No Apologies - Part 2

Jezebel and Sensuality

It is fitting that a teaching on godly womanhood provide some instruction on the topic of a woman’s dress and external appearance. The Bible has a significant amount to say on the subject. Some years ago I was led to meditate upon the following questions:

Seeing that Christ’s disciples are described as “aliens and strangers” in this world, should not their outward appearance provide testimony that they are part of the Kingdom of God, and have been translated out of the kingdom of this world which lies in the power of the evil one? Knowing that Christ testified repeatedly that He never did anything of His own initiative, but that He always did the will of the Father, I wanted to know whether Yahweh has a specific desire for the appearance of His children.

Would walking by the Spirit lead a man, or woman, to dress differently, and to appear differently than those in the world around them? The world does not seek the mind of Christ in matters of dress and appearance, but the saints of God ought to do so. Is it not likely that those led by the Spirit of Christ, and those led by their souls under the influence of this fallen world system, would arrive at very recognizable differences?

At the time, I was primarily considering these things as they related to the man. Christians are not encouraged to ponder such things today. Most make their daily life decisions independently of the Holy Spirit. They dress as their parents taught them to do, or as their peers have influenced them to do. They are influenced by current fashion, advertising, and the media, but rarely consider whether God has an opinion in the matter. As I contemplated these things I became convinced that God did have a specific will regarding my outward dress and appearance.

In the Old Testament we find the following instructions in the Law.

Deuteronomy 22:5

A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God.

The spirit behind this command seems to be that it is God’s will that gender distinctions should be maintained between the dress of men and women. It is not the will of Yahweh that men make themselves appear effeminate, nor that women make themselves appear masculine. I considered my clothing, and felt confident that I was conforming to the spirit of God’s commandment. No one had ever accused me of dressing like a woman, but what about other aspects of my appearance?

The Bible also has somewhat to say about a man’s hair.

I Corinthians 11:14-15

Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her?

Oftentimes today one sees depictions of Christ that portray him as having long hair and a short beard. This is actually a reversal from the truth. Paul was speaking just a short time after Yahshua’s earthly ministry. Writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Paul declares that it is a dishonorable thing for a man to have long hair. The Scriptures also reveal that Christ had  a substantial beard, for at His arrest the Roman soldiers were pulling it out by the handfuls.

Isaiah 50:6

I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard...

One cannot easily pluck out a man’s beard unless it has some length to it. The trendy five o’clock shadow beards of today are not typical of those worn by the Jews in the time of Christ. I gave considerable thought to this matter, and eventually wrote an article titled The Significance of the Beard. Following is an excerpt:

The Hebrew word for beard is zaqan (zaw-kawn'). We are told in Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words that zaqan comes from the related word zaqen (zaw-kane'), which is a primitive root meaning to be old. The correlation to this second word for age is so clear that Strong’s Dictionary defines the Hebrew word zaqan as “the beard (as indicating age).”

To the Hebrew mind the beard was a symbol of maturity. This was not a cultural viewpoint, rather it was an understanding of God’s design in placing a beard on mature males. A boy cannot grow a beard. A boy is one who is not mature. When a young male passes through the time in his life defined as puberty some distinct outward signs accompany this advancement to maturity. The voice takes on a deeper timber, it becomes more commanding. Another obvious sign is the growth of body hair and, for a male who is modestly arrayed, the only part of this growth that is seen is that which is on the face.

Webster’s 1933 Dictionary defines puberty in this way: “the age of maturity; manhood, adult; the time a plant comes into flower.” Is not the beard of a man a sign of the flowering of his manhood? Even as the flower is the beauty and adornment of many plants, so is the beard the beauty and adornment of a man as he crosses the line of puberty and comes into the age of maturity.

God gave the beard to man for beauty and glory. Older men whose beards had turned grey were to be accorded special honor because the grey beard was a sign of advanced maturity. We find this understanding in the following verse.

Leviticus 19:32

Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

(KJV)

The phrases “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head” and “and honour the face of the old man” are parallel expressions denoting the same truth. The hoary, or grey head, directly corresponds to the phrase “the face of the old man.” The hoary head certainly could include the grey hair found on top of the head, but it most specifically refers to the grey hair of the face which is the beard...

To those who would say that the beard is just an external matter and it holds no real value, I would ask “Why do you want to throw away that which God has ordained to cover the face of man?” Yahshua had a beard and we know that He only did what He saw the Father doing. Christ did not wear a beard because it was a social standard of the time. The only standard Yahshua conformed to was the standard of His Father. He did not see the Father cutting off the beard, so he did not cut off the beard... Furthermore, Yahshua said that He came to fulfill the Law and the Law has these commands concerning the beard:

Leviticus 19:27

“You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard.”

Leviticus 21:1, 5

Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them... 'They shall not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the sides of their beards.’”

What is referred to in the preceding verses is the practice of Egypt where men wore a long goatee from the chin, but they shaved off the beard from the sides of the face. I concluded, that it was not Yahweh’s will that I wear a goatee. (I am a sheep, not a goatee.)

Nelson’s Bible Dictionary has this to say about the beard.

In biblical times most adult males of Israel wore full beards... The Law of Moses required Israelite men not to "disfigure the edges" of their beards (Lev. 19:27), a common practice of Israel's pagan neighbors.

To shave or pull out part of the beard was a sign of grief (Jer. 48:37-38), and to cut off someone's beard was to insult him (2 Sam. 10:4-5). Isaiah 7:20 pictures God's judgment on Israel as a shaving of the nation's beard, an intentional disgrace.

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

In Isaiah God symbolically spoke of shaving off Israel’s beard as a sign of their disgrace. 

Isaiah 7:20

In that day Yahweh will use a razor hired from beyond the River - the king of Assyria - to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also.

To have the beard shaved off was a sign of great disgrace. This is shown in the story of King David’s ambassadors who were disgraced by the Ammonites by having their robes cut in two at the waist and having half of their beards cut off. David was so enraged that he declared war on the Ammonites and destroyed them. So deep was the shame of David’s ambassadors that David told them to not return to Jerusalem until their beards were grown back, but to stay in Jericho.

