HEBREW VS GREEK MIND: THE RISE OF GNOSTICISM

John chapter 1













Today we are walking in: Hebrew Vs Greek Mind: The Rise Of Gnosticism










1 Chronicles 28:9




And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind H3824: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

























MIND













Today we look to the word-MIND-H3824 lebab--mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory















The Torah testifies...............







Genesis 23:8




And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind H3824 that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,




Leviticus 24:12




And they put him in ward, that the mind H3824 of the LORD might be shewed them.







Numbers 16:28

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind H3824.



















The prophets proclaim..................




Isaiah 26:3




Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind H3824 is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.







Ezekiel 11:5




And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind H3824, every one of them.









Habakkuk 1:11




Then shall his mind H3824 change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.















The writings bear witness..........................







1 Chronicles 22:7




And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind H3824 to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God:













Lamentations 3:21




This I recall to my mind H3824, therefore have I hope.







Job 34:33

Should it be according to thy mind H3824? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.








Hebrew Mind vs. Greek Mind

THE RISE OF GNOSTICISM

Lesson Six







In the times of Yahusha' and Sha'ul, there were many thinking groups that would fall under the banner of gnosticism. The nihilists and the libertines would be two of these. Both of these groups would also be classified as antinomians or "against the law". This would be the definition as it is commonly known in the English. However, in the Hebrew the word for anti is tachat (תחת), which means instead of or in place of. You see, no one is really against laws, they simply deny Yah's laws and replace them with other laws. Every society, large or small, has rules. One may think he is free when unrestrained by law but he soon comes up with his own. Since the rise of gnosticism, I believe the church has been theologically duped into believing that liberty is freedom from law. The only way that one could claim to be a Hamachiachian and hold this theology is to allegorize or spiritualize the text. This allegorization sprang forth from the early gnostics, and gnosticism is Hellenistic thought at it's best.




So, what is gnosticism? Literally the word gnosis, a Greek word, means knowledge. This way of thinking was also a religious sect at the time of Yahusha'. However, more appropriately it is a way of thinking. Notice I said it is a way of thinking, not it was a way of thinking. There is no way to define this word in a few sentences, so we will define it as we go. The whole idea of gnosticism dove-tails with the whole philosophy of the holy psyche or soul, and the evil body and physical world. There are degrees, if you will, of this philosophy. Much of what is taught in modern Hamachiachianity is very pale compared to some extremes of people like Simon of Samaria (Acts 8), Saturninus, Cerinthus, Valentinus, or even Marcion. If you begin with a relatively small, unscriptural doctrine, it soon leads to a big one. Many of these men (circa 1st-2nd century A.D.) concluded that Yahusha' was not a man, but the spirit of the Messiah. Why? Because the "deity" would not have an evil body since the flesh is by nature wicked. Marcion taught that Yahusha''s body was a phantom. Many early church fathers stood against this doctrine for a time, except for Clement and Origen, who were sympathetic to this doctrine. Fundamental to clearly gnostic systems is dualism, which opposes the transcendent God and an ignorant demiurge. (Remember, this was the caricature of Yah). In some systems, the creation of the world resulted from the presumption of sophia (σοφία) (Gk. - wisdom).




The material creation, including the body, was regarded as inherently evil. Sparks of divinity, however, had been encapsulated in the bodies of certain pneumatic or spiritual individuals, who were ignorant of their celestial origins. The transcendent God or demiurge sent down a redeemer (Hamachiach), who brought them salvation in the form of a secret gnosis or knowledge. To the gnostics, salvation was not dependent upon faith or works but rather knowledge of one's nature, so there was much indulgence in licentious behavior. There were no rules for the body since the logos or ultimate knowledge was not interested in physical or material things. This also meant that marriage was held in contempt as well, for procreation involved the body. A "unisex" being was held in hopeful reverence. The two main religious ordinances of these sects were baptism and the Eucharist. The bottom line of gnosticism is an other worldly existence. Many New Testament doctrines are used to support this thought which we will put back into context later. Gnosticism, historically speaking, is simply the logical progression of Greek or Hellenistic thinking. This philosophy, several centuries later, led to the monastic system and eventually to the Papal system.




We will reveal much, much more about this teaching as we get into the comparisons between the Hebrew and Greek minds. We are going to take several subjects and discuss them from these contrasting points of view. I think you will soon see how and why the modern Church believes and teaches some of the doctrines it does. You may begin to see why our culture is in the condition it is and why many other cultures collapsed. It may become clearer why so many Hamachiachians struggle with sin and cannot seem to conquer anything in their lives. The conclusion will be simple. The Greek/gnostic thinking of inwardness only sounds holy, good, and scriptural. The problem is this. Our mind and our bodies are created by Yah and have natural needs and desires. These needs and desires are anticipated by our Creator, so He has rules for the mind and the body. If our theology denies these rules (the reason is really irrelevant), our mind and body will satisfy them some other way. This is why in much Hamachiachian theology the laws of Yah (that is, the Old Testament "where there is no Holy Spirit"), are superceded by the "law of Hamachiach" where there is the Spirit. God, who lives in the transmundane, is only interested in the spiritual and has no interest in the mundane cares of the world.




In lesson seven we will begin to compare these two contrasting world views. I will take you back to some more details of Greek philosophy as they apply.

Shalom Alecheim!

HEBREW VS GREEK MIND: ANTIOCHUS IV TO YAHUSHA

John chapter 1








Today we are walking in: Hebrew vs Greek Mind: Antiochus IV To Yahusha








1 Chronicles 28:9




And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind H3824: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

























MIND













Today we look to the word-MIND-H3824 lebab--mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory















The Torah testifies...............







Genesis 23:8




And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind H3824 that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,




Leviticus 24:12




And they put him in ward, that the mind H3824 of the LORD might be shewed them.







Numbers 16:28

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind H3824.



















The prophets proclaim..................




Isaiah 26:3




Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind H3824 is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.







Ezekiel 11:5




And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind H3824, every one of them.









Habakkuk 1:11




Then shall his mind H3824 change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.















The writings bear witness..........................







1 Chronicles 22:7




And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind H3824 to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God:













Lamentations 3:21




This I recall to my mind H3824, therefore have I hope.







Job 34:33

Should it be according to thy mind H3824? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.












Hebrew Mind vs. Greek Mind

ANTIOCHUS IV TO Yahusha'

Lesson Five




During the second and third centuries B.C., Hellenism and the perpetuation of the Greek language quickly dominated the entire Western world. The Macedonian kings from Greece took their Egyptian influenced culture back to Egypt through the Ptolemy family. Around 260 B.C. the language and thought processes of Greece had so changed the Eastern culture that King Ptolemy put forth the decree to translate the entire Hebrew Bible into Greek. This was later known as the Septuagint translation of the Scriptures, or the LXX. The Septuagint was so named allegedly because it was accomplished by 70 scholars, but there is some uncertainty about that. None the less, Yahusha' quoted from it quite often. This version of the Scriptures is one of the most awesome pieces of evidence of the reliability of itself. Virtually every scriptural and secular scholar agrees that the Scriptures, with the exception of Esther, were translated from Hebrew to Greek in or around 250 years before the birth of Yahusha'. Do you realize what that means? It means that the 333 prophetic utterances of Yahusha''s birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection are, at the very least, written 250 years before they happened.

