Loyalty to the Compassionate Ruler

Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. Nehemiah 3:25

"Every Christian could take as his motto Shakespeare’s words, “May that thought when I imagine ill against my king and brethren be my last breathing in this mortal world.”

Such loyalty from a citizen puts an obligation on the ruler. Among the Jews, the chosen people, “the king’s upper house [palace] was by the court of the prison (Nehemiah 3:25).” This is the right place for a king to dwell—where he can always have in view how much his sovereignty costs those over whom he rules.

In order for the king to have the majesty and the power of a ruler, others must die in wars under his command. Orphans remain behind. Driven by poverty and lack of education, they end in prison. The king may have neglected to spread morality among his people. His life should remain close to the lowliest of the rejected so he will perceive his kingdom truly.

In biblical Greek, “to rule” and “to feed” are the same word, poimaino—as a shepherd both tends and feeds his flock. What matters is not how many state banquets the king attends, but how much care he has taken that the hungry be fed.

In Aramean, “Lamb of God,” a name for Jesus, is talya Aeloha, which also means “servant of God.” The king can be the first servant of a country only if he has the character of a lamb."

(Wurmbrand, Richard., 100 Prison Meditations Cries of Truth from Behind the Iron Curtain, Living Sacrifice Books, Bartlesville, OK, 1982, pg 162)

Lean on Me

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

The Bible says,... "Bear one another’s burdens" (Gal. 6:2). Although this involves "standing on our heads" together—sharing each other’s pain, it does NOT convey the full scope of these verses.

One involves sharing a load; the other involves removing a load. Actually, two words are used for "bearing" in the New Testament. One word could be construed to mean standing beside a brother or sister in times of need to strengthen and comfort.

The other, however, means something entirely different. The first one, anechomai, means "to sustain, bear or hold up against a thing," much as a person would tie a stake to a tomato plant to sustain it from the weight it carries. The strength of the stake is transferred to the plant and thus "bears it up."

When the Lord commands us to bear with one another in Colossians 3:13 and Epheisans 4:2, He isn’t simply saying, "Put up with one another." Although He is telling us to do that, He is also saying, "Stake yourselves to one another."

In other words, we’re to come alongside a weak brother or sister who is "weighted down" and say, "You’re not going to fall and be broken or destroyed because I’m staking myself to you. My strength is now yours. Go ahead, lean on me. As long as I can stand, you will."

(Sheets, Dutch. 1996. Intercessory Prayer. Ventura, CA: Regal Books. pgs 61-62)

The Necessities of Life

R. J. Brimmer wrote:

"Throughout the Bible, God uses simple, everyday illustrations to communicate spiritual truth. Frequently these illustrations are taken from the agrarian lifestyle common in biblical times. These teachings were meant to bring clarity and insight to the readers in an easy-to-understand manner.

Unfortunately, we live 2,000 years after the events of the Bible, and most of us are not involved in growing our own food. Even if we are farmers, the methods have changed dramatically over the centuries. We read Scripture through our own cultural eyeglasses, and often miss truths because we simply don’t understand the illustrations.

So, let’s transport ourselves back in time several thousand years. First, we need to understand that life in Bible times was much more fragile than today.

People were totally dependent on the crops they grew. If there was a drought, a famine ensued. There were no grocery stores from which to purchase food. If there was no rain, there was no harvest, and if there was no harvest, the people starved. Life revolved around the seasons. It wasn’t just a segment of society that was concerned about farming issues, as in our modern society; everyone was affected. When God said that the Israelites were to obey Him or there would be no rain, it was serious business: “

‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today; to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.

And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’ Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn and serve other gods and worship them, lest the Lord’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you” (Deut. 11:13–17).

These verses were so important that the Jewish people were commanded to recite them morning and evening and to write them upon the doorposts of their houses and upon the gates of their cities. To this day they do so in their daily prayers (Hareuveni). Mezuzot, small boxes created to hold the Scripture passages, are affixed to the doorposts of the houses as a constant reminder to love and serve the Lord as a condition to receiving His blessings.

Notice the three food items listed: grain, new wine (from grapes), and oil (from olives). These were the staples of life to the Israelis. It was as if God were saying to them: If you love and serve Me, I will provide all the necessities of life. The key was to be in relationship with God.

In the Christian Scriptures when Yeshua (Jesus) says,

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33).

What things was He referring to? Look at verses 25–32 for the answer: food, drink, and clothing. God will provide for our sustenance if we will love and serve Him, putting Him and His kingdom first."


[Donna: In the King James Version, the word corn is a generic term used for grain. Corn as we know it did not exist in the Holy Land in Bible times. The author uses a different translation than the KJV where this verse says corn.]

Weeping For Aaron

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of of God. Matthew 5:9

"When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days. " (Numbers 20:29) Why did Israel weep for Aaron thirty days? Aaron was 123 years old when he died, a ripe old age, full of years, yet all Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

Thirty days is the customary term of mourning for a close relative, and Aaron, as high priest over the congregation, was like a close relative to all Israel. According to Jewish tradition, Aaron was especially beloved by all Israel because he was known as a peacemaker. He was like a family member to each person because he had made peace within their families.

