In episode 140 of Tales of Glory, we are back in the Torah, the book of Exodus, chapter 34. Moses works to restore God's covenant with the Israelites. As Moses meets with God, his face becomes radiant. God promises to deliver the Israelites from the tribes in the land.
Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro
00:05:00 Exodus 32 and 33 Recap
00:08:06 Exodus 34 intro
00:13:08 Preparatory Measures verses 1-3
00:15:50 God's Self-disclosure verses 4-9
00:19:35 Apostasy verses 10-17
00:29:43 Festivals and Related Religious Obligations verses 18-26
00:35:00 Moses Reaches the Pinnacle of Eminence verses 27-35
This is the first of a two-part episode in which we explore Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle Fifth Mansions Chapter 4. In part 1, Saint Teresa explains the difference between spiritual betrothal and the Christian covenant of matrimony. As the soul goes deeper in its relationship with God, it will encounter severe trials and warfare from the devil.
Timeline: 00:00:00 Show Opener - Interior Castle Fifth Mansions Chapter 2 00:00:33 Introduction - Welcome 00:02:07 Introduction to the Fifth Mansions (Fourth Water) 00:08:56 Fifth Mansions Chapter 4 00:09:18 Paragraph 1. The Spiritual Espousals. 00:12:25 Paragraph 2. The Prayer of Union Resembles a Betrothal. 00:17:46 Paragraph 3. Before the Spiritual Nuptials Temptations are Dangerous. 00:21:43 Paragraph 4. The Great Good Done by Souls Faithful to These Graces. 00:30:29 Paragraph 5. Religious Subject to the Devil's Deceptions. 00:38:22 Paragraph 6. satan's Strata-gems. 00:45:03 Spiritual Exercises - Contemplation 00:51:28 Conclusion
1 199 Compare: ‘habebit fructum in respectione animarum sanctarum’ (Breviar. Rom. Ant. ad Laudes de Com. Virg.); ‘quasi apis argumentosa Domino deservisti’ (Ibid. Feast of St. Cæcilia.)
2. The prayer of union resembles a betrothal.
2 200 Life, ch. xviii.
3. The senses were permitted before, as I have said/ to give some signs of the great joy they feel ; but now, in this state, the joy of the soul is incomparably greater, and the power of showing it is still less for there is no; power in the body, and the soul has none, whereby this fruition can be made known. Everything of that kind would be a great hindrance, a torment, and a disturbance of its rest. And I say, if it really be a union of all the faculties, that the soul, even if it wished, I mean, when it is in union, cannot make it known; and if it can, then it is not union at all.
4. How this, which we call union, is effected, and what it is, I cannot tell. Mystical theology explains it, and I do not know the terms of that science nor; can I understand what the mind is, nor how it differs from the soul or the spirit either: all three seem to me but one ; though I do know that the soul sometimes leaps forth out of itself, like a fire that is burning and is become a flame; and occasionally this fire increases violently the flame ascends high above the fire but; it is not therefore a different thing: it is still the same flame of the same fire. Your learning, my fathers, will enable you to understand the matter; I can go no further.
201 Way of Perf. ch. xxxi. 10. 10. O holy prayer, wherein unwittingly we crave so great a good! What a blessed petition to make! This, sisters, is the reason I want us to say the Pater Noster and other prayers with care and to think about what we ask for in them. Most certainly, when once God has shown us this favour, we ought to forget all worldly things, for the Lord of the whole earth has come and cast them forth. I do not mean that all who have enjoyed the prayer of quiet must necessarily be detached from everything in this world; but I wish them to know what they ought to be, and to try to mortify themselves in every way, otherwise they will stop here. They should not ask for so precious a gift as if it were worthless, and if God grants it them, let them not throw it back at Him.
3. Before the spiritual nuptials temptations are dangerous.
4 202 Phil. a SS. Trinit. l.c. p. iii. tract. i. disc. ii. art. 2.
4. The great good done by souls faithful to these graces.
203 Contrast with this paragraph what the Saint says in her Life, ch. xix. § 8. 5
Life ch. xix. 8 8. In this the devil turned his batteries against me, and I suffered so much because I thought it showed but little humility if I persevered in prayer when I was so wicked, that as I have already said I gave it up for a year and a half at least, for a year, but I do not remember distinctly the other six months. This could not have been, neither was it, anything else but to throw myself down into hell; there was no need of any devils to drag me thither. O my God, was there ever blindness so great as this ? How well Satan prepares his measures for his purpose, when he pursues us in this way! The traitor knows that he has already lost that soul which perseveres in prayer, and that every fall which he can bring about helps it, by the goodness of God, to make greater progress in His service. Satan has some interest in this.
