ALLOWING THE BIBLE TO SPEAK FOR ITSELF

Below are a number of Bible verses without commentary. Unless otherwise noted, all of the Scriptures are taken from the KJV. Pretending you have never heard of a globe or even a flat earth before, let's just allow the Bible to speak for itself. Read them over a couple of times, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what they mean. Without forcing an interpretation based on preconceived notions, meditate on them and ask yourself, "What is the Bible really showing me concerning the nature of the heavens, the earth, the sun, moon and stars?" Then, in the next section after this one, I will give my commentary on these Scriptures, revealing what I believe they are saying to me.

The Scriptures below are arranged by topics in order to set the stage for what will follow. I have placed the book of Job before Genesis as many (if not most) scholars believe it is the oldest book of the Bible. And I have also emphasized words in bold for us to consider as we read. This is by no means an exhaustive list of Scripture. It is essentially just a first run, which I will continue to add to as I find more in the future.

Scriptures concerning the nature of the heavens/sky above and their relationship to the earth:

Job 9:
6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

Job 22:14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit {Hebrew: "chug"} of heaven.
Job 22:14 (HCSB) Clouds veil Him so that He cannot see, as He walks on the circle of the sky.
Job 22:14 (ASV) Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven.

Job 26:
7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

Job 37:18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

Genesis 1:
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Genesis 8:2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

2 Samuel 22:8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psalm 29:10 The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.

Psalm 78:
21 Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

Psalm 104:
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

Psalm 148:4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

Proverbs 8:27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set {Hebrew: "chaqaq"} a compass {Hebrew: "chug"} upon the face of the depth:
Proverbs 8:27 (ESV) When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep.
Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
Isaiah 40:22 (ISV) He's the one who sits above the disk of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He's the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in,

Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 45:12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

Isaiah 48:13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

Amos 9:6 It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.
Amos 9:6 (ASV) it is he that buildeth his chambers in the heavens, and hath founded his vault upon the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; Jehovah is his name.
Amos 9:6 (ESV) it is he that buildeth his chambers in the heaven, and hath founded his vault upon the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; the LORD is his name.
Amos 9:6 (Darby) It is he that buildeth his upper chambers in the heavens, and hath founded his vault upon the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: Jehovah is his name.
Amos 9:6 (NASB) The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth,
He who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth, The Lord is His name.

Scriptures concerning the nature of the earth below the firmament:

Job 9:6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

Job 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

Job 26:10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

Job 28:24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

Job 37:3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.

Job 38:
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38:13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

Genesis 1:
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
1 Samuel 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.
2 Samuel 22:16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
1 Chronicles 16:30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. 
Psalm 18:15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
Psalm 75:3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.
Psalm 93:1 The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
Psalm 96:9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
Psalm 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
Psalm 104:
5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
Psalm 136:6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Proverbs 8:
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set {Hebrew: "chaqaq"} a compass {Hebrew: "chug"} upon the face of the depth: - (ESV) When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep.28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
Isaiah 40:22 (ISV) He's the one who sits above the disk of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He's the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in,
Isaiah 43:6 I'll say to the north, 'Give them up'! and to the south, 'Don't keep them back!' Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
Daniel 4:
10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
Jonah 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

Matthew 4:
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
John 17:24
Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
Revelation 20:8 He will go out to deceive Gog and Magog, the nations at the four corners of the earth, and gather them for war. They are as numerous as the sands of the seashore.

Scriptures concerning the nature of the sun, moon and stars:

Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Genesis 1:
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Deuteronomy 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
Judges 5:20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
Psalms 19:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Psalm 136:
7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 147:4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
Psalm 148:3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
Ecclesiastes 1:5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
Ezekiel 32:7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord God.
Daniel 8:10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
Joel 2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
Joel 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Amos 5:26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

Habakkuk 3:11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.

Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

Acts 7:43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

1 Corinthians 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Revelation 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

Revelation 8:
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Revelation 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

Revelation 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Again, applying no preconceived notions upon the text, how do you imagine a newcomer to the Scriptures would view the heavens, earth, sun, moon and stars just based on what you've read here

7549. raqia ►

Strong's Concordance raqia: an extended surface, expanse Original Word: רָקִיעַ Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: raqia Phonetic Spelling: (raw-kee'-ah) Definition: an extended surface, expanse NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin from raqa Definition an extended surface, expanse NASB Translation expanse (16), expanse of heaven (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs רָקִיעַ noun masculineGenesis 1:6 extended surface, (solid) expanse (as if beaten out; compare Job 37:18); — absolute ׳ר Ezekiel 1:22 +, construct ׳רְ Genesis 1:14 +; — ᵐ5 στερέωμα, ᵑ9 firmamentum, compare Syriac below √above; —1 (flat) expanse (as if of ice, compare כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח), as base, support (WklAltor. Forsch. iv. 347) Ezekiel 1:22,23,25(gloss ? compare Co Toy), Ezekiel 1:26 (supporting ׳י's throne). Hence (CoEzekiel 1:22) 2 the vault of heaven, or 'firmament,' regarded by Hebrews as solid, and supporting 'waters' above it, Genesis 1:6,7 (3 t. in verse); Genesis 1:8 (called שָׁמַיַם; all P), Psalm 19:2 ("" הַשָּׁמַיַם), ׳זֹהַר הָר Daniel 12:3; also ׳ר הַשָּׁמִיִם Genesis 1:14,15,17, ׳הַשּׁ ׳עַלמְּֿנֵי ר Genesis 1:20 (all P). **רְקִיעַ עֻזּוֺ Psalm 150:1 (suffix reference to ׳י). Strong's Exhaustive Concordance firmamentFrom raqa'; properly, an expanse, i.e. The firmament or (apparently) visible arch of the sky -- firmament. see HEBREW raqa' 7554. raqa ► Strong's Concordance raqa: to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out Original Word: רָקַע Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: raqa Phonetic Spelling: (raw-kah') Definition: to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin a prim. root Definition to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out NASB Translation beaten (1), hammered (2), plates (1), spread (3), spreading (1), stamp (1), stamped (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רָקַע] verb beat, stamp, beat out, spread out (Late Hebrew id.; Hiph`il, Aramaic רְקַע Aph`el, both spread out, and derivatives; Syriac  press down (Luke 6:38 ᵑ6), spread out, also consolidate; Arabic  patch, put on a patch, repair, compare Christian-Palestinian Aramaic  patch,  swaddling-bands, SchwIdioticon 90; Phoenician מרקע platter, or bowl, of gold CISi. 90, 1); —Qal Imperfect1singular suffix אֶרְקָעֵם 2 Samuel 22:43 I will stamp them down (probably gloss to אֲדִקֵּם preceding, of. BaePs 18:43); Imperative רְקַע בְּדַגְלְךָ Ezekiel 6:11 beat (stamp) with thy foot, in token of contemptuous pleasure, compare Da ("" הַכֵּה בְכַמְּךָ); so Infinitive construct suffix רַקְעֲךָ בְּרָ֑גֶל Ezekiel 25:6 ("" מַחְאֲךָ יָד); Participle active as substantive construct (Ges§ 65d) רֹקַע הָאָרֶץ (i.e. ׳י) he that (beateth out) spreadeth out the earth Isaiah 42:5, רֹקַע ׳הַא Isaiah 44:24, ׳רוֺקַע הָא Psalm 136:6. Pi`el Imperfect3masculine singular suffix בַּזָּהָב יְרַקְּעֶנּוּ Isaiah 40:19 a goldsmith with gold over-layeth it (literally beateth it out3masculine plural וַיְרַקְּעוּ אֶתֿ מַּחֵי הַזָּהָב Exodus 39:3 they beat out the plates of gold; suffix וַיְרִקְּעוּם צִמּוּי Numbers 17:4 they beat them out as plating. Pu`al Participle כֶּסֶף מְרֻקָּ֑ע Jeremiah 10:9 silver beaten out

Govt Admits Flat Earth

LAMB III - Yeshua Ha Mashiach

The ULTIMATE GIFT

I want to share with you the GREATEST GIFT our loving heavenly Father, The Creator of ALL things, (both seen and unseen) has given to ALL of His created human beings in His Son, Yahshua Jesus...Even while we all were (and still are) sinners by nature, Messiah Yahshua Jesus died for us all on that tree. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Acts 10:34-39)
There is NO sin, or amount of sin in your life that cannot be forgiven.

