You will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

(John 8:32 -New Jerusalem Bible)

WHAT IS FREEDOM
(from a Bible standpoint)

An Essay exploring the meaning and significance of John 8:32

by John ben Wilhelm

What is Gods idea of FREEDOM

Freedom is one of the most cherished concepts for living life to ever have been advanced by humans alive on this planet. Men have sacrificed their lives for freedom and also have taken lives in the name of freedom. Deprivation of freedom is seen both as punishment for crime in penal systems and also as a crime itself against humanity when it takes the form of slavery. Being free and freedom are terms which hold different meanings to different people. To some it means being able to live the way they wish without restrictions or encumbrances by outside authorities. To others it means being able to live under a rule of government of their own choosing. To yet others it means not being forced to do things they dont want to, and to still others it means being independent from those things which bring pain, suffering or unhappiness. Oft times, any given individuals idea of freedom includes a combination of these things.
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For most people there is an easy tendency to see freedom as something black and white, that is, as either simply existing or not existing, something you either have or dont have. In reality freedom is far more complex. It is almost never found in anything coming even close to an absolute sense. As far as accurate definitions go, relative freedom might well be a more fitting term to describe what most people mean when they use the word freedom or entertain the concept of being free. None of us is totally free in an absolute sense. For example we are all subject to the laws of nature. We need to eat, sleep and breathe air. Also, we are not free of regulations and standards which have been put in place for the collective benefit and safety of the community as a whole. Even more importantly, we may think we are, but we are not free of a need for God or from the will of God. When Gods son, Jesus Christ, who is known to reflect the thinking of his father perfectly said: You will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ( Joh.8:32 NJB), exactly what did he mean? In what form or in what way should we understand the freedom he referred to? This was not offered as a hollow statement. It has profound significance. These words hold not merely hope, but a grand promise declared by no lower authority than the son of God and backed by God almighty himself. Therefore, we do well in making sure we really understand what these words meant to him when he spoke them. Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. NIV (spoken of God the father by Isaiah the prophet and preserved as an inspired truth in Gods word the Bible). From this it should be apparent that what any one of us holds as a personal definition of the word freedom may or may not be the same definition of freedom Jesus had in mind when he spoke the words at John 8:32 almost two thousand years ago. Where then, can we go to achieve an accurate understanding of what kind of freedom those words of truth and that promise he made holds out for us? Scripture provides important clues to help us answer that question with the following statements; Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. NIV Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any doubleedged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. NIV John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. NIV

Since it is the Bible, Gods inspired word which is given as the source of truth, it is entirely appropriate that this is exactly where we should go to get a fuller picture of what Gods viewpoint of freedom is, for his would be the exact same viewpoint Jesus held when he spoke the words recorded at John 8:32. Let us begin by examining the context around these words to see what can help us form a realistic picture in connection with what Jesus said on that occasion. John 8:31, 32. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. :32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." NIV One of the first things we might notice is that the words at vs. 32 are based on certain preconditions which can be found in context around the statement itself; 1. He was not the originator of the thinking behind these words: John 8:28 So Jesus said: When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of my own accord. What I say is what the Father has taught me; NJB 2. The freedom he promised with those words depended on two things: a. The words in their original form were directed specifically to those who put faith in him, his disciples. b. If, they as disciples continued in his word, then they would enjoy such freedom. John 8:31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had faith in him, If you keep my word, then you are truly my disciples; BBE 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." NIV Or as other versions puts it; John 8:31, 32. Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, NAB:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." NIV To arrive at a scriptural understanding of the full implications of his words at John 8:32 we need to consider the comprehensive meaning scripture attaches to a full understanding of freedom as God sees it. The first thing we may realize is that there can be distinctly different meanings which we may attribute to the words free and freedom which will be largely dependent on the context in which they appear.
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One meaning of freedom is concerned with the sense of being without cost or lacking the necessity of any other form of remuneration. Scriptural examples; Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come!' Let everyone who listens answer, 'Come!' Then let all who are thirsty come: all who want it may have the water of life, and have it free. NJB Matthew 10:8 Cure sick people, raise up dead persons, make lepers clean, expel demons. YOU received free, give free. NWT Or as another version states; Matthew 10:8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. NAB Another meaning is concerned with being independent of something, not being a part or substance to it, in effect separate from it. Scriptural examples; Psalm 17:1 A PRAYER OF DAVID. Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! ESV Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." NIV Romans 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. NIV A third meaning has to do with not being in subjection to someone or something else, as found by example in slavery where one is completely under control of the will of another, and not subject to his own personal sovereignty (freewill). Scriptural examples; Galatians 4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. NIV Titus 3:3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. We hated others, and they hated us. NLT
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Romans 6:16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? NIV John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Every one that practises sin is the bondman of sin. DBY From even a brief selection of verses, we readily find slavery may take on different forms; There is slavery to those who are not by nature gods, which is slavery to men. There is slavery to our own wrongful desires; there is slavery to sin for those who practice sin. In fact, as Rom 6:16 indicates, we may be slaves to anyone or anything we obey contrary to our own self will and best interests. It is freedom from this last definition of slavery which is the first key to understanding the implications of Jesus words at John 8:32. Yet, his words there were not limited to merely being free from something; they had as much application to being free for something. Those words applied as well to personal freedom to express individuality in the form of free will which is the opposite to slavery. Also, freedom to worship God in the right way, freedom to show love and benefit ourselves and fellow humans is another aspect to the freedom he referred to at John 8:32. We will touch on all these freedoms as they apply to Jesus words, since they all represent his fathers viewpoint as expressed in inspired writings. We can safely say that all thought and therefore all action that thought may trigger is sent forward from the launching pad of ones own mind. Both freedom and slavery are firstly, before all else, conditions of the mind even before the body. A poem entitled Epitome Captivity by John Dieckmann well illustrates how important ones mental condition is to freedom. If I imprison your body your, thoughts will roam free I could pluck out your eyes but your heart would still see I know exactly what Ill do, just how to steal your liberty I will simply lock up your mind and then my slave you will be Therefore, let us begin our examination of the Bible concept of freedom with an initial exploration of the meanings of freedom in connection with free will and its antithesis, slavery.
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FREEDOM IN THE BEGINNING

In doing this we begin at the beginning, which is in the book of Genesis starting with events in the Garden of Eden. There we find according to that account that the first human pair, Adam and Eve, were granted great latitude in the freedoms they were given. Yet, it was not completely unconditional. Just as the freedom Jesus promised at John 8:32 had preconditions, their freedom also had preconditions. The freedom they enjoyed was predicated on them being in harmony with the will of their creator, Jehovah God and his first born spirit son, their co-creator. (Gen. 1:26, Joh. 1:1, Col. 1:16) Understanding this is absolutely essential to knowing how Jehovah views freedom. In Adam and Eves case, while they were granted overall freedom to live in a paradise like garden, there was never the less, one highly significant restriction placed on their freedom. The single restriction placed on their freedom was extremely important as it constituted a test of their personal faith in the creator. It recognized their own designed nature as humans while at the same time testing obedience and loyalty by which appreciation and faith for their creator could be confirmed. The way they were designed demanded the characteristics of loyalty in order for the entire creation to remain in harmony with their creator and also to perpetuate itself into the future. They had to realize that God as their creator knew at that time and would always know what was best for them as well as for the rest of his creation. Therefore, they would have to conduct their lives in a way that was in harmony with his will as master creator of them and also of a comprehensive environment including everything on the planet earth. This was prerequisite to all the other freedoms they were endowed with. So, he laid one restriction on their freedom, a restriction which was quite simple to follow yet representative of a much greater issue involved. The issue was whose sovereignty would they and the rest of their succeeding generations live under? Would it be under his sovereignty as the creator or under someone or something else? Genesis 2:16, 17. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; TNK: 17 except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die." NAB Remember, the reason behind this restriction was all about what was best for them and for the rest his creation. Gods position was simply; in order for the entire creation to be in harmony, it had to be in compliance with his own will both as creator and as the single entity who knew what was best for that which he himself had caused to exist.
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While Adam possessed some of Gods qualities, being made in his image, he was not made in a way so that he could fully determine what was best. He was not immediately capable of determining right and wrong, or what was best for him or for the creation as a whole. Although granted a wide range of freedoms and extensive personal freedom of will for himself, he would forever need Gods guidance and direction to assure everything in the creation remained in its proper order and operated smoothly. Jeremiah 10:23 You know, O LORD, that man is not master of his way; Man's course is not within his choice, nor is it for him to direct his step. NAB Isaiah 48:17 The Lord who takes up your cause, the Holy One of Israel, says, I am the Lord your God, who is teaching you for your profit, guiding you by the way in which you are to go. BBE It is noteworthy that his violation of the restriction at Gen. 2: 16, 17, would immediately deprive him of one of the greatest freedoms which he had been designed to enjoy, that of freedom from the necessity to die. Jehovah God had designed him to live, with no mention of him having to die unless he disobeyed. With his act of disobedience he lost the freedom from death he was originally designed with.

