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In 2019, 69.4 percent of all individuals arrested were White, 26.6 percent were Black or African American, and 4.0 percent were of other races.
Of arrestees for whom ethnicity was reported, 19.1 percent were Hispanic or Latino.
Of all juveniles (persons under the age of 18) arrested in 2019, 62.5 percent were White, 33.9 percent were Black or African American, and 3.6 percent were of other races.
Of juvenile arrestees for whom ethnicity was reported, 23.6 percent were Hispanic or Latino.
Of all adults arrested in 2019, 69.9 percent were White, 26.1 percent were Black or African American, and 4.0 percent were of other races.
Of adult arrestees for whom ethnicity was reported, 18.8 percent were Hispanic or Latino.
White individuals were arrested more often for violent crimes than individuals of any other race and accounted for 59.1 percent of those arrests.
Of adults arrested for murder, 51.3 percent were Black or African American, 45.7 percent were White, and 3.0 percent were of other races.
White juveniles comprised 50.3 percent of all juveniles arrested for violent crimes, and Black or African American juveniles accounted for 46.4 percent of juveniles arrested for violent crimes. White juveniles comprised 54.9 percent of all juveniles arrested for property crimes.
Of juveniles arrested for drug abuse violations, 74.8 percent were White.
White juveniles comprised 56.4 percent of juveniles arrested for aggravated assault and 55.4 percent of juveniles arrested for larceny-theft.
Of course not. But it seemed that you were saying that you disliked AOC's policies because she was elected by criminals who teemed in her district, white, black brown or whatever.
Because small floods don't make legends and if there was a global sized flood in human history then that is what is going to be ingrained into human psyche that will trump any local flood.
If there was a local flood the Sumariens experienced some 6,000 years ago it would pale into insignificance to the global sized flood their ancestors would have experienced and be already passing the story down. Why would cultures then want to use a local flood as the basis when they all already had a global flood within their history to draw upon.
The Scablands of the (US) Pacific Northwest (all in Washington, I think) were formed by a series of floods from an identified source (a glacial lake) in Montana. They are not part of any other floods elsewhere in North America.
The glacial melt that caused the Scablands as far as I understanding comes from the same event as the glacials melts in the rest of the northen hemisphere at the end of the last iceage.
Nevertheless these big floods in the Northern hemisphere were etched into cultures and the story of them passed down. Which means that there were flood stories well before the local Mesopotamian one. The Sumerians already had their flood story well before any local flood 6,000 years ago.
But they happened when humans were around that this event was etched into their psyche. This was passed down orally and this is how it became encultured as people developed.
The Sumerian flood story is from an older story passed down. The same with most cultures flood satories. Having such a major global event in human history so early would mean that these cultures did not need a local flood later to create their flood story. It was already there.
Yes so whoever were their ancestors it was them who exprienced the flood and passed down their story which they took with them to wherever they settled.
Glacial outflow floods occurred during the last retreat of the ice sheets, so there was definitely climate change, but there were also inflows of new H. sapiens populations into those areas at the same time. (More people + climate change = extinction event)
These floods during the end of the last iceage for whoever was around being such an extinction event would create stories about this forever etched in their psyche. Then their culture is overlayed onto this real event giving the different versions of the flood story.
Well all I know is that if there was a global sized extinction flood event in our distant past that people experienced, which most of the prehistorical world knew of. Then a legendary flood myth would come from this.
So any local flood that happened later cultures already had a flood myth to go by. So later localised flood would have only built upon this. I am sure people some 6,000 years ago with pretty elaborate thinking and belief would know the difference between a local flood that their trading nations did not experience and a legendary globalised flood that wiped out everything.
This divine communication seems a bit broken if it couldn't even transmit the true nature of the same god to all peoples who received it. Your post makes too many grandiose claims and collapses under their weight.
If you consider that before God revealed Himself as Yahweh humans did not know of the one true God. They were making sacrifices to gods before God has instituted His sacrifice that became so significant for Christianity. So humans knew about God but worshipped false gods and idols. They knew about sacrificing to gods as a natural inclination.
Then God came along and revealed to Abraham the true source of all this worshipping and sacrificing. God used what was naturally happening to reveal Himself to us. Without that pre existing understanding this would not have made sense to Abraham.
