KING AHAB FIGHTS BEN-HADAD

From 1 Kings 20

Ben-hadad, king of Syria, gathered his army and joined forces with thirty-two other kings to march against Samaria. When he arrived with his horses and chariots and laid siege to the capital of Israel, he sent this message to King Ahab. “I claim your silver and gold, your most beautiful wives and your children,” he said. Thinking he could not defeat this large army, Ahab gave in. “Whatever I have is yours,” he said. When he saw how easily he could get these things, Ben-hadad wanted more. Soon he sent his messengers back to Ahab with another message. “I claim not only your wives, children, silver and gold, but also about this time tomorrow I will send my messengers to search your palace and your houses to claim anything that they wish,” he said in this message. King Ahab called his advisers to see what they would say. “See how he is stirring up trouble,” said the king. “I have already told him I would give up my wives, children, silver and gold, but he is not satisfied.” “Do not give in any further,” his advisers told him. So, King Ahab sent Ben-hadad’s messengers back with this message, “I offered to give you what you asked for at first, but I will not let you do what you now ask.” Ben-hadad sent yet another message to Ahab. “May the gods punish me worse than I will punish you if I do not so utterly destroy Samaria that each of my men may have a handful of its dust.” King Ahab replied with this message, “When you put on your armour to go into battle, you must never boast like a man who is taking off his armour after a great victory.” This message reached Ben-hadad while he was drinking with the other kings in their tents. “Prepare to go to battle!” Ben-hadad ordered his combined armies and they did so. In the meanwhile, a prophet went to see King Ahab in Israel. “Adonai asks if you have seen that great army. Today Adonai will give you victory over them and thus you will be reminded again that He is Adonai.” “By whom will He do this?” Ahab asked. “By the young men under the leadership of the provincial chiefs,” said the prophet. “Who shall begin the battle?” asked Ahab. “You,” the prophet replied. So, Ahab assembled the young men under the leadership of the provincial chiefs. There were two hundred and thirty-two of them, in addition to his regular army of seven thousand. The young men from the provinces marched first from the city, about noon, while Ben-hadad was getting almost drunk with the other thirty-two kings. As these young men came near Ben-hadad’s camp, his scouts reported their movements to him. “Men are coming from Samaria,” they told Ben-hadad. “Capture them alive,” Ben-hadad ordered, “whether they are coming for peace or for war.” Ahab’s army was right behind them however and suddenly they attacked the Syrians. When each Israelite had killed a Syrian, the Syrians turned and ran. With the Israelites in pursuit, King Ben-hadad and a few horsemen escaped on horses. But Ahab captured the remaining horses and chariots and killed most of the Syrian army. The prophet returned to King Ahab. “Prepare for another battle with Ben-hadad next spring, for he will come against you again,” he warned. What the prophet said was true, for even at that time Ben-hadad’s men were advising him to do this. “The YHVH of Israel is a hill YHVH,” they said. “If we fight them in the plains we will surely win. This time, let’s place generals rather than kings over the men. Assemble as large an army as we had before, with as many horses and chariots and we will defeat them in the plains, for we are mightier than they.” Ben-hadad accepted the advice of his men and did what they suggested. The next spring he assembled a great army of Syrians and set up camp at Aphek. But the army of Israel was already gathered, with provisions and was ready for battle. When the army of Israel came near the army of Syria, the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats compared to the Syrians. The Syrian army was so vast that it seemed to fill the countryside. A prophet of Adonai went to see King Ahab with this message from Adonai, “Since the Syrians have said that Adonai is a hill YHVH and therefore cannot lead His people to victory in the plains, He will lead you to victory over this great army. Then you will surely know that He is Adonai.” For seven days the two armies camped opposite each other. On the seventh day the battle began and on that day the Israelites killed one hundred thousand Syrians. The rest of the Syrians escaped into Aphek, where a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand, killing them all. Then Ben-hadad escaped into an inner room of a house in the city. “We have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful,” his officers told him. “Perhaps if we put on sackcloth and ropes around our heads, King Ahab will spare your life when we go out and ask for mercy.” Ben-hadad’s officers put on sackcloth with ropes around their heads and went out to King Ahab to beg for mercy. “Your servant Ben-hadad begs for his life,” they said. “Is he still alive?” asked Ahab. “He is my brother.” When the officers heard this, they quickly tried to play upon Ahab’s sympathies. “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad!” they responded. “Bring him here,” said Ahab. When they brought Ben-hadad, Ahab took him into his chariot. “I will give back the cities which my father took from your father,” Ben-hadad promised. “You may also set up trading posts in Damascus.” “I will spare your life on those terms,” Ahab promised. Then the two kings made a covenant and Ahab released Ben-hadad. Along the road Ahab was to travel, a prophet of YHVH was preparing to speak to the king. As part of his plan, he commanded a man to strike him, but the man refused. “Since you have refused Adonai’s command, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me,” the prophet told the man. It happened exactly as the prophet said, for as soon as the man left him a lion pounced on him and killed him. The prophet commanded another man to hurt him. “Strike me, I command you,” he said. So, the man struck him and wounded him. The prophet then waited for Ahab by the road, disguised with a bandage over his eyes. When King Ahab came by, the prophet called out to him, pretending to be a soldier. “While I was fighting in the thick of battle, a man brought a prisoner to me to guard,” he said. “He told me that if this man escaped, I would have to pay two thousand dollars in silver. But while I was doing the things I had to do, the man escaped.” “You have judged yourself,” said the king. “You must pay!” “And you have judged yourself,” the prophet answered, pulling the bandage from his eyes so that Ahab would recognize him. “You let a man go free when Adonai had told you to execute him. Now you will die instead of him and your people instead of his people.” When Ahab heard this, he returned home to Samaria, bitter and resentful.

