SABBATH BIBLE STUDY

12-15

(2018)

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Compiled by JS Lowther

ReNEWed COVENANT Ministry

renewedcovenantministry.com

servant@renewedcovenantministry.com

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Purim Sabbath Bible Study:

Intolerance of Intolerance

Opening Scriptural Thought:

1Sa_15:7 And Saul smote the Amalekites …

1Sa 15:8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

1Sa 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

1Sa 15:10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

1Sa 15:11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

1Sa 15:12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

1Sa 15:13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

1Sa 15:14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

1Sa 15:15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

1Sa 15:16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

1Sa 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

1Sa 15:18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

1Sa 15:19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

1Sa 15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

1Sa 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Every year I generally call to remembrance the lawful usage of the book of Esther, as the fulfillment of that which was spoken by YHWH to Moses concerning the Amalekites.

As we know the man and enemy of Judah in the lands of Persia and Media , Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite was of course the descendant of Agag the king of Amalek whom Mordecai’s kinsman King Saul of Israel son of Kish was to destroy according to the word of the YHWH, that is according to the Torah and Samuel.

When we consider the story which comes from the book of Esther we are reading about a struggle, a war which the Law tells us will happen from generation to generation.

Exo_17:16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Of course if we consider our Biblical ethnology or genealogy it is easily seen in

Gen_36:2-12 Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite…

12…Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau’s wife.

If we believe the Bible and we trust in the validity of it’s Words we must acknowledge that this war has raged, was raging, and yet rages in one form or another.

By the testimony of the book of Esther we see that when the house of Judah was weakened and suppressed, Amalek saw the opportunity through Haman and struck yet again according to the Word of the LORD at the hindmost parts and weak of Israel, and even prior according to the prophecy spoken of by Isaac in

Gen_27:38-41

And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

Gen 27:39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

Gen 27:40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother (Jacob); and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Gen 27:41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him…

What we have then just considered is a genetic tendency which God proclaims of Esau-Amalek to hate the seed of promise as well, as shall be covered I time to come a calculative tendancy toseize upon the weakness of the Israel of God and smite them from the rear with the full intent to destroy.

Deu 25:17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

Deu 25:18 How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

I am sure that some will say that this confidants in Scriptural testimony given by God as to why this war between 2 related yet distinct groups exists will not be appreciated, particularly in the light, or darkness rather, of the prominent “coexistence doctrine” and it’s pragmatic enforcement upon particular peoples of the world, namely Patriarchal Christian Europeans.

Now here is an odd thought when considering the world stage showcasing the ideals of tolerance, acceptance and coexistence, with:

What if the war which YHWH God has promised from generation to generation normally is fought by the idea of intolerance?

In other words, what if being intolerant to intolerance like Haman is a ‘civil’ way to go about such a war? A war on ‘intolerance’ is the ‘civilized way’ to create a ‘tolerant’ society on the earth?

Consider, I am going to read the king’s name as it appears in the Greek LXX as Arta-xerxes, as the name Xerxes is the name used in the historical accounts of this king :

Est_3:8 And Haman said unto king Arta-xerxes, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.

Est 3:9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.

Est 3:10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.

Est 3:11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.

Est 3:12 Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Arta-xerxes was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.

Est 3:13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

Now in the books and chapters of the Greek Septuagint which are called Apocrypha on account of their lack of a Hebrew text, offers us an actual transcript of this letter found after this portion of Esther read and still available in a older form of English in the 1611 KJV, it should as well be noted that Josephus in “Antiquities of the Jews”, Book 5:6 has this same letter from his account of Esther.

(13:1) And the following is the copy of the letter; The great king Arta-xerxes writes thus to the rulers and inferior governors of a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India even to Ethiopia, who hold authority under him. Ruling over many nations and having obtained dominion over the whole world, I was minded (not elated by the confidence of power, but ever conducting myself with great moderation and gentleness) to make the lives of my subjects continually tranquil, desiring both to maintain the kingdom quiet and orderly to its utmost limits, and to restore the peace desired by all men. But when I had enquired of my counsellors how this should be brought to pass. Haman, who excels in soundness of judgment among us, and has been manifestly well inclined without wavering and with unshaken fidelity, and had obtained the second post in the kingdom, informed us that a certain ill-disposed people is mixed up with all the tribes throughout the world, opposed in their law to every other nation, and continually neglecting the commands of the king, so that the united government blamelessly administered by us is not quietly established. Having then conceived that this nation alone of all others is continually set in opposition to every man, introducing as a change a foreign code of laws, and injuriously plotting to accomplish the worst of evils against our interests, and against the happy establishment of the monarchy; we signified to you in the letter written by Haman, who is set over the public affairs and is our second governor, to destroy them all utterly with their wives and children by the swords of the enemies, without pitying or sparing any, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar, of the present year; that the people aforetime and now ill-disposed to us having been violently consigned to death in one day, may hereafter secure to us continually a well constituted and quiet state of affairs.

Now, consider the reason for this act and proclamation that it is to not tolerate the intolerant, who will not bow to those the God of Israel deems unworthy of such honor by His very Law, it as well condemns in the heart and mind’s of GOD’S adherents the state religions, as well as the principles of all pantheons of toleration / coexistence doctrine based in polytheism. This is a policy which would if enacted today affect every Christian who would not acknowledge all God’s the king appoints as equal, by bill passed by his government. Who will be effected? Those who believe in a god all kind and caring? One who loves the sinner and hates the sin? Or a God which requires worship and the redemption of the soul by a kiss of allegiance to his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Just think of the face of your favorite politician of tolerance (is there one lacking?) when you read him:

Psa_2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Not a doctrine governments wish to hear.

