“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned…” George Santayana
“Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments…lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4)
As the composer of the first five books of humanity’s history, it stands to reason that Moses is God’s foundational spokesman. It is on Moses’ writings that the reliability of the entirety of the literary work of the Bible is based, the plot of which is restoration of humanity’s leadership in the Kingdom of God by defeating the enemy sin and death.
This logical deduction is confirmed by God’s announcement that he has a uniquely foundational relationship with Moses.
“And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.” (Deuteronomy 34:10)
“And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD / Jehovah / YHVH: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.” (Exodus 6:2-3)
The internal testimony of God’s control over these documents is that God put his words in Moses’ mouth. This gives these documents, the foundation for all the rest of the Bible, the highest religious authority.
“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my LORD, I am not eloquent…And the LORD said unto him…I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” (Exodus 4:10-12)
Additionally, the unity between Moses and the LORD / Jehovah, apparent in that both the “law” and the “voice” of God is interchangeable with that of Moses, gives Moses the utmost religious authority. The following passage is but one example.
“I Daniel…prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O LORD…We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled
- by departing from THY precepts and from THY judgments:
- Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in HIS laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
- Yea, all Israel have transgressed THY law,
- that they might not obey THY voice;
therefore the curse is poured upon us,
- that is written in the law OF MOSES the servant of God,
- because we have sinned against HIM.
- And HE hath confirmed HIS words, which HE spake against us…by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
- As it is written in the law OF MOSES, all this evil is come upon us:
- Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us…for we obeyed not HIS voice.” (Daniel 9:2-14)
If you think I’m pushing the limits of uniting Moses with God, remember that this is what God wants! – that we may be one!
The divine authorship of the word of God purposefully reflects the unity achieved in relationship between
- God and his spokesman / prophet
- and multiple human writers all tapped into the same – uniquely noncompetitive – God.
- “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (II Timothy 3:16)
- “I am the LORD, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6)
- “I and my father are one.” (John 10:30)
- “If ye love [identify with] me, keep my commandments…I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you…At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” (John 14:15-20)
- “they [apostles Peter and John] lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said,
- [quoting from scripture] thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Chosen One.
- [witnessing of current events matching prophecy] For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
- [eternal word of God] For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done…And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together…
- And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul:“(Acts 4:24-32)ise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witnes unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24)
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
- Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
- For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till ALL be fulfilled.
- Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:
- but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:1320)
You can’t seriously think that “Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery…” were news to Moses? Why assume that sacrificial procedures were?
Rather than establishing a brand-new religion of Judaism, it is far more credible to recognize that Moses RE-established the worship of YHVH documented as being practiced by the Hebrews Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Job and Moses’ father-in-law Jethro the priest of Midian in the rustic fashion limited by the pioneer era and in a far more fitting manner by Noah and Shem under Enoch in the antediluvian glory days.
Sound heretical? Isn’t it less heretical / more orthodox to acknowledge that God never changes?
“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant.
- as in the days of old (this can only be the years prior to the flood: Job 8:8; Isaiah 46:9-10),
- and as in former years (prior to the exile to Babylon).
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. For I am the LORD, I change not…Even from the days of your fathers [before the flood and Shem, Eber, Abraham, etc.) ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3)
The clearest support of the deduction that Moses re-established the pure worship of holy God rather than a brand-new religion is the consistent pattern documented in scripture of mankind falling away into apostasy followed by consistent response of God’s prophets RE-minding and RE-introducing the original way to approach a holy God,
This is documented in the books of the prophets from Genesis through Malachi, but provided in greatest detail in the account of Ezra who, like Moses, led an exodus, this time from Babylonian exile.
