Lamentations

For all who claim to 'stand with Israel' should read the chapter from your copy of Scriptures titled Lamentations to gain a better understanding of the relationship our Creator has with His people.

The Book of Lamentations may not be the most popular book in the Bible but it is an essential ingredient for helping humans to understand an important aspect of their relationship with The Creator – the expression of grief and distress. This special book is a collection of five lament poems recounting the tragic fall of Jerusalem to Babylon.

I provide a paraphrased (shortened) version here and ask that you read from your copy of Scriptures for the full length version.

A city once great among nations sits lonely.

All of her friends and allies have betrayed her and become her foes.

Judah has gone into exile because of misery and harsh oppression.

Zion's roads are empty of festival pilgrims and her gates are deserted.

Her enemies are now the masters and her foes are at ease because

YHWH has afflicted her for her many transgressions.

Gone from fair Zion are all that were to her glory; her leaders were like stags that found no pasture, they could only walk feebly before the pursuer.

Jerusalem recalled all the precious things she once had and in her days of woe and sorrow there was no one to help her.  Jerusalem had greatly sinned and became a mockery and those who once admired her have seen her disgrace.  She has seen her Sanctuary invaded by nations which Yah had once denied entry.  He has afflicted her on His Day of Wrath.  He delivers her into the hands of those she cannot withstand and sets a time against her to crush her young men. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing.

YHWH is right and Jerusalem acknowledges that she has disobeyed Him and sees how wrong she's been to rebel against Him. In His Wrath Yah shames Fair Zion and casts down the majesty of Israel, in blazing anger.  He destroyed His Tabernacle bringing to end festival and sabbath; spurning king and priest; He resolved to destroy the wall of Fair Zion.

Jerusalem's seers prophesied to her in both delusion and folly.  They did not expose her iniquities so as to restore her fortunes. Instead they prophesied oracles of delusion and deception (lies).  She was once called Perfect in Beauty, Joy of All the Earth but now her enemies jeer at her and cry "We've ruined her!"

Yahweh has done what He purposed, that which He ordained long ago.

In all that happens, under His rod of wrath; leaving us numb as we become the laughingstock to all people, the butt of their gibes every day and we begin to feel bitterness as if sated with wormwood.  We feel bereft of peace and forget what happiness is.  But this do I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The kindness of YHWH has not ended, His mercies have not run out - they are renewed every morning - how ample is His Grace! He is my portion I say with a full heart; therefore I hope in Him.  He is good to those who trust in Him. To those who seek Him it is good to wait patiently for rescue.  We bear the yoke, sit alone and be patient.  YHWH does not reject forever, but first afflicts then pardons in His abundant kindness for He does not willfully bring grief or affliction to man, crushing prisoners of the earth. He does not deny us our rights. Of what shall a living man complain? Each his own sins!

Let us search and examine our ways and turn back to our Father; let us lift up our hearts with our hands to our Father in Heaven:

We have transgressed and rebelled, and You have not forgiven. You have clothed Yourself in anger and pursued us, You have slain without pity. You have screened Yourself off with a cloud that no prayer may pass through. You have made us filth and refuse in the midst of the peoples.  My eyes shed streams of water over the ruin of my poor people.

I have called on Your Name O Yahweh, hear my plea; do not shut Your ear to my cry! You have told us not to fear and have redeemed our lives. You see the wrongs that are done.

Those who were once valued as gold are now earthen pots and have turned cruel.  Those who feasted on dainties lie famished in the streets; those who were reared in purple have embraced refuse heaps. The guilt of my poor people exceeds the iniquity of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand striking it.  With their own hands tenderhearted women cook their children; such has become their fate.  His cup of wrath will also be passed to Fair Edom who dwell in the land of Uz.

O Yahweh, remember us. Our ancestors have sinned and we bear their guilt.  Gone is the joy from our hearts as we mourn; woe to us that we have sinned.  But You are enthroned forever, through the ages. Take us back! Let us come back; renew our days of old for truly You have rejected us, we have made you bitter.

Learn The Truth in order to See The Truth

My Facebook friend's list just got smaller. Mrs. A unfriended me after a 'discussion' I have copied and pasted here to share as another study.

I love her. Both she and her husband have studied the Word but like many before them have followed the rabbit trail into Judaism, which I am beginning to see as the Wide Gate for all religious beliefs to enter. She and I have had several good discussions in the past but I guess me pointing out the facts about the role of Jerusalem as capital of Israel was the last straw.

Mrs. A posted:

The six day war of 1967 led to Israel getting Jerusalem back after 2000 years. Fifty years later Trump becomes President. Could he symbolize a trump being blown? For another Jubilee? "You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land." Leviticus 25:8-9

On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump announced the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the planning of the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

My Reply:

Spiritually, Jerusalem is the center of the world according to our Creator. Historically, Jerusalem was capital of the State of Israel beginning again in 1948 although became divided with the western section being the capital. The Six Day War reunited the city. In 1980 the Knesset passed the Basic Law - Jerusalem, which restated Israel's rights and obligations concerning the capital.