COMMENTARY --- AHAB’S WARS AGAINST THE SYRIANS

The Syrians or Arameans were the people who lived north of Palestine. For many years they did not have a common ruler, but organized themselves into small states or kingdoms. King David brought much of this region under Israelite control. Later, during Solomon’s reign, the Syrians broke away and again became independent of Israel. The hostility that began in this power struggle continued for decades and came to a head during the reign of Ahab. King Ahab of Israel went to war against Syria three times. His opponent was Ben-hadad, the king of Damascus. Ben-hadad gained control of the other Syrian kingdoms, and replaced their kings with his own governors. This formed a strong and a united kingdom with Damascus as its capital. Ben-hadad began the series of wars by marching his armies through Israel and laying siege to Samaria, Ahab’s capital. At this time in history, siege warfare was becoming increasingly popular. With the town walls surrounded, villagers could not escape, and quickly ran out of food and water. The enemy had only to wait till they weakened and could no longer defend the walls. Ahab did not wait for the situation to become this desperate. He allowed the large Syrian army to advance toward Samaria through an empty riverbed. The way was steep and unfamiliar to the Syrians. But the Israelites, who knew the hills of Samaria, laid an ambush and defeated Ben-hadad. The following summer Ben-hadad made a second attempt. The battle took place in the Valley of Jarmuth, near Aphek, where the Syrians believed the Israelite YHVH had no power. Ahab again defeated the Syrians, and captured Ben-hadad as well. In return for his life, Ben-hadad agreed to return some Israelite cities that his father had captured from the Israelites years before. He also agreed to allow Israelite merchants to trade in Damascus. The last point was particularly important, for trade had always been a source of conflict between Syrians and Israelites. The Israelites controlled almost all trade routes with the rich countries of Egypt and Arabia. Damascus, on the other hand, was the gateway to the wealthy countries of Mesopotamia. Business in Damascus gave Israel access to vast new markets. Ahab and Ben-hadad kept the peace treaty for the next three years. During this time, they even joined forces against a common enemy; the Assyrians. But the peace did not last. Ahab grew angry at the Syrian occupation of Ramoth-Gilead, an important military post on the north-eastern edge of Israel. He formed an alliance with Judah, and the two armies went against Ben-hadad. Although Ahab entered the battle in disguise, he did not survive. A Syrian arrow pierced his armour and he died before sunset.

9/18/2025

THE SELICHOTH PRAYERS

The Selichoth Prayers – Standard Edition, can be found at:

https://sabbathkeepersfellowsh....ip.org/articles-book

YOM CHAMISHY – FIFTH DAY OF THE WEEK

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Blessed be He who spoke and the world was; Blessed be He – and blessed be His Name.

TEHILLAH 85

YHWH, You showed grace to Your land; You restored the captivity of Ya’akov. You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah. You withdrew all Your fury; You turned away from Your burning anger. Restore us, O Elohym of our salvation, and cause Your indignation toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not Yourself revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, YHWH, and grant us Your salvation. I will hear what Hael YHWH will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His righteous ones; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that esteem may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, YHWH will give what is excellent, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.

