Faith-Based Racism is an Ancient Tradition

The children of the north, the children of Satan, the serpent cursed over the sheep

“Lord God said unto the serpent”
“thou art cursed above all cattle”
“above every beast of the field”
“I will put enmity between thee and the woman”
“between thy seed and her seed”
“it shall bruise thy head”
“thou shalt bruise his heel”
“Abel was a keeper of sheep”
“unto Adam he said”
“Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee”
“the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away”
“In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him”
“Male and female created he them”
“in the day when they were created.”
“begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth”
“it shall bruise thy head”
“Satan forth from the presence of the Lord”
“smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown”
“thou shalt bruise his heel”
“Two nations are in thy womb”
“two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels”
“the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau”
“after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel”
“by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother”
“I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
“turn you northward”
“the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir”
“Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land”
“not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession”
“For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand”
“that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes”
“thorns in your sides”
“shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell”
“Unto the woman he said”
“thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
“Moses said unto the Lord”
“Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant”
“wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight”
“that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me”
“Have I conceived all this people”
“have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me”
“Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child”

And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

“Lord God said unto the serpent”
“thou art cursed above all cattle”
“above every beast of the field”
“I will put enmity between thee and the woman”
“between thy seed and her seed”
“it shall bruise thy head”
“thou shalt bruise his heel”

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

“unto Adam he said”
“Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee”

But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

“the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away”

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

“Unto the woman he said”
“thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth

“In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him”
“Male and female created he them”
“in the day when they were created.”
“begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth”

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

“Abel was a keeper of sheep”

So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

“Satan forth from the presence of the Lord”
“smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown”

And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

“Two nations are in thy womb”
“two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels”
“the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau”
“after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel”

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

“by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother”

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

“I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

And the Lord spake unto me, saying,
Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.
Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.
For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
And the Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.
The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;
Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the Lord gave unto them.

“turn you northward”
“the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir”
“Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land”
“not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession”
“For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand”

But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

“that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes”
“thorns in your sides”
“shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell”

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

“Moses said unto the Lord”
“Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant”
“wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight”
“that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me”
“Have I conceived all this people”
“have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me”
“Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child”

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Then said I, Lord, how long? and he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

“tell this people”
“Hear ye indeed, but understand not”
“see ye indeed, but perceive not”
“Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant”
“the houses without man”
“the land be utterly desolate”

“But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return”
“so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.”
“lest they see with their eyes,”
“and hear with their ears,”
“and understand with their heart,”
“and convert,”
“and be healed.”

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

“So that I come again to my father's house in peace”
“then shall the Lord be my God”
“of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee”

Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the Lame.
I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
My glory was Fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger:
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you.
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

“shall corrupt yourselves”
“make a graven image”
“the likeness of any thing”
“there ye shall serve gods”
“the work of men's hands”
“wood and stone”
“which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell”
“But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him”
“if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul”
“in the latter days”
“and shalt be obedient unto his voice”

So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
The Lord shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
The Lord shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.

“there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.”

And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

“the Lord shall scatter thee among all people”
“from the one end of the earth even unto the other”
“there thou shalt serve other gods”
“which neither thou nor thy fathers have known”
“wood and stone”

And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:

“ye have seen their abominations”
“their idols”
“wood and stone”
“silver and gold”

And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

“the great stone of Abel”
“which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua”

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

“Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed”
“the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself”

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

“hast eaten of the tree”
“Thou shalt not eat of it”
“Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee”
“thou shalt eat the herb of the field”

But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

“But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you”
“then it shall come to pass”
“that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes”
“thorns in your sides”
“shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell”

The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

“The Angel which redeemed me from all evil”
“bless the lads”
“let my name be named on them”
“the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac”
“let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth”

One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.
Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:
Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

“One man of you shall chase a thousand”
“for the Lord your God”
“he it is that fighteth for you”
“as he hath promised you”
“but they shall be snares and traps unto you”
“scourges in your sides”
“thorns in your eyes”

And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

“an angel of the Lord came up”
“I made you to go up out of Egypt”
“have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers”
“I said, I will never break my covenant with you”
“ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land”
“ye shall throw down their altars”
“but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this”
“they shall be as thorns in your sides”
“their gods shall be a snare unto you”

But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

“the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away”

And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

“they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand”
“all their earrings which were in their ears”
“Jacob hid them under the oak”
‘the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them”

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.