One by one the generals of Alexander began to fall to the Roman Empire. Philip IV of the Antigonid empire began the decline by challenging Rome in the first place. The Seleucid dynasty was still going strong in 163 B.C. when Antiochus IV ruled Jerusalem. Antiochus, as did his predecessors, carried the Greek-Egyptian traditions and culture into his reign. The books of the Maccabees record much of this period of Greek history, especially as it permeates the Hebrew culture. The story of Chanukkah is the best example to date of how scriptural thinking and culture can be dramatically altered. Normally a change in thinking processes occurs very slowly over a long period of time. But the account of the Maccabees happened comparatively quickly.

This is a quote from 1st Maccabees:

1st Maccabees 1:11-14

In those days [i.e. of Antiochus Epiphanes] lawless men came forth from Israel, and misled many saying, "Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us. This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem [for Greek education], according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined themselves with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.

The first thing done in Greek thought is to build an education center to train captives in Western thinking. To conquer with the sword is only temporary, and still maintains an enemy. Conquer the mind and you have a friend and an ally. Change the language and you change the meaning of things, for words are only symbols. If you change the symbol, you change the meaning and create a whole new set of parameters. Paradigm shifts in any society are created over time in gradual increments. This is primarily why people, especially church people, see the instructions of Yah as antiquated, obsolete, and almost impossible to grasp. Our whole thinking process has been so far removed from Yah's that it is almost unrecognizable.

Let's continue on with 1 Maccabees:

1 Maccabees 1:41-49

Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that each should give up his customs. [What he really meant was for the captives to give up their customs.] All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; [see what I mean!] they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane sabbaths and feasts, to defile the sanctuary and the priests, to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, so that they should forget the law and change all the ordinances.

This is the perfect description of apostasy, the abandonment of Yah's instructions. This will indeed happen again according to Mattityahu (Matthew) 24. More on that later. Many people in Israel at that time gave in to the king and abandoned the covenants and feasts. These were the forerunners of the Grecians. Over generations, these Hebrews mixed Western thought with their own ancestry. But many of these people did not. Some were executed for their tenacious trust in Yah. Others escaped and followed the Maccabean brothers in the desert to eventually return and take back the temple. This is, of course, the facts of the Chanukkah story. The point is that Yah's way defeated the Western way by standing strong in His words and not giving in to the Greek influence.

Between the time of Antiochus and the birth of Yahusha', the Roman empire had defeated all of the kingdoms of the Macedonian empire. Rome's culture is now prevailing at the time of the so-called birth of Christianity.

Shalom Alecheim!

HEBREW VS GREEK MIND: ARISTOTLE AND ALEXANDER THE GREAT

John chapter 1










Today we are walking in: Hebrew vs Greek Mind: Aristotle And Alexander The Great












1 Chronicles 28:9




And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind H3824: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

























MIND













Today we look to the word-MIND-H3824 lebab--mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory















The Torah testifies...............







Genesis 23:8




And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind H3824 that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,




Leviticus 24:12




And they put him in ward, that the mind H3824 of the LORD might be shewed them.







Numbers 16:28

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind H3824.



















The prophets proclaim..................




Isaiah 26:3




Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind H3824 is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.







Ezekiel 11:5




And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind H3824, every one of them.









Habakkuk 1:11




Then shall his mind H3824 change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.















The writings bear witness..........................







1 Chronicles 22:7




And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind H3824 to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God:













Lamentations 3:21




This I recall to my mind H3824, therefore have I hope.







Job 34:33

Should it be according to thy mind H3824? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.






Hebrew Mind vs. Greek Mind

ARISTOTLE AND ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Lesson Four




Greece, in the fourth century B.C., produced a second thinker whose intellectual legacy achieved monumental proportions. Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), Plato's most brilliant follower, earned his enduring reputation in science and philosophy from his groundbreaking work in promoting rigorous systems of logical argument. He taught that truth was discovered by systematic arguments based on "premise to conclusion" concepts. One first begins with a premise and then sets down a system of steps to come to an ultimate conclusion. The problem with this is that it still relied on human reasoning which was, of course, limited by human experience. The gods would not and could not supply truths, for they were to be idolized only. The block logic of Hebrew was considerably different than this type of thinking, but none the less, it was Hebrew logic that the Scriptures were written in. We will discuss this much later in the course. Aristotle's religious beliefs were much the same as Plato. The gods were still to be worshiped and revered and excellence was still the goal, (telos in the Greek). He was deeply critical of democracy, but only because it meant the rule of the majority and the majority was uneducated and poor. Only the elite had the capacity to rule. Only the academies could train children to succeed. Fathers and mothers were incapable of properly training Greek children.

During the years of Aristotle came the military rule of Philip of Macedonia, a land just north of Greece. Philip was a great conqueror, but not as great or popular as his son Alexander. The main thrust of Alexander's reign was that it happened so quickly. This is the primary reason why Greece is referred to as a leopard in the book of Daniyy'el (Daniel). With lightning fast speed, the greatest mortal hero of Greece defeated the known world. Alexander was not only a great military leader but was savvy and wise as well.




His strategy was for Greece to dominate the world by conforming the world to Greek thinking. He knew that this could only be accomplished by language. He knew, almost supernaturally, that if you change a people's language, you change their whole view of life. Alexander, because of his brilliant tactics, was revered as a god, and he considered himself the son of Zeus. His belief in the superiority of Greek civilization was absolute. His most treasured possession was "The Iliad" of Homer, and he had the plays of the three great tragedians sent to him in Asia, together with poems, and the history of Philistus. They were his favorite readings. He admired Aristotle as the leading exponent of Greek intellectual enquiry, and he had a natural yearning for philosophical discussion and understanding. His mind was to some extent cast in the Aristotelian mold. He educated his future leaders in Greek letters and weaponry and established schools throughout his conquered regions. At the same time, he organized traditional Greek festivals to honor the gods in the most lavish fashion. He taught that the deities made their wishes known through natural phenomena and through omens and oracles, which were interpreted through great speakers in the theaters and arenas. This is why Sha'ul (Paul) and Barnabas were called Jupiter (Zeus) and Mercury (Hermes). These were the Roman names for the Greek gods. Although Rome conquered Greece, they took upon the same system of philosophy, only the names were changed.




The story of Alexander is a story of a major change in thought, so much so that he named a city for himself, Alexandria, Egypt, and the Tanakh was translated into Greek at this city. Alexander trained his successors in the Greek language. A most interesting twist occurred at Alexander's death. Instead of appointing his son to take over, he remained basically silent in the matter. His four top generals took over the reign of the known world instead of his son. These four men were Antigonus, his son Demetrius, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. These four men would soon divide up the known world and begin what would eventually be called the Hellenistic age. Antigonus and Demetrius took over Macedonia and Greece, Seleucus in Syria and the old Persian empire, and Ptolemy in Egypt.




Israel would end up being under the domain of Ptolemy. All four of these kings carried on the Greek religion and thought process. Eventually all four kingdoms would fall to the Romans. All four kings forced the koine Greek language on their conquered territories. As I said before, this was a very wise move, for language shapes, molds, and defines a culture. Hate will soon turn to loyalty if one can change the meaning and purpose of words and traditions. Greek had become the international language of the eastern Mediterranean coast lands. Even in Afghanistan, King Asoka, a convert to Buddhism, used Greek in his public inscriptions to announce his efforts to introduce his subjects to Buddhist traditions. Literature in these Hellenistic cultures began to shift more and more to mythical dramas and comedies, yet worship and adoration of the gods remained as strong as ever. Human behavior and truth were becoming irrelevant as long as the gods were pleased through public attestation.




