#Book of Habakkuk

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Habakkuk’s Prayer

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

3 God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. 4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. 5 Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. 6 He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed— but he marches on forever. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? 9 You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; 10 the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.

11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. 12 In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. 13 You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. 14 With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. 15 You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

16 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments. — Habakkuk 3 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 21:21; Exodus 7:19-20; Exodus 12:29-30; Exodus 14:16; Exodus 15:2; Exodus 15:8; Exodus 15:14; Numbers 11:1; Numbers 14:19; Numbers 31:7-8; Deuteronomy 33:2; Deuteronomy 33:15; Deuteronomy 22:29; Joshua 10:12-13; Judges 7:22; 2 Samuel 2:18; 2 Samuel 5:20; 2 Samuel 24:15; Job 21:18; Job 26:14; Job 30:17; Psalm 7:12-13; Psalm 10:8; Psalm 18:12; Psalm 18:14; Psalm 68:7; Psalm 77:16; Psalm 77:19; Psalm 78:16; Psalm 93:3; Isaiah 41:15; Jeremiah 12:4; Habakkuk 2:20; Luke 1:47; Luke 21:19; Romans 5:2-3; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Commentary on Habakkuk 3 by Matthew Henry

[thomastanker02]

It’s no secret that this world is immeasurably evil. Innocent people are oppressed and murdered, the evil rejoice in their riches and cleverness, and those who are follows of Christ are relentlessly persecuted, all while the media remains silent.

It’s easy for one to wonder, why does God allow all of this evil to persist? If he’s a good God, why does let this evil continue?

Jesus reminds us that that the world will hate us, just like it hates him (John 15:18-25), and that the evil of this world should not come a surprise. It will remain this way until God creates the new world, completely devoid of sin and evil.

But how are we supposed to live until that happens? This is where the book of Habakkuk comes into play.

God states in Habakkuk 2:4 that “…the righteous shall live by his faith”.

We are not called to live by bread alone, but by the living hope of God’s justice. We are meant to call out the evil of this world, but to not despair as a result of it. We are called to continually hope in God’s divine justice; that he will one day defeat evil, and bring about the new creation.

We look forward by looking backward. We remember how God has been faithful to us in the past, and trust that God will remain faithful to us in the future.

It’s with this hope that God makes our feet like the feet of a deer. He lifts us up above our problems, obstacles, and circumstances, and we are free to rejoice in his goodness and love for us.

Habakkuk 3:17-19, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places”.

God bless, Jesus loves you ✝️❤️

[dailychristianblog]

[northemoonduringthenight]

"What doth the graven thing avail, because the maker thereof hath graven it, a molten, and a false image? because the forger thereof hath trusted in a thing of his own forging, to make dumb idols. Woe to him that saith to wood: Awake: to the dumb stone: Arise: can it teach? Behold, it is laid over with gold, and silver, and there is no spirit in the bowels thereof. But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him."

Prophecy of Habacuc (Habakkuk) 2:18-20 Douay-Rheims Bible.

Artwork: Francescuccio Ghissi (Italian, 1359-1395) Saint John the Evangelist Causes a Pagan Temple to Collapse (ca. 1370).

[averagechristiannet]

A Study of God’s Power and Plan in Habakkuk 3

Here is a really neat overview of the small Old Testament Book of Habakkuk. From BibleStudyTools.com……….. https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/a-study-of-gods-power-and-plan-in-habakkuk-3.html

[cultivating-wildflowers]

it's Nehemiah. the book is Nehemiah. the book she never knew existed is Nehemiah.

