stay the course ... or else!

[Shmanu YAH]

shalom mishpacha, "All praises honor and glory continually to the Most High YHWH" our creator, our sustainer and from where all real blessings come, and baruka ha'bo beh'h'shem YHWH ... blessed the coming in the name of YHWH ->>> YAHushua. I pray all is well with you and yours and if not, know assuredly it will be according to his will.

In this blog / message I'd like to continue in what could be called the "the shadow figures series" and look futher back at a event that has confused some and have not properly been explained. A event that is not only historical but also a prophectic warning for leaders in the future, so as melek Shelomo tried to tell us in mishle / proverbs 4:7, " wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding". ......- nuff said.

The topic I'd like to deal with seems to many as a broken promise or a failed prophecy but to the learned it shows itself to be a "blown opportunity". First we shoud have read from the past the events of a King in 2nd Kings 2:1-7, Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzi-bah. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of YHWH, after the abominations of the heathen, whom YHWH cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of YHWH, of which YHWH said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of YHWH. 6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of YHWH, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which YHWH said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, .....- and also in verse 16 >>> 16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of YHWH. ......- and to see the culmination of this matter we can read 2nd Chronicles 33:11-20, Wherefore YHWH brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in affliction, he besought YHWH his Elohym, and HUMBLED HIMSELF GREATLY before the Elohym of his fathers, 13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that YHWH he was Elohym. 14 Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. 15 And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of YHWH, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of YHWH, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 16 And he repaired the altar of YHWH, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve YHWH Elohym of Israel. 17 Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto YHWH their Elohym only. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his Elohym, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of YHWH Elohym of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. 19 His prayer also, and how Elohym was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers. 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. .......- So we can see that this wicked ruler that was surely scheduled for destruction found grace AFTER he humbled himself and repented - now who's doing this today ...... which King, what ruler?

Now lets get to the main point I originally wanted to articulate, the appearence of a broken promised or failed prophecy:

Not too long after Manasseh and his wicked son Amon, ( Manasseh's grandson) YashiYahu aka Josiyah became the ruler and attempted to get things back on the right track as we should have read in 2nd Chronicles chpt. 34, but first here in 2nd Kings 22:2-6, 2 ....and he did that which was right in the sight of YHWH, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of YHWH, saying, 4 "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of YHWH, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: 5 And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of YHWH: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of YHWH, to repair the breaches of the house, 6 Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house". .......- and because King Josiyah decreed the restoration work, the most high allowed this to happen >>> 8 ...and Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of YHWH". And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of YHWH. 10 And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book". And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying, 13 "Go ye, enquire of YHWH for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of YHWH that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us". ......- this is proof positive that Josiyah was a man of good character and the hand of YHWH was guiding him.

This also makes us seeking wisdom realize that they didn't accidentally "stumble" upon the book of the law, but were directed to the torah / law because they were worthy and it was time for restoration - no such thing as a co-incedence here. They were also led to later find monies AFTER finding the torah to restore the house of YHWH. This is opposite of the churches now-a-days that focus on money FIRST in efforts to build their mega-assemblies and maybe the law later or in most cases NOT AT ALL! It truly would be irresponsible if we didn't acknowledge Josiyah's desire to hear from YHWH concering himself and all the people of Yahudah so he can get on the proper course. We read YHWH's response through the prophetess Huldah in 2nd Kings 22:14- 20, So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.15 And she said unto them: Thus saith YHWH Elohym of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, 16 Thus saith YHWH, " Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: 17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched". 18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of YHWH, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith YHWH Elohym of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; 19 "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before YHWH, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee", saith YHWH. 20 " Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place". And they brought the king word again. .......- the word of YHWH through this prophetess was not very pleasant for Yahudah but was right ruling and just, ... But the promise to the King of Judah >>> Josiyah was certainly positive and encouraging. So Josiyah could now expect a long life of shalom right?

The blessed message that was to be given to Josiyah was no doubt delivered to him BUT what happened? .... why didn't it come to pass?

We certainly have heard the old adage "power corrupts - and absolute power corrupts absolutely" so here we may see a prime example of that saying. Josiyah like many of us ( if we had the power of a king ) may have began to start "feeling himself" and started to believe he was now immortal for the time being ..... can you say bulletproof? This irresponsible mindstate led to a grevious error on the part of King JosiYah because later we read after his re-institution of YHWH's "moad" or appointed time in 2nd Chron. chpt.1-2 & 18-19, Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto YHWH in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of YHWH, .......- and 18 And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept. .......- then he pulled this irresponsible stunt >>> 20 ....after all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. 21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, "What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for ELOHYM commanded me to make haste: FORBEAR THEE FROM MEDDLING WITH ELOHYM, who is with ME, that he destroy thee not". 22 Nevertheless Josiah would NOT turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened NOT unto the words of Necho from the mouth of ELOHYM, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. 24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. .......- well, well, well, - I guess standing up for your buddy against the word of the most high isn't such a wise idea huh?. This is what happens when you dis-obey true might and power because you think you have done enough in the past to be immortal and can SHOW-OFF ...... both a foolish and prideful stupid move. The most high YHWH didn't spoil the promise or the prophecy, .... Josiyah did !

HEAR ME and HEAR ME WELL - YOU CAN DESTROY A BLESSING FROM YHWH HE ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR YOU !

So where does that leave us in this day and age, ... are we more like Manasseh or more like Josiyah? Have we been wrong or sinful in the past for years or decades like Manasseh but are willing to humble ourselves, repent and seek a right relationship with the father - or are we gonna be more like Josiyah and spend the majority of our years seeking goodwill and YHWH's will like rebuilding and restoring the temple and the torah of YHWH, only to then rely on our past achievements as a license to dis-obey him because we heard we have gained favor? .....hmmmmmmmmmmm. Remember what apostle Shaul / Paul wrote in his 2nd epistle to Timothy?... lets revist his testimony, In 2nd Timothy 4:6-8 he wrote: ".....For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my COURSE, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the MASTER, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing". .......- plain enough?

Stay the course Yisrael, stay humble and don't start "feeling yourself" - you may NOT be able to stop!

selah and shalom