FREEDOM DISINTEGRATES
After that first act of disobedience there began a continuous erosion of the overall freedoms God had granted Adam for himself and his progeny. While it was God who initially removed some freedoms, such as freedom from death and freedom from the futility of hard labor, and imposed consequential punitive judgments on him, his own course of disobedience would expand and deprive him of more and more freedoms as time would pass. When Adam and Eve, under the influence of Gods arch enemy Satan the devil, decided that they could be like God and rule themselves as well as their creator could, it triggered an avalanche of lost freedoms for themselves and their progeny. Immediately they exchanged Gods kindly and entirely beneficial rule for enslavement to the will and desires of the one who had planted the idea of self rule in their heads, Satan the Devil. With the acceptance of his guidance in place of Jehovah Gods, came major consequences for having abandoned Jehovahs guidance in favor of their own, and or other guidance. It brought along with it erosions to their fundamental human freedoms and enslavement to the will of supernatural beings who had joined in the rebellion of Satan the devil. As the years passed, between that rebellion in the Garden of Eden and the birth of Noah, humankind became estranged from their creator and the fatherly guidance he had intended for them. By the time of Noah, a thousand years later, they were found to be greatly under
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enslavement to powers opposing God. The Genesis account reveals that the worship of many other gods besides Jehovah was prevalent on the earth and that by the time of Noah some spirit beings, followers of Satan, had transmigrated to the earth and copulated with human women to produce hybrid offspring (Demi-gods, Nephillim), and evil and violence prevailed to such a wide extent that God almighty, described scripturally as abundant in loving kindness and long suffering by nature (Psa.103;8), decided to take action. Genesis 6:5 -7. And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of Man was great on the earth and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart only evil continually. DBY:6 he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved. NAB:7 And Yahweh said, 'I shall rid the surface of the earth of the human beings whom I created -- human and animal, the creeping things and the birds of heaven -- for I regret having made them.' NJB There was however, on the scene an exception, a man who was inclined to follow Jehovah Gods guidance and who chose to walk in obedience and humility with him rather than following the crowd dominated by ungodly evil thinking under the leadership of Satan and his diabolical forces. Genesis 6:9 This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with him. NLT Genesis 6:12, 13. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. NIV :13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.NIV Genesis 6:18 But I solemnly swear to keep you safe in the boat, with your wife and your sons and their wives. NLT Centuries later the apostle Paul was inspired to write; Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith. NAB God took the action he said he would and intervened on earth by destroying the evil population which had taken control of the earth. He did this by means of an earth wide flood. He would restore freedom again on earth in the sense that people under their own freewill would once again start with a clean slate and could either accept his guidance and direction or reject it in favor of their own sovereignty, which would continue to be under the ptessure of Satan and his minions. Jehovah knew Satan would again attempt to lead them
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away from the broad freedoms God had intended for them in the Garden of Eden. None the less, he had originally created them as free moral agents with the ability to make intelligent decisions and act on them. They had not been pre-programmed as robots, for such could not afford any satisfaction to him in their appreciation and worship for their creator. This free moral agency was a part of the nature he had designed them and with there was no flaw in his design. It was very good according to his own standards which were perfect since he was in effect the originator and determiner of what was good and what was not for all of creation. Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-- the sixth day. NIV Thus, for mankind on the earth a fresh start was in order. Once again, God would provide guidance and direction for them to live and be free to live peacefully and in harmony with the rest of his creation on the planet he had given them. Also, they would once again have the freedom to choose to follow his guidance, thereby expressing appreciation for what he was and what he provided. They would be free to express this appreciation in a way for all to observe, that is by exclusive worship directed to him and him alone. Thus through preserving Noah, his sons and their families, mankind was given a fresh opportunity to people the earth along the lines of Gods original plan. In the post flood history of the families of Noahs sons we are given evidence that only Shem and his progeny chose to follow Jehovah God. According to scriptural information, the families of Ham and Japeth chose to worship and follow other gods aside from Jehovah. Keep in mind that by definition in a religious sense, a god is an immortal, supernatural being that is an object of worship and reverence. This describes what Satan and his fellow fallen spirit beings became to most of humanity at that time. However, as Noah had been an exception at the time of the flood, Shem and his progeny were exceptions among the humans on earth in their time. Genesis 9:26 And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem, And let Canaan be his bondman. DBY The new opportunity once again resulted in a massive forsaking of Jehovahs sovereignty for human sovereignty and servitude under the direction and leader ship of gods who in actuality represented the interests of Satan the Devil in opposition to Jehovah. As a consequence the vast majority of the human family exchanged the loving beneficial freedoms under Jehovahs guidance for the domineering selfish, evil guidance of Satans camp. With that came an erosion of the freedoms enjoyed under Jehovahs rule and an increased domination by, and servitude to the gods they followed and worshipped in opposition to Jehovah.
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This erosion of human freedoms became full blown in the time of Nimrod, a great opposer to God. He is said to have created cities filled with human followers for himself by means of seemingly impressive accomplishments. Examples of this are found in the great tower he caused to be built which is mentioned in the Bible at Gen 11:5 and in more than 35 other towers for worship throughout the known world of his time. Also, he founded the ancient cities of Babel, Uruk, Akkad and Chalneh in the land of Shinar (Mesopotamia). Additionally, there is further historical evidence of his establishing Nineveh, one of the great city centers of ancient times. All of these were cities in which his followers lived and worshipped him and the god or gods he set before them in place of Jehovah. The description at Gen 10:9 of Nimrod as a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah carries with it an implication that his hunting was not confined exclusively to animals, as this in itself would not have constituted an act of opposition to God who had given man dominion over the animal kingdom. (Genesis 1:26, 2:19.) The implication is that force and violence were used to build himself a vast empire among men. As a result of warfare against those who would not acquiesce to his wishes, the notion of slavery in which men would be ruled by other men came into being. Those of the vanquished who had not been killed in battle were taken as slaves to obey and serve the needs of their conquerors under the penalty of death for failure to obey them. Thus was born the concept of men and women having their freedom taken away from them and made slaves serving the needs of their victorious human masters, masters who incidentally, were actually being guided by Satan and his spirit followers in opposition to God. The slavery concept was enforced by means of an already lost freedom. That is the freedom from fear of physical death. There was no need to fear death in the Garden of Eden as long as they recognized Gods right to sovereignty. This newly acquired fear of death was to be used throughout all of history as a means by which human beings could be exploited and controlled by those who had established themselves as masters over them. All this was attributable to a single notion that men could rule themselves and other humans as well as Jehovah could. It was a notion originally planted in Eves mind by Satan the devil, which if she believed and influenced her husband Adam to accept, the future course of humans on the earth could be changed. Through this one act, which would have an effect on all children they produced, the door was opened for Satan to control all future humans by means of his own superior intelligence. She did, and he (Satan) did and this has influenced the human family down to this very day. It is clear from subsequent scripture how Jehovah views such a concept of disobedience to his will and the fatherly guidance he provides.

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Judges 2:20 Yahweh's anger then blazed out against Israel, and he said, 'Since this people has broken the covenant which I laid down for their ancestors, since they have not listened to my voice, NJB Judges 2:20 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, NIV Jeremiah 25:7 Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm. ESV The consequences of people refusing to listen to the voice of God are grave; Jeremiah 6:19 Listen, earth! Watch, I shall bring disaster on this people: it is the fruit of the way they think, since they have not listened to my words nor to my law, but have rejected it. NJB Jeremiah 29:18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery.NJB Jeremiah 29:19 because they have refused to listen to my words, Yahweh declares, although I have persistently sent them all my servants the prophets; but they would not listen, Yahweh declares. NLT Isaiah 65:12 I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me." NIV Yet despite the fact that the vast majority of people on the earth followed in the footsteps of Adam and Eve in choosing to reject Jehovahs guidance thereby causing the earth to become filled with violence and evil, there were exceptions. Noah and his family were humans who chose Jehovahs sovereignty and did follow Gods guidance and direction. They showed loyalty by their explicit obedience to the directions he gave them and one son even produced some descendants who did remain faithful to Jehovah. While that ancient world at large chose to follow other gods and the men who served them, there were some noteworthy exceptions. The Bible mentions Abraham, Melchizedeck, Job, and Enoch as examples of humans who faithfully walked with God. All of these were representatives of the branch of Noahs family descended through Shem. Because Shem made a conscientious choice to follow Jehovah instead of those gods who Noahs other progeny (the rest of mankind), had chosen to follow, Jehovah decided he would use the family of Shem to build a nation of people to serve as a model for the rest of humankind to follow. Recall, Gods original purpose was to have the whole earth populated
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by a people completely at peace and in harmony with him and his creation while also being appreciative of the blessings he afforded them.

THE ROAD BACK TO FREEDOM Thus through a promise he had made to one man who possessed the kind of faith he expected of all his human family, a plan was put in place to create a nation of people through which all men would be blessed. That man was Abraham (later referred to as a friend of God) and that nation was Israel. His selection portended both a family and a future nation which would ultimately produce the Messiah through whom God would restore mankind and the earth to its originally intended state. That state was one in which man would enjoy the original wide spectrum of freedom under Jehovahs soveriegnty and live in harmony with the rest of creation as well as with his creator. To build such a nation from what then existed on earth, required a major re- shaping of the composite character which had by the time of Shems offspring already wandered far from what Jehovah God had in mind. While it was true imperfection and diabolic influence had totally enveloped humans in general and estranged them from the true god, it also had its influences on those few who had exhibited a degree of loyalty to God. Shems descendants were by then known as Israelites, (being descendants of Jacob who had been renamed Israel by Gods angel). Shems descendants constituted an entire nation of persons who had come under slavery to Eqypt, a nation who worshipped gods other than Jehovah. To further his plan, Jehovah God needed to rescue his designated people from the yoke of slavery they were currently under to the Pharoah of Egypt. First, Jehovah would rescue them from the bondage of slavery and then he would re- form them into a people worthy of becoming a model for the remainder of mankind to see and follow. Also, through them he would produce the seed he had promised at Genesis 3:15, (his Messiah) and the means by which the death sentence and the devastation caused by the rebellion of Satan the devil would be overcome. Then life would be restored to its eternal purpose as he had initially set it in motion in the Garden of Eden. But the first step was to prepare a people to act as a representative model. Toward this end he would provide an entire nation of people to serve as an example for all other nations to emulate. In order to do this, shortly after freeing them from slavery, he provided a system of rules and regulations for them to follow. While the world has popularized ten commandments the code he gave them through a prophet named Moses actually consisted of 613 individual rules and regulations. This set of laws (a code) was broken down into 365 dos (positives) and 248 donts (negatives).
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The 613 mitzvot (laws) have been divided into three general categories. A category of mitzvoth are called Mishpatim. These include commandments that are deemed to be selfevident, such as not to murder or not to steal. Another category of mitzvot are called Edot ("testimonies"). They stand as testimonies in religious branches of Judaism. For example, the Shabbath is said to testify to the story that Hashem (God) created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day and declared it holy. A third category of mitzvot are called Chukim. These commandments have apparent rationale, and are perceived as pure manifestations of the Divine will. It is also interesting to note that approximately two thirds of these individual laws had to do with things pertaining to the peoples own welfare and one third had to do with their appreciative relationship with God connected with worship. With these words Jehovah summed up his relationship with the nation of Israel; Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a people consecrated to Yahweh your God; of all the peoples on earth, you have been chosen by Yahweh your God to be his own people.
NJB

While the Mosaic code was designed to accomplish a separating and a cleansing of his people, it also was to supply a tutor (teacher or guide) leading up to the messianic provision by which he would restore the human family and the earth itself to its originally intended perfect condition. They (Israelites) were to constitute a chosen nation to declare the excellencies of their creator and God Jehovah. Years later the apostle Peter was to restate this relationship with the words recorded at 1 Peter 2:9 where he spoke to a spiritual nation under Gods son Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. NIV The Mosaic law represented both a system of temporary restrictions and also a covenant leading to something better under which the glorious freedom of the sons of God would be established on earth, thereby ending forever the slavery and corruption brought about by Satans rebellion and Adam and Eves sin. We say, a system of temporary restrictions because later scripture shows us that at the same time he gave this code to his people, he already foresaw something better for them. Jeremiah 31:31-33 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, NAU :32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.NIT:33 "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the LORD. "I will put my laws
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in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. NLT It is remarkable that this chosen nation from the very beginning, even before Moses came down from Mt. (Mt. Horeb) with the final version of the commandments God provided for them towards achieving a conversion to a holy nation, had already began to grumble about their relationship with Jehovah God and looked to men and false gods to follow. Nevertheless, when gathered before him shortly after he came down from Mt Sinai the people confirmed and accepted that body of laws God provided through Moses and committed to obey them. Exodus 24:3 When Moses went and told the people all the LORD's words and laws, they responded with one voice, "Everything the LORD has said we will do." NIV Before his death, and before they entered the Promised Land, Moses reiterated those laws and the terms of Gods covenant with the people and also committed them to the priesthood and elders of the nation. Moses died and was succeeded by Joshua as their leader who then continued to lead them to their destination. Under Joshua, after they had peacefully settled into the land God had promised them, God called for a renewing of the Mosaic Covenant. He set their history before them and sought a response. The response was Israel unequivocally agreed to the Covenant, they pledged their full obedience. The nation of Israel accepted Gods terms under which he re-affirmed his agreement for them to become a holy nation, a people for special possession through whom the entire world would be benefitted. During Joshuas lifetime and the life time of the elders who followed him Israel remained true to their word and Jehovah continued to provide guidance by means of individual judges who he would raise in response to specific needs as they developed. Then, as recorded, starting at Judges 2:17; the Bible begins a period of history when the nation figuratively rode a see-saw, bouncing back and forth between slavery to men under their false gods and peaceful freedom under Jehovah and the judges he provided them with. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD's commands.
NIV

Judges 3:7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgot Jehovah their God, and served the Baals and the Asherahs. DBY
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Judges 3:8 Then Yahweh's anger blazed out against Israel: he handed them over to Cushan-Rishathaim king of Edom, and the Israelites were enslaved to CushanRishathaim for eight years. NJB When it says he handed them over, this indicates he withdrew his protection which was included as part of the covenant they violated by serving false gods and forgetting him. At this time, they lost the freedom they enjoyed under Jehovahs judges and entered a period of slavery for eight years to Cushan-Rishathaim. In their misery, they cried out to Jehovah for help. Judges 3:9 And the sons of Israel began to call to Jehovah for aid. Then Jehovah raised a savior up for the sons of Israel that he might save them, Oth'ni-el the son of Ke'naz, the younger brother of Ca'leb. NWT Judges 3:10, 11. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died. NIV Judges 3:12,13. Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. NIV Judges 3:14 The Israelites were enslaved to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
NJB

Judges 3:15 Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer-- Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. NIV Ehud killed Eglon and later rallied the forces of Israel and they destroyed the army of Moab. Thus Moabs yoke of slavery was broken and Israel returned to Jehovah free from control by men under the influence of false Gods. Judges 3:30 So Moab was broken that day under the hand of Israel. And for eighty years the land had peace. BBE Judges 4:1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. NIV

