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Tag: sacrifice

The Gardener, the Shepherd and the Hunter: a shepherd
Once upon a time there was a man named Kahyin Smith. (His friends called him Cain, a nickname long forgotten since his time near the beginning.)

Now I know that if you think back to ACT 1, SCENE 1 or most recently SCENE 2 of our story that you might think of Cain in Moses’ story. I mention this not only because we will momentarily continue with ACT !, SCENE 3, but in keeping with our LINE of thought,

I’d like to ask you a question:

IN the beginning..

Do you think that ‘Once upon a time..’ mirrors Moses’ story ‘IN THE BEGINNING’ in some way?
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Please add your ANSWER to a COMMENT at the end of any of these SCENES.
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Continuing with SCENE 3 of our Story:

Now Abel was a keeper of flocks..

So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground.

Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering; but for Cain and his offering He had no regard..

Does Cahyin know that Heḇel made an offering that the LORD accepts while this brother of his worked even harder EVERY DAY as a farmer cultivating the soil full of weeds and thistles, I wondered?

I struggled to keep my eyes covered to keep out so many pictures of this world. And without me saying a single word, my Guide answered me with a question of his own.

Why would it make any difference to you if one brother’s offering is better than the other’s OR if either brother knows about the offering of the other?

Hmmm.. I had not considered that they may not have had just one place to make their offerings. Since Cain worked the farm while Able wanders the fields as a ‘keeper of sheep..’ maybe goats.. and other creatures roam the earth too.., I wondered; then I asked my Guide,

But even if they worshiped at the same stone altar, how would they know if God accepted either offering? Could both brothers see the LORD?

Look closer.. What do you see?

Two men approaching each other from a distance.

It seems to be the end of a day — twilight — and a stone altar stands at the edge of one field and also near a field — I think it’s wheat — the one coming from a partially cultivated field behind him has an armful of early, small stalks.

And he seems to have some tinder, like thistles and dry stocks, too. (It must be to start a fire.)

Do YOU see the LORD?

I hear a young lamb in the arms of the shepherd as he also approaches the altar of sacrifice.

I don’t see anyone else.

.. And do you hear His Voice?

I looked back on the scene then listened.. But now the scene had quickly progressed and both men had reached the altar.

I could hear a quick crackling of dry branches and thistles burning away in an instant.. then a low roar of burning fat as the fire brightened where the slain lamb had been laid..

And a bright smoke rose into the darkness from the sacrifice of the lamb, while the fire faded into coldness where so many thistles and an unripened harvest had been lain so hastily.

Do you hear His Voice?

YES!

The LORD’s Voice sounds in my own hearing like a Fatherly rebuke of a child who has done something he shouldn’t have.

“Why are you angry? And why is your face gloomy?
“If you do well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door;
and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
Genesis 4:6-7 NASB20 – :וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה

a change of Scene..

And Cain talked with Abel his brother..
Genesis 4:8a KJV

What do you suppose Cain said? (I couldn’t hear his words.)

AND What words do you think Cain and Abel had in their conversation of our NEXT Scene?

Synopsis (so far)

I’m going to have to leave our story right here for now.

So far: I had discovered that the garden near Eden was not exactly paradise. And you must realize by now that Cain was a Gardener, and just now that his brother Abel was a Shepherd.

NEXT: We will meet a hunter. (Any guesses who?)

Don’t forget to COMMENT on Moses’ IN THE BEGINNING compared to ONCE UPON A TIME..

The Gardener, the Shepherd and the Hunter

Roger Harned, Christian Author
April 16, 2022
SHAKEN 3 a great cloud of witnesses over our head
TODAY we move forward in time from about 520 B.C. to around A.D. 100 and ‘a great cloud of witnesses’ from the New Testament book of Hebrews. This cloud of witnesses, however, goes back to the Old Covenant and continues until this day.
Epistle of St Paul [*] to the Hebrews
God spoke of old by the prophets, but now by his Son, who is incomparably greater than the angels.
A List of Fathers of our founding
Jesus Christ OR Judgment?
Hebrews 10:
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All
the cloud of Witnesses [Hebrews 11]
What faith is. Its wonderful fruits and efficacy demonstrated in the fathers.
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Previously in SHAKEN 2 “Think carefully about your ways we found political and religious leadership along with all the people once again turning back to the Lord their God who now proclaims HE IS with them.
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“Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
Haggai 2:21 NASB

Epistle of St Paul [*] to the Hebrews

* NOTE: Some commentators question if this epistle or letter to the Hebrews, who’s author is unidentified in its text, was written by Paul or possibly by other A.D. 1st century apostles.
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Some excerpts from D-R Bible {pictured with Joseph Biden, a professing Roman Catholic, being sworn in as 46th President of the United States}

Most translations from NASB translation or versions as noted.
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God spoke of old by the prophets, but now by his Son, who is incomparably greater than the angels.
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The Prophets provided not only a cloud of witnesses to Israel but spoke the very admonitions of the LORD God to a disobedient and unfaithful people.
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[1] God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all,

[2] In these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.

A List of Fathers of our founding
- He again sets a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,
“Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
Hebrews 4:7b CSB
- 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.
- Melchizedek and Abraham – Heb. 7
- Aaron & Moses – Heb. 7:11,14
- And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us.. Heb. 10:15
Now where there is forgiveness of these things, an offering for sin is no longer required.
Hebrews 10:18

Jesus Christ OR Judgment?

Application to a 21st century world.

So you want justice, do you?

Is this justice you demand finally for ones you judge (opponents to your own world view)?

Or do you seek judgment on your own sins, transgressions and trespasses (for which you ask forgiveness)?