[breakingbreadwithnatasha]

Breaking Bread For 4.24.25

Today’s Theme: Waiting For God Special Note Today’s message is an excerpt from Day 23 in my book, Seek Him, Volume 1: Testing Your Spiritual Comfort Zone. We’re only covering the scripture, reflection, and prayer. To read the rest of today’s message from the book, you will need to read your copy of the book. You can acquire my book, the companion workbook, and the other books that make up the…

[martyschoenleber]

Negotiating Life in Faithless Culture

Negotiating Life in a Faithless Culture Ours is a faithless age and we live in a faithless culture. All of this is compounded by the fact that there are no rural areas in America. There are urban, suburban, and “rurban” communities. Truly rural communities are disappearing if not altogether gone. Transportation started the process. Radio accelerated it. Television put it at high speed. And the…

[deremerstudios]

Habakkuk 3:17-18

BibleART "Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines... Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17-18, NASB 1995

“Though the fig tree should not blossomAnd there be no fruit on the vines,Though the yield of the olive should failAnd the fields produce no food,Though the flock should be cut off from the foldAnd there be no cattle in the stalls,Yet I will exult in the Lord,I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17-18, NASB 1995 Download a shareable passage or quote, purchase museum-quality…

[thespiritualencourager]

“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

‭��— Habakkuk‬ ‭2:1-3‬ ‭(KJV‬‬)

Sometimes it is not evident to us what is going on, especially if we are thrown into suffering for a period of time or if it seems our enemies are prospering while we are just barely getting by. The Book of Habakkuk affirms that God is a sovereign, omnipotent God who has all things under control. We just need to be still and know He is at work. He is who He says He is and does keep His promises. He will punish the wicked. Even when we cannot see it, He is still on the throne of the universe.

[pupsmailbox]

ELDRITCH ID PACK

NAMES︰ abacuc. abholos. abianak. aether. ahoth. aine. alala. alder. amadio. arkham. ba'al. basmach. bast. belial. blank. bonifatius. byagoona. byte. caelestoth. caine. calogerus. chaos. chrodechildis. cipher. clue. cthulu. custodia. cypher. daoloth. darkness. dethal. diaz. ebony. edwyn. elder. eldritch. elm. emereo. enigma. epiphagan. epoch. eternity. fortunatus. godid. habakkuk. han. haze. hitch. hydra. hynos. ieremahel. illuminathia. inpesca. istasha. juniper. kaiser. kallistos. kaos. kaprosistha. keme. kross. lapse. leto. lovecraft. luxoth. lythalia. maya. mechal. melekh. miasma. mirabilis. mirage. morana. mormo. mystery. nctolhu. nctosa. nightmare. nodens. noire. noxia. nyctelios. oddity. oroprimus. oroursus. ortun. oryx. oukranos. pandora. paradox. peregrinus. pseudo. pulse. renatus. rom. rowan. runa. rune. runfrid. sebek. sitheach. spy. sthanee. stitch. stranger. thasaidon. trojan. truth. unoch. user. veil. vibur. void. vulture. wylie. xitalu. yamath. yorith. zycanthe.

PRONOUNS︰ abso/absolute. absolute/absolute. answer/answer. blind/blind. book/book. chao/chao. chaos/chaos. cipher/cipher. claw/claw. clue/clue. code/code. confuse/confusion. corr/corrupt. corrupt/corrupt. cosmic/cosmic. curio/curio. curse/curse. cypher/cypher. danger/danger. dark/dark. death/death. deep/deep. deity/deity. delete/delete. depth/depth. destroy/destroy. dev/devour. devour/devour. diety/diety. doll/doll. dread/dread. eat/eat. eerie/eerie. eld/eld. elder/elder. eldritch/eldritch. en/en. end/end. eon/eon. ero/ero. error/error. eter/eternity. eternity/eternity. eye/eye. faith/faith. fear/fear. find/find. flesh/flesh. forgot/forgotten. glitch/glitche. glow/glow. god/god. hidden/hidden. hide/hide. hint/hint. horr/horror. horror/horror. hunt/hunt. hx/hxm. incompre/hensible. it/it. ix/ix. jolt/jolt. lack/lack. lord/lord. lost/lost. mad/mad. madness/madness. miasma/miasma. myst/myst. old/old. omen/omen. one/one. puppet/puppet. quiet/quiet. raven/raven. read/read. sanity/sanity. see/see. seek/seek. shx/hxr. space/space. spot/spot. spy/spy. star/star. stellar/stellar. step/step. string/string. submit/submission. sui/sui. that/thing. thon/thon. thxy/thxm. track/track. uncanny/uncanny. unknown/unknown. virus/viruse. void/void. what/what. whisper/whisper. ☄️ . 🎭 . 👁️ . 📜 . 🕳️ . 🧠 . 🧿 .

