A Sustaining Family: Abundantly Living
by
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid
(March 7, 2021)
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6: 6-7, King James Version [KJV]); “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16: 31, KJV)
Greetings In The Holy Name Of Jesus Yahshuah,
My sisters and brothers, in my book, Divine, of yesteryear resonated in the law and children of Israel in the memories of Christ Jesus in the early 20th century, when my mother spoke to the importance of providing food and shelter to the family, “Poppa could be sick, but he’d see about us. He kept plenty of hogs, cows, goats, and, when we got ready for meat, we just butchered a cow and a hog. The smokehouse was full of cured-out meat, and ground whole tubs of sausage.” (Ragan, 1998). Today, sustaining the family means government intervention instead of divine Providence in Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide to all of God’s creatures. In reflection, the aftermath of the Great Depression in the mid-1930’s ushered in the thinking that man needed more help from the government even though holy scripture, the Prophet Isaiah spoke that Jesus carried the burden of the government [“Isaiah 9: 6 KJV,
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”]. In our research, in the study of Philosophy, we find faith and salvation as much as faith in salvation is a day-to-day promise of saving grace from God, for the manna that floated down from the sky to feed Israel is still available [“What is the biblical definition of Providence? Traditional theism holds that God is the creator of heaven and earth, and that all that occurs in the universe takes place under Divine Providence — that is, under God's sovereign guidance and control. According to believers, God governs creation as a loving father, working all things for good.[
stanford.edu, 2001].
However, first and foremost, we look for guidance in the Word, Christ Jesus. Let us consider King David, the Psalms: “For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations.” (Psalm 22: 28, KJV [upon Aijeleth Shihir (Shahar)]; Psalm 2: 9, KJV, “ Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”; Psalm 9: 7-8, KJV [upon Muthlab-ben (“The phrase “Muth-lab’ben” in the superscription means “death of the son.” The idea is that Psalm 9 was to be sung to the tune of a song by this name. Other psalms also identify the tunes by which they are to be sung, but we have no information about these melodies. by danielsegraves.com “)], “But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.”; Psalm 47: 2, KJV [A Psalm for the sons of Korah], “For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.” [“Who were the sons of Korah in the Old Testament? Answer: The story of the sons of Korah in the Old Testament is truly a tale of two fathers and two destinies. The story begins with the Israelites of Moses’ time as they journeyed through the wilderness just after leaving Egypt. In Numbers 3, God set aside the Levites, out of the tribes of Israel, for full time service to Him.[biblia.com]. They were ordained to take care of the tabernacle and all of its implements, as well as the Ark of the Covenant. Only the descendants of Aaron, however, were allowed to serve as priests.[gotquestions.org]. The three sons of Levi were Gershon, Merari, and Kohath. The Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes—and everything related to their use. The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use. They were under the direct supervision of Eleazar son of Aaron [gotquestions.org]. Unlike the Gershonites and the Merarites, who were allowed to transport the items under their care on carts, the Kohathites had to carry their items, the holy things of the tabernacle, on their shoulders. They had the arduous burden of transporting these items from place to place as the camp moved, but they were not allowed to actually touch the items or they would die. The priests had to wrap the sacred objects in special coverings before they were transported (Numbers 4: 15 [biblia.com]).Many of the Kohathites began to disdain this task and to covet the role of the priests.
Korah was the grandson of Kohath, and he began to run with another group of Reubenite malcontents, namely, Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth. In pride, they roused a group of 250 men together to challenge the right of Moses and Aaron to the priesthood (Numbers 16). Moses summoned the rebellious men to stand before God and burn incense. God warned Moses to let the assembly know to get away from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, their households, and the other rebels. Then a remarkable and terrifying event happened. [gotquestions.org]. “Moses said, ‘This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.’ As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, ‘The earth is going to swallow us too!’ And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense” (Numbers 16: 28-35).
Although this clearly marked the end of Korah, we discover that Korah’s sons, perhaps too young to understand their father’s uprising or maybe too cognizant of God’s authority to join in the revolt, were spared (Numbers 26: 9-11). God judged those who turned against Him in active rebellion and purified His people, but He still had a purpose and plan for even the line of Korah. After seven successive generations, the prophet Samuel arose from the line of Korah, the genealogy of which is recorded in 1 Chronicles 6: 31-38 and 1 Samuel 1: 1, 20. The Korahites became doorkeepers and custodians for the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 9: 19-21; 1 Chronicles 2). One group of Korahites (1 Chronicles 12: 6) joined King David in various military exploits and won the reputation of being expert warriors. However, the most remarkable thing to note about the sons of Korah is that during the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle. Heman the Korahite had a place of great importance as a singer, along with Asaph (a Gershonite) and Ethan or Jeduthan (a Merarite). These individuals played an important role in the thanksgiving services and pageantry when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. David formed an elaborate organization for song, instrumental music, and prophesying through these men. [biblia.com].
