All the firstborn males are
the private property of Yehoah Elohim!
At the first Passover in Egypt started this extraordinary tradition of setting aside the firstborn males for Yehoah. I would like to share with you few thoughts about this topic of the firstborn males.
It all starts with what we will read in Exodus 13: 1-16:
"1 Then Yehoah spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”
3 And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Yehoah brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be, when Yehoah brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. 8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what Yehoah did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Yehoah has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
11 “And it shall be, when Yehoah brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to Yehoah all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be Yehoah’s. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand Yehoah brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that Yehoah killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to Yehoah all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand Yehoah brought us out of Egypt.”
Exodus 13 is teaching us that ALL THE FIRSTBORN MALES of any believer belongs to Yehoah!
But what is the reason behind this decision of our Father? The answer is simple if we think about it by putting our carnal nature aside.
Who are the firstborns who died during
the night following Passover?
The firstborn males who passed away in Egypt during the night that followed the Passover sacrifice are the eldests in each family and you can find not only young children but also older people such as for instance grandparents or parents. The death of the firstborn Egyptians has hit all generations.
Needless to say, many of these victims are not fundamentally bad, and for this reason this kind of biblical story is often used by modern Christian churches to drive men away from believing in such a seemingly cruel and unjust God. The Bible shows several examples where the Creator is killing or putting an end to the earthly life of people who are qualified as just or good. This was the case for Enoch (Genesis 5: 21-24). The son of the unlawful union between David and Bath Sheva died shortly after his birth (II Samuel 12: 13-20). This was also the case for the son of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, whose death is a punishment given against the idolatrous and odious behavior of the king (I Kings 14, especially verse 13). It should be noted here that the one who dies is not the one who suffers but the one who survives him! The onee who is dead will come back to life during one of the resurrections mentioned in th book of Revelation. In between, the people who have passed away are like people falling asleep and not suffering at all. To summarize, all the firstborns who died during the memorable night that followed Passover are not really those who have been punished, but it is essentially those who have survived them, those who were in power, like Pharaoh in the first place, and who have seen in a single night all their country literally on the brink of desolation!
The Firstborn of the Hebrews did survive
if blood was applied at the entrance of their home.
Yehoah in many places of His Word emphasizes the fact that He shows no partiality so why is He allowing the death of so many firstborns in Egypt and let live those of the Hebrews protected by the signs of blood on the doors of their houses? Is it a contradiction with the biblical laws? The answer is no if we look at the history of men from the perspective of Yehoah for whom a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day (Psalm 90: 4 and II Peter 3: 8), a dust of eternity, a dimension of life that we can conceive only if we put aside our carnal nature and let our spiritual nature show us the world to come and the way Yehoah sees these events.
In fact, on the one hand, Yehoah granted for himself the lives of all the firstborns in Egypt by turning them back to dust in the way that Moses wrote in Psalm 90: 3,
" You turn man to destruction (Editor’s note: literally to dust), and say, “Return, O children of men.”
Simultaneously, their spirit returns to Elohim who gave it as indicated in Ecclesiastes in chapter 12, verse 6-7:
" 6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well.
7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to Elohim who gave it. "
In other words, Elohim is taking back all the firstborns of Egypt who are His property and has dispossessed their respective families.
Consequently He will do the same with the firstborns of Israel! Let's re-read His Word in Exodus 13:
"1 Then Yehoah spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”...
11 “And it shall be, when Yehoah brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to Yehoah all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be Yehoah’s. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand Yehoah brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that Yehoah killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to Yehoah all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem."
And Yehoah will take action by actually taking for Himself the entire tribe of Levi whose number corresponds almost to the number of the firstborns in all Israel! Let's read that in Numbers 3 from verse 12 and then from verse 40:
" 12 “Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, 13 because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am Yehoah.”...
40 Then Yehoah said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names. 41 And you shall take the Levites for Me—I am Yehoah—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.” 42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as Yehoah commanded him. 43 And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44 Then Yehoah spoke to Moses, saying: 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am Yehoah. 46 And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs. 48 And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”
49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 51 And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of Yehoah, as Yehoah commanded Moses.”
So Yehoah is granting for Himself the equivalent of the firstborns of Israel by replacing them by an almost equal number of men who will not die but will be at His service; They will therefore be separated from the people of Israel and belong to Yehoah.
