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↝ PERSUADING GOD TO HEAR PRAYERS ↜

[Daniel 9:19 NKJV] — O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.
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[Daniel 9:19 NIV] — Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.
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[Daniel 9:19 FBV] — "Lord, please listen! Lord, please forgive! Please pay attention and do something! For your own sake, my God, don't delay, for your city and your people are identified by your name.””

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This is calling upon the name of the Lord in prayer for the sake of the Lord on behalf of those called by the name of the Lord.

●1● The Prayer is calling upon the name of the Lord:

●2● The Persuasion of the prayer is for the sake of the Lord:

●3● The Projects of the Prayer is for those bearing the name of the Lord.

This kind of prayer is strong reason or strong argument in presenting such case before the Lord God. Calling upon the name of the Lord for those called by the name of the Lord, puts both God's own Name and God's own Sake at stake. Such prayers indict both God's name and God's sake.

Next, let's look at how Daniel repeatedly requested the Lord to hear, to listen, to pay attention etc. This might be the last content of Daniel's Prayers in the scriptures, though not the last prayers Daniel prayed; especially considering Daniel made these prayers before the prayers Daniel later made that caused Daniel to be accused and cast into the Lions’ den.

So in this last exposè of the words in Daniel's prayers in the Bible and in the verse in red, there are two calls to God to ‘Hear, Listen or Heed,’ which Daniel made upon calling upon the name of the Lord: and each hear comes at a great deal of responsibility on the part of God:

■A■ — The first “Hear” or “Hearing” requested from God will come with the responsibility of God forgiving those called by His Name but have offended or sinned against God while bearing His name.

To hear here means to forgive: — Those who cannot forgive cannot hear this kind of hearing that passes over sin, offense or transgression with great understanding and graciousness.

■B■ — The second “Hear” or “Hearing” requested from God will come with the responsibility of God complying, obliging, and performing speedily, without deferring, delaying or even deciding other options except, for the requested projects for those called by His Name.

To hear here means to comply or obey without hesitation: — Those who cannot do as instructed cannot hear this kind of hearing that passes over one's different opinions or choices, with great submission and humility.

[Isaiah 65:24] — "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

↝ OPENING HIS EYES AND EARS IN COMPASSION ↜

[Daniel 9:18 NKJV] — O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
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[Daniel 9:18 GNT] — Listen to us, O God; look at us and see the trouble we are in and the suffering of the city that bears Your name. We are praying to You because You are merciful, not because we have done right.
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[Daniel 9:18 GWN] — "Open Your ears and listen, my God. Open Your eyes and look at our ruins and at the city called by Your name. We are not requesting this from You because we are righteous, but because You are very compassionate."

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We have known prayers that open the eyes of the blind to see, and open the ears of the deaf to hear. But in this Bible verse in red, we hereby know and understand “The Prayer for Opening the Eyes of the “All-Seeing” God to see, and for Opening the Ears of the “All-Hearing” God to hear. Only God alone can open His own Eyes and Ears — No one else can unveil or veil either the Eyes or Ears of the Most High God.

Also, we know people who would showcase their glories, their riches, their beauties, their Successes, etc, for all to see. But in the Bible verse in red, the prayer to open God's Ears and Eyes, was for God to see the desolation, the ruins, the miseries, the sufferings, and the shame, we and our City, are in. This means showing forth our humility and humiliation, rather than showing forth our exaltation and pride.

You see both sides are balanced: That is, if you have to pray for God to open His own Eyes or Ears to see or hear something you are showing Him, then make sure what you are showing Him or what you want God to see is something or someone covered in Humility, in Mourning, in Downtroddeness or in Lowliness. Not everyone has the unveiled eyes or gracious ears to fully see and hear treasures covered in mourning, humility, suffering, shamefacedness or lowliness.

Such prayers as this in the Bible verse in red, appeal to the Mercies or Compassion of God: And if it appeals to His Compassion, then it must not be emboldened by our own righteousness or righteous deeds, lest it appeals to the rewards of justice or judgment instead of appealing to mercy and compassion without deeds.

The Prayer in the Bible verse in red is about presentation or directing what we want God to look at, to see or to hear, in order to appeal to His Mercies or Compassion.

■1. Showcasing our failures, humility, lowliness, and not our glories, our successes, our pride or Highness

■2. Downplaying our righteousness (if we have any) or good deeds, but trusting only in His Mercies and Compassion.

How can we deserve His Mercies or Compassion, without working for it? To appeal to God's compassion, you do not show Him what you did or have power to control and change; rather you show Him what was done to you (not what you did), under which you have neither pleasure nor power to control or change. See how the Lord Jesus was moved:

[John 11:33-38] — "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. "Then said the Jews, Behold how He loved him! And some of them said, Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself comes to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay on it."”

In the reference, Lord saw people weeping and mourning, and the Lord's seeing Eyes were directed by men here, even though the Lord was described as the One who opened the Eyes of the blind. — And as in the Bible verse in red, the Lord's Eyes as directed by people saw the mourning, sorrow, pains, and state of laying in waste or covered in stone of His beloved, that made Him groan in the Spirit and He was troubled, to degree that the Lord Himself wept out of compassion.

[Lamentations 1:1-2,4] — "How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! She weeps sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she has none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. — The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.”

↝ PRAYERS TO SANCTUARY BUILDING AND EDIFICATION SERVICES↜

[Daniel 9:17 NKJV] — Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
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[Daniel 9:17 NIV] — Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.
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[Daniel 9:17 AMPC] — Now therefore, O our God, listen to and heed the prayer of Your servant [Daniel] and his supplications, and for Your own sake cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary which is desolate.

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Have you attained these levels in your spiritual maturity, where God’s Ears hearing your prayers also means God’s Eyes or Face shining more lights and favors on His Sanctuary, His Temple or His Dwelling place? In these levels, His hearing Your Prayers as His servant (you are) automatically builds, beautifies or glorifies His Sanctuary and Tabernacle, in the same time and fulfilling of His accepting and hearing your prayers.

When that is the case for you as a servant of God, then even your prayers being heard or accepted by God means you are building and edifying the Sanctuary of God: — Those your prayers are great services and edification to the Sanctuary or Dwelling Place of God.

Daniel in the Bible verse in red attained and rendered these Prayers to Sanctuary Building and Edification Services. And Solomon also did, so that even though Solomon built the temple with Wisdom, built the temple with resources, built the temple with materials and mobilization of skills and workmanship, built the temple with treasures, Solomon also built the temple with these Prayers to Sanctuary Building and Edification Services. As it is written,

[‭II Chronicles 6:19-20 NKJV‬] — Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.

Already the Daily Sacrifices of the Sanctuary impact and aid the prayers of the saints, but we seek to have saints’ Daily Prayers impact and edify the true Sanctuary, Temple or City of God.

[Ephesians 6:18 AKJV] — "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

This is beyond, “God cause His Face or Countenance to shine upon you,” — This is, “God cause His Face or Countenance to shine upon His Sanctuary, Tabernacle, Temple or City, by hearing your Prayers.”

↝ THE STATE OF JERUSALEM IS FOR WHO'S SAKE?↜

[Daniel 9:16 AKJV] — "O LORD, according to all Your righteousness, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are become a reproach to all that are about us."
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[Daniel 9:16 NIV] — Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from Jerusalem, Your city, Your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and Your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
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[Daniel 9:16 GWN] — "Lord, since You are very righteous, turn Your anger and fury away from Your city, Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Jerusalem and Your people are insulted by everyone around us because of our sins and the wicked things our ancestors did."

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This supplication here in this Bible verse in red, is about the state of Jerusalem and the statement on Jerusalem. The state of Jerusalem and the statement on Jerusalem both go and come together. One is a reflection of the the other in truth and righteousness.

According to Daniel's supplication in this Bible verse: Please Lord, let Your Righteousness write the Statement on Jerusalem and determine the State of Jerusalem, instead of Your Anger or Wrath doing so. For when Your Righteousness determines both the Statement and State of Jerusalem, then the City truly reflects as Your Holy Mountain and City of God, because the Light and Righteousness of God fills Jerusalem.

But the anger and wrath of God reacts to the unfaithfulness, to the sins and offenses of the people of Jerusalem, and therefore the current state of Jerusalem does not truly thrive as “Holy Mountain” or “City of Righteousness” of God, but as a shame, a scorn or reproach to men.

Now the state of Jerusalem reflects the sakes and sins of generations of her people past and present, Jerusalem is a shame or desolate shamble. And the anger of God does not mind having Jerusalem in ruins.

But the Righteousness of God will be ashamed to have Jerusalem, His Holy Mountain, in a state of ruins, reproach or terrible sites to looking. Therefore, we beseech You, Lord of heavens and of Righteousness, fix Your Holy City, Jerusalem, Your Holy Mountain: let her be Mount Zion, bearing Your Light and Glories in Her, and then keep out anyone who has offended or ruined the City of Jerusalem far away from entering into Jerusalem in Her most Glorious, most Holy or Righteous State. As it is written,

[‭Revelation 21:23-27 NKJV‬] — The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Therefore, instead of destroying Jerusalem for sake of the iniquities or sins of the mankind connected to Jerusalem, let God of Righteousness separate Jerusalem from the sinners, and then make Jerusalem be the Image or likeness of the highest glory, architecture and engineering, wisdom and light of the Lord Righteousness to all creation.