The Apostles wrote to a 1st century church persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.

It was not faith in their failing leaders of government

OR was it faith in a zealous vision of their pastor.

Nor was it faith that their country would come under the LAW of God, their state under a mandate of morality and their community forced into the fellowship of love.

The CHURCH believed GOD in Christ Jesus and it was counted to them as righteousness.

These faithful saints suffered for their hope in the Lord and persevered by grace suffering for a higher community in a heavenly kingdom.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com – on the 1st century saints of the Church

Hebrews 10:

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

26 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.

For we know Him who said,

“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:30-31 CSB

the cloud of Witnesses [Hebrews 11]
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From the Douay-Rheims Bible [background of Biden Presidential oath pictured above]
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What faith is. Its wonderful fruits and efficacy demonstrated in the fathers.

[1] Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not. [2] For by this the ancients obtained a testimony. [3] By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God…

Hebrews 11 continues, mentioning these witnesses of faith in the Lord God:
- Abel
- Enoch
- Noah
- Abraham
- Sarah
- Isaac
- Jacob [Israel]
- Joseph
- Moses
- Rahab
- Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets..
Hebrews 12 – surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses

Exhortation to constancy under their crosses. The danger of abusing the graces of the New Testament.
Hebrews 12 summary from the Douay-Rheims Bible

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith..
Hebrews 12:1-2a RSVCE
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To be continued...
NEXT: SHAKEN 4 ! His voice shook the earth
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Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
January 27, 2021
CRUCIFIXION! – The Pangs of Sin
So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.
John 19:16 NASB

Tarrying on the road of Suffering

“Father, the hour is come,” the Lord Jesus had prayed in a most personal prayer just hours before.

Then in the darkness of Gethsemane Jesus had asked Peter, “Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given me?”

It it the Cup of the Blood of His suffering; some by scourging just witnessed, when 39 times Jesus had NO SIN to confess.

“Crucify ben ‘elyown ‘elyown,” they had shouted; CRUCIFY the SON OF GOD!

And shortly Jesus will cry out from His final pain:

“ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
Mark 15:34 NASB

What Father remains silent on suffering?

And what Man must suffer silently for sin?

Crucify! Crucify!

John 19:17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, carrying His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called, Golgotha.

Hours before: Sanctification of the Sacrifice

Jesus spoke these things; and raising His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You, just as You gave Him authority over all mankind, so that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:1-3 NASB – The Son’s High Priestly prayer

The Pangs of Death

‘I feel your pain,’ some must have mocked toward Jesus at His suffering the 39 lashes of scourging. No one ever truly feels the pain of another’s suffering.

But for His dear friends the Apostles the Son of God had assured:

“A little while, and you no longer are going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”
John 16:16 NASB

Jesus had not dwelled on His prophesied suffering. Yet by the scriptures perhaps the Disciples denyingly sensed what He must suffer this day.

Isaiah 53:

Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

The Apostles did not want to believe all of it, but to them the LORD revealed the Son embraced by the Father’s right arm.

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

They also grew up near Him and even though some knew Jesus’ family, they were not attracted to Him until by Him they were called. In these three years Jesus became their Lord, Teacher and beloved friend.

He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Jesus was despised by the ruling council and leading Jews. The Disciples continually witnessed the Jews hatred for Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:4 NASB

John 8:

Temple officials had previously despised and did not esteem Him. These Jewish scholars had never believed His message or the Prophets.

21 Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.”

25 Then they were saying to Him, “Who are You?”

These politically powerful religious officials most likely asked this mockingly, as they did while striking their blindfolded Messiah during the mockery of a trial before Caiaphas High Priest of the Jews and later in the presence of Pilate.

‘Who are YOU to talk of God or teach us the Law?‘

So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and I do nothing on My own, but I say these things as the Father instructed Me.
John 8:28

And the Apostle John adds this witness then in his Gospel:

30 As He said these things, many came to believe in Him.

Many believers will follow Jesus Christ in a victorious procession to the place of worship, but only a remnant remains following a captive King to the Cross of Calvary.
Roger Harned – talkofJesus.com

The Pangs of Pain

Returning to Jesus’ metaphor of suffering, He prophesies this day to His Apostles:

John 16:

20 Truly, truly I say to you that you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy!

As the Disciples had scattered as sheep from the wolves, surely they did not recall this at the time of Jesus’ arrest, trials, scourging and crucifixion.

Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come;

but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.

22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you.

And why this suffering? – SIN!

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!

..Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, Cursed are you..

And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.” – Genesis 3

The Prophesy of Christ’s Suffering

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 NASB

..

‘By oppression and judgment He was taken away,‘ prophesied Isaiah in the generation of Uzziah king of Judah. It was more than seven centuries Before Christ.

Isaiah, by the mouth of the LORD, indicts those who falsely convict Jesus.

They have just sent innocence to the Cross as the Substitute Lamb of Sacrifice for their own transgressions (sins).

‘And as for His generation,
who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living
for the transgression of my people,
to whom the stroke was due?
Isaiah 53:8 NASB

The Good News of John:

1:¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

מֵעֲמַ֤ל נַפְשֹׁו֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה יִשְׂבָּ֔ע בְּדַעְתֹּ֗ו יַצְדִּ֥יק צַדִּ֛יק עַבְדִּ֖י לָֽרַבִּ֑ים וַעֲוֹנֹתָ֖ם ה֥וּא יִסְבֹּֽל׃
Yeshaiya 53: WLC

²⁹.. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

And now sinners take the sinless Sacrifice to the altar of the shedding of Blood.

They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, carrying His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.
John 19:17-18 NASB
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To be continued...
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November 4, 2020