What is meant in the bible by
a firstborn male in a family?
We must be careful about this question because a firstborn male is perhaps the firstborn of any woman in a couple but it can also be the firstborn begotten by the father even if he has several wives during his life. The best example to illustrate this is Jacob whose only firstborn is Ruben, born of Leah. All the other male children that Jacob has had with his other wives (Rachel, Zilpa and Bilha) even if they are firstborn for each of them, will not be considered as firstborn in the eyes of Yehoah.
Samuel, offered in the service of Yehoah!
This practice of the offering of the firstborn is perhaps what was followed with love by Anne, the wife of Elqana previously sterile. Samuel is certainly the first-born of Anne but it is not sure that he is the firstborn of Elqana since he had previously children with Peninna of whom the sex is not known. But Anne's attitude, as can be read in I Samuel 1, can be compared with that of a mother who would offer to Yehoah her firstborn:
" 1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children....
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yehoah and wept in anguish.
11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Yehoah of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to Yehoah all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”....
20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from Yehoah.”
21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to Yehoah the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before Yehoah and remain there forever.”
23 So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let Yehoah establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of Yehoah in Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to Yehoah. 27 For this child I prayed, and Yehoah has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to Yehoah; as long as he lives he shall be lent to Yehoah.” So they worshiped Yehoah there.”
This day was for Anne a moment of deep joy that she expresses in chapter 2 of the same book:
"1 And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in Yehoah; My horn is exalted in Yehoah. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 “No one is holy like Yehoah, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our Elohim. 3 “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, for Yehoah is the Elohim of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children has become feeble. 6 “Yehoah kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7 Yehoah makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earth are Yehoah’s, and He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail. 10 The adversaries of Yehoah shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. Yehoah will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to Yehoah before Eli the priest."
These words of Anne are a prophecy about the Messiah whom Yehoah will empower to the shame of the blind people believing to triumph by their own strength!
About 1100 years later, Marie followed
maybe unconsciously Anne's example
without understanding at that time the spectacular value of her gesture!
Let's read that in Luke 2 from verse 15:
“15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which Yehoah has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made [f]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising Elohim for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
21 And when eight days were completed [g]for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Yeshuah, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to Yehoah 23 (as it is written in the law of Yehoah, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to Yehoah”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of Yehoah, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen Yehoah’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Yeshuah, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed Elohim and said:
29 “Yehoah, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 [h]And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow [i]of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served Elohim with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to [j]Yehoah, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of Yehoah, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong [k]in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of Elohim was upon Him.”
Mary therefore came to offer her firstborn son to his own Father since indeed he was begotten by Him through the Holy Spirit! And just as Samuel took care of the house of Yehoah and had conversations with Him, so did Yeshuah, since age 12, also by dealing with his Father's affairs as it is indicated in Luke 2: 41-52,
" 41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Yeshuah lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Yeshuah increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with Elohim and men."
Yeshuah throughout his life on earth, before his Passover sacrifice, will be the example of submission to his Father as confirmed by this writing in John 5:30,
" I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."
And so it was throughout his life until his last moment of freedom as he himself confirms in John 17: 1-4,
" 1 Yeshuah spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true Elohim, and Yeshuah Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. "
This attitude of submission will go even to his last breath while suffering an unbearable pain as indicated in John 19: 28-30.
“28 After this, Yeshuah, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Yeshuah had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
This admirable submission of the Messiah to his Father will not stop there! After his resurrection, the Messiah continues in the path of fidelity to his Father, a faithfulness that is part of him. Let us read how he will do everything to show himself completely pure, namely without any impurity associated with sin, in front of his Father: for that let us go back to John 20: 15-18 and see how Yeshuah is firm towards Mary of Magdala (she was released by him from 7 demons)
“15 Yeshuah said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Yeshuah said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
17 Yeshuah said to her, “Do not cling to Me, FOR I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim.’ ”
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.”
Here Yeshuah will scrupulously observe his Father's order to present himself as pure before him as the sheaf of barley that symbolizes him and that is offered on the first day of the week during the seven days of unleavened bread according to Leviticus. 23: 9-13
" 9 And Yehoah spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before Yehoah, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to Yehoah. 13 Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to Yehoah, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin."