For ALL have sinned (violated Yahovah God’s Commands and loving instructions in righteousness written in His Word.) ALL of us have drifted, and have fallen away from our most beloved Creator and Father God. 

If ‘you’ confess your sins, and sincerely cry out in Repentance (‘To turn from doing your own thing and going your own way,) with a broken heart, He, Yahshua, will forgive you of all your sins and cleanse you from all your unrighteousness. Yahovah God so loved all His created beings on this earth, that He gave His Son Yahshua Jesus, 
so that whoever will believe in ~ put your faith and trust in, and surrender daily your heart and life to Him, will not perish (receive eternal death and separation from Yahovah God, your Creator, but will receive eternal Life in Him (John 3:16/Emphasis added )

He so loves and gave His Life for YOU who are broken, downcast, forsaken, a sinner, and ALL who have lost their way back to our loving heavenly Father through the shed blood and finish work of Yahshua Jesus.

*Unless His Spirit draws, how can you come to Him?


*CHOOSE this day, eternal Life or death?

*CHOOSE salvation and deliverance or destruction and eternal separation?

*CHOOSE the ULTIMATE GIFT of Life, Yahshua Jesus, who died for YOU, so that YOU will have Life in Him


*Come back home to Abba Father! He loves YOU so much!!!

But from there (wherever you are,) YOU will seek Yahovah God Your Elohim, and will find Him, when YOU seek and search for Him, with all your heart, soul and being… In YOUR distress, when all these words shall come to pass in the latter (end of) days, then YOU shall RETURN to Yahovah God, your Elohim, and will obey His voice. For Yahovah God is a compassionate EL. He will not forsake YOU, nor will He destroy the COVENANT of your fathers which He swore to them…. (Deauteronomy 4:29-32)


Yahovah God is NEAR to the broken-hearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalms 34:18)


He HEALS UP the broken-hearted and BINDS UP their wounds. (Psalms 34:18)

Linda Rose ~ Spiritsong

*John 4:1-45 ~ Luke 4:18*    /     *Tsiyon.org

The Weakness, Love and Humility of Abram (Abraham)

Genesis 13:1-18

And Abram went up from Mitsrayim into Negeb, he and his wife and all he had, and Lot with him. And he went on his journey from the Negeb as far as Beyth El and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first, and there Abram called on the Name of Yahuwah..

In chapter Genesis 12:1 Yahuwah said to Abram, "Go yourself out of your land, from your relatives and from your father's house to a land I will show you

As you can see from what Yah commanded Abram to do, He obeyed, except for what we read in Genesis 13:1 that Lot (as well as his family, herdsman and livestock) went with Abram. Did not Yahuwah say to Abram "Go yourself out of the land, from your relatives? As you read the account of the trouble Lot caused by having him and his family tag along, it would have been BEST if Abram told Lot He was commanded to go himself (and his immediate family he was in covenant and responsible for) and that Lot was to remain behind.

What we can learn from this is how utterly important it is for us to obey ALL Yah commands us to do in His Word and our own lives personally. When we only obey Him in part, it opens the door for the adversary to cause not only trouble and heartache in the present, but also in the future during our spiritual sojourn.
We have enough troubles and spiritual battles when we fully obey, but they are easily won and make us stronger in spiritual warefare, but when we only obey part of what Yah commands in His Word or gives to us personally, than the battle can go on far beyond what we can humanly comprehend. Especially whenit involves or affects the lives of others and those closest to us.

Abram went out as far as to the place where he had built an altar before Yahuwah commanded him to leave all to go the the land He would show him and make his name great and his nation that would come out of his loins great.  I know Abrams father and relatives worshipped other gods. Abram may have as well. I dont know if the altar that he built before he went to that place again was used to offer sacrifices to other gods. It doesn't say, but in returning to that place he did call on the Name of Yahuwah to the place the altar.

