Shalom Kol Yisrael,
Something a brother shared with me recently struck a chord with my spirit. He said that he and his family are preparing for war spiritually. Now with any war, there is always an enemy. We certainly know that the devil is leading this campaign against the sons of Yisrael, but who is one of the major combatant's in this army?
I believe we must take heed to the spirit of Nimrod. Who was Nimrod? He was the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, great-grandson of Noah, was a Mesopotamian monarch and a mighty hunter before YHWH. He founded cities and was the ruler of the land of Shinar where the tower of Babel was built. This tower was an attempt to reach up into the heavens - YHWH's dwelling place. The people exalted themselves in their building by declaring, "Let us make a name for ourselves." (see Bereshit/Genesis Ch. 10 & 11)
What does his name mean? Dr. David Livingston on his ancientdays.net website says this, "It comes from the Hebrew verb marad, meaning "rebel." Adding an "n" before the "m" it becomes an infinitive construct, "Nimrod." (see Kautzsch 1910: 137 2b; also BDB 1962: 597). The meaning then is "The Rebel." Thus "Nimrod" may not be the character's name at all. It is more likely a derisive term of a type, a representative, of a system that is epitomized in rebellion against the Creator, the one true God." (emphasis added)
Since we are talking about a spirit, we can assume that the spirit of Nimrod could have appeared even before the man Nimrod. Bereshit 3: 1 And the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which YHWH Elohim had made, and he said to the woman, “Is it true that Elohim has said, ‘Do not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We are to eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim has said, ‘Do not eat of it, nor touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You shall certainly not die. 5 “For Elohim knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like Elohim, knowing good and evil.” 6 And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, and she took of its fruit and ate." (emphasis added)
Rebellion for humanity started in this one rebellious act. Humanity continues to be plagued by the spirit of Nimrod. A system of rebellion was now set in place where men would be the authors of their own destiny. This was the beginning of religion. Religion stands against a relationship with YHWH. Here was the deception: Adam was made in the image and likeness of YHWH and was already like YHWH for YHWH spoke to him personally and instructed him!
We see the spirit of Nimrod arise through Cain as well. Instead of seeking a personal relationship with YHWH, he decided to do what was right in his own eyes. This became a recurrent theme through our history, until the earth became so full of "doing what was right in their own eyes", that Abba preserved the only righteous family, the family of Noach by placing them in an ark.
Then Abba began to lay a foundation through Yisrael's patriarchs. Abraham was a friend of Elohim (Yaacov/James 2:23). Without a Torah scroll he learned the way of YHWH by a personal relationship. " Abraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot.” (Bereshit 26:5) Thus, it happened for Yitzchak and Yaacov as well. A foundation was laid that a personal relationship with YHWH has to be at the center of everything we say and do. Even Moshe learned from YHWH as a friend.
Abba now desired to express that personal relationship not only through an individual, but through a nation as well, the nation of Yisrael. This personal relationship is expressed in Shemot (Exodus) 19:5, ‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine – 6 ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisrael.” 7 And Mosheh came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which YHWH commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together and said, “All that YHWH has spoken we shall do.” (emphasis added)
Did Yisrael fulfill this call? No, for the spirit of Nimrod was evident again for the people desired to make a name for themselves. Yisrael wanted religion over a relationship. Shemot 32: 1 And when the people saw that Mosheh was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aharon, and said to him, “Arise, make us mighty ones who go before us. For this Mosheh, the man who brought us up out of the land of Mitsrayim, we do not know what has become of him.”
Did Yehoshua (Joshua) discern correctly that there was a sound of war in the camp? We see later on an implement of war was used to address the situation, Shemot 32: 27 And he said to them, “Thus said YHWH Elohim of Yisrael: Each one put his sword on his side, pass over to and fro from gate to gate in the camp, and each one slay his brother, and each one his friend, and each one his relative.” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Mosheh. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day." (emphasis added)
This is the very war we fight against. This is what has plagued Yisrael for thousands of years. Yisrael has sought mediators instead of a direct relationship with YHWH. Many of us even today look to man to tell us what the Word says instead of the very Author of the Word. This is religion. This is the spirit of Nimrod. This is rebellion. Yisrael's hardened heart to a relationship with YHWH was further demonstrated by 10 commandments written on tablets of stone. The very thing that was to be written on the heart was instead written on tablets of stone symbolizing Yisrael's stony heart.
A day is approaching where Yisrael will realize the religious graves that they have dug. Religion does not bring life and therefore religion cannot bring about Yisrael's restoration. Yeheskel (Ezekiel) 37 speaks of this calling forth from the religious institutions of man (the graves). Yeheskel 37: 7 And I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and there was a rattling. And the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 And I looked and saw sinews and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them, but there was no spirit in them. 9 He then said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and you shall say to the spirit, Thus said the Master YHWH, “Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe on these slain, so that they live.” ” 10 And I prophesied as He commanded me, and the spirit came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, a very great army. 11 And He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Yisrael. See, they say, Our bones are dry, our expectancy has perished, and we ourselves have been cut off! 12 “Therefore prophesy, and you shall say to them, Thus said the Master YHWH, “See, O My people, I am opening your graves, and shall bring you up from your graves, and shall bring you into the land of Yisrael. 13 “And you shall know that I am YHWH, when I open your graves, O My people, and bring you up from your graves." (emphasis added)
O Abba, help us to seek a relationship with you. Turn our hearts of stone to flesh. Cause us to leave the graves of the religious institutions of men and seek your nation Yisrael founded in a personal relationship with Yisrael's King Y'shua and Yisrael's maker YHWH.