TEHILLAH 27

YHWH is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? YHWH is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident. One thing I have asked from YHWH, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of YHWH all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of YHWH, and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to YHWH. Hear, YHWH, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, YHWH, I shall seek.” Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not abandon me nor forsake me, O Elohym of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but YHWH will take me up. Teach me Your way, YHWH, and lead me in a level path because of my foes. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the excellence of YHWH in the land of the living. Wait for YHWH; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for YHWH.

BEN ADAM

Son of man! Why do you slumber? Arise and call out in supplication; pour out words of prayer; seek forgiveness from the Master of masters. Wash and purify yourself; do not delay before the days depart, and hurriedly run for help before He who dwells on high. From transgression and also evil flee, and be dreadful of tragedy. O, please pay heed to those who know Your name – the loyal ones of Yisrael. For Yours, Adonay, is righteousness, and ours is nothing but shame.

Stand up like a man and be courageous, to confess your sins. Seek El Almighty in earnest to atone for your sins, for never are hidden secrets from Him. And every utterance that is spoken is read before Him. May He who is merciful have mercy upon us, as a father has mercy for his children. For Yours Adonay is righteousness and ours is nothing but shame.

VIDDUY

I make my sin known to You and do not conceal my iniquity; for I said that it is proper that I confess my transgressions to YHWH, and as a result, You have forgiven the iniquity of my sins. And it is stated: He who conceals his transgressions will not succeed, but he, who admits and forsakes them, shall be dealt with mercifully.

Please, YHWH, our Elohym, Elohym of our forefathers, let our prayer come before You, and do not hide Yourself from our supplication – for we are not so insolent nor so obstinate to say before You, YHWH, our Elohym, Elohym of our forefathers, “we are righteous and have not sinned,” rather, truly we have sinned – we as well as our forefathers and our household members:

(With each of the following statements, bring your right fist to your chest, over your heart.)

We have been guilty. We have betrayed. We have robbed. We have spoken gossip and slander. We have caused iniquity. We have caused wickedness. We have acted wantonly. We have extorted. We have accused falsely. We have given bad advice. We have lied. We have acted frivolously. We have rebelled. We have infuriated. We have committed adultery. We have been deviant. We have committed iniquity. We have transgressed willfully. We have oppressed. We have been obstinate. We have been wicked. We have corrupted ourselves and others. We have committed abominations. We have strayed and caused others to stray, and we have veered from Your excellent commandments and laws, but it has not benefited us. But You are righteous regarding all that has befallen us, for You have acted with truth, and it is we who have caused wickedness.

LEMITVADDEH HATTOTAV

He who confesses his sins and acknowledges his many transgressions, he whose years are spent in futility and whose days terminate in anguish; he cries out from his travails and from amidst the hostilities of his adversaries. Let us fall, please, at the hand of YHWH, for His mercies are abundant.

From my earliest age, I have drawn upon myself with gossamer ropes – my sin; therefore, have I repented and regretted, for I know not the day of my judgment, and I have sacrificed my flesh, and I have poured as a libation the tears of my eye – perhaps my Maker will have mercy, for His compassion has not ceased. Let us fall, please, at the hand of YHWH, for His mercies are abundant.

The breasts of my joy have withered, and I have nursed the poison of snakes; the tears of my eyes have worn down – from my intense pain – rocks. And the mercies of the Father have been distanced, and He has not taken pity upon His children, and toward me have been restrained His yearning and His compassion. Let us fall, please, at the hand of YHWH, for His mercies are abundant.

He brought me into a lion’s pit and bequeathed to me His wrath. I was forgotten in a jailhouse, and I have been mired in the sea of His fury. Every day I descended remarkably after He did prolong His anger toward me. Has Elohym forgotten to be gracious; has He closed off His mercy in anger? Let us fall, please, at the hand of YHWH, for His mercies are abundant.

EILEYKA YHWH

Toward You, YHWH, I have raised up my eyes; hear the sound of my pleas as befits Your great kindness. I have trusted in Your Name and have spread out my palms; I have taken words and have come unto You. My sorrows have been overpowering and my groans have increased, for all of my sins have You set before You. My delicate soul dissipates from grief; release from anxiety the soul of Your servant. Remove my sin, O Elohym of my salvation; also my tears may You place in Your flask. In times of anger, Your mercy may You recall and reconsider, and gladden and console the soul of Your servant.