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The LORD Answers Again

I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected.

Then the LORD answered me:

“Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it. For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay. Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright — but the righteous will live by faith — and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and collects all the peoples as his own.

Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision:

‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’ Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey. Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you— because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork.

Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! You will be filled with shame instead of glory. You too must drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory. For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of animals will terrify you, because of your bloodshed against men and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it— or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him. — Habakkuk 2 | The Reader’s Bible (BRB) The Reader’s Bible © 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean Bible. All rights Reserved. Cross References: Genesis 9:22; Numbers 14:21; Joshua 24:27; 1 Samuel 12:21; 1 Kings 18:26; 2 Kings 9:26; 2 Kings 14:10; Job 20:15; Psalm 5:3; Psalm 11:4; Psalm 22:27; Psalm 55:23; Psalm 85:8; Psalm 135:15; Proverbs 20:1-2; Proverbs 29:1; Isaiah 5:8; Isaiah 5:22; Isaiah 10:13; Isaiah 11:13; Isaiah 28:7; Isaiah 33:1; Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 50:11; Jeremiah 22:13; Jeremiah 25:15; Jeremiah 27:7; Jeremiah 50:14; Jeremiah 51:58; Ezekiel 24:9; Luke 19:40; Romans 1:17; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 12:2; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:37-38; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 1:19

Habakkuk 2 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (concise)

[bi-numi-aliyani]

Jehovah, Jehovah, Jehovah!... No, actually, it's Yahweh,

A somewhat notable Deity considered by the ancient Israelite people their National God and first attested from the early 9th century BCE.¹

This c. 1518 painting by Raphael is based on a mystical vision of 𒀭Yahweh attributed to the prophet Ezekiel who belonged to a priestly lineage said to be descended from the legendary Joshua. Ezekiel was active during the time the Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Neo-Babylonian Empire in the early 6th century BCE. (Public domain)

𒀭Yahweh was also apparently worshipped among the Edomites, the Israelites' southern neighbors, based on a reference to “Yahweh of Teman” in an inscription on an early 8th century BCE jar discovered at the site of Kuntillet ʿAjrud in the Sinai with Teman being a major Edomite clan.¹ It's believed the ʿAjrud outpost was established by the northern Kingdom of Israel as the region fell into their domain after a botched invasion by the southern Kingdom of Judah. The two kingdoms were also under the influence of the Neo-Assyrian Empire at this time with contemporaneous Assyrian records noting both Judahite and northern Israelite representatives at the capital city of Kalkhu (known as Nimrud in modern times).²

Illustrations of the two vessels from Kuntillet ʿAjrud with translations. It's debated if the 𒀭Bes-type figures on Pithos A are meant to depict 𒀭Yahweh and His Consort 𒀭ʾAsheratah, but it should be noted the righthand figure does not actually have visible genitals as the outdated illustration here shows.³ (Source)

Although 𒀭Yahweh is primarily associated with monotheistic religion nowadays for obvious reasons, historical evidence indicates He was first worshipped in a polytheistic context as the Israelite culture distinguished itself from the Canaanite milieu it emerged from. This can even be seen within the Hebrew Bible; A wonderful example is found in the Book of Habakkuk in the form of an archaic Hebrew poem describing 𒀭Yahweh and His Company including the Plague-God 𒀭Resheph (His Name is usually mistranslated as “plague” in English Bibles) battling sea monsters. Another one of the most noted can be seen in the Book of Deuteronomy and indicates 𒀭Yahweh was probably worshipped as One of the Seventy (symbolically “many”) Sons of 𒀭ʾEl:

⁸ When ʿElyon apportioned the nations, when He divided humankind, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the Gods; ⁹ Yahweh's own portion was His people, Jacob His allotted share.

