Diamond in situ, South Africa, Author Gery PARENT (PD)
We continue with an examination of the treasures of darkness.
Secrecy
“Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You” (Ps. 139: 12).
Nothing can be hidden from the Lord. No secret plot, no hidden motive by others can harm us, if God does not allow it.
Whatever may befall us, God will use for good (Rom. 8: 28). He has numbered the very hairs on our head (Luke 12: 7). We are safely in His care.
Security is, therefore, the fourth treasure of darkness.
Evil and Sin
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness…” (Isa. 5: 20).
We may at times be discouraged. It may appear that the world is growing ever more dark, ever more evil. But Christ has overcome the power of darkness. And we are promised justice – if not in this world, then the next.
Justice is, therefore, the fifth great treasure of darkness. Read more…
“Uncle Sam” diamond, Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History (Catalog No. G11741), Source https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/new-smithsonian-exhibit-showcases-extraordinary-american-diamonds, Author Smithsonian Institution (PD)
“I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel” (Isa. 45: 3).
Diamonds are one of the hardest natural substances known. Billions of years old, diamonds form deep in the earth, under tremendous pressures and temperatures [1]. They are considered among the most valuable gemstones in the world, and are mined only with great difficulty.
But the treasures of darkness which God promises us are infinitely more precious.
Literal and Figurative Darkness
The word “darkness” can be interpreted both literally and figuratively.
Strong’s Concordance informs us that darkness is not only to be found in mines (Job 28: 3). Darkness was over the surface of the deep at Creation (Gen. 1: 2). Darkness was one of the plagues God caused to fall on Egypt, giving it a supernatural dimension (Ex. 10: 21).
The word can, also, be used to signify ignorance; confusion/perplexity; doubt, depression, and mourning; secrecy; evil and sin; death, destruction, and judgment.
What treasures can these possibly yield? Let us examine them one at a time.
Ignorance
“…[T]he fool walks in darkness” (Eccl. 2: 14). But “…wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness” (Eccl. 2: 13).
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9: 10). Wisdom is, therefore, the first treasure of darkness. Read more…
Torah scroll, Author Linusorrgren, (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
With the beginning of Lent this week, Christians focus again on the passion of Christ.
Though we recognize Him as the Messiah, many Christians do not realize the large number of Old Testament prophecies Christ fulfilled. The odds against those prophecies being fulfilled by chance are astronomical.
Here is a partial list:
Gen. 3: 15 He will bruise Satan’s head
Gen. 3: 15 Born of the seed of a woman
Gen. 5: 24 Bodily ascension to heaven
Gen. 9: 26, 27 The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem
Gen. 12: 3 Of the seed of Abraham
Gen. 12: 3 As Abraham’s seed, will bless all nations
Gen. 12: 7 The Promise made to Abraham’s seed
Gen. 14: 18 A priest after Melchizedek
Gen. 14: 18 A King also
Gen. 14: 18 The Last Supper foreshadowed
Gen. 17: 19 The seed of Isaac
Gen. 22: 8 The Lamb of God promised
Gen. 22: 18 As Isaac’s seed, will bless all nations
Gen. 26: 2-5 The seed of Isaac promised as the Redeemer
Gen. 49: 10 The time of His coming
Gen. 49: 10 The seed of Judah
Gen. 49: 10 Called Shiloh or One Sent
Gen. 49: 10 To come before Judah lost identity
Gen. 49: 10 To Him shall the obedience of the people be
Ex. 3: 13,14 The Great “I Am”
Ex. 12: 5 A Lamb without blemish
Ex. 12: 13 The blood of the Lamb saves from wrath
Ex. 12: 21-27 Christ is our Passover
Ex. 12: 46 Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken
Ex. 15: 2 His exaltation predicted as Yeshua
Ex. 15: 11 His Character—Holiness
Ex. 17: 6 The Spiritual Rock of Israel
Ex. 33: 19 His Character—Merciful
Lev. 14: 11 Leper cleansed—Sign of priesthood
Lev. 16: 15-17 Prefigures Christ’s once-for-all death
Lev. 16: 27 Suffering outside the Camp
Lev. 17: 11 The Blood—life of the flesh
Lev. 17: 11 It is the blood that makes atonement
Lev. 23: 36-37 The Drink-offering: “If any man thirst”
Num. 9: 12 Not a bone of Him broken
Num. 21: 9 Serpent on a pole—Christ lifted up
Num. 24: 17 Time: “I shall see him, but not now.”
Deut. 18: 15 “This is of a truth that prophet.”