↝ ENJOY AND ENDURE AS FATHER TO HIS CHILDREN ↜

[Daniel 9:15 AKJV] — "And now, O Lord our God, that have brought Your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty Hand, and have gotten You renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.""
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[Daniel 9:15 NIV] — “Now, Lord our God, who brought Your people out of Egypt with a mighty Hand and who made for Yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong.
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[Daniel 9:15 GNT] — “O Lord our God, You showed Your power by bringing Your people out of Egypt, and Your power is still remembered. We have sinned; we have done wrong.

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Even while the Lord's people were in captivity under different nations of the world, those nations knew the Lord their God has the power and wits to deliver His People out of any nation or powers holding them captives. They still remember His name and powers demonstrated in bringing forth His people out of Egypt.

However, this glory and fame, which the Lord God enjoys also came with responsibility of endurance and understanding as a Husband or Father He is: — He enjoys being their Father that brought them out of Egypt, but endures with the patience and tolerance of overlooking or suffering their disobedience, rebellion or their sins for His name's sake.

This is just as a man celebrated by those outside as having a wife or children he brought forth (begot), and he enjoys that praises, honor or glory from those outside: but deep inside, he must endure or suffer for the same wife and children he brought forth, suffering their rebellion, mistakes and ingratitude. For if he is not able to put up with them later, his glory will be his shame, because people will say he brought forth children but he could not feed or raise them well: he married wife and did elaborate wedding, but could not live with her for long.

This explains the Bible verse in red.

Only some parents will understand how much they are praised and held high outside for the same spouse or children they are secretly suffering for. What gives them joy is also giving them pains: — Even so, the Lord God enjoys the glory and praises for begetting or bringing forth His people out of Egypt with powers and might that could neither be denied nor forgotten: but then for His name's sake, He must endure those He had begotten and brought forth, lest He be put to shame that He couldn't care or raise the people He brought forth out of Egypt. This continues thus so long as people still remember He brought them out of Egypt with such elaborate powers and might. As it is written,

[‭Deuteronomy 9:25-29 NIV‬] — I lay prostrate before the Lord those forty days and forty nights because the Lord had said He would destroy you. I prayed to the Lord and said, “Sovereign Lord, do not destroy Your people, Your own inheritance that You redeemed by Your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. Otherwise, the country from which You brought us will say, ‘Because the Lord was not able to take them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.’ But they are Your people, Your inheritance that You brought out by Your great power and Your outstretched arm.”

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↝WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS GOD OVERSEES THIS EVIL↜

[Daniel 9:14 AKJV] — "Therefore has the LORD watched on the evil, and brought it on us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all His works which He does: for we obeyed not His voice."
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[Daniel 9:14 ISV] — "So the Lord watched for the right time to bring the calamity upon us, because the Lord our God is righteous regarding everything He does, but we have not obeyed His voice.”
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[Daniel 9:14 BBE] — "So the Lord has been watching over this evil and has made it come on us: for the Lord our God is upright in all His acts which He has done, and we have not given ear to His voice."

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According to this Bible verse:

■1■ God had to watch over certain evil: — God became Overseer to that evil or calamity, even though God is good and not evil Himself. God, who is our General Overseer, was overseeing the evil or calamity, which He made to befall us, because He is Righteous.

■2■ The reasons God did that was because God is righteous or upright is all His works. and we have not obeyed His Voice: — God is good, but also God is righteous. The term “God is good” — refers or describes who God is based on “His Gifts, His Generosity or His Fruits. But on the other hand, the term “God is Righteous” — refers or describes who God is based on “His Works, His Ways, His Methods or Means [Modus Operandi].”

[Psalms 145:17] — "The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.”

Based on giftings or giving, God is Good, and so no one should ever associate evil gifts or evil fruits as coming from God or going to God because nothing evil is acceptable or will of God: As it is written

[James 1:13,16-17] — "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts He any man: Do not err, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no ficklenss, neither shadow of turning.”

However, base on judgments or justice, God is Righteous in all His works as well as in all works done by all, and so He will judge all works with His Righteous judgments and reward all according to their works in righteousness.

Why is God interested in all works of everyone, to the point He must judge all works and pay all for all works done whether they are good or evil works? — Because God is Righteous, and so every single work done must directly involve His righteousness or else His justice. None is exempted. Good must be rewarded with good, and evil must be rewarded with evil.

Paul wrote: — [Romans 12:17] — "Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” - This instruction is to us, but not applicable to God, who is Righteous. God alone is righteous enough to repay evil, and no one among us has the right or righteousness to repay evil. Therefore, it is written:

[Proverbs 20:22 MKJV] — "Do not say, I will repay evil; wait on the LORD, and He will save you.”

[Hebrews 10:30 MKJV] — "For we know Him who has said, Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.”

Goodness will gift (give) good things, but Righteousness does both giving and repaying both good and evil.

Now, in the Bible verse in red:

God is righteous in all His works, and yet we did not obey or follow His voice: — This implies we continued being unrighteous, by not obeying the Voice of the God of Righteousness. To not obey His Voice is to not be righteous or right in any works or ways. No one can be disobedient to the Voice of the LORD of Righteousness, who is Righteous in all His works and ways, and that disobedient person still be right or righteous.

If we are not right, we have no right. The constitutions and laws of the countries of this world gives or fights for people's Rights, including what they call “Human Rights, Women's Rights, Properties Rights, Freedom of Speech Rights, Right of Ways etc.” So, after they give these rights to everyone, everyone lives and acts based on the rights they have provided they don't infringe or abuse on the rights of others.

But God's Righteousness does not put the cart before the horse — So, “Being Right” is more important and ahead than “Having Rights.” If you are not right (Righteous), you have no right even if you have will. Having Rights is separated from having Will — Every man is given what some call “Sovereign Will” to choose or make choices; but having that will is not the same as having Right by Righteousness. You should wisely care more about “Doing Right” and “Being Right” far more than you should care about “having right, having will, having power, having authority or having power.” God did not call you to become Charismatics or Pentecostals; but God called you to become Perfect, Holy and Righteous, as He is.

[1 John 3:7] — "Little children, let no man deceive you: whoever does righteousness is righteous, even as the Lord is righteous.”

However, more important way of being righteous above doing righteousness is the way of obeying Him: — we obtain His righteousness, not just by doing right or righteousness, but much more by obeying Him — God of Righteousness: — This is righteousness by obedience of one Man as well as obedience to this same Man::

[Romans 5:19] — "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.”

Righteousness is the Way, the Truth and the Life of a Person: To walk in righteousness is to obey Voice of His Person. Yielding or obeying Him yields righteousness, for in Him is God the Father well pleased.

↝ CORRECTION BY GRACE ↜

[Daniel 9:13 NKJV] — “As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.
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[Daniel 9:13 BBE] — "As it was recorded in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us: but we have made no prayer for grace from the Lord our God that we might be turned from our evil doings and come to true wisdom."
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[Daniel 9:13 NIV] — Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.

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According to this Bible verse in red, Daniel confessed that though the disasters or threats written in the Law of Moses were brought upon the people for their sins, yet they were neither reformed nor transformed.

The judgments or disasters written in the Law of Moses could not prevent the people even though they destroyed or damaged the people. All the disasters written in the Law of Moses came upon them but none of them reform them: neither were they turned back to God. So, even judgment without grace fails, just as truth without grace fails. I see this Bible verse in red differs to the scripture that says:

[Isaiah 26:9-11 BSB] — "My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD. O LORD, Your Hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!”

Why? All the disasters were unleashed on the people to correct them, yet they were not corrected: The use of violence (disasters) to reform them by fire and by force obviously failed, just as the use of dialogs and favors still failed to correct or reform the people. So both “Carrots and Sticks” method failed according to both Bible references here above. It's like it was seen in this revelation:

[Revelation 16:8-9 BSB] — "Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire. And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues. Yet they did not repent and give Him glory.”

In this life, the use of corporal punishments may change some people into better people, but may also change other people into worse people. So, it's a bit complicated, but then one who applies corrections must be wise and discerning to know which fruits or the impacts of the impartation. An evil tree does not bear good fruits no matter how much that tree is cut, beaten or how much disaster befalls the tree.

[Proverbs 9:7-10 BSB] — "He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself. Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Nevertheless, let's focus on the Bible verse in red and notice what Daniel said failed to happen when all disasters written in Moses' Law had happened.

On one hand, all the disasters happened on the people as they were written by Moses; but on the other hand, there was no equal or opposite reaction as written in the Newton's Law happening in the people. So, Moses’ Law happened but Newton's Law did not happen in reaction. The people did not seek nor ask for grace when they were receiving their punishment, and perhaps they also did not ask for mercy or maybe they did. Ask for grace, and not just for mercy.

Seek the face of God even when the face of God is against you and the hand of God is working against you. Some of us who love God and continue with Him are those of us who still continue to seek and love Him even when it seems He was opposed to us or working against us.

[Job 13:15-16 NLV] — "Even though He would kill me, yet I will trust in Him. I will argue my ways to His face. This will save me, for a sinful man may not come to Him.”