“So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day”
“set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem”
“took a great stone”
“set it up there under an oak”

And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

“there came an angel of the Lord”
“sat under an oak”
“The Lord is with thee”
“thou mighty man of valour”
“thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites”
“I will be with thee”
“thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man”

Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

“the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured”
“the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak”
“his head caught hold of the oak”
“he was taken up between the heaven and the earth”
“the mule that was under him went away”
“I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.”

And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

“they took Absalom”
“cast him into a great pit in the wood”
“laid a very great heap of stones upon him”
“Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar”
“which is in the king's dale”

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.

“the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer”
“the kings that were with him”
“the valley of Shaveh”
“which is the king's dale”

And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

“blessed be the most high God”
“which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand”
“Abram said to the king of Sodom”
“I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord”
“the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth”
“I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet”
“I will not take any thing that is thine”

“In the day that God created man”
“in the likeness of God made he him”
“the face of the deep”
“begat a son in his own likeness, after his image”
“the face of the deep”
“female created he them”
“the face of the deep”

the father, the son, the holy ghost

“heavens and the earth were finished”
“the host of them”
“It is finished:"
"he bowed his head,"
"gave up the ghost.”

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

“And the earth was without form, and void”
“darkness was upon the face of the deep”

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

“In the day that God created man”
“in the likeness of God made he him”
“Male and female created he them”
“blessed them”
“called their name Adam”
“in the day when they were created”
“begat a son in his own likeness, after his image”
“called his name Seth”

I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

“destroy all the children of Sheth”

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

“when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God”
“Certainly this was a righteous man”
“the people that came together to that sight”
“beholding the things which were done”
“smote their breasts”

These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

“I written unto you concerning them that seduce you”
“If ye know that he is righteous”
“ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him”

“And the earth was without form, and void”
“darkness was upon the face of the deep”
“In the day that God created man”
“in the likeness of God made he him”
“Male and female created he them”
“blessed them”
“called their name Adam”
“in the day when they were created”
“begat a son in his own likeness, after his image”
“called his name Seth”
“destroy all the children of Sheth”
“when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God”
“Certainly this was a righteous man”
“the people that came together to that sight”
“beholding the things which were done”
“smote their breasts”
“I written unto you concerning them that seduce you”
“If ye know that he is righteous”
“ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him”

I find it odd that when one shows you a path not to follow, you then become the enemy.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

“so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”
“for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”
“the heart of the earth”
“out of the belly of hell”

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

“heavens and the earth were finished”
“the host of them”

And God said, Let the waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

“Heaven be gathered together unto one place”
“the gathering together of the waters called he Seas”

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

“Master, we would see a sign from thee”
“he answered and said unto them”
“An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign”
“there shall no sign be given to it”
“but the sign of the prophet Jonas”
“as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly”
“so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

“the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified”

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

“It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

“Simon the Canaanite”

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my lambs”
“He saith to him again the second time”
“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my sheep”
“He saith unto him the third time”
“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my sheep”

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

“whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him”
“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things”
“for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”
“an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things”
“by thy words thou shalt be condemned”

I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

“the voice of the great words which the horn spake”
“the beast was slain”
“his body destroyed”
“given to the burning flame”
“the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away”
“yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time”
“the Son of man came”
“And there was given him dominion”
“and glory”
“and a kingdom”
“that all people”
“nations”
“and languages”
“should serve him”
“his dominion is an everlasting dominion”
“which shall not pass away”
“his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

“out of the belly of hell”
“cast me into the deep”
“in the midst of the seas”

“heavens and the earth were finished”
“the host of them”
“Simon the Canaanite”
“the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified”
“It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

“Master, we would see a sign from thee”
“he answered and said unto them”
“An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign”
“there shall no sign be given to it”
“but the sign of the prophet Jonas”
“as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly”
“so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”
“whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him”
“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things”
“for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”
“an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things”
“by thy words thou shalt be condemned”

