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Here we have a fable in its classical tradition where life experience of the natural world prepares us to draw our own conclusions. The Spirit in order to instruct us in righteousness ties the narrative mode to the triune God so we have the brambles metaphorically set for body of a carnal man. As against this a child of God whose body spirit and soul shall represent vine, olive tree and fig tree respectively.
Brambles are the least qualified to preside over the weal of any commonwealth for a happy conclusion. Workers of the world unite! I shall lead you as one" Comrade Bramble harangues but woe to anyone who draws near! He shall draw blood indeed. We all have seen how Stalin set the stage for early demise of the Soviet union! What is eighty years in the history of nations? Or for that matter 13 years of the Third Reich? A blip, leaving in its wake not a single feature of goodness that man may use to profit. No, nothing but poison of its tangled ideology. When the Spirit sets trees in figurative sense it is implied that by Law of Gradation whoever draws from this philosophy are of one kind. It is what this verse instructs us, "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.(Ge.1:11). Thus Neo-Nazism and its variants are after its kind. The beast of the latter days in the vision of John is another example, In the end he and his cohorts shall be thrown into lake of fire(Re.20:10).
"Thus saith theLord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from theLord(Je.17:5-8). Bramble personifies man and his pride. Ideologies are offspring of human intellect and brambles represent any that runs contrary to the divine Will. Thus what worth is 'the end justifies the means'? Nothing but misery.
Here we have a fable for our times. It is spoken by Jotham who narrowly escaped from being slaughtered along with his brethren. His life was that of an outlaw since the men of Shechem had elected an 'Usurper' legally. Is this not how democracy works in the 21st century?
We elect our lawmakers through an electoral process by counting of heads which is people power in action. Such democratically elected governments as we see from results make the rich super rich and the poor poorer. When effect of governance proves to be quite contrary to what democracy is supposed to deliver we may be sure it is the curse of Jotham at work.
"And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem(v.6)". While the heads of those who said, 'yea' to the proposal were being counted what they missed were hands buying their votes. "And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech" got what he wanted. (v.5)" The Spirit instructs us that such practices come under the curse of Jotham.
It is part of the curse God laid on the serpent in the Garden of Eden. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel(Ge3:15)". This implacable enmity has spilled over in every human institution from which politics is no exception.
Abimelech is a bramble but his base, all vain and shallow shall never produce worthwhile fruits. "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?(Matt.7:16)". They may go by fancy names and are all patriots who are only good for fire. Now Jotham asks, "And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon."
We are are approaching the Christmas season, by celebrating Christmas, and all it's tradition of man, are we honouring God of DISHONOURING God?
Christ was not born on Christmas.
God Bless YOU!
"And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him./And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.6And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem. And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you(vv.4-7).
'And (Abimelech) he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone':
'Upon one stone' here is a representation of the 12 stones that stood in the riverbed of Jordan.. It is a sign as we read in this passage:
Joshua commanded, "And take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:/That this may be a sign among you(Josh.4:5-6),
Memorial at Gilgal was one heap and not 12 separate stones each representing a tribe. The Spirit uses this expression to establish the crime of Abimelech went against the Ark of the covenant. Joshua emphasizes its importance in vv.6-24 "That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of theLord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever(v.8)".
Notice the sign placed over it? It is for the latter days when actions of man shall be judged according to the Law 'forever' It is the Rock of offense that Jesus alluded to. "Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; ( Luke 20:28;Is.8:14)
"Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:/ And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.(vv.56-57)"
What was Israel before God? "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye(De.32:10)." There was nothing in him that merited special attention from God. Yet Moses speaks of him we have a clue to what he represents in His eye.
"When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.(De.32:8)." God had blessed Abraham and all that he promised was represented in Jacob. In a manner of speaking he was the heir of promise.According to the number speaks of 12 which is according to the Gospel.