Not many understand this kind of love and bonding. Have you not met people wondering why that woman or man continues clinging to the other partner that abuses her/him, and continues faithfully in that relationship even though she or he is suffering terribly being there? So many would have cut off the relationship or even retaliated all abuses. Goats are different from Sheep. Like a sheep the Lord Jesus Christ was led to be slaughtered, and yet He did not open His Mouth in protest.

The same God who forsook Him was the God He still cried out to, kept on praying and trusting the same God and Father who was still forsaking Him and wouldn't show up when He needed Him most — Yes, He even committed or commended His Spirit into the Hand of the same God or Father who forsook Him, trust God and died still trusting God. What happened with God the Father, Who usually sounded from heaven, this is My Beloved Son, in Whom I Am well pleased, showing up those moments the Son was suffering and dying publicly, and God the Father repeating those words then and not forsaking the Son then? God the Father was silent, and the Son kept trusting Him even while headed into the deepest darkness of death and hell all alone, bearing the sins and curses of mankind.

These are some of the lessons to learn from the Lord Jesus Christ on this, about Son and Father relationship, Person and God relationship:

[‭Hebrews 12:2-14 NKJV‬] — looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

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[Ezekiel 14:14 AKJV] — "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, said the Lord GOD."

[Ezekiel 14:14 ISV] — "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job lived in that land, they would only save their own lives on account of their righteousness," declares the Lord God."

[Ezekiel 14:14 NIV] — even if these three men–Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.

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Okay here, this Bible verse in red bears the content that concludes the context and opening to the paragraph in the preceding verse: Thus, to join them together, the full paragraph would read thus:

[Ezekiel 14:13-14 AKJV] – Son of man, when the land sins against Me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out My Hand on it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine on it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, said the Lord GOD."

Now, this paragraph (bible reference) above, especially the Bible verse in red, made comparisons between the “Sin with its Judgment (Punishment)” of some party on one hand and the “Righteousness with its Salvation (Deliverance)” of some other but connected or related party on the other hand. This teaching will help priests and national shepherds to understand on how to intercede or stand up for a land, country or nation, in more effective or efficient way that saves.

To illustrate these, let me begin by citing a good example of the Bible paragraph above: — That would be Adam’s sin in the beginning, and representing the Hand of God stretched over the land was the "Curse” on the ground because of Adam’s sake: that curse brought famine, hunger, death that cut off both man and animals [Genesis 3:17-19]. In this context, the land or country that sinned or trespassed against God was basically Adam — For Adam and Eve were all the people of the entire country or land of all the earth. So, that happened until Noah.

No fallen man was saved or delivered from the curse on the ground until Noah, the first of the three men mentioned in the Bible verse in red. He was named Noah with a prophecy that he shall deliver or comfort us from the curse of the ground that had been there because of Adam [Genesis 5:29]. However, he couldn't save his people by his own righteousness, though his righteousness saved only him while his faith supplemented his righteousness in saving his three sons, their wives, and the living creatures with him in the Ark during the deluge.

Now compare “Adam’s Sin” and “Noah’s Righteousness” — Adam’s sin was far stronger in scope and impact than Noah’s Righteousness before the flood, but after the flood, Noah’s Righteousness equated the scope and impact of Adam’s sin on the ground — Which was one of the key but hidden reasons the curse was nullified and removed from the ground. Yes, by Noah’s righteousness, he had the curse that was on the ground, because of Adam, removed from the ground.

But how or why was the righteousness of Noah inadequate enough to overcome Adam’s sin before the flooding, but after the flooding the same righteousness became adequate enough to overcome the sin?

The reason is because, Adam was literally the Ruler of the entire land or earth, and with his wife, was all the land. So, their righteousness or their sin applies to all the earth's lands, all countries, all peoples or all nations. But as population increased, one man's sin or righteousness could not equate for the land’s or country's sin or righteousness. It was not like the kingdom of God being like a leaven which a woman hid in three measures of meals, and the entire three meals were leavened or influenced by just one leaven in them. Neither was it even like, if I find 10 righteous men in Sodom or Gomorrah, I will spare or save the cities for the sake of the 10 righteous men. No.

I recently cited reference where David saw the angel of God, the first time David literally saw an angel, but with sword about to strike Jerusalem. Was it David's righteousness that stopped the angel, or it was God's Mercy for Jerusalem that stopped the angel? David was the one who sinned, so he had no righteousness in this matter.

These are the three men God mentioned as having Righteousness that can save their own souls in this case— Noah, Daniel and Job. But don't get it twisted: for these men's righteousness was still below sin in the land of the dead, but not entire below sin in the land of the living. In the land of the living, the righteousness of Noah, Daniel and Job, was enough for each of them to be saved or delivered from any curse or plague from God because of sin. But in the land of the dead (that is in death), the righteousness of Noah, Daniel and Job, could not save them nor give them resurrection from the dead and immortality.

Adam’s sin had still had greater impact in spite of even Noah’s Righteousness or the righteousness of any saint, until the Messiah Himself or Second Adam (the Lord Jesus Christ) came with His Own Righteousness that is far greater than the sin of the first Adam.

[Proverbs 14:34 AKJV] — "Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."

So, in interceding for a nation or land that sinned and was plagued: —

▪︎1▪︎ If all people therein sinned, then all people therein must repented and not just few people repenting while others continue their ways. See how the king of Nineveh made everyone in that city to repent and seek the face of God, including the animals. The scope or numbers of people that repent and seek God for that land must be measurable to the number of people that sinned in that land before it was counted against that land or country as trespass or sin against God.

[2 Chronicles 7:13-14] — "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Are we not looking into Daniel's confessions and seeking the face of God over the sins or captivity of Israel and Jerusalem at the end of the 70 years sentence? Daniel was righteous, and was among the three men God said will be able to deliver or save their own souls by their own righteousness. But Daniel alone trying to make God stop the captivity of Jerusalem, even at the end of 70 years of the captivity, was not going to happen as he attempted: for instead of 70 years, were 70 weeks, before the trespasses or transgressions of Jerusalem were to be completely resolved and the Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ) will then bring in a better righteousness than that of Daniel, even a righteousness called “The Everlasting Righteousness.”

Have we not looked into Job, one of the three men mentioned that could deliver or save their own souls by their own righteousness, even Job praying for his children incase they sinned, and yet Job couldn't save those children by his own righteousness alone when they all perished in the same day?

▪︎2▪︎ If all people therein sinned, and you can get all people therein to repent, then a Sacrifice or Sacrifices worth equally or more than the sins committed will atone for the land or country. But the Sacrifices must be spiritual, acceptable to God and able to drain the sins and give righteousness or atonement instead. To achieve these, there must be blood in the Sacrifices: for remission of sins. Without blood remission of sins. If the sin was murder or the sin of blood on the land, then the blood of the murderers, sinners and guilty ones will atone for the sin of that land. Some deaths will cleanse a land or country of sin.

↝ THIS FAMINE IS OF THE HAND OF GOD ↜

[Ezekiel 14:13 AKJV] — "Son of man, when the land sins against Me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out My Hand on it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine on it, and will cut off man and beast from it:"

[Ezekiel 14:13 FBV] — "“Son of man, if a people in a country sin against me by being unfaithful to me, then I will act against them by cutting off their food supply, so they experience famine, with no food for people or animals."

[Ezekiel 14:13 NIV] — “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by being unfaithful and I stretch out My Hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,

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There will be knowledge and revelation of what happens or happened when a land, a country or an earth-ground trespassed in sin against God, and then God punishes or judges the land by His Hand over it.

The natural people would see or experience these things but try explaining them naturally or scientifically, e.g. as natural disasters or climate change effects, failures or collisions of some things with others, or some cosmic accidents.

But we know that the spiritual man does not attribute such things to natural or cosmic accidents, knowing that in the beginning God created and ordained all things to work together in state of goodness and efficiency. God commanded the earth to bring forth fruits, foods and living creatures, and God blessed them. So, if there be anything strange, different and hostile to how God made and ordained them in the beginning, we know such thing came because of sin against God found on or inside the land where such disaster or disorder thrives.

According to this Bible verse in red, famine on a land, intense poverty, and starvation that kills both people and animals on a land, are neither accidentally nor natural: — The Hand of God takes full responsibility for them, not just as the acts of God but as reactions of God toward the land that has sinned in trespass or unfaithfulness against God. In nutshell, the spiritual discerns the cause (sin) and the solution in God.

Read the Handwriting on the Wall, but also read the Handwriting on the Land.

The Lord Jesus Christ said, He that is without sin should cast the first stone, but then He continued writing on the ground though He delivered the accused sinner from condemnation. Many heard what He said, but did not read what He wrote down on the land.

In this Bible verse in red, the Hand of God would be stretched over the land that sinned against God, and there will be cutting off food supply or there will be famine, which will be strong enough to kill both people and animals of the land. In this case, reading the land is good but reading the Hand of God stretched over the land is better. For what goes on the land comes from the Hand over the land. Don't just see the death by famine or hunger in the land without seeing the Hand of God stretched over the land. This Hand of God stretched over the land or over the sinners could be angel of God representing the hand of God like David saw and understood in this Bible reference below:

[1 Chronicles 21:16-17 LG] — "And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord, standing between earth and heaven, and his sword was drawn in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. And David and the elders clothed in sackcloth fell upon their faces. And David said to God, “ Was it not I that gave orders to number the people? And I am the guilty one; I have greatly sinned; but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord God, let Your hand be upon me, and upon my father's house, and not on Your people for destruction, O Lord!””

