Genesis 6:13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence [Hamas] through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Psalms 11:5 The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence [Hamas].
2 Peter 2:5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
If these really are the “Days of Noah,” we would expect to see a world filled with increasing violence. The Hebrew for “violence” is “Hamas”(חָמָס), by coincidence, the name of the terrorist organization Israel has been fighting for decades. And simply perusing my news briefs in recent years gives abundant evidence for the conclusion that this terrible season is well underway. Noah’s day was filled with violence and also false witness, which is a second meaning for the word “Hamas” [e.g., Deut. 19:16; Psalm 35:11]; violence and lies, then and now…
What greater test for individuals and communities of righteousness could there be but days like these? “The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence, (and false witness)”; [hamas]. How often do we need to hear it, “your faith is being, will be, tested”? [1 Peter 4:12] Yeshua (Jesus) was tested in the wilderness, for 40 days, and by the devil himself, and we read that there was no violence (Hamas) found in Him, nor any deceit in his mouth [Isaiah 53:9]. If it was necessary for the Messiah Himself to be tested, should it be strange for us to be so subjected?
Noah was also tested while he built and preached during those dark days. There must have been plenty of mocking and false witnesses circulating throughout the violent community surrounding him. It is the same today, with Hamas– the media portraying any report given by terrorists as fact. Indeed, we too, are surrounded by false witnesses seeking to provoke and fill the world with violence.
Noah was called a “preacher of righteousness” in a violent world. Yeshua was surrounded by false witnesses, and yet “Hamas” was not found in Him. It can be done. God doesn’t test us to prove we will fail and succumb to this wicked generation. He tests us to build faith and transform our character [James 1:2-4]. We can prove the authenticity of Yeshua in this violent and deceitful age, if we stand the testing intended to transform us. And then, both our lives and our words will be the message in the present Days of Noah.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]A United States Army officer who trained pupils at Fort Sill for over 20 years once described the different qualities of the students during the two decades of his tenure. During the 1950’s, he observed the students’ attitude as being so lax that the instructors had trouble keeping their students awake during their lectures. This drastically changed in the mid 1960’s. The students began taking meticulous notes and absorbing every word of instruction. So, what changed?
As we continue to celebrate the God-ordained Feast of Tabernacles — this is a prophetic feast, and one which will be kept by all the people of the world in the coming age. In resurrected bodies, we will be celebrating this feast, year to year in Jerusalem during the millennial reign of Yeshua (Jesus)! Can you imagine it — celebrating with the King of Kings! If that’s not something to anticipate, I’m not sure what is!
The Lord is quoted in this scripture in Matthew. It contains an important principle which believers sometimes tend to overlook. Many believe and even teach that if you’re blessed, your life will be filled with material prosperity, and that if you are undergoing extreme trial, it must be because you have sinned or that you lack faith. The Lord says that the sun rises and the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous alike.
Abraham’s rescue of Lot and his household from the four Mesopotamian Kings in the middle of the night was an act of holy chutzpah! Israel’s first patriarch demonstrated great faith, courage, family loyalty, and military strategy during this successful rescue operation.
This Sunday night people from around the world will celebrate Yom Kippur. In Israel, nothing, absolutely nothing is open — no radio, television or cable, even the street lights don’t work!
On Monday, we talked about “tashlich” — the traditional Jewish ceremony occurring between Rosh ha Shana and Yom Kippur, which involves casting bread crumbs into a river while confessing our sins and watching them be swept downstream. In this passage, however, we read about the importance of casting our crowns. These elders fell down before the Lord, casted their golden crowns and gave God the glory and honor He deserves. How much more should we do the same today?
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