5. Religious subject to the devil’s deceptions.
204 Life, ch, xxxvi. 26; xxxix. 14. Found. ch. i. 1-4. 205 Way of Perf. ch. i, 2; xiii. 3. Found. ch. i. 3.
204 Life, ch, xxxvi. 26; 26. It is the greatest consolation to me to find myself among those who are so detached. Their occupation is to learn how they may advance in the service of God. Solitude is their delight; and the thought of being visited by any one, even of their nearest kindred, is a trial, unless it helps them to kindle more and more their love of the Bridegroom. Accordingly, none come to this house who do not aim at this otherwise; they neither give nor receive any pleasure from their visits. Their conversation is of God only; and so he whose conversation is different does not understand them, and they do not understand him.
6. Satan’s strata-gems.
None
Till Next Time
Next episode wherever the Holy Spirit lands us. Fifth Mansions Chapter 4 Part II? Exodus 34? Other? See you in episode 140!
In episode 135 of Tales of Glory, we are back in the Torah, the book of Exodus, chapter 33. Chapter 33 continues from the Golden Calf engraved image incident, where God is angry and wants to withdraw His presence from the Israelites.
Podcast Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro 00:03:27 Exodus 33 intro 00:09:43 Withdrawal of the Divine Presence verses 1-6 00:14:02 Moses' Exceptional Status verses 7-11 00:19:33 Dialog With God verses 12-23 00:37:33 Concluding Remarks
Listen to the Podcast on Anchor.fm
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Show Notes
CHAPTER 33
There was a tragic irony in the episode of the golden calf. The people wanted to provide themselves with a reassuring symbol of God’s continued presence in their midst; yet that very symbol became the instrument of their alienation from God. Although Moses’ intercession saves the people from annihilation, Israel has not yet secured full pardon and reconciliation with God.
The unifying theme of this chapter is Moses’ concern for the continued presence of God in the midst of His people, as symbolized by the mobile sanctuary.
Nahum M. Sarna, Exodus, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1991), 210.
The Book of Jubilees pdf mentioned as a side thought from Second Temple Hebrew literature.
The Angel of the Lord will deliver the Israelites from the tribes of giants and tribes mixed with giants on their journey.
Exodus 23:23-24
23 “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out,
24 you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.
Pray you found the material presented in Exodus 33 edifying and enlightening. Thank you for tuning in to Tales of Glory episode 138. Feel free to leave comments and questions on the material presented.
We are exploring Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, the Fifth Mansions - Chapter 3. The Fifth Mansion is the prayer stage of spiritual betrothal. Saint Teresa explains that the Prayer of Union is dependent on the soul practicing the two commandments: love God and love the neighbor!
Timeline: 00:00:00 Show Opener - Interior Castle Fifth Mansions Chapter 2 00:01:10 Introduction - Welcome 00:06:10 Introduction to the Fifth Mansions (Third Water) 00:13:52 Paragraph 1. Zeal for the souls left by divine union. 00:26:30 Paragraph 2. The soul may fall from such a state. 00:28:30 Paragraph 3. How divine union may always be obtained. 00:29:13 Paragraph 4. Union with the will of good - supernatural union. 00:30:25 Paragraph 5. Advantage of union gained by self-mortification. 00:37:26 Paragraph 6. Defects which hinder this union. 00:40:05 Paragraph 7. Divine union obtained by perfect love of God and our neighbor. 00:44:04 Paragraph 8. Love for God and our neighbor are proportionate. 00:46:53 Paragraph 9. Real and imaginary virtues. 00:47:58 Paragraph 10. Illusionary good resolutions. 00:52:36 Paragraph 11. Works, not feelings, procure union. 00:55:28 Paragraph 12. Fraternal charity will certainly gain this union. 01:00:16 Spiritual Exercises - Contemplation 01:12:46 Conclusion
185 - Life, ch. vii. 18. Way of Perf. xli. 8. xli - 41
Life, ch. vii. 18
To set up this footnote, we need to step back two paragraphs to 16.