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Judges 4:2 So the LORD allowed them to fall into the power of the Canaanite king, Jabin, who reigned in Hazor. The general of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-ha-goiim. NAB Judges 4:3 Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. ESV Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time. DBY Judges 5:3 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. NIV Judges 5:20 The stars fought from heaven, from their orbits they fought against Sisera. NJB Thus she rallied the nation and Sisera was killed in an extraordinary way and heavenly forces came to the aid of Israel, thereby once again releasing the Israelites from bondage to a foreign power. Judges 6:1 And the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord gave them up into the hand of Midian for seven years. BBE Judges 6:6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of Midian. And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah. DBY Judges 6:8 he sent them a prophet, who said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. NIV Judges 6:10 And I said to you: I am Yahweh your God. You are not to fear the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now living. But you have not listened to my voice." ' NJB Thus Jehovah commissions Gideon who arrives on the scene as Judge in Israel. He and a small army of 300 men miraculously defeat the Midianites with power Jehovah exercises on their behalf. (Judges 6:11-8:27) Judges 8:28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon's lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years. NIV Judges 8:3, 34. But after Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and committed fornication with Baalim. And they made a covenant with Baal, that he should be their god: DRA:34 They forgot the LORD their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them. NLT
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During that era Abimelech, One of Gideons sons asserted himself as judge in Israel. Abimelech a name claiming the inherited right to rule, was also a common name of the Philistine kings. He was, however, merely the son of Gideon's concubine, and to make good his claim to rule over Manasseh, he resorted to force. He put to death his 70 half-brothers. Abimelech ruled just three years in Shechem after the death of his father (Judges 8:33-9:6). According to Judges 9:6, he was made "king by the men of Shecam. He was not put on the throne by Jehovah. According to the Bible account, he was an unprincipled, ambitious ruler, who often engaged in war with his own subjects. The next judge on the scene was Tola. He was one of the Judges of Israel whose career is documented in Judges 10:1-2. Tola, judged Israel for some twenty-three years after Abimelech died and lived at Shamir in Mount Ephraim, where he was also buried. Little else is documented about his era. Judges 10:3 After him rose Jair of Gilead, who judged Israel for twenty-two years. NJB Judges 10:4 He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair. NIV Judges 10:5 When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon NIV. Apparently, this ended a period of relative peace and freedom under Judges Jehovah had approved to guide Israel. Then the following verse attests, they once again reverted to their former ways which had brought them into bondage before. Judges 10:6 Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. They worshiped images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. Not only this, but they abandoned the LORD and no longer served him at all. NLT Judges 10:7,8. the LORD became angry with Israel and allowed them to fall into the power of (the Philistines and) the Ammonites. NAB Judges 10:8 who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. NIV Judges 10:9 And the children of Ammon went over Jordan, to make war against Judah and Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was in great trouble.
BBE

Judges 10:10 Finally, they cried out to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God and have served the images of Baal." NLT
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Judges 10:11- 13 The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, :12. the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? NIV 13 But, for all this, you have given me up and have been servants to other gods: so I will be your saviour no longer. BBE Judges 10:14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" NIV Subsequently, the Israelites continued to plead for help from Jehovah even to the extent of welcoming any punishment he would mete out to them. They began showing good will in connection with their pleas by removing the vestiges of worship of other gods and rendering exclusive devotion to Jehovah. As a result of their latest turn around, he began to feel sympathy for their miseries. Judges 10:16 They removed the alien gods from among them and served the LORD; and He could not bear the miseries of Israel. TNK Meanwhile their enemies, the Ammonites on the east and the Philistines on the southwest continued to oppress them. Then he gave Israel a victory over the Ammorites under Judge Jepthah. Jehovah raised another judge, Sampson who was dedicated from birth to Jehovah as a nazirite (one set apart for the service of Jehovah under a vow of asceticism) Sampson was granted super human strength by Jehovah which he used to fight against the Philistines. While Sampson was given a number of impressive victories over them during his forty year tenure, the Philistines were still allowed by Jehovah to continue to oppress Israel and extract tribute from them as well. There are two factors in this; one was Sampson was not whole - hearted towards Jehovah and far from blameless. The second was that the nation, while showing a change of heart towards Jehovah still had to be tested. The Bible provides clear insight into his reasons for this in the following verses Judges 2:2,3. but that you were not to make a pact with the inhabitants of this land, and you were to pull down their altars. Yet you have not obeyed me. What did you mean by this? NAB :3 Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."
NIV

Judges 2:16- 22 And Jehovah raised up judges, and they saved them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. DBY:17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD's commands.:18 Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for
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them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them.:19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.:20 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me,:21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.:22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did." The period of the Judges serves as an example of how Israel repeatedly gravitated toward the influence of the people surrounding them, and chose to serve their gods rather than Jehovah. As a consequence they became enslaved to the evil practices, superstitions and oppressive doctrines connected with the worship of these Gods. They left the simplicity, freedom and fatherly protection that obedience to Jehovah provided and exchanged it for oppression and slavery under men of the nations around them and the gods those men were serving. Thus when we get to the end of the period of judges during the tenures of Eli and Samuel we find the nation whom God had chosen as a people for his name, meaning a people who would represent all that his name and purpose stood for, intent on looking to humans for their deliverance rather than to Jehovah God. Eli, a judge appointed by Jehovah, in turn appointed his sons as judges. This apparently was Elis idea and not according to Jehovahs will. Those sons turned out to be what is described in the Bible in the following way: Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the LORD Eli went beyond Jehovahs will in selecting his sons as Judges in Israel. In doing so he had relied on his own judgment and it proved faulty. NLT. During that era Jehovah did have a man he himself selected to serve as Judge in Israel. That man was Samuel who had been dedicated to Jehovah from childhood. Samuel served Jehovah faithfully as a prophet and Jehovah gave Israel victories over their Philistine enemies during the early stages of Samuels tenure, after which he became judge. During later stages of Samuels judgeship which lasted until he died, Israel enjoyed freedom from their Philistine oppressors. Unfortunately, shortly prior to his death, Samuel made the same error Eli had made before and took it upon himself to appoint his sons to follow him as Judges in Israel. Samuel's sons, Joel and Abijah, were corrupt, so the people demanded a king.
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1 Samuel 8:5 They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." NIV This passage is often read without considering the enormous implications it was to have on the quality of freedom Israel would enjoy from that time forward. During the time of the Judges it could be said Israel was under a theocracy. This meant direct rule by God who raised individual judges as he deemed necessary. When a need arose for a human to represent him among the people, he chose one. There was no right of survivorship that granted sons of such a choice a continuing office of service to Jehovah. Under that theocracy in Israel, the nation enjoyed the best government that has ever existed. God allowed them exceedingly great freedom. Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. ESV Lets take a careful look at a key verse (1 Sam. 8:5) and what the implications are toward the issue of sovereignty raised in the Garden of Eden. Remember, it was there that Satan first convinced Eve that she could determine what was best for herself and also for her husband Adam. Afterwards, in a relatively short time Nimrod had built an entire empire on this idea that he as a human could control other humans. Also, remember, that Satan the devil was the force behind that idea and he would himself provide guidance to humans through control by his followers who were also spirit beings (gods), which he himself was. Thus far, as mans history continued to unfold, the results had so far been much violence and suffering for the human family and also the concept of humans being slaves of other humans was introduced among the human family. An examination of prevailing conditions near the end of the time of the Judges shows that humans had not learned from their history and were embarked on a course which would even restrict their freedoms further. They were still not recognizing that Jehovahs way was the best way for them. They were still looking for a human solution. Sadly their last two judges apparently also had not come to a right conclusion either, for they had made important decisions based on their own human thinking. They selected their own progeny on the road to setting up a human dynasty of ruler ship through their own families. It was not what Jehovah had led them to do. This indicated human thinking and treaded on Jehovahs rightful sovereignty. As a result, when things began to go amiss to such extent that the people recognized things were not right, we find this request recorded at 1 Sam. 8:5; From three versions

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1 Samuel 8:5 They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." NIV 1 Samuel 8:5 and said to him, "Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us." NAB 1 Samuel 8:5 And said to him, See now, you are old, and your sons do not go in your ways: give us a king now to be our judge, so that we may be like the other nations. BBE This verse indicates that his people had lost confidence in Jehovah as their sovereign who would select and appoint his own Judges to guide them with. A lack of faith in Jehovah led them to a view the grass as looking greener in their neighbors yards. To them what they saw in the human kings of their neighbors under pagan gods was something more desirable than Jehovahs way. They had not learned the fundamental truth Jehovah was to call to their attention in the future through his prophet Jeremiah at Jer. 10:23 I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step. NWT That, simply put is; God knows what is good for humans better than humans themselves do. It is an interesting fact that God had foreseen that there might be such a request by his people is evidenced by what is written at Deut. 17:14 Deuteronomy 17:14,15. When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," NIV If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the LORD your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.NLT In verses 17 -20 He gives further instructions to follow should such a thing occur. As we have seen it did occur (1 Samuel 8:5) Jehovah acquiesces to their request, however not without warning that this would further erode their freedoms. He informs them through Samuel that having a human King will mean greater oppression and not more freedom. 1 Samuel 8:9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." NIV 1 Sam. 8:11-19. "This is how a king will treat you," Samuel said. "The king will draft your sons into his army and make them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be commanders of his troops, while others will be slave laborers. Some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, while others will make his weapons and
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chariot equipment.13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 16 He will want your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but the LORD will not help you." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. "Even so, we still want a king," they said.NLT

A MAJOR SETBACK ON THE ROAD TO GODLY FREEDOM ISRAEL GETS ITS FIRST HUMAN KING!

1 Samuel 8:22 Yahweh then said to Samuel, 'Do as they ask and give them a king.' Samuel then said to the Israelites, 'Go home, each of you, to his own town.' NJB Saul became king because God gave his people the desires of their hearts. God's will was not for them to have a physical king. He was their king. When they asked for a king they were rejecting God. They wanted a physical king so they could be like all the other nations. So in turn, God gave them what they wanted even though it was not his will. It was akin to how he allowed Satan to establish dominance over men on the earth. He had given men free will and they must be able to exercise it. Ultimately, he knew that men would recognize his way was better. The open question was, and possibly still is, how long would this take? Initially Saul was a good king and gained favor in Gods eyes. As far as appearances went, it could be said Saul had everything going for him. Saul looked like royalty: tall, handsome, noble. He was a heroic figure in the eyes of the people and seemed to have modesty and humility. He was a worshipper of Jehovah and thereby it could be expected he would be obedient to the God he worshipped. All these things were true at the beginning of his reign and Jehovah blessed him accordingly. However it was not long till a fatal flaw appeared. Deep down, within his heart, he had not maintained a trust in Jehovah. Faith in his God was wanting and he showed this by looking to and relying on other sources than Jehovah for direction at critical times during his reign. The Bible account summarizes Sauls reign thusly So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD's command, and he even consulted a medium NLT.