Deut. 18: 15-16 “Had ye believed Moses, ye would believe me.”
Deut. 18: 18 Sent by the Father to speak His word
Deut. 18: 19 Whoever will not hear must bear his sin
Deut. 21: 23 Cursed is he that hangs on a tree
Judg. 13: 5; Amos 2: 11; Lam. 4: 7 A Nazarene
Ruth 4: 4-9 Christ, our kinsman, has redeemed
1 Sam. 2: 10 Shall be an anointed King to the Lord
2 Sam. 7: 12 David’s Seed
2 Sam. 7: 14a The Son of God
2 Sam. 7: 16 David’s house established forever
2 Sam. 22: 44-45; Ps. 2: 7-8;
Isa. 55: 5, 60: 3, 65: 1; Mal. 1: 11 Gentiles flock to him
2 Kings 2: 11 Bodily ascension to heaven
1 Chron. 17: 11 David’s Seed
1 Chron. 17: 12, 13a To reign on David’s throne forever
1 Chron. 17: 13a “I will be His Father, He…my Son.”
Job 19: 23-27 The Resurrection predicted
Ps. 2: 1-3 The enmity of kings foreordained
Ps. 2: 2 To own the title, Anointed (Christ)
Ps. 2: 6 His Character—Holiness
Ps. 2: 6 To own the title King
Ps. 2: 7 Declared the Beloved Son
Ps. 2: 7,8 The Crucifixion and Resurrection intimated
Ps. 2: 12 Life comes through faith in Him
Ps. 8: 2 The mouths of babes perfect His praise
Ps. 8: 5,6 His humiliation and exaltation
Ps. 16: 10 Was not to see corruption
Ps. 16: 9-11 Was to arise from the dead
Ps. 17: 15; 49: 15 The resurrection predicted
Ps. 22: 1 Forsaken because of sins of others
Ps. 22: 1 Words spoken from Calvary, “My God…”
Ps. 22: 2 Darkness upon Calvary
Ps. 22: 7 They shoot out the lip and shake the head
Ps. 22: 8 “He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him.”
Ps. 22: 9 Born the Savior
Ps. 22: 14 Died of a broken (ruptured) heart
Ps. 22: 14,15 Suffered agony on Calvary
Ps. 22: 15 He thirsted
Ps. 22: 16 They pierced His hands and His feet
Ps. 22: 17,18 Stripped Him before the stares of men
Ps. 22: 18 They parted His garments
Ps. 22: 20,21 He committed Himself to God
Ps. 22: 20,21 Satanic power bruising the Redeemer’s heel
Ps. 22: 22 His Resurrection declared
Ps. 22: 27 He shall be the governor of the nations
Ps. 22: 31 “It is finished.”
Ps. 23: 1 “I am the Good Shepherd.”
Ps. 24: 3 His exaltation predicted
Ps. 30: 3 His resurrection predicted
Ps. 31: 5 “Into thy hands I commit my spirit.”
Ps. 31: 11 His acquaintances fled from Him
Ps. 31: 13 They took counsel to put Him to death
Ps. 31: 14, 15 “He trusted in God, let Him deliver him.”
Ps. 34: 20; Num. 9: 12 Not a bone of Him broken
Ps. 35: 11 False witnesses rose up against Him
Ps. 35: 19 He was hated without a cause
Ps. 38: 11 His friends stood afar off
Ps. 40: 2-5 The joy of His resurrection predicted
Ps. 40: 6-8 His delight-the will of the Father
Ps. 40: 9 He was to preach the Righteousness in Israel
Ps. 40: 14 Confronted by adversaries in the Garden
Ps. 41: 9 Betrayed by a familiar friend
Ps. 45: 2 Words of Grace come from His lips
Ps. 45: 6 To own the title, God or Elohim
Ps. 45: 7 A special anointing by the Holy Spirit
Ps. 45: 7,8 Called the Christ (Messiah or Anointed)
Ps. 53: 7 Silent to accusations
Ps. 55: 12-14 Betrayed by a friend, not an enemy
Ps. 55: 15 Unrepentant death of the Betrayer
Ps. 68: 18 To give gifts to men
Ps. 68: 18 Ascended into Heaven
Ps. 69: 4 Hated without a cause
Ps. 69: 8 A stranger to own brethren
Ps. 69: 9 Zealous for the Lord’s House
Ps. 69: 14-20 Messiah’s anguish of soul before crucifixion
Ps. 69: 20 “My soul is exceeding sorrowful.”
