Parsha Matot- Masei (Tribes-Stages)

from Rabbi Jack… Bible link
Genesis {2:9} "The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." God gave Adam and Eve free will and two choices but He only verbalized one choice. When I was a child, I grew up in the cold northern hemisphere. Have your parents ever told you not to do something but you go ahead and do it anyway? That was the case with me. It was a freezing cold day and the handrail leading up to our house was icy. My mother saw me playing outside and she called out; “Don’t touch your tongue to the handrail.” Of course, I did and my tongue stuck fast. I managed to get it off but I left behind a layer of tongue skin---“ouch.” Do you think we inherited doing what we are told not to do from Eve? God told her not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil yet she did anyway. Do you think if God told her not to eat from the Tree of Life, she would have eaten from it instead? Just a thought! There were two Kingdoms available to Adam and Eve in the Garden. The Tree of Life - Yeshua, and the Tree of Knowledge - Satan. Satan, portrayed in these Scripture passages as a snake, beguiled Eve with the temptation of acquiring knowledge; in other words, to partake of his kingdom. She did and to this very day man has pursued knowledge, worldly knowledge, which is never satisfied. Satan’s kingdom is a kingdom of worldly knowledge. In defense you may then quote this passage to me proving that God’s Kingdom is also a Kingdom of knowledge: Hosea {4:6} "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." However, the knowledge Hosea is talking about here is not worldly knowledge but the knowledge of God. Hosea {4:1} "Hear the word of the Lord, You children of Israel, For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land." I have come across so many Believers who are knowledge seekers. Be careful that you are not one of them. Seeking after knowledge for knowledge’s sake so others will be impressed with your knowledge will be feeding your pride from the Tree of Knowledge.
from Ellen… Bible link
I’m not sure if any out there have thought of this, but I did. Did you know that FOES are different from ENEMIES? Now God said love your enemies but He did not say love your foes. I’ll tell you the difference if you do not already know…A foe is a person who appears to be close to you and befriends you just to be in the place where they can destroy you and/or destroy your character. An enemy is a person who is outright against you and is willing to war with you to dominate you! I think now as I ponder the above that all foes are enemies. I believe they start out as foes then become outright enemies. Jack and I have had many foes… “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God, selah. But You O God are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy hill.” (Psalm 3.1-6). You see, I would rather have enemies than foes. It would be a terrible existence to think those who befriend you are only there to destroy you. At least when you have an enemy, they are out to get you and you know it. The beauty of all this is that our God is bigger than any enemy we have. In fact, Matthew 5.43-48 quoting Yeshua says; ‘You have heard it said that we should love our neighbor and hate our enemy but I say love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.’ (paraphrased). Our Lord said that He will never leave us or forsake us and He also said fear not for I will help you! So, do not be dismayed, disquieted or cast down because if God is for us…who can be against us! Bless you all, friend, foe or enemy!
Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13) Rabbi Jack & Ellen
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