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Saul became king when he was 30 years old and reigned over Israel 42 years. Early in his career he made a major mistake. He disobeyed God by failing to completely destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions, as God had commanded. We refer to this as a mistake. Yet it becomes apparent that Jehovah saw it as much more than a mistake and more like an act of disobedience. He had these words of Samuel recorded in his inspired word; 1 Samuel 15:22-23 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." NIV While Samuel was still on the scene as Jehovahs judge and prophet for many years into Sauls reign, Saul for his part mostly ignored seeking advice from Samuel and relied on himself and others in making decisions. Before the death of Samuel Jehovah God withdrew his favor from Saul and had Samuel as his prophet and judge anoint David as king. Words recorded in the book of Acts nicely sum up Jehovahs reasons for deposing Saul as king. Acts 13:22 he deposed him and raised up David to be king, whom he attested in these words, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will perform my entire will." NJB Apparently, Jehovah saw in Saul a streak of disobedience that prevented Saul from fulfilling the expectations Jehovah had for him. The importance of obedience is conveyed at Ecc. 12:13 where it is portrayed as the sum of all that may be spoken concerning Gods relationship with every man Ecclesiastes 12:13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. NAU Obviously, this would on the basis of what Jesus said at Luke 12:48 apply even more so to one who had become a king over other men. Luke 12:48 When someone is given a great deal, a great deal will be demanded of that person; when someone is entrusted with a great deal, of that person even more will be expected. NJB When Saul fought against the Amalekites, he disobeyed Jehovahs explicit instructions. Then, he even had the boldness to tell Samuel that he had carried out the command of the Lord. This instance and a previous one were both blatant disregards of God's commands.
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Later Saul even confessed that he did this because he feared the people and listened to their voice. This confession indicated a lack of faith in Jehovah, insinuating the peoples will meant more to him than Gods will. Saul was concerned for his own glory and not God's. He displayed this again right after he sinned by asking Samuel to honor him before the elders of the people. He was not a man after God's own heart after all. Saul had turned aside from the Lord and let sin become his master. He further demonstrated this by his trusting in himself and those around him whom he sought counsel from aside from Jehovah Simply put, he trusted in men, (himself and other humans), even including a woman known as the witch of Endor rather than God. Samuel, the last judge selected by Jehovah God, served him faithfully from childhood till the time of his death. During his tenure as judge, Samuel persuaded Israel to set aside its worship of local pagan deities, and God helped Israel thwart Philistine oppression for many years. Jehovah saw fit to give Israel important victories over the Phillistines as there evidently was a real demonstration of support for doing things Jehovahs ways. While Samuel was used by Jehovah both as a prophet and a judge, toward the end of his life, he rendered a questionable decision. Neither he nor the people were inclined to wait on Jehovah to provide what was needed. He appointed his own sons as judges in Israel. They did not act according to Jehovahs will and as a result the office of Judge became tarnished in peoples eyes. The people no longer saw Jehovahs way of using judges, directly under his influence as being superior to the way the nations around them did things. They wanted a human king, as the nations had rather than Jehovah and his judges. This is illustrated in how Samuel responded to their asking for a human King (ruler) to be provided for their benefit and security. 1 Samuel 10:19 But today you have rejected your God, him who saves you from all your difficulties and troubles; and you have said, "No, you must set a king over us." Very well, take your positions before Yahweh, tribe by tribe and clan by clan.' NJB Jehovah gave them a king, Saul, and when that did not work out, he gave them another king, David. That Jehovah saw this as a continuing erosion of the freedoms they had under his own direct rule was brought to our attention in the warning he had given to them through his judge and prophet Samuel at 1 Sam. 8:11-19. The introduction of David on the scene is prefaced by words Samuel related on behalf of Jehovah to Saul; 1 Samuel 13:13, 14. And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But
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now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." ESV a. You have done foolishly: This is a stronger phrase than we might think. Samuel is not saying that Saul is unintelligent or silly; the Bible speaks of a fool as someone morally and spiritually lacking. b. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you: Despite all the excuses, all the reasons, all the blaming of someone else, the bottom line is still the bottom line. Samuel puts it plainly: you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God. God commanded you to do something, and you did the opposite. c. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever: The whole point in being a king was to establish a dynasty, where ones sons would sit on the throne afterwards. God tells Saul that his descendants will not reign after him. Though he is a king, he will not establish a monarchy in Israel. d. But now your kingdom shall not continue: We might have expected that Saul would be impeached as king right then and there. After all, Samuel uses the word now. But Saul will actually reign another 20 years. He will still be on the throne as a king, but it will never be the same, because the end of his kingdom is certain. Were Samuels words an over-reaction to what some might think was a rather small sin? To disobey God in the smallest matter is sin enough: In Gods eyes, small sin is still sin. Jesus provided us with Gods viewpoint on this at Luke 16:10. Luke 16:10 "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. NAS Additionally, men see nothing but Sauls outward act, which may seem trivial to them; but God saw with how wicked a mind and heart he did this; with what rebellion against the light of his own conscience, as his own words imply; with what gross infidelity and distrust of Gods providence; with what contempt of Gods authority, and justice, and many other wicked principles and motions of his heart, unknown to men. Besides, God clearly saw all the wickedness that yet lay hidden in his heart, and foresaw all his other crimes; and thereby had far more grounds for a sentence against him than we may imagine. Because the actual judgment for this sin was so far off, we may regard Samuels pronouncement of judgment as an invitation to repentance. Many times, when God announced judgment, He relented if his people repented. Though God threatened
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Saul with the loss of his kingdom for this sin at that time it is not improbable that there was a tacit understanding implied, as is usual in such cases, that is to wit; if he did not heartily repent of this and of all his sins. e. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and he has commanded him to be commander over His people: Though God has rejected Saul, he has not rejected Israel. Because God loves Israel, he will raise up another king, this time, a man after His own heart. Saul was a man after Israels heart, not Jehovahs. He was all about image and prestige and the things men look at. But God will now give Israel a man after His own heart, and raise that man up to be king. It would be easy to say that the kingdom was taken from Saul because of his sin. And on one level, that was certainly the case. But it was more than that. After all, didnt David sin also? Yet God never took the kingdom from David and his descendants. Because the issue was bigger than an incident of sin, the issue was about being a man after Gods own heart. As for David, though he was not without his failings, - and those foul ones too, some of them, - yet for the main, his heart was upright, not rotten, as Sauls was. It is also noteworthy that David, in all his days continued to rely on Jehovah and not on the counsel of other humans. f. What may we understand by the expression a man after His own heart? We can discover this by looking at Saul the man who was not a man after Gods own heart and comparing him to David who was a man after his own heart.

1. A man after Gods heart honors Jehovah. Saul was more concerned with his will than Gods will. David was a man after Gods heart in the way that he never lost sight of Gods will. He realized it was the most important thing. Even when David failed to do Gods will, he still knew Gods will was more important than his own was. While all sin is a form of disregard of God, David sinned more out of weakness and Saul more out of a deliberate disregard for God. 2. A man after Gods heart respects God as king. For Saul, Saul was king. For David, Jehovah God was king. Both David and Saul would have thought sacrifice important before the battle. But David thought it was important because it pleased and honored God. Saul thought it was important because it might help him win a battle.

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For Saul, God was viewed as one who would help him achieve his goals. For David, Gods sovereignty and honor was the goal. I3. A man after Gods heart has a soft, repentant heart. When Saul was confronted with his sin, he offered excuses. When David was confronted with his sin, he simply said I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said to David, Jehovah has also put away thy sin: thou shalt not die DBY. (See also 51st Psalm of David where it shows how deeply David felt sorrow over his transgression.) g. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart: God was looking for the kind of man David was, and he found this man in an unlikely place. In fact, at this time, he wasnt a man at all. He found him as a shepherd boy in the fields caring for his father Jesses sheep. The account at 1 Samuel 16:7, 11, 12. Provides us with insight into how and why Jehovah chose David to succeed Saul and to begin a dynasty of kings which would end with his own Son as the Messiah and King over all of Gods possessions on earth. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." NIV 1 Samuel 16:11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." NIV 1 Samuel 16:12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one. NIV The key to understanding why Jehovah chose David is found at 1 Samuel 16:7 but Yahweh said to Samuel, 'Take no notice of his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him; God does not see as human beings see; they look at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart. NJB By the end of his life, it could be said David was not blameless either as a King or as a man in Jehovahs eyes, for he fell into sin on several occasions. However, unlike Saul before him, he never wavered from his faith in Jehovah, his trust in Jehovah never waned, and while it was true he sinned, he was repentant and remained humble before Jehovah. Solomon, who followed David on the throne, had these words to say in prayer to Jehovah. They explain in a nutshell why David was seen as one who had Jehovahs overall approval for his whole life.
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1 Kings 3:6 Solomon replied, "You were wonderfully kind to my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued this great kindness to him today by giving him a son to succeed him. NLT This may sound to some as an overstatement by Solomon, or perhaps as an undeserved compliment to David on Solomons part, however when we keep in mind how little Jehovah actually asks of humans, his pleasure in David was not ill founded, for these fundamental qualities; honesty, trueness and faithfulness are actually quite a rare combination in humans in general. Deuteronomy 10:12 'And now, Israel, what is Jehovah thy God asking from thee, except to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, YLT Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
NIV

Ecclesiastes 12:13 This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man. BBE Solomon became King next in succession to David. He took his place in a long line of Davidic Kings ending with Jesus who would become the final and ultimate king to sit with Jehovahs complete approval on a throne over Israel (Gods people). Solomon was initially endowed with unprecedented wisdom because he prayed earnestly for it to help him guide his people in a proper and godly way. Yet Solomon whose words of wisdom are contained in inspired Bible writings in the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon still fell short. For despite his lofty intentions early on and his great works on behalf of true worship of Jehovah, he succumbed to self-gratification, to "every desire of his heart (mind)." The result was a premature old age, for he died at only about fifty-nine years old. We may suppose (verse 4) that Solomon was to be reckoned an old man from his fiftieth year onward; whereas really that should have been but the prime of his life had he walked in the ways of wisdom God granted him. Contrary to the divine law (Deut. 17:17), Solomon multiplied wives till he had seven hundred. (1 Kings 11:3) Some of these "queens" were ladies of rank and refinement from the various royal families of surrounding nations, one being Pharaoh's daughter. Solomon in his wisdom was esteemed by them, and they in turn were esteemed by him, not only for their personality, but because of the court alliance and influence with other kingdoms which it cemented. Having slipped from the path of obedience to God and integrity of heart, Solomon fell readily under the influence of his young wives into the support of idolatry. We are not to suppose that he ceased to believe in the only true God and believed in the heathen
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gods and idols and nonsense; but that he came gradually to feel that he wished to please his various wives. This thought is borne out by (1 Kings 11:6), which declares not that Solomon left the Lord, but that he went not fully after the Lord, and that he did that which was evil in the Lord's sight in sanctioning in any degree the idolatrous desires of his wives. Deuteronomy 17:17 And he shall not have many wives, lest his heart go astray; nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess. TNK 1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart away. TNK 1 Kings 11:5-8 5 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. 7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. NIV Yet, during the 40 years of his reign, when Solomon acted in harmony with his God- given wisdom, his people were blessed with justice, peace, and freedoms to an extent far beyond what people under Kings in pagan nations had. Under Solomons reign, the country prospered like never before. The country was wealthy and the neighboring countries had immense respect for Israel. In addition, the territory that the country occupied was larger than ever before. All lands between the river Euphrates and the river Nile belonged to the Israelites. While Solomons people chafed under those burdens of serving a human King, which had been pointed out by the prophet Samuel to them at (1 Sam. 8:11-19), they were free from the religious enslavement neighboring nations were under. Servitude to their gods, included idolatry, human child sacrifice and a host of other burdensome practices and services including furnishing temple prostitutes from among the young men and women of their populations. The completion of Solomons reign introduced a period of a great tumult in the land of Israel during which time the nation was split and ruled by two factions of kings. The Davidic line continued to rule territories of Judah and Benjamin while there was a separate line which ruled what became known as the ten tribe northern kingdom of Israel. A period of over 400 years with a total of 38 kings occupying thrones culminated in slavery and subjection to Babylon during the reign of the last Judean king Zedekiah. He was to be the last king to sit on the Davidic throne until the Messiah would arrive on the scene much later in Gods time table for events.
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Their respective reigns consisted of those who feared and served Jehovah all during their rule, (good) those who did right during some of their reigns (mostly good) and those who offended Jehovah all during their reigns (bad) with idolatry, false worship and various forms of disobedience. KINGS OF ISRAEL: Jeroboam, bad, 930-909 B.C. Nadab, bad, 909-908 B.C. Baasha, bad, 908-886 B.C. Elah, bad, 886-885 B.C. Zimri, bad, 885 B.C. Tibni, bad, 885-880 B.C. Omri (overlap), extra bad, 885-874 B.C. Ahab, the worst, 874-853 B.C. Ahaziah, bad, 853-852 B.C. Joram, bad mostly, 852-841 B.C. Jehu, not good but better than the rest, 841-814 B.C. Jehoahaz, bad, 814-798 B.C. Joash, bad, 798-782 B.C. Jeroboam II (overlap), bad, 793-753 B.C. Zechariah, bad, 753 B.C. Shallum, bad, 752 B.C. Menahem, bad, 752-742 B.C. Pekahiah, bad, 742-740 B.C. Pekah (overlap), bad, 752-732 B.C. Hoshea, bad, 732-722 B.C. KINGS OF JUDAH: Rehoboam, bad mostly, 933-916 B.C. Abijah, bad mostly, 915-913 B.C. Asa, GOOD, 912-872 B.C. Jehoshaphat, GOOD, 874-850 B.C. Jehoram, bad, 850-843 B.C. Ahaziah, bad, 843 B.C. Athaliah, devilish, 843-837 B.C. Joash, good mostly, 843-803 B.C. Amaziah, good mostly, 803-775 B.C. Uzziah, GOOD mostly, 787-735 B.C. Jotham, GOOD, 749-734 B.C. Ahaz, wicked, 741-726 B.C.
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Hezekiah, THE BEST, 726-697 B.C. Manasseh, the worst, 697-642 B.C. Amon, the worst, 641-640 B.C. Josiah, THE BEST, 639-608 B.C. Jehoahaz, bad, 608 B.C. Jehoiakim, wicked, 608-597 B.C. Jehoiachin, bad, 597 B.C. Zedekiah, bad, 597-586 B.C. From the stand point of serving the true interests of Gods people during that 400 year long era, only five out of thirty eight could be seen as having merit in Jehovahs eyes, three could be seen as having some merit and the remaining thirty, none in Gods eyes. On the religious side of things there was in place a priesthood which Jehovah had instituted in the days of Moses beginning with Aaron as the original high priest in a succession of priests from the tribe of Levi. Those men were charged with the duty of serving Jehovah in the temple, keeping his worship clean and undefiled and teaching the people of their time the correct ways of Jehovah. According to prophets on the scene during those years, these human priests left much to be desired in Jehovahs eyes. Jeremiah relates this about that time: Jeremiah 2:8 The priests never asked, "Where is Yahweh?" Those skilled in the Law did not know me, the shepherds too rebelled against me and the prophets prophesied by Baal and followed the Useless Ones. NJB and Ezekiel had this to say; Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests violate my law and profane what is holy to me; they do not distinguish between the sacred and the profane, nor teach the difference between the unclean and the clean; they pay no attention to my sabbaths, so that I have been profaned in their midst. NAB Thus when we consider the general state the people were in at that time when Jehovah was intent on forming them into a holy nation, a special possession; we should not be surprised that their lack of appreciation for him and his provisions led them into defeat, slavery and finally into Babylonian subjection.

