Some thoughts: God's knowledge of us and our hearts is perfect, and this means that for all practical purposes he experiences what we experience. Now, he also experienced living mortal life first hand, but how it felt he already always knew, more than we could. He senses every temptation and hassle and complication, and every time we feel nothing he feels the aimlessness, boredom, and fog. He knows how it feels to be confused, how it feels to keep on forgetting things, making mistakes, getting distracted, and he experiences every discomfort and chronic pain.

Is this always sympathy? Not always; as Paul says in Romans, he "endures with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction", and as David says, "Though Yahweh be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off." Ps 138. God knows it all perfectly, every heart, and every sensation, but his presence is with them that fear him; while the hearts of the wicked, which he thoroughly knows, do not have his regard. "The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth." Pr 10

(Notice how many of the proverbs can have the word "even" inserted, as they contrasts extremes: even the tongue of the just is precious, and even the heart of the unjust is worthless. Another example is: "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." Pr 12. The righteous regardeth even his beast, and even the tender mercies of the unrighteous are cruel.)

#sabbathpost 2023/06/10

Thought for Today: Sunday June 11:

Our Adonai is... Full of kindness. He is close to all who call on Him sincerely... He hears their cries for help and rescues them... He protects all those who loves Him.

BIBLE STUDY LESSON 13

SERIES R --- THE GOOD SHEPHERD

PETER WALKS ON THE WATERS

From Matthew 14:22-33

When the five thousand had been fed, Yeshua told His disciples to get into a boat and cross to the other side of the lake. But He remained behind to dismiss the crowd. By the time the people were gone, night had come. Alone at last, Yeshua went up into the hills to pray. While Yeshua prayed through the night, the disciples struggled to cross the lake. By this time, they were out in the middle, tossed and blown by the wind and waves. Toward morning, Yeshua went out to the disciples, walking on the water. When the disciples saw Him coming, they were terrified. [A ghost!] they screamed with fear. Yeshua answered them immediately. [Don’t be afraid,] He said. [It is I.] Then Peter called back to Yeshua. [If it really, is You, Adonai, then let me come walking on the water to You,] he shouted. [Come!] Yeshua answered. Peter stepped from the boat and began walking on the water toward Yeshua. But when he looked at the wind-blown waves and saw the fury of them, he was overwhelmed with fear and began to sink. [Adonai! Save me!] Peter cried out to Yeshua. At once Yeshua stretched out His hand and held Peter above the water. [You certainly don’t have much faith,] Yeshua said to Peter. [Why did you doubt?] When Yeshua had climbed into the boat with Peter, the wind became calm. The disciples gathered around Yeshua and worshiped Him. [You really are YHVH’s Son,] they said.

WHAT HAPPENED AT GENNESARET

From Mark 6:53-56

When Yeshua and the disciples came to the other side of the lake, they landed at Gennesaret and fastened the boat there. They had just stepped out of the boat when people recognized Yeshua. As soon as the people saw that it was Yeshua, they ran here and there throughout the countryside, bringing sick people on their cots to Him. Wherever Yeshua went -- villages, towns, countryside -- people brought their sick to the market places and begged Him to let them at least touch the hem of His cloak. All who did touch His cloak were made well.

COMMENTARY

TIBERIAS -- THE CITY AND ITS SEA

The town of Tiberias today contains a large collection of ancient Roman ruins. The crumbling remains of the old city walls are a reminder of the town’s long history. But when Yeshua and His disciples lived in Galilee, Tiberias was a new city. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, had recently built it to replace his old capital in Sepphoris. He named his new town {Tiberias} in honour of the emperor who had been so generous to him. In spite of all the grand new buildings constructed by Herod Antipas, very few Jews lived in the town during Yeshua’ lifetime. Even though Herod had built them a synagogue, devout Jews refused to live in Tiberias. Because the city was built over an ancient graveyard, they were afraid of being defiled by contact with the dead. Although the Jews would not live in Herod’s capital, there were many others who settled in the new town after Herod promised them good houses and land. Soon it became the largest city on the sea. Even the Sea of Galilee became known as the Tiberian Sea. The Gospels do not say if Yeshua ever visited Tiberias. They do say that the boats that carried the people back to the western shore after the feeding of the five thousand came from there.

What is permanent about national, religious, or even ethnic identity? We think of tribes, tongues, and nations as everlasting, but even the oldest has existed only a moment in the context of eternity, and has evolved continuously over the centuries. That's why it is good to consider what identity we will carry into eternity, and how we might begin to live that identity in the present.

https://thebarkingfox.com/2023..../06/10/out-of-the-mi

 

thebarkingfox.com

Out of the Mixed Multitude - The Barking Fox

What is permanent about national, religious, or even ethnic identity? We think of tribes, tongues, and nations as everlasting, but even the oldest has existed only a moment in the context of eternity, and has evolved continuously over the centuries.

BIBLE STUDY LESSON 12

SERIES R --- THE GOOD SHEPHERD

FOOD FOR THOUSANDS

A MIRACLE OF LOAVES AND FISHES

From John 6:1-14

After this, Yeshua went back to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, sometimes called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd followed Him, for they had seen His miracles of healing. They even followed Him up into the hills where He went to teach His disciples. Many, of course, were on their way to the Passover feast in Jerusalem. When Yeshua looked around at all the people, He turned to Philip. [Where will we ever find enough bread to feed all those people?] He asked. Of course, Yeshua knew what He was going to do, and He said this only to test Philip. [To feed everyone a bite or two would cost more than we have,] said Philip. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother said, [There is a boy here with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what will that do among such a large crowd?] When He heard that, Yeshua gave the disciples instructions. [Tell the people to sit down,] He said. This place was covered with grass, so the people sat down on it as they had been told. Altogether, there were more than five thousand people there. Then Yeshua took the five barley loaves, gave thanks for them, and began giving pieces to His disciples. When the disciples had served all those who were sitting, they distributed the fish in the same way. Everyone had all that he could eat and more. When all of the people had eaten their fill, Yeshua gave His disciples some further instructions. [Now gather the leftovers so that we do not waste anything.] The disciples gathered the leftovers and put them into baskets. When they finished, they had twelve baskets filled with pieces of the barley loaves.

THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT BECOME KING

From John 6:14-15

When the people realized what Yeshua had done, they said, [This man is certainly the Prophet Who has been promised to the world.] Yeshua knew that these people wanted to force Him to become the king over Israel, so He left them and went away to be alone in the hills.

COMMENTARY

THE MOSAICS OF TABGHA

Along the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee is a peaceful place called Tabgha. For centuries, pilgrims have come to this place as the traditional site where Yeshua multiplied the loaves and fishes and fed the five thousand. In the fifth century, a beautiful church was built at Tabgha to commemorate the feeding of the five thousand. Through the centuries the church was destroyed, and a new one built. But some mosaic floors still remain from the fifth century church, with scenes of birds and flowers familiar to the people who lived around the Sea of Galilee. One large mosaic contains about seven million little pieces of coloured marble pressed into mortar that held them in place. It is so large that it could have taken six people about three years to finish. Since each tiny tile is only about a fraction of an inch square, it took hundreds of them to cover a square foot of floor. One of the mosaics shows two fish and a basket, commemorating the event for which the church was built, it is located behind the altar. Others show birds, flowers, and other wildlife which was familiar to the people there in the fifth century.