↝ THE COMMUNICATION STORY OF GOD'S WORD↜

[Ezekiel 14:12 NKJV] — The Word of the Lord came again to me, saying:

[Ezekiel 14:12 GNT] — The Lord spoke to me.

[Ezekiel 14:12 GWN] —"The LORD spoke His Word to me. He said,"

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The Bible verse in red reveals distinct communication in the series and midst of numerous communications from the LORD God to Ezekiel His prophet. Here, the focus is not yet on the conversation but only on the communication: Therefore, it's a story of God's Communication without the Conversation or the Content of the communicated exchange.

TELL THE STORY…

The three variations of the Bible verse in red I cited above already told the story in different versions, taking us into three different realms of perception:

■1■ If Ezekiel the prophet tells us the story using the terms of GNT, he will simply tell the story this way, — “The Lord spoke to me.” — Well, that was simplified and plain, but basically left some details (things) or some characters out of the story. “The Lord spoke to me” — is indeed a communication story in which the narrator (Ezekie) is the first person eyewitness or ear-witness, but the Lord Himself is the Chief Witness and the Chief Speaker who initiated or made the communication.

■2■ If Ezekiel the prophet tells us the story using the terms of GWN, he will tell the story this way, — “The LORD spoke His Word to me. He said,” — More details emerged here more than the first one, and the details added in this context are “His Word” and “Thus said the Lord.” Unlike the previous one that plainly states, “The Lord spoke to me,” this one reveals “What the Lord spoke (His Word)” and “Who said (He said).” I can speak to you, but still not speak my word to you: — for I can speak another person's word while I speak to you. I can also speak to you but I am saying different things from what I speak to you (in terms of meaning, interpretation or differences between my speech and my heart/intentions, e.g. when deceiving or lying to someone). Someone else can be saying different things while another person is speaking to you. Thus, “what He spoke” and “what He said,” matter.

■3■ If Ezekiel the prophet tells us the story using the terms of NKJV, he will tell the story this way, — “The Word of the Lord came again to me, saying:” — This will be the most detailed, most elaborate and most spiritual way of narrating this glorious Communication Story. Here, there is both a “Communication” and a “Coming.” – Spiritually, “Coming” is sometimes as important as “Communication:” — The essence and climax of communication is coming, and the essence and climax of coming is communication: hence both need to be established

Here also, it's not just the Lord spoke His word to me, but that the Word of the Lord Himself came as a Person or Messenger to me. Here, the Word of the LORD is not just the Message or communication but also a Messenger or Angel that came saying/bearing His Message

Moreover, here the Word of the LORD came “Again” — Meaning the Word of God had come multiple or numerous times repeatedly, but yet saying different things. The coming again or repeatedly reveals the reoccurring of the same Messenger but not of the same Messages.

↝GOD CONFIRMING OR FULFILLING HIS WORDS IN US↜

[Daniel 9:12 NKJV] — And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
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[Daniel 9:12 GNT] — You did what You said You you would do to us and our rulers. You punished Jerusalem more severely than any other city on earth,
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[Daniel 9:12 NIV] — You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.

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Here in this Bible verse in red, God confirmed, performed or fulfilled, His spoken words, and that resulted in bringing terrible punishment and disaster upon us and our judges or rulers (the entire Jerusalem Church), so that nowhere under heaven was any grounp or city been as much severely punished or judged as the way the Lord God has severely punished or judged “Jerusalem Church” in the confirmation.

So, it was indeed a confirmation of God's spoken Words, performing or fulfilling what He had spoken, — but also, the impact on Jerusalem was very terrible and more severe than ever witnessed anywhere or Time before. Lamentations lamented about it this way:

[Lamentations 2:17,15] — "The LORD has done that which He had devised; He has fulfilled His word that He had commanded in the days of old: He has thrown down, and has not pitied: and He has caused your enemy to rejoice over you, He has set up the horn of your adversaries.” — "All that pass by clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?’"

So, it's established that God confirming, performing or fulfilling, His own Words was a very terrible thing to happen to Jerusalem according to Daniel's confession in the Bible verse in red. But away from and beyond that station, the same God confirming, performing or fulfilling, His own Words will be a very good and glorious thing to happen to Jerusalem in restoration or rebuilding of Jerusalem as in the gospel:—

[‭Isaiah 44:26-28] — God confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers; He says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built, and I will raise up her waste places;’ The Lord says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’; the Lord says of Cyrus, ‘He is My Pastor, and he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’

The sufferings, the crucifixion, the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God all happened to Him because God was confirming, performing or fulfilling, His own Words by the prophets and by the Law of Moses. Whether they were terrible things happening to God's own Son and Zion, or they were glorious things and gospel happening to God's own Son and Zion, the most important is that the scriptures of God were getting confirmed, performed or fulfilled in them

[‭Luke 24:44-47 NKJV‬] — Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

It was not for punishment but for fulfilling God's Words and confirming God's own. The Lord chastens those He confirms or fulfills as His own and disciplines them with the fulfilling or confirming of His spoken words. Therefore, those of us who walk, not after the flesh but after the Spirit, have the righteousness of the Law fulfilled or confirmed in us:

[Romans 8:3-4 BSB] — "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

↝THE EXECRATION AND THE OATH OF THE LAW ↜

[Daniel 9:11 NKJV] — Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.
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[Daniel 9:11 TLV] — Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your Torah and has turned away—not obeying Your voice. “‘Therefore the curse and sworn judgment written in the Torah of Moses the servant of God has been poured out upon us, for we have sinned against Him.
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[Daniel 9:11 NIV] — All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You.

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In this Bible verse in red, “All Israel both Transgressed God's Law and Backslided (withdrew, departed or turned away) from path of obeying the Voice of the LORD. There was a “Turning Away” in all Israel, even though no man of sin (Antichrist) was revealed during the turning away period. So, that turning away differ from the turning away (falling away) in the last days that will bring the emergence of the man of sin, who is a son of Perdition, the Antichrist, according to “2 Thessalonians 2:3.”

Nevertheless, that turning away resulted in the emergence of some thing else apart from the man of sin or Antichrist, and that which came because of the turning away is called the Execration: meaning curse. In this Bible verse in red, the execration (the curse) and the oath that were written in the Law of Moses the servant of God came upon us. However, today many of us mark the day Christ redeemed us from the execration or curse of the Law, being made an execration or curse for us: as it is written, “Cursed is everyone that hangs on a Tree” (on a cross where He was crucified or dead) — [Galatians 3:13]

According to the teachings of Paul the servant of God "By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified — for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). And as you can see from Daniel's confession in the Bible verse in red, “All Israel” began doing the Law but at some point transgressed or backslided (turned away) from or couldn't continue, the deeds of the Law — Yet the curse (execration) and the oath written in the Law of Moses were poured out upon them. So, no matter how much they might have done for the Law previously, as soon as they turned away or offended the law, the curse and oath began to attack and destroy them. This meant the Law cursed those who will not continue doing the Law, as in, the law puts curse on even anyone who presently is doing the Law but will stop doing it tomorrow. Therefore, we needed a Redeemer (Savior) who can help us breakout:

[‭Galatians 3:10-14 NKJV‬] — For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

↝CONFESSIONS — WE ARE NOT FULLY DISCIPLED ↜

[Daniel 9:10 NKJV] — We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
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[Daniel 9:10 GWN] — "We never listened to You or lived by the teachings You gave us through Your servants the prophets."
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[Daniel 9:10 GNT] — We did not listen to You, O Lord our God, when You told us to live according to the laws which You gave us through Your servants the prophets.

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God's Laws are God's Teachings through His Servants the prophets. Many Christians today are taught to view the Laws of God as old Testament rules outdated by the new Testament grace. But you should see the Laws of God by the prophets as set of Teachings of God.

Teachings are instructions of Teacher or Master: Some understanding give “Teacher” and “Master” the same meaning or reference. The Law was our school-master before Christ meant the Law was our school-teacher before Christ. As it is written,

[Galatians 3:24-25 BSV] — "Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

Well, that is the law of Moses, described as school master or teacher. But the Bible verse in red spoke of the Laws of God by His Servants the prophets, which were in direct sync with the very Voice of God. Those Laws, Instructions or Teachings, were by the servants of God, the prophets, ordered by the Spirit and Voice of God in the utterances.

In the Bible verse in red, “We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.” This was a confession of Daniel and as well a confession of many saints, who fell short of His Discipleship and High Calling. Our living out the Laws or Teachings of God have always been short of our hearing or teaching them. We have not fully obeyed, neither have we fully walked in all that is available for us to walk in, under His Laws.

This means, many of us are not fully discipled because we neither fully obeyed the Voice of the Lord nor fully walked in His Laws He set before us by His servants the prophets. Even if this was not expressed as a confession, the Law of God goes or comes with testimony of God.

[Isaiah 8:16 MKJV] — "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.”

[Isaiah 8:20 AKJV] — "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Psalms 19:7: "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."

