How do you Handle what God allows in your Life

 

Job 1:13-22

 

January 24, 2020

 

I wonder if many in the church forget the role of Satan!  We are told in Scripture that he and the demons have one goal and that is to kill, steal, and destroy.  Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came to give us life in the full and yet I hear people who go by the name Christian wishing others good luck, as if life was not the providence of God, but of chance.

 

Proverbs tells us the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and a wise person will have the attitude of the LORD.  He gives and the LORD takes away, blessed be the name of the LORD.  Job was that kind of man, he did not have an understanding of what took place in heaven between God and Satan, but he did fear God and was willing to wait on the LORD.  That did not mean he was not in a deep depression over the loss of his wealth and Children.  Over and over we get the account that as one messenger was giving a terrible report, another came with more bad news.  

 

I witnessed a Godly lady who had four daughters and had waited for the first son and to have him killed in a car with other boys, none old enough to have a driver’s license, when he was supposed to be in bed asleep.  It was a terrible time for the family, the first son was an amazing young man who had a walk with Jesus.  They lost one son, but Job lost all seven and his three daughters, and his wealth, all in one day.

 

How did this man of integrity handle what Satan was allowed to do to him?   We get the account in verses 20-22.  “Then Job arose and tore his robe, and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.   And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”  In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”  

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

A Conversation between God and Satan

 

 

 

 

Job 1:6-12

 

January 23, 2020

 

 

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.   The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”   And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”  Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?  Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.   But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So, Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”

 

It is important to look back at the introduction this writer did on the Book of Job.   We explored in the first five verses insight into the integrity of Job, but one must read the conversation in heaven between God and Satan.  These are the words of God about Job, ^“And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”

 

As we explore this book we will do our best to grasp Satan’s comeback and how God has restricted his powers over us.  First, we must understand who the author is referring to as the sons of God, they are created beings at a higher level or order than humans, they are angels.  How do we know they are of a higher order, the answer is found in Hebrews 2:9, “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

 

Satan is referred to in Scripture as the accuser of the brethren and never forget it was God who brought up Job’s name, and allowed Satan to have access to Job, with restriction.  The other thing that one should not miss is Satan is all about killing, stealing, and destroying.   He did not know the outcome of the battle but God who is all-knowing knew that someday you and I would be learning more of the ways of God from the account of Job.

 

This writer has no understanding of whether Satan was invited to this gathering, but never forget God is omniscient so He is never surprised.  We see that the first thing Satan does is challenge Job’s motives for fearing God and tries to put the blame on God’s blessing and protection.  The Holman Study Bible states, “The limitation God imposed on Satan’s testing demonstrated the LORD’s desire that Job be a trophy of God’s grace even in his suffering.”

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Introduction to the Book of Job

 

 Introduction to the Book of Job 

 

From

 

Gut Questions

 

The Book of Job helps us to understand the following: Satan cannot bring financial and physical destruction upon us unless it is by God’s permission. God has power over what Satan can and cannot do. It is beyond our human ability to understand the "whys" behind all the suffering in the world. The wicked will receive their just dues. We cannot always blame suffering and sin on our lifestyles. Suffering may sometimes be allowed in our lives to purify, test, teach, or strengthen the soul. God remains enough, and He deserves and requests our love and praise in all circumstances of life.

 

Brief Summary: At the beginning of the book of Job is a scene in heaven where Satan stands before God. God asks Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” (Job 1:8), and Satan immediately accuses Job, a righteous man, of fearing God only because God had prospered him. “Strike everything he has,” Satan says, “and he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 1:11). God grants Satan limited permission to put Job to the test. Why do the righteous suffer? This is the question raised after Job loses his family, his wealth, and his health. Job’s three friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, come to “comfort” him and to discuss his crushing series of tragedies. They insist his suffering is punishment for sin in his life. Job, though, remains devoted to God through all of this and contends that his life has not been one of sin. A fourth man, Elihu, tells Job he needs to humble himself and submit to God’s use of trials to purify his life. Finally, Job questions God Himself and learns valuable lessons about the sovereignty of God and his need to totally trust in the Lord. Job is then restored to health, happiness, and prosperity beyond his earlier state.