Shavua tov.
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!
Something a brother shared with me recently struck a chord with my spirit. He said that he and his family are preparing for war spiritually. Now with any war, there is always an enemy. We certainly know that the devil is leading this campaign against the sons of Yisrael, but who is one of the major combatant's in this army?
I believe we must take heed to the spirit of Nimrod. Who was Nimrod? He was the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, great-grandson of Noah, was a Mesopotamian monarch and a mighty hunter before YHWH. He founded cities and was the ruler of the land of Shinar where the tower of Babel was built. This tower was an attempt to reach up into the heavens - YHWH's dwelling place. The people exalted themselves in their building by declaring, "Let us make a name for ourselves." (see Bereshit/Genesis Ch. 10 & 11)
What does his name mean? Dr. David Livingston on his ancientdays.net website says this, "It comes from the Hebrew verb marad, meaning "rebel." Adding an "n" before the "m" it becomes an infinitive construct, "Nimrod." (see Kautzsch 1910: 137 2b; also BDB 1962: 597). The meaning then is "The Rebel." Thus "Nimrod" may not be the character's name at all. It is more likely a derisive term of a type, a representative, of a system that is epitomized in rebellion against the Creator, the one true God." (emphasis added)
Since we are talking about a spirit, we can assume that the spirit of Nimrod could have appeared even before the man Nimrod. Bereshit 3: 1 And the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which YHWH Elohim had made, and he said to the woman, “Is it true that Elohim has said, ‘Do not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We are to eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim has said, ‘Do not eat of it, nor touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You shall certainly not die. 5 “For Elohim knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like Elohim, knowing good and evil.” 6 And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, and she took of its fruit and ate." (emphasis added)
Rebellion for humanity started in this one rebellious act. Humanity continues to be plagued by the spirit of Nimrod. A system of rebellion was now set in place where men would be the authors of their own destiny. This was the beginning of religion. Religion stands against a relationship with YHWH. Here was the deception: Adam was made in the image and likeness of YHWH and was already like YHWH for YHWH spoke to him personally and instructed him!
We see the spirit of Nimrod arise through Cain as well. Instead of seeking a personal relationship with YHWH, he decided to do what was right in his own eyes. This became a recurrent theme through our history, until the earth became so full of "doing what was right in their own eyes", that Abba preserved the only righteous family, the family of Noach by placing them in an ark.
Then Abba began to lay a foundation through Yisrael's patriarchs. Abraham was a friend of Elohim (Yaacov/James 2:23). Without a Torah scroll he learned the way of YHWH by a personal relationship. " Abraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot.” (Bereshit 26:5) Thus, it happened for Yitzchak and Yaacov as well. A foundation was laid that a personal relationship with YHWH has to be at the center of everything we say and do. Even Moshe learned from YHWH as a friend.
Abba now desired to express that personal relationship not only through an individual, but through a nation as well, the nation of Yisrael. This personal relationship is expressed in Shemot (Exodus) 19:5, ‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine – 6 ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisrael.” 7 And Mosheh came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which YHWH commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together and said, “All that YHWH has spoken we shall do.” (emphasis added)
Did Yisrael fulfill this call? No, for the spirit of Nimrod was evident again for the people desired to make a name for themselves. Yisrael wanted religion over a relationship. Shemot 32: 1 And when the people saw that Mosheh was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aharon, and said to him, “Arise, make us mighty ones who go before us. For this Mosheh, the man who brought us up out of the land of Mitsrayim, we do not know what has become of him.”
Did Yehoshua (Joshua) discern correctly that there was a sound of war in the camp? We see later on an implement of war was used to address the situation, Shemot 32: 27 And he said to them, “Thus said YHWH Elohim of Yisrael: Each one put his sword on his side, pass over to and fro from gate to gate in the camp, and each one slay his brother, and each one his friend, and each one his relative.” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Mosheh. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day." (emphasis added)
This is the very war we fight against. This is what has plagued Yisrael for thousands of years. Yisrael has sought mediators instead of a direct relationship with YHWH. Many of us even today look to man to tell us what the Word says instead of the very Author of the Word. This is religion. This is the spirit of Nimrod. This is rebellion. Yisrael's hardened heart to a relationship with YHWH was further demonstrated by 10 commandments written on tablets of stone. The very thing that was to be written on the heart was instead written on tablets of stone symbolizing Yisrael's stony heart.
A day is approaching where Yisrael will realize the religious graves that they have dug. Religion does not bring life and therefore religion cannot bring about Yisrael's restoration. Yeheskel (Ezekiel) 37 speaks of this calling forth from the religious institutions of man (the graves). Yeheskel 37: 7 And I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and there was a rattling. And the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 And I looked and saw sinews and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them, but there was no spirit in them. 9 He then said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and you shall say to the spirit, Thus said the Master YHWH, “Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe on these slain, so that they live.” ” 10 And I prophesied as He commanded me, and the spirit came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, a very great army. 11 And He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Yisrael. See, they say, Our bones are dry, our expectancy has perished, and we ourselves have been cut off! 12 “Therefore prophesy, and you shall say to them, Thus said the Master YHWH, “See, O My people, I am opening your graves, and shall bring you up from your graves, and shall bring you into the land of Yisrael. 13 “And you shall know that I am YHWH, when I open your graves, O My people, and bring you up from your graves." (emphasis added)
O Abba, help us to seek a relationship with you. Turn our hearts of stone to flesh. Cause us to leave the graves of the religious institutions of men and seek your nation Yisrael founded in a personal relationship with Yisrael's King Y'shua and Yisrael's maker YHWH.
Shavua tov.
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!
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