[Isaiah 8:20 AKJV] — "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

↝ MEASURES TO HELP CHRISTIANS STOP SINS ↜

[Ezekiel 14:11 AKJV] — "That the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be My people, and I may be their God, said the Lord GOD."

[Ezekiel 14:11 NIV] — Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from Me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be My people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.

[Ezekiel 14:11 GNT] — I will do this to keep the Israelites from deserting Me and defiling themselves by their sins. They are to be My people, and I will be their God.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

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Substantially, this Bible verse in red provides a justification or reason for the divine actions or judgments pronounced in the preceding verses: — According to this Bible verse in red, those measures will solve the problems of sinning among the people of God forever.

The enemy boasted that the Lord died to deal with sin of His people, but sin has not been removed from His people because sin is still found even in those who are His people, for whom He died for. For example, soon the people will celebrate His death and resurrection, but in them are found lies, envy, idols, greed, lust, hatred, worldly pursuit and lack of zeal for spiritual and eternal things of God except the blessings and prosperity in corruptible things that fill their minds.

But this Bible verse in red and its preceding ones provide justification and liberation from sin by those pronounced divine judgments on the prophets (pastors, priests and ministers) as well as on those listening to them.

In nutshell, the reason Christians or people of God are still committing sins is largely because of the prophets, pastors, priests, or teachers, that claim to speak for God to these people and their deceptions called messages. If all the ministers of the gospel or word of God are faithful, naturally all the Christians will be reformed and transformed. Blame it largely on the pastors, prophets and religious leaders.

[Jeremiah 12:10] — "Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.”

So the solution includes holding the prophets equally responsible for the sins of those who listen to the prophets, and holding the people equally responsible for the sins of their prophets to whom they listen. Then according to this Bible verse in red, the people of God will become disciplined to never sin or defile themselves again — and then the Lord God will receive them as His people and He will be their God.

↝WHEN PROPHET OR PASTOR IS AS GUILTY AS MEMBER/SEEKER OF THE PROPHET OR PASTOR↜

[Ezekiel 14:10 AKJV] — "And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeks to him;"

[Ezekiel 14:10 NIV] — They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him.

[Ezekiel 14:10 GNT] — Both prophets and anyone who consults them will get the same punishment.”

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If a man visits and seeks a witch doctor, wizard, priest of demonic shrine, medium, spiritist, occultic master, necromancer, queen of any underworld, etc: That man who seeks any of these priests, prophets or mediums for help or inquiry shall be as guilty as the one he sought.

In the same way, if a man visits and seeks a false prophet, fake priest or fake pastor, that uses the name of Christ Jesus: That man who seeks any of these priests, prophets or oracles for help or inquiry shall be as guilty as the one he sought. Thus is according to the Bible verse in red — the punishment or guilt of such prophet is equivalent to the punishment or guilt of the man or woman who seek or inquire from him

Basically, by consulting a minister or medium, a man may partake in the sins or guilts of the minister or medium he seeks or consults; and on a flip side, by a minister or medium laying hands or blessing a man that minister or medium may partake in the sins or guilt of the man.

[1 Timothy 5:22 LBP] — "Do not lay hands hastily on any man, neither be a partaker of other men's sins; keep yourself pure."

Be careful the ministers or mediums you seek, and be careful the sinners you lay your hands or forgive their sins just because they come to you for confession. You do not want to partake in the sins or punishments of the sins of others just by contact or consultation, unless you want to. Keep yourself pure, especially by not joining yourself to the impure, the defiled or the guilty in partaking of them.

Jesus Christ ate and drank with sinners, and He practically died for sinners and died in the midst of sinners: but even with all these association with sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ remained separate from sinners even as the High Priest or greatest Minister of God. He intercedes for sinners, but yet He keeps Himself separate from sinners

[Hebrews 7:25-26 MKJV] — "Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens,”

WHY SHOULD THE PEOPLE WHO CONSULT OR SEEK THE PROPHET OR MINISTER FACE THE SAME GUILT OR PUNISHMENT AS THE DECEIVED DECEIVER THEY CONSULT OR SOUGHT AFTER?

1. [Jeremiah 5:31] – “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and My people love to have it so…” — Highlights how people enable false prophets by loving lies.

2. [Matthew 15:14] – “If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” — the Lord Jesus warns that both misleaders and the misled face the same fall or doom.

3. [2 Timothy 4:3-4] – “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine… and they shall turn away their ears from the truth.” — Paul describes people seeking teachers who will satisfy itching ears — similar to Israel seeking flattering prophets.

Imagine a churchgoer knowingly follows a preacher who twists Scriptures for personal gain (e.g., prosperity gospel, false miracles): — According to this Bible verse in red, both the preacher and the person seeking him out are accountable — especially if they ignore the truth available in Scripture.

Therefore,
■ Discernment is vital — Believers must test every message by the Word of God (1 John 4:1).

■ Personal accountability — Don’t blame leaders or preachers alone; we must seek God sincerely.

■ Guard your heart — Don't let idols (money, pride, status, relationships) replace God's voice in your life.

[Matthew 24:4-5 GWN] — "Jesus answered them, "Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. Many will come using my name. They will say, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many people.”

↝ A PROPHET GOD DECEIVED AND DESTROYED ↜

[Ezekiel 14:9 AKJV] — "And if the prophet be deceived when he has spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out My Hand on him, and will destroy him from the middle of My people Israel."

[Ezekiel 14:9 FBV] — "But if the prophet is deceived into giving a message, it was I the Lord who deceived him to do this. I will still reach out and destroy that prophet from My people Israel."

[Ezekiel 14:9 NET] — "“‘As for the prophet, if he is made a fool by being deceived into speaking a prophetic word — I, the LORD, have made a fool of that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel."

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There are atleast two terms in this Bible verse, which some persons wouldn't associate with God but with the devil: these include “Deceive” and “Destroy.”

□ Some people see it as inappropriate or abominable for the holy God of righteousness and truth to deceive a man. This they will rather attribute to the devil or Satan.

□ Some people see it as inappropriate or abominable for the good God of love and mercy to destroy a man. This they will rather attribute to the devil or Satan.

Such people would try rationalizing verses like this one in red, trying to find the etymological or Hebrew words used all in bid to absolve God from being seen as the LORD who either deceived even prophets, killed or destroyed people. The Bible will clearly state that the Lord does evil in the city, but such men would try to rationalize it into meaning those people who said so were ignorant and they assumed every evil came from the LORD whereas the evil came from Satan. So, new Bible translations were brought out to shift the responsibility of doing evil, deceiving, killing or destroying, people away from the Lord God to Satan the devil. Have you not met or heard such people?

What is wrong in the Lord doing evil, killing people or destroying people, even with everlasting destruction and death, in justice or judgment? Does that negate his being good, righteous, holy and true? It's just as there are people who would have problem with a man or woman flogging his or her own child in corporal punishment for correction, because they are sensual based on anything that hurts the feelings of humans is evil, but anything that pleases the feelings of humans is good or acceptable. Fools, sensual and carnal people, judging morality based on feelings and opinions of carnal people of this world.

The Justice and Judgment of God is based on righteousness and truth and in rewarding or recompensing everything and everyone. So, do not be deceived and God will not deceive you. As it is written,

[Galatians 6:7-8] — "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

Now, according to the Bible verse in red - if a prophet, priest or pastor, is deceived (misled) into preaching, blessing or prophesying, to people or person in whom there's hidden sin, heart for idols or to hypocrites, who come to church or to inquire of the Lord by that prophet, priest or pastor, the Lord God Himself deceived (misled) that prophet, priest or pastor, and will surely destroy that prophet, pastor or priest, from among the people of God. The messages from a prophet or preacher to sinners will tell whether that prophet or preacher is deceived himself or not. And being the Lord will only deceive those He will destroy: He will never deceive any man He will receive among His people, but corrects (disciplines) those He will receive.

[b][Ezekiel 13:3] — "Thus said the Lord GOD; Woe to the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"

[Hosea 9:7] — "The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of your iniquity, and the great hatred.”

[‭1 Kings 22:19-23 NIV‬] — Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His Throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around Him on His right and on His left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “ ‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “ ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “ ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’ “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”




[/b]

↝A MAN GOD FOUGHT AND DISGRACED OPENLY↜

[Ezekiel 14:8 NKJV] — I will set My Face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

[Ezekiel 14:8 NIV] — I will set My Face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from My people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

[Ezekiel 14:8 FBV] — "I will oppose anyone who does this and make any example of them that others will talk about. I will remove them from among my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

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A saying, “the Father who sees in secret will reward you in the open,” applies in this Bible verse in red as “the Lord who searches the secrets and hearts of all things will make you an open sign (example) to others and a proverb (byword or trending keyword) people will talk about.

However the use in this red verse applies literally against those who have hidden sins, hidden idols (idolatry), hidden iniquity and hypocrisy, but still come in approach to or invocation of the Lord. These are those who are harlots or prostitutes, mixing or combining couples that should never be combined or have anything in common. The way harlots or prostitutes would have multiple joysticks in their vaginas and seeds of different strange men in their bodies, so are these having different idols, sins combining with the true and holy God in their heart or mind.