II Samuel 10:5

When they told it to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return."

Is it not a great delusion that has led men today to so carelessly cast off that which God designed to... distinguish men from boys and from women?

[End Excerpt]

As I thought on these things, I considered that the man who cuts off the beard is altering his appearance to be like the woman. God created the adult woman to have a smooth, hairless face, while He caused hair to grow on the face of the adult male. I wanted to be a thoughtful Christian, giving heed to all of my ways. The decision to wear a beard, or to shave it off, should not be made according to the counsel of the world, a world which lies in the power of the evil one. I wanted my decision to be based upon the Spirit and the word.

My point is this, if we are being led of the Spirit, rather than being led by our souls and the counsel and patterns of a fallen world, we will think, act, and LOOK differently than many in the world. It has been nearly thirty years since I last did not wear a beard. Does it not reveal a blind spot in man’s thoughts that many would not think of wearing women’s clothing, but they shave the beard off without any consideration at all? Whether consciously, or not, they are altering their appearance to be like that of the woman. Where does the motive, or inspiration, come from that leads men to do this? I have talked to many men and none have told me that God directed them to cut off the beard, or that they read in the Scriptures that removing the beard is the will of God.

Is it not possible, that the same Jezebel spirit that seeks to elevate women, and to emasculate men, is the driving force behind this trend? Consider how much more distinct men and women would be in appearance today if men did not daily remove the beards God causes to grow on their faces. Is not something altered in the psyche of men and women when men go about smooth faced, and they do so deliberately by daily removing the beard by shaving? Many hidden spiritual truths are revealed through outward testimonies in this world.

Over the years, the most common reason I have heard men give for not wearing a beard is that their wife does not like them to have a beard. Sisters in Christ, if this is your influence toward your husband, let me suggest to you that there is a lot more behind your attitude than the fact that you find beards to be scratchy, or think your husband to be unattractive in one. There is a spirit in this world that ever seeks to confuse the genders, and to diminish the authority of the man. There is a spirit that pressures men and women to conform to the ways of Satan’s kingdom, rather than the kingdom of God.

As a son of God, I want to conform to that image He has chosen for me. If all the world is doing one thing, but God is directing me to do something different, then I will appear like the alien and stranger that I truly am. I encourage my sisters in the Lord to seek out the mind of Christ to know what His will is for them regarding their dress and appearance. Is it not reasonable to conclude that the woman who is led by the Spirit of God will in many ways think, act, and LOOK differently from the women of this world? It is a privilege given to the body of Christ to be able to model before the world that which is pleasing to God.

Following are two passages from the New Testament in which Christ makes known His will regarding the dress and appearance of women in the church.

I Peter 3:3-5

Your adornment must not be external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands...

I Timothy 2:9-10

Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.

As I observe girls and women, young and old, in the church today, I see that the majority are giving much attention to external beauty and appearance, and very little thought to that beauty that God commends. The apostles are expressing the mind of Christ. In the eyes of Christ a woman’s beauty arises from within, from “the hidden person of the heart.” The woman who aspires to godliness will be beautifully arrayed as she clothes herself with a gentle and quiet spirit, with reverence and honor toward her husband, and with good works.

Many girls and women today are like the Pharisees whom Christ condemned. They are giving great attention to external appearances, but inwardly they are full of sin and corruption.

Matthew 23:27-28

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

Luke 11:39-41

“Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?”

Yahweh searches the inner parts. He knows the thoughts of men and women. He judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). What are the thoughts and intentions that drive Christian women’s fashion and appearance choices today? Are they not the same thoughts and intentions that motivate women in the world?

Let me phrase this question another way. What spirit is “inspiring” women in their decisions relating to dress and appearance? The word “inspire” literally means “to put spirit into.” In the world, the spirit driving the women’s fashion and beauty industries is the same spirit observed in Jezebel thousands of years ago.

II Kings 9:30

Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window.

Jezebel was not a godly woman. Inwardly, her life had no beauty. The beauty of Jezebel was strictly external. She adorned her flesh, coiffed her hair, and painted her eyes. She put on expensive clothing, gold and jewels. Jezebel knew only one kind of adornment, that of the outward, physical body. Tragically, many women in the church find inspiration in the same spirit that inspired Jezebel. This was true in the days of Peter and Paul. If it were not, they would have had no need to give the instructions they gave. In essence, they said, “Don’t let your adornment be like Jezebel’s. Let your beauty be that of your spiritual life.”

In the previous chapter we noted how rampant the spirit of Jezebel is by observing its relationship to Christmas and Easter, the worship rites of Baal and Asherah. Consider now how rampant this spirit is as its influence is seen in the attire and appearance of women in society and in the church.

 Fashion magazines are among the most popular genre of periodicals sold today. Millions of women scour the pages of fashion magazines to get “inspired.” They want to find some new way to make themselves appear attractive, seductive, successful, or powerful. In America entire industries have arisen that are devoted to beauty care products, clothing fashions and accessories, hair care, jewelry, fingernail and toenail painting, achieving the perfect tan, body fragrances, etc.. In the present generation there has also arisen a tremendous commerce in body piercing, tattoos, and cosmetic surgical procedures such as breast augmentation, liposuction, Botox injections, face lifts, tummy tucks, and the list goes on and on.

Every year in America, tens of billions of dollars are spent as women seek to make themselves outwardly beautiful, desirable, or impressive.

What spirit is behind this massive societal tsunami? It is not the Holy Spirit. Stand outside most churches on a Sunday as the congregation leaves the building and observe the sensual dress of the young girls and the adult women. Their plunging necklines, short dresses, tight pants, high heels, hosiery, hairdos, cosmetics, painted fingernails and toenails, perfume, ankle bracelets, earrings and other jewelry are all on display. Yet no one notices Jezebel’s presence. No one protests the emphasis placed upon that which is physical, sensual, and provocative.

A discerning appraisal of the practice of the majority of Christian women reveals that the beauty they seek to project is external, rather than internal. Purity, innocence, gentleness, humility, honor, and holiness are not the image most girls and women are seeking to convey. They want to appear desirable, or powerful, or sophisticated. Their dress, bodily array, and conduct are designed to elicit a response of admiration; to stir up sexual desire in others; to promote an air of worldly success and glamour.