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”
“so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”

“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my lambs”
“He saith to him again the second time”
“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my sheep”
“He saith unto him the third time”
“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my sheep”

“the voice of the great words which the horn spake”
“the beast was slain”
“his body destroyed”
“given to the burning flame”
“the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away”
“yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time”
“the Son of man came”
“And there was given him dominion”
“and glory”
“and a kingdom”
“that all people”
“nations”
“and languages”
“should serve him”
“his dominion is an everlasting dominion”
“which shall not pass away”
“his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”

“the Son of man came”
“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my lambs”
“the beast was slain”
“And there was given him dominion”
“that all people
“should serve him”
“his dominion is an everlasting dominion”
“which shall not pass away”
“his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”

“the Son of man came”
“He saith to him again the second time”
“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my sheep”
“his body destroyed”
“and glory”
“nations”
“should serve him”
“his dominion is an everlasting dominion”
“which shall not pass away”
“his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”

“the Son of man came”
“He saith unto him the third time”
“Simon, son of Jonas”
“Feed my sheep”
“given to the burning flame”
“and a kingdom”
“and languages”
“should serve him”
“his dominion is an everlasting dominion”
“which shall not pass away”
“his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”

“heavens and the earth were finished”
“the host of them”
“It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
“for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”
“the heart of the earth”
“out of the belly of hell”
“cast me into the deep”
“in the midst of the seas”
“Heaven be gathered together unto one place”
“the gathering together of the waters called he Seas”

And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

“the great stone of Abel”
“stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua”

And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

“David put his hand in his bag”
“took thence a stone”
“the stone sunk into his forehead”
“he fell upon his face to the earth”

“whose possessions were in Carmel”
“he had three thousand sheep”
“And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity”
“Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.”

And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

“his heart died within him, and he became as a stone”

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

“In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen”
“the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time”
“That in blessing I will bless thee”
“I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven”
“as the sand which is upon the sea shore”
“and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies”

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.
And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.
And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.

“Ye are witnesses against yourselves”
“incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel”
“The Lord our God will we serve”
“his voice will we obey”
“Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God”
“took a great stone”
“and set it up there under an oak”
“that was by the sanctuary of the Lord”
“Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us”
“for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us”
“it shall be therefore a witness unto you”
“every man unto his inheritance”

Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

“Joseph is a fruitful”
“a fruitful bough by a well”
“whose branches run over the wall”
“the shepherd, the stone of Israel”
“and by the Almighty”
“who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above”
“blessings of the deep that lieth under”
“blessings of the breasts”
“and of the womb”
“The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors”
“shall be on the head of Joseph”
“on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren”

These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

“out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud”

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

“Moses said unto the Lord”
“Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant”
“wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight”
“that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me”
“Have I conceived all this people”
“have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me”
“Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child”

“of the thick darkness, with a great voice”

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

“Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much”
“largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.”
“Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country”
“and all the wisdom of Egypt”
“he spake of trees”
“the hyssop that springeth out of the wall”

“he spake also of beasts”
“and of fowl”
“and of creeping things”
“and of fishes”
“there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon”

Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.
Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

“in the land. Judah and Israel were many”
“as the sand which is by the sea in multitude”
“Solomon reigned over all kingdoms”
“they brought presents”
“served Solomon all the days of his life”

“In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen”
“That in blessing I will bless thee”
“I will multiply thy seed
“as the sand which is upon the sea shore”
“Moses said unto the Lord”
“Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant”
“wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight”
“that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me”
“Have I conceived all this people”
“have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me”
“Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child”
“blessings of the breasts”
“and of the womb”
“Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much”
“largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.”
“Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country”
“and all the wisdom of Egypt”
“he spake of trees”
“the hyssop that springeth out of the wall”
“Joseph is a fruitful”
“a fruitful bough by a well”
“whose branches run over the wall”
“in the land. Judah and Israel were many”
“as the sand which is by the sea in multitude”
“Solomon reigned over all kingdoms”
“they brought presents”
“served Solomon all the days of his life”

But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him”
“and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went”
“and his seed shall possess it”

For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

“And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb”

Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord.