But God blessings were in the Father Son relationship before the worlds began. The same promise for which God called Abraham was by a decree. (Ps.2:7-8) Consequently when God divided the nations their inheritance, it was in accordance with His promise to his 'only begotten Son.' He said,"Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. (Ps.2:8)"
What is Shechem? Is it not part of inheritance allotted to Ephraiam? Intrigue of Abimelech played on the spirit of partisanship and Shechem sided with the son of the concubine because her brethren were 'one of us.'"
Partisanship is bought with a price which is another man's riches. It is thus heresies divide the body of Christ. Shechem thus brought disaster on themselves and were destroyed by one of their own. It just shows what is empowering these factions but Satan who is the author of confusion. What do megachurches represent but partisanship and their head is certainly not Christ when they hold truth in unrighteousness?
God promised to bless Israel and by oath they made covenant with Moses and Joshua to obey Him with all their heart, and will all might and with all their soul. What was Shechem who conspired with an usurper to further his case? Partisan spirit to overthrow the word of God because Abimelech's mother was one of them is evident even now in the way white Americans and ethnic minorities would see of the country. 'He is our brother' and this is what old Party cadres in Soviet Russia thought of Comrade Stalin. Once the wily Georgian tightened his grip over all he would sweep away the entire comrades of old on the Great Purge in 1933. Coincidentally the same year Hitler would take over the helm of Germany and events from old were shaping to purge the history of nations that are still leading to another tribulation.
And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother./And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
5And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
6And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
The superscription refers to men whom Abimelech could hire to form his base. Hireling is a generic term collectively used to distinguish servants who work for their hire in a household while sons work to ease the burden of their father. Value of silver and of love do tell in secular as well as in heavenly relationships. Accordingly in times of danger ("The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep"-John10;13)"on the other Jesus as the good shepherd teaches what he shall do for his Father. "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep( John 10:15)".
In the world of the flesh hirelings are determined to better their prospects so they would gain more in terms of hire. Any improvement can be only in the tangible dollars and cents.The prodigal son in time of want was willing to work for offal because his prospect in an alien country could not be any better. He did some simple arithmetic and found in his father's house, labor of his hands fetched far greater as he had himself seen in the case of his servants."How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!( Luke 15:17-NIV)." Value of hire made sense to him only when he could relate his spiritual value in terms of his Father. It was matter of life and death. In the world of the flesh he was in the wrong place to count in terms of hire value of which fluctuates.
Ironically great many all of them do not think in terms of life, and of the spirit but work themselves for golden sunset years only to find their life annuities have swindled away by companies they trusted. From the passage of the gospel cited earlier a child of God has a place of permanence to go to. Jesus as the good shepherd teaches from example of his life. "All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers:(10:8)" But Jesus speaks of them as thieves and robbers.
Abimelech the son of Gideon from a concubine."And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech(8:31).
The Spirit mentions him separately after placing his seventy sons in the preceding verse which ought to help us understand his place in the genealogy of his father, the same significance that bar sinister holds in heraldry. Abimelech in Hebrew means 'My father the king' which is not same as Jether his firstborn who accompanied his father in his wars with the nations. From the manner Abimelech comes to power he was anything but kingly. He was an usurper and he had his base which is what kept him in power.
God wanted to prove the people of Israel which had corrupted themselves as easily as they turned their backs on their deliverer as soon as he was no more. "And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god./And the children of Israel remembered not theLordtheir God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:/Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel(8:33-35).
Of what value was the oath of the Israelites or their pledge of alliance? 'Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian(8:22)". The Spirit sets their lip-service to God boomerang on themselves. They were taken in easily by the intrigue of Abimelech and his faction. In our time also when psychopaths take the reins of nations they shall have tricks up their sleeve to legitimize their rule.
This Abimelech episode is for our instruction in righteousness. God shall take the wicked by their own snares.