Sisters in Christ, I ask you to consider what motivates you in your choice of dress and appearance? Have you searched the Scriptures, and prayed to the Father, to understand what His will is for you? Or did you make your choices independently of God? Is your appearance in conformity with this world, or do you walk as an alien and stranger in this land?

I have a lovely daughter who recently celebrated her 24th birthday. When Kristin was fourteen she experienced a spiritual awakening in this area of her life. She began to consider what Yahweh’s will was for her in the realm of dress and appearance. Formerly, Kristin had always been what some would describe as a tomboy. Her favorite fashions were camouflage shirts and pants, cowboy boots, and other fashions that are associated with masculinity.

When Kristin was fourteen, she became convicted as she studied the Scriptures that she needed to begin wearing a covering over her long blonde hair. Soon after this she also began wearing long skirts and dresses. Kristin has continued this practice to this day. She is very modest in her appearance, and she is careful not to provoke lustful thoughts in men by dressing sensually.

Kristin has on occasions asked me for counsel concerning clothing. One thing that is popular among young women today are t-shirts that have some image or message written right across the breast area. I have advised my daughter to be aware of the subtlety of Satan in such fashions. Even if the message or image is innocent, it draws the eyes to the breasts of a woman. Men don’t need much encouragement in this area. A young girl, or woman is doing her brothers in Christ a disservice if she is by her dress and appearance causing them to have thoughts of a sexual nature stirred up inside them.

Kristin has many Mennonite friends, and they too dress modestly, and eschew jewelry, and elaborate hairdos. I cannot remember seeing any of them with their nails polished, or cosmetics on their faces, yet they glow with a different type of beauty. They have the beauty of purity and innocence.

There are a few denominations and groups like the Mennonites and Charity Churches that have chosen to array themselves in a manner that is altogether distinct from the sensual fashions of this world. Some refer to themselves as “plain people.” Such a description is offensive to the woman who wants to appear worldly in order to have the admiration and respect of the world. To be “plain” is to be humble. Jezebel is not humble, but the woman whom God favors is.

I have had a fair amount of interaction with some of the women and young girls in these churches. One thing that has impressed me is that the beauty of the inner life is much more readily evident in these ones than in women from churches that dress according to the fashions of the world. I see a greater honor in the homes. The children are respectful and courteous. The women submit themselves to their husbands, and they are renowned for their good works.

Although there are exceptions, I have noted a contrast among those Christian women who dress in worldly fashions. The women are much more likely to be outspoken, to seek equality with their husbands. Rather than being keepers at home, they are often career women, and many are addicted to shopping and entertainment instead of being devoted to good works.In effect, the women who focus on adorning the outside of the cup are more selfishly minded. Those women who have adopted plain attire while pursuing an inner beauty are more likely to exhibit a selfless attitude, focused on serving others.

The apostle Peter, while contrasting the carnal and the spiritual woman, declared that the beauty of the spiritual woman is “imperishable.” No matter how much success a woman has in making herself outwardly attractive and desirable, she will soon find her beauty fading. The glow and vitality of a youthful body soon loses its luster. In contrast, the woman who has beauty of spirit finds that her attractiveness never grows old.

Surely my words and counsel on these things will strike many as alien. If so, then perhaps I have conveyed some of the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. Few ministers will speak forth these things today. Jezebel is renowned for slaying prophets and righteous men. Those she cannot destroy, she will drive into hiding.

I Kings 18:13

“Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, that I hid a hundred prophets of Yahweh by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?”

This brazen spirit cows the most courageous spiritual men, leaving them no spirit to fight.

I Kings 19:2-4

Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O Yahweh, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

As many pastors and teachers today are cowed into fearful submission to this unclean spirit, the effect is observed throughout the church. The purity and innocence of the virgin bride of Christ has been lost. Christ is soon to return. It is time for His bride to make herself ready.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws    

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com    

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

No Apologies - Part 1

Jezebel and Idolatry

Writing about Jezebel may seem an odd way to begin a book on godly womanhood. In Jezebel is seen the antithesis of everything that Yahweh finds praiseworthy in a woman. Yahweh has chosen to teach us much through contrasts. He sets before His daughters the lives of the godly, as well as the ungodly. Sarah’s life and attitude is set forth as an example of a godly woman.

I Peter 3:5-6

For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

Yahweh has similarly provided the details of the life and attitudes of Jezebel in the Scriptures that all might understand what is odious and detestable to Him. Among women, there is no name so reviled and full of divine reproach as Jezebel. In this chapter I want to set forth before you Jezebel’s relationship to idolatry, which Yahweh hates. In subsequent chapters we will look at other matters of great importance as the life of Jezebel is further reviewed.

The Scriptures reveal that one reason Jezebel received divine reproach, resulting in severe judgment, is that she embraced and promoted idolatry. Before you determine that you could not, or are not doing the same thing, I encourage you to consider carefully that which follows.

In the book of Revelation we find Christ pronouncing judgment upon the spirit of Jezebel that has infected the church.

Revelation 2:20-23

“I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”

The book of Revelation is a book of parables. Truth is communicated through types, symbols, and signs. Christ is not speaking of an individual by the name of Jezebel that attended a certain church. The reference to Jezebel is to be understood spiritually. There was a spirit tolerated among the church that bore great similarity to the woman named Jezebel in the Old Testament. At this time, I would specifically focus upon Jezebel’s promotion of idolatry and its practices.

Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. As you might guess by Ethbaal’s name, the people of Sidon were Baal worshipers. The first of the ten commandments condemns the worship of Baal, or any other false deity.

Deuteronomy 5:6-9

“I am Yahweh your God... You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God...”

Jezebel was a citizen of an idolatrous nation. She was also an ardent promoter of this idolatry. When Ahab, the king of Israel, took Jezebel to be his wife, she immediately induced the king to embrace the worship of false deities.

I Kings 16:31-33

[Ahab] married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke Yahweh God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

I Kings 21:25-26

Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of Yahweh, because Jezebel his wife incited him. He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom Yahweh cast out before the sons of Israel.