It makes sense to me that a similar revelation happened with Noahs flood. A real flood event happened in our distant past before humans could write and this was orally developed over time. Another piece of evidence is the glyphs and some of these talk about a great flood.
But as cultures evolved more sophisticated beliefs they developed the flood story. The important thing is that they all seen that this flood was from the gods as punishment. Once again the ancient stories passed down speak of this.
The God revealed to Moses who is suppose to have written the Genesis the true story of the flood. Just like God comes along to Abraham and reveals the true story of all these gods and sacrifices being made. He reveals to Moses the true source and reason for all these flood stories everyone was already believing but attributing this to the false gods.
PS if it sounds like an hypothesis (if you could call it that) its because it is. I am not saying that this is all correct. I am thinking out loud in trying to reconcile everything.
I think what we have here is not about God, it's magical thinking about the Bible. It's not your dismissal of God that's he's distainful about, but your failure to have embraced Sola Scriptura. That's where he finds his "objective truths."
Oh, you're a mind reader? Amazing that I would be disdainful about someone not embracing a doctrine I don't embrace...how's that supposed to work, exactly?
I think what we have here is not about God, it's magical thinking about the Bible. It's not your dismissal of God that's he's distainful about, but your failure to have embraced Sola Scriptura. That's where he finds his "objective truths."
This is one reason there is confusion.
People say things, and never use the Bible, especially on a sub-forum called Christian Scriptures, where scriptures are required... and they spend their time on the thread making post after post, page after page, without using one single scripture.
They make claims, in other words.
Devils are real and they pretend to be angels of light and deceive people. People imagine things and think that they are getting divine guidance. Which thing is happening is not always clear. If you study the Scriptures carefully and find that there is no conflict with the “revelation” somebody has had, then one must decide what to do about it.
I was in one congregation where a good Christian man had a message from God that an important event was soon to happen. Everybody believed him and put a lot of work and money into preparations, including the man with the message. Nothing happened, but nothing went to waste that I know of. Was it like Jonah, and Nineveh repented? Only God knows, but the cooperation, good works, and devotion in action were all positive things. It wasn’t like people selling everything, because somebody said that the rapture would happen next week. Everybody could see that no real harm would be done if the message was not true, and nobody was angry afterwards.
One thing I know for sure is that God doesn’t play hide and seek. If you are a Christian and doing something contrary to God’s plan, He will make it clear, and you may not like how He does it. Anyway, I would like to know what I’m missing in this debate.
For one thing, Jerry, the thread was not made to argue about whether or not someone was visited by an angel of God, or an angel of Satan, but since the subject is 'Angels', and someone made the claim they were visited by God's angel, they should scripturally back it up. Especially since the claim was opposed with scripture.
So far they have not, and where the scriptures challenge their claim, they have nothing to say except repeat their claim, and basically say that one cannot see what they see, or know what they know... Like Jim Jones, and David Koresh did.
I hope you didn't miss that.
The other thing is, I am not interested in bouncing claims.
I don't argue against claims (it's customary on CF to fill a whole thread with them). I use scriptures against them, and if they are repeated without any scriptural support at all, I dismiss them.
So, I'm at this point waiting for a scripture. I asked, but got this. Which basically says what?
Both Jesus, and the Statement of Purpose of this sub-forum, however, says "Not". I hope that helps.
If it did, perhaps you could go back and show me scripturally that angels "visit people and help them".
It's important to note too Jerry, the scripture do not support the view that certain scriptural topics aren't important so long as you believe others. Satan would have us believe we're good, just believing the milk of God's word.
However, we cannot have this view and at the same time agree with John 4:23, 24
Again, your opinions and feelings aren't what's chiefly at issue. It's the ingredients of faith, which are not simply a matter of feelings and opinions.
God, parted waters and there was Dry Land.
Moses, parted waters and there was Dry Land.
Elijah, parted waters and there was Dry Land.
John the baptizer who was the fulfillment of Elijah, baptized Jesus who afterwards was lead by the Holy Spirit into the dryest land that could be found, the desert wilderness. Like Moses, he fasted 40 days and 40 nights.