Deuteronomy 32:8–9 (adapted from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition, 2021)

𒀭Yahweh very much fits the form of other Storm-Gods worshipped in cultures of the Syro-Palestinian region during the Iron Age. The other most famous example of such a Deity is the Levantine manifestation of 𒀭Baʿal Who is cast as 𒀭Yahweh's greatest Rival in the collection of texts within the Hebrew Bible known as the Deuteronomistic history, although the presence of 𒀭Baʿal's name at ʿAjrud would suggest this conflict is a later development. It's even been proposed 𒀭Yahweh was originally associated specifically with destructive elements of weather such as flash floods.⁴ Although there are some respectable academic claims of pre-Israelite attestations of 𒀭Yahweh from the Late Bronze Age, none of these are secure and all of them are very much contested.⁵ The scholar Christian Frevel also fascinatingly proposed in 2021 that 𒀭Yahweh was the tutelary Deity of the Omride clan which came to rule the northern Kingdom of Israel for over a century and established its capital of Samaria.¹

A modern artistic impression of a ritual performed by ancient Israelites at the Temple of 𒀭Yahweh in Jerusalem during the Iron Age. The dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem built by King Solomon (c. 1910) by William Hole. (Public domain)

The emergence of monotheism from traditional Israelite belief is an incredibly convoluted topic that I don't intend to get into the weeds of here. One of the most recognizable milestones therein, though, was the religious reforms of King Josiah of Judah shortly before our dear Ezekiel's time. This saw the absolute consolidation of religious authority in the Temple of 𒀭Yahweh at Jerusalem and even the forced closure of all other cultic sites in Judah. However, there's also direct evidence that 𒀭Yahweh continued to be worshipped among other Gods and Goddesses well after the monotheistic, Jerusalem-centric religion which came to be known as Judaism had entered its Second Temple Period.

Most notably a community of Israelites living on the island of Elephantine at ancient Egypt's southern frontier had a Pantheon in which 𒀭Yahweh was associated with the Goddess 𒀭ʿAnat and another God named 𒀭Bethel.⁶ They even had Priestesses of Yahweh and were apparently on good terms with Jerusalem as indicated by the Aramaic-language texts written in Egyptian Demotic script discovered at Elephantine. An analysis of the narrative of Aaron's Rod in the Book of Numbers has also led to the alluring proposition that worship of the famous 𒀭ʾAsherah as 𒀭Yahweh's Consort may have continued even within the Jerusalemite cult itself during this period.⁷

An altar of incense discovered at the site of ancient Taʿanakh. Although it's dated to the tenth century BCE, predating any secure attestations of 𒀭Yahweh, some researchers believe the top and second-to-bottom registers are intended to symbolize Him with 𒀭ʾAsheratah likewise on the alternating registers. (Source)

There's so many fascinating developments being made in archaeology and the study of history unraveling more about the ancient Israelites and the worship of 𒀭Yahweh before our very eyes. I honestly feel incredibly privileged to be alive just in time to witness such a thing. Although I haven't “worked with” 𒀭Yahweh myself within my primarily Canaanite Pagan practice, I'd be very interested to hear and discuss different perspectives on this fascinating ancient Deity and it'd make me very happy to see what some of you think. Shulmu 𒁲𒈬 and thank you so much for reading!

Another thing

Given what part of the world this all concerns, I feel I would be morally remiss to say nothing of the genocide taking place against the Palestinian people in their homeland and particularly in Gaza. I find this important because earlier today the so-called President of the United States Donald Trump expressed the US's intent to “take over” and ethnically cleanse Gaza at a public event alongside Benjamin Netanyahu, the so-called Prime Minister of Israel. In the face of such great evil, I feel obligated by simple virtue of being a human to state I wholeheartedly support the full liberation of Palestine and an end to the unjust and unlawful occupation with all it has wrought. Arab.org is a website which allows you to support Palestinians via a simple click of a button with no donation necessary along with providing further resources. Free Palestine 🇵🇸

References

Frevel, Christian. “When and from Where Did YHWH Emerge? Some Reflections on Early Yahwism in Israel and Judah.” Entangled Religions 12:2 (March 30, 2021). https://doi.org/10.46586/er.12.2021.8776.

Na’aman, Nadav. “Samaria and Judah in an Early 8th-Century Assyrian Wine List.” Tel Aviv 46:1 (January 2, 2019): pp. 12–20. https://www.academia.edu/43169801.

This was clarified by archaeologist Ze'ev Meshel in communication with Nir Hasson reporting for Haaretz, https://www.facebook.com/share/1JASsUsdcN.