“Save Caleb”
“he shall see”
“to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon”
“to his children”
“because he hath wholly followed the Lord”

And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

“whose possessions were in Carmel”
“he had three thousand sheep”
“the name of the man was Nabal”
“the name of his wife Abigail”
“he was of the house of Caleb”
“David sent out ten young men”
“Get you up to Carmel”
“go to Nabal, and greet him in my name”
“And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity”
“Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.”

I have clearly shown that those who claim to be of the faith of Abraham have sinned terribly. Some more than others, especially those who claim to be adopted. You can clearly see “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” there is no eight day for circumcision. Look at the difference “the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created” “in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens” I ask you wise men how many generations are there of the LORD, how many days are there of the LORD. With God there is a beginning, so there must be an end. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” “the gathering together, great whale and the face of the deep”

“Let the waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one place”
“the gathering together of the waters called he Seas”
“Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life”
“God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth”
“which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind”
”Be fruitful, and multiply”
“fill the waters in the seas”
”God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him”
”God blessed them”
“the heavens and the earth were finished”
“all the host of them”
““on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made”

“the earth was without form, and void”
“darkness was upon the face of the deep”
“God called the dry land Earth”
“and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good”
”Be fruitful, and multiply”
“let fowl multiply in the earth”
”God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him”
”God blessed them”
“the heavens and the earth were finished”
“all the host of them”
“on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made”

LOOK
“Thou shalt have none other gods before me.”
“Honour thy father and thy mother”
“the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created”
“the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground”
“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”
“man became a living soul”
“in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens”
“Moses said unto the Lord”
“Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant”
“wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight”
“that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me”
“Have I conceived all this people”
“have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me”
“Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child”

And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

“she is the daughter of my father”
“but not the daughter of my mother”

“my father” ”my mother”

“I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be”
“they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear”

And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.
And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

“Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod”
“smite the dust of the land”
“Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God”
“I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be”

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.
Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.
Also in Horeb ye provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry with you to have destroyed you.
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
And the Lord said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.
Furthermore the Lord spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.
So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.
And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the Lord your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the Lord had commanded you.
And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.

“the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God”
“the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands”
“I took the two tables”
“cast them out of my two hands”
“brake them before your eyes”

THIS IS THE FINGER OF GOD
And God spake all these words, saying,
I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

THIS IS THE TEN COMMANDANTS FROM MOSES
And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
(I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Neither shalt thou steal.
Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

“the earth was without form, and void”
“darkness was upon the face of the deep”

And God said, Let the waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

“Let the waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one place”
“God called the dry land Earth”
“the gathering together of the waters called he Seas”

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

“Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life”
“God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth”
“which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind”
“and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good”
”Be fruitful, and multiply”
“fill the waters in the seas”
“let fowl multiply in the earth”

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

“Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind”
“and beast of the earth after his kind”
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”
”God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him”
”God blessed them”

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

“the heavens and the earth were finished”
“all the host of them”
“on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made”

“Let the waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one place”
“the gathering together of the waters called he Seas”
“Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life”
“God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth”
“which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind”
”Be fruitful, and multiply”
“fill the waters in the seas”
”God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him”
”God blessed them”
“the heavens and the earth were finished”
“all the host of them”
““on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made”

“the earth was without form, and void”
“darkness was upon the face of the deep”
“God called the dry land Earth”
“and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good”
”Be fruitful, and multiply”
“let fowl multiply in the earth”
”God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him”
”God blessed them”
“the heavens and the earth were finished”
“all the host of them”
“on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made”

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

“the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created”
“in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens”
“every plant of the field before it was in the earth”
“the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth”
“there was not a man to till the ground”
“there went up a mist from the earth”
“watered the whole face of the ground”
“the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground”
“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”
“man became a living soul”
“the Lord God planted a garden”
“there he put the man whom he had formed”
“out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight”
“the tree of life also in the midst of the garden”
“good for food”
“the tree of knowledge of good and evil”

And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.
Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;
He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin;
And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest:
And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:
And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.
He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;
Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without.
And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

Human Equality in Islam

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."[Quran 49:13]

Commentary: It is based on this Islamic principle of equality between humanbeings, that racism is incomprehensible to Muslims and alien to Islam.This verse signifies equality of genders and equality of humanbeings from every corner of the world.Islam ties every human into a single family with Adam & Eve(peace be upon them both)as his/her parents.Consequently, the concept of superiority or inferiority simply does not arise out of someone's colour,race or origin.The one who is superior infront of Allah(swt) is the one who obeys Allah(swt) most.