When Jesus died on the cross, He was Risen from the Dead after 3 days by the Father.
The typology of the third day of creation is juxtaposed to the imagery of baptism.
Even the dialogue in Acts where Jesus instructs to wait for the Holy Spirit is followed by 40 days of visions of Him and then "not many days" before the Holy Spirit was given.
Even now the Father is working hard to create the New Heaven and New Earth while we live in this one our ancestors ruined. The Death and Resurrection of Jesus was the fulfillment of the third day, and the beginning of the fourth.
Please more prayers for my son Jake. He is having a really bad night mentally. Please ask God to heal him mind and body and give him some kind of joy. He is suffering. Please please ask God to allow him to be happy if it is His will and that there is nothing seriously wrong with him mind or body. Your prayers mean so much. I ask in the name of Jesus. Thank you and God bless you. Carmen
They have used the word priestly because that is the Greek word Paul uses ie [I am] a minister (λειτουργός, [leitourgos]) of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. Which means minister or public servant. This was referenced to the use of the same word that was attribed to the priestly ministry in the old testament.
Then Paul goes on to say 'in the priestly service (ἱερουργοῦντα [hierourgounta], which means literally serving as a priest, i.e. (sacerdos)
Dictionary: ἱερουργέω
Greek transliteration: hierourgeō
Definition:
to officiate as priest, perform sacred rites
to officiate as priest, perform sacred rites;, in NT to minister in a divine commission, Rom. 15:16*
www.billmounce.com
So Paul is literally comparing himself to an old testament priest in the ministry of Christ. Except instead of the sacrificing of animals he is bring the Gentiles as a pure sacrifice to the alter in Christ.
Yes I am learning about how his mninisty was so powerful to the early church in bring the gospel to the world. Despite his broken and battered body and the trials and tribulations he experienced he was stayed true to the end.
Post #423 shows Calvinist believe in a false work based eternal life salvation. As they place themselves at a judgment to see if they are really an elect.
I was naïve to think you would post something responsive to the query made to you. I'll not make that error again.
I have.
In Congress.
In Congress
In Congress
No, because I know the difference between state/local/federal government and between legislative and executive branches. Members of Congress do not "run" their districts. It is easier to think about with Senators. Mitch McConnell doesn't "run" Kentucky, Adam Schiff doesn't "run" California, Ron Johnson does not "run" Wisconsin. The *governors* of those states do. (All in my list are Democrats.) The state legislatures set the budget and the laws. Local governments (counties, cities, towns, viillages, etc.) operate the police forces, schools, etc.
This has nothing to do with partisanship and everything to do with HOW GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY WORKS, not some fantasy "gotcha" version pushed by some TV network.
As I stated before, if this was a right wing politician you would be all over their failure in their districts. Let me give you a little education about the responsibilities of a member of the House of Representatives, They are elected to represent their constituents in congress but there is a bit more than that. Members have the responsibility of representation, legislation, oversight, management, politics, collaboration, and leadership. The first one IS representation. In order for them to represent their constituents they have to understand what their constituents need which is something that AOC is clueless about. Here is a primer that might enlighten you. I can’t copy and paste but look at page 6 Under representation In particular under understand constituency demographics, trends and needs and provide services to constituents.
“I think, really, only pretty bad people, including fake news, want to keep something like that going. But, credible information”, Trump concluded, “let ‘em give it. I would say: anything that’s credible, let them have it.”
Nah. I want to see the info that you think isn't credible. That's what I want to see.
FAITH-IN-HIM, do you not realize that in six short months we are hanging on to a robust democratic system with our fingernails, and our 'strong rule of law' has been compromised by a shredded constitution? If you believe, as I do, that a robust democratic system is important, you need to begin speaking truth to power and truth about power as we try to hang on to 2026 and 2028.
What Bible verses do you mean? I'm not aware of any Bible verses that involve amazingly fulfilled prophecies. Except for maybe about the Jews getting their nation back and building another temple (not sure of the exact verses though)
That's understandable. The truth isn't as popular as what is common.
Written between 40 C.E. and 65 C.E., are these prophetic utterances: Matthew 24:3-14 3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy [presence], and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them...