"And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.(8:27)."The ephod built up from other man's riches became a snare to the children of Israel and also to Gideon. How did it entangle him him is described in the following chapter but v.30 gives a number, 70. Its spiritual significance points to the latter days when the seat of Satan is very much in the church ('even where Satan's seat is'-Re.2:13) that dictates the doctrine of the beast as politically correct."And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast(Re.13:11-12)", On secondary sense Gideon had seventy sons from so many wives, whose lives were at stake on account of Gideon setting up an ephod which was unlike the altar set up under the direction of God, "And build an altar unto theLordthy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place(6:26a)"
33And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god./And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives./ And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
"The Seventy"
God's calling and his gifts are irrevocable.(Ro.11:29). Gideon's sword became an extension of that God. The word of God by faith serves every believer so hero of faith is tested by trials one undergoes as His instrument. It serves to untangle the mental confusion as Job testified,"After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears( Job 29:22-NIV)". It is not without reason the Spirit speaks of the word of God as a two edged sword. It helps your hearer as in the case of Job and also refreshes as it is digested so one uses it to profit and for own edification. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.(He.4:12). The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.. It saves as well as cuts.
Forty years of rest that the land enjoyed speaks of the foreknowledge of the glory of his Word.The number 4 speaks for the word of God. When Gideon feared for his life because he saw the Lord face to face how did He answer him? " And theLordsaid unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.(6:.22-23). This revelation prompted him worthy of a hero to follow his faith with appropriate works. "Then Gideon built an altar there unto theLord, and called it Jehovah-shalom(6:24).' He was called by God and it was up to him to continue with faith as before so he made his election sure. Forty years of peace is given a concrete imagery in the name Jehovah-shalom or God our peace.
In this context what does the ephod Gideon set up at Ophrah signify?It set up a precedent for Jeroboam to set up two golden calves. "And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan./And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan(1 Ki.12:29-30)".
"Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon."(v.28)
The Spirit uses Gideon's life as a warning for us. Gideon was a hero of faith to which there was no doubt. The country experienced peace for 40 years which is an outward manifestation of the seal of approval God placed on one who stood before him as a mighty man of valor.
How heroic was he when he refused to rule over the Israelites as they wanted? Reminiscent of the time the people wanted to crown Jesus as their king (John6:15) the children of Israel approached him. in vv.22-23 and Gideon answered,"theLordshall rule over you'.
Just the same Gideon had this request that would have only gone to make his house grander and there would be spinoff and a lucrative business from so many worshipers coming there . It put Ophrah on the pilgrim circuit and his house somewhat like 'Graceland for the soul'. The result was obvious from what we see in our own times. "and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house." Gideon's life in a manner unravelled from the simplicity which is in Christ. It must speak for the megachurches with their branding of their products podcasts and what have you. By exercising their constitutional rights the news of ministers of God defying corona mandates help spread pandemic wider cannot be wholesome.
Gideon set up snares for others unwittingly. He did not shift the tabernacle of God from Shiloah where Joshua had set up(Josh.18:1). But he set 'an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.' It must be the megachurch of his time to which the children of Israel thronged with religious fervor and it was 'lure of the filthy lucre just the same.
"And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see./ And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."
The same rider we find in Ch.19:13-14. ("And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God./ And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.They are color coded so tying up with martyrs ,(And white robes were given unto every one of them.') Re.6:11)
Before we come back to the Lamb we shall see the entire proceedings are seen from the viewpoint of the word of God. Thus we have the rider on the white horse as two book ends sandwiching various vignettes of God quelling the riot of the wicked world.
Also significant is the number Four:
The four beasts serve as MC by turns, 'as it were the voice of thunder, saying,'Come and See' (v.1)
We have the new song sung mentioned four times. "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Song of Moses represent the remnant of Israel and it is a clue that we are looking at the end of the day. "And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever."(15:7)
The rider on the pale horse "And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." The religious wars waged after Christianity became official and the dead(' I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:'.(6:9)
In Ch.7:1 four angels, four winds signify the word of God in operation.
Greetings in Christ JESUS
Thank you for your reply
Giannis, you (maybe others too) think or imagine the "dogs" mentioned in the Word of GOD are aggressive, quite the opposite, they are those who give (maybe disingenuously and cynically) a "special treat" to people, smilingly hug people giving friendly pat on the back of the brothers. Terrible, very terrible, this kind of behavior of the "dogs" in the Church is danger, a stumblingblock, a trap, this kind of behaviour explains the why Paul Apostle warned the brothers, saying: Beware of dogs..., and JESUS asserted saying: Blessed are they that may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
How can brothers "beware of dogs" if they do not discern and identify not who they are?