Altar in Hebrew is mizbeach (H2076 - A place to slaughter and sacrifice an animal)

I see a correlation to Abram calling on the Name of Yahuwah in prayer and him offering up an animal sacrifice.
Several scriptures come to mind that connect prayer and offering sacrifices pleasing and acceptable Yahuwah ELohim.

Hebrews 13:15 says,
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a slaughter offering of praise to Elohim, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.

Romans 12:1
I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable(spiritual, rational and logical) service of worship (your Divine purpose in ministering to Yah in ALL you say and do)

Why? Because we have been redeemed (purchased) with the price and highest cost of Yahushua's shed blood, which means we NO LONGER belong to ourselves, or demand our rights as His followers, but we are the sole and explicit property of Yahuwah Yahushua. To move, guide and direct us whichever Way He wills and chooses for His glory and Name sake.

Eph 5:2
And walk in love, as Messiah also has loved us, and gave Himself for us, a gift and an offering to Elohim for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

Phil 4:18
Indeed I have all and more than enough. I have been filled, having received from Epaphroditos what you sent, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable offering, well-pleasing to Elohim.

Ps 141:2-4
Let my prayer be prepared before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. O יהוה, set a guard for my mouth; Watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be inclined to evil, To practise deeds of wrongness With men working wickedness, And let me not eat of their delicacies.

Revelation 8:3-5
And another messenger came and stood at the slaughter-place, holding a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the set-apart ones upon the golden slaughter-place which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the set-apart ones, went up before Elohim from the hand of the messenger. And the messenger took the censer, and filled it with fire from the slaughter-place, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

As we ourselves thoroughly enjoy the smell of a good barbecue, with it's sweet and inviting aroma that draws us to it's alluring fragrance, so does our Yah when clean, unblemished and acceptable animal sacrifices were being offered up daily to Him in the wilderness.

We are now those daily offerings to Yahuwah, through the shed blood of Yahushua, as we give ourselves up in service to Him daily drawing near to Yah in prayer, supplication, fellowship and intimacy. To listen to and obey Him and His Word daily. To seek His forgiveness and cleansing in repentance through the blood of Yahushua upon the brazen altar of laying down our sins, transgressions, self life, will and emotions before Yahuwah our Elohim.

In Genesis 13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.

Abram was a peacemaker to diffuse the strife against him, his household and livestock being stirred up from Lot, his family, and herdsman. You can already see the trouble brewing because Abram allowed Lot and his family to tag along with him.

Matt 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, because they shall be called sons of Elohim.

What is a peacemaker? It's to act rightly and carry out a plan or solution to diffuse strife, fighting, arguing, and getting all heated up in anger
Peace~Shalom is contentment, quiet, friendship, safety and completeness.
Yahushua offers us the Shalom (peace) in this troubled world we live in

John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you – My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Romans 12:17-18
Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is right (be at peace) in the sight of all men.

Abram walks in love towards his cousin Lot when he comes up with a solution, by letting him choose first the land he is to go and settle in with his family, herdsman, and livestock.

Genesis 13:9
“Is not all the land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I go to the left.”

1Corinthians 13:4-5 says, "Love is patient, is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, is not puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not seek its own, is not provoked, reckons not the evil,

Love is not self seeking

Phil 2:2-4
make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, one in being and of purpose, doing none at all through selfishness or self-conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each one should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Here we see humility and love working together in Phil 2:2-4 that Abram shows towards his cousin he calls a brother. Even in his struggles and weakness by letting Lot tag along with Him when Yah told Abram to dapart from his father and relatives and to go himself (along with his immediate household he was responsible for.)
He still showed humility and love. I can see by Abrams example of righteousness, despite his weakness, why Yahuwah would call Abram to leave his former life to cross over into the life and the One nation (the seed of Abraham) Yah was setting apart for Himself.

Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Aḏam did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Romans 12:15-17

Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not be proud in mind, but go along with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, on your part, be at peace with all men.

Hebrews 13:16
And do not forget to do good and to share, for with such slaughter offerings Elohim is well pleased.

