The Last Shall Be First
He that oppresses the poor blasphemes his maker, but he who is gracious unto the needy honors Him. Proverbs 14:31 (translation A. Heschel)
Blasphemes – What would you think of someone who curses God? You might be shocked, dismayed or disturbed. Who would do such a thing? You might understand the circumstances that would lead someone to question God or to doubt His goodness, but to curse Him? That’s going too far. But a look at this verse might surprise us even more. Who is the man who would curse God? Proverbs tells us that this man is anyone who oppresses the poor.
We are that man.
There is a very good reason why Yeshua points to love for a neighbor as the second great commandment. Everyone would have agreed that loving God is the first commandment. The description of loving God comes right out of the Shema, but loving your neighbor comes from an obscure passage in Leviticus. Nevertheless, Yeshua places it in a position of crucial importance. Why? Because the failure to love the ones God has created in His image is the equivalent of cursing God Himself. The man who uses his power, influence or wealth to oppress the poor, the man who looks away from the plight of fellow human beings or who ignores their need is the man who spits in the face of God.
We are that man.
The Hebrew verb haraph is the pictograph of a fence that separates, a person and a mouth (words). To curse is to use words to separate someone, to make someone an outsider. To curse to exclude, to push away, to ostracize. When we oppress the poor, we push God out of our lives. Our actions exclude Him from our circle. It doesn’t take shouting in His face or raising a clenched fist toward heaven. All it takes is holding down the man who is in need.
We are that man.
Our lives of pointless affluence, our wanton gluttony for possessions, our extravagance in the name of desire are acts of blasphemy. Every time I see the yachts in Fort Lauderdale, the houses in Palm Beach or the mega-church monoliths in Orlando, my heart cries to the Lord, “Why have we substituted what we could do for what You ask us to do?” Every time we witness the choices of men to add to their barns instead of distributing their blessings, we see blasphemy in action. What will it take before we recognize the monstrosity of our sin? Perhaps God will have to strip us of our arrogance by making us walk in the shoes of the oppressed. Perhaps the loss of all we hold so dear is the first step toward repentance. Perhaps then we will be able to bless the Lord with our hands and feet.
Topical Index: curse, blasphemy, haraph, poor, oppress, Proverbs 14:32
Kersmack!!- We are that man!- In G-d’s economy, (not ours), things are different. We are, accumulators, collectors, gatherers, hoarders. We want to amass a fortune. Bigger is better and when is enough? At what point will we be satisfied with stuff? More stuff and more things (not to mention- ‘new and improved’- lol! And now that I have accumulated more and gooder stuff (more gooder- my English teacher would be proud)- I need a ‘place’ to store my stuff. It also needs to be moved, painted, dusted and maintained. -Watch doin’ this weekend?- Takin’ care of my stuff. It consumes all of my time. I have no time for people now that I have all of these possessions. Possessions have become our priority, not people. A great time to remember, “the best things in life are not things.” (Need a plaque for your wall Mr.?) -I’m sure you can find one on Ebay..
The second law of thermal dynamics is working against us. There are only two lastings things in this world. The word of G-d and the souls of men. We are the man who has not remembered the word of the LORD- “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6.19-21)
May I share a blessing with you this morning? (or should I keep and hoard it to myself?- lol!) Even as I wrote these words to share with the AGT family, my eyes were attracted to the word “treasure.” It is the Greek word thēsauros. Can you recognize another word within? Thesaurus. Words. “Take with you words for your journey.” -But not any words- the very words of G-d contained within a book unlike any other. We should never be afraid to say- “It is written” or “thus saith the LORD.” If we have a tongue,teeth and breath we are capable of sharing and giving “good” words.
“Let no harmful language come from your mouth, only good words that are helpful. (Ephesians 4.29)l In the Hebrew language, sipeyr means “tell.” From this Hebrew word we get the English word “sapphire.” So what is God’s ancient, holy language teaching us? When children of G-d speak to one another, sapphires (treasure) should come from our mouths. Just as G-d’s words are always precious jewels, utterances of great value, so too, our language should “appreciate,” that is, add value to someone’s life. Mark Twain said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” How we need to distribute and give away what YHWH has given unto us. We have been given these “words of life.” The good stuff!- lol! And yes, the good seed. How we need to be “seed-scatterers!” Amen? or “oh me?”
Ne.5:1
Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.
2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many; therefore let us get grain that we may eat and live.”
3 And there were others who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses that we might get grain because of the famine.”
4 Also there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
5 “And now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 ¶ Then I was very angry when I had heard their outcry and these words.
7 And I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, “You are exacting usury, each from his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them.
8 And I said to them, “We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.
9 Again I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
10 “And likewise I, my brothers and my servants, are lending them money and grain. Please, let us leave off this usury.
11 “Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are exacting from them.”
12 Then they said, “We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.” So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.