Greek philosophy in the Hellenistic period reached a wider audience than ever before. Fewer thinkers were concentrating on metaphysics and more on logic, physics, and ethics. The Epicurean and Stoic schools were now becoming popular. This is also a result of the Greek concept of the gods. The Greek gods were not infallible to their minds. They all had the ability to change, to fail, to give in to emotions, and to vacillate. It is because of this that philosophical schools came and went, as well. The bottom line at this time was how to deal with negative, outside forces. So we now have the rise of the Stoics and Epicureans. The Epicureans took their name from it's founder, Epicurus (341-271 B.C.). Basically, Epicurus believed that humans should pursue pleasure. The best way to achieve this is to stay away from distasteful situations by congregating with friends and like minded people. One should avoid the everyday mundane existence of the common people. The gods take no notice of human affairs, so humans have no fear of them. The Stoics, on the other hand, recommend a different, less isolationist path for humanity. A man named Zeno of Citium founded this philosophy. Their goal was the pursuit of virtue and a resignation to fate. They believed that fate was responsible for everything that happened, basically denying free will. Stoics believed in shunning all emotion, which is how our culture uses that term. Through endurance and self-control one attains tranquility. Dozens of other schools, such as the Sceptics and the Cynics, popped up to help explain life to the Greek world. The gods had not the foresight to guide life in any absolute way and were not interested. This brought about the infusing of various cultic and religious philosophies in concert with the reverence of the gods. The Hellenistic age can be summed up in one word, mixed. What was wrong today, may be right tomorrow, what is distasteful to one generation may soon become the banner of the next generation.

Shalom Alecheim!

HEBREW VS GREEK MIND: THE BEGINNING OF THE END

John chapter 1








Today we are walking in: Hebrew vs Greek Mind: The Beginning Of The End


















1 Chronicles 28:9




And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind H3824: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

























MIND













Today we look to the word-MIND-H3824 lebab--mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory















The Torah testifies...............







Genesis 23:8




And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind H3824 that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,




Leviticus 24:12




And they put him in ward, that the mind H3824 of the LORD might be shewed them.







Numbers 16:28

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind H3824.



















The prophets proclaim..................




Isaiah 26:3




Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind H3824 is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.







Ezekiel 11:5




And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind H3824, every one of them.









Habakkuk 1:11




Then shall his mind H3824 change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.















The writings bear witness..........................







1 Chronicles 22:7




And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind H3824 to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God:













Lamentations 3:21




This I recall to my mind H3824, therefore have I hope.







Job 34:33

Should it be according to thy mind H3824? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.












Hebrew Mind vs. Greek Mind

PLATO - THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Lesson Three




As we begin to enter the "Hellenistic" era of the evolution of Western thought, we come to the basic fork in the road. Socrates' most famous student is going to take Greek philosophy to it's most respected heights. Socrates was not adept at winning friends and influencing his enemies. Actually, up to this time, Greek thinking was rather tame and friendly with Scriptural thinking. But Plato is about to take it to a new level. This is where we will spend some time revealing what we really mean when we speak of Greek thought.

Plato lived from 428-348 B.C. Most history books and encyclopedias credit Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle for being the most influential people in Western history. Their philosophical views sprang forth from Homer's great mythical heroes. This led to the ultimate philosophical goal of excellence which led to the various social structures of Greek life. Plato, of course, was a member of the social elite. This was part of the background of his most powerful contribution to religious thought, the dualism of man. Plato taught that man consisted of two parts, the "soul" and the "flesh". He taught that only the soul was good and good is what all men seek. The flesh was evil and could do no good. The body was only one passing phase of our cosmic existence. Only the soul was involved in the future, and only the soul could do any good, so what the body did was virtually irrelevant. The people who were able to grasp this concept were in the highest class called the "guardians".




These were the educated class which were trained to live in shared houses, to eat in the same mess halls, their children were to be raised as a group in a common environment by special caretakers (public schools). Only this ruling class possessed the knowledge to determine policies and make decisions determining who is allowed to mate with whom to produce the best children, with intellectual excellence as the goal. Plato brought to the world the nation of "thinkers". Knowledge was the key to everything. This, we will see, led to the era of Gnosticism which continues today under other names. Multitudes of mystery cults would come forth from this philosophy. Life was intellectualized, and only for the initiated. Life became abstract, metaphysical conceptions. This is why I am personally very skeptical of turning simple commands of God into abstract concepts. Why? Because one cannot prove or disprove these concepts. This is why the students of Plato would argue for days in the great theaters with no results. They would stand by themselves in empty theaters and argue against fictitious opponents with imaginary audiences. These great debates were designed to cause our minds to conceive the demiurge, or ultimate mind, around us and to ignore the realities of the world we live in.




The demiurge was the dualistic god that created the world. He was the cruel god of battles and bloody sacrifices. The world was cruel and could not have been created by a "good" god, since all matter is evil. So this cruel demiurge sent a son called the logos who was the good god. The Tanakh (Old Testament) was a cruel book of laws, judgment, and death. The New Testament was the result of the incarnation of the god of the gods, the mind of the gods, called the logos. We will get into much more detail on this later. This demiurge, literally worker of the people, was whimsical and could change his mind or desires at any time. He would require certain demands on his creation at any time and withdraw them at any time. Laws and commands were spontaneous. The whole idea of the one God was no different than the images of all the gods. They were always subject to limitations and foresight. And, of course, god was only interested in the invisible, spiritual world as the physical world was evil. When the body performed an evil act it was simply seen as the natural thing for an evil, material body to do. This thinking would eventually lead to some of the same kind of behavior we see today. Quoting Plato from his Symposium:




"I believe that the greatest good for a youth is to have a worthy lover from early on and, for a lover, to have a worthy beloved. The values that men need who want to live lives of excellence lifelong are better instilled by love than by their relatives or offices or wealth or anything else ..."




In the Greek social life of his time, homosexuality was common love. Greeks, by this period, found it natural for an older man to be sexually aroused by the physical beauty of a boy. Physical immorality was not to possess eternity, only the soul.




Plato also began the era of the sophists. These philosophers continued in Plato's teaching that matters of the physical are matters of human relativism. Matters of family, government, education, customs, or law, were all relative because they were all outside of the soulish area.




Truth was determined by persuasiveness. Whoever had the best argument was the purveyor of truth. Truth was determined by man's own will. Since the gods were to be worshiped and revered and had no instructions for man, man was left to determine them for himself. Therefore, some things were good and some were bad, some things were good and bad at the same time. When potential governors would debate, the same subjects would be argued year after year, for there was no absolute. Sound familiar? Plato introduced the world to many philosophies that shaped the world we live in today. He would soon produce another student who would be the most influential man in Alexander the Great's life.

HEBREW VS GREEK MIND: THE INFLUENCE OF HOMER

1 Corinthians chapter 1







Today we are walking in: Hebrew vs Greek Mind: The Influence Of Homer










1 Chronicles 28:9




And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind H3824: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

























MIND













Today we look to the word-MIND-H3824 lebab--mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory















The Torah testifies...............







Genesis 23:8




And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind H3824 that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,




Leviticus 24:12




And they put him in ward, that the mind H3824 of the LORD might be shewed them.







Numbers 16:28

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind H3824.



















The prophets proclaim..................




Isaiah 26:3




Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind H3824 is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.







Ezekiel 11:5




And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind H3824, every one of them.









Habakkuk 1:11




Then shall his mind H3824 change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.















The writings bear witness..........................







1 Chronicles 22:7




And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind H3824 to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God:













Lamentations 3:21




This I recall to my mind H3824, therefore have I hope.







Job 34:33



Should it be according to thy mind H3824? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.















Hebrew Mind vs. Greek Mind

THE INFLUENCE OF HOMER

Lesson Two

The New Testament makes several references to Grecians and what had become commonly known as Hellenism. What is Hellenism and what influence did Hellenism have on the culture of Yahusha''s time? The term "Hellenistic" was invented in the nineteenth century to designate the period of Greek and Near Eastern history from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. to the death of Cleopatra VII, the last Macedonian ruler of Egypt, in 30 B.C.