Ps. 69: 21 Given vinegar in thirst
Ps. 69: 26 The Savior given and smitten by God
Ps. 72: 10,11 Great persons were to visit Him
Ps. 72: 10,11 Presented with gifts
Ps. 72: 16 The kernel of wheat to fall into the Ground
Ps. 72: 17 His name will endure forever
Ps. 72: 17 All nations shall be blessed by Him
Ps. 78: 1.2 He would teach in parables
Ps. 78: 2b To speak the Wisdom of God with authority
Ps. 88: 8 They stood afar off and watched
Ps. 89: 27 Emmanuel to be higher than earthly kings
Ps. 89: 35-37 David’s Seed, throne, kingdom endure forever
Ps. 89: 36-37 His character — Faithfulness
Ps. 90: 2; Mic. 5: 2 He is from everlasting
Ps. 91: 11,12 Identified as Messianic; used to tempt Christ
Ps, 97: 9 His exaltation predicted
Ps. 100 :5 His character—Goodness
Ps. 102: 1-11 The Suffering and Reproach of Calvary
Ps. 102: 25-27 Messiah is the Preexistent Son
Ps. 109: 25 Ridiculed
Ps. 110: 1 Son of David
Ps. 110: 1 To ascend to the right hand of the Father
Ps. 110: 1 David’s son called Lord
Ps. 110: 4 A priest after Melchizedek’s order
Ps. 112: 4 His character—Compassionate, Gracious
Ps. 118: 17,18 His Resurrection assured
Ps. 118: 22,23 The rejected stone is Head of the corner
Ps. 118: 26a The Blessed One presented to Israel
Ps. 118: 26b To come while Temple standing
Ps. 132: 11 The Seed of David (the fruit of His Body)
Ps. 138: 1-6 The supremacy of David’s Seed amazes kings
Ps. 147: 3,6 The earthly ministry of Christ described
Song 5: 16 The altogether lovely One Read more…
Propaganda of North Korea, Source Flickr.com, Author Mark Fahey of Sydney, Australia, reproduction permitted by Article 32 of Copyright Law of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
The following article from Voice of the Martyrs Magazine has great relevance for America in view of the radicalization of youth underway in our own country. The media, educational institutions, and government all play a part.
We ignore this warning at our peril.
“The USSR, followed by China, Cuba and other Communist regimes, spared no expense in indoctrinating children. Lenin said, ‘We are the Party of the future and the future belongs to the youth,’ and persecuting regimes have emulated the Soviet ‘Young Pioneers’ ever since.
In Germany, Hitler was an early adopter; his ‘Hitler Youth’ movement was critical to the period preceding the Holocaust and World War II…
A decade later, North Korea, inspired by these examples, took it a step further. Kim Il Sung and his Soviet overseers established a comprehensive program of indoctrination that began at birth and established North Korea’s leader as the sole authority and focal point of worship within a religiopolitical system reminiscent of Roman emperor worship in the time of the Early Church.” Read more…
Young Israeli soldier near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Author Levi Meir Clancy (CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication)
South Africa — where the system of institutionalized racism known as apartheid was in effect for over four decades — is alleging that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza [1][2].
As a result, the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial arm of the United Nations (UN), has ordered Israel to take measures to prevent and punish genocide [3].
Civilian Casualty Ratio
“Civilian casualties in combat are always devastating and tragic. But unfortunately they are a feature of nearly every war.”
–Col. Richard Kemp (Ret.), British Infantry Commander
The UN puts the civilian casualty ratio during war and conflict, i.e. the ratio of civilian deaths to deaths by combatants, at 9:1 (90%) worldwide [11].
During WWII, the civilian casualty ratio was between 3:2 and 2:1 (or 60% to 67%) [4A]. During the Vietnam War, the civilian casualty ratio is estimated to have been 2:1 (67%) or lower [4B].
According to the IDF, the civilian casualty ratio in Gaza in December 2023 was 2:1 (67%) [5]. However, it has since been decreasing, and may now to be as low as 1.5:1 (50%) [6][12].
It is noteworthy that the Hamas Health Ministry fails to distinguish between civilians and enemy combatants when reporting casualty figures. Nor does Hamas acknowledge the casualties it has caused, for instance, by misfired missiles.
The Just War
“They who have waged war in obedience to the divine command, or in conformity with His laws, have represented in their persons the public justice or the wisdom of government, and in this capacity have put to death wicked men; such persons have by no means violated the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill.'”