Alongside Baal, the Sidonians worshiped Asherah. Asherah was a fertility goddess. The following historical information is provided that you might be able to discern the continuation of the Jezebel spirit in the church today, and thereby separate yourself from all that Yahweh detests.

Jezebel induced her husband Ahab, king of the ten northern tribes of Israel, to embrace the worship of Baal and Asherah. As Ahab embraced this idolatry, the citizens under his rule followed. The vast majority of the nation entered into idolatry, but Yahweh reserved a remnant unto Himself.

Romans 11:2-5

Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, "Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

The passage just cited is written in the New Testament, yet it is referring to events in the Old Testament. The apostle Paul is revealing that the same spirit that was at work among the natural people of Israel in the days of the kings is still at work today in the church age. In a parallel truth, Yahweh is still at work to reserve a remnant unto Himself who have separated themselves from the rampant idolatry embraced by His people. In the days of Ahab and Jezebel, only seven thousand men could be found among the entire populace who had not embraced Baal and Asherah. Similarly, there is a remnant among the body of Christ today who have separated themselves from idols.

I John 5:21

Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

Jezebel spread idolatry throughout the land of Israel. The spirit of Jezebel continues to spread idolatry among the body of Christ. Alexander Hislop in the book The Two Babylons does an excellent job of tracing the proliferation of idolatrous practices among the nations back to ancient Babylon (Babel), which Nimrod founded.

Genesis 10:10-12

The beginning of [Nimrod’s] kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

At Babel, the “Mystery Religions” originated. When God came down and visited Babel and confused the people’s languages, they spread throughout all the earth taking the idolatry introduced at Babel with them. Because their languages were now different, various names came to be associated with Baal and Asherah, which in their first origins were Nimrod and his wife (and mother) Semiramis.

Historical accounts, and religious traditions that have been preserved to this day, reveal a sordid tale of sexual immorality and idolatrous practices originating in Babel. That this is so should not be surprising. Nimrod was a descendant of Ham, one of the three sons of Noah. Ham and his descendants were cursed by Noah because Ham uncovered the nakedness of his father.

Genesis 9:20-25

Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father's nakedness.  When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. So he said,"Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants he shall be to his brothers."

It was a disgraceful thing for a son to see the nakedness of his father. Rather, than covering his father, Ham went and broadcast his father’s nakedness to others, demonstrating great dishonor. Ham had a son named Cush. According to tradition, Cush married a woman named Semiramis from whom was born Nimrod. When Cush died, Nimrod took his mother to be his wife. Thus, like his grandfather before him, Nimrod dishonored his father by uncovering his nakedness.

Leviticus 18:7-8

"You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness.”

Nimrod founded Babel, the beginning of his kingdom, and it was there that the mystery religions were birthed. Nimrod was figured as the sun, and Semiramis as the moon. Together, they became the deities of the people. History reveals that ancient kings often perpetuated the myth that they were divine. In Egypt, the Pharoah was worshiped as god, and in Babel Nimrod was Baal (meaning “Lord”) and Semiramis was figured as the goddess of fertility, the mother of all.

As the people of Babel scattered across the face of the earth, they took their idolatrous practices with them. The names changed, for the languages had been confused by God, but their rites and practices continued. Semiramis became known by many names. In the Bible she is called Asherah, Ashtoreth and Astarte, as well as the moon goddess. Nimrod, as Baal, also became known by a great many names.

Nimrod was eventually slain. After Nimrod died, Semiramis became pregnant. Nimrod had been dead a sufficient time that the child could not be his, and Semiramis had no other husband. To continue the mythos of her divinity, Semiramis claimed that she had become pregnant by the rays of the sun god (Nimrod ascended). The child born was named Tammuz. He too is mentioned in Scriptures as one of the false deities whose worship was introduced to Israel, provoking the wrath of Yahweh.

Ezekiel 8:14-15

Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of Yahweh’s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these."

Weeping for Tammuz continues to this day among those who call themselves Christians. The forty days of Lent that lead up to Easter are a continuation of this idolatrous practice. The days of Lent are considered days of mourning. They are observed with fasting, and also putting ashes on the forehead.

Tammuz, like his father before him (he was claimed to be Nimrod reborn) was a great hunter. One day while hunting, a wild boar gashed him across his thigh and Tammuz bled to death from the injury.

Ancient Statue of Tammuz Dying - Note Gash on Thigh

Christmas and Easter are both traceable back to ancient Babylon. This worship of the fertility goddess, and her son, who is figured as her husband reborn, is found throughout the nations of the earth.

Images of Semiramis and Tammuz Among the Nations

(From top left, and continuing clockwise are pictured Semiramis and Tammuz from Babylon; Devka and her son Krishna from India; Isi and the infant Iswara from India; the many breasted goddess Diana from Ephesus; the Roman Catholic Mary and infant Jesus; and the Egyptian goddess Isis and her son Horus)

What all of these images hold in common is an elevation of the woman to a place of worship; to a position that is ultimately higher than the man. The man is always pictured as a child, subordinate to her. Even as there is a holy trinity in the Bible consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Satan has offered a counterfeit trinity. Its original members were named Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz.

Because Tammuz was slain by a boar, a boar was traditionally slaughtered on high holy days associated with the worship of this Babylonian trinity. The tradition continues to this day as ham is eaten at both Christmas and Easter.

No one should mistake the eating of swine’s flesh for a symbol of the birth, or of the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Swine were declared unclean in the Law of Moses. The Messiah is figured as the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. On Passover, Yahweh instructed His people to eat lamb, but the church today celebrates Easter by eating ham. (It seems oddly prophetic that all these things began by Ham uncovering the nakedness of his father.)

I mentioned previously, that Easter NEVER falls on the same day as Passover. The Roman Catholic Church made certain of this. The date of Easter is based upon the phase of the moon, and the position of the sun. It falls on a SUNday, the day the Roman Emperors set aside for the worship of the sun. Baal is figured as the sun god, and Tammuz is supposedly Nimrod reborn. Those who worshiped the sun, and the deities associated with it, made certain that their high days of worship fell on the day of the week devoted to the sun. Yahweh warned the Israelites against worshiping the heavenly bodies, or associating them with deities to be honored.