Life, ch. vii. 16-17
16. In those early days, when I was ill, and before I knew how to be of use to myself, I
had a very strong desire to further the progress of others: a most common temptation of
beginners. With me, however, it had good results. Loving my father so much, I longed to
see him in the possession of that good which I seemed to derive myself from prayer. I thought
that in this life there could not be a greater good than prayer; and by roundabout ways, as
well as I could, I contrived make him enter upon it; I gave him books for that end. As he
was so good—I said so before—this exercise took such a hold upon him, that in five or
six years, I think it was, he made so great a progress that I used to praise our Lord for it. It
was a very great consolation to me. He had most grievous trials of diverse kinds; and he
bore them all with the greatest resignation. He came often to see me; for it was a comfort
to him to speak of the things of God.
17. And now that I had become so dissipated, and had ceased to pray, and yet saw that
he still thought I was what I used to be, I could not endure it, and so undeceived him. I had
been a year and more without praying, thinking it an act of greater humility to abstain.
This—I shall speak of it again—was the greatest temptation I ever had, because it very
nearly wrought my utter ruin; for, when I used to pray, if I offended God one day, on
the following days I would recollect myself, and withdraw farther from the occasions of sin.
Life, ch. vii. 18 - foootnote from paragraph
18. When that blessed man, having that good opinion of me, came to visit me, it pained
me to see him so deceived as to think that I used to pray to God as before. So I told him that
I did not pray; but I did not tell him why. I put my infirmities forward as an excuse; for
though I had recovered from that which was so troublesome, I have always been weak, even
very much so; and though my infirmities are somewhat less troublesome now than they
were, they still afflict me in many ways; specially, I have been suffering for twenty years from
sickness every morning, so that I could not take any food till past mid-day, and even occasionally
not till later; and now, since my Communions have become more frequent, it is
at night, before I lie down to rest, that the sickness occurs, and with greater pain; for I have
to bring it on with a feather, or other means. If I do not bring it on, I suffer more; and thus
I am never, I believe, free from great pain, which is sometimes very acute, especially about
the heart; though the fainting-fits are now but of rare occurrence. I am also, these eight years
past, free from the paralysis, and from other infirmities of fever, which I had so often. These
afflictions I now regard so lightly, that I am even glad of them, believing that our Lord in
some degree takes His pleasure in them.
Way of Perf. xli. 8.
8. As far as you can without offending God try to be genial and to
behave in such a way with those you have to deal with that they may
take pleasure in your conversation and may wish to imitate your life
and manners, instead of being frightened and deterred from virtue.
This is an important matter for nuns: the more holy they are, the
more cordial they ought to be with their sisters. Although you may be
pained because their conversation is not what you could wish, still,
never keep aloof from them, for thus you will help them and win their
love. We ought to try our best to be sociable and to humour and
please those with whom we talk, especially when they are our
sisters.
2. The soul may fall from such a state.
Life. ch, vii. 21.
21. My father was not the only person whom I prevailed upon to practise prayer, though
I was walking in vanity myself. When I saw persons fond of reciting their prayers, I showed
them how to make a meditation, and helped them and gave them books; for from the time
I began myself to pray, as I said before, I always had a desire that others should serve
God. I thought, now that I did not myself serve our Lord according to the light I had, that
the knowledge His Majesty had given me ought not to be lost, and that others should serve
Him for me. I say this in order to explain the great blindness I was in: going to ruin myself,
and laboring to save others.
5.Advantage of union gained by self-mortification.
189 - St. John xi. 35, 36: ‘Et lacrymatus est Jesus. Dixerunt ergo Judæi: Ecce quomodo amabat cum.’
35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
190 - Fourth Mansions, ch. i. 5. Fifth Mansions, ch. i. 7.
191 Way of Perf. ch. xvii. 2.
2. Thus it does not follow, because all the nuns in this convent
practise prayer, that they must all be contemplatives. Such an idea
would greatly discourage those who do not understand the truth that
contemplation is a gift of God which is not necessary for salvation
nor for earning our eternal reward, nor does any one here require us
to possess it. She who is without it, yet who follows the counsels I
have given, will attain great perfection. It may be that she will gain far
more merit, as she has to work harder on her own account; our Lord
is treating her like a valiant woman and keeping until hereafter all the
happiness she has missed in this life. Let her not be disheartened
nor give up prayer or the other practices of which her sisters make
use sometimes our Lord comes very late, and pays as much all at
once as He has given to others during many years. For more than
fourteen years I could not meditate without a book. 8 There are
many people of this kind, and others cannot meditate even with the
help of reading, but are obliged to recite vocal prayers which to a
certain extent arrest their attention. Some have so volatile an
imagination that they cannot fix their thoughts, which are always
wandering, upon one thing; if they try to think of God they are
troubled with a thousand foolish fancies, scruples, and doubts.