13 I also shook out the front of my garment and said, “Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise.
I feel so uncomfortable with this word for many reasons. I feel like I have too much and don’t do enough to help my human family. Some years back I lost my possessions when I had a life threatening accident. I was laid up for a year. After that God called me out to study the science that explains how a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet prevents and reverses disease. I wrote a book which was published in 2008. The message, God’s message, was quickly received by many in shallow soil. The lifestyle diet is a “flesh” starving diet.
Many embraced the message and experienced weightloss, wellness and clarity as never before.
Most fell back to old unhealthy habits with the return of their disorders. The counseling and takeout business I started began to decline–it was seen as a trend. My partner started preparing the unhealthy foods the people craved. I left to tAke a high paying private nutritional chef job. The business I left became more successful with my partner’s tasty unhealthy food. In my current Pvt. Chef position the previously unwell family has become healthy from my (YHVH’s) diet. One child who had a chronic kidney disease with no known cure was well within 2 months. Now, they have asked me to prepare the rich unhealthy diet that made them I’ll in the first place. So, here I am living in a beautiful apartment preparing unhealthy food, not sharing YHVH’s message. Every day I pass the homeless and am reminded of the times I tried to feed them life giving food but many rejected it for tasty fast food. He has given me a gift that leads to great deliverance and life but it requires denying the flesh. How many are willing to deny their flesh? From my experience few. The satanic deception of knife and fork is HaSatan’s greatest stronghold. It is easy to preach but very difficult to get through the narrow gate.
He has given me much so I wait for His direction.
I am waiting for His answer.
The flesh is what gives HaSatan his power.
Robin, I went to your site the other day to check it out & I know it must be discouraging trapped with the people who follow their flesh when they have experienced deliverance & have gone back to Egypt & now you are still being paid to make bricks as the Israelites were before their deliverance. You have come to this site/Skip Moen to receive deliverance via revelation of His Word/Spirit – now you have decisions to make.
I watched a special on TV the over evening about people that had made a difference in the world & there was a man in India that came from a very wealthy family/business of owning a restaurant & every day he passed the homeless in India it finally got to him & he makes his delicious/nutritional food & takes it to the street & also helps the homeless – it showed him shaving some men that needed a shave, etc. He is finally living life to its fullest & I think his father is helping him do this financially. God will show you the way as long as you wait upon Him.
I am excited for you because you will have great things to tell us in the future of what God is doing through your wisdom with food – His way – YHVH!!!
Ms. Jan
ps – like Jeremiah – the fire in your bones will not let you walk away from His passion/destiny for you…
Hello Jan,
Thank you so much for your uplifting reply. I am grateful for you. Would you like to correspond some more through email? I would.
n777jc@gmail.com
I serve the poor at a soup kitchen. I deliver bread to the homeless shelter. I give money, sometimes money I don’t have to those who need it. I give cash to those who need it without looking for or taking a tax right off. I give and do not want, expect or need anything back. I have desires, dreams, and yes…wants, but I’ve learned…I give them to Him and I am content if He allows me to have them. Am I perfect…no. Do I mess up…yes…a lot, and when I do I ask for His forgiveness and pray that I get better…and I am.
Yet, you tell me that I am still “that man”…depressing.
Hey Tim,
The points of Today’s Word are made with a literary device in order for us to identify with our generation. They are not intended to apply to every individual. “That man” is the anonymous figure of our culture who turns away from God’s instructions in pursuit of his own desires. Of course, those of us who struggle to keep Torah are not “that man.” At least we are not the SUMMARY of that man, although we may still have to fight against his residence within our hearts. Please don’t take this as a personal indictment. It was only intended to awake us to the tragedy of the world we live in.
We collectively are ‘Adam’ for we (all) are human, (I hope..) made of the same stuff- skin, bones, blood, breath, etc.. Abraham, Moses, Noah, Yeshua, Peter, Paul and Mary were all living breathing creatures made in the image of Elohim.
The word of G-d speaks through the servant of YHWH, Rabbi Sha’ul (the apostle Paul), “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” Paul (formerly known as Saul) went on to say, “Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7.18). Remember who was speaking here. This is Paul. Not your everyday street-level schmo. This was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, educated to the point of a triple PhD, but education did not deliver him from the enemy within. These also are the words of a man who has found the Source of shalom- “not I, but Christ.” He turned from “self” (the big “I”) to Christ.
“Not I, but Christ.” Shall we pick this apart? Not. Not just any not but an emphatic jump up and down, plant your feet solidly on terra firm and create a crater when you land “not.” NOT (pardon the shout) I. – It ain’t me babe- no, no and no. Not I, but Christ. I have turned from “self” and not just turning from something, but turning toward Someone. From/to. From darkness to light. From cloudiness and confusion to clarity and calm. From “me” to “Him”. We may hear this again from another disciple of Christ- “He must increase but I must decrease.” (John 3.30). Less of “me” and more of Him.