OOPS! Meant to write "degeneration from the OT."

NT, right. Believe in me or go to hell. My way or the hiway. Bad news.

Anonymous
"The late OT and the NT show a tremendous evolution from the early OT."

Wow! The NT? Believe in Jesus or be damned forever?

Er, that sounds more like devolution from the OT.

The Moderate
"In the beginning, religious cults were of particular tribes and ethnic groups. For example, the very idea of a "chosen people" is racist and exclusionary."

Yes. I've always wondered when the Christians say they're "God's people." What the hell does that mean?

The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations.
All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth;
To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

“Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much”
“largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.”
“Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country”
“and all the wisdom of Egypt”
“he spake of trees”
“the hyssop that springeth out of the wall”

“he spake also of beasts”
“and of fowl”
“and of creeping things”
“and of fishes”
“there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon”

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

“ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee” “he spake also of beasts”
“the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee” “and of fowl”
“Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee” “and of creeping things”
“the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee” “and of fishes”

“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind”
“there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon”

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

“heavens and of the earth” “earth and the heavens”

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”
“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind”
“heavens and of the earth” “earth and the heavens”

“there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon”

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

FOR THEY SHALL BE ASHAMED OF THE OAKS WHICH YE HAVE DESIRED, AND YE SHALL BE CONFOUNDED FOR THE GARDENS THAT YE HAVE CHOSEN.
FOR YE SHALL BE AS AN OAK WHOSE LEAF FADETH, AND AS A GARDEN THAT HATH NO WATER.

Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellers as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

You can clearly see the LORD gave food and raiment to the stranger, this is the LOVE of the LORD. Israel does not receive the bread of the LORD from the hands of strangers. It is very very clear “the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you”. What did Isaac, Abimelech, Ahuzzath, Phichol do. “Let there be now an oath betwixt us” “and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord”
“We have found water” “the name of the city is Beersheba”. What does Jacob say after he went out from Beersheba “will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on” “So that I come again to my father's house in peace” “then shall the Lord be my God” “of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee”. Look, he asked no more than what the LORD gives the stranger. “David sent out ten young men” “David said unto the young men” “greet him in my name” “I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts”
“thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity” “Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast” What do you get from Solomon, bread and water. Do you understand the spiritual meaning of bread and water. “And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink” Look, water and bread bread and water. Heaven earth earth heaven. The first and latter rain. And he called it Shebah” What was the name of the wife of Solomon. Jacob was given the same as a stranger, the tree of knowledge, good and evil. What path does he take and what is the path does the world take. “of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee” “David sent out ten young men” “Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast”

Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.
Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
For the Lord your God is God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.

“loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment”
“Love ye therefore the stranger”
“Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God”
“him shalt thou serve”
“to him shalt thou cleave”
“swear by his name”

Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

“Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread”
“because their corruption is in them”
“blemishes be in them”
“they shall not be accepted for you”

And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

“But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you”
“thou shalt love him as thyself”

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.
And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?
And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord.
And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water.
And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

“We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said”
“Let there be now an oath betwixt us”
“even betwixt us and thee”
“let us make a covenant with thee”
“That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee”
“and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord”
“And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink”
“We have found water”
“And he called it Shebah”
“the name of the city is Beersheba”

And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

“Jacob went out from Beersheba”
“And he dreamed”
“a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven”
“behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.”
“behold, the Lord stood above it”
“the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed”
“How dreadful is this place”
“this is none other but the house of God,”
“this is the gate of heaven”
“If God will be with me”
“and will keep me in this way that I go”
“will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on”
“So that I come again to my father's house in peace”
“then shall the Lord be my God”
“of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee”