Babylonian Captivity

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However, the Babylonian ruler, Nebuchadnezzar was a practical man who saw value in using conquered peoples to greater advantage if they were not under severe oppression. So those considered the cream of Israels population who were not killed in battle were deported to Babylon for purposes of serving his needs. Once there, under Babylonian rule they enjoyed fairly good latitude of free movement, including having their own homes and businesses. Some, for example, Daniel, even achieved a high status in the Babylonian government. Yet, this was still religious oppression for Babylon was run under the influence of many false gods. The Hebrews were forced to live in a land where people were very polytheistic. They thus had a fairly large family of gods enveloping their society. A few were especially important for the Babylonians: Anu, the sky god from whom the kingship originally descended; Ishtar, goddess of love and war; Enlil, Anus son who eventually replaced him; Ea, lord of the deep on which the world rested; Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, with his snake dragon. Eventually there was a fusion of one divine-figure into another. Of course, we see in the book of Daniel, that Nebuchadnezzar desired worship of the people for himself as well. This bondage under Babylonian authority lasted about 70 years until Cyrus conquered Babylon and was influenced by Jehovah to release the Jews allowing them to return to their own homeland. This was preceded by a first indication of a change for the better when King Jehoiachin was liberated from his captivity with regal honors which distinguished him above all other kings at the court of Babylon. According to II Kings 25: 27-30, he was liberated by Evil-Merodach (562-560 B.C.). The accession of Cyrus the Great of Persia in 538 BCE made the re-establishment of the city of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple possible. The first permanent change was brought about when Persian king Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to their home land and rebuild the Temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem. According to the Bible, when the Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem following a decree from Cyrus the Great (Ezra 1:1-4, 2 Chron 36:22-23), construction started at the original site of Solomon's Temple, which had remained a devastated heap during the approximately 70 years of captivity (Dan. 9:1-2). However, Cyrus died and his son Darius assumed his throne. After a relatively brief halt due to opposition from peoples who had filled the vacuum during the Jewish captivity (Ezra 4), work resumed c. 521 BCE under the Persian King Darius the Great (Ezra 5) and was completed during the sixth year of his reign (c. 518/517 BCE), with the temple dedication taking place the following year. That Second Temple lacked the following holy articles which the first temple had contained;
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a. The Ark of the Covenant, containing the Tablets of Stone, the pot of manna, and Aaron's rod. b. The Urim and Thummim (divination objects contained in the Hoshen) c. The holy oil d. The sacred fire. e. Nine of the ten Menorahs the first temple had contained In the Second Temple, the Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies) was separated by curtains rather than a wall as in the First Temple. Still, as in the Tabernacle, the Second Temple included: a. One Menorah (golden lamp) for the Hekhal (Main Hall) b. The Table of Showbread c. The golden altar of incense, with golden censers. The Second Temple also included many of the original vessels of gold that had been taken by the Babylonians but restored by Cyrus the Great. According to Jewish tradition, however, the Temple lacked the Shekinah/Ruach HaKodesh, (holy spirit) the dwelling or settling divine presence of God, present in the first temple. When the opportunity arose for Jews of Babylon to return to their land only a relatively small number answered the call. This was largely because they had carved out a niche for themselves in Babylon. It was not perfect but it had a lot of advantages to those who had successfully adapted themselves to life there. The actual return of the exiles was consummated by Ezra, who assembled at the river Ahava all those desirous of returning. These consisted of about 1,800 men, or 5,500 to 6,000 souls (Ezra: 8th Chapter.), besides 38 Levites and 220 slaves of the Temple from Casiphia. With this body, which was invested with royal powers, Ezra and Nehemiah succeeded, after great difficulties, in establishing the post-exilic Jewish community. From the list given in Neh. 7: 6-73 (= Ezra 2.), which the chronicler erroneously supposed to be an enumeration of those who had returned under Cyrus, it appears that the whole Jewish community at this time comprised 42,360 men, or 125,000 to 130,000 souls altogether.