The early Hellenistic period saw the emergence of a new form of relationship, compounded from Macedonian and Near Eastern traditions, which became the dominant political, religious, and social structure in the eastern Mediterranean after Alexander's death. The "Helen" of Hellenism comes from the writings of a blind poet by the name of Homer. Most Greek scholars are not convinced that this man actually lived, but for someone who may not have existed, he certainly was very influential in the shaping of Greek art, science, philosophy, religion, and social justice. His alleged writings were called "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey". These were epics set in the 12th century B.C. about a war between Greece and the city of Troy. This is where the Trojans come from. This is not a course on Greek history, but we need to get the background of where Greek thinking comes from. It did not burst onto the scene with Alexander. There was a gradual process that spring-boarded the influence of Greek thinking onto the known world at that time. The retrospective story of the Trojan War that the Iliad tells symbolizes the aims of this society as reflected in the literature of a later age. The heroes of Homer's poem sail far from their homes in Greece to attack the citadel of the Trojans in western Anatolia.




Their announced mission is to rescue Helen, the Greek queen whom the son of the king of Troy had lured away from her husband. This is essentially where the term "Hellenism" comes from. Most of the anti-Biblical, pagan cultures we are familiar with, Greek, Babylonian, Persian, etc., have a woman or Goddess-type mother that represents that culture. Isis, Astarte, Ishtar, or Gaia are some examples. Greek culture was no different. However, this way of thinking has a background, as well. The background of Hellenism is from Egypt, no less. Some nineteenth century scholars wish to downplay or deny any significant cultural influence of the Near East on Greece, but that was plainly not the ancient Greek view of the question. Greek intellectuals of the historical period claimed that Greeks owed a great deal to the older civilization of Egypt, in particular, to religion and art. Recent research agrees with this ancient opinion. Greek sculptors in the Archaic Age chiseled their statues according to a set of proportions established by Egyptian artists.




Greek mythology, the stories that Greeks told themselves about their deepest origins and their relations to the gods, was infused with stories and motifs of Near Eastern origin. The clearest evidence of the deep influence of Egyptian culture on Greek culture is the store of seminal religious ideas that flowed from Egypt to Greece. Rather than looking for a nonexistent origin of Greek identity, we will identify, as many as possible, the various sources of cultural influence that flowed together over a long period of time to produce the Greek culture we find recorded in the New Testament times. "Hellenistic" also conveys the idea that a mixed, cosmopolitan form of social and cultural life combining Hellenic (i.e. Greek) traditions with indigenous traditions emerged in the eastern Mediterranean region in the aftermath of Alexander's conquests. This provides some of the background for the term "Grecian", or 'Hellenist', as applied to many Jews at the time of Yahusha'. These were a mix of Hebrew ethnicity with Greek world views. The very nature of the ways of the nations in Scripture is a mixture of various ideas and views of how to live life. The Greek perspective provides us with a background as to the nature of a god or gods that desire to be worshiped, entertained, adored, and revered, but not necessarily obeyed. In Greek mythology, the gods were to be revered and celebrated, but the intellect was to guide man in this life. This is precisely why Sha'ul (Paul) tells us in 1Corinthians 1:22 that the Jews require a sign but the Greeks seek wisdom.




The Greeks are also known for their philosophy. We will discuss Aristotle and others later. The poet Homer's poems set the stage for the creative writing of the Greek myths of ancient gods and goddesses. This would provide the background for the ultimate mind of all the gods called the logos. This logos, as we will learn later, is a mixture of religious concepts from several cultural sources, which are generally represented scripturally by Jezebel, Babylon, the queen of heaven, and many other names which will be mentioned as we go. The nature or essence of Greek philosophy will be studied in detail later on in this course. Right now we are trying to establish the fact that this philosophy made a major impact on the thinking process of the populations that Sha'ul encountered, and that this influence has stayed with the church for two thousand years. The following is a quote from the book "Alexander the Great" by N. G. L. Hammond. Mr. Hammond is considered to be the foremost expert on ancient Macedonian history. Macedonia is the ancient name of the kingdom of the Balkan peninsula, which generally covers the area of Greece, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria.

"In 342 B. C. Philip [Alexanders' father] hired Aristotle at a handsome salary to teach ‘philosophy', which embraced both practical and theoretical knowledge. Lessons and seminars were held usually in the open air in the sanctuary of the Nymphs near Mieza, a beautiful place with natural grottos in the limestone, which was visited by sightseers in Plutarch's day and still is so visited. The influence of Aristotle on Alexander was profound. Alexander accepted as correct Aristotle's views on cosmology, geography, botany, zoology and medicine and therefore took scientists with his army to Asia, and he was fascinated by Aristotle's lectures on logic, metaphysics, the nature of poetry, and the essence of politics. Above all he learned from Aristotle to put faith in the intellect. In their personal relationship the boy's admiration developed into a deep affection, and they shared a special interest in establishing the text of "The Iliad"."

Homer was the major influence of Aristotle. It was Homer who introduced, at least from the view of literature, the whole idea of mythology and hero worship. This lies at the core of Greek society. The era called the dark age of Greece (900-700 B.C.) was the beginning of the construction of gymnasiums. These were Greek arenas that housed athletic games, with great crowds cheering the participants and the gods, particularly Zeus. The gymnasium was a place where nude athletes would appease the gods by their great feats. The word gymnos is the Greek word for naked. This period also began the great city-state called the polis, which was designed to confine the social elite.




These cities were erected to honor the gods. Within these city-states, smaller arenas, later called theaters, were erected. Theaters began with the Greeks, and were intended to host two particular events. At the beginning, they were primarily used to provide a place for the production of comedies and later, Greek tragedies. But by the later Archaic age, these were used to host the great philosophers and their famous debates. These debates were originally created to provide a place for the great thinkers and intellects to have a place to out-intellectualize each other. These places would soon produce Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

THE ATHENIAN HISTORY

We have now come to what is known as the Athenian age in the aftermath of the Peloponnesian War around the 4th century B.C. This episode in Greek history produced the famous Socrates. According to most current encyclopedias, Socrates was the most influential thinker in the Western world. Socrates, although he wrote nothing of his own, was the progenitor of the philosophy that man's evil actions are caused by ignorance. He developed, what is called today, the Socratic method. This is called inductive reasoning - that is, by reasoning from particular facts to a general idea.




In theory this seems logical, but all the reasoning depended upon what was considered a fact. Life was based upon thoughts and ideas to be debated. Many of the testimonies of his students attested to the fact that there were rarely any conclusions drawn, but everyone looked forward to the next debate. Socrates lived in poverty and disdained material possessions. He believed that no one knowingly did evil. Although Socrates was a thorn in the flesh of conventional Greek thinking, he none the less separated himself from any instructions of the gods and taught to rely on, after careful scrutiny, our own moral intellect to lead a happy life. Socrates, like many before him, sought wisdom no matter where it came from. Every culture had a part to play in the collective mind so long as moral knowledge was the goal.

Socrates' student, Plato will be the one who introduces the world to the demiurge. We will discuss this during our next lesson. Meanwhile I would like you to read Mizemor (Psalm) 119:1-9.

Shalom Alecheim!

HEBREW VS GREEK MIND: LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU….

Philippians chapter 2













Today we are walking in: Hebrew Mind vs. Greek Mind: Let This Mind Be In You…










1 Chronicles 28:9




And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind H3824: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

























MIND













Today we look to the word-MIND-H3824 lebab--mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory















The Torah testifies...............