Of all of the psalms in the Bible, eleven are attributed to the sons of Korah [gotquestions.org]. These beautiful psalms express a spirit of great gratitude and humility to an awesome, mighty God. They express a longing for God and deep devotion. These poetic songs include Psalm 42, 44-49, 84- 85, and 87- 88. Psalm 42: 1, contains the beautiful line, “As the deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Psalm 84: 1, states, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O God.” Psalm 46: 1-3, conveys the powerful message, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” [biblia.com].
One wonders if the poet who penned these lyrics was remembering his ignoble beginnings, his distant ancestor who perished in an earthquake for his pride and rebellion. Perhaps it was that reflection that prompted the following words of the same psalm: “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (Psalm 46: 10, KJV), For each of us, our own songs of renewed purpose and redemption should flow out of a heart of humility as we remember the fallen state from which He raised us and the redemption that we experience through His grace. This was certainly the case for the sons of Korah.”, gotquestions.org ]. Psalm 66: 7, KJV, “He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.”; Psalm 67: 4, KJV [on Neginoth], “O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.” (“The chief musician on Neginoth " was therefore the conductor of that portion of the temple-choir who played upon the stringed instruments ... kingjamesbibledictionary.com .”); Psalm 72: 12-14, KJV [A Psalm for Solomon], “For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.”; Psalm 82: 3-4, KJV [A Psalm of Asaph], “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.” (“Who is Asaph in the Bible KJV? Asaph is identified with the twelve Psalms and is said to be the son of Berechiah who is said to be an ancestor of the Asaphites. The Asaphites were one of the guilds of musicians in the First Temple. This information is clarified in the Books of Chronicles.
en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Psalms...
[wikipedia, 2021].
Psalm 103: 19, KJV, “The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.”; Psalm 110: 2, KJV, “ The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.”).
Withstanding all torment in sufferings, we firmly believe that “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” [John 10: 10, KJV, (“Abundant Life Doctrine, 2014).“
In the prominence of thinking of rebellion against leadership we must wait on the Lord God Yahweh, for the art of rebellion abandons leadership and God. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” [1 Samuel 15: 23]. Therefore, we are already in trouble, at the first glance of the thought of rebellion. Waiting on the Lord God Yahweh is too much to bear for those who are rash and seek immediate results. “An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.” [Proverbs 17: 11, KJV]. Let us consider, the gospel of God’s love, love conquers all, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” [1 Corinthians 13].
Moreover, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” [Romans 8: 37, KJV]. “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” [1 Peter 4: 8, KJV]. Hence, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” [Matthew 22: 36-40, KJV]. In closing, your love for God will give you the strength to wait on the Lord.
Let us consider all that is going on: folks who give you a bag of potato chips opening up the bag and putting their hand inside the bag to take from the bag, folks who give you a box of salt, pouring out a portion of the salt, folks letting foods to distribute to the needy sit out and spoil before delivery to you, folks delivering black bananas, folks delivering canned evaporated milk that turned almost a deep dark brown before you received, folks taking tithes out of charity before the charity is delivered, folks taking tithes out of your property without permission, not even asking you anything, just robbing you. God’s love will see us through all the sufferings.
What happens to you as a follower of Jesus after you go through a persecuted experience just because you wanted some food and shelter? “Examples of persecution include the confiscation or destruction of property, incitement of hatred, arrests, imprisonment, beatings, torture, murder, and executions. Religious persecution can be considered the opposite of freedom of religion.”[en.m.wikipedia.org]. When the folks call out to you, Jesus, Do you feel like you are Jesus? Jesus was without sin. We are sinners. Is a sinner, Jesus?
What happens to you as a follower of Christ Jesus Yahshuah when you think of how rich you used to be and how do you think of yourself as holier than those folks who persecuted you? When the folks call you Job? Do you see yourself in a Job experience? Job thought of himself as holy as a God. Job was not a God. According to the beloved disciple John, Jesus was God’s only begotten Son, therefore Job was a sinner, not a God. [“John 3: 16, KJV, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”].
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” [2 Thessalonians 2: 11, KJV]. In the reading of the gospel, we hold on: “ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.” [2 Thessalonians 2: 1-17, KJV].
Christ be with you. Thanks be to God. Walk with God. Amen.