Jewish Life after Liberation from Babylon

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The Babylonian exile set certain patterns into motion as to how Jewish history would function. To a great extent those patterns have held true and can be seen in Jewish culture in many parallel ways even in our time. The Jews who were exiled to Babylon after the destruction of Judea ultimately established a Jewish community that lasted continuously down to the times of Jesus and beyond even down to our own day. Nevertheless the time in Babylon was an exile and a deprivation of the freedom to enjoy their own land, especially in the context of religious freedom connected with the pure worship of their God Jehovah. The Babylonian captivity and the subsequent return to Judea were seen as one of the pivotal events in the biblical drama between Jehovah and his people of Israel. According to the Hebrew Bible, the captivity in Babylon is presented as a prophecy, as a punishment for their idolatry and disobedience to Jehovahsimilar to the Bible's presentation of Israelite slavery in Egyptand then be delivered them once more. The Babylonian Captivity had a number of serious effects on Judaism and the Jewish culture. For example, the current Hebrew script was adopted during this period, replacing the traditional Israelite script. This period saw the last high-point of Biblical prophecy in the person of Ezekiel, followed by the emergence of the central role of the Torah in Jewish life; according to many historical-critical scholars, it was edited and redacted during this time, and saw the beginning of the canonization of the Bible, which provided a central text for Jews. This process coincided with the emergence of scribes and sages as Jewish leaders (see Ezra). Prior to exile, the people of Israel had been organized according to tribe; afterwards, they were organized by clans, only the tribe of Levi continuing in its 'special role'. After this time, there were always sizable numbers of Jews living outside Eretz Israel (the promised land); thus, it also marks the beginning of the "Jewish diasporas", unless this is considered to have begun with the Assyrian Captivity of Israel. In Rabbinic literature, Babylon was one of a number of metaphors for the Jewish diaspora. Most frequently the term "Babylon" meant the diaspora prior to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. The post-destruction term for the Jewish Diaspora was "Rome", or "Edom". Following the conquest of Judea by Alexander the Great, it became part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt until 200 BCE, when King Antiochus III the Great, of Syria defeated King Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt at the Battle of Panion. Judea became at that moment part of the Seleucid empire of Syria. When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and its religious services stopped, Judaism was effectively outlawed. In 167 BCE, born in Athens and idealizing Greek ways, Antiochus fancied himself to be the manifestation of the Greek god Zeus, taking the title Epiphanes ) god manifest) Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple, he ordered the Jews to accept his divinity and to submit to
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the worship of Zeus He also banned the Jewish practices of circumcision , learning Hebrew, study of the Torah, observation of holidays and offering sacrifices at their temple. He ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the Temple which was an abomination according to their law. The defilement of the Temple was an abuse of their freedom to worship their God in the ways he had prescribed for them. This hardened the resolves of the Jews to liberate themselves from this form of bondage. Fired by the apocalyptic book of Daniel, loyal Jews came alive. In 167 BC resistance broke into open rebellion. Antiochus died in 163BCE and was succeeded by his young son Antiochus V Eupator. However, the Jewish struggle for political and religious freedom continued. The period following the Persecution Era under Antiochus Epiphabes became known as the Hasmonean era. During this time three religious groups formed: Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes. While all three claimed loyalty to the Torah, each took different stances. The Sadducees were composed mostly of priestly and wealthy families and supported the Hasmonean regime. Opposing the Sadducees were the Hasidim made up of strictly observant Jews. From this group emerged the Pharisees and the Essenes. The Essenes were so opposed to Hasmonean rule, they broke from Jewish society altogether and chose to live in monastic communities in the desert such as Qumran near the Dead Sea. They believed Gods imminent intervention in human history was close at hand. The Pharisees, on the other hand, remained within the mainstream of Jewish Society and took a major role in determining how Jews would practice their religion. They stressed observance to the letter of the law and expanded the rules and regulations from 613 originally contained in the Mosaic Code to body of laws estimated to ultimately contain thousands of pages in written form. This brought them into open conflict with Jesus later. In 63 BCE Pompey led his legions to Jerusalem; he seized the city massacring anyone who stood in his path, including the temple priests. It was widely known that the Jews would not honor any of the Roman Gods, which there were many. But there was some mystery about their God who was said to dwell in the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of their temple. So he decided to enter this sacred chamber to see for himself. He saw nothing and thereby concluded that was why the Jews held their God in secrecy. As far as he could see, he simply didnt exist. Pompey divided up the Hasmonean Empire, restored Hyrcanus to the high priesthood and named him etnarc (ruler of the people) but not king, with limited powers over a territory that included Judea, southern Samaria, Galilee, and Perea. Thousands of Jewish war prisoners were packed into ships bound for Rome. The independence of Palestine was over.
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In 490BCE Herod was confirmed king of Judea by the Roman senate with approval of Marc Antony, the current emperor of Rome. Herods position was extremely delicate. On one hand he was a client- king, free to run the internal affairs of his kingdom, but always subject to dismissal if he ever incurred Romes displeasure. Then there was the problem of his difficult subjects, torn by factionalism and unpredictably rebellious. Though cruel and self seeking, Herod was a brilliant organizer and administrator, and a man with a colossal drive to build. His building program in Jerusalem had several purposes; to win support from his Jewish subjects, to create a capital worthy of his expanding kingdom and to immortalize his name. The rebuilding program of the city began immediately when he took office, giving steady employment to thousands of craftsmen and laborers. In the course of a little over 30 years, the war torn city of Jerusalem became a show place. All of Herods building activities, in Jerusalem and elsewhere in his kingdom, reflected his love for pagan Greek culture. But his most important single building project was his reconstruction of the Jewish temple. In doing so, he created one of the largest and most magnificent religious buildings in the Roman world of that time. In the meantime, it was Roman policy to allow their conquered peoples some freedom to practice their own religions, subject to over all Roman ruler ship. Everything about Roman occupation was hateful to the Jews, from oppressive taxes to physical abuse by Roman soldiers to the repugnant idea that the Roman leader was a god. While the Jews had a degree of freedom to practice their religion, the Pharisees had become the dominant factor in their religious lives, and the mosaic code as provided by God had greatly expanded into thousands of laws and restrictions contained in the Talmud (interpretations of men who by implication claimed they knew Gods mind as well or better than he did himself.) Today, the Talmud is Judaisms holiest book (actually a collection of books). Its authority takes precedence over the Old Testament in Judaism. Evidence of this may be found in the Talmud itself; Erubin 21b. (Socino Edition): My son, be more careful in the observance of these words of the Scribes than in the words of the Torah (Old Testament). Whereas the law of Moses contained about 615 individual restrictions and guidelines, the Talmud of today consists of 12,800 pages bound into 63 books of 524 chapters. Ruler ship under religious men had taken a giant step in further eroding freedoms God himself had allowed. It had taken the form of religious government by complex Legalism The famous warning of Jesus Christ about the traditions of men that void scripture at Mark 7: 1-13, is in fact a direct reference to the Talmud, or more specifically, the first part of it, the Mishnah, which existed in oral form during Christs lifetime, before being committed to writing. Mark chapter 7 from verse one to verse thirteen, represents his pointed condemnation of the Mishnah.
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Mark 7:1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." 9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. 11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that." NIV The form of religious worship known as "Pharisaism" in Judea in the time of Jesus was a religious practice based exclusively upon the Talmud. The Talmud in the time of Jesus was the Magna Charta, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, ALL ROLLED INTO ONE, of those who practiced "Pharisaism". In making the Talmud and accepting it as superior or as more important than Gods own word, the Torah (O.T. Bible), it was making thinking of men and decisions of men more important than Jehovah God, his thoughts and his word. This was the same erroneous thinking that got Adam and Eve into trouble in the first place. By the time of Christ, after all the experiences Israel had gone through for five hundred years under domination of human kings and false Gods, Israel as nation of people had learned nothing. After 4,000 thousand years since Adam and Eve they had the same flaw, they were willing to trust in men under the influence of other men and other gods in place of Jehovah God. They took the Torah and embellished it with manmade thinking to such an extent that the pure meanings of Gods word became muddled and confused. Then they recognized their own new composite body of teaching we know today as the Talmud as being more important than Gods word. This official view of the importance of the Talmud in the practice of "Judaism" today is still held by the highest body of so-called or self-styled "Jews" in the world.
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What sort of book is it? The Talmud stands as a monumental example of how human thinking can destroy personal freedoms by creating and imposing rules and regulations that exceed or go beyond Gods own words and thoughts. Even the small sampling from the Talmud provided here makes this abundantly clear; From the Birth of Jesus until this day there have never been recorded more vicious and vile libelous blasphemies of Jesus, or Christians and the Christian faith by anyone, anywhere or anytime than you will find between the covers of the infamous "63 books" which are "the legal code which forms the basis of Jewish religious law" as well as the "textbook used in the training of rabbis". The explicit and implicit irreligious character and implications of the contents of the Talmud will open your eyes as they have never been opened before. The Talmud reviles Jesus, Christians and the Christian faith as the priceless spiritual and cultural heritage of Christians has never been reviled before or since the Talmud was completed in the 5th century. You will have to excuse the foul, obscene, indecent, lewd and vile language you will see here in verbatim quotations from the official unabridged translation of the Talmud into English. Be prepared for a surprise. In the year 1935 the international hierarchy of so-called or self-styled "Jews" for the first time in history published an official unabridged translation of the complete Talmud in the English language with complete footnotes This official unabridged translation of the Talmud into English with the official footnotes was printed in London in 1935 by the Soncino Press. It has been always referred to as the Soncino Edition of the Talmud. A very limited number of the Soncino Edition were printed. They were not made available to any purchaser. An original of The Soncino Edition of the Talmud is to be found in the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. Verbatim quotations from the Soncino Edition of the Talmud illustrate the enormity of the Talmud's distorted thinking and its iniquity. Yet this distorted thinking is set forth by those who consider themselves Gods chosen people, with the Talmud considered as truth on a level equal to or above Gods own word and to be obeyed accordingly. Fortunately there is within every human being a conscience which will not allow most individuals to act on such absurdity as is presented in the Talmud. Excerpts from Soncino Edition as an example of the extremism it includes within its pages; Penalty for Disobeying Rabbis Erubin 21b. Whosoever disobeys the rabbis deserves death and will be punished by being boiled in hot excrement in hell.
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Hitting a Jew is the same as hitting God Sanhedrin 58b. If a heathen (gentile) hits a Jew, the gentile must be killed. O.K. to Cheat Non-Jews Sanhedrin 57a . A Jew need not pay a gentile ("Cuthean") the wages owed him for work. Jews Have Superior Legal Status Baba Kamma 37b. "If an ox of an Israelite gores an ox of a Canaanite there is no liability; but if an ox of a Canaanite gores an ox of an Israelite...the payment is to be in full." Jews May Steal from Non-Jews Baba Mezia 24a . If a Jew finds an object lost by a gentile ("heathen") it does not have to be returned. (Affirmed also in Baba Kamma 113b). Sanhedrin 76a. God will not spare a Jew who "marries his daughter to an old man or takes a wife for his infant son or returns a lost article to a Cuthean.." Jews May Rob and Kill Non-Jews Sanhedrin 57a . When a Jew murders a gentile ("Cuthean"), there will be no death penalty. What a Jew steals from a gentile he may keep. Baba Kamma 37b. The gentiles are outside the protection of the law and God has "exposed their money to Israel." Jews May Lie to Non-Jews Baba Kamma 113a. Jews may use lies ("subterfuges") to circumvent a Gentile. Non-Jewish Children are Sub-Human Yebamoth 98a. All gentile children are animals. Abodah Zarah 36b. Gentile girls are in a state of niddah (filth) from birth. Abodah Zarah 22a-22b . Gentiles prefer sex with cows. Gittin 69a . To heal his flesh a Jew should take dust that lies within the shadow of an outdoor toilet, mix with honey and eat it. Shabbath 41a. The law regulating the rule for how to urinate in a holy way is given. Yebamoth 63a. States that Adam had sexual intercourse with all the animals in the Garden of Eden.
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Yebamoth 63a. Declares that agriculture is the lowest of occupations. Sanhedrin 55b. A Jew may marry a three year old girl (specifically, three years "and a day" old). Sanhedrin 54b. A Jew may have sex with a child as long as the child is less than nine years old. Kethuboth 11b. "When a grown-up man has intercourse with a little girl it is nothing." Yebamoth 59b. A woman who had intercourse with a beast is eligible to marry a Jewish priest. A woman who has sex with a demon is also eligible to marry a Jewish priest. Abodah Zarah 17a. States that there is not a whore in the world that the Talmudic sage Rabbi Eleazar has not had sex with. On one of his whorehouse romps, Rabbi Eleazar learned that there was one particular prostitute residing in a whorehouse near the sea, who would receive a bag of money for her services. He took a bag of money and went to her, crossing seven rivers to do so. During their intercourse the prostitute farted. After this the whore told Rabbi Eleazar: "Just as this gas will never return to my anus, Rabbi Eleazar will never get to heaven." Hagigah 27a. States that no rabbi can ever go to hell. Baba Mezia 59b. A rabbi debates God and defeats Him. God admits the rabbi won the debate. Gittin 70a. The Rabbis taught: "On coming from a privy (outdoor toilet) a man should not have sexual intercourse till he has waited long enough to walk half a mile, because the demon of the privy is with him for that time; if he does, his children will be epileptic." Gittin 69b. To heal the disease of pleurisy ("catarrh") a Jew should "take the excrement of a white dog and knead it with balsam, but if he can possibly avoid it he should not eat the dog's excrement as it loosens the limbs." Pesahim 111a. It is forbidden for dogs, women or palm trees to pass between two men, nor may others walk between dogs, women or palm trees. Special dangers are involved if the women are menstruating or sitting at a crossroads. Menahoth 43b-44a. A Jewish man is obligated to say the following prayer every day: Thank you God for not making me a gentile, a woman or a slave. The Talmud is an example of how far human thinking may sink into absurdity when it is combined with radical religious attitudes. While we easily recognize absurdity in some of the things promoted, we fail to realize how such absurdities touch on losses of freedom, for
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the believers, the accusers and the accused in such instances. While many of these may not be outwardly stated a rules, the fact that they are offered by men who imply in various ways they speak for God, gives them a sense of authority that demands obedience. However, let us not get too far away from the condition of Gods people in the days when Jesus came upon the earthly scene.

Time for MESSIAH (Savior or Liberator)

By Jesus own definition of what a slave is, the people of his times were not free. In his words at John 8:34, we are told by Jesus that the one who practices wrongdoing is a slave to that wrong doing. John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, I say to you, Every one that practices sin is the bondman of sin. DBY This principal of one being enslaved to that which he obeys was further amplified by the apostle Paul. Recall that earlier, slavery by definition was said to mean not being under ones own free will, rather in subjection to someone or something else, where one is under control of the will of another. Romans 6:16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? NIV When the time for Gods Messiah to arrive on the scene came, his people, Israel, were in a state of slavery to a Roman system which exacted service and tributes in the forms both political and economic. Herod the Great was a vassal king appointed by Rome to rule Palestine. His kingdom comprised Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Idumea, Batanea, and Peraea, which was approximately the same size as the kingdom of David and Solomon. Herod ruled the Jews in those areas. Power was all that mattered to Herod the Great. He put his own sons to death. He hired an army of foreign soldiers beyond the needs of the country as well as an army of informers to keep the people in check and in permanent fear. A Jewish historian around that period, Josephus, writes about him: He sank the nation to poverty and to the last degree of injustice. The Romans and the rulers appointed by them, such as Herod the Great, continued the policy of extreme exploitation of the land. Great estates forced back the peasant farmers and the number of landless tenants increased, particularly after the time of Herod the Great. Great estates in Galilee and other places were owned by the Jewish
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aristocracy of Jerusalem, in particular by the Sadducees. There was a tax system in place wherein the tax collector was free to not only collect what he forwarded to Rome, but he could add to the taxpayers burden for his own profit to the extent he wished. Tax collectors were very much hated in those days. This environment, in which Jesus lived and carried out his ministry, is reflected in his parables, which provide pictures of the poverty, violence and oppression that existed in his times. Absentee landlords (very rich people in Jerusalem had their property administered by others in their country estates), tenant revolts, debts and debtors, slavery, extortion, corruption, starving beggars, uncaring rich people, day laborers waiting around for employment, a widow badgering a corrupt judge to get justice all these are situations described in the parables of Jesus which are based on real life in his day. (Lk.12: the rich farmer who hoards grain; Lk.16: the rich man and Lazarus; Lk.18: the widow and the judge; Mt.18: debts and debtors; Mt. 20: the day laborers lining up for work). Great landowners had much influence because of the volume of the crops, especially wine, oil, wheat. They employed a large workforce. Land was leased at a high price and this increased the poverty. Larger estates were often in the hands of royal or priestly families and of foreigners (from the Roman Empire living outside Palestine). Also, by that time their own religious system had expanded Jewish law to such an extent that manmade traditions and doctrines superseded Gods law. These manmade doctrines were being taught under the pre-supposition that Moses had not included all of Gods instructions into written form and that Rabbis possessed these additional laws which they handed down as an oral tradition from generation to generation. Therefore they must be accepted by the people as well as the Torah. People who accepted the official view of their religious leaders with the idea those leaders represented God became enslaved to these human masters and to the concepts they promoted aside from Gods own word. The problem once again was that their religious leaders had overridden Gods thinking with human thinking, and the vast majority of Jews on the scene bought into it. It was a time when freedom was at a low ebb. Those Jews who knew Gods word (Torah) intimately were in anticipation of a Messiah who would liberate them from their enemies and restore them to the freedom God had intended for them from the beginning. However while they were expecting the Messiah on the scene at that time, based on their own understanding from the Torah they were also making a serious mental error attributable to limited human thinking. They were looking for a Messiah to liberate them from the bondage under their Roman oppressors, one who would accomplish major military victories as their heroes had done in the past. On the other hand, Jehovah God was dealing with a far greater liberation which, rather than just being limited to mundane physical terms, soared to far greater heights, for he was thinking of a spiritual liberation from slavery and oppression as well .
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This was the scenario in place at the time when Jesus Christ arrived on the scene and uttered his mission statement and manifesto of emancipation in 29 CE at the Jewish synagogue in Nazareth, which is recorded in the book of Luke: Luke 4:17- 19. and (Jesus) was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written NAB:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,:19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." NIV (parenthesis mine) Luke 4:21 He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." NAB With those words Jesus applied the prophesy God had given to Isaiah the prophet, about 700 years earlier to himself. While he was not yet claiming he was the promised messiah, for he had not fulfilled his initial role yet, he was claiming to be the one who was anointed to declare the good news of the impending liberation still to come. When we dissect Isaiahs own words carefully, we see a slight difference in the way Jesus was recorded to have quoted them. While the words may rightly to be understood as having a physical application, a careful examination of Isaiahs words in view of Jesus ministry which later followed implies a spiritual fulfillment as well. . The reference to release from darkness can be seen to refer to spiritual darkness. (1Thes. 5:5, Col. 1:13, Eph. 6:12) Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. NIV Isaiah used the phrase because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. This was exactly consistent with Jesus quotation of Isaiah. However, when we compare Isaiahs words with Jesus words in the next part, we see a slight difference. While Isaiah said He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Jesus said He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, Within those words is an implication of getting back something previously possessed. In connection with that proclamation, we return to words he would later utter which are recorded at John 8:32; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." NAB What explicit statements may be found in his teachings and those of the apostles which can help us to understand the concept behind his meaning by this verse? Exploring other
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verses which lend insight to the kinds of slavery and also what constituted freedom in the days he spoke, will help us develop a clearer picture of the thinking behind his words. Consider and meditate on the following verses bearing on the relationship between truth and freedom as Jesus and his father Jehovah enumerated it in their own words and thoughts preserved for us in the Holy Scriptures; John 8:32; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." NAB John 14:6 Jesus said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. NJB John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. NIV John 15:15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. NAS 1 Peter 2:16 You are not slaves; you are free. But your freedom is not an excuse to do evil. You are free to live as God's slaves. NLT With those words the apostle Peter sums up what freedom is in Gods eyes; They imply a freedom from all things except those restrictions specifically imposed by the will of God himself. It is a conditional freedom based on remaining in harmony with Gods will which is exercised exclusively for good. The use of the phrase Gods slaves denotes that in this matter, there is no latitude of freedom for an individual to choose what he or she will do according to what they themselves may constitute as being right or wrong, evil or good, according to ones own option. It is Gods concept of what is acceptable or not acceptable, right or wrong, evil or good as he sees it which establishes the boundaries in which human freedom may be exercised. Knowing, and understanding this fundamental truth about freedom as God sees it is in itself a great liberating force in our lives. When we, as individuals focus on the fact that it is only Gods will that matters, then expanded restrictions placed on us by the will of our fellow men, and by religious entities other than Jehovah God and Jesus themselves lose their enslaving power over us. Once we realize they represent less than the truth that God and his son have set before us in his inspired word, we gain freedom from those burdens others place on our shoulders which have little or nothing to do with Gods will according to his word.