Our Father, our King, You are our Father! Our Father, our King, we have no King but You! Our Father, our King, have mercy on us! Our Father, our King, be gracious to us and answer us, although we do not possess excellent deeds.

Deal with us with righteousness and kindness for the sake of Your great Name, and save us. And we know not what more to do, but our eyes look to You. Recall Your mercies and kindnesses, YHWH, for they have existed from ever. May Your kindness be upon us, YHWH, as we have hoped in You.

QADDISH

Exalted and sanctified be His great Name in the world that He created according to His will. May His kingdom reign, and may He cause His redemption to sprout, and may He hasten the coming of His Mashiach in your lifetime and in your days and in the lifetime of the entire house of Yisrael, speedily and very soon; and let us say: Amein!

May His great Name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed, lauded, esteemed, exalted, extolled, honored, upraised, and praised be the Name of the set-apart One; Blessed be He; above all the blessings, songs, praises and words of consolation that may be uttered in the world; and let us say: Amein!

May your prayers and pleas be accepted together with the prayers and pleas of the entire house of Yisrael before our Father in heaven and earth, in the name of Yehoshua HaMashiach; and let us say: Amein!

May there be abundant shalom from heaven, life, contentment, salvation, consolation, deliverance, healing, redemption, pardon, atonement, comfort and relief for us and for His entire nation Yisrael; and let us say: Amein!

HON TAHON

Be merciful to Your children who are returning to You, and who stand before You with trepidation, fearful of the time they will be called to judgment; it is for that reason that they come in distress. Recall compassion on the Day of Judgment; do away with anger and wrath at the time You will judge those who fear You and those who dwell on Your Name – they who are sitting in judgment. Bring near to me the year of the Redeemer, and redeem me; upon restful waters, O Elohym, lead me, and recall for me the merit of the perfect man, Yehoshua HaMashiach, and place me like a seal upon Your heart. Amein!

Ezekiel 18:23, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?” Repeated in various ways by several writers in the Bible, this verse would indicate that our Creator would send a warning to the people He is ready to judge for their rejection of His ways.

091825 / 24th day of the 6th month 5786
WORD FOR TODAY “ those who follow MESSIAH are commanded to get one”: Luk 22:36 And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.

WISDOM FOR TODAY: Pro 22:22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate; Pro 22:23 For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them.

www.BGMCTV.org

We must build all our belief upon what came before not our current customs.

And we must do so knowing Scripture was built the same way. The Torah was written based upon the teachings of what came before from all righteous servants of YAH. From Adam to Seth and from Enoch to Noach. From Shem to Abraham. From Isaac to Jacob and from Jacob to Moses. The truth was handed down till it came to Moses who codified it all and clarified it in the Torah for everyone and for always

Joshua and Samuel and Ezra and Nehemiah, Isaiah and Jeremiah and Malachi and David and Obediah and all the other righteous servants of YHWH wrote of the implementation of the Torah among the people of Israel and of their lack of obedience.

They wrote to call back the recreant Israelites to repentance and turning them back to true worship in following the Torah.

And then came the Messiah, Who also sent His disciples to do exactly the same as always. Their words and teachings were written to call the straying people back to obedience and to walking in righteousness after all.

We were not supposed to receive the last words inplace of the first… nor to act as the entirety of the teachings are given in one sitting, each equal to the other.

The New Testament is intended to be taken as a support of the teachings of the prophets and the prophets in support of the teachings of the Torah.

Not replacing it. Not adding to it. Not overturning it. Not taking any part of it away. And not set up as its equal.

The writings and prophets and gospels and epistles are collectively doing the same thing as eachother yet none of them are serving in the same fashion as the Torah.

Torah is the standard of righteousness. The Writings are the accounts of the people either following the standard or elsewise not following it. The Prophets are the records of condemnation upon the people for disobeying the standard of Torah and calling the people back to Torah observance.

Why then should anyone expect that after hundreds and thousands of years of Almighty YHWH giving us His Instructions in Torah and sending prophets to call us back to obedience thereto, that He all of a sudden decided to discard it all and deliver a different standard with no conditions, no curses and no consequences at all?!

We should not. We should not think our Heavenly Father changed His mind, that He changed His rules, or that He changed His high standard.

The Torah is the Divine Standard of YHWH. The Writings are the Divine record of who followed the Standard and who refused. The prophets are the Divine record of the call to repentance and punishment for those who refused.