We continue on in Genesis 13 verse 10

"And Lot lifted his eyes (the lust and desires (pleasures) of the eyes ~ Example: Gen 3:6; Eve SAW that the fruit was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes) and SAW all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere - before Yahuwah destroyed Sedom and Amorah - like the (lush, beautiful and plentiful) garden of Yahuwah, like the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt) as you go toward Tso'ar.

Unlike his uncle Abram who considered Lot first in letting him chose where he, his family and livestock needed to separate themselves to, Lot chose the land based on outward appearance (what was pleasing to his eyes.) A land flowing with plenty of water, vegetation and beauty.  Sin seems pleasant for a time, but in the end leads to destruction. Look what ultimately happened to Lots wife and the sons he bore by the trickery and deception of Lots daughter after they were led out of Sedom and Amorah before it's destruction?

When we choose based on outward appearance and materialism' that is the workings and desires of our flesh over the Spirit. The flesh us into the world, ie., the Babylonian system (Materialism, domination/control and false religion) When follow after the Spirit, through self denial, hunmility and love, the kingdom of Yahuwah and His will is being lived out through us over our own will and desires we crucify and declare as dead through the blood of Yahushua and power of the Ruach Ha Kodesh ( Holy, set apart Spirit)

We see Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan where he moved to the east, dwelling in the cities of the plain where he pitched his tent as far as Sedom and Abram settled in the land of Canaan.

Why would Lot pitch his tent Sedom when it says in Genesis 13:13, "But the men of Seḏom were evil and sinned before יהוה, exceedingly so?

Because Lot was not being led by the Spirit, but rather the lusts and desires of his flesh. In doing so, he had no discernment and wisdom to see the exceedingly evil environment and people he was surrounding himself and his family with.

You can see the contrast between Abram who walked in obedience and righteousness to Yahuwah by His Spirit, and Lot who walked after the manner of his own fleshly desires leading to his wifes death, and Lots future that spiraled out of control. Have you ever wondered where the phrase, "That is your lot in life," comes from?

Abram was blessed wherever he sojourned. Whether he was surrounded famine or plenty.

When you choose Yahuwah Yahushua, (the things of the Spirit and obedience to Him and His Word) you choose LIFE!
When you choose the flesh, ( that which is of outward appearance and materialism)
you choose the world (Babylon ~ sin) which leads to death!