Fleming, Daniel E. “Yahweh among the Baals: Israel and the Storm Gods.” Essay. In Mighty Baal: Essays in Honor of Mark S. Smith, edited by Stephen C. Russel and Esther J. Hamori, pp. 160–74. Harvard Semitic Studies 66. Leiden, Netherlands; Boston, Massachusetts, United States: Brill, 2020.

Pfeiffer, Henrik. “The Origin of YHWH and its Attestation.” Essay. In The Origins of Yahwism, edited by Markus Witte and Jürgen van Oorschot, pp. 115–44. Beihefte Zur Zeitschrift Für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 484. Berlin, Germany; Boston, Massachusetts, United States: De Gruyter, 2017.

Cornell, Colin. “Judeans and Goddesses at Elephantine.” Ancient Near East Today 7:11 (November 2019). American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR). https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2019/11/Judeans-and-Goddesses-at-Elephantine.

Eichler, Raanan. “Aaron’s Flowering Staff: A Priestly Asherah?” TheTorah.com, 2019. https://www.thetorah.com/article/aarons-flowering-staff-a-priestly-asherah.

My interpretation of the Blessing of ʾAmaryaw inscribed on Pithos B from Kuntillet ʿAjrud (pictured)

Be in peace!

May you be blessed to 𒀭Yahweh of Teman and 𒀭ʾAsheratah;

May they bless you and keep you and be with you always.

Praises to 𒀭Yahweh of Teman and 𒀭ʾAsheratah!

All they beseech of one is to act with compassion,

And 𒀭Yahu will give them according to their heart.

May the days be long and satisfied in their good time

For the sake of 𒀭Yahweh of Teman and 𒀭ʾAsheratah,

As 𒀭Yahweh of Teman and 𒀭ʾAsheratah favor the kindhearted.

[walkswithmyfather]

“Jesus in the Old Testament” By Bible Love Notes:

“Don't miss the wonderful list that shows how God was "whispering" about Jesus in every Old Testament book!”

“After His resurrection, Jesus met two disciples walking to a village called Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). They didn't recognize Jesus, but "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).

Christ's redemption was part of God's plan from the beginning (Genesis 3:15). When we recognize this important truth, it enhances our understanding and appreciation of both Old and New Testaments.

Enjoy this list of "whispers" (clues, foreshadowings) that God placed in each Old Testament book, preparing us for the coming of Jesus.

In Genesis Jesus is the Seed of the Woman

Exodus…………………...Our Passover Lamb

Leviticus……………………..Our High Priest

Numbers........Guiding Pillar of Fire and Cloud

Deuteronomy……….The Prophet Like Moses

Joshua………………..The Mighty Conqueror

Judges…...…....………....…...Our Rescuer

Ruth………………...Our Kinsman Redeemer

1 & 2 Samuel……......…..The Seed of David

Kings & Chronicles…….....….Our Mighty King

Ezra & Nehemiah…..Re-builder of Our Broken Walls

Esther………………….....Our Way of Escape

Job……………...Our Hope in Times of Trouble

Psalms…………..…..Our Shepherd and Sacrifice

Proverbs & Ecclesiastes…….…..Our Wisdom

Song of Solomon…Our Lover and Bridegroom

Isaiah…………………...Our Suffering Savior

Jeremiah……………....The Righteous Branch

Lamentations…..…Prophet Who Weeps for Us

Ezekiel………..The Watchman Who Warns Us

Daniel……..The 4th Man in the Fiery Furnace

Hosea………………….Our Faithful Husband

Joel…............Our Baptizer in the Holy Spirit

Amos……………………..Our Burden Bearer

Obadiah……………..The One Mighty to Save

Jonah…………....The Sender of Missionaries

Micah……..The Messenger of the Good News

Nahum………..The Avenger of the Righteous

Habakkuk……....The One Crying for Revival

Zephaniah & Haggai….Giver of Another Chance

Zechariah…….…………...The Pierced Son

Malachi.........Sun of Righteousness w/ Healing in His Wings

As you read through the Bible, remember that you are reading the greatest story ever written—the story of mankind's inexcusable fall and God's Unreasonable Love.