Genesis 23:8




And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind H3824 that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,




Leviticus 24:12




And they put him in ward, that the mind H3824 of the LORD might be shewed them.







Numbers 16:28

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind H3824.



















The prophets proclaim..................




Isaiah 26:3




Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind H3824 is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.







Ezekiel 11:5




And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind H3824, every one of them.









Habakkuk 1:11




Then shall his mind H3824 change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.















The writings bear witness..........................







1 Chronicles 22:7




And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind H3824 to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God:













Lamentations 3:21




This I recall to my mind H3824, therefore have I hope.







Job 34:33



Should it be according to thy mind H3824? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.


















Hebrew Mind vs. Greek Mind

Lesson One

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Messiah Yahusha

What kind of mind do you suppose Yahusha had? This will be the central focus of this class. We are going to search the Book of Life to determine the great gulf fixed between the ways of the nations and the ways of Yah. We will learn some Greek history as well as Hebrew history. I hope to show two different paths, two separate and distinct ways, of looking at life and the world around us, and how this directly influences how we look at Scripture.

There are a few things that need to be explained before we begin.

1. I will use the King James version of the Scriptures for all quotations. This is not because I believe that this translation is any more accurate than others. It is simply because most reference material is still keyed to this translation. It makes it easier to trace the etymology of words, which we will do often.


2. Most of what you will read will be in English, however some words will be in Hebrew. Special words or phrases that are part of the lesson will be transliterated or translated in the text. Names of books would be a good example. I will always use Yahusha instead of Jesus, Sha'ul instead of Paul, Yochanan instead of John, for example. Why? Because it is the Hebrew that best represents what Yah's intention was, not because we like to toss around some sort of highbrow priestcraft. Besides, that is what their name is!!


3. I will not give a test at the end of every lesson. More than likely, it will be every 3 or 4 lessons. Tests will be in essay type or form. I want to know that you have grasped the material and it's meaning, and that it is part of your thinking process as well. I want to know that you understand the material.




Let's begin.

THOUGHTS

One of the most popular books of the last ten years is entitled, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus". It is popular because it reveals much about ourselves. In a very simple, realistic way this book shows us how different the genders are. There is a vast difference in the way men and women view the same set of circumstances, and how different our conclusions are, as well. It also teaches how those differences can be accepted and used to benefit a marriage relationship. But, as you are reading this book, you can begin to see how different the two thinking processes are. The focus of this course is much the same.




Eastern thinking is not like Western thinking. The major difference between this and the gender gap is that no where in Scripture does Yah ever desire to unite His ways with the ways of the nations. There is no way that Hebrew thinking can ever be united or combined with Greek thinking.

What are we talking about when we say Hebrew thinking or Greek thinking? Let us begin by talking about thoughts and words. Another way of describing thoughts is meaning.




What is meaning? With very strict observation, you will find that in practice we use the term in two principal ways: if someone asks me the meaning of a word in another language, I give him a word in his language which best expresses the same thing as that word. You may observe that we never, therefore, know the meaning directly, but only through a symbol - a word or linguistic expression.




Hence, I have no way of knowing your meaning except by the language you use to express it. I cannot possibly tell what you mean except by what you say. In other words, I, as opposed to Yah, cannot read your mind. Being human, I am relegated to understanding thoughts and intentions by the symbols used to represent that thought or intention.




That is really all that language is. When I want to express a thought I arrange letters in a certain way to form words, which also, when placed in a certain order, reveal my thoughts. Different languages use a different combination of letters and symbols to express thought. This is precisely what this course is about. We will be concerned with language or expressions that reveal thoughts about marriage, children, government, education, the nature of man, the nature of Yah, what is right or wrong, good or bad, holy or unholy. We will see how very different the Western world views these subjects from the world in which the Scriptures was written.




FROM THE BEGINNING

Bere'shiyt (Genesis) 1:1

In the beginning 'Elohiym created the heavens and the earth...

From the start we see that 'Elohiym separated. In the beginning He separates mass from spirit, visible from invisible. He then goes on to separate night from day, light from darkness, waters from waters, earth from seas, the greater light from the lesser light, beasts from humans, man from woman. In Bere'shiyt 2:9 He places two different and distinct trees in the garden. In Bere'shiyt 3:24 He separates man from Himself. He goes on to make a clear distinction between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. He puts a difference between Abel's offering and Cain's offering. He removes Noach's family from the rest of the world. He drives Avraham away from Ur of the Chaldees and the worship practices of his father, Terah. In Bere'shiyt 17:11 He separates Avraham from his foreskin.




In the books of Shemot (Exodus) and Vayiqera (Leviticus), He reveals what is clean and what is unclean, holy and unholy. In Shemot 11:7, He makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. In Shemot 19:5 He separates Israel from the rest of the nations, commanding them to obey Him that they might be a peculiar treasure unto Him. The Tehillot (Psalms) reveal the vast difference between Yah's ways and the ways of the nations.




In the Tanakh we see Yah giving His instructions for life to Israel and warning them not to mix with the nations. Why? Was it the people themselves that were unclean or was it their customs, their ways, their worship, and their practices? In the Tanakh we find the contrast between Yah's people and the nations or gentiles. In the New Testament we find the general term Greek used to represent ways contrary to Scripture. Many times, this is seen in the word the world (Yochanan (John) 1:10, Acts 17:6, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:2). This is because at this time the world outside of Jerusalem was still influenced by Alexander the Great's brilliant psychological tactics, not to mention his military genius. The Scriptures of the New Testament draw this contrast several times.

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.










Ma'asey hashsheliyechiym (Acts) 14:1

... both of the Jews and also of the Greeks, believed.










1Corinthians 1:22, 24

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. 24 But unto them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.










Acts 19:10

And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Adonai Yahusha, both Jews and Greeks.

When we add these accounts to the several occasions in which Sha'ul reminds us that in the body of Yahusha there is no difference between Jew and Greek, we begin to see that there was a difference. This is the very reason why Sha'ul had to teach us that there is now no difference. This will become much clearer in later lessons. Sha'ul's letters are specifically aimed at other than Semitic nations i.e., the Greeks. I might remind you that I am not referring to the country of Greece and it's inhabitants, but rather the Greeks as they represent western culture. In the same way that Babylon is symbolic of all false religion and pagan practices. The Greek or Hellenistic culture was dominating the uttermost parts of the earth at the time the New Testament was penned.

AN OPEN DOOR

Psalm chapter 126
















Today we are walking in: An Open Door













Genesis 4:7




If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door H6607. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

























DOOR




Today we look to the word- DOOR-H6607-pethach- an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or entrance way:—door, entering in, entrance entry, gate, opening, place.




























The Torah testifies……………




Exodus 12:2




And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door H6607 of his house until the morning.






















The Prophets proclaim…………….




Ezekiel 8:16




And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door H6607 of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.































The Writings witness…………………..




2 Kings 23:4




And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door H6607, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.


