Linda Rose

The Chistmas Tree Debate

The Christmas Tree Debate by Ernest L. Martin, Ph.D., 1991 

The first question that should be asked in regard to this subject is the following: Is there a command anywhere in the Holy Scriptures that a human should cut a tree out of the forest, set it up in one's home at the time of the Winter Solstice, deck it with trinkets and various decorations, and then place a star on its topmost part to show an association of the tree with the signs of the heavens? There is, of course, no such command nor suggestion that such a thing should be done. In spite of this, there are millions of Christian believers who do this very thing at the time of the Winter Solstice. It is well recognized by all educated people today that the practice is purely and simply a retention of pagan doctrines in the Christian home and church and the custom has nothing to do with the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. Indeed, because of the command of the apostle Paul in the New Testament that Christians ought to "flee idolatry" (I Corinthians 10:14) and the statement of the apostle John to "keep yourselves from idols" (I John 5:21), the authorities in Post-Reformation England condemned the celebration of Christmas altogether as being a pagan institution (without the slightest warrant in the Bible) and made laws forbidding it to be celebrated. Anyone found cooking a Christmas ham had their dinner taken away and they themselves were arrested. Similar laws were put into effect in the American colonies. In Massachusetts, the following law was passed in 1659 and was enforced on the people for 22 years before it was finally repealed. "Whosoever shall be found observing Christmas, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, every such person shall pay as a fine five shillings to the county." The reason that the pilgrims were forbidding the celebration of Christmas (and the festivities that went with it) was because they were wise enough to realize that the Bible did not condone such customs of the early heathen that had nothing to do with the teachings of Christianity. In fact, they had many scriptures that made it quite clear that God was not pleased with such idolatrous celebrations. One such command was found in Jeremiah 10:2,3. "Hear you the word which the Lord speaks unto you, 0 house of Israel. Thus says the Lord. Learn not the way of the heathen [non-Israelite nations], and be not dismayed at the signs of the heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain." The pagan customs of the Gentile peoples were held in contempt by the people of God who lived in the biblical periods. This has not been the case, however, in modern times. It is usually reckoned by modern Christian authorities that the many customs of our early pagan forefathers can be innocent forms of frivolity and celebration and that God in no way condemns such practices. The vast majority of church leaders of the various denominations not only condone the Christmas and Easter celebrations that they know come directly from pagan religious ceremonies, but they actively encourage the use of them in the churches themselves and in the homes of the people. Among such customs is the setting up of Christmas trees. This custom is nothing more than a retention of pagan "tree worship" (which anthropologists and historians have for centuries informed the general public), but the setting up of Christmas trees continues unabated in multitudes of Christian churches around the world. With some kind of twisted reasoning, the church authorities tell the laity that all these pagan customs are innocent enough as long as they "put Christ back into Christmas" with their worshipful adoration of the nativity of the Christ-child. But a problem arises How can the church leaders "put Christ back into Christmas" when he was never in Christmas in the first place? December 25th for the birth of Christ was not even suggested as being the time of Jesus' birth (and certainly not celebrated by early Christians) until A.D.388. The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics states: "The writings of Chrysostom enable us to fix with considerable exactness the date at which the observance of the Feast of the Nativity on December 25 was introduced at Antioch, he states that its observance was not yet quite ten years old" (vol.3, p.603). It is true, however, from the evidence we have available that the Magi (the Wise Men) gave their gifts to Christ on December 25, 2 B.C. This was not the birthday of Christ. Revelation 12 shows, and I abundantly prove this in my new book "The Star that Astonished the World," that Christ was born on the Jewish Holyday of Rosh ha-Shanah (the Day of Trumpets) which answers to our September 11, 3 B.C. Christ Jesus was at least 15 months old when the Magi presented their gifts to him on December 25. So, if people wish to follow the pagan manner of giving Christ gifts at the time of the Winter Solstice, they could wait until December 25th (like the Magi) and give their gifts to Christ at that time. Or, since December 25th in 2 B.C. was the third day of the Jewish festival called "the Dedication" (or Hanukkah, mentioned by the apostle John in John 10:22), then people could wait until this day to give gifts to Christ. This year (1991) the third day of Hanukkah is Wednesday, December 4th. At least by people giving gifts to Christ on the festival of Hanukkah there is no tinge of idolatry or pagan practices associated with that period. But waiting specifically to December 25th to give gifts to Christ (as did the Magi) is merely continuing the general customs of the heathen. All historians know this. And as far as I am concerned I have no argument with those who still want to observe the time with the heathen. Thank God, none of you is on earth to please me. Anyone can do what he or she pleases. As for me, observing Christmas customs is analogous to childishness in the faith. It shows a lack of understanding regarding what pleases or displeases God and Christ Jesus. To my wife Ramona and me, Christmas