Deuteronomy 4:19

"And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them...”

The date of Christmas, like Easter is determined by the position of the sun, being observed at the winter solstice as the sun passes through the shortest day of the year (the day of least sunlight) and begins to ascend once more to rule the heavens. The Bible does not state specifically when Christ was born, but many Bible scholars have concluded that it was most likely during the time of the fall feast established by Yahweh, which is commonly called the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. I find much merit in this view. What is certain is that the early church did not hold any celebration during the winter solstice, but the pagan worshipers throughout the Roman Empire had been doing so for centuries. (Some might argue that the Jews celebrated Hanukkah around the time of the winter solstice, but neither Christ, nor the apostles gave commandment to the church to observe this date; Neither is Hanukkah among the feast days (moedim) established by Yahweh in the Old Testament.)

The Emperor Constantine was a sun worshiper. At the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., he presided over a gathering of hundreds of bishops from the Roman church. This council established dictates by which the church should operate. The council codified the practice of SUNday worship, and forbade worship on the Jewish Sabbath. It also established formulas for determining when Easter should be observed, forbidding the use of any Jewish influence in the matter. Constantine and the Roman Catholic Church adopted idolatrous practices and beliefs while rejecting the appointed times (moedim) that Yahweh had delivered through the hands of His holy prophets. Referring to the date of Easter celebrations, the Council of Nicaea stated:

"At the council we also considered the issue of our holiest day, Easter, and it was determined by common consent that everyone, everywhere should celebrate it on one and the same day. For what can be more appropriate, or what more solemn, than that this feast from which we have received the hope of immortality, should be kept by all without variation, using the same order and a clear arrangement? And in the first place, it seemed very unworthy for us to keep this most sacred feast following the custom of the Jews, a people who have soiled their hands in a most terrible outrage, and have thus polluted their souls, and are now deservedly blind. Since we have cast aside their way of calculating the date of the festival, we can ensure that future generations can celebrate this observance at the more accurate time which we have kept from the first day of the passion until the present time...."

[Emperor Constantine I - Following the Council of Nicaea]

With these words, the Roman Catholic Church rejected the Biblical observance of Passover, the date on which Christ was crucified, and adopted the pagan observance of Easter. Thus the holy was replaced by the profane, and the body of Christ was induced to eat foods sacrificed to idols.

Revelation 2:20-21

“I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 

Remember, the words of Revelation are spiritual words. Even though there is a very real sense in which the people of God eat physical foods in honor of false deities through imbibing Christmas and Easter ham, Easter eggs, hot crossed buns, and various associated treats, it is the spiritual substance of these words that is most important. Eating things sacrificed to idols is a spiritual reference to the church feeding on doctrines of demons.

Hebrews 13:9-10

Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

Observe in these words how the phrases “various and strange doctrines” and “foods which have not profited” are used in parallel to one another. The church feeds itself on doctrines. The Jezebel spirit teaches and leads the bond-servants of Christ astray so that they eat things devoted to idols. The church observes dates and practices that formerly were associated with the worship of Baal and Asherah.

The mystery religions teach that Semiramis was immaculately conceived, being lowered from the heavens to the earth in a giant egg. This egg came to rest in the waters of the Euphrates river. Eggs are symbols of fertility, and as Semiramis was a fertility goddess the symbol of the egg became thoroughly associated with her worship. Those who knew Semiramis under the name of Ishtar spoke of Ishtar’s egg, from which we get our current Easter egg.

Mystic Egg of Astarte

Sacred Egg of Heliopolis and Typhon’s Egg

Heliopolis is a city of Egypt. Its name means “City of the Sun.” Semiramis was known there by the name Isis. Semiramis was a moon goddess, and therefore we see an image of the moon atop her sacred egg. A vast amount of additional information could be provided to further establish the association of Christmas and Easter with the worship of Baal and Asherah. To do so is beyond the scope of this book. One need only ask themselves where did all of these symbols, and practices arise?

Why do we not find in the Scriptures any mention of Christ’s disciples, or the early church observing Christmas celebrations? Why do we not find the apostles teaching along with the traditions of the church the giving of gifts on December 25th, or bringing decorated trees into the home? Why is there no admonition in the New Testament to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Christ with Easter Eggs, bunny rabbits, baskets of straw and flowers, SUNrise services, or ornamental bonnets? It is because all of these things find their source in the worship of Baal and Asherah, which the church has now almost universally adopted. Nevertheless, Yahweh has reserved unto Himself a remnant who will not bow the knee to Baal.

My purposes in sharing these things are several. First, I would have you to see the pervasiveness of the Jezebel spirit. Second, I would have you understand its attraction. Third, I would have you see how it enters the church, and how its influence is spread.

The most commonly identified characteristic of the Jezebel spirit today is observed in a woman who will not submit to man, who seeks rather to usurp authority over man. This is truly a characteristic of the Jezebel spirit, but if I were to ask most Christians how widespread this spirit is in the church a great many would say it is rare. They might point to a few extreme examples, such as women seeking to be ordained as ministers. Few actually realize how pervasive the Jezebel spirit is.

By looking at the promotion of idolatry, and specifically those practices associated with Baal and Asherah, it is possible to discern more accurately the influence of this spirit. If I were to ask you how many churches celebrate Christmas and Easter, it becomes obvious that the influence of the Jezebel spirit is much greater than most have understood. Rare is the voice today that will declare the uncleanness of these practices. Can you imagine the response in most congregations today if the minister would preach from the pulpit the truth of these things? Jezebel’s influence has slain, or forced into hiding, the true prophets of Yahweh. As was the condition of Israel in the days of king Ahab and his wicked queen, so too is the condition of the church today. The majority have bowed to Baal.

Such success in leading the people of God into idolatry was achievable because it appealed to the desires of the natural man. Is there not in the celebration of Christmas and Easter that which is very attractive to the soul? Do not even the lost members of society, those with no profession of faith in Christ, enjoy these celebrations?