Behold I set before you an open door and no man can shut it. That is your assurance! the door before you is not fragile it is eternal! you are stepping into divine acceleration. What took others years will take you months. What took decades will unfold in days because you paid the price! In hidden seasons you sowed in tears and now you will reap in joy! Psalms 126:5 do not apologize for the harvest you earned it through faithfulness, you endured ridicule, misunderstanding, and delay, but you never cursed your process now heaven is rewarding your perseverance, and yet even in this abundance remember to stay anchored to the secret place because power without presence becomes performance! Never let success silence your prayer life never let influence replace intimacy. The strength of the chosen is not in public applause, but in private alignment, Yahusha withdrew often to pray not because he was weak, but because he was wise, the more heaven trusted him the more he sought the father! follow that pattern, and you will remain unshakable. The next dimension of your journey will bring unfamiliar assignments. Yah will stretch your capacity. He will place you among people who test your patience! situations that test your humility opportunities that test your discernment but you will not fail. The spirit within you has matured The Words says greater is he that is in you and he that is in the world the greater wanna abide in you You walk with divine awareness now every step you take heaven partners with you! every word you release angles respond. There will be moments when the enemy tries to whisper. It’s not over. The pain will return, but remind him of the cross. Remind him that it was finished there! your victory was sealed not by your effort, but by his blood, the covenant cannot be broken. The signature of Yahusha still drips on your destiny Colossians 2:15 says Having spoiled principalities and powers. He made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it. You walk in that triumph you live from that victory lift your eyes higher, the same spirit that hover over the deep and Genesis is hovering over your future right now. Creation is waiting for your manifestation Romans 18:19 says the earnest expectation of the creature waited for the manifestation of the sons of Yah! you are that manifestation Heaven has been anticipating your awakening. Every delay with synchronization. Every silence was preparation now is the revealing do not shrink do not apologize for being chosen, carry your crown with humility and boldness speak when he says speak move when he says move rest when he says rest the rhythm of obedience will keep you safe. You are no longer guessing your way through life, you are being guided by glory. The cloud that lead Israel still leads you only now it resides within! The pillar of fire burns in your spirit you have become the temple of his presence and wherever the temple moves, victory follows! mountains melt like wax before the Lord Psalm 97:5 chains dissolve at the sound of his name, demons flee at your whisper of worship you are clothe in authority! covered in grace! commission for impact! the same spirit that raised Yahusha from the dead quickens your mortal buddies Roman says you carry resurrection power in every breath! so walk like it! pray like it! Love like it! forgive like it! you are not ordinary you are eternal wrapped in human form the kingdom of Yah is within you, Luke 17:21 wherever you go heaven goes! whatever you touch destiny awakens! the chosen ones carry eternity in their eyes and compassion in their hands! You will never have to go through that again! not because storm cease! because you have learned to sleep through them, you have discovered the peace that guarded Yahusha in the boat the waves may roar, but your heart remains still you are anchored in unshakable confidence. You know the end from the beginning because you trust the one who writes both and in the days to come, your testimony will become a trumpet you will declare I was tried, but I came out purified. I was pressed, but not crushed. I was struck down but not destroyed as in 2 Corinthians 4: 4-8 You will look back and see that every valley became a vineyard! every tear became a seed. Every loss became an investment! the kingdom owes you nothing because it has already repay you in wisdom, strength and glory! this is the hour for the chosen to rise without apology. Heaven is echoing your name and places you have never stepped. People are being prepared to receive your voice your gift your message‘s are opening not because of your strategy, but because of divine orchestration, you will find favor where you were once ignored, you will find acceptance where you were once rejected because the mark of completion rests on you and as you continue this journey, keep this truth sealed in your spirit. Yah finishes what he starts Philippians assures us he which has begun a good work, and you will perform it until the day of Yahusha . The performance of Yah’s promise is unstoppable. The script of your life is written and indelible in every page turns at his command, every chapter carries his fingerprint. You have nothing left to prove just walk it out keep your eyes fixed on the author and finisher of your faith Hebrews 12:2 keep your hands lifted even when logic fails. Keep your heart, tender, even when people harden theirs! keep your hope alive even when evidence is absent! Because faith still moves mountains love still heals wounds and grace still rains! chosen ones congratulations it truly is done. The furnace has finished its work. The sculptor has completed his carving and the masterpiece is emerging in full color. You will never have to go through that again for what once broke you now bow to you. The night is over the morning has come the spirit of Yah is breathing upon you saying behold I make all things new Revelation 21:5 my friend when Yah says it is done the enemy trembles because heaven has already sealed your victory. There are moments when life pushes you so hard that you begin to think. Maybe this is how it will always be But the spirit of the Lord says no my child. This was only a chapter not your story! what you have endured was necessary to reveal the anointing that was hidden inside of you! just as an olive must be crushed to produce oil! you had to be pressed to release what Yah placed in you. It was not punishment. It was preparation when Yahusha hung on the stake and declared it is finished He was clamming that the entire mankind of redemption! REDEEMER!!

RESTORATION OF YOUR IDENTITY

1 Peter chapter 29













Today we are walking in: Restoration Of Your Identity


















Exo 17:9

And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out H977 men, and go out,


fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with


the rod of God in mine hand.


choose

Today we look to the word H977 bachar--to choose, elect, decide for;


to be chosen, selected

The Torah testifies.........……

Deu 7:7

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose H977 you, because


ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest


of all people:


The prophets proclaim...............…

1Sa 2:28

And did I choose H977 him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer


upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I


give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the


children of Israel?

The writings bear witness............


Psa 25:12

What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in


the way that he shall choose. H977












I came to restore not only your salvation, but your identity 1 Peter 29 declares, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood a holy nation of peculiar people chosen there it is again the mark of distinction upon your life. The reason you never fit in the reason compromise always left you empty you were never designed for conformity you were designed for kingdom representation. Heaven‘s DNA runs through your spirit you carry divine genetics when others bow to pressure you stand in promise when others fade in darkness, you ignite in glory. Some of you have been asking, Yah why me why did I have to fight so much and the spirit replies because I trusted you with the battle! Yah never assigns war to the weak! he gives the hardest missions to the strongest soldiers! you endured not because you were stubborn but because you were sustained, you thought you were holding onto Yah, but he was the one holding you psalm 63 says my soul followed heart after the right hand uphold me! that means even when your grip loosen his hand, never let you go There were moments you thought you failed you question whether your faith was enough yet. Grace stood beside you like an unshakable companion, whispering keep walking, and every step you took became a testimony written in the unseen! heaven records, endurance, heaven, honors, perseverance, when no one saw your tears Heaven did! when no one celebrated your small victories angels rejoice! for it is written in Galatians let us not be weary in well doing for in due season. We shall reap if we faint not! Due season is not a date on the calendar. It is a moment when preparation meets Divine readiness! that moment is now!you will notice that your spirit no longer trembles at the same things that once terrified you! the fear has lost its voice. The shame has lost its echo because love has perfected something inside you in the Book of John it says perfect love cast out fear! Yah’s love has matured in you through suffering. Every storm that tried to drown. You only drove you deeper into his arms. Every disappointment pressed you further into his purpose! what you called failure heaven called formation! this new place you are entering, will require the language of faith not the vocabulary of fear! speak as one who knows heaven listens, declare as one who knows the word never returns void! when Yah created the world he spoke it into existence and because you carry his image, your words also carry creative power proverbs 18:21 says death and life are in the power of the tongue! so speak life over every area that once represented death call joy into the spaces that once echoed grief, call peace into the corners that once house anxiety the chosen ones don’t just react to reality. They reshape it through revelation when you decree a thing heaven establishes its job 22 That’s why prayer in this season must shift from pleading to proclaiming! you no longer ask as a beggar you command as a son you stand not outside the veil but within it, you approach not from distant throne, but the seat of your father there is an authority rising within you that hell cannot counterfeit. It is the authority of alignment! when your will mirrors, his! creation response! when your heartbeats with his rhythm miracles become normal that is why Yahusha said in John 14:12, he that believe on me the works that I do shall he do also And greater works than these shall he do greater works because he intended his life to multiply through you! you are the continuation of Yahusha ministry in the Earth. You are not waiting for revival. You are revival walking!every time you forgive! when you could retaliate! the kingdom advances! every time you give when you could withhold! heaven‘s economy expands! Every time you love the unlovable. The heart of Yahusha is revealed. That is the lifestyle of the chosen, they carry heaven into human Spaces! they become portals of divine reality look around you. The world is hungry for authenticity people are drowning in noise, but starving for truth. You have been trained for this hour. Your testimony is not a private story. It is a public key what you overcame unlock freedom for others! the addiction you conquered gives authority to deliver the addicted! the depression you survived, equips you to speak life into the broken The betrayal you endured enables you to teach loyalty. Nothing you faced is wasted in the kingdom. Pain becomes prophecy. That is why the apostle wrote in Corinthians who comfort us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble! comfort becomes transferable! healing becomes contagious! you were healed to heal! you were delivered to deliver. You are blessed to be a blessing The chosen carry generation assignments what begins and you will continue through those connected to you. Your obedience is creating a highway for the next generation and as you walk forward, remember this destiny demands discipline. Grace is not a license to drift. It is the power to stay anchored the more Yah reveals the more he requires! Micah 6:8 says he has showed the old man what is good and what does the Lord require of the to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with by Yah! humility will keep you in places that pride would expel you from! purity will preserve you in seasons where compromise destroys many!!integrity will sustain your influence when applause fades! guard your heart! guard your ears! guard your altar, because the enemies last attempt will always be distraction if he cannot destroy you, he will attempt to dilute you! He will send noise to pull you from intimacy. He will magnify options to obscure your obedience, but you know too much now! you tasted too much of his presence to settle for surface living! you have discovered that one moment in his presence outweighs a lifetime of worldly applause! chosen ones are custodians of presence wherever they go the atmosphere shifts darkness retreats not because they shout but because they carry light, Matthew 5:14 says You are the light of the world! A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden! That is who you are a city not a shadow you are visibility for invisible glory. You were never meant to hide your fire. You were meant to illuminate nations and nations will come. The people you once thought would never notice you will now seek your council not because you chased fame but because you carry truth, there is a magnetism to authenticity that no marketing and manufacture when heaven endorses you earth recognizes you.