He is also called a scribe, well-versed in the law of Moses (7:6), indicating Ezra’s dedication to the study of the Torah, which he sought to make the basic rule of life in the restored community. It was in religious and cultic reform rather than in political affairs that Ezra made his mark as a postexilic leader. Jewish tradition holds him in great esteem. The apocryphal 2 Esdras, sometimes included as an appendix to the Vulgate, where it is known as 4 Esdras, transforms him into a prophet and visionary. The Talmud regards him as a second Moses, claiming that the Torah would have been given to Israel through Ezra had not Moses preceded him…
He gave to his people a cohesion and spiritual unity which helped to prevent the disintegration of the small Jewish community settled in the province of Judah. Had it not been for the intransigence of Ezra and of those who adopted his ideal, it is doubtful that Judaism would have so effectively resisted Hellenism in later centuries. Ezra set the tone of the postexilic community, and it was characterized by fidelity to the Torah, Judaism’s authentic way of life.
As the long-sought messenger of the covenant to give the land of Canaan to the children of Israel. In addition to the miracles given to him by God, Moses undoubtedly had documents handed down from Joseph. As the Melchizedek of his day, Joseph’s primary interest would not have been in counting baskets of corn. As the ruler of Egypt, he would have had access to an Egyptian library of the greatest collection of ancient pre-flood historical documents preserved through the flood in the pyramids, and would assuredly have sought out, collected and preserved records regarding his Hebrew nation.
Still skeptical?
“Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the LORD God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” (Isaiah 48:16-17)
“Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies [sin and death] might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,” (Luke 1:67-77)
We are not caving in to the claims of secular Higher Criticism by recognizing God’s standard practices and patterns of behavior. Moses undoubtedly used previous written records going back to Adam himself as the most valid sources – by God’s standard of relying on the written word – for his history of mankind in Genesis, and organization of religious practices in Exodus – Deuteronomy. Even the delegation of priestly duties is standard practice. In Moses’ case, it was to the Levites, but as detailed in the post The Order of Melchizedek, the Levites were not historically nor currently the only anointed priests.
And restored relationship is demonstrated in restored shared dominion.
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand…After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless…And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. (Genesis 14:18-20, 15:1-7)
Faith in God’s word – fundamentally, this promise of a redeemer – is what is required to restore a permanent life connection with God. As detailed in the post Son of David, the Father grants, in a form of adoption, the permanent relationship known as “son and heir”.
“as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name / way. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13)
Faith in the word of God has always been the power of salvation from sin, experienced as destructive forces now and eternal damnation to come. During the four thousand years or so between
- God’s promise to provide a savior from death via the the seed of the woman
- and the fulfillment of that promise through the birth, death and resurrection of that Seed.
“He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of YHVH’s Savior the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18)
“much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Yeshua / YHVH’s Savior was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord…as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh,” (John 12:12-15)
Interesting that throughout all ages the elite have never stopped identifying themselves with the “glorious” pagan theocracies. Their splendor is a tribute to the evil gods who empowered them to slaughter in endless wars and amass wealth through, pillage, enslavement of the masses, and impoverishment of other peoples through theft of their resources.
Tribute. Get it? Tribute is paid to the rulers. The gods empower them to amass wealth in order to receive it unto themselves. If that phrase rings a bell keep going – “that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3) In the case of the pagan gods, that will be hell fire. Not being triumphant here, just warning.
The thousands of baked clay tablets found in archeological digs in Mesopotamia survived submersion in water. The Euphrates was in fact known simply as “the flood.” It makes one contemplate the possibility that the pagan gods who believed and trembled at Noah’s preaching of the coming flood, but also believed in their power to survive it, specifically developed the clay tablets as the medium to transmit their esoteric knowledge through the world-wide flood to humanity.
Believing the lie that one can survive the Creator’s judgment is, after all, the main sub-theme throughout the Bible.
In stark contrast to the Fertile Crescent’s alternative historical records, the accounts of the God of the Bible and his people are accessible to all humanity and prove throughout thousands of years of uncountable discoveries and fulfilled prophecies that God can be trusted to stay true to his word. Redemption or Wrath.
Kingdom Come 