One traditional teaching about Aaron says that when husbands and wives quarreled, they would seek out Aaron. He would counsel them with words of peace and bring reconciliation to their relationship. He was so adept at making peace between husbands and wives that he had many children named after him: There were thousands in Israel who were called by the name of Aaron, for if not for Aaron, they would not have come into the world.

Another popular folktale about Aaron says that when two men were fighting, Aaron would go to the first one and say to him, "Reuben, I was talking with Simon, and he was saying he's feeling really bad about this fight you are having, and he wants to make peace." Then Aaron would go to Simon and say, "I ran into Reuben, and he was telling me that he's feeling really bad about this fight you are having, and he wants to make peace with you." When the two men encountered each other, they would each assume the other wanted to make peace. They would embrace and set their argument aside.

These stories about Aaron remind us that we are called not only to be peaceful people but also to be peacemakers, a people proactively making peace. Being a peacemaker is one of the things that characterize us as disciples of [Christ]."

Jesus and the Role of Women pt.5

"It is no wonder that Jesus had such a spiritual attraction for women, who were so often neglected by the teachers of that period. Luke 8:1-3 records that many women followed Him and ministered to His needs.

Why was it that a formerly immoral woman could cry tears of thanks on Jesus' feet and dry them with her hair, without fear? Why was it that Mary felt so free in His presence and anointed His feet with costly perfume, at the risk of rebuke by others? It was because the Master simply accepted them as people. Compassionately and with complete purity, He accepted their affection while moving them to repentance.

Dorothy Sayers remarked, "They had never known a man like this Man-there has never been such another. A prophet and teacher who never nagged at them nor patronized them; who never made jokes about them and who took their questions seriously; who took them as He found them. Nobody could possibly guess from the words and deeds of Jesus that there was anything 'funny' about woman's nature" (Are Women Human?, p. 47).

It is not surprising, therefore, that wherever the gospel has penetrated the cultures of this world, an inevitable result has been that the social status of women has been raised. Rather than attack Christianity for oppressing women, we must recognize that the message of the gospel provides true liberation for both male and female, who are both "one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28)."

Varner, Will; Jesus and the Role of Women

The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc.

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Jesus and the Role of Women pt.4

Women in Jesus' Actions
It was not only in what He taught, but also in how He related to women publicly that Jesus displayed a truly revolutionary attitude-in the sense that He was overthrowing the wrong social conventions of His day. Consider the following three incidents in His ministry, each of which involved a woman.

Jesus' very public ministry to the Samaritan woman at a well, recorded in John 4:1-42, contravened accepted practice for a Jewish male of His day. He not only talked to the woman in public, He instructed her and revealed Himself to her as the Messiah. The disciples' astonishment at Jesus' action is indicated in John 4:27a: "And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman." Jesus did not follow the rabbinic dictum to not engage in public discourse with a woman. He always sought to minister to women, rather than ignore them, even if it meant risking the misunderstanding of his male disciples.

The case of the woman taken in adultery, recorded in John 7:53-8:11, provides another example of His compassionate attitude toward women. Jesus rebuked her accusers, who had conveniently ignored the guilty man. While not approving of her action ("go, and sin no more," Jn. 8:11), His tender dealing with her contrasted sharply with the harsh and hypocritical attitude of those who were so quick to pronounce the sentence of death upon her.

The incident in the house of Mary and Martha, recorded in Luke 10:38-42, provides yet another example of Jesus' practice of contravening the accepted social norms of His day regarding the instruction of women. Jesus not only took the time to instruct Mary, but His words to Martha indicate that Mary had actually "chosen that good part" (Lk. 10:42). While Jesus would never have condemned a woman for attending to household duties, He still commended Mary for desiring to study and learn the Word. The rabbis thought women were intellectually inferior and incapable of study; Jesus evidently thought otherwise.

In addition to these incidents in His ministry, it is noteworthy that women were the last ones at the cross, when all of the male disciples, except John, forsook their Master and fled. They were also the first ones at the tomb, when those same males were cowering in fear.

It was a woman whom Jesus chose to be the first witness to His resurrection. Mary Magdalene was the astonished recipient of this great privilege, recorded in Luke 14:1-10. He then commissioned her to testify to its truth. The rabbis did not believe women were reliable witnesses. Jesus thought otherwise. Do not forget, however, the reaction of the men when they heard the testimony of the women: "And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not" (Lk. 24:11).

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Jesus and the Role of Women pt.3

Women in Jesus' Teaching

In His public teaching, Jesus never uttered a word of deprecation or humiliation regarding women. They never were the object of cruel jokes or criticisms, nor were they ever put down for being women.

In His condemnation of adultery and divorce in Matthew 5:27-28 and 19:3-10, Jesus taught that women were not to be treated as sex objects.

In His sermons, at least twice He used the example of a woman to rebuke the faithless men of His generation: the widow of Zarephath to the men of Nazareth, recorded in Luke 4:25-26, and the Queen of Sheba to the Pharisees, recorded in Luke 11:31.

At least twice in His parables Jesus used a woman in a striking way to illustrate faith and determination: the persistent widow in Luke 18:2-8 and the woman searching for the lost coin in Luke 15:8-10.

Jesus never uttered a word that would support the idea of treating women as intrinsically inferior to men. They were always honored in His teaching and never humiliated-a practice modern teachers should take note of and follow. In many churches today, women are subjected to some very cruel comments at their expense, something Jesus never did.

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