The Gospels are the account of Messiah restoring the broken covenant, demonstrating the Standard perfectly, and paying for all our infractions of it.

And the epistles are the instructions of how we who walk the world hereafter are expected to live by Torah according to the clarifications of the prophets and doing their words in our daily lives, according to the demonstrations of those teachings.

All the Scriptures are ascending like stairs one step after the next to take us higher, each successive text built one upon another like portions of a splendid and holy House where we hope to live. All the pieces connect, pieces of a puzzle which fit flawlessly together to form a perfect picture.

If we act as if all the Bible was written as one together or treat the end as the only aspect of value then we will indeed end up in trouble in both our teaching and in our living.

Second Guess First Assumptions

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this is sort of a multi purpose post.
i want to show something about the relationship between the Father and the Word,
and as a result of that revisit the johannine comma,
and as a result of THAT show a certain useful attribute that allows progress in the Way.

so, we started off looking at certain anomalies in the Torah around different ways the Father is referred to.
please note that this did not start off with looking at the NT, it just got dragged into the mix, as it were.
we're focussing on three main references, El (or Elyon), Elohim (only when it's referring to the Father in some way, not as gods or sons of gods) and YHWH.
the first anomaly was deut 32:8-9

- 8When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
when He divided the sons of man,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
9But the LORD’s portion is His people,
Jacob His allotted inheritance. -

where the sons of God is actually the sons of Yisrael. and the LORD is YHWH.
so this verse, read directly, is indicating a distinction between the Most High and YHWH. nothing conclusive, yet.

then we have psalm 91.
now i usually use the berean standard bible translation, but this is better translated with smith's literal translation.

verse 1
- He dwelling in the covering of the Most High, in the shadow of the Almighty shall he lodge. -
where Almighty is Shaddai.

and verse 9 describes who 'He' is.
-For thou, O Jehovah, my trust; thou didst set the Most High thy refuge.-
where Jehovah is YHWH. and here a definite distinction is made.

now we drag the gospel of john in, chapter 1

- 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. -

understanding that through the WORD all things were made, we go to exodus 20, the giving of the ten commandments.

- 1And God spoke all these words:
2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3You shall have no other gods before Me -

where God is Elohim, and the LORD your God is YHWH Elohim.
but then in verses 10-11

- 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. 11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. -

again where the Sabbath to the LORD your God is to YHWH Elohim, but in verse 11 it says YHWH, not YHWH Elohim, made everything.
interesting distinction...

why am i harping on about this?
because in 1 kings 8 we get verses 27-29

- 27But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built. 28Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You today.
29May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. -

where God is Elohim in verse 27 and O LORD my God is YHWH Elohim.
now this is saying that our Father cannot be in His creation, it cannot contain Him, but His Name CAN be in creation.
now before i state what conclusion i've come to regarding this, let me say that everything has always been stated from the beginning, and developed through time, both in the progress of history and in an individual's progress in understanding.
and i'm saying here we're seeing distinctions having been made from genesis already all the way through the OT in preparation for the Messiah's coming, and us getting to come to a certain understanding.

let's go back to verse 1 and 2 of john 1

- 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning -

the Word WAS God.
now i'm looking to find an understanding that will remove the anomalies i've mentioned in the previous passages.
and so my thoughts say

before creation there was the Father.
then, He created.
but He does not get contained in creation, yet He figures in it, how?
because He SPOKE creation into being, He 'Word-ed' it.
and His Word, being a part of Him yet not all of Him, CAN enter creation.
(as can His Spirit, btw, which brought adam to life. nobody seems to contend that!)

now the Name we received was given to moses, the famous I Am, YHWH.
and YHWH (or YHWH Elohim) is consistently referenced interacting with us, inside creation.
is it too far to jump in understanding to see the only Name, 'YHWH', is indeed the Word of john 1, and that then makes sense of deut 32 and psalm 91, exodus 20 for that matter too, and most especially 1 kings 8.
and that during the time of the OT writings, the distinction being made was not clear to them, as the time of the Messiah had not yet come?
and so we have a mishmash of references then to the Most High, then to Elohim, combinations with YHWH, all essentially from the same source, after all, the totality that is the Father before creation.
yet these key passages are making that certain distinction.
everything in the NT was talked about in the OT beforehand, YHWH even SAYS nothing will happen that He did not say would come to be, so that it would be clear to all.
and so where did john get his idea from in those first verses of his gospel?