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Accordingly, what are some specific freedoms we may look forward to when we truly follow Gods word rather than endless nuances of manmade thinking? Three of the main Freedoms are: 1. Freedom from ANXIETIES; a. Over physical needs Luke 12:22 24. And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.:23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.:24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ESV 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. NIV b. About appearances 1 Peter 3:3,4. Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. NLT 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." NIV Proverbs 31:30 Fair looks are a deceit, and a beautiful form is of no value; but a woman who has the fear of the Lord is to be praised. BBE c. from the opinions of others Prov. 21:2 All the ways of a man seem right to him, But the LORD probes the mind.
TNK

Gal. 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.ESV John 12:42, 43. Many people, including some of the Jewish leaders, believed in him. But they wouldn't admit it to anyone because of their fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue:43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. NLT
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d. anxieties from the effects of Falsehood: Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ESV Proverbs 20:17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel. ESV Jeremiah 9:7-9 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him. Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? ESV 2. Freedom from FEAR: a. Fear of Dying Luke 12:4 And I say to you, my friends, Have no fear of those who may put the body to death, and are able to do no more than that. BBE 1 Corinthians 15:55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" NIV Hosea 13:14 I will deliver them out of the power of Hades, and will redeem them from death: where is thy penalty, O death? O Hades, where is thy sting? comfort is hidden from mine eyes. LXE b. Fear itself Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." NIV 1 John 4:18 In love there is no room for fear, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear implies punishment and no one who is afraid has come to perfection in love. NJB c. Fear of Economic Slavery1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. NIV

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Luke 16:13, 14. "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." NIV:14 And the Pharisees, who had a great love of money, hearing these things, were making sport of him. BBE d. Harm due to works of the fleshGal. 5:19-21. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, 21 occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.NAB That these things have within their nature the potential for physical and mental suffering is a fact beyond question in most people minds. e. Fear of Men (peer pressure) 1 Samuel 15:24 Saul replied to Samuel: "I have sinned, for I have disobeyed the command of the LORD and your instructions. In my fear of the people, I did what they said. NAB Hebrews 11:27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. NLT Proverbs 29:25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety. NLT f. Fear of Oppression Isaiah 54:14 In justice shall you be established, far from the fear of oppression, where destruction cannot come near you. NAB Matthew 10:28 "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. NLT g. Free from fruits of Pride Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. NIV Isaiah 23:9 The LORD Almighty has done it to destroy your pride and show his contempt for all human greatness. NLT
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h.. Fear from risks of engaging in war Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Have love for those who are against you, and make prayer for those who are cruel to you; BBE Psalm 27:3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. NIV i. Fear from Superstitions (another word for superstition is idolatry) 1 Timothy 4:7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; ESV 1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, avoid idolatry. NAB j. Fear of Supernatural beings James 4:7 be subject, then, to God; stand up against the devil, and he will flee from you; YLT 1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. NLT k. Sadness due to mourning Acts 24:15 and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. NIV Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." NIV Isaiah 60:20 Your sun will set no more nor will your moon wane, for Yahweh will be your everlasting light and your days of mourning will be over. NJB l. Freedom from Fear of our own Sinful nature; Romans 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. NAB 1 John 1:9 If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. NAB

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1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ESV 3. Freedom from Sin; Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. NIV 1 John 5:18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. ESV 1 John 3:5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, for there is no sin in him. NLT While these are all important things we may gain freedom from in harmony with Jesus words at John 8:32. There are also those things which we can be free for, including the following; 1. Freedom to acquire and reflect the fruitages of the Spirit: Gal 5:22- 26. 22 On the other hand the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control; no law can touch such things as these. 24 All who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified self with all its passions and its desires. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let our behaviour be guided by the Spirit 26 and let us not be conceited or provocative and envious of one another.NJB a. Love 1 John 3:11 Because this is the word which was given to you from the first, that we are to have love for one another; BBE Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom-- not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. NLT b. Joy John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. ESV James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, NAB

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Isaiah 65:18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. NIV c. Peace Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. NIV Romans 12:18 As much as possible, and to the utmost of your ability, be at peace with everyone. NJB 2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. NIV d. Patience James 5:7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. NIV James 5:8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
NIV

Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. NIV e. Kindness Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. NIV 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
NLT

2 Timothy 2:24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ESV f. Goodness Ephesians 5:9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) NIV Amos 5:14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. ESV

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Romans 15:14 I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.
NAB

g. Trustfulness Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; NIV Proverbs 16:20 Whoever listens closely to the word finds happiness; whoever trusts Yahweh is blessed. NJB Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. ESV h. Gentleness 2 Timothy 2:24 A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant, NAB 1 Thessalonians 2:7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. NIV g. Self control 2 Peter 1:6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; NIV Titus 1:8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is selfcontrolled, upright, holy and disciplined. NIV

2. FREEDOM TO WORSHIP in spirit and truth. There is a vast difference between Freedom of Worship as it is commonly recognized by most people today and Freedom to worship as God sees it. To most people Freedom of worship means that they are free to worship anyone or anything they see fit and to worship in any way they may choose to do so. In many nations, this definition is even protected by law. In Gods viewpoint, he as the creator is the only one deserving of worship. All other worship is a form of falsehood and an insult to him. Also, as with other freedoms, the freedom he sanctions in connection with his own worship has prerequisites among which are his insistence on exclusive devotion and that it be done in Spirit and Truth.
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Exodus 20:3 You shall not have other gods besides me. NAB John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. NIV When we consider these freedoms it becomes apparent that at the time Christ was to appear on earth there was little around that resembled these conditions or the conditions that were prevailing at the time of Adam and Eve fell from perfection. In the Garden of Eden, the human family had 'freedom'. Freedom from death; from disease, sickness and freedom from 'evil doers'. They had freedom to live peacefully within the bounds of their natural environment and in peace with God and all his creation. This was true freedom from God for his human family. When the first humans sinned against God, they lost such freedom for themselves and any offspring still in their loins. Sin entered the human family. Basically they sold their future generations into 'slavery', slavery to sin and death. As time went on, the result of their loss of freedom manifested itself in so many ways that the very meaning of God-given freedom became lost. The reality of life became that people became enslaved to all kinds of things, and not merely limited to being enslaved to other men or other Gods. They became enslaved to material things such as the luxuries and privileges money or wealth could buy. They became enslaved to mind altering drugs such as alcohol and narcotics. They became enslaved to power and they became enslaved to their own desires including sex and licentiousness. When Christ appeared on earth in the first century, he proclaimed liberation from both physical and spiritual slavery. Christ Jesus came to earth to 'purchase' us from such slavery. He made it possible for obedient mankind to be 'adopted' as sons of God again. He paid the price, called a 'ransom'. He 'bought' back what mankind lost. Mankind lost everlasting life on earth, not heaven. Mankind lost perfection. Mankind lost 'freedom' from the terrible consequences of sin. Christ Jesus paid the price to purchase such things back for us. These are all areas touched by his words at John 8:32 when he said you will know the truth and the truth will set you free Jesus came and announced the Good News that God would once again intervene in mans affairs and provide a means by which he would be restored to the original freedoms he had enjoyed in the Garden of Eden. He was to be set free from the ravages of Sin and death brought about by his rebellion against God. It was a time to proclaim liberation.
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One of the great liberations affected by Jesus was a freedom from the Legalistic system which had been instituted by the scribes and Pharisees of Judaism by the time he arrived. Whereas they had expanded the God-given Mosaic code from 613 laws to a body of statutes and regulations encompassing thousands of regulations and volumes of law books comprising the Mishnah, he distilled the entire meaning attached to the original 613 Laws into one concise statement of only 35 Words. When asked which the greatest commandment was, he answered thusly; Matthew 22:36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" NLT Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." NLT Additionally, he was able to quantify mans entire responsibility before his God into simple Principals. Where ancient King Solomon to whom God had granted unprecedented wisdom had summed up the whole obligation of man in these words at Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.: NIV Jesus, who is referred to as the Greater Solomon in scripture clarified those words into two simple all - embracing principals. If one understood those principals well and applied them, all possible scenarios would be covered. There was no need for endless volumes of regulations imposing greater and greater loss of freedoms upon the human family.