Christmastime has become a period when the world goes mad with a lust for consumer goods. It is a time when the love of the world, and the things in it, reaches its highest peak of the year. Merchants count on an orgy of consumer spending at Christmastime to achieve profitability. They can count on people everywhere spending inordinate amounts of money on every imaginable product. The church under the influence of Jezebel drives this process, for they have claimed Christmas to be a Christian holiday. Even as Jezebel induced Israel to adopt the idols of Sidon, she has led the church to adopt the idols of this fallen world system. The saints of God are feeding on the doctrines of demons.

Let me interject at this time, a definition of idolatry. You do not have to bow before a statue, or make a sacrifice to a false deity, or pray to a god other than Yahweh to be an idolater. Idolatry is an issue of the heart. It is setting anything next to God that commands your devotion, love, or actions. The spirit that abounds at Christmas is a spirit of covetousness. The apostle Paul declares that the covetous man (or woman) is an idolater.

Ephesians 5:5

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

The pervasiveness of this idolatry is undeniably extensive. Covetousness is the driving force behind the prosperity gospel that has replaced the preaching of the disciple’s cross in this hour. The Jezebel spirit extends as far as those churches that have embraced Christmas and Easter, the rites and symbols of Baal and Asherah.

Consider now the great attraction of these things. I know of a few men who have become convicted of the error of mixing the holy and the profane, of merging the worship of Yahweh and His Christ with that of Babylonian mystery religions. When they have suggested to their wives and children that they must put away these things, some have encountered a firestorm of protest. Some men have backed down immediately. They feared their wives and children more than they feared God.

What if the man had said to his wife or children that they were no longer going to practice some Christian discipline that had formerly been their custom? Would there be a great protest, even threats of divorce? It seems unlikely. The rites introduced by Jezebel, however, appeal to the flesh. They satisfy the lusts of men and women. Those who act to cast these things down must be prepared for resistance.

I have considered at length the testimony the Scriptures provide of Solomon’s life. Here was a man who loved God, and who was greatly loved by Yahweh. Solomon also loved many women. Many of Solomon’s wives were foreign women who were brought up in the worship of other gods. These women were accustomed to their annual celebrations, feast days, and rituals. They urged Solomon to let them continue to observe those things they had loved since childhood. What harm could it do to decorate a tree at the winter solstice, and give gifts to others? What was the real harm in painting and decorating eggs during the spring equinox, or letting the women dress up in special festive clothes and hats? What was wrong with baking cakes for the queen of heaven, or setting out offerings of food and drink for their deities? (This is where the practice of leaving out cookies and milk for Santa originated.) With such arguments the heart and mind of Solomon was won. He wanted to please his wives, and he brought the worship of the Baal, Asherah, and other deities to Jerusalem.

I Kings 11:4-8

For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father had been. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites.

Solomon did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and did not follow Yahweh fully, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

Sisters in Christ, what is your influence upon your husbands and fathers? Would you encourage them to follow the idolatrous practices that have infiltrated the church as Solomon’s wives urged him? Is there in you a heart of covetousness? Would you be content to abstain from Christmas and Easter celebrations when all around you are partaking of them? The Jezebel spirit does not always appear as an enemy. It can be very attractive. It will dress itself in whatever adornment that is most appealing in order to allure you. The Jezebel spirit appeals to the lusts within your own heart.Are you willing to stand out from the crowd, and to walk alone? The seven thousand in Israel who were faithful to Yahweh had a very lonely walk. Few will surrender to be led of Christ out of Babylon that they might arrive at Zion.

Jeremiah 3:14

“Return, O faithless sons,” declares Yahweh; “For I am a master to you, and I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”

Observe a hidden mystery in these words. Jeremiah was speaking to a people who had fallen far into idolatry. Baal was worshiped widely. Baal is a Hebrew word that means “lord,” or “master.” The people of Israel worshiped a lord after the fashion they had adopted from the nations around them, but they were not worshiping the one, true Lord in holiness according to His commandments. If you read the above passage in the original Hebrew you will see that it states, “Return, O faithless sons... for I am a Baal to you.”

There is more than one way to understand this statement. One understanding is that the people of Judah and Jerusalem had transformed the worship of Yahweh into the worship of Baal. They substituted the rites and doctrines of Baal worship for those of Yahweh, while still claiming to be followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yahweh had become Baal. Has not the church done the same today as they claim to be following the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ, Yahshua the Messiah, while all the time they are practicing pagan rites and have adopted teachings that appeal to the flesh?

The Jews claimed to worship Yahweh, but they did so according to practices adopted from Baal worship. The Jews went up to the Temple of Yahweh to worship, but they had built an altar for Baal alongside the altar of Yahweh. Their worship was actually Baal worship, but it took place in the house built for Yahweh. Do you see a parallel in the church today?

In external acts, have you adopted the rites and practices that originated with the worship of Baal and Asherah? Are you emotionally bound to the celebrations of Christmas and Easter? Internally, do you have idols in your heart? Do you covet the world and its goods? Are you under the influence of the spirit of Jezebel? Yahweh declares:

II Corinthians 6:15-18

What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty.

During the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, Yahweh sent a prophet named Elijah to the people. He demanded of them, “How long will you halt between two opinions. Choose you this day whom you will serve. If Baal is god, serve him. If Yahweh is God, then serve Him.” Jezebel promotes mixture. She does not mind if you worship more than one god, but Yahweh does. He will have no other gods before Him, that is to say, He will have no other gods in His presence.

The spirit of Jezebel seeks to seduce every daughter of Christ. She is very successful, for few recognize her when she comes. She is a face painter. She will alter her appearance to make that which is detestable to God appear acceptable.

Few are those Christians who have even discerned the error of celebrating the resurrection of Christ on a day that bears the name of a pagan fertility goddess (Easter). Few have recognized the corruption of mixing Easter eggs, bunny rabbits, and Easter ham with the celebration of Christ’s Passover. How then will they see Jezebel in their own hearts?

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws    

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com    

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

No Apologies

No Apologies

A Biblical Teaching on Godly Womanhood

By Joseph Herrin

Copyright © 2012 by Joseph Herrin

Permission of the author is hereby granted for copying, printing and distributing this book to others, either in part or in whole. However, no charge may be associated with the distribution.