7 ...nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places [and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences - Luke 21:11]. 8 But all these things are the beginning of travail.
12 And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold. 13 But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole [inhabited earth] for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will be present.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, proud, verbally abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, savage, haters of good,
4 betrayers, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
13 while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
There is clear Biblical evidence as to when the last days of this present system began - that is, when Jesus' presence began, and it coincides with the things Jesus specified, and are seen in the historical timeline of the 19th century.
I know what you are thinking, so before you start that motor, and speed off, let me punch a few tires for you.
There are two common objections usually echoed by skeptics.
There have always been wars, earthquakes, pestilences, etc.
The "seeming" increase is due to technology making news widespread.
True, there has always been wars, famines, etc.
Jesus however, was giving a sign that would bear a mark that would be identifiable - that is, it is made up of distinct components, with all the features combined.
To impress on your mind what that looks like, and how it punctures the skeptics' tires....
Someone tells you, they will be arriving on a unique and distinct bus.
It will be red, and while, with a yellow lightning bolt painted all around the center.
It will have gold windshield wipers; gold rims with large black bolts...
You get the picture.
You aren't looking for just any bus. You're looking for the bus.
Jesus specified nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom; earthquakes, food shortages and pestilences, in diverse places - one place after another. Also, increased lawlessness, and lack of love. Wars
Similarly, World War II (1939–1945) involved even more countries, caused massive destruction, and resulted in the Holocaust and the use of nuclear weapons.
More recently, the 21st century has seen a resurgence of international tensions and conflicts. For instance, the article by Noah Smith notes that India and Pakistan have been engaged in a significant escalation of hostilities, which some observers now consider a full-scale war rather than just a standoff. Additionally, the global displacement crisis has reached historic levels, with over 122 million people forcibly displaced due to conflict, persecution, and disaster, according to the United Nations.
World War I claimed an estimated 16 million lives. The influenza epidemic that swept the world in 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people. One fifth of the world's population was attacked by this deadly virus. Within months, it had killed more people than any other illness in recorded history.
The plague emerged in two phases. In late spring of 1918, the first phase, known as the "three-day fever," appeared without warning. Few deaths were reported. Victims recovered after a few days. When the disease surfaced again that fall, it was far more severe. Scientists, doctors, and health officials could not identify this disease which was striking so fast and so viciously, eluding treatment and defying control. Some victims died within hours of their first symptoms. Others succumbed after a few days; their lungs filled with fluid and they suffocated to death.
The 1957–1958 Asian flu pandemic was a global pandemic of influenza A virus subtype H2N2 that originated in Guizhou in Southern China. The number of excess deaths caused by the pandemic is estimated to be 1–4 million around the world (1957–1958 and probably beyond), making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. A decade later, a reassorted viral strain H3N2 further caused the Hong Kong flu pandemic (1968–1970).
The Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupted global food supplies, as Ukraine was the fourth-largest exporter of corn and wheat before the conflict. This led to inflation and scarcity of these commodities in dependent countries. Additionally, climate change has affected agriculture, leading to decreased global food reserves. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2023 highlighted food supply crises as an ongoing global risk, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and crop failures from climate change worsening worldwide hunger and malnutrition.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published in 2024 revealed that around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, with the number of undernourished people remaining stubbornly high for three consecutive years . The report emphasized the need for increased and more cost-effective financing to address food insecurity and malnutrition, highlighting the complex challenges of malnutrition in all its forms .
Lawlessness
Recent data indicates that violence is indeed increasing worldwide, with global conflict rates rising significantly. According to the ACLED Conflict Index, there has been a 25% increase in political violence incidents recorded in the past 12-month period, with over 194,000 political violence events recorded worldwide from December 2023 to November 2024.
Global Conflict Rates: The rise in conflict has been dramatic, with global conflict rates increasing by 12% in 2023, with more than 15,000 additional attacks, bombings, and assaults compared to 2022.
Homicide Rates: Global homicides hit a record high in 2021, with 458,000 homicides reported, partly linked to economic repercussions from the coronavirus pandemic and a rise in organized crime and gang-related and socio-political violence in several countries.
Gang Violence in Haiti: In Haiti, gang violence has claimed 4,864 lives between October and June, with violence spreading beyond Port-au-Prince into surrounding regions.