1. FAITH: is one of the all encompassing principals established by Jesus

Faith in God the father and in his Son Jesus Christ to whom he delivered all authority - (Matthew 28:18 Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. NJB About faith; Hebrews 11:1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. NLT

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Psalm 78:21, 22. When he heard them Yahweh vented his anger, fire blazed against Jacob, his anger mounted against Israel, :22 because they had no faith in God, no trust in his power to save. NJB Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. NIV John 3:16 For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life. BBE Galatians 3:26 Because you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. BBE Romans 16:26 But is now made clear; and by the writings of the prophets, by the order of the eternal God, the knowledge of it has been given to all the nations, so that they may come under the rule of the faith; BBE

2. LOVE: Love for Jehovah God, his son Jesus and fellow humans, even for ones enemies, is the other of the two all embracing principals.
About Love; Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' ESV Colossians 3:14 And more than all, have love; the only way in which you may be completely joined together. BBE James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. NIV 1 John 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, NIV John 13:34, 35. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." NIV John 15:13 And here is how to measure it-- the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. NLT
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1 Corinthians 13:4 -8. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. NIV 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. NIV Near the end of his earthly ministry Jesus transferred the hope Jehovah had bestowed on the fleshly nation of Israel; that was the hope of remaining a holy nation, a people for special possession to the spiritual congregation which had formed by embracing his teachings. Due to rejecting Gods provision for their liberation and salvation, Gods favor was removed from the fleshly nation as they remained intent on continuing in the perverted teachings of men which they chose to follow instead of the pure truth Jesus brought them. Luke 13:34 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! NJB Luke 13:35 Behold, your house will be abandoned. (But) I tell you, you will not see me until (the time comes when) you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" NAB Thus by the end of his earthly course, Jesus had laid a new foundation for a people who were free from the slavery imposed by the organized Jewish system of his day and their manmade doctrines and traditions. That spiritual nation of people was the Christian Congregation under the headship of Jesus Christ himself. Ephesians 5:23 for a husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly. *He* is Saviour of the body. DBY Ephesians 5:23 because a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the congregation, he being a savior of [this] body. NWT Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. NIV It was built on the principals and teachings of Jesus Christ, which were, at a deeper level the teachings of his father Jehovah. Paul identified these people not as those circumcised in the flesh, rather as those circumcised of the heart. Romans 2:28, 29. One is not a Jew outwardly. True circumcision is not outward, in the flesh.NIV:29 The real Jew is the one who is inwardly a Jew, and real circumcision is in the heart, a thing not of the letter but of the spirit. He may not be praised by any human being, but he will be praised by God. NJB
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Unfortunately, the pure and simple truth Jesus left them with was not to remain either simple or pure for very long. For by the time his last apostle, John had died around sixty years later, subversive elements had already begun to creep into the Christian Congregation. So while they were still alive, his apostles were inspired to write fellow believers warning them against false prophets and false teachers trying to influence the congregation. Paul wrote within 20 years of Christs death: Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- NIV Peter wrote, around 30 years of Christs death: 2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly put forward wrong teachings for your destruction, even turning away from the Lord who gave himself for them; whose destruction will come quickly, and they themselves will be the cause of it. BBE And John wrote to fellow believers around 60 years after Christs death: 1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. NIV Also, even during the times of the Apostles, the book of Acts records a number of occasions where there were attempts to turn the Christian congregation away from its newly recovered freedoms under Jesus, back to the Pharisaic legalism of organized Judaism of that time. By the time the last of the Apostles were gone from the scene, at the start of the second century, apostate man-made thinking had made some inroads into the early Christian congregation. By the time the third century rolled around, in direct violation of Jesus words at Matthew 23:10 "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. NAS men had successfully inserted themselves as leaders, established prestigious offices for themselves and taken on various titles such as Pope, Metropolitan, Cardinal, Bishop, etc. honoring themselves as Spiritual holy fathers, despite Jesus words at Matthew 23:9 And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. NLT Also, they had themselves addressed by such phrases as Your Holiness, Your Eminence, Most Reverend, Your Excellency, Your Grace, Lord and a variety of titles designed to inspire worshipful awe.

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It was right back to allowing men to direct the spiritual lives of humans, rather than relying on Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ as scripture directed. Of course, those men covered their assertions by claiming they were direct representatives of God almighty and therefore must be trusted completely. Here are a few verses which explicitly show such a concept to be unscriptural and not legitimately Gods way. In the words of Jesus; Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have enjoined you. And behold, *I* am with you all the days, until the completion of the age. DBY John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ESV John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. ESV And, in the words of Gods inspired Bible writers; Jeremiah 17:5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. NIV Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. ESV Psalm 146:3 Put not your faith in rulers, or in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation. BBE Hosea 10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity, ye have eaten the fruit of lies; for thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. JPS Jesus promised his followers a helper, the spirit of truth and said it would be available to them forever. Can anyone who claims to follow Jesus ignore its reminders, corrections and disclosures without incurring his displeasure? Gods word clearly warns against trusting in men when it comes to spiritual matters. Can anyone ignore these warnings and blindly follow humans as an alternative to trusting and following God exclusively without suffering consequences? The results of history resoundingly shout NO! Can we afford to ignore the lessons of history without a danger of suffering it repetition?
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Surely, when it comes to spiritual matters, it would be more beneficial to take the Apostle Pauls straightforward advice before accepting any man made doctrines and traditions into ones heart. His words were after all inspired and preserved by God almighty for our protection. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. NLT 1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. NLT

FREEDOM AND SLAVERY IN OUR DAY While we are no longer in the Garden of Eden, nor are we any longer in the first century when God provided his message of Good News through one who he chose to be the Messiah or savior of mankind. We are here in the 21st Century CE with about 6,000 years of recorded history behind us. Gods purpose for the earth and for mankind on it remains the same as it has always been. And his message in connection with that purpose remains with us and can be found in the Holy Bible. This represents his own inspired collection of writings which he provides mankind with so he can be familiar with Gods thinking on all matters of concern to them including the subject of freedom. Isaiah 45:18 For this is what the LORD says-- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited. . . NIV Psalm 104:5 Who didst establish the earth upon its foundations, that it should not be moved for ever and ever; JPS Psalm 37:29 The upright will have the earth for their heritage, and will go on living there for ever. BBE Isaiah 25:8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. NIV Since Gods purpose for mankind on the earth has never changed and because it is Gods will, we can be sure that in the end, it cannot fail to come to pass. This takes us to our own day. While it takes a concerted effort to detach oneself from the biases one has accumulated over a lifetime due to the programming of the system of things the entire world lives under,
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when we look objectively at the current condition of freedom in the world of our day, the true picture is somewhat startling. Any reality must be based not on what the few who for certain reasons appear to be more privileged and seem to possess greater freedoms than others do, but needs to look at the conditions of the vast masses of humanity in every corner of the earth and from every vantage point of view. In the political sphere today, including governments and government related activities throughout the earth, the general conditions are sewn with a common thread. There exists a system of illusion / perception that is distinctly different from the prevailing realities that affect people and determine the quality of freedoms they actually live under. 1. All the people are subject to a set of laws and regulations supposedly put in place for the common benefit of all of a nations people. The truth of the matter is that legal and tax codes are complex in ways that favor the few at the expense of the many. Most of the people on earth find themselves under one form of economic slavery or another to those who hold privileged positions. 2. They are told their leaders have only their best interests at heart and therein lays an implication they are to be trusted. The reality is that despite all their efforts to conceal the truth of all their actions, careful analysis reveals they do not always have, and sometimes even never have the best interests of the majority of the people at heart. 3. People are told they are free in a broad sense when the reality is those freedoms that they have are limited and ignore the more profound ways in which they are enslaved. A great illustration of this can be found in the experiences of the North American Indians. They were the only human occupants living on the land in natural conditions for untold centuries, in relative freedom to come and go as they chose, to live where they wished and to use the resources of nature around them as they saw fit. Then, when foreigners arrived, they mercilessly appropriated the lands the Indians had been sharing with each other and the Indians were told they were now free to live on reservations. Of course, their relocation to those reservations was under the threat of loss of life if they chose not to avail themselves of this freedom. Freedom to live on reservations on land the settlers and the government considered a waste and worthless was not freedom at all. First off while being called a reservation, it was in reality more of a concentration camp. They could not leave the reservation without fear of being hunted down and either returned to the camp or killed for disobedience. They no longer had freedom to choose where they wanted to live, they no longer even had enough resources to subsist and live on in any way close to what they had been accustomed. They became slaves to the interlopers and to a government the
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interlopers set up. It was not a government formed or chosen by themselves, it was a government forced upon them to which they became slaves in the respect that they were forced to live in ways conflicting with their own free will. The American Indians experience may be seen as an extreme case of man-made rule, but the underlying truths behind their lot is nothing to be seen as extreme or rare. It is a reality that we still see we embodied in political systems today. While the peoples of some nations appear to have more relative freedoms than others, none today can claim parity with the freedoms provided by God almighty at the outset. Nor is there any comparison with the glorious freedom of the sons of God promised as a future prospect to humans on the earth by him. No manmade formula for freedom is able to deliver freedom from pain, suffering, sickness and even death itself. Yet this is all within Gods concept of freedom. His provision for these is not under the auspices of human thinking and what it holds to be either promise or reality. It is based on the fundamental fact that Jehovah God knows what is best for his entire creation including humans and has the ability to provide it under the auspices of a Kingdom Government administered by his only begotten son Jesus Christ. That is the political side of the freedom that God offers to his human children in our day. We have the God - given right, responsibility and freedom individually, to choose if we want Gods freedom or are willing to settle for what man has to offer. When we look at the religious system in place in our day, we see a sharp distinction from the legacy of freedoms Jesus Christ left his congregation of followers. Instead of the simple straight forward principals of faith and love guiding people, based on the truths contained in his fathers word, the Bible, once again we find volumes upon volumes of commentary, conclusions arrived at, and laws and restrictions added by men who claim to represent God when in reality they primarily represent either their own interests or the interests of others than Jehovah, the almighty God. While the first century congregations were simple assemblies, often consisting of just a few believers who nonetheless had the promised presence of Christ in their midst (Mat. 18:20), todays congregations (churches) consist of hundreds and often thousands of so called believers who follow whole hierarchies of men placed in positions of power over them. The lessons of ancient Israel where it was shown that a human king was only a concession granted his people to show them the failures of human rule is totally lost on them. Words of Christ to the effect that he was to be their only leader and that salvation could be realized only through him are either ignored or woven into a falsified version that includes placing men between Jesus and his sheep. Today, this is true to such great extent that religious institutions and their human directors have become objects of worship in themselves. That this by itself constitutes gross idolatry
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in Gods eyes is lost on their gullible flocks. The means by which all this is accomplished is essentially through a manipulation of truth, resulting in a form of mental slavery, slavery to the wishes of those who assert themselves as saviors over a flock that belong to Jesus Christ and not to themselves. There can be no denial that God allows a manipulation of truth to continue temporarily. We say temporarily, for reason that we know he has promised an end to the slavery and oppression a world controlled by Satan burdens its occupants with. Scripture provides us a number of clues to his reasons why the current system has not yet been brought to its imminent conclusion. In the example of ancient Israel we find the following: Deuteronomy 8:2 And you must remember all the way that Jehovah your God made you walk these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, to put you to the test so as to know what was in your heart, as to whether you would keep his commandments or not. NWT Deuteronomy 13:2 and the sign or the portent does come true of which he (the false prophet) spoke to you, saying, 'Let us walk after other gods, whom you have not known, and let us serve them,' 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or to the dreamer of that dream, because Jehovah YOUR God is testing YOU to know whether YOU are loving Jehovah YOUR God with all YOUR heart and all YOUR soul. NWT Daniel 11:35 And some of those having insight will be made to stumble, in order to do a refining work because of them and to do a cleansing and to do a whitening, until the time of [the] end; because it is yet for the time appointed. NWT In a more modern vain, applicable directly to the Christian congregation and our own day: 1 Peter 1:7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- 1 Peter 1:7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ESV 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ESV 2 Thessalonians 2:9 -11.. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, NKJ:10 and in every wicked deceit for those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of truth so that they may be saved. NAB:11 And for this
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cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false: BBE Revelation 3:10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. NIV It is against such background including manipulation of truth that the pure unadulterated teachings of Jesus form a first line of defense. However, a challenge remains, for while the Bible contains all the necessary information to protect believers from false teachers, false prophets and false leaders, one must expend the effort and spend the time to read, study and meditate on what it says in order to derive its benefits. When one chooses to ignore or to reject the truth Gods word discloses, freedom remains evasive. While many may lend lip service to the teachings of Christ, the Bible remains the only reliable way to access pure his teachings and the truth Christ left as a legacy. Only by those unadulterated teachings will one fully comprehend the meaning and benefit by his words; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free John 8:32. NJB

Notes from author John ben Wilhelm: The author makes no claims of having special knowledge or insight based on anything other than what the creator so graciously furnishes through his word and his spirit. To all who love truth and wish to worship their God and creator with spirit and truth, he imparts understanding toward this end. The author invites comments via E mail at; try4truth@disciples.com The author wishes to express gratitude to the publishers of the following Bibles which were quoted from in the pages of this essay. The order of listing should not be construed to imply an endorsement of any one version over another. The listing, in alphabetical order is for convenience in identifying which version the codes used in verse citations come from. BBE DBY ESV JPS LXE NAB NAB NIV NJB NKJ NRS NWT TNK YLT The Bible in Basic English Darby Translation English Standard Version Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Septuagint- Translation by Brenton New American Bible New American Standard Version New International Version (US) New Jerusalem Bible New King James Bible New Revised Standard New World Translation Tanakh - Jewish Publication Society Youngs Literal Translation

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