is simply a workday like any other day of the week. So, let us not belabor the issue. The pagan origin of Christmas and its Winter Solstice celebrations are so well known that no further proof of the matter should have to be made by me. All of you reading this article realize this to be the truth. The majority of Christians know that one is simply perpetuating heathen customs when one cuts a tree, takes it into the home or church where it is erected at a significant site, decorates it with metal trinkets or stream it with metal or cloth ribbons and attach the images of animals or Santa Claus. People then surround it on December 25th (the time of the Winter Solstice) to adore the new born "Sun" (sorry, I should have spelled it "Son" to give the pagan custom a Christian twist for all Christian devotees). Since the pagan origin of these things is so well understood by all intelligent people, then how can there be a discussion in Christian circles that would provoke "The Christmas Tree Debate" which is the title of this article? The debate is not over whether the Christmas tree is pagan because every mature Christian knows that. What has become a matter of discussion, however, mainly among Christian theologians, is whether the Christmas tree (or something similar to it) has been singled out by Jeremiah. The section of Scripture that evokes this debate is Jeremiah 10:1-5 and 8,9. Let us see what Jeremiah states with the King James Version being the basis of the translation. "Hear you the word which the Lord speaks unto you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord. Learn not the way of the heathen and be not dismayed at the signs of the heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain. For one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe. They deck it [the tree] with silver and with gold. They fasten it [the tree] with nails and with hammers that it move not. They [such trees] are upright as the palm tree, but speak not. The tree [KJV: stock] is a doctrine of vanities. Silver is spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder. Blue and purple is their clothing. They [the trees] are all the work of cunning men." The King James Version gives a reasonable translation of the Hebrew words as spoken by Jeremiah. You will notice that I have identified the pronouns in brackets, and what I have stated follows the Hebrew wording and context precisely without ambiguity. These trees are decked with gold, silver, as well as with rich weavings of blue and purple fabrics. Jeremiah compared the use of these decked-out trees to the practice of idolatry and such trees were being used in false worship. If one leaves alone the simple context with all the subjects kept in view, one is left with the impression that Jeremiah is condemning the idolatrous act of "tree worship." And it makes perfectly good sense that this is what the prophet is condemning. There are some translators, however, who substitute other meanings to a few of the words above and they arrive at the conclusion that Jeremiah is speaking about getting some timber (cut wood) from the forest, carving it into the shape of an idol (be it human, or a part of the human anatomy) and then plating it over with silver and gold (as one might mold or gild metal onto wood). In brief, they claim that the subject of Jeremiah is not a tree (or trees) or "tree worship" but a carved idol made out of wood that has been gilded with gold and silver. In effect, the translators who adopt such a translation have got rid of the "tree worship" theme that the simple use of the Hebrew seems to advance and have substituted it with a theme simply condemning the making of particular types of idols. But what does Jeremiah mean? This is where the debate among scholars begins. Is he basically referring to plain and simple "tree worship" that was then prevalent all over the Middle East? Or was he actually selecting out idols that had been manufactured out of wood (usually carved from blocks of wood) and then gilded with a veneer of gold or silver? There are examples of such gilding in the Bible. It is found in the creation of the Ark of the Covenant located in the Holy Place (Exodus 25:10-16), and Isaiah shows that some images were also fashioned in the gilded fashion. "The workman melts a graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold, and casts silver chains" (Isaiah 40:19). Many idols were not gilded, however. The next verse in Isaiah says it is the poor and impoverished pagan who cannot afford gold or silver and is subjected to creating an idol out of wood alone. "He that is so impoverished that he has no oblation chooses a tree that will not rot; he sees him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved." Though the majority of ancient idols were made of solid clay, stone, bone, metal or wood, most were not gilded over with gold or silver. They were on the other hand commonly decorated or painted with such substances and it is thought that this is what Jeremiah may have been talking about. So, just what does the section of Jeremiah really mean? This is the question that modern scholars have been concerned with in interpreting the passage of Jeremiah quoted above. Let us see what the evidence holds in this regard. When Jeremiah said "one cuts a tree out of the forest," the word for "tree" is a Hebrew word that ordinarily means a living tree that grows in the ground. The "trees" in the Garden of Eden, including that of the knowledge of good and evil as well as the tree of life, were indicated as being ordinary "trees" by the use of this word. True, it can sometimes means a block of wood, but when Jeremiah said to cut a tree "from the forest," a forest is made up of numerous trees usually over a vast region of land. A forest is made up of many trees, not many "blocks of wood" or "pieces of timber." The immediate context of Jeremiah shows he is really talking about a tree that one can cut down and that it [the tree] can be decked or adorned with gold or silver and/or blue or purple cloths. There is a further way