Gun Violence: American gun violence is spreading globally, with targeted violence by firearm becoming a growing threat worldwide. Research shows that many of these incidents were directly linked to examples set by U.S. shooters.
Is there a need to add anything more? Not really, but so as to be fair... Earthquakes
The problem with this is that Jesus did not have an interest in how many quakes were reported, but rather, the fact that there would be reports of significant quakes in diverse places - one place after another.
That is exactly what we are seeing.
What matters here, is not why there is an increase in the intensity or cause of damage, or loss of life, but the fact that earthquakes will be noticeable in various places.
Nor does it matter if the increase in earthquakes is largely due to improved detection and reporting capabilities. The fact is, the increase in earthquakes is noticeable... whether by observation, or hearing reports.
The annual number of “great” earthquakes nearly tripled over the last decade, providing a reminder to Americans that unruptured faults like those in the northwest United States might be due for a Big One.
Between 2004 and 2014, 18 earthquakes with magnitudes of 8.0 or more rattled subduction zones around the globe. That's an increase of 265 percent over the average rate of the previous century, which saw 71 great quakes, according to a report to the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America this week in Vancouver, British Columbia.
I haven't even gotten into 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13, and I believe you have two flat tires.
So, we can identify the 'bus'. There isn't another 'bus' like it, that has gone prior. You cannot identify one that bears all the features.
Hence, our 'bus' arrived in the 19th century, and God's people have identified it, and pointed it out.
How open-minded are you, John, to accepting this?
Biblical literature - Isaiah, Prophecy, Poetry: The Book of Isaiah, comprising 66 chapters, is one of the most profound theological and literarily expressive works in the Bible. Compiled over a period of about two centuries (the latter half of the 8th to the latter half of the 6th century bce)...
www.britannica.com
Perhaps I could add another possibility - being "uninformed". I mean you weren't familiar with the widespread belief amongst scholars that Deutero-Isaiah was written around the time of the exile.
I don't think there is any serious Bible student who is not aware of the flawed scholarly consensus, on Biblical documents... including the erroneous Documentary Hypothesis.
When people base their beliefs on presuppositions, it cannot be anything but flawed.
For example, your earlier reference to the novel from 1949 about a person living on Mars as a leader called "The Elon".
Imagine someone picked that book up in the year 2080, and Elon Musk is living on Mars as a leader called "The Elon", and the examiners of the book tells you, because the book, contains this information, it must have been written some time in the year 2080.
Would you take them seriously?
I wouldn't. I don't take those scholars seriously. They are just as flawed in their thinking, as those examiners.
I could go into a lot of information from the first five books of the Bible, through to Daniel, through to the Gospels, on the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., through to the "Pauline" texts and show how erroneous their ideas are, but that would not benefit either of us, since you obviously have made up your mind that any possibility must be true, so long as it is not possible for the Bible to be inspired of God.
It could also be called "ignorance" - like if some people think thunder is evidence of the gods. It is related to the existing "delusion" part. So it is easy to appear to have correct prophecies if it was written around the same time.
So I'm saying a skeptic familiar with the Deutero-Isaiah theory would say you're uninformed or ignorant - even if what you believe is the Truth.
The author was an atheist and I suspect that is partly why he didn't involve the number 7. It should be "what's 6 times 7". I think 7 is related to God and 6 is related to man. So I think it is related to life being about the interaction with God and man. And again only I felt this as an interaction with an intelligent force. Everyone else would see it as a coincidence. But like I said, Connect 4 sets always have 21 pieces of each colour. Though eventually I tracked down the set (a non-original brand) and it had 23 of each colour but then they must have lost 4 red pieces.
It's interesting.
Since God is the ultimate Mathematician, and numbers are very much a part of his creation, the number 42 may indeed be significant, and you might be able to work out a lot of things with particular numbers.
I'm just curious as to know why you think 7 is related to God and 6 is related to man.
I love the west. They dont want to be part of the west. I do. They dont want the western culture. They dont have ownership of tge west. They have rejected ownership. They dont want it. They are fools to want to get rid of something that was given them and the world so much.
