The Hebrew month of Av Keys to reversing the Curse DG 7/8/16

Transcription

1 The Hebrew month of Av Keys to reversing the Curse DG 7/8/16

2 Historically Jews have considered Av to be a month associated with a curse!! If we study history of Jews...discover something surprising!! Jews have experienced many calamities over the years & most calamities have occurred on same day of the year - 9th of Av!!!

3 Biblical calendar - The month of Av - associated with tribe of Simeon Jews called Av the time of 'Dire Straights' Biblically, this is one of the most crucial months of the year!!! A month to squeeze thru a narrow place & enter your future...

4 587 BC. Babylon destroyed Solomon's temple 70 AD. Romans destroyed second temple 135 AD. Final defeat of Jews by Rome - Jerusalem destroyed 1095 AD. 1st Crusade killed thousands of Jews 1290 AD. Jews expelled from England AD. Jews expelled from Spain AD. Jews deported from Warsaw ghetto into death camps 2005 AD. Expulsion from Gaza began Not coincidence there has been a curse!!!

5 Never God's plan for His people to live under a curse!! Never supposed to be a month of disaster & sorrow...but a month of celebration & blessing!! Understanding 9 Av curse!!

6 At Exodus & Passover, God brought Israel out of slavery by His great might!! He led them thru wilderness & showed them His faithfulness... Brought them to Sinai & revealed His glory... Led them by the month of Av to the border at Kadish Barnea... sent 12 spies into land...

7 They brought back the fruit of land for them to taste & see!! They all agreed it was just what God had promised!!

8 But they disagreed on 1 thing: 10 spies - negative report - enemy too strong!!! 2 said God will give us the land! Let's move forward in faith & take the land!! On 9 Av, they chose to listen to voice of unbelief!! God had opened the door to their future but they refused to enter thru!!!

9 That was Israel's sin at Kadish Barnea!! In God's plan, Av to be a month of celebration & blessing!! Month to enter into their promise!! Month to celebrate God's goodness to Israel!! But Israel refused the blessing!! Problem - they held back in unbelief!! Tasted the fruit but refused to enter!! Confession - enemy too strong! We will all die!! They put themselves under a curse!!

10 Every year on 9 Av, they find their enemy is too strong for them & they die!! Book of Hebrews - they refused to mix the promise with faith!! Month of Av became a curse - repeatedly!! They spent 40 years in wilderness but never repented!!

11 So every year the cycle repeats - window of destruction opens!! When you don't repent of sins of the past, a door of destruction remains open!! Enemy gains an opportunity to bring his destruction!!

12 How we know Israel never repented? When Messiah came, they repeated the sin!! Book of Hebrews - they repeated the sin of Kadish Barnea all over again!! They again tasted the good fruit of God's promise, but again went into unbelief & refused to enter!!

13 They again refused to mix the promise with faith!! That means they never truly repented!!! The way you know you have truly repented - don't repeat sin again!!!

14 Bible promises one day they will repent!! 9 Av curse will be broken!! There will come a day when all of Israel will turn back to God, receive the Messiah & be saved!!! Robert's theory - this will happen on 9 Av!! God has a plan to redeem 9 Av!! It will one day be a day of celebration when all of Israel will rejoice!!!

15 But now, Av not a month Jews look forward to!! Av is a month associated with a curse, not surprising it is linked to tribe of Simeon!!

16 Who was Simeon? 2nd born son of Jacob thru Leah... Simeon could have been in an enviable position!! When Reuben messed up by sleeping with his father's concubine, Simeon was next in line for birthright!! He could have received a double portion of inheritance, be the family's leader in next generation!! But Simeon messed up big time too!!

17 Jacob came to Shechem with his family on his return to Canaan... Gen 34. Son of King of Shechem fell in love with Jacob's daughter Dinah & raped her!! He then came to Jacob and asked for Dinah's hand in marriage!! Jacob agreed with condition - all men of Shechem to be circumcised!! So all men were circumcised!!