But in the Bible verse in red, the Lord God will disgrace them openly like harlots should be disgraced, and then cut them of from the People of God or erase them from the Book of Life, and then we shall renew our knowledge of Him as the LORD, (especially all churches knowing Him as the Lord who searches the heart…). As it is written,

[Revelation 2:21-23] — "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts: and I will give to every one of you according to your works.”

↝INVOKE, NOT PROVOKE, GOD TO ANSWER YOU↜

[Ezekiel 14:7 NKJV] — For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself.

[Ezekiel 14:7 NIV] — “ ‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from Me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of Me, I the Lord will answer them Myself.

[Ezekiel 14:7 NLV] — "If a man of Israel or a stranger living in Israel who turns away from Me and gives his heart to false gods, and worships them, and if he then comes to the man of God to get answers from Me, I the Lord will answer him Myself."

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There's a Bible verse that states: — "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” [Psalms 66:18]. But the Bible verse in red states that if a man regards iniquity or idol in his heart the Lord God Himself will answer that man when he comes to inquire of Him.

The difference is in between “God hearing a man” and “God answering a man.” God hearing your prayers is not the same as God answering your prayers. The “hearing” here always means your prayers are granted or approved, but the “answering” here means there's either an “Invocation” or “Provocation” in the prayers or quest, for which the Lord God will react, reply, respond or retaliate at once. You should always “Invoke or Inquire” of the Lord God to answer you, but you must not provoke the Lord God to answer you. Some have died in the process of inquiring or tempting God with provoking items. Two eldest sons of a high priest, Aaron, died before the Lord when they offered strange fire that provoked Him. Ananias and his wife too died before the Lord when they approached Him with lies in their offering to Him. Saul died partly because he consulted a native doctor while inquiring of God from Samuel, who was sleeping in death.

In the Bible verse in red, the Lord God Himself warns against anyone, who is mixing idolatry, witchcraft, iniquity or hidden sin, with coming to Him, invoking or enquiring from Him. He will answer, but that also means He might kill or destroy whoever does that. Hidden sin or idols must not be found in you, neither should strange spirit, strange fire nor strange objects be found with you. Do not setup or include image (object) of jealousy that provokes to jealousy either in or outside the temple of God. Don't be unequally yoked with these in your separation.

↝CONFESSIONS — CONFESS HE HAS MERCIES OR FORGIVENESSES BEFORE YOU ASK FOR THEM↜

[Daniel 9:9 NKJV] — To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
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[Daniel 9:9 NLV] — "O Lord our God, You are kind and forgiving, even when we would not obey You."
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[Daniel 9:9 NIV] — The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him;

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I heard a preacher teach that Spirits do not forgive, and that the best they do in mercy is to substitute or replace persons on whom they will carry out the vengeance, recompense or punishment, for the offense done against them.

Well, God is a Spirit, and according to this Bible verse in red, Mercy and Forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we rebel against Him. We are rebellious to Him, yet He is still our God to Whom belong Mercies and Forgivenesses. Now you know these:

●1● Every mercy or forgiveness you received or will receive, belongs to the Lord God, even when such mercy or forgiveness came by men. The Lord considers each mercy and forgiveness from men as a debt He owes and will repay the man or woman who has shown mercy or forgiveness to others. This is to establish Mercy and Forgiveness as the Properties of the Lord God of Righteousness.

●2● Mercy and Forgiveness belong to Righteousness, which belongs to the Lord God. The harder it is for you to forgive sins, the more distant you are from Righteousness. Righteousness and Sin are opposed to each other, and Forgiveness or Mercy gives advantage to Righteousness and disadvantage to sins.

●3● The Wicked has neither Mercy nor forgiveness, but the Righteous lacks neither Mercy nor forgiveness. If the wicked has mercy, he is not wicked. Devils or demons cannot have mercy, for mercy belongs to the Lord God of Righteousness. Only those who belong to the Lord of Righteousness can be merciful as God is merciful. As it is written,

[Luke 6:36 BSB] — "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

●4● God commends His Mercies and Forgivenesses towards us when we were yet rebellious; and God commends His Love towards us when we were yet sinners, then Christ died for us.

●5● Do not adopt what that preacher taught on spirits being unforgiving: — for in reality and holiness, holy and good spirits indeed forgive, forgets offenses, and are merciful. Mercies and Forgivenesses belong to the Lord God of all spirits and all flesh. The more forgiving He is, the more He is Loved and Feared.

[Psalms 130:3-4] — "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared."

Therefore, let your confession confess the Lord God had Mercies and Forgivenesses with Him, before you ask Him for mercy or forgiveness. As the saying goes, you cannot give what you don't have: but you can give what you both have and have in abundance.

↝CONFESSIONS — CONFESS THE CONFUSION AND SHAME OF YOUR KINGS, PRINCES, FATHERS TO GOD ↜

[Daniel 9:8 AKJV] — "O Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against You."
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[Daniel 9:8 NLV] — "We, our kings, our leaders and our fathers are all covered with shame, O Lord, because we have sinned against You."
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[Daniel 9:8 LG] — "In You, O Lord, is our righteousness, and to us belongs confusion of face, and to our kings, and to our princes, and to our fathers, forasmuch as we have sinned."

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Many who are kings, princes, fathers or leaders, in this world are paraded as dwelling in glory, royalty and pride — even in the glory, riches, powers, and pride of life, these kings, princes, fathers or leaders seem to have, they are altogether covered in confusion and shame of faces because of sin against the righteousness of God. This is a Message in this Bible verse in red.

While the world celebrates such elites and fathers for power and glory, they are spiritually seen as figures of shame and confusion because sin is found in them all. There's no sinner this has true grace or glory in presence of God and His Righteousness. No prosperity of sinners can erase the spiritual shame, disgrace or confusion. Unrighteousness or sin corruption to any glory or riches. You cannot have sin in you and be without shame or confusion. This is established — even our so kings, princes, fathers, leaders, bosses, champions, richmen and ourselves, are covered with shame or confusion because of sin.

[Jeremiah 3:25] — "We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God."

[1 Corinthians 15:34 BBE] — "Be awake to righteousness and keep yourselves from sin; for some have no knowledge of God: I say this to put you to shame.”

[Daniel 9:7 NKJV] — “O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.”
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[Daniel 9:7 LG] — "To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, and to us confusion of face, as it is this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to them that are near, and to them that are far off in all the earth, wherever You have scattered them, for the sin which they have committed."
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[Daniel 9:7 NIV] — “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where You have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to You.

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Do you prefer to confess your shame or confusion to another person who is also covered with shame or confusion like you? Is it consolation for you dwell, expose or confess your shame and confusion among those who are like you in image or likeness of shame and confusion? I am as disgraceful, shameful, confused, blind and miserable, as you are, so no need for us to be ashame of our shameful and horrible state — Is this not how the carnal, the blind or the fools, run their societies?

In the Bible verse in red, Daniel rather came to the Lord, confessed or witnessed the Lord's Righteousness to whom belongs Righteousness — And before the God of Righteousness, Daniel exposed, confessed and abhorred the confusion or shame of faces that covered us all by reason of our trespass against the Lord, irrespective of our locations.

■1■ Irrespective of the locations where we were scattered, confusion (shame) of faces covered us. Much like how the confusion of tongues went with mankind wherever they were scattered during Babel's event. Confusion stuck with everyone everywhere on the face of the earth — both those in Jerusalem, Judea, Israel and in all nations abroad.

It therefore means, there's no place to go to rid off confusion or shame that comes from transgressing or trespassing against the Lord of Righteousness. This because there's no true righteousness outside the Lord God (to Whom belongs righteousness): and there's no true deliverance or avoidance of confusion (which is shame) outside Righteousness. True peace comes by righteousness. The Lord God of Righteousness is the same as the God of Peace. Confusion is not of Him because Righteousness and Peace is of Him. As it is written,

[1 Corinthians 14:33] — "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

If you are experiencing conflicts or confusion within you or covering you, you are not experiencing the Lord God. Confusion comes by these two things that are basically like one leading to the other:

■2■ - 1 - Confusion comes by strife, conflicts and envy, which the wisdom of this world brings along.

[James 3:15-16 LBP] — "This wisdom does not come from above, but it is earthly, sensual, devilish. For wherever envy and strife are, there is confusion and every sort of evil."

■2■ - 2 - Confusion of faces comes by provoking the Lord God to anger. Each supposed provocation of the Lord to anger does not mar the Face or Righteousness of God, but rather mars or disfigures faces of those who trespassed, transgressed or went against righteousness.

[Jeremiah 7:19] — "Do they provoke me to anger? said the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?”

■3■ This confusion is the same as shame.

[Psalms 44:15] — "My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face has covered me,"

To have such Confusion is to bear shame or disgrace on you. Have grace, not disgrace; have glory, not shame. Do not be like Adam and Eve, when they were ashamed (confused) at the presence of God and hid themselves. Rather, Confess your shame or confusion before the Lord God of Righteousness, and receive these promises of Him:

[Isaiah 61:7] — "For your shame you shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be to them.”

[Ezekiel 14:6 NKJV] — “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.

[Ezekiel 14:6 NIV] — “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!”

[Ezekiel 14:6 FBV] — "So tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: Repent! Give up worshiping your idols Stop all your disgusting practices."