💙💙💙

I did not create this list. I compiled and edited it from various non-copyrighted lists.”

There are a lot of links to devotions on this webpage. Check them out!

[apilgrimpassingby]

Demons of the Hebrew Bible

Since today is also the day for Lord of Spiritsposting, I've decided to make a post I considered yesterday - the demons of the Hebrew Bible. This will be a long post, so I'm inserting a "Keep Reading".

Azazel: Appears only once in Leviticus 16, as the being in the wilderness to whom the goat with the people's sins laid on it in the Day of Atonement ritual is given (this isn't sacrifice, because the animal isn't killed or offered on an altar, among other things). Becomes a Devil figure in some later Jewish literature like the Book of Enoch, and is associated with deserts, sin and goats - the name literally means "the goat that goes away" (an archaic translation gives us the word "scapegoat"), and the seemingly-random reference to goat demons in Leviticus 17:7 comes just after Azazel's appearance.

Deber: The most prominent of the gang, appearing (usually in conjunction with other figures on this list) in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Habakkuk and the Pentateuch a total of 49 times, usually unleashed as punishment for some sin by Israel (compare "handing people over to Satan" in St. Paul's letters - 1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Timothy 1:20). A nocturnal demon of pestilence and destruction associated with the underworld in Canaanite mythology.

Hereb: Rendered as "the sword" in English; the next most prominent one, appearing 29 times and, like Deber, in conjunction with the others. A demon of violence and destruction associated with blood-drinking (Isaiah 34:5, Jeremiah 46:10) and flesh-eating (Deuteronomy 32:42, Jeremiah 12:12) and probably the rider on a red horse from Revelation 6:3-4.

Lilit: Appears just once, Isaiah 34:14, where she's dwelling in some ruins. Usually translated as "screech owl" or "night bird", but some use "Lilith". In Mesopotamian mythology, the lili are a class of nocturnal female demons associated who kill babies and are associated with owls, so the translation as "screech owl" is acceptable. The Songs of the Sage from the Dead Sea Scrolls refer to liliyot (feminine plural) as a class of demons: "And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, liliths, howlers...

Livyatan: Usually anglicised as Leviathan, and appears five times: Job 3:8 and chapter 41, Psalms 74:12-14 and 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1. Based on those appearances, he's a multi-headed fire-breathing sea serpent immune to weapons who battles with Yahweh and (of course) always loses. The myth of a god fighting a sea serpent is a staple of world mythology. Likely correlates to the beast from the sea of Revelation 13:1-10, since Leviathan is paired with a beast from the earth (Behemoth; Job 40:15-24) - also compare Revelation 13:4 ("Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”) to Job 41:33-34 ("On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride").

Nephilim: Famously appear in Genesis 6:1-4 as the warriors born of the sons of God and the daughters of men, understood in Second Temple Jewish texts such as the Book of Enoch and the Septuagint to be giants born of fallen angels and human women. They appear by the name Anakim or Rephaim in Genesis 14:5, 15:20, Deuteronomy 1:28, 2:10-11, 2:20-21, 3:11, 3;13, 9:2 and Joshua 11:21-22, 12:4, 13:12, 14:12, 14:15 and 15:8 and war with giants appears in 2 Samuel 21:16-22, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8 and, of course, 1 Samuel 17 (the David and Goliath story).

Qeteb: Appears just 4 times (Deuteronomy 32:24; Psalm 91:6; Isaiah 28:2; Hosea 13:14), together with Deber in the Psalms and Hosea appearances and together with Resheph in Deuteronomy; if there's any lesson from this post so far, it's that plague demons hunt in packs. A diurnal plague demon whose name is rendered in English as "destruction"; nothing more to be said.

Ra'av: The third most prominent one, appearing 35 times; a famine demon whose name is rendered in English as "famine" or "hunger" who is unleashed on Israel as punishment together with (surprise!) Hereb and either Deber or Resheph. Probably the rider on a black horse from Revelation 6:5-6.

Rephaim: The spirits of dead kings who dwell in the underworld not doing much, translated in the ESV as shades and appearing in Isaiah 14:9 and 26:14; the same imagery and concept is being used by Ezekiel 32:20-30.