Remember in Esther time, Judah was in the foreign kingdom of Medo-Persia, a kingdom foreign to them, as well as to the people of Amalek. Both people inhabiting a kingdom not their own yet bound by civility, that is the civilized conduct within the government alien to them both. What happens?

The Amalekite reverts to his nature, a nature dispensed upon him by Almighty God, bound in the perfection and sovereignty of His Law, thus vindicating the descendant of Canaanite infused Esau via Amalek, via Agag, via Hamadatha er Haman to do as was foreordained for him to do as a vessel of wrath (as per Rom_9:13-23), Haman and his minority is poised against the people who had followed the lead of King Saul in not obeying the Word of YHWH to be fulfilled in his day as read in 1Samuael.

The pressing question of such tenancy is Why? And to such a question only one answer is fitting and provable, Because it is the will of God!

Just as the reality of nature of the lion and the lamb is dictated by Almighty God so is the reality of Jacob and Esau spoken of clearly in Romans 9, and in the case of Agag vrs. Kish, only a small post captivity representation of Amalek Vrs. Israel, waged in the courts of king’s who desire dominion by tolerance.

So, Intolerance of the intolerant, what does that mean?

As mentioned above, To the Christian It means Church persecution!

Consider how the people of Judah were not forcing others to obey God’s Law in medo-persia. Judah was not even preaching a conversion doctrine to the Medo-Persians.

What was Judah doing?

They were to Haman, considered to be “a certain ill-disposed people…mixed up with all the tribes throughout the world, opposed in their law to every other nation, and continually neglecting the commands of the king, so that the united government blamelessly administered by us is not quietly established.”

Haman said:

Est 3:8 … their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.

So do we in our modern day believe that this promised war from generation to generation has failed? Or do we believe by faith that when those who follow God’s Law are attacked for their unwavering fidelity to the LORD and His Christ are some how not being affected by that proclaimed war?

Regardless of your eschatology or your disregard of biblical Ethnology, the fact remains that in every Christian’s world view they consider themselves to be an heir of God through Christ (Gal 4:7) that is in some way a relative, a kinsman to the son of God, Jesu the Christ, and if that be true you are affected, either by True genetics or by association. This war in our modern day is against Christ, plain and simple, and whoever Amalek is will show him self by the same tenancies he always showes himself by.

The disposition to pick off the stragglers, the feeble, the faint, the weary… because HE DOES NOT FEAR GOD.

In regards to Faith, the first to be hit will not be the strong of faith, it will not be those who march with Moses to meet God and receive His law, but it will be those who straggle behind in the journey not empowered by Faith to effect the Will of God on earth as it is in Heaven…

Rather as the trap is symbiotically set, the doctrine of Tolerance first affects the weak Christians who straggle and murmur against Moses at the rear of the camp, not yet sure if the luxuries of bondage are equal to the receiving of the Kingdom established upon God’s perfection or not? The Feeble like tolerance as much as the Haman(s) of the world, but not to the foreseen end, rather they want a kingdom of God established upon tolerance and NOT upon the Law of God.

But are we called to a Faith of tolerance and co-existent toleration?

Read the first commandment and decide.

This is the progression of the persecution of Christians, and we are in the building of it’s gallows once again.

Consider:

What was the first thing the Roman government enforced upon Christians in the 1st century? Was it to denounce the name of God? No, Was it to get rid of their bibles? No, not at first.

It was a simple pledge of allegiance, the proclamation ‘Caesar is Lord’, Caesar Kurious, that is all you had to say, you just simply had to proclaim the Title of Caesar to be on par with the Lord / Kurious Jesu(s) Christ, that’s it, as a matter of fact all you had to do is obtain a slip of paper signed by your local government official which cited that you had offered a sacrifice of incense to Ceasar…thats it, technically you didn’t even have to offer the sacrifice if you could aquier the paper in some other fashion, but on that paper was your passport from persecusion.

The story is the same, perhaps in the case of Esther however, the of the writ of war by Haman implied that one may simply be put to death for being a descendant of Jacob? But more likely, on account of the Law being the hate of Haman, one may most likely as the Roman case denounce the Law of God and Live, It could have been that simple, just simply give up that archaic law which sets you apart from every one else and join the fight against intolerance!

But what is the admonition of Mordecai to Esther? The best line, perhaps, of admonition in the whole histories of Israel?

Est_4:13 … Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Judeans.

Est 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to Judah from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Here is where we stand, and here is where some of us who could aid in the inevitable deliverance of a remnant stand wavering on tolerance, a tolerance that will not tolerate God’s Law.

Consider once again the dream of Mordecai as found in the 1^st Chapter of Esther in the LXX / KJV 1611:

(11:5) Behold a noise of a tumult with thunder, and earthquakes, and uproar in the land.
(11:6) And behold, two great dragons came forth ready to fight, and their cry was great.
(11:7) And at their cry all nations were prepared to battle, that they might fight against the righteous people.

Rev_12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev_14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.