If they hate it so much they should go somewhere where they dont. I heard Somalia is nice this time of year. Im sure tgey would be welcomed with open arms. Maybe the PLO would take them in. You know who else hates the west? Russia, China and N Korea. I guess they are in good company.
This is the famous story of Bilam, who was asked to “curse” Israel, and instead, “Blessed” Israel, yet before this, his donkey spoke to him. The name “Bilam” or Balaam” might be a shorter version of the name “Baal-haAm” (lord of the people). Some believe that he was a true prophet of G-d, others believe he was a false prophet or a corrupt prophet. Seems like he was the latter, yet YHVH used him to bless HaAm Israel
The princes of Balak, (whose name means, "one who lays waste"), King of Moab, offered money to Balaam to curse Israel, so Balaam consulted Adonai as to what he should do. Elohim answers;
“Thou shalt not go with them, thou shalt not curse them for they are blessed” (Num 22:12)
What the LORD has blessed, stays blessed, what the LORD has cursed, stays cursed UNLESS the LORD himself lifts the curse and changes the curse to a blessing. Balaam tells the princes, “I cannot go with you,” yet Balak is stubborn, and wants Israel cursed; he offers more money, and fame, re-sends his princes and asks them again to propose to Balaam; “Stay here tonight and I will see what the LORD will tell me,” says Balaam.
But hey, didn’t Adonai already say NO? What more is there to ask again? Or…is there a hidden reason? Maybe a money reason? We can see perhaps a greedy prophet trying to see if “God will change his mind”. Just a little curse for a lot of money? However, Adonai says, “Go with them, but only say what I tell you to say”. So, the word of God says that in the morning, Balaam saddled his ass and went with the princes of Moab, BUT…God was angry because he WENT! There is a problem here, didn’t Adonai already give his permission for Balaam to GO, yet he was angry because he WENT! What is the root of interpretation here?
Adonai gave his permission for Balaam to go PHYSICALLY with the princes of Moab, yet, Balaam in his heart was GOING ALONG WITH THE IDEA, to curse for money, and greed was in his heart. One thing is to GO, another is GO ALONG WITH THE IDEA, or be in unison to do evil. This is why the anger of the LORD was kindled, Balaam had in his heart the IDEA or the DESIRE to GO CURSE ISRAEL for riches. It was all about the “inner motive” of Bilaam, Adonai knows the heart above all things. We can all “go” places, but if our hearts carry evil intentions, then the “going” will bring a curse upon ourselves.
Here is another idea. God permitted Bilaam to go, only that he make known the plan to bless Israel, yet Bilaam did not tell the second group of emissaries that he would bless Israel. He allowed them to think that he would pronounce a curse upon Israel. In this type of deceit, Bilaam would “blaspheme” the name of God, knowing one thing, and hiding it on purpose. Perhaps Bilaam thought that if he told the group that he would only “bless” Israel, then he would not receive payment. It would then be a “financial setback”. (ill-gotten greed).
Now Adonai used Balaam’s donkey to “wake him up” as to what is happening. Then, “Malach-YHVH” (The Angel of the LORD) stands in the way, the ass avoids him three times, until Balaam strikes his donkey three times for going off the road. Finally, the LORD opens the mouth of the donkey, and the donkey is made to speak;
“Why have you smitten me these three times?” Wouldn’t you wonder that Balaam would have been impressed that an animal would speak? Hebrew at that? Even the Angel said, “Why have you smitten your donkey these three times?”
Some wonder about the number “3.” Does it have meaning? There are “3” entities in Elohim, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Yeshua was in the ground for 3 days, there are 3 parts of the Bible, the Torah, the Prophets and Hebrew poetry, and the Brit HaDASHAH (New Testament) Yeshua asked Kefa 3 times “Do you love me?” The Angel of Elohim gave “3” warnings to Balaam, yet he did not SEE, or perhaps, did not WANT to see or heed the warnings, until his donkey, “alerted him”
Another thing we can see is that God is concerned for the treatment of animals. Those who have pets should treat them with love and tender care, not mistreat them, for if the angel saw the donkey being struck and called Balaam’s attention on that, the LORD sees how YOU are treating your pet, (hopefully no one has a pet crocodile running around the house, yet there was a case of a family that DID have indeed a PET CROC in the house)
Balaam meets Balak, and again, they go to 3” separate places to view Israel, and Balaam orders 7” altars to be built. 7 bulls and 7 rams would be sacrificed. “7” is the perfect number, yet all three times, Balaam opens his mouth to BLESS Israel, whom YHVH has blessed, no man can curse. Even in the third blessing, Balaam echoes the blessing of Abraham: “Blessed be everyone that blesses thee and cursed be everyone that curses thee!”