 

Practical Application: The Book of Job reminds us that there is a "cosmic conflict" going on behind the scenes that we usually know nothing about. Often we wonder why God allows something, and we question or doubt God’s goodness, without seeing the full picture. The Book of Job teaches us to trust God under all circumstances. We must trust God, not only WHEN we do not understand, but BECAUSE we do not understand. The psalmist tells us, “As for God, His way is 

 

perfect” (Psalm 18:30). If God’s ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that whatever He does—and whatever He allows—is also perfect. This may not seem possible to us, but our minds are not God’s mind. It is true that we can’t expect to understand His mind perfectly, as He reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Nevertheless, our responsibility to God is to obey Him, to trust Him, and to submit to His will, whether we understand it or not.

Can Satan tell the Truth?

 

 

 

 

Can Satan tell the Truth?

 

Can Satan, the evil one, the devil, tell the truth?  Now that is a very interesting thought, in that we live in a world that does not talk much about this created being.  If he knows the truth, and I believe that can be proven then does he ever tell the truth?  How did he become Satan, was he always evil, does he have a plan that includes you and me?

 

In the book of Genesis 3:14, we see a serpent talking and tempting Eve.  What was it about, it was about “Truth”, God had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, all others were ok.  But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God said, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  So, the serpent shows up, and he is not called, Lucifer, not the devil, nor is he called Satan.  But he has the character of the devil.  What does he say to Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?  Eve tells the serpent what God has said and this is his reply, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  Did they die, 1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”  Also look at Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”  That is the first account in Scripture of something evil, tempting man.  As I stated earlier the serpent had the attributes of Satan, and we will see more of this.  To make any other claim would be to add to Scripture, and God has made clear the danger of doing so.

 

Satan does show up in the book of Job, we do not know the author, but we can know God breathed it and put it on paper by a man.  Many scholars regard it as the oldest book in the Bible.  Job 1:6 states the following, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.” What happens when Satan shows up in heaven, God asks him what he has been up to.  The conversation goes like this; “The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’  Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”  And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.”  And you know the rest of the story, Satan asks God, “Does Job fear God for no reason?”  So, God gave Satan the ok to mess with all of Job’s stuff, but not to touch Job.  I hope you got that part; Satan had to get permission to mess with Job.

 

My desire to make clear that Satan or the devil comes at us with many schemes, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”  Paul is warning you and me to be on guard of men who would add to God’s written word, men who take freedoms with the Scriptures; in verses 13-14, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”  Do you like to read the end of the book to see how it is all going to come out; God has given us that, but he has also told us more about this enemy of ours in Revelation 20:2, “And he sized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, …” Then what, what did he call Satan, that ancient serpent, the one that was in the Garden with Eve.  He was not Lucifer, he was that ancient serpent, and God called him the devil and Satan.  Does God have a plan for Satan, you better believe it, and it is stated in Revelation 20:10, “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  

 

In the book of John 12:31, Jesus said; “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”  Who is Jesus referring to as the ruler of this world?  In John 14:30, Jesus also refers to the ruler of this world.  Satan either has or will be given the power to control the “Man of Lawlessness”, I believe that is referring to Anti-Christ.  This will only happen after the Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of Truth” is removed from the earth, or the body of Christ is removed.  Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:7, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.  Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.”  Look at verse 9, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

 

Many want to tell us that Satan is a paper tiger, but in Hebrews 2:14, it is written, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”  Jesus came to destroy the one who has the power of death, and he tells us that being is the devil.  The good news is that Satan no longer has that power; it was removed at that cross.  In John 18:37, Jesus tells us why he came into the world, and that was to bear witness to the truth.  We have all read that truth will set us free, and that’s what Jesus did, look at 1 John: 3:8-9, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.  No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed (Jesus) abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning.”  How long has he been sinning, from the beginning?

 

What about man’s authority?  In the book of beginning, Genesis 1:28, “ This authority was given to Adam in the beginning.  No one knows how long it was before Adam and Eve sinned, but after he sinned his role changed.  You can read what God said to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:16-19.  This I know that man was no longer in fellowship with God, his desire became for self and God said he chose a new father, the devil.