It is also from this first day of the week that we begin to count the full seven weeks to the 50th day when we celebrate Pentecost, Shavuot's feast.
This sheaf of barely accompanied by the flawless lamb symbolizes the Anointed that no one could touch after his resurrection to guarantee his purity during his submissive encounter with his Father.
Yeshuah shows us here the somewhat similar path to be followed by the Church which is symbolized by the two loaves of leaven breads offered with the wheat of the harvest which begins at the moment of Pentecost. Here, the offering will exceptionally contain leaven that symbolizes the sin that we will not be able to completely get rid of at the time of our encounter with our Savior when he comes back as the Messiah to take the succession of Satan on the earth. Let's read a bit of that in I Corinthians 15: 20-28
" 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to Elohim the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that Elohim may be all in all."
And so, what we just read in this epistle of Paul to the Corinthians still shows us how, at the very end of his mission, the Messiah and Son of Elohim will testify his submission to his beloved Father!
The resurrected Messiah is the Head of the Body
of the Spiritual Firstborn,
Begotten by the Creator
in the New Heavenly Jerusalem,
the Spiritual Mother of the New World to Come!
Many of us have not yet grasped all the spiritual significance associated with the notion of Firstborn. Our Messiah is probably the Firstborn from the dead, but he is also the Head of the Body of the First Spiritual Born of the Church.
" And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:18)
" 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming." (I Corinthians 15: 22-23)
And just as Mary was the physical mother-bearer of the Messiah for her earthly birth as her first-born begotten by the Creator, the Spiritual Firstborn who is the Church with the resurrected Messiah at her head will also have a spiritual mother:
" but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.. (Galatians 4:26)
" And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” (Psalm 87: 5)
This body of the Church will shine in all its beauty and be composed of a multitude of members:
• Yeshuah Christ, the head and the Savior
• The dead in Christ, from Abel to the great crowd and the two witnesses, through Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, alias Israel, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Samuel, David, the many prophets from Isaiah to Daniel and Zechariah, the many Christians after Christ, not to mention the famous 144,000 "redeemed from among men, also as first-fruits for Elohim" (Revelation 14: 1-5) to name but a few !
• The living people having survived the great tribulation and refugees in the place of protection.
• Finally will be added all those who will come from the second resurrection, the survivors of the second death.
A subject to explore and still to elucidate:
The New Heavenly Jerusalem,
the Spiritual Mother of the New World to Come, but also the future bride of the Lamb!
There are topics here that may be beyond my understanding because, on the one hand, it is written that the heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of all believers, but on the other side, Revelation 21 reveals she is the wife of the Lamb!
" 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.... 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from Elohim,... "
But is our Savior not saying that He has a many mothers and brothers according to Matthew 12: 48-49:
" 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! "
Here is a subject for further investigation at least from my side!
Courage to all of you who aspire to the World to come! Let us stay humble,
Let us flee irritation against wickedness
that will for sure dominate the world
but for a short time only.
Just like our Lord and Savior, we will be submitted to a test that will put us in such a condition that we will have the impression of being abandoned by our Father. Was this not also the case for the Hebrews just before their release when they suffered the cruel treatment imposed by the Egyptians?
Was it not also the case for David, anointed by the Father to succeed Saul, when Saul constantly pursued him trying to kill him?
While waiting hopefully for our liberation by our Father Yehoah Elohim, let us accept PASSIVELY the domination of iniquity without committing it. Satan, the Devil, has the power and he will run after the believers everywhere as the bible is telling us in several places:
Jeremiah 5: 1-3:
“ 1 Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places if you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment, who seeks the truth, and I will pardon her. 2 Though they say, ‘As Yehoah lives,’Surely they swear falsely.”
3 O Yehoah, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, but they have not grieved; You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to return."
Isaiah 57: 1-2
" 1 The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil.
2 He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.”
Micah 7: 1-6
“ 1 Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, like those who glean vintage grapes; there is no cluster to eat of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. 2 The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.
3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands— The prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire; so they scheme together. 4 The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; the day of your watchman and your punishment comes; now shall be their perplexity. 5 Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. 6 For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
Let us follow the example of peace and silence followed by the Messiah as at some time,
He kept silent!