18 3 days later when the men were in most pain, Simeon and Levi broke into their camp & slaughtered all!! Looted the town...they took flocks, cattle, donkeys & everything in the city & in the fields!! They took everything of value, took their women & children...

19 When Jacob found out what Simeon & Levi had done, he was horrified Genesis 34:30 (NKJV) 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since Iam few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I. 创世记 34:30 (CNVS) 30 雅各对西缅和利未说 : 你们连累了我, 使我在这地的居民, 就是在迦南人和比利洗人中间, 成了可憎的人 我们人数不多, 如果他们联合起来对付我, 攻击我, 我和我的家就必灭绝了

20 So Jacob packed up his family & moved away from Shechem, settling in Bethel!! No evidence Simeon ever repented!!! Jacob never forgave him!!! Simeon had forfeited his birthright!!

21 At end of his life when time came for Jacob to bless his sons...jacob brought up incident at Shechem!! Instead of speaking a blessing over Simeon & Levi, he cursed them!!

22 Gen 49: Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. 6 Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel. 创世记 4:5-7 (CNVS) 5 只是没有看中该隐和他的礼物 该隐就非常忿怒, 垂头丧气 6 耶和华对该隐说 : 你为甚么忿怒呢? 你为甚么垂头丧气呢? 7 你若行得好, 岂不可以抬起头来吗? 你若行得不好, 罪就伏在门口了 ; 它要缠住你, 你却要制伏它

23 So Jacob placed Simeon & Levi under a curse!! This evident in tribe of Simeon!! One mark of a curse is Decrease!! Blessings increase Curse decrease!!

24 At Exodus - Simeon 3rd largest tribe in Israel - 59,300 ( Num 1:23). But when they came out of wilderness, they had dwindled to 22,200 making them the smallest tribe ( Num 26: 14) Simeon was only tribe not blessed by Moses before they entered the land!! Not only did they decrease, Jacob's curse prophesied that Simeon would be scattered!!

25 In the land, Simeon did not receive his own portion!! Tribe of Simeon given scattered cities in far south of Judah's territory!! But they didn't even stay there!!

26 2 Chron 34:6. Simeon had migrated to the north & were scattered among the northern tribes. Simeon mingled with northern tribes & eventually lost their identity!! Simeon messed up!!! He put himself under a curse!! Result - Tribe of Simeon decreased & was scattered!!

27 Application - Some can identify with Simeon!! Look at your life & see decrease & scattering... You feel like you are under a curse & don't know why!! May not be something you did!!! Sometimes, like tribe of Simeon, a curse can be inherited from family line!! For everyone who feels a curse is at work in your life - Good News coming!!!

28 A curse can be reversed!! Levi committed same sin & received same curse!!! But tribe of Levi had a totally different outcome!! Tribe of Levi not live under a curse!! Levi was scattered among the tribes but not in shame...they were honored!!!

29 They became spiritual leaders of the nation. They not have own distinct portion of land because their portion was the Lord!! Cities of refuge became their inheritance!! Tribe of Simeon dwindled & lost identity but Levi became 1 of the most numerous & identifiable tribes!!

30 Many of greatest characters in Bible came from tribe of Levi!!

31 Simeon & Levi shared same sin & same curse but had incredibly different experiences!! What made the difference? Levi reversed the curse & was blessed!!

32 Moses gave Levi incredible blessing!! Deut 33: And of Levi he said: Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one,whom You tested at Massah,And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, 9 Who says of his father and mother, I have not seen them ;Nor did he acknowledge his brothers,or know his own children;for they have observed Your word and kept Your covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, and Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You,And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. 11 Bless his substance, Lord,And accept the work of his hands;strike the loins of those who rise against him,and of those who hate him, that they rise not again.