 

Does Satan have authority over this world?  He has made this claim; he made it to the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 4:5-6, “And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you, I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.”  What did Jesus do, remember Jesus is truth, He does not just know the truth, Jesus is truth. This was Jesus reply; “It is written, ‘you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”  Jesus did not tell Satan he was a liar, and that the earth was under man’s authority the real temptation may have been the return of this authority, that was delivered to Satan, without a cross.  We do know that it is not written that God gave Satan authority over the earth, but it is implied that Adam delivered this authority to Satan.

 

I would be negligent if I did not state the following, the Scripture states; there are only two types of people on this earth, those who have God, as their Father and those who have the devil, as their Father.  John 8:42-44, Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here.  I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.  Why do you not understand what I say?  It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  I am sure you just got the answer to the title question.  Satan is a liar; he has nothing to do with truth.  Who is “Truth”, the God-man, Jesus?

 

You and I and all who have lived since Adam have needed to be set free from the control of Satan.  Paul is on trial before King Agrippa and he is telling the king what happened to him on his journey to Damascus.  He is explaining how he was going with the authority and commission of the chief priests, to persecute Christians.  He is telling how he met Jesus on that road and how he was converted from a killer of Christians to a follower of Christ.  In the book of Acts 26:15-16 and 18, And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’  And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.  But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which I will appear to you, verse 18, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”   

 

 

 

Satan may be a paper tiger to some but he has done a great job of blinding the minds of unbelievers.  Look with me at 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  So, he is the reason many are blinded to the gospel and he also is an adversary of everyone who claims the name of Jesus Christ.  Look how he challenges the ones who are in Christ.  You and I are told to put on the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  And once more we are told to take up the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand.  I do not know about you but that does not sound like I’m in a fair fight.  The Scriptures are very clear that this battle is against rulers, question, who are they and who do they rule?  Against the authorities, once more what authorities and who do they have authority over?  If Satan is just a paper tiger with a big bark and no bite, what and who are these cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places?  We better get dressed in the armor that God has given us for this battle.  It is armor for the unseen world and it is armor for the seen also.  You cannot see the armor but the demons and Satan can, you cannot see the armor but the angels and the Lord Jesus Christ can.  Get dressed each morning for this cosmic battle, it is real and if you are in Christ, you have the right to this armor.

 

The authority that was lost or given to Satan at the fall has been returned to Christ.  But it is His authority, not yours.  The Scriptures state the following in John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  It requires all men to come to this truth, without it the only father they have is the devil.  But to those who have believed and received the free gift of forgiveness of sins by faith in God’s only Son, and by the blood he shed for their sins, they only have authority as they abide in Christ.  The New Testament from beginning to end tells us we must abide in Christ, He has given us all we need to live life, for He is life, and He is our life.  But we must abide, look at John 15:4, “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in me.”  When we enter into Christ, we get all He has to give, we cannot get more, and He has given us Himself.

 

The Christian life is not about your authority but about your choices!  I am reading “The Rest of the Gospel by Dan Stone and David Gregory and it is an excellent book on letting Jesus live the Christian life in you.  He is the only one who can live it.  The following quote from page 161, “But God purposely created us with the possibility of choice, and we reap the results of our choice.  We never escape that – then or now.   In God’s love, He lets us choose.  He says, “If you want to go the way of the world, go.  If that’s where your love and affection is, you go.  But you’ll reap what you have chosen.”

Does that mean all is not of grace? No.  God does do it all.  Only He can live the life.  And only he can work in us, enabling us to be willing cooperators with Him.  But He has left us a role.  Our role is availability.  We are available to the Lord to live His life through us.  What Mary said to the angel Gabriel applies to every believer: “Behold, the bond slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).  That’s availability.  Mary was willing.  God was the one who did it.

Our availability releases God’s ability.  So, we trust the Lord to do it through us.”

 

My prayer is that this is a clear account of who Satan is.  What authority and power he has been given?  And only we who have bowed our knees to the Lord Jesus Christ recognize that all authority is in Christ. Remember that the choices you make determine what you reap.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

 

Bob Rice

The Prince

 

Ezekiel 48:15-29

 

March 1, 2024

 

“The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings, and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city, and these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500.  And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250. The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city.  And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it.  The whole portion that you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city.