6. Defects which hinder this union.
192 Jonas iv. 6, 7: ‘And the Lord God prepared an ivy, and it came up over the head of Jonas, to be a shadow over his head, and to cover him, for he was fatigued; and Jonas was exceeding glad of the ivy. But God prepared a worm, when the morning arose on the following day: and it struck the ivy and it withered.’
7. Divine union obtained by perfect love of God and our neighbor.
193 St. John xvii. 22, 23: ‘Ut sint unum, sicut et nos unum sumus. Ego in eis, et tu in me: ut sint consummati in unum.’
John 17:22-23
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
11. Works, not feelings, procure union.
197 Way of Perf. ch. vii. 4.
4. This is the kind of affection I wish we all possessed. Although in
the beginning our love may be defective, yet our Lord will correct it.
Let us consider the way to obtain perfect love. Although at first we
mingle some tenderness with it, no harm will be done as long as it
does not amount to particular friendship. It is necessary at times to
show some tenderness in our love and even to feel it; we must
sympathise with many of our sisters trials and weaknesses,
insignificant as they may be. Sometimes a trifling matter gives as
much pain to one person as a heavy cross would cause another.
Sensitive natures feel very keenly slight troubles at which others
would laugh. If you are stronger-minded, still, pity your neighbours
and do not be astonished at them. Perhaps the devil has taken more
trouble to wound their feelings thus than he has to grieve you by
severe trials and crosses. It may be that our Lord spares us these
sufferings to give us trials of other kinds, when perhaps what seems,
and is indeed a heavy cross to us, will appear but a light one to our
sisters.
12. Fraternal charity will certainly gain this union.
198 Way of Perf. ch. iv. 3; vii. 4.
Way of Perf. ch. iv. 3;
3. Do not fancy, my friends and my sisters, that I am going to lay
many charges on you : please God we may fulfil those that our holy
Fathers enjoined and practised in our Rules and Constitutions, which
include all the virtues, and by performing which our predecessors
earned the name of Saints. It would be an error to seek another road
or to try to learn some other way. I will explain three matters only,
which are in our Constitutions: it is essential for us to understand
how much they help us to preserve that peace, both interior and
exterior, which our Lord so strongly enjoined. The first of these is
love for one another: the second, detachment from all created things:
the other is true humility, which, though I mention it last, is chief of all
and includes the rest. The first matter, that is, fervent mutual charity,
is most important, for there is no annoyance that cannot easily be
borne by those who love one another: anything must be very out of
the way to cause irritation. If this commandment were observed in
this world as it ought to be I believe it would be a great help towards
obeying the others, but whether we err by excess or by defect; we
only succeed in keeping it imperfectly.
Way of Perf. ch. vii. 4.
4. This is the kind of affection I wish we all possessed. Although in
the beginning our love may be defective, yet our Lord will correct it.
Let us consider the way to obtain perfect love. Although at first we
mingle some tenderness with it, no harm will be done as long as it
does not amount to particular friendship. It is necessary at times to
show some tenderness in our love and even to feel it; we must
sympathise with many of our sisters trials and weaknesses,
insignificant as they may be. Sometimes a trifling matter gives as
much pain to one person as a heavy cross would cause another.
Sensitive natures feel very keenly slight troubles at which others
would laugh. If you are stronger-minded, still, pity your neighbours
and do not be astonished at them. Perhaps the devil has taken more
trouble to wound their feelings thus than he has to grieve you by
severe trials and crosses. It may be that our Lord spares us these
sufferings to give us trials of other kinds, when perhaps what seems,
and is indeed a heavy cross to us, will appear but a light one to our
sisters.
Spiritual Exercises
Mathew 22:34-39 The Great Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Way of Perf. ch. xxxii. 6.
6. O eternal Sovereign! How canst You then consent to such a
request? How canst You permit such a thing? Yield not to His love
which for the sake of fulfilling Your will and of succoring us would
lead Him to endure being hacked into a thousand pieces every day.
It is for Thee to look to it, my God, since Your Son is reckless what
He suffers. Why must every good thing come to us only at His cost?
How is it that He is mute and knows not how to speak for Himself,
but only pleads for us? Shall no one intercede for this most meek
and loving Lamb? Give me the right, Lord, to be His advocate, since
You hast deigned to leave Him in our power and He submits His will
to Thee thus utterly and gives Himself so lovingly to us.
194 Way of Perf. ch. ix. i, 2.
8. Love for God and our neighbor are proportionate.
195 1 St. John iv. 20: ‘Qui enim non diligit fratrem suum quem videt, Deum quem non videt quomodo potest diligere?’
196 Way of Perf. ch. xviii. 5.
1 John 4:20
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Till Next Time
We're getting there! We are halfway through the Fifth Mansions. Our next stop in Saint Teresa's Interior Castle is Chapter 4 of the Fifth Mansions. Then we start the Sixth Mansions!!! I am excited about the content Saint Teresa will edify us with in those dwelling places!
Diving into Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, the Fifth Mansions - Chapter 2. The Fifth Mansion is the prayer stage of spiritual betrothal. Saint Teresa explains the stages of prayer development from ascetical to mystical through her classic analogy of the silkworm becoming the butterfly.
Describes the great gain which comes to a soul when it practices vocal prayer perfectly. Shows how God may raise it thence to things supernatural.
You will now understand how different it is from mental prayer, which I have already described, and which consists in thinking of what we are saying, understanding it, and realizing Whom we are addressing, and who we are that are daring to address so great a Lord. To think of this and other similar things, such as how little we have served Him and how great is our obligation to serve Him, is mental prayer. Do not think of it as one more thing with an outlandish name96 and do not let the name frighten you. To recite the Paternoster and the Ave Maria, or any other petition you like, is vocal prayer. But think how harsh your music will be without what must come first; sometimes even the words will get into the wrong order. In these two kinds of prayer, with God's help, we may accomplish something ourselves. In the contemplation which I have just described we can do nothing. It is His Majesty Who does everything; the work is His alone and far transcends human nature.
3. Symbol of the soul and the silkworm. 174 - Colossians 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4. Preparation of the soul for God’s indwelling.
5. Mystic death of the silkworm. 175 - Way of Perf. ch. xxxi. i 1.
Continues the same subject. Explains what is meant by the Prayer of Quiet. Gives several counsels to those who experience it. This chapter is very noteworthy.
Now, daughters, I still want to describe this Prayer of Quiet to you, in the way I have heard it talked about, and as the Lord has been pleased to teach it to me, perhaps in order that I might describe it to you. It is in this kind of prayer, as I have said, that the Lord seems to me to begin to show us that He is hearing our petition: He begins to give us His Kingdom on earth so that we may truly praise Him and hallow His name and strive to make others do so likewise. This is a supernatural state, and, however hard we try, we cannot reach it for ourselves; for it is a state in which the soul enters into peace, or rather in which the Lord gives it peace through His presence, as He did to that just man Simeon.
6. Effects of divine union.
177 Life, ch. xviii. 16.
The Fourth State of Prayer. The Great Dignity of the Soul Raised to It by Our Lord. Attainable on Earth, Not by Our Merit, But by the Goodness of Our Lord
16. The truth is, it passes away so quickly in the beginning—at least, so it was with me—that neither by the outward signs, nor by the failure of the senses, can it be perceived when it passes so quickly away. But it is plain, from the overflowing abundance of grace, that the brightness of the sun which had shone there must have been great, seeing that it has thus made the soul to melt away. And this is to be considered; for, as it seems to me, the period of time, however long it may have been, during which the faculties of the soul were entranced, is very short; if half an hour, that would be a long time. I do not think that I have ever been so long. The truth of the matter is this: it is extremely difficult to know how long, because the senses are in suspense; but I think that at any time it cannot be very long before some one of the faculties recovers itself. It is the will that persists in the work; the other two faculties quickly begin to molest it. As the will is calm, it entrances them again; they are quiet for another moment, and then they recover themselves once more.