33 申命记 33:8-11 (CNVS) 8 论到利未, 他说 : 耶和华啊, 愿你的土明和乌陵属于对你忠心的人 ( 原文无 耶和华啊, 但因为代名词 你 是指耶和华而不是利未, 所以按文理补上, 以免误导 ), 就是你在玛撒试验过的, 在米利巴水边与他们争论过的 9 利未人论到自己的父母说 : 我没有看顾他们 ; 他不承认自己的兄弟, 也不认识自己的儿女 ; 因为他们谨守你的话, 持守你的约 10 他们要把你的典章教训雅各, 把你的律法教训以色列 ; 他们要把香焚在你面前, 把全牲的燔祭献在你的祭坛上 11 耶和华啊, 求你赐福他的能力, 悦纳他手中的作为 ; 那些起来攻击他和恨他的人, 愿你刺透他们的腰, 使他们不能再起来

34 Why couldn't Simeon be blessed? Simeon never repented!! Simeon never sought God!! Simeon rebelled against God & actually led others astray!! Hence Simeon decreased in the wilderness!!

35 Going thru wilderness, there were times when Israel rebelled & God's judgment came!! God sent plagues to kill the ones who sinned!! At the heart of some major rebellions we find Simeon!! Result - Simeon lived under a curse...they were scattered & decreased!!!

36 Levi thoroughly repented!! Levi sought God with his whole heart!! Levi took the lead in repentance!! Exo Israel had sinned with golden calf incident & God threatened to destroy nation. Moses stood & challenged all who wanted to be on God's side - all the sons of Levi gathered around Moses!! Levi led the nation in Standing with God!!

37 Num 25 - Israel sinned by committing adultery with Midianite women & worshipping Midianite gods!! Leader of rebellion Zimri, head of a clan of Simeon!! In an act of blatant rebellion against God, Zimri brought a Midianite woman into Israel's camp & in the sight of everyone, took her into the tent & committed adultery with her!! Judgment of God was released - a plague broke out & 24,000 died!!!

38 As plague was spreading, (Picture)Phinehas from tribe of Levi, went into Zimri's tent & killed both Zimri & woman. Plague ended!!

39 All thru wilderness. Simeon refused to turn to God!!! Constantly rebelled!! Brought destruction on himself & on others!!! That is why Moses could not bless Simeon going into the land. But Levi turned to God, seeking God with whole heart. He turned others back to God too!!

40 Mal 2:4-6. tells why God chose Levi... Mal 2:4-6 4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue, Says the LORD of hosts. 5 My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name. 6 The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity. 玛拉基书 2:4-6 (CNVS) 4 万军之耶和华说 : 这样, 你们就知道是我把这命令给你们, 使我与利未所立的约得以存留 5 我与他所立的是生命和平安的约, 也把这些赐给了他 我要使他敬畏我, 又畏惧我的名 6 在他的口中有真理的教训, 在他的嘴里也没有不义 ; 他以平安和正直与我同行, 使许多人回头离开罪孽

41 No matter how badly you have sinned...if you will turn to God with your whole heart, there is always grace!! Simeon lost his birthright & lived under a curse that affected his whole family.

42 But God is not finished with Simeon!! Someday, Simeon will turn to God again!! While the tribe of Simeon refused to follow God, there were individual Simeonites who repented. In Lk 2, when Mary & Joseph brought baby Jesus to temple to dedicate Jesus, they met with one whose name was Simeon ( very likely from tribe of Simeon!)... Simeon prophesied over baby Jesus & told God he had seen God's salvation!! One day, tribe of Simeon will again seek the Messiah & find Him!!!

43 Even though the people of Simeon have lost their identity, God knows who they are!! Rev 7:7 In the last days, God will seal 12,000 from tribe of Simeon & 12,000 from tribe of Levi!! So Simeon's best days are yet ahead... he will stand side- by- side with Levi and other tribes to serve the Messiah & the curse will be reversed!!

44 This month - Av month of Simeon God wants you to know the curse can be reversed!! Run to God!!! Jer 29: Av can be the month of the curse or the month to reverse the curse!! Let the curse be reversed!!!