What can we learn from all this? We must always support and bless Israel, bless our brothers and sisters in our congregations, do not let money be the main interest in our doing “good” if we wish to bless our neighbor, with our prayers, labor, favors, etc., let it not be guided by monetary gain, but our sincere desire to bless and be a witness to Yeshua our Messiah. Oh yes, and treat your cats, dogs, birds, tropical fish, etc. with TLC! Adonai is watching! But let’s look at the blessings that Bilaam said to Israel, and yes, Balak was fuming! This is to show that G-d even works among heathen prophets, to shower blessings to his people; (23:8-10) We see various things of interest here: Bilaam states,
“How can I curse whom Elohim has not cursed?” “It is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” “Who hath counted the dust of Jacob or numbered the stock of Israel?.” “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let mine be like his.”
“A people that dwell alone.” One might think about the meaning of this. One way to look at this is that Israel is a “unique’ people, that is not given to worship idols like the other nations, but given and chosen to worship Adonai only, therefore, “Not reckoned among the nations.”
Adonai did not curse Israel, but later, Israel brought upon itself a curse because the Israelites hooked up with the prostitutes of Moab and entered into the pagan rites of the Moabites (persuaded by Bilaam). He must have said to the king that God cannot curse them, but they can bring a curse upon themselves.
Israel is unique; no nation like Israel. The word for “unique” is “Yachid” and is different from the rest of the nations, because Israel believes and worships only “One G-d” YHVH! The rest of the nations at that time were pagan, idolatrous nations.
Why is Jacob/Israel compared to dust? Can anyone count “dust?? Yet dust will last forever. The desire of all is to “die like a Tzadik!” a righteous person, but Bilaam did not die like a Tzadik, he died like a pagan prophet who was, unwillingly, used by YHVH. The next blessing is from 23:19-24.
“God (EL) is not a man that He should lie, Nor the Son of man that He should repent”
The word for God in this verse is “El” (the strong one who leads and instructs), and through the Torah, Adonai shows us the way to Mashiach! Yes, God is NOT a man, He is Spirit in the pure essence of His being, yet He became flesh, in Yeshua, to die for our sins, and Yeshua never needed to repent of anything since He was and IS sinless!
‘None hath beheld iniquity in Jacob nor seen perverseness in Israel”
Yet didn’t YHVH want to wipe Israel from the earth for past sins and rebellion? Yes, BUT, Moshe interceded for them like Yeshua intercedes before the Father on our behalf. YHVH was looking at Israel through Messiah Yeshua, He sees Israel as if Israel had never sinned, being righteous! Are we any different? Our flesh is black like sin (figuratively) because our flesh is dead and dying, yet inside us lives our soul-spirit, and it is white as snow, purified through the Blood of Yeshua. The third blessing is from 24:3-9.
“How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy dwellings, O Israel”
This is the beginning of one of our daily prayers. The tents and dwellings symbolize the whole people of Israel, the ones who dwell inside the tents. The word "Dwellings" is written in Hebrew: "Mishkanotecha." Here is the mention of the Tabernacle "Mishkan" "Your Mishkan" where the LORD dwells amongst His People!.
“Water shall flow from his branches, and his seed shall be in many waters”
Yeshua is the “Living Water” (Mayim Chayim). Many waters can symbolize the “multitudes” of people, since the Hebrew letter “Mem” symbolizes both “water” and the “masses” (of people). This is the “Seed of faith” that has been scattered among all the nations of the world. The blessing ends like the promise of Abraham, “blessed be every one that blesses thee, and cursed be everyone that curseth thee,” and in HIS SEED shall ALL the world be blessed, “HaZeman Yeshua” (the seed of Yeshua), the seed of “Faith.”