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This Bible verse in red shows the call to repentance from idolatry and from practices that are abominations to the LORD. Such “Repentance” involves destroying or severing an existing relationship with someone or something else (in this case, relationship with idols or abominations) and then rebuilding or restoring relationship with the Lord God Himself.

●● To sever or destroy ties with existing idols and sins connected with you, the repentance requires you “Turn Away From” them. However, you should make it stronger than turning away from the evils into turning against the evils. Do not just turn away, but also turn against.

●● To build or rebuild ties with the Holy and True God, the repentance requires you “Turn or Return to” Him with all your heart in diligence. When you do turn to the Lord that well, some veil shall be taken away from your face in beholding Him in glory, and that in turn changes you more into becoming like Him to the degree of His glory you are able to see or absorb according to the capacity of your unveiled eyes to Him.

This call to repentance (in the Bible verse in red) came directly from the Lord God Himself, putting the words into the mouth of Ezekiel His prophet to tell the people of Israel those words. However, there were prophets and apostles of God who did not have to use “Thus says the Lord” when they preached or taught the people to repentance from idols to reconciliation with the Lord God. They spoke by the Spirit of God, but spoke the word of repentance as preachers or teachers. E.g:

[1 Samuel 7:3-4 NLV] — "Then Samuel said to all the family of Israel, "Return to the Lord with all your heart. Put away the strange gods and the false goddess Ashtaroth from among you. Turn your hearts to the Lord and worship Him alone. Then He will save you from the Philistines." So the people of Israel put away from among them the false gods of Baal and Ashtaroth and worshiped the Lord alone.”

[1 John 5:21] - Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

It is.

Humility and Love from the heart to the Lord is the wholeness towards the Lord God.

↝WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TAKEN IN YOUR HEART↜

[Ezekiel 14:5 ASV] — “that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols.

[Ezekiel 14:5 BBE] — "So as to take the children of Israel in the thoughts of their hearts, because they have become strange to Me through their false gods."

[Ezekiel 14:5 LSV] — "in order to catch the house of Israel by their heart, in that they have become estranged from off Me by their idols—all of them."

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This Bible verse in red shows the goal aimed at, for which the Lord God would answer or address any idolatruous man according to the multitude of his idols in his heart: — The goal according to this Bible verse in red, is to take each and every man in his own heart.

Taking someone in his or her heart, mind, sin, craftiness, folly, word or in anything of the man that comes from his heart and mind — means to answer, address, arrest or engage the person with his or her own tricks and fruits as recompense to humble him or her. It's as answering a fool according to his folly, lest his mind thinks he's wise in his eyes.

■ To confront or expose someone using their own intentions, desires, or inner motivations — as if you’re turning their own heart (or motives) against them.

■ To overcome someone by appealing to or challenging what they deeply care about — maybe to catch them in a contradiction between what they say and what they truly feel.

Thus, “take the house of Israel in their own heart” means: — confront or judge them according to what is in their hearts — especially their idolatry, which God sees as the root of their separation from Him: To capture or expose them by showing that the real problem lies within — in their thoughts, desires, and secret devotions to idols, not just outward actions. In short, God is saying: “I will deal with them by exposing what truly rules their hearts — their idols — and judge them accordingly.” It’s a form of divine justice that brings people's own inner motives to light as the basis for judgment.

Other references and examples include:

▪︎1° God will take the wise in their own craftiness:

[Job 5:13] — "He takes the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the fraudulent is carried headlong.”

Paul recited and applied it this way:

[1 Corinthians 3:19] — "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness.”

▪︎2° God will take all nations in their own devices and secrets of hearts:

[Psalms 9:15-17] — "The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which He executes: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

[Proverbs 11:6] — "The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness."

[Proverbs 5:22] — "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins.”

[Jeremiah 17:9-10] — "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

[Galatians 6:7] — “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

[Proverbs 6:2] — "You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth.”

[b]↝YOU SHALL BE ANSWERED OR ADDRESSED ACCORDING TO WHAT'S IN YOUR HEART & MIND↜

[Ezekiel 14:4 NKJV] — “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,”

[Ezekiel 14:4 GNT] — “Now speak to them and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: Each of you Israelites who have given your heart to idols and let them lead you into sin and who then come to consult a prophet, will get an answer from me—the answer that your many idols deserve!”

[Ezekiel 14:4 FBV] — “So tell them that this is what the Lord God says: When the people of Israel worship idols in their minds that will lead them to sin, and then come to consult the prophet, I the Lord will give them an answer appropriate to their many idols.”

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● We've come to know the Lord God answers them that diligently seek Him according to their faith, but let's also know the Lord God answers them that seek Him according to their idols in their hearts.

● Just as faith in a man who comes to God determines the way God will answer the man, even so idols in a man's heart or iniquity in a man's secret also determines the way God will answer the man.

● Both Cain and Abel sought God with their offerings, but the way God answered Cain (who had sin or iniquity at his door) was different from the way God answered Abel (who had faith or righteousness in heart).

[Proverbs 26:4-5 BSB] — "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.”

● Answer a fool according to his folly — answer an idolatruous man according to his idols — answer a faithful man according to his faith.

● Here, it is not how you dress you will be addressed — Rather it is according to what is inside your heart and mind that you will be addressed.

● Therefore, he that comes to the Lord must believe that He is, and He is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him and He who searches the reins and hearts to reward or address everyone accordingly.

[‭Psalms 18:23-26 NIV‬] — I have been blameless before Him and have kept myself from sin. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless, to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the devious You show Yourself shrewd.

[Leviticus 10:3 NLV] — "Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord meant when He said, 'I will show Myself holy among those who are near Me. I will be honored in front of all the people.' '' And Aaron said nothing."

zeuss:
Most true servants of God are not ministers.......by their fruits u will know them.....self serving business men full town.

If they are true servants of God then they are ministers. Servants means Ministers.

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↝ CONFESSIONS — YOUR SINS OF NOT LISTENING OR HEEDING TO MINISTERS OF GOD ↜

[Daniel 9:6 TLV] — We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
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[Daniel 9:6 NLV] — "We have not listened to Your servants who spoke for You, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land."
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[Daniel 9:6 NIV] — We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your Name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

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In this Bible verse in red, Daniel continued his confession of the sins of “We” — Only that this time it's a confession or regretting for not listening to the Ministers or Messengers of God and of not keeping their messages. Just as there must be testimonies for having listened, believed and heeded to the messages and instructions of the ministers and Messengers of God — on the flipside, there must also be regrets, gnashing of teeth and confessions for not believing, not listening, not heeding to the warnings or instructions of the Messengers or ministers of God. So, as it is in the Bible verse in red, so shall it be in the sore Lamentations, confessions or regrets, of sinners who did not heed to the prophets and to the teachers who spoke or taught on God's behalf.

[‭Proverbs 5:11-13 NLV] — "You would cry inside yourself when your end comes, when your flesh and body are wasted away. You would say, "How I have hated teaching! My heart hated strong words! I have not listened to the voice of my teachers. I have not turned my ear to those who would teach me."

Those were like the regret, lamentation or confession, in the Bible verse in red — We have not listened to Your servants the prophets and the teachers, who spoke to our kings, to our fathers, to our elites and to our leaders — (perhaps because we regarded the words of those kings, fathers, leaders, bosses, etc, above the words of God's servants the prophets and the teachers who come in the name the Lord). Therefore, Sodom and Gomorrah has more chances than us in the day of Judgment, because we did not listen to the servants of God.

[Matthew 10:14-15 NET] — "And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or that town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!”

Previously or in the preceding verse to this one in red, I spoke about revealing knowledge of your sins through confession of your sins: — But in this Bible verse in red I speak of revealing your negligence but not your ignorance of your sins. This is because, you must reveal you were told or warned, but you did not listen or regard the ministers.

This is because the conviction of your confession must validate the Messengers of God who you previously invalidate or despised by not listening to them. Thus, Holy Spirit will convict men of sin because they did not listen or believe in he who comes in the name of the Lord.

[John 16:8-9 LG] — "And when He comes, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me;”

Again, previously or in the preceding verse to this one in red, I separated in between Adam’ isolative confession of the sins of “we” and Daniel's cumulative confession of the sins of “we.” But here I must mention why Adam’s confession took that path, and Daniel's took this path. Adam’s confession of the sin included confession or revelation of whom Adam listened to and sinned, while Daniel's confession of the “sin” included the confession or revelation of whom Daniel and his fellow sinners had not listened to and sinned.

■1■ Whom did Adam listened to, and sinned, according to his confession? — Adam listened to a Woman of God, the Woman God gave to be with him. And the woman in turn listened to the Serpent as listening to a counselor, whom God gave wisdom more than all the beast of the field inside the Garden of God in Eden.

■2■ Whom did Daniel and his fellow sinners listened to, and sinned, according to his confession in this Bible verse in red? — Daniel did not confess whom they listened to, but rather confessed whom they did not listen to or whom they failed to believe. These were the prophets of God, servants and messengers of God sent by God or speaking in the Name (authority of the Lord) to them.