Let me tell you all about my self and how wonderfully great I am. I am so ego-centric, I am ec-centric (meaning off-center). What a day of discovery it was to learn “I” am not the center of the universe (I know your are shocked..), No, He is. King of kings, LORD of lords.. He is the ‘both’ now and forever reigning Monarch and Master of heaven and of earth. All authority has been given unto Him- remember? My response to this? I will bow the knee. Both of them and bow low. And when I see who He is- not only will I bow the knee, but I will lay prostrate upon my face and weep. Why? Because Jesus wept. (John 11.35) Why did Jesus weep? Read it and weep. May YHWH enable and empower our “seeing.” May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened, that we may know the hope of our calling.” (Ephesians 1.18).
Not I, ‘but’ Christ. Oh, the power of this ‘but.’ This is no small but. This is a big Bible but. This one word has the power to stop a fully loaded speeding locomotive headed downhill for destruction, and turn it instantly on it’s course. It is a word of turning. A word of repentance. Listen again to a few “Bible buts.” But G-d who is rich in mercy. But G-d who has called us unto His eternal glory.. But G-d demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Hallelujah for these Bible buts. Every time we read this word, we will hold our hands out and say “stop”. “But G-d.” Or in this case, “but Christ.” “Turn you at my reproof” But. A word of turning. And finally- “Christ.”
“Christ in you- the hope of glory.” Lol! – this is a story for another day! – for it is still being fulfilled day by day in each of our lives. G-d is conforming (ouch) and transforming (a process) each of us into the image of the Son. “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1.6) -Amen.
I need to add a quick correction to the above. Yeshua though fully man was not and should not be included in the list of created creatures as He himself is the Creator who voluntarily became the created, fully G-d and fully man, the unique and only begotten Son of G-d and G-d the Son. Please forgive me for this blunder. I have erred exceedingly. Yeshua (the living Word made flesh) dwelt among us for thirty three years, eating our food, and walking upon the same earth He formed and fashioned in the beginning. Yeshua should never be included in any list as He is Hashem, the name above all names. -Please forgive me. Amen.
Dear Skip,
I have sought to find God’s way by being led by the Holy Spirit and the Word. When Jesus said to love others, He also said to love others as He has loved me. He has loved me by laying His life down for me, giving me His Word, sending me His Holy Spirit to convict me of sin, hasten righteousness and judgment, and blessed me with so much more. He told the disciples to love others as He loved them. I am to love others that way. He was the example, the Shepherd I follow.
One day He said to sale all I had and come and follow Him, because I was a rich man. I literally did that, my husband and I and our family. The riches were given to those that had need, and we started over from nothing to see that He meets our every need. Everything we have now has been given to us by Him, and it is all His to be Godly stewards of. We give as the Spirit says to give so that we do not put out God’s fire or chastening, or get in the way of His work with a person. A lot of my problem was giving when He didn’t tell me to give.
But I realize that in the world the deceitfulness of riches changes the line of what is needed to what we want or think we need. Even the elect could be deceived and not give when they should. We work with our hands so that we have something to give. Our pastor lived on his retirement and all donations were placed on a board in an envelope and prayed over and given with confirmations to those the Holy Spirit said to give to. Usually it would be a witness to those in need that God hears and wants them to know of His love. Good works and giving to the poor cannot get us to heaven though, and handouts and welfare can be bad for people because they don’t work with their hands and have something to give.
The words you spoke are for those that have not really committed their lives to the Lord. When we traveled across the country, we would spend a lot of our money just to get where God wanted us to be just to bring one person to salvation. But that one person might bring a whole city. The words of chastening you spoke are to those who are living in luxury, past the borders of their needs—ones who are lovers of pleasure and lovers of self. It is for those that have not committed their lives to Jesus to be obedient. If Jesus would leave the 99 to go find the lost, the lost are often found in the rich, and to get around the rich takes money….not that any Christian would want to live rich, but the true “poor” are those who do not have Him.
Jesus was not a sinner, but He went among the sinners……why He went was what was important. If it takes a lot of money for me to go reach someone God is calling, He will provide it. Yet, I go among the physically poor often, and most of them know the Lord and are satisfied and faithful to Him loving others with the Love of Jesus, and worshipping God. All their “needs” are met. They are content with food and clothes the way we have been taught.
Many talk about giving but to those who read your last message, I would suggest repentance of the love of the world, it’s luxuries, and money, and to pray and commit all you have to Him, willing to give when He says to give, holding on to nothing (we can’t take anything with us to Heaven), and to be led by the Holy Spirit to give as He says to give, in whatever manner. A lot of people give of their money, but not many give of their time, and fewer give in ministering the love of God and the Word and in prayer (one of the greatest gifts to anyone).
Thanks you for this great testimony of faithfulness. Yes, often those with much struggle to find the place of service not affected by their possessions. But I know many who are truly committed in spite of their possessions. Many are readers of Today’s Word. God calls each of us to a place where we contribute to His plan. That’s where we want to be. My remarks were only to stir us all to the full expression of faithfulness to Him. I am glad to hear that you know what that means.