“What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst.  It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin.

“As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion.  And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea.^[ This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord God.

One must look at this prince, who is he? The door is only left open for one who fits that role, the Messiah. His name is Jesus.

From the Back Porch, 

Bob Rice

These are the Names of the Tribes

 

 

Ezekiel 48:1-14

 

February 29, 2024

 

These are the Names of the Tribes

“These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion.  Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion.

“Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it.  The portion that you shall set apart for the Lord shall be 25,000 cubits in length and 20,000 in breadth.  These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the Lord in the midst of it.  This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did.  And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites.  And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000.  They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the Lord

One might read this and say well that's all about the 12 tribes getting an allotment or their portion of land.  But if you read past verse 11, you missed a significant verse; This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did.  What is the message to the Church?  As you think through verse eleven, you must understand that Zadok's faithfulness had a far-reaching effect on future generations that came from his lineage.  

Once more I am reminded of these words from King David, found in Psalm 143:8, “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust.  Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”   Trust is essential, yes necessary for a follower of Christ.  I am guilty of acting as if God is in total agreement with all the things I‘ve planned.  But that is not what a man after God’s own heart did, no David before entering battle always asked the Lord to guide his steps.

It should remind you and me of this great verse found in Psalm 119:105, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Jan and I were teaching a class of young married couples in Spring Texas, on Psalm 119, and when we got to verse 105, the teacher asked a question on that verse.  It was that day a young man said, “Bob, this is what the Lord has revealed to me, it is not a spotlight, it does not look around the corners on my main street, it is the right amount of light to keep me from stumbling as I take the next step.”  That day the student became a teacher to me, I was living as if it was a spotlight, not a lamp, and I’m sure from observation that many of us are doing so.

 

We are told in Scripture and often quoted, from Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Yes, we hear that verse often, but not verse 12-13, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Yes, God has a special plan for your life, but it comes back to trust and obedience.  Do you recall Jesus asking Peter do you love me three times, and Peter saying Lord, you know that I love you, but do you recall what Jesus told Peter?  Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

That was not addressed to pastors, teachers, and missionaries only, but to His Church.  First, we must trust Him, let His Word be the light we need to bring love and integrity to those we encounter, and let each of us listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit to give us marching orders, for that moment.

From the Back Porch, 

Bob Rice

Division of the Land

 

 

 

 

‘

Ezekiel 47:13-23

 

February 28, 2024

 

Division of the Land

Thus says the Lord God: “This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.  And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance.

“This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to Zedad,  Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.  So, the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side.

“On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side.

 “On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side.

“On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side.

“So, you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.  In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God.

From Facts about Israel

 

Biblical Borders: The Future Borders of Israel According to the Bible

See also Israel’s Borders in International Law

The current borders of Israel are disputed by the international community, from the UN to the Arab leadership. But these parties insist on ignoring the true legal position, link. Even the US, Israel’s greatest ally makes misleading statements:

We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines [Barack Obama, 2011]

Obama gave US support for a future Palestinian state based on borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war. Thankfully, Israel’s border disputes will be short-lived. When this age ends and the 1,000-year ‘Millennial Age’ of Earth begins, Israel’s borders will be firmly established by the God of Israel. In fact, Israel’s future borders are already clearly written in Bible prophecy (if only the world would read it).  Note: Obama’s pastor also had a hate for the USA and often used the Lord’s name in vain when referring to the USA.  I never read anything he said about Israel, but it was a true statement that Obama and his wife had disdain for the USA.

 

Borders of Israel: Summary

“The current land disputes with Israel over the so-called “occupied territories” will be relatively short-lived. Bible prophecy points to a soon-coming age (the Millennium) when the people of Israel (Abraham’s descendants, the Jews) live at peace within the boundaries promised unconditionally to Abraham. Those boundaries span from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean in the west and embrace the disputed territories of the West Bank and Gaza. It is interesting to observe that the boundaries given to Moses as he was about to divide up Canaan for the twelve tribes (Numbers 34) correlate well with the Millennial boundaries given in Ezekiel 47.”

 

In that the people who wrote this were true to my beliefs, I have little to say about what is coming.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice