Part 6 Jeroboams name became the synonym for wretched or evil kingship in Israel. Fifteen kings who came after him were described as being evil, like Jeroboam. The idolatry Jeroboam started lasted for centuries Elohim unleashed the ruthless and merciless Assyrians on the Northern kingdom who destroyed the nation and exiled the population. All this happened because of the idolatry Jeroboam had picked up in Egypt. Seeing what Jeroboam alone did to destroy the ten tribes and the Most High wasnt going to allow this happen to the returning tribes of Judah to come back to Egypt and become this corrupted. Israel had picked up idol worship from around the nations around them but these people were enemies and therefore not worth emulating. The Egyptians were another matter. Israel looked up to the Egyptians. This meant when they came to copy anything from the Egyptians they did so blindly and with an open heart. Also, the Egyptians acted like Big Brother pretending to offer protection in times of need thereby stopping the Israelites from relying on Elohim. “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares Yahuwah, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge. But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame, Egypt’s shade will bring you disgrace. Isaiah 30:1-3 Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Yahuwah. Ezekiel 29:16 Egypt was a reed of a staff for Israel Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. 2 Kings 18:21 From the above Scriptures Israel put all their trust and depended heavily on Egypt. This dependency played a pivotal role in Israels failings and eventual downfall. Was there any consequences for Egypts constant interference? The consequences was fatal the Most High basically destroyed and drove out the cesspool of idolatry called Egypt and thus stop her constantly meddling and derailing the Israelites. So because of this plan of the Most High to do to Egypt, Elohim warned His people not to go in Africa. If they did they would suffer the same calamity coming on the Egyptians and the Ethiopians. This was the reason behind Elohims warnings to the Israelites feeling to Egypt. The would suffer the same fate as the Africans. Also in the reverse Exodus back to Egypt in North Africa Elohim moved them (Israelites) from Egypt in North Africa and pushed them deeper into Africa below the Sahara Desert. This prevented the Israelites going back and re-pollute Judah with their idolatry. This deep push into Africa explains how the Israelites and their customs came to be in West Africa. Israels ten tribe Kingdom had ceased to exist and the Babylonians and invaded Judah. The scribes who would normally have been available to write the scriptures were in exile in Babylon. Jeremiah prophesied that the Israelites would be taken to Babylon would return home after seventy years in exile in Jeremiah 29:10-14; Jeremiah 42:15-17; Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 32:36-41. Secular history also confirmed this in fact the Israelites who migrated to the Sudan from the North converged with the Israelites migrating from the eastern Sudan to the countries of the Niger River. It is a known fact that the Israelites were in Africa fifteen hundred years before Islam and that every where the Arabs went the Israelites were there. These Israelites guided the Arabs and Moors into Spain and ated as interpreters. When the Mulsims came into the Sahara, they found the Israelites stationted on all the trade routes. There is much proof and still much more to be revealed that there existed prior to the Atlantic Slave trade and subsequent to it many Israelite tribes, colonies, and kingdoms existed in West Africa. Many of the Hebrew Israelite tribes established settlements among the African tribes throughout central and western Africa. Example, There was a Hebrew Israelite colonly called Lamlam. Lamlam was situated about two hundred miles west of Timbuktu. The Hebrew merchants were then monopolizing the trade that was concentrated at Timbuktu. Lamlam was entirely Hebrew and the Israelites fought wars to maintain to her control of the trade. The Hebrew Israelites had settlements not only in the interior of Africa; but they also had communities on the west coast of Africa from Morocco to Angola. In the year 1856 Dr. J. L. Wilson wrote his history of western Africa. He states the composite religious culture of some of the inhabitants of Senegambia (or Senegal) and Guinea; in Senegal, he said there, is a complete medley of paganism, Judaism, and Mohammedanism, and it is difficult to say which of the three occupies the most prominent place or exerts the greatest influence upon the character of the people. However, the sentiment of the inhabitants regarding this multi-religious mixture was that the combination of the three religions further the welfaree of all. Judaism, and Mohammedanism near the ruins of the medieval Jewish kingdom of Kamnuria? It is obvious to the researchers that after the break-up of the Hebrew Kingdoms of Ghana, Kamnuria and Lamlam the Hebrew Israelites migrated to remote regions of the interior and the caost; then these Hebrews came under the pressure of Muslim propaganda and pagan influence resulting in what is known as cultural diffusion. Many Hebrew Israelites became Muslim but still retained their Hebrew origin. Yet, some of the Israelites according to the Scriptures before all the prophecies came to be known wanted to return back to Egypt. Those exiles in Babylon returned home to Judah. It took Zerubabel and the Judean exiles six months to travel home from exile. On the other hand, an Israelite in Egypt who could get home to Judah in a day failed to make it. Therefore, why would the ones, hundreds of miles away get back home safely while the ones, next door fail to make it? The Tanakh tells us their aim was to return home to Judah asap: None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives.” Jeremiah 44:14 Their brothers in exile in Babylon mirrored the sentiments of those in Egypt to return home. These were so determined to return from exile. They would do anything to achieve their goal. For example to qualify to continue living in Israel, the Babylonians exiles married to foreign women on returning to Judah, divorced their wives. These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes... Ezra 8:1 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the Elohim of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to Yahuwah. Ezra 8:35 Ezras prayer about intermarriage After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.” When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the Elohim of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice. Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to Yahuwah my Elohim and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my Elohim, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today. “But now, for a brief moment, Yahuwah our Elohim has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place[a] in his sanctuary, and so our Elohim gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves, our Elohim has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our Elohim and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem. “But now, our Elohim, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’ “What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our Elohim, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? Yahuwah, the Elohim of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.” Ezra 9:1-15 The People’s Confession of Sin While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of Elohim, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our Elohim by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our Elohim to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our Elohim. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath.Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of Elohim and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of Elohim, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt.Now honor Yahuwah, the Elohim of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.” The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say. But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our Elohim in this matter is turned away from us.” Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this. So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women. Ezra 10:1-17 So we can only imagine to divorce our wives and children to qualify to stay in your household. Israelites were to be a set a part nation from the gentile nations. After the Judeans tasted exile in Babylon, the Israelites were different people. Their determination was to uphold Elohims will, even if it meant divorcing their foreign wives and losing their children.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 18:34:58 +0000
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