now a further reading of john leads us to see the Word was manifested in the flesh.
(the Word that is) YHWH's Spirit entered into Yeshua, the begotten Son, at His baptism in the jordan.
the Word, Who WAS part of the Father before creation, and Who entered creation as YHWH, now took on human form, the culmination of the Plan. because through this He brought about our salvation, which in the OT YHWH (not YHWH Elohim, but YHWH) said HE would do, and the NT says Yeshua does.
this does bring up the issue of hebrew versions of the NT that translate the Father as YHWH, that doesn't compute, unfortunately.
what i learnt in the meantime from justin breithaupt about the aramaic originals clearly confirms Yeshua's identification with YHWH.
and so the Father of the NT is Elohim our Most High of the OT, who melchizedek was priest of, like Yeshua.
and now Yeshua saying He and the Father are one, and His reference to abraham make sense, His Spirit is talking, as it were, not His flesh.
just for clarity, again, Yeshua came to be when He was born. YHWH always was.

and so, with this understanding, i thought of the johannine comma.
now the johannine comma's provenance, the sequence of events of how it came to be inserted, are suspect to say the least.
especially because it came to be inserted after the concept of the trinity was first broached, and was subsequently used to strengthen that argument.
now the trinity speaks of the tri-une singleness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, from the beginning.
Yeshua was born when He was born, and this, along with other reasons, were enough for me to reject the trinity concept.
but here's the johannine comma insertion.
1 john 5, and in the old king james

- 7For there are three that beare record [in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.] 8[And there are three that beare witnesse in earth], the Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood, and these three agree in one.

— King James Version (1611) -

the square brackets show what that insertion was.
and then, that stuff that i've concluded now is the way to look at it is actually EXACTLY what the johannine comma is saying.

the difference is, if you want to look at it as a trinity, it's correctly identifying these 'separate' elements of the Father, without in that definition including Yeshua the Man, who only existed from His birth.
that Yeshua NOW does indeed also figure in this is without doubt, as YHWH is manifested in Him, but it's got nothing to do with the (catholic) church's insistence that the Son was somehow always there.
so this comma, inserted so late that it looks so suspicious, is actually a super-correct clarification.

and so, in americanese, i eat crow.
i was wrong to reject the johannine comma. not the trinity concept of the church, but the comma itself.
and that is the attribute i'd like to make clear.
when you study, and your understanding changes, be prepared to change your viewpoint, if you don't you're blocking further growth.
now i know many objections can be raised, i hope they do, they would need to be worked through, just know i've thought long and hard about this, before making this post.
like i started off with,
well i never...

"Let him labour, and work with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give unto him that needeth."

Ep 4

ELIJAH AND THE SOFT WHISPER

From 1 Kings 19

When King Ahab told his wife Jezebel that Elijah had humiliated the prophets of Baal and then executed them, she sent a message to Elijah. “I vow by my gods that I will execute you by this time tomorrow,” she declared. When he received this message, Elijah was afraid and fled to save his life. First, he went to Beersheba, a city of Judah, where he left his servant. Then he went a day’s journey into the wilderness and there he sat under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough,” he said. “O Adonai, take my life now, for I am no better than my fathers.” Then he lay down to sleep beneath the broom tree. While he was sleeping, an angel touched him. “Arise and eat,” the Angel said. When Elijah looked, he saw by his head some bread baking on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again, expecting to die. Again, the angel touched Elijah. “Arise! Eat more, for you have a long journey before you and you need strength for it.” Elijah arose and ate and drank again. He gained enough strength from that meal to travel forty days and nights all the way to Horeb, the mountain of YHVH and there he lived in a cave. Then Adonai spoke to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?” “I have given everything to serve You,” Elijah answered; “but the people of Israel have turned from You, broken their covenant with You, torn down Your altars and murdered Your prophets. I am the only prophet left and they are trying to kill me, too.” “Go out of your cave and stand on the mountain before Me,” Adonai commanded. Elijah obeyed and as he stood there, Adonai passed by. A great wind swept across the mountain, so fierce that it tore rocks from the mountainside, but Adonai was not in the wind. A mighty earthquake followed the wind, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, fire swept down, but Adonai was not in the fire. Then came the sound of a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he recognized Adonai’s voice. He wrapped his face in his cloak and stood at the entrance to the cave. “Why are you here, Elijah?” Adonai asked. “I have given everything to serve You, but the people of Israel have turned from You, broken their covenant with You, torn down Your altars and murdered Your prophets. I am the only prophet left and they are trying to kill me too,” replied Elijah. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, for I have great work for you to do,” Adonai told him. “As you go home, go by the Wilderness Road that leads to Damascus. Anoint Hazael to be the next king of Syria. Then anoint Jehu to be the next king of Israel. After that, anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to be the next great prophet after you. Jehu will execute those who escape from Hazael and Elisha will execute those who escape from Jehu. You should know also that there are still seven thousand people in Israel who have never bowed down before Baal to worship him.” Elijah headed for home. Along the way he found Elisha and other ploughmen ploughing with twelve yokes of oxen. Elijah went to Elisha, who was behind the twelfth yoke of oxen, threw his cloak over his shoulders and walked away. This was an obvious sign that Elijah was appointing Elisha to be YHVH’s prophet after him. Elisha ran after Elijah. “Let me go home and say good-bye to my father and mother,” he said. “Then I will go with you to serve you.” “Go on, but remember what I have done to you,” said Elijah. Elisha went back to his oxen, slaughtered the animals and cooked the meat over a fire he made with the yokes and the plough. Thus, he made a feast for his neighbours. After that, he went with Elijah to serve him.