And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

“David sent out ten young men”
“David said unto the young men”
“greet him in my name”
“thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity”
“Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast”

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

“I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts”

This is the path the so-called Christians chose

Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellers as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

Tell me, are you a Midianite, Amalek, or Philistine. You sons of Belial, is your father providing you with what you want, need, or desire. Do you still worship the son of man, the lamb of god, the king of Sodom. Is the son of god, the king of Babylon still your god. How is your mother the serpent doing these days. Is your trinity of gods, the father, son, holy ghost providing you with all your spiritual your wants, needs, or desires for the eternal life.

Job 29

When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the Lame.
I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
My glory was Fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

“When the ear heard me, then it blessed me”
“when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me”
“The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me”
“I put on righteousness, and it clothed me”
“my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.”
“I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the Lame.”
“I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.”
“Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand”
“My root was spread out by the waters”
“the dew lay all night upon my branch”
“Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel”
“And they waited for me as for the rain”
“I laughed on them, they believed it not”

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

“Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much”
“largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.”
“Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country”
“and all the wisdom of Egypt”
“he spake of trees”
“the hyssop that springeth out of the wall”
“he spake also of beasts”
“and of fowl”
“and of creeping things”
“and of fishes”
“there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon”

Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.
Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

“in the land. Judah and Israel were many”
“as the sand which is by the sea in multitude”
“Solomon reigned over all kingdoms”
“they brought presents”
“served Solomon all the days of his life”

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

“Moses said unto the Lord”
“Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant”
“wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight”
“that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me”
“Have I conceived all this people”
“have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me”
“Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child”

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

“In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen”
“the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time”
“That in blessing I will bless thee”
“I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven”
“as the sand which is upon the sea shore”
“and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies”

And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

“the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east”
“as the sand by the sea side for multitude”

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

“And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear”
“the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel”
“as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude”

The Moderate:

Thanks for your post. I enjoyed our conversation. It is my hope that everyone who thinks he/she is God's chosen come to recognize that God choice is always for service and never for privilege. As John Lennon said, “They may say I am a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”

I also agree with his song “Working Class Hero” when he says, “Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV and you think you are so clever and classless and free….”

Peace,
Rip

Sorry for the accidental Anonymous post. That was me.

I agree with your point that it is possible that a call to service is not by necessity racist and exclusionary. The practice around 1400 B.C. was, though. I think they could not hear the whole call of God then, just as we cannot now. I hope we progress over time, though, to hear more.

All the best

Thanks again to Brad for his essay.

Anonymous:

Sorry for not making myself clearer. I did not claim that there are no examples of racism and exclusion in the Scriptures. However, your example of ethnic cleansing is a good one for this purpose but it does not falsify my premise that the very idea of a chosen people is necessarily racist and exclusionary. It may argue that the Scriptures do not consistently uphold the idea of the elect being chosen for service but it does not of logical necessity demonstrate that the idea of a chosen people is inherently racist and exclusionary.
Peace,
Rip

Dear D.W. Van Winkle,

"I am not sure that the very idea of a chosen people is necessarily racist and exclusionary."

The account of the re-entry of God's Chosen People to the land of Canaan is pretty clear on this point. Sack the cities, like Ai, kill the men, men children, and women who have been with a man. Enslave the virgin girls for various uses. Pretty exclusionary and racist, I think.

Your other insights from the long and evolving history of Judeo-Christian history are insightful and interesting and illustrative of progress. The late OT and the NT show a tremendous evolution from the early OT.

Still the evil of slavery was not opposed by Jews, Christians, or Moslems until much, much, later. The 1964 Civil Rights Act was not that long ago. Until then, we had legal discrimination based on race. So we continue this evolution by fits and starts down to today. May God be with us on our way forward.

Hi Terra,

"I have never figured out why or how a Christian could be racist. Now I am not a Christian, but was not the Queen of Sheba, who was Etheopian, in the direct line of Jesus?"

Me neither.

But all major human groups have been guilty of terrible crimes against fellow humans. It seems like it should be time to learn how to do better.