All Trump did was acknowledge the existing fact and decide to relocate the American Embassy. Two years later and from what I understand, the ambassador and his staff have moved to the US Consulate in Jerusalem but the main branch is still in Tel Aviv.

(Basically, I pointed out it didn't take 2000 years for Israel to get Jerusalem back. Her reply switches from Israel to the world's opinion of Jerusalem)

Mrs. A:

The world never recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and even today its divided. (seems she copied and pasted the following - I deleted the number references.)

After 1948, since the old walled city in its entirety was to the east of the armistice line, Jordan was able to take control of all the holy places therein. While Muslim holy sites were maintained and renovated, contrary to the terms of the armistice agreement, Jews were denied access to Jewish holy sites, many of which were destroyed or desecrated. Jordan allowed only very limited access to Christian holy sites, and restrictions were imposed on the Christian population that led many to leave the city. Of the 58 synagogues in the Old City, half were either razed or converted to stables and hen-houses over the course of the next 19 years, including the Hurva and the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue. The 3,000-year-old Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery was desecrated, with gravestones used to build roads, latrines and Jordanian army fortifications. 38,000 graves in the Jewish Cemetery were destroyed, and Jews were forbidden from being buried there. The Western Wall was transformed into an exclusively Muslim holy site associated with al-Buraq. Israeli authorities neglected to protect the tombs in the Muslim Mamilla Cemetery in West Jerusalem, which contains the remains of figures from the early Islamic period, facilitating the creation of a parking lot and public lavatories in 1964. Many other historic and religiously significant buildings were demolished and replaced by modern structures during the Jordanian occupation. During this period, the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque underwent major renovations.

To me all that information didn't explain anything about the Jubilee or Trump or really apply to what we were talking about. Mostly it highlights 'holy sites'. After she posted the above she unfriended me and this is the reply I wasn't allowed to post:

Yes, I mentioned it was divided and you have ignored the fact the Trump really hasn't moved the embassy to Jerusalem. The Jubilee Year is a year of release, not one of making Jerusalem the modern day capital of the nation state of Israel.  We are called to come out of the world system (Babylon) so if the world does not recognize Jerusalem then it is no big deal. We who are Set Apart and follow Y'shua do recognize the importance of Jerusalem as we have been told the end from the beginning.

Since I couldn't post any more I messaged her and asked if she closed comments on this thread. Mrs. A sent me a private message telling me why she unfriended me:

The vast majority of the people on my Facebook are Baptist, Christians, and they don’t get any of this. I don’t want them just blowing everything off. It’s not going to help them if someone is making comments that sound like they disagree with what I am saying. It’s important they start reading the Bible for themselves and not just following the path that has taken them away from God. They are going to have to turn back and return to the roots of the Christian faith as what was taught in the very beginning before evil men came in and corrupted it. Act chapter 11 talks about when the Church in Antioch disciples were first called Christians. It was when Peter first went to talk to them after the dream he had to not call what God called clean unclean. It was the beginning of the ministry to the non Jews. So because of where most of these people are if any of them are even reading anything I post I felt I needed to take you off, sorry, I hope you understand the reason behind it.

I was quietly amazed at her choice to take me out of the picture and I responded as such, including: .... but after seeing your Jonathan Cahn promo posted on your timeline I see the time was right. Maybe if I ranted all the time I could understand you not wanting me to be around and disrupting your space - I could understand that. I sound like I disagree because you sometimes cause me to 'raise an eyebrow', which is good because I always take what you reference right back to Scriptures, and that is when I can see where you're coming from and/or offer up comments to help shine the light a little brighter - we all need it from time to time because we are all still learning. Many times you and I are in agreement but sometimes you go a little too deep into the realm of Jewish tradition. You are not going to save your 'christian' friends all by yourself, or by censoring comments that you don't agree with. I thought that we have always had fair discussions, even when we don't see eye to eye on some topics. We both know not everyone is going to 'get it'. Thanks for the time we did have because I love being in conversation about Scriptures and so few take the time.
(sent this message to her 9/13/2019)

I am sorry to see how comfortable she and her husband have become with the tradition ladened  religion of Judaism. Some day, hopefully, they will 'get it', too. It seems she wants folks to just read and accept her opinion without question. Our Heavenly Father has never been about Christianity or the Church nor did Set Apart believers call themselves Christians - it is about Faith, which Y'shua asked if there would be any when he returns.

How can anyone think they are teaching their 'christian' friends about the Hebrew origins of Scriptures while still promoting the church?  I do understand a gentle approach toward Gentiles when trying to introduce them to YHWH but if you can't get them to ask questions, or get their genuine interest, then what is the use other than spreading seeds and letting them fall where they may.  Trying to tie a Jubilee year in with Trump is really far-fetched.

Please Note:
Acts Chapter 11 verse 26 from the Aramaic English New Testament:
When he found him (Paul), he brought him with him to Antiochia. And they gathered as one, a whole year, and they taught many people in the congregation. From that time the disciples in Antioch were first called Kristianay. (The Apostles do not call themselves Kristianay. They are members of The Way, referred to as Netzarim. It was the Gentiles in Antioch who coined the term 'Kristyane' a greek term for "Messianics").

Romans 11:25 ~For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the Gentiles comes to faith.