NOTE:
Paul Apostle said to the brothers of Galatians that "Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children". This interpretation by allegory is very deep in material and spiritual terms. Impressive. And the dogs-Phil.3:2, who would be them?
Welcome back. I missed seeing you here. I hope you had an enjoyable vacation. God Bless!!!
Frankie,
You say "Let's look to the Spirit which inspired the Holy Scriptures for our understanding of them," but how can you, not yet being born-again, guide a born-again believer in the ways of understanding scripture? How can a person who does not yet have Christ dwelling in them even understand the things of God based on what we are told in 1 Corinthians 2:14? So, if you don't have the Spirit of God, and the things of God are spiritually understood, and the natural man just has his normal psyche, he's not going to receive it. He can't, because the things of God are spiritually taught by the Spirit of God.
Frankie, as I said earlier, I do have a concern for your spiritual welfare. I hope that one day soon, I will read your words sharing with us that you have received Christ into your life and are born-again or born from above as Jesus told Nicodemus that "Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Frankie,
You ask, " Rom 6:1,2,6, it speaks expressively the intent of God's heart. Holy Spirit seals it by repeats in twice."
I am not sure I am understanding your question here, but in order to understand this section of Romans Chapter 6, there are some terminologies that we need to know which are Justification, Reconciliation, and Sanctification. All three of these terminologies happen when a person receives Christ, when they are born-again. They're not in different stages.
You say that "if one sins in the least, the devil is still a prince & has dominion over him," and you give Romans 6:12-15 as the source of your statement.
Paul starts out by saying, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." How can he say that? It is because he is leading us into the fact that when we get to Romans 6:14, it says that sin shall not lord it over you. That is a factual statement, not should not, but it cannot! What this is saying is that the sin principle no longer lords over the person who has the indwelling of God's Spirit.
So, if a believer does commit a single act of sin, it is because they made the choice. When they were not saved (born-again), they didn't have a choice. But once they got saved, it's the power of God's Spirit in them that gives them the power over sin. This does not mean that a believer will never sin.
Frankie,
You sent me some verses with questions for me to answer. You asked, " 1 John 3:2-3, does this not say all that has this hope, we will be like Him, pure as He is pure?"
This is not talking about our walk here on this earth. As long as we are in this body of flesh, we can never be pure as Jesus was pure. 1 John 3:2 is the confirmation of the future. When the Lord comes, He's going to be in a different dimension. He will be functioning in the Spirit dimension, that dimension we cannot see.
When the Lord calls us up, and Paul mentions this in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, he says I want to show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Our physical body is changed into a spiritual body. We will be in the same dimension, and we will see Jesus just as He is. That's the hope of the believer. It keeps us going.
You ask, " 1 John 3:4-5, how can we be in Him & continue to sin in the least, in Whom there is no darkness at all.
The answer to that is given in 1 John 3:9. You might believe we do not or cannot sin in the least because of these verses, but that's not the case. A believer will still sin. But a believer can no longer live a lifestyle of habitual sin. In other words, a believe can no longer practice sin. That is the literal meaning of 1 John 3:9.
(Part 1 of 4):
I would like to start back with my original post on Romans 8:9 which says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. But you are not in the flesh, but you are in the Spirit, (if so be) the Spirit of God dwells in you."
What part of my original post are you disagreeing with?
Frankie, I am still concerned for your spiritual welfare since you yourself stated that you have not yet been born again. If this is the case, then you are still in the flesh and still living in your sin since the Spirit of God does not yet dwell in you. God forbid, but if you were to die in this state (void of God's Spirit), not being born again, what do you suppose would be your fate? Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3, "Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
You referred to 1 John 3:9, which reads, ""Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Your understanding of this is different than mine. I say that a born-again believer will still sin, but you seem to disagree. Even if it were true that a born-again believer does not sin, or cannot sin, where does that leave you if you are not born-again?