Personally I am hopeful that the Obama candidacy is telling us that things are getting better. Iowa, for example, is about 95% white and put the Obama campaign on its way to victory in the nomination race.

I wouldn't worry too much about political professionals whose job it is to say nasty things about the other side. If it ain't Karl Rove its MoveOn.org. These will always be with us.

I have never figured out why or how a Christian could be racist. Now I am not a Christian, but was not the Queen of Sheba, who was Etheopian, in the direct line of Jesus?

I am Pagan...in many ancient Pagan cities there would be a shrine to the unknown God...just in case a traveler came through and did not find a shrine of his God. People came from all over...there was certainly intermarriage and from what I could tell, very little racism.

Rome traveled throughout the known world and where it went, there was marrying between Roman soldiers and the native peoples.My grandfather came from Calabria; The toe of the boot of Italy that used to be called Magna Grecia or Greater Greece. It is Italian, Greek and Moorish. I am all three plus,Irish and English.

Even the Muslims could care less what color you were...it seems to be the Christians that opened up that bag of worms.

Even the Bible tells of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers to Egypt, yet the Jew was made second in line to the Egyptian Pharoh.

Right now in the Presidentual election Obama is called "arrogant" for visiting Europe. Was Mccain called arrogant for visiting Columbia, Mexico, and Europe making speeches and fund raising in March? Is "arrogant" code for "uppity". Obama is called an "empty suit," would he be more favored by some if he did not speak as well or be smarter then the dufus we have in office now? He is called Elitist..oh my that proves it...he's smart and black...oh my Gawd!

Racism and religion? I find that a person's religion reflects who they are...it has nothing to do with the religion, but on their own feelings of self doubt. In this country racism abounds.

Mormons still will not allow Blacks to go beyond a certain point in their Priesthood...just like some Churches will not allow women to be Clergy. Seems like some folks just need other to look down on.

terra

"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness..." John:2,9

Jesus is rather clear on this subject.

mark

"People" and "race" have 5000 different definitions per 5000 people asked to define them. Words are funny that way.
There is but one race, and it's the Human Race. Perhaps by "chosen people," God meant those chosen by Him to receive His holy Word, and a tribe of Semitic people in the desert were best equipped for that purpose for whatever reason or reasons; therefore, God started with those particular people and went from there.

Re: THE MODERATE

I am not sure that the very idea of a chosen people is necessarily racist and exclusionary. It depends upon the purpose of the choice. A group might be chosen for service to all humanity instead of a privilege over the rest of humanity. There are parts of the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. Old Testament) which support this view (e.g. Genesis 12: 1-3, and IMHO more clearly in Isaiah 19:21-25, 56:1-8, 66:21).

I believe the notion of a group being chosen for service instead of privilege also reflects the ethical system of Jesus (both the Canonical Jesus and the historical Jesus). I think that the parable of the Good Samaritan shows that Jesus believed that one’s neighbor was anyone in need. Paul also urged Christians to do good to all people, especially the household of faith. Justo González’s FAITH AND WEALTH: A HISTORY OF EARLY CHRISTIAN IDEAS ON THE ORIGIN, SIGNIFICANCE, AND USE OF MONEY demonstrates the prior to Constantine the church practiced this type of morality.

Of course I am not defending the behavior of the post-Constantinian Church.

Peace,
Rip

In the beginning, religious cults were of particular tribes and ethnic groups. For example, the very idea of a "chosen people" is racist and exclusionary.

In the beginning, slavery was a universal part of economic life.

In the beginning torture was a commonplace in political and criminal discourse.

From an anti-faith perspective we would say that religion is hopelessly contaminated with man's inhumanity to man, racism, slavery, torture, and self justification and try to start with a clean slate based solely upon enlightenment and reason.

From a faith perspective we might say that humankind was only able to hear a small part of God's message. Early on it included the Golden Rule of caring for your neighbors as yourself, but his only applied to blood relatives in the tribe. Our task of millennia has been to broaden definition of neighbor to include "the alien among us", Jew and Christian, slave or free, male and female, and even others who do not believe in our own partiular religions. In essence, that we are all the children of God together.

I hope to see more of your thinking and views in the future.