SHOULD A WOMAN BE IN LEADERSHIP!!!!!

Genesis chapter 2







Today we are walking in: Should Women Be In Leadership







Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.





The Torah Testifies.............................

*****








The prophets proclaim...............





Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.










The writings bear witness.............





2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword







I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.

~Harriet Tubman




What we have discussed so far about Yah’s purpose and design for females prepares us to ask one of today’s most controversial questions: should women be in leadership? For those of faith, this question usually has a specific focus: should a woman be in a position of leadership in the community? The word of Yah Gives us the answers to both of these questions.




Before coming to conclusions about any issue, it is important to consider what the word of Yah as a whole has to say about it. It is too easy to take one verse and build an entire doctrine upon it. This often has been the case historically as the community has looked at the question of women and leadership.




Consequently, we will explore this topic using the approach we have used throughout the series. We will look at Yah‘s purpose for the female and how it relates to leadership. To do this, we will look at examples from both the old and New Testament that shed light on this very important issue, so that we may have a clear understanding of Yah‘s intent for us. At the same time, the subject of women and leadership is a very broad one and could be the theme of the entire series. Therefore we will look at the primary principles of women in leadership based on Yah‘s word.




“I Sent You Three Leaders”




In the book of Micah, Yah made a remarkable statement that many people overlook and most men do not want to read.




Yah sent a woman to lead.




If most males were asked, “Was Moses a great leader?” their answer would be, emphatically yes. I believe that Moses is probably the greatest leader in the Old Testament record, the man Yah chose to bring his people out of slavery in Egypt. Moses was obviously a great minister of administration. He learned much of this from his father-in-law, Jethro, Who taught him to delegate rather than to take too great a load of responsibility on himself. Moses was a man of tremendous strength and character, although he was also a man of weakness. Yet Yah balances weaknesses with the power of His anointing. During the time of the exodus and for 40 years in the desert, Moses was an extraordinarily effective and inspiring leader.




However, I want you to read a statement Yah made in Micah 6:4. Women should take this verse to heart and remember it for the rest of their lives. Yah said “I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (NKJV).




Yah was saying, “I sent you three leaders.”




We always talk about Moses, the representative and administrative leader. We also talk about Aaron, the high priest and spiritual leader. But Yah mentioned another leader that many men are uncomfortable reading about. He said, “I also sent Miriam to lead you.”




Yah sent a woman to lead. This fact contradicts many of the attitudes that men have had for years about women in leadership. When Yah purposefully appointed Miriam to be a leader to his people, He endorsed the idea that it is valid for a woman to be in leadership. It is noteworthy that Yah did not send Miriam to lead because no men were available at the time. He sent her to lead alongside the man. He put her in a team of leaders. Since Yah acknowledged Miriam in the same list or category with Moses, we don’t have to question whether Yah intended women to be leaders. “I send before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.“




The Sinai leadership team included a director, a priest, and a woman. The director was Moses, the executive leader, and the priest was Aaron, the spiritual leader. Yet right in the middle of the executive leader and the spiritual leader, a woman was needed in order to bring balance to both of them. We will see the nature of her primary leadership role as we progress through this teaching.




Miriam‘s influential role as a leader over Israel looks back to Yah‘s purposes for the woman that He established when he created humanity, and a head to Hamachiach’s redemptive purposes for the woman in salvation. Yah intended women to be leaders from the creation of the world, and he confirmed his continued commitment to this intention through the ministry of His Son, Yahashua Hamachiach. This is the basis on which we will explore the woman’s role in leadership. Throughout this series we have seen the following:





Women and men (as man) are spiritually equal before Yah and equally as important to Him.


Women and men (as man) were given the dominion mandate.


Males and females (man’s “houses”) have distinct purposes and designs.


The complementary roles and abilities of males and females bring balance, strength, and help to each other as they fulfill Yah’s purposes.




In light of these principles, the question people have been asking, “should women be in leadership?“ becomes an entirely different question. Instead of asking if women should be in leadership, we should be asking how they are to exercise their leadership, given their purpose given their purpose and design. What does the woman’s purpose and design say about her leadership role?




Rediscovering the Leadership Purpose of Women




Anything Yah said about the male-female relationship after Genesis 2 is a repair program.




First, let us consider once again that the dominion mandate was given to man, not just to the male. Therefore, it is Yah‘s purpose that the woman, as well as the man, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish, subdue, and have dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:28). To have dominion means to govern, to rule, to subdue, to control, to manage, to lead, or to administrate. It is a powerful word. Both women and men were given the same assignment of dominion leadership. Yah loves leadership and had it in mind when he created the earth. This is why he wanted the world to be cultivated and not just to remain wilderness. He loves order. When Yah told man to have dominion, He was telling man who he is. Man (male and female) is a leader who is to cultivate the earth.




There is no incidence of subjection, submission, or oppression of women in the first and second chapters of Genesis. In Yah’s perfect will, there is no such arrangement. The woman and the man were both equal, blessed, subduing, ruling, and having dominion, and Yah said, “This is very good.” Any other arrangement than this was the result of the Fall. This means that anything that Yah said about the male-female relationship after Genesis 2 is a repair program.




Second, recall that the purpose of something determines its design, its nature, potential, and abilities. Therefore, since Yah‘s purpose for man was leadership, He designed the man and the woman with the built in potential and ability to be leaders.




Therefore, the leadership spirit is in every male and female. However, the way in which they execute dominion is different based on their distinct designs.




The Influence-Power of the Woman




Both the man and the woman were created to lead, but their leadership functions are determined by their specific dominion assignments. Yah designed the woman not only for a relationship with Himself, but also to help fulfill His purposes in his great plan for humanity. Therefore, women are designed by Yah to execute an assignment that can only be fulfilled by women.