So, Adam was trying to justify himself with excuse that he had listened to a woman of God who God Himself gifted and ordained as helper to be with him — But the Lord God wisely punished Adam for listening to the woman as Adam’s wife, not for listening to the woman as minister or woman of God. Know the difference, and know how that defeated Adam’s excuse to justify or absolve himself.

It's like me saying to God, “The pastor/prophet You called or anointed told me to do it, and I listened and did that which You earlier told me not to do” — But yet, God will punish me — not for listening to His servant the prophet or pastor, but for listening to a deceiver, a liar or a false prophet or pastor, and for disobeying God’s commanded Word.

Now, that does not necessarily mean God denies or refuses to recognize that man as His pastor or prophet, neither does it mean I should not have listened to God’s prophet or pastor — Rather it means because I listened to the prophet or pastor and by listening to him I disobeyed God’s commandment or law, the Judgment or Punishment of God will not count or recognize that pastor or prophet I listened to as my substitute. The pastor or prophet does not take away my sin just because I listened or followed him into the sin. Recall the story of the young man of God from Judah and the old prophet that lied to him.

So, a confession of listening to servants of God, prophets or pastors, and that led you into sin or evil against the Law or Commandment of God, does not remove or shift the responsibility away from you to the servants of God you have listened or obeyed. There's only one Person you can listen to, even if listening to Him leads you into evil, and yet by listening to Him the sins or responsibility of the evil is taken away from you — That Person is the Lord God or the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Lord, I listened to You and did this evil — That is obedience and that is righteousness. Therefore, the Father's Commandment to all New Testament People and all men past and future is this — Listen to My Son, My Beloved Begotten Son, in Whom I Am well pleased (Matthew 17:5). And Mary, the mother of Jesus, instruction to all men is this - Whatever He (Jesus Christ) tells you to do, do it (John 2:5).

But, Lord I listened to Your Servants, Your Prophets, Your Pastors, etc, but I did not listen or obey Your Word or Commandment to me — That is not acceptable or forgivable in Judgment.

↝ CONFESSIONS — THE SINS OF “WE” ↜

[Daniel 9:5 AKJV] — We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and from Your judgments:
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[Daniel 9:5 GNT] — ‭We have sinned, we have been evil, we have done wrong. We have rejected what You commanded us to do and have turned away from what You showed us was right.
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[Daniel 9:5 NIV] — we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from Your commands and laws.

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In this Bible verse in red are confessions of the sins of “We” based on knowledge. Notice my used of the term “Knowledge” in these confessions of sins. In as much as the Law or Commandments that was violated was known or mentioned, the knowledge of the sins was established. This is because, by the Laws or Commandments came knowledge of the sins, iniquities or transgressions, that are confessed.

Immediately Adam confessed he had hid himself as soon as he heard the Voice of God, and gave the reason or excuse for hiding himself as “because he was naked” — That was the man's first confession of his wrong to God — But that confession of Adam was incomplete because the “Knowledge” source or link to that confession wasn't established yet until Adam confessed who told him he was naked or how he got that knowledge of good and evil (knowledge of sin), which made Adam felt or sensed being naked in the presence of God as evil or terrible.

In the Bible verse in red, Daniel confessed to God saying, “We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly, we have rebelled against Your Word, and turned away from Your commands.” — A slight difference between Daniel's confession of the sins of “We” (him + his people) and that of Adam’s confession of the sins of “We” (him + his wife) is that, — Daniel was not separating sinners in his confession of the sins of “We” and thus, he was not indirectly accusing some sinners of sinning greater or sinning differently from the other sinners. But you see how Adam put difference or isolation in confessing the sins of “We” in that Adam presented the sin of his wife Eve to be the cause or the worse to his own sin, thereby indirectly accusing her while confessing the sins of “We.”

Example: Supposing five persons gang went on robbery operation, one of them was relatively different and less evil, some are more evil, and one is the spearhead of the whole wickedness or evil. And perhaps during their operation the most wicked among them killed someone, for which the rest do not support or agree with him:

¤1¤ If that one that's is less evil or somehow still a nice person among them was to confess or report the evil of the gang like Daniel did, he would not start naming the particular one that killed or the ones that did whatever evil among them: rather like Daniel, he would conclude that whatever one of them did, all of them together are guilty or have done. It's like if my hand did something, my whole body has done it. My body will not isolate one part of it as being the evil one, to prove the rest of my body is more righteous than that part. It's about bearing or sharing the responsibility together, and leaving none isolated.

[1 Corinthians 12:20-26] — "As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty, whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

¤2¤ But If that one that's is less evil or somehow still a nice person among them was to confess or report the evil of the gang like Adam did, he would start naming the particular one that killed or the ones that did whatever evil among them, showing himself as either a victim or unfortunate one in their midst that was in support of what some of them were did (but still remain in their group or enjoy their benefits). This form or kind of confession of the sins of “We” is judgmental or accusational while seeking for escape from collective responsibility.

[Matthew 5:29-30] — "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.”

Now, if you understand my illustrations between Daniel's confession and Adam’s confession, of the sins of "We” — You will be able to understand these two things further:

◇A◇ — Understand The Paradox between uncovering sins and covering multitude of sins: — This paradox is in the fact that you are not supposed to cover sins, but also you are supposed to cover multitude of sins. These 2 Bible references below will explain the two:

[Proverbs 28:13] — "He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.”

[1 Peter 4:8] — "Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Daniel's confession of the sins of “We” satisfied the both sides of the paradox, in that by confession he was not covering their sins but also by love he was covering multitude of their sins. It's confession in love.

◇B◇ — Understand The Two Key Elements that Bring up the Knowledge of Sin in the Bible verse in Red: — These two are:

●1● Confession of the sins — Confession of sin uncovers or reveals the knowledge of sin. But like Daniel, let your confession also cover multitude of sins (by love) and not just uncover the sins (in exposition).

●2● By the Law or Commandment — By the Law or Commandment also came knowledge of the sins, iniquities or transgressions. As in:

[Romans 3:20-23] — "Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”

↝ CONFESSIONS — FOUR TYPES ↜

[Daniel 9:4 AKJV] — "And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments;"
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[Daniel 9:4 NLV] — "I prayed to the Lord my God and told Him the sins of my people, saying, "O Lord, You are great and we fear You. You keep Your agreement and show loving-kindness to those who love You and keep Your Laws."
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[Daniel 9:4 NIV] — “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments,”
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Learning from this Bible verse in red, and from Daniel here:

□ — ■ Whether you pray or make confessions to God, say it to God in a way that you will not be ashamed to share with people what and how you said it to God in your prayer or confession.

□ — ■ When you pray to God, pray to Him as to your Father in secret, but also pray it as a secret prayer that will become open broadcast that will be heard or known in the open to everyone.

□ — ■ Therefore, your secret prayers or secret confessions to God are themselves secret confessions you may have to make open in your testimony. It is not just confessions inside prayer, but also confessing the confessions inside prayer after prayer.

□ — ■ There are four distinct aspects of confessions in the Bible verse in red:

■1■ Confessing (that is narrating or sharing) the prayer content as in stating the exact words and expressions you used before God in your secret or private prayer, supplications and fasting, as part of your testimony and teaching to the audience.

■2■ Confessing to Him whom you say that He (the Lord God) is to you and to the people. It's like answering these questions from the Lord to you, “Whom do people say that I Am? And whom do you say that I Am?” This is your Testimony of Him.

Confessing your opinions or views of Him is more important than Confessing your sins against Him or someone else.

[Romans 10:9-10 BSB] — "that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved."

In the Bible verse in red, these were Daniel's confessions of Him — Daniel confessed Him, Lord my God, the Great and Awesome (Dreadful or Fearful) God.

■3■ Confessing to Him His Righteousness and Goodness as in acknowledging His Ways. This usually sets the standard for confessing of one's sins. Don't just confess your sins without comparing the sins to His Righteousness or Goodness. Hence, the need to confess His righteousness, faithfulness, goodness, or mercies, either before, during or after confessing your sins. In this way, you are not just confessing darkness in you, but also confessing the Light inside Him, allowing His Light prevail.

In the Bible verse in red, Daniel confessed or proclaimed His goodness, mercy, faithfulness and righteousness thus: “keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments;"

Moses asked Him to show His glory to Moses, but He showed His Goodness and His Name as His Glory or Light to Moses.

[‭Exodus 33:18-19 NKJV‬] — And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

While bringing down His glory is very important, proclaiming His goodness and His Name in it is much more important. The whole earth is full of His glory, but most of the earth is ignorant of His Goodness and His Name due to the sins and darkness thereon. The Lord Himself confessed or proclaimed His own goodness (for no man is good except Him) and proclaimed Name on earth, saying to Moses that confessed sin to Him:

[‭Exodus 34:5-9 NKJV‬] — Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”

So, I teach that sinners confessing His Name is more important than sinners confessing their sins in prayer, provided they repent from their sins after confessing His Name according to Solomon here:

[1 Kings 8:35-36 BSB] — "When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance."

■4■ Confessing your sins or the sins of your people (as in sins of anyone your prayer is covering). If your prayer is covering only you, confess your sins; if it's prayer covering your family, church, nation, friends, group, etc, confess the sins of those your prayer is meant to cover or include.

[James 5:15-16 BSB] — "And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."

[1 John 1:9-10 BSB] — "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.”