COMMENTRY -- ELIJAH AND HIS TRAVELS

Old Testament prophets were people YHVH selected to act as His messengers. Some were given one task and never called again. Others like Elijah served their whole lifetimes as spokesmen for YHVH. Elijah worked in the northern kingdom during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel. His task was difficult, often causing him great hunger and fatigue. It also required much inner strength and the courage to meet fierce opposition. Elijah’s teaching usually dealt critically with the political, social and economic concerns of Israel. This was true of most other prophets as well. Because of that, they often earned the hatred of kings, the rich and the powerful. Prophets spoke to the common people as well as to the powerful. They taught the moral laws that should direct behaviour and their messages often included a prediction of future events that would result from a person’s actions. Fearless and outspoken, the prophets are remembered as people of moral vision, wisdom and courage.

Zarephath; a town on the Phoenician coast, between Sidon and Tyre. In Zarephath, Elijah stayed with a poor widow and her son. When they gave him the last of their food, Elijah miraculously refilled the flour and oil jars. They never again ran empty. Later, when the son died, Elijah’s prayers returned him to life.

Mount Carmel; one of the hills of the Carmel Mountain range, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest. When Baal failed to respond to their pleas, he called on YHVH to ignite the offering. A flash of fire consumed the altar as well as the sacrificial bull. Elijah then executed the false prophets. Since the contest had proven Baal to be a false YHVH, Elijah prayed for YHVH to return rain to the parched land.

Beersheba; a town in the desert section of Judah often referred to as the southernmost edge of the country. Elijah fled to this sparsely populated region to hide from Jezebel. The queen threatened to kill him for murdering the Baal prophets she had brought from Phoenicia. Frightened and exhausted, Elijah lay down to die, but an angel awoke him, gave him food and sent him to Mount Horeb.

Mount Horeb; a mountain in the Sinai Desert, where Elijah found shelter and rest in a secluded cave. Here YHVH spoke to Elijah, comforting him and giving him instructions to anoint the next kings of Syria and Israel, and to appoint Elisha as the next prophet.

Jezreel; city where Ahab and Jezebel lived. Jezebel plotted to kill Naboth, a man who owned a vineyard next to the palace. When Ahab greedily took possession of the vineyard, Elijah appeared to deliver a curse from YHVH. The king’s male descendants would die early and dogs would lick the king’s blood at his death. These were among the worst Israelite curses.

Samaria; Ahaziah, son of Ahab, fell through a hole in the upper floor of his Samarian palace. He sent servants to the YHVH Beal-zebub, to inquire about his health. Elijah stopped the messengers and predicted that the evil king would die soon.

Jordan River; Elijah parted the waters to cross with Elisha. On the eastern side of the river, a sudden whirlwind lifted Elijah from the ground, and he disappeared.

Thought for Today: Thursday September 18

Do people who have died and gone to heaven know what happens on earth? The Bible does not give us an absolute clear answer about this, but it does hint that they may be aware of what takes place here on earth. In Hebrews, the writer paints a picture for us --- a picture of a stadium filled with spectators, perhaps watching us as we live out our life and cheering us on as we stretch towards the finishing line. What we do know for sure -- is that YHVH sees us – and that should be enough to encourage us to live for the Moshiach and do what is right.