Position-Power and Influence-Power




Yah designed the male to be a leader by position and the female to be a leader by influence. The man has position-power and the woman has influence-power. There is a difference between these two forms of leadership.




A man receives his leadership by his position, in that he was created first, and by his being the source of the woman, for whom he is responsible. His position has to do with his purpose in creation. The man became the head of his family by virtue of the fact that he was made first.




When Yah designed the female, He obviously had influence in mind. A woman is a receiver. Yah designed her to receive from the male and to incubate what she receives so that it can grow and develop. A woman is built to influence. Her wombs, whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual have a tremendous influence on what they receive by providing a nurturing and transforming environment. There is much truth in the saying, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.“




Position-power and influence-power are not mutually exclusive; they are meant to be exercised together in dominion. Let me give you an example of this.




We have seen that the male is the initiator of new human life. He carries the seed of life, the sperm. This is why the male carries, as it were, the seed of the nations. In the Bible, whenever Yah wanted to create a new nation, He called on a man to initiate it. Yet while the man is the father of the nations, he cannot create these nations without the participation of the woman. A sperm is no good to a man without a woman, just as a seed is no good without the soil.




Yah said to Abraham, “Your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you“ (Genesis 17:5-6). Yet no matter how much of an anointing Abraham had in order to become the “father of many nations,“ he still needed Sarah to help him fulfill his calling.




Power and influence are equal but different. A woman and a man are equal in leadership. The difference is in their leadership functions.




There are two important aspects of position power. First, position power generally comes with a title, such as king, governor, doctor, or pastor. Second, position power is usually executed through commands, whether verbal or written. It is the authority that goes with the position and underlies the commands; that is the nature of the man’s power.




Abraham needed Sarah to help him fulfill his calling.




Influence power manifests itself in a very different way. First, a woman may have a title, but she doesn’t need a title in order to lead. She leads by her influence. This is why women usually run the household. Men call themselves “the head of the house,“ but the woman runs the home. Second, a woman doesn’t need to talk in order to run things. She leads just by her influence. My father used to run our household with his mouth. He would say, “clean the kitchen”; “take the garbage out”; “Take your feet off that chair.“ However, my mother would just look at me, and my feet would be down off of that chair. The woman doesn’t need to say a word; she just looks, and people respond. This is a powerful influence. Some men assume that because many women are quiet or don’t bark out orders, they are weak. They do not understand influence power.




The Dangers Of Influence Power




Influence power may be more subtle and quiet than position power, but it has a potent effect. HaSatan understood this influence. The fall of man resulted from the serpents interference with influence leadership.





HaSatan went to influence power and used it to destroy the position power.




HaSatan is clever; when he wanted to destroy humanity, he went to the woman instead of the man. He was after the man, because the man is the foundation, but he couldn’t get to the man because position power can usually stand firm as long as its position is genuine. You can’t destroy position power directly; you have to destroy it through influence. Therefore, HaSatan went to the influence power to get at the position of power. He hasn’t changed his tactics since, because it worked so well.




HaSatan went to Eve and basically said, “I have a proposition for you. If you really want to be like Yah, pick the fruit and eat it.“ The Bible says that Eve looked at the fruit and saw that it was good for food and that it was beautiful. She picked it and ate it. Nothing bad appeared to happen to her, so she took it to her husband and influenced him to eat it. HaSatan went to the influence power and used it to destroy the position power.




Yet Yah is all powerful, and he was not defeated by HaSatan’s success. He immediately put a plan in motion that not only would restore humanity but also would defeat HaSatan. However, his plan meant that a new arrangement would need to be made in the relationship between females and males until his redemptive purposes could be fulfilled.




The power of a woman’s influence may be seen in Yah‘s original design for her and in His response to her after the fall of man:





In creation, Yah gave the woman the assignment of rulership. This shows the Honor He has for her.


Yah promised HaSatan that his destruction would come through the woman. He identified the woman as the instrument through which man would be redeemed.


The woman’s influence power, in its fallen state, is so potentially destructive that Yah felt He needed to put her under regulation for her own protection and the protection of others. Yah gave the male the assignment of regulating the influence power of the woman until the fullness of time when he would send His son, born of a woman, to complete the process of redeeming her place of partnership with the man.




A woman was not originally created by Yah to be regulated by a man. This is not Yah‘s plan for the woman. Humanity’s disobedience to Yah is what altered her situation but this alteration was only temporary. Because Yah knew the influence potential with which He had created the woman, He considered her to be more dangerous than the man in her fallen state. This is why Yah put her under regulation.




When Yah told the woman of this regulation, he was saying, in effect, “you are so powerful that I can’t trust you by yourself any longer.“ His action with the woman is parallel to his action of banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden to prevent them from eating of the tree of life and thereby being doomed to live forever in their corrupt state without any opportunity for redemption. He did it for her protection.




Yah said to the woman in Genesis 3:16, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.“ The word “rule“ means to “regulate“ rather than to “boss.“ Now, when it came to the man, Yah seemed to be saying, “as for you, Adam, your position power is not as dangerous as the woman’s influence powers, so you won’t need much regulation. I’m going to let thorns and thistles rule you. I am going to let the snags and difficulties of life that you would encounter rule over you. However, the woman will need plenty of leadership.“




This is why, when you meet a woman who does not have the Ruach Hackodesh in dwelling in her, you are encountering a dangerous package of influence that has the potential to bring destruction without inhibition. The woman doesn’t need regulation because she is the weaker vessel but because she is potentially the more dangerous one.




The woman needs regulation because she is potentially more dangerous.




What do I mean by dangerous? When a man is in charge, everybody knows it, because he announces it. “I’m here. I am the boss.“ Position power announces itself. Influence power just comes in and controls things. By the time you realize it’s presence, it has already taken over. Some of you who have been divorced know what I am talking about. An outside manipulative woman has come into your life and ruins your marriage. When a wife says to her husband who has been unfaithful, “how could you have done that!“ He often says, “I don’t know.“ He was waylaid by the power of influence.




A woman is more dangerous because hers is a silent power. You don’t even see when she is working. It is not necessarily presidents and Prime Minister‘s who are truly running our countries. Power is not only in the state house and the White House. It is in the bedroom. A woman doesn’t have to make a public policy speech. All she has to say is, “I don’t think you should do that, honey,“ and it becomes policy. Hers is a powerful influence.




Influence power is a tremendous gift from Yah that was intended to be used by women for good for the good of themselves, their families, their communities, their nations, the world, and the Kingdom of Yah. Yet women have to realize its potential for evil as well as for good. Even redeemed women have to be careful to discipline their influence power. Consider these examples of corrupted influence:





Adam sacrificed his relationship with Yah when he chose Eve’s influence over what Yah had told him. Although he was fully responsible for his action, this influence contributed to his temptation to rebel against Yah, which affected the future of humanity.


Abraham, who was called Yah‘s friend and was given the promise of a blessed son and heir by Yah, was influenced by his wife, Sarah, to take matters into his own hands and try to force the fulfillment of the promise through human means. When Sarah spoke, her voice became more influential to Abraham than Yah’s, even though he had had a personal visitation from The Most High. Today, we are still seeing the consequences of this influence and the never ending conflicts between the Arabs and the Jews.


Samson, whose unusual anointing enabled him to kill 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey and do other feats of strength, was influenced by Delilah to reveal the source of his strength. Then he was betrayed by her, resulting in his capture and eventual death.




The leadership of a woman is so powerful that Yah says it needs regulation if it isn’t under the control of the Ruach Hackodesh.