178 Life, ch. xviii. 5-7.
5. What I undertake to explain is that which the soul feels when it is in the divine union. It is plain enough what union is—two distinct things becoming one. O my Lord, how good Thou art! Blessed be Thou for ever, O my God! Let all creatures praise Thee, Who hast so loved us that we can truly speak of this communication which Thou hast with souls in this our exile! Yea, even if they be good souls, it is on Thy part great munificence and magnanimity,—in a word, it is Thy munificence, O my Lord, seeing that Thou givest like Thyself. O infinite Munificence!—how magnificent are Thy works! Even he whose understanding is not occupied with the things of earth is amazed that he is unable to understand these truths. Why, then, give graces so high to souls who have been such great sinners? Truly, this passeth my understanding; and when I come to think of it, I can get no further. Is there any way at all for me to go on which is not a going back? For, as to giving Thee thanks for mercies so great, I know not how to do it. Sometimes I relieve myself by giving utterance to follies. It often happens to me, either when I receive these graces, or when God is about to bestow them,—for, in the midst of them, I have already said, I was able to do nothing,—that I would break out into words like these.
8. Trials succeeding the prayer of union. 180 Way of Perf. ch. xviii. 1-4. Castle, M. vi ch. i. 3, sqq. M. vii. ch. iv. 7.
In episode 135 of Tales of Glory, we explore the Golden Calf incident in the Torah, Exodus chapter 32. Did Aaron create an idol of Ba'al worship? Or was it something else? Find out why many Christian social media influencers present this story wrong.
Timeline: 00:00:00 Intro 00:06:03 Exodus 32 intro 00:09:20 The Making of the Golden Calf verses 1-6 00:19:23 God's Anger and Moses' Intercession verses 7-14 00:26:53 Moses Smashes the Tablets and Destroys the Calf verses 15-20 00:32:28 Aaron's Apologia verses 21-24 00:35:12 Selection of the Levites verses 25-29 00:40:30 Moses' Second Intercession verses 30-34 00:44:40 Verse 35 00:46:36 Concluding Remarks
24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels.
27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.
Nehemiah retelling the account of the calf. Nehemiah 9:18
18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies,
Divine origin of the tablets by God's finger implying cosmic order.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
God creator of the unseen realm and cosmic order. Psalm 33:6
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
The recount of the destruction of the golden calf. Deuteronomy 9:21
21 Then I took the sinful thing, the calf that you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust. And I threw the dust of it into the brook that ran down from the mountain.
12 “Speak to the people of Israel, If any man's wife goes astray and breaks faith with him, 13 if a man lies with her sexually, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her, since she was not taken in the act, 14 and if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself, 15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
16 “And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the Lord. 17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord and unbind the hair of the woman's head and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse. 19 Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband's authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse. 20 But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband's authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you, 21 then’ (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) ‘the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. 22 May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman shall say, ‘Amen, Amen.’
23 “Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness. 24 And he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain. 25 And the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman's hand and shall wave the grain offering before the Lord and bring it to the altar. 26 And the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27 And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children.
29 “This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband's authority, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law. 31 The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.”
Till Next Time
I pray you received a good download on this discussion of Exodus chapter 32.
Today, our guest is Abby McKee from The Shift podcast. She is an outstanding prophetic evangelist, dream interpreter, minister of high integrity in scriptural interpretation, and a master sourdough baker. Abby discusses 1 Peter 2, where we are the living stones of Jesus. We get some insight into the dangers of false prophecy revealed in Jeremiah 28.
Podcast Timeline
00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:25 Meet Abby 01:10:00 Dirt and stones 00:11:25 Jeremiah 28 5 00:16:32 Jeremiah 28 12 00:28:32 the Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle 00:34:30 Entering territorial spirit's land 00:39:11 Getting confirmation to enter a land 00:46:35 Where our feet go is holy ground 00:48:00 Getting understanding from God 01:05:07 Conclusion
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Show Notes
Verses Abby cited in this episode.
1 Peter 2 A Living Stone and a Holy People
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Jeremiah 28
Hananiah the False Prophet
1 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord's house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7 Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. 11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.
12 Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. 14 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’” 15 And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’”
17 In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.
Because I failed my Hebrew vocabulary test for the word garden, here it is...
The word garden in Hebrew is gan. Gimel-patach-nun sofit.
Till Next Time
I hope you enjoyed Abby and gleaned some good Holy Spirit downloads from her on this episode of Tales of Glory.