Resheph: A demon of plague and conquest worshipped as a god in Canaanite and Egyptian culture, depicted as a bearded archer on a white horse. Appears just 6 times in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 32:24; Habakkuk 3:5 Psalm 78:48; Job 5:7, Song of Songs 8:6); the name is rendered as "plague" or "pestilence" or occasionally "fire" or "sparks" because the name literally means "burning". Probably the rider on a white horse from Revelation 6:2.

Sources and Further Reading

"Before Him Went Pestilence (Hab. 3:5) - Biblical Lexis and Semantic Field of Epidemics" by Jozef Jankovic for The Old Testament Society of South Africa

"A Land of Giants" by Frs. Andrew Stephen Damick and Stephen DeYoung on The Lord of Spirits

"War, Famine, Disease, Death and Hades" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

"Who is Azazel?" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

Who is Lilith - Ancient Development and Origins of the Demon Queen by Dr. Justin Sledge on ESOTERICA

Or in short - stop making it all about Lilith. Use some other Hebrew Bible demons.

[steveezekiel]

IT IS BETTER TO WAIT 2

17 EVEN THOUGH THE FIG TREES HAVE NO BLOSSOMS, AND THERE ARE NO GRAPES ON THE VINES; EVEN THOUGH THE OLIVE CROP FAILS, AND THE FIELDS LIE EMPTY AND BARREN; EVEN THOUGH THE FLOCKS DIE IN THE FIELDS, AND THE CATTLE BARNS ARE EMPTY,

18 YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD! I WILL BE JOYFUL IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION!

19 THE SOVEREIGN LORD IS MY STRENGTH! He makes me as SUREFOOTED as A DEER, ABLE to TREAD upon the HEIGHTS. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)

Habakkuk 3:17–19 (NLT)

• A number of the points in this teaching had been shared in the first part of it, some other points to know and the concluding part is shared here.

• Believers are to study the Bible in order to learn how to walk and relate with God. Things that are written in the Bible are meant for our admonishments; warnings and instructions:

10 NOR COMPLAIN, AS SOME OF THEM [the Israelites in the wilderness] ALSO COMPLAINED, AND WERE DESTROYED BY THE DESTROYER. 11 NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED TO THEM AS EXAMPLES, AND THEY WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, UPON WHOM THE ENDS OF THE AGES HAVE COME" (1 Corinthians 10:10,11 NKJV).

READ: Romans 15:4

- The way to walk or relate with God could mainly be learnt through the study of the Bible—the Word of God.

- Since God is not your equal, mate or peer, It would be unwise on your part to talk to Him without honour and respect. The Bible says, we, humans, are the sheep of His pasture: "KNOW THAT THE LORD, HE IS GOD; IT IS HE WHO HAS MADE US, AND NOT WE OURSELVES; WE ARE HIS PEOPLE AND THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE" (Psalm 100:3 NKJV).

• Rejoice in the Lord with the fact that He is able to do all things. It is my believe that as you correct those things, negative traits, which God had told you about; you will come out stronger and better.

- You will experience a sudden turn around in every department of your life in Jesus' name.

- Do not procrastinate on whatever to be changed or corrected, do something on it now.

• Note: If, however, you are yet to know the thing, or the area, where correction is needed in your life:

a. Pray and ask God to help see that which He wanted you to correct or change in your life, for a change to come in your situation.

b. Promise and be determined not to go back into that which He is correcting you on.

c. Any relationship, whoever you cultivate friendship with, which would not help your resolve to walk with God; should be called a quit.

DO not just pray about it, but do take a step on it. Friendship is by choice and not by Force.

- If the steps mentioned here are taken, you would experience growth in your walk with God.

- You would also learn to be patient with Him, and not to go ahead of Him in the matters of your life.

- Whatever you might be passing through, rejoice in God, you have better days ahead of you.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

- Should there be any ailment in your body, I declare your healing now in Jesus' name.

- Hold of sicknesses is broken now in Jesus' name. And the Affliction will never rise again in Jesus' name.

Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION

• Take notice of this:

IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).

a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).

b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).

c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

- If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!