When the children of Israel were instructed in this matter (e.g. Exodus 31:12-17), they too were to behave as their LORD did; they could work as much as they wanted to, even to the point of exhaustion, in the first six days, but had to set apart the Sabbath to desist from all work, to rest & recuperate in readiness for the 'new week'. God is Spirit & as such never tires, unlike us who are in the flesh & will always need time off to regain our strength & focus. Therefore, as He ceased from His Work after it was all done and saw that it was very good, He instructed His people to do likewise & to sanctify the day (to set it apart as one dissimilar to any other day of toil & other activities). And this keeping of the Sabbath was a clear sign to Israel that they belonged to Him; no other people on Earth received this 'perpetual covenant' - and to this day Israel adheres very strictly to it. Now if only Israel would receive their Messiah & put their faith in Him alone, things would have been a lot different for them (then & now) as God's special people.
Considering the definition and description given by Brother Jesse and Brother Giannis.
"wild untamed, impure, and grungy"
It's fair to say these dogs "as a people" had no master!!
Certainly the dogs thats defined in the Greek translation mentioned in Revelation.
The Gentiles do fit that description.
Ephesians 2:12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Just a thought.
God bless.
There is zero pressure to respond, I am meditating on this with you.
Carleton
"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven WITH HIS MIGHTY ANGELS,"
Maybe this is what the "behold he cometh with clouds" represent?
I will comment on the frogs, but first you said let him who reads understand, that's it.
NO ONE but NO ONE will understand, without God CAUSING them to understand, there are people that have read his word for years and years and still don't understand.
It's all God's choice and God's work, and if you DON'T AGREE with him you can read non stop and will never understand.
When God's word says something and you don't AGREE with his word, what little light you HAVE BEEN GIVEN he will take away, if you AGREE then more light will be given ..... Matthew 13:12 ....
If one is studying and not going forward in TRUTH, he needs to examine his BELIEFS whether they aline with God's word, if they don't aline, REPENT of your sin of UNBELIEF, all other sins are covered by his blood.
Matthew 5:25 AGREE with your adversary (the WORD) quickly, while thou art in the way with him (the WORD), lest at any time he (the WORD) deliver you to the judge (the WORD), and the judge deliver you to the officer (death) and ye be cast into prison (the grave).
The wages of SIN (unbelief) is death.
I will start another thread on the frogs.
God Bless YOU!
Because God is always good, He will always be kind. Isaiah 54:8 says His kindness is everlasting and it is this kindness that leads Him to show compassion and bestow mercy. These attribute are all wound together. This interwovenness of attributes is truly evident here with kindness, compassion, mercy, and love. God is not made of parts, as we are, with physical and spiritual parts that make us a whole. God is a unified whole and so when He shows kindness it is His whole being that is acting, not a distinct compartment of His being. God says He is One, and this shows here in the complete unity within Himself of all of His essence. So, as many theologians have said over the years, God is His attributes and His attributes are God because He is not divided into parts (attributes that create a composite being. More on this in later posts.
God's kindness is, to us, an action He bestows to us. We receive it from Him. It is such a delight to receive His kindness and to know that He will always be kind consistently. He is not one to waver back and forth as with the blowing of the wind. He is constant in His essence and so we can trust in Him to always act in a way that is truly good for us all things considered. In the life to come, we will drink of His kindness forever and ever, which will give us everlasting joy and contentment. His loving care for us will lead us to endless praise of Him and true worship that delights Him. He will delight in us and sing over us, as is said in Zeph. chapter 3.
Matthew 7:6, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."
What does it say here about "dogs"? That they will turn against you and tear you. That is what those people do. Tear other people.
Also dogs were considered unclean animals in the Old Testament. So those people are unclean and aggressive. We all know what people like that are like. Once you meet them and realize what they are like, you keep a distance from them, you don't want to be biten, do you?
GBU
I will try to give an explanation to those verses but not now brother, I don't have much free time before the weekend. It is actually a difficult topic with many giving different interpretations. So we will talk about it later. GBU