–St. Augustine, “City of God”
St. Augustine was among the first Church Fathers to support the just war theory which can be traced back to the Code of Hammurabi [7][8A]. The theory holds that war — though terrible — may be justified if rigorous criteria are met, both in its inception and conduct. Read more…
“Christ the Vine” (1674), Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies, Venice, Author Tzim78 (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
Dating from the 4th Century, Pelagianism holds that human beings can attain perfection through the application of free will alone [1A].
An outgrowth of stoicism, Pelagianism effectively dismisses the impact of original sin [1B][2A][3A]. Instead, this heresy maintains that human beings have the capacity to exercise absolute control over bodily appetites [2B]. Grace is, at best, a helpful supplement in this view.
Consequently, Christ is seen as a mere model of holiness, rather than as our Redeemer [2C].
“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do” (Rom. 7: 15).
This is, of course, in sharp contrast to the Gospel message, and the Apostle Paul’s acknowledgement of his own sin nature.
Modern Day Pelagianism
Pelagianism was condemned by the Council of Carthage in 418 AD [1C][2D]. However, it persists in various forms today [3B]. Read more…
Homeless man in New York City, Photo by Linda Fletcher, Author Adjoajo (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
The United States last year had the highest rate of homelessness since 2007 [1]. This is not a record of which we can be proud. Some 650,00o people nationwide are now homeless. Fully 50% of those experiencing homelessness are families with children.
Causes
There are multiple causes for homelessness. Among the most common are poverty, a lack of affordable housing, domestic violence and other trauma such as rape, disability, a criminal history, mental illness, and drug addiction [2][3][4A].
Typical Scenarios
- A gainfully employed individual living in a single room occupancy (SRO) hotel or rental apartment who is laid off work may quickly run out of funds and become temporarily homeless [4B].
- A family subsisting on part-time employment can be rehoused following a fire or eviction only if local employment and housing conditions are favorable [4C].
- A woman fleeing domestic abuse may find short-term safety in a shelter or on a friend’s couch [4D]. But she is all too often unemployed, unskilled, and penniless.
- Teenage runaways (often, themselves, victims of abuse) comprise another vulnerable group of the homeless [5].
Downward Spiral
A return to normalcy for those who even temporarily become homeless can be extremely challenging, and is likely to be compounded by secondary factors such as the loss of tools, the loss of a vehicle, family break-up, depression, and substance abuse [4E].
This creates a downward spiral. Read more…
Many of us begin the New Year with resolutions we all too soon abandon. Such lapses may be trivial. Other failures, unfortunately, are not. Despite that we must not lose heart.
We none of us want to fail. Failure is humiliating, discouraging, and painful. Surprisingly, however, there are blessings that flow from failure. God can even use failure to prepare us for greater things.
Strength
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73: 26).
Failure strips us of pride. It forces us to recognize the limits of our strength. But if we turn to God, in our distress, He will lend us His strength – strength which, unlike ours, is infinite.
Heavenly Reward
“ ‘Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake…for great is your reward in heaven…’ ” (Matt. 5: 11-12).
Failure teaches us that the world’s evaluation of us means nothing; and God’s evaluation, everything.
Image from “Abraham Lincoln: A History” by John Nicolay and John Hay, Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14576022089/ (No known copyright restrictions)
When Abraham Lincoln took up politics the results were not entirely promising. He was defeated in his first try for the state legislature in 1832; defeated in his first attempt to be nominated by his party for Congress in 1843; defeated in his application to be Commissioner of the General Land Office in 1849; defeated as a potential nominee for the vice-presidency in 1856; and defeated in attempts to secure a seat in the U.S. Senate, both in 1854 and 1858 [1].
In 1841, Lincoln (who is known to have suffered from recurrent depression) wrote to a friend, “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth.”
During the Civil War, Lincoln was forced to deal with one staggering military defeat after another, all the while berated by the press and his political opponents. Lincoln was called a liar, a filthy storyteller, a braggart, an ignoramus, a tyrant, a despot, a usurper, a thief, a swindler, an old scoundrel, and a monster. Gen. George McClellan called him, “Nothing more than a well meaning baboon.”
But Lincoln somehow held the Union together. By then, he could say about criticism:
“If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how – the very best I can. And I mean to keep on doing it to the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”
Lincoln is today recognized as one of the greatest presidents in American history. Read more…
Our walk of faith is a continuous climb — one mountain after another, often over a rough road. We grow weary at times, exhausted even. But the Lord never leaves our side.
Wishing All of You a Happy New Year!
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
“Prince of Peace” by Akiane Kramarik, Source https://akiane.com/
“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9: 6).
Wishing All of You a Merry Christmas!
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
A Lawyer's Prayers 