to show that the context of Jeremiah is speaking of a literal tree. He states that the "tree" which is decked with ornaments and is nailed in place is like a "palm tree" that is upright [secured with hammered metal] so that it remains rigid and erect. This is what Jeremiah wrote if one uses the simple meaning of the Hebrew words as a guide. A "palm tree" is certainly being discussed by Jeremiah because the only other time the word is used in the Bible, it clearly refers to a living palm tree (Judges 4:5). This is a reliable clue. But some interpreters do not want Jeremiah referring to a "palm tree" in this section of scripture. They want it to be a pillar, a type of scarecrow that one would put in a garden or a cucumber patch (like an idol referred to in the apocryphal work Baruch 5:70). As Keil and Delitzsch show in their commentary on this verse, the scholars who thought up this interpretation understood the "palm tree" to be the pagan god Priapus (in the form of a phallic symbol -a pillar shaped like the male organ as a sexual object) which was placed in a cucumber patch as a scarecrow. I imagine such a phallic display would frighten off the crows. Keil and Delitzsch, however, utterly dismiss this interpretation. They say it has little in common with the context of Jeremiah. And this is true. There is not a tissue of evidence from the context that this is what Jeremiah meant by his "palm tree." Granted, phallic symbols were found in wide profusion in the ancient pagan world in devotion to Priapus or other fertility deities (our modern steeples and spires on churches are a remnant of such phallic shapes associated with the pagan heathen temples and their holy places). And, according to the scholars who first suggested "the pillar in a cucumber patch" interpretation for Jeremiah, they imagine that this was a type of "sex object" that Jeremiah was speaking about. But modern translators who adopt the suggestion are not honest because the majority do not want to offend the sensitivities of the biblical readers and they normally leave out the part that the male sexual organ is the object of Jeremiah's discussion. They should have had no worry. Jeremiah is really talking about pagan "tree worship" that the Israelites of his time had taken up. The palm tree (which is an evergreen like most Christmas trees today) was being decorated with gold and silver spiral ribbons like those that come forth from the working of a lathe and also with blue and purple cloth ribbons. Such trees were known as asherahs. They are mentioned several times in the Old Testament and often are translated by the English word "grove." But the word asherah has been shown to refer to a single tree that can be living, cut out of the forest, or depicted in various abstract forms. Indeed, the most ancient form of all pagan religion is simple "tree worship." Long before most nations of the world took up depicting their gods and goddesses in human or animal form, it is known that well-nigh the whole of the world's population (civilized or savage) were thoroughly engrossed in various forms of "tree worship." The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics has a large article that shows the universal proclivity of all ancient peoples (including the Hebrews) to indulge in the worship of living trees and those they had cut out of the forest for religious reasons (vol.12, pp.448-457). Such "tree worship" was well known in the time of Jeremiah and later. The oak was universally held in esteem. In mountainous areas cedars and firs were worshiped. In more desert regions the palm was the tree most worshiped. As the The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics states: "Tree worship pure and simple, where the tree is in all respects treated as a god, is attested for Arabia in the case of the sacred date-palm in Nejran. It was adorned at an annual feast with fine clothes and women's ornaments" (vol.12, p.449). The encyclopaedia goes on to say that the biblical mention of the women of Judah draping the asherah with their garments near the Temple at Jerusalem is another example of tree worship (II Kings 23:7). This kind of heathen activity is precisely what Jeremiah is referring to in chapter 10. He was telling the Israelites not to learn the way of the heathen by cutting a tree out of the forest and decorating it with spiral ribbons of gold and silver like those coming from the workings of a lathe, and adorned with blue and purple fabric ribbons. Such customs were normally associated with the seasonal feasts of the pagans (especially those of the Solstices or Equinoxes). The modern Christmas tree is a prime example in our day of what the heathen were doing in the time of Jeremiah. One wonders what Jeremiah, if he were alive today, would say about all the Christmas trees that now decorate our Christian homes and Christian churches? Would he sound a similar alarm like he did among the ancient Jewish population in Jerusalem? He probably would. And knowing how the apostles of Christ said to flee idolatry, the apostles would probably be equally against perpetuating these heathen customs. But as for the preachers and religious leaders today, they condone the whole thing and delight in the pagan festivities.

New Song ~ Yah Surrounds and Completes me

Deuteronomy 7-6-9

6“For you are a set-apart people to יהוה your Elohim. יהוה your Elohim has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a treasured possession above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

7“יהוה did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more numerous than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples,

8but because of יהוה loving you, and because of Him guarding the oath which He swore to your fathers, יהוה has brought you out with a strong hand, and ransomed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim.

9And you shall know that יהוה your Elohim, He is Elohim, the trustworthy Ěl guarding covenant and loving-commitment for a thousand generations with those who love Him, and those who guard His commands,”