Chapter Index

Foreword

Introduction

Jezebel and Idolatry

Jezebel and Sensuality

Jezebel and Masculinity

Casting Down Jezebel

Dissolving the Marriage Partnership

The Worth of a Woman

Keepers at Home

Labor Outside the Home

Foreword

A word of explanation is necessary at the start of this book. In this work you will find this writer using names in reference to God the Father and God the Son that are more faithful to their Hebrew original than the names and titles generally in use by the church today. The name Yah, or Yahweh, will be found in reference to God the Father, and the name Yahshua will be utilized when speaking of the Son.

This usage is not intended to be divisive, nor does it serve as a renunciation of the usage of titles such as Lord or God. Neither is it a condemnation of those who choose to call the Son of God Jesus. My intent as a teacher of the Bible is simply to illumine and instruct. There is great meaning in the Hebrew names of the Father and the Son, and these names are directly related to one another, as well as bearing many significant relationships to other historic figures from the Bible, some of whom serves as types and shadows of the Son of God.

For example, Joshua, the Israelite leader who led the people of God across the Jordan and into battle to take possession of the land of Canaan bears the same name as the Messiah. They both were called Yahshua. The Son of God also began His ministry at the Jordan River as He was baptized by John. Both men labored to establish a kingdom dedicated to Yahweh, the first external and natural, the latter internal and spiritual.

Yah is the name used in reference to the Father on forty-nine separate occasions in the Old Testament. Most Christians have utilized this name of God without knowing that they were doing so. Whenever the word hallelujah is uttered, the speaker is literally exclaiming “Praise Yah,” for this is the meaning of the Hebrew word from which it is derived. The longer name Yahweh is found an additional 6,828 times.

The name of the Son is likewise significant, for Yahshua is understood to mean “Yah’s Salvation.” The Gospel writer indicates that this is the meaning of the name given to the Savior at His birth.

Matthew 1:21

“And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Yahshua, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”

It has been the practice of this writer for many years to use these names, which more clearly represent their Hebrew originals. It is my hope that their employment in this book might aid the reader by bringing forth light on relationships that are obscured, as well as promoting an increased intimacy with God the Father by calling Him by His memorial name, instead of a title which men have substituted.

Introduction

You may wonder why I chose No Apologies as the title of this book. During my entire adult life I have been made to feel as if I must apologize for teaching a Biblical view of womanhood. What God has to say to women is highly unpopular today. Yahweh’s instructions to wives, and all women in the church, flies in the face of political correctness and current societal norms. The Biblical definition of a godly woman is offensive to the fallen human nature. God’s instructions to women in both the Old and New Testaments are viewed as backward, chauvinistic, and the undesirable offscouring of an ancient patriarchal society.

Having served as a Bible teacher for many years, whenever I have taught on this subject I have felt as if I needed to justify doing so. My approach has been one of much timidity, fearing the backlash that I expected to come, and it has come time and time again. I was like a man who had been injured by an exploding object he had been working on. Forever after he would approach similar objects with timidity, inching forward, reaching hesitantly to touch them, fearing lest he should experience an explosion once again.

It is impossible to fulfill God’s call on my life to teach faithfully the truths of His kingdom if I am afraid of the reaction with which I will be met. I am reminded of Paul’s words of exhortation to Timothy.

II Timothy 1:6-8

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord...

Christ has appointed me to be a teacher to the body of Christ, to women as well as to men. There is much in the testimony of Christ that offends, but I will not be ashamed of His words. I will own them, proclaim them, defend them, and I will make no apologies for teaching Christ’s counsel on this, or any other topic. Those women who desire to know the mind of Christ deserve no less than the complete truth.

My aim is to be bold, but not brassy, courageous but not crass. The goal before me is to speak the truth in love. I wish to avoid a watered down truth. I would resist the temptation to embellish, or to diminish, the counsel of God; eschewing all pressure to make truth more palatable by altering, or removing, that which offends.

Many were offended by Christ’s words spoken in the days of His earthly ministry. The Son of God did not change His message to make it agreeable to the heart of sinful and selfish men and women. On one occasion when great multitudes were following Christ He spoke a very difficult word. Many were offended. Most deserted Him. Even among His disciples a large number left and would follow Yahshua no more.

John 6:60-63

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can receive it?" When Yahshua knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

God’s ways are not man’s ways. That which mankind esteems is detestable in the sight of God (Luke 16:15). The opposite is also true. That which Yahweh esteems is detestable in the sight of man. Should I then apologize for teaching accurately the things of God because they offend? Christ did not. The Son of God was not timid in proclaiming the mind of the Father. Neither must His appointed ministers be.

Philippians 1:27-28

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ..., in no way alarmed by your opponents...

At the same time, I would be humble in setting before you the truth. I recognize my own weakness. There are things Christ speaks that are uncomfortable to my soul. Christ’s testimony to me requires the crucifixion of my own flesh. I can only take up the cross after having crushed my soul with its passions and desires. This is accomplished with great difficulty. I know the battle. I would show empathy, and manifest patience, toward others who struggle.

On the cover of this book you will find the image of a hand extended as if to offer the word of God to others. This is what I seek to do here. The Scriptures contain many admonitions for women in the church. Following is an example.

I Corinthians 14:34-38

The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

Paul’s words appear a little testy. He speaks in a harsher tone than I would normally choose in my communications. Yet, I am persuaded that Paul did so for a purpose, and that his words and attitude were approved by God. They have been included in the Bible. Peter in another place calls Paul’s words “Scriptures.”

II Peter 3:15-16

Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Paul was gentle when gentleness was all that was needed to persuade the people of God of the counsel of Christ. Yet, when there was stubbornness and opposition, Paul wrote with greater force and emphasis. The subject of women’s roles and proper conduct among the body of Christ has always been one that has elicited protests. The spirit of Jezebel has found a home in the church (Revelation 2:20). When Paul encountered this spirit he dealt with it forcefully. Like Jehu in the Old Testament, he did not bandy words with Jezebel. He simply commanded that she be cast down.

The apostle Paul has had more than a few detractors over the years, and they continue to this day. Many decry him as a misogynist, a hater of women. This is an unjust judgment. Paul was zealous for the truth. Paul had equally harsh words for men who were rebellious and obstinate. This did not make him a man-hater. He labored to see carnal men and women transformed into spiritual beings. This transformation requires hard labor, more than a little suffering, and a willingness to sink lower. We must decrease that Christ might increase in us.

Many reject the suffering of the cross wherever they encounter it. If they cannot distort the message of Scripture to make it less painful to the human nature, they will instead attack the messenger. The faithful Bible teacher has three possible responses: He can be intimidated, and retreat into silence; He can change the message to conform to the desires of carnal men and women; or he can face those in opposition to the truth with boldness and courage. The latter was Paul’s response. He gave no apologies for speaking Christ’s commandments, even when carnal men and women opposed them. After giving instructions for the conduct of women in the church, Paul says:

I Corinthians 11:16

But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

In other words, the contentious can object all they want, but there is no other practice that the apostles of Christ have delivered to the churches of God. Paul would offer no concession to those who found the counsel of Christ disagreeable. Take it, or leave it.

I do not wish to appear crass, for I do care very much whether a woman accepts the counsel of Christ, or rejects it. There is a tremendous amount at stake. I would do all in my power to persuade my sisters in Christ to embrace the afflicted path that leads to life. Regarding this path Christ said, “Few there are who find it.” The path to life is the low road. It is the path of servitude, of humility, of voluntary suffering, requiring the exercise of much patience and self-control.

To teach the truth to my sisters in Christ I must lead them to the cross. It is not the cross Christ bore that I refer to, but the cross Christ invites His disciples to bear.

Luke 14:27

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

On the cover of this book, there is a cross on the Bible in the hand of the man. I know what I am offering to my sisters in Christ will require them to bear the cross. It is because Christ’s instructions require a woman to die to the desires of her soul that these words offend. The cross is an affront to mankind. The fleshly nature does not want to die. To the mind of the natural man the preaching of the cross is folly.

I Corinthians 1:18

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Many have judged the teaching presented here to be “foolishness.” To the majority this book will reek of the stench of death. Yet, a remnant will perceive in this teaching the aroma of life. The latter understand the necessity of dying to self, they recognize that humility always precedes honor. These few will find wisdom and life in what is set forth.

II Corinthians 2:15-17

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

Paul was not trying to sell people anything. He offered them the truth. Some were of the opinion that his message had in it the stench of death. In today’s vernacular some would say that “It stinks!” I do not refute this opinion, nor do I believe Paul would do so. There is truly in God’s counsel to women the smell of death. The Adamic nature must die. Some see only this experience, and being carnal they refuse to die. They do not look beyond death to that resurrection life that awaits those who embrace the cross. There can be no resurrection without a death first. The woman who refuses to die to her own will and desires will not enter into that resurrection life found in Christ.

So here, in a straightforward and unapologetic manner, I set forth before you the counsel of God recorded in the Scriptures for all women who aspire to godliness. I invite you to be courageous, and humble, in examining the message before you. It will require courage to walk contrary to the ways of a dark and sinful world. It will also require much humility, that much despised and maligned virtue that finds great favor in the eyes of God. Do not be afraid of what you will encounter here. Perfect love casts out all fear.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws    

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com    

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

I Am Back!!!

Well, here I am again. This is Joseph Herrin. I suppose I should tell you a little about my experience that is still ongoing. About 4 weeks ago I laid down to get some sleep. I didn't realize how much, or what kind of sleep I would get. I went to sleep for 4 days, and was only rescued when George came over to check on me. George called my daughter Kristin, and she made plans for the ambulance to come pick me up and take me to the nearest, full service hospital, which is Phoebe Putney Hospital in Americus. I did not know what was going on. I don't remember the ambulance, the hospital for the first week (I was in 15 days), or any of the shots or other treatment that I received. Then I woke up.

I was being treated for diabetes, pneumonia, and what they called Covid 19. Please forgive me if I don't call it the same thing. I never saw the blood work, and I know there are a lot of things that cause pneumonia. The flu, which is a great cause of such things, is nearly recovered this year. The most serious thing I was treated for was an insulin lack which the ambulance workers could not even get from me when they picked me up. That and pneumonia were the most serious things I had.

I am still suffering from memory loss. It is strange to not be able to remember something, but to perhaps handle the loss I will just ask that you do not ask me too many questions about it yet. I will honestly try to keep you apprised of my memory.

Since I have been home I have been using a walker to get around. I spent a couple nights over at George's and since then I have been back over at my bus/motorhome with my daughter spending the days with me. She has been very kind, washing my bus, cooking for me - with me getting some experience cooking breakfast, planning my meals - very decidedly - and doing a thousand things that I could not do for myself. Over time I have been getting stronger, and I hope to be off the walker soon. Kristin will be returning to Poland shortly, where she is serving as a missionary, but will be checking on me every day.

I should tell you something. I never took any pills, except for a vitamin C pill, before I was hospitalized, and I had never been in the hospital for anything besides broken bones. Now that I am out I am having to take a pill which is for insulin, but is not insulin. I have known that I have had a problem with insulin for some time (barely), but have never taken anything for it. Anyways, here I am, walking every day, getting stronger, and with your prayers and Yahweh's help it looks like I will make it.

Starting Over

Since I am getting a fresh start on all of this I have decided to drop the things I was planning on doing for a time (the old mailing list is still working, just not allowing new additions). The new blog site is still working also. I will keep posting there as well as the old site. I am still trying to get a few of the old blogs reprinted. I have 3 left. No Apologies, The Divine Quest, and The Road From Babylon to Zion. I am going to start with No Apologies. That will be in the next blog.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days,

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws    

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com    

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

I’m writing a quick update to let you know that for the past few weeks I was severely ill, but by Yah’s grace I am slowly recovering right now. It will be a little while before I am able to resume writing and managing my blog, but I greatly appreciate your prayers and all the kind words of encouragement you have shared during this time. Our Father is faithful. 

 

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days, 

Joseph 

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws    

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  |  parables.blog   

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063