprehend that there is a second stick, that of “Joseph - the whole house of Israel”, in where lies the multiplicity of YHVH’s blessings to the forefathers (the “fullness of the nations”), we will be doing a great disservice to a whole lot of people who will be left in the dark as to “Jacob’s troubles”. Why? Because these troubles are going to fall on all the Israelites out in the nations, not only on the present day State of Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora.

Why are these troubles going to befall Jacob? Why is there an outcry in the nations, “Awake O Israel put off your slumber”? Why does the prophet Malachi demand to "remember the Torah of Moses My servant, and the statutes and judgments which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel” (Mal 4:4)?

As I mentioned in previous letters, Moses gave us the answers to all these questions when he prophesied to the tribes, our forefathers, before they entered the land. He told them that they would not remain in the land very long, and that YHVH would scatter them amongst the nations. But in the latter days, when they find themselves in distress (great troubles), they would repent and return to YHVH and listen to His voice (ref. Deut: 4). YHVH gave us, His people, the Torah (His voice) and within those loving instructions He assigned the blessings and the curses and explained very clearly the reasons behind each of them respectively. The Almighty One intends to use “Jacob’s troubles” as correctional judgments for all Israel.

Thankfully YHVH is slow to anger (ref Psa 103: 8-9), so He will tolerate iniquity in His people until that cup is full. "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of YHVH your Elohim, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Deut 28:15). Please read Deuteronomy 28: 16-68.

There is a belief that YHVH did away with the punishment for sin when Yeshua died. If that were the case then we can remove the scriptures that speak of the curses that follow sin. But is that the case? As I see it, those curses are punishments for missing the mark of Torah. However, when we repent “the blood of Yeshua cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7) thus breaking the curse that were attached to the sin.

When I look out of my living room window I see the two mountains, of blessing and curse. The Mount of Curse is higher and much larger than that of the Mount of Blessing, just as there are more verses about the curse than the blessing. Do not think that it is the devil executing the curses. It is very clear that YHVH already put these things in His book, as consequences for disobedience. But if His people from both houses of Israel will repent "and return to YHVH your Elohim and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, [than] YHVH your Elohim will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where YHVH your Elohim has scattered you” (Deut. 30:2-3). He also said that if we would repent He would put these curses on our enemies (ref. Deut. 30:7). And so, if the second stick of “all Israel” remains asleep or in the dark, who will be held responsible when the times of Jacob’s troubles fall upon them? I believe that we are already in the beginning stages of YHVH’s righteous judgments upon His people and that it is too late to smell the sweet fragrance of His blessings, thus we are beginning to feel the sting of the thorns.

“The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars; they shall say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’ And to the hills, ‘Fall on us.’ O Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah… You have plowed wickedness; You have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men. Therefore tumults shall arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be plundered… When it is My desire, I will chasten them. Peoples shall be gathered against them when I bind them for their two transgressions. Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek YHVH, till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:8-9;13-14;12).


Ephraim

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