The devil has often used false prophets to lull people to sleep and damnation.  Jesus Christ's mercy is often misrepresented by false prophets, in order to provide people with a vehicle to deceive themselves about sin in their lives. When the Holy Spirit of God speaks to a person, commanding that person to stop some act of sin, or to begin some act of righteousness, and that person says "no" to the Holy Spirit of God; immediately a callousness begins to build up in that person, that makes it increasingly difficult for that person to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit of God. If a person continues to rebel and violate the command of the Holy Spirit of God, that person builds a wall, brick by brick, until they have completely shut the Holy Spirit of God out. At that point, the rebellious person will have no desire for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, because that person will not be able to hear God's voice. These rebellious people play with fire until they sear their conscience.

1 Timothy 4:2 (NIV) Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

At the time of Adolph Hitler, Satan desired to destroy everything that had life.  It was Satan who tempted Adolph Hitler to destroy approximately six million Jewish people.  Historians have estimated that there were six million Jewish people alive at the time of Jesus Christ's Crucifixion.  The Jewish people at the time of Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion requested that the punishment for the death of Jesus Christ be placed on them and on their children:

Matthew 27:25 (NIV)  All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

The Holy Spirit of God is not verbose.  The Holy Spirit of God directed Matthew to record a historical account reflecting the Jewish statement, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" for a very specific reason.  It is a portent.  I do not believe that the Jewish people completely understood the judicial request that they were making.  The Jewish people did not ask for the Blood-Substitution-Sacrifice of bulls, sheep, goats, doves or young pigeons as the Levitical law allowed.  The Jewish people did not ask that Jesus Christ bear the punishment for their sins.  The Jewish people did not ask for mercy, the Jewish people asked for responsibility.  The Jewish people asked that the punishment for the death of Jesus Christ be born by themselves and their children.  The Jewish people asked for justice.  In requesting justice, I am certain that the Jewish people did not realize that they were setting a cause in motion that would ultimately effect approximately six million of their descendants including men, women, and children being murdered at the hands of Adolph Hitler.  

Deuteronomy 19:16-21 (NIV)  If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.  The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you.  The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.  Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

In view of the perfect order of God, I am sure that exactly one Jewish man, woman and child died at the hands of Adolph Hitler directly corresponding to one Jewish man, woman and child who was alive at the time of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Did God direct Satan to tempt Adolph Hitler to kill six million Jewish people?  No.  Satan desired to destroy everything that had life.  The Holy Spirit of God restricted Hitler, and Hitler's organization from the wickedness that their evil hearts desired, and allowed them to ONLY effect the Justice that the Jewish people had requested at the time of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  As in the case of Pharaoh, God waited patiently for God's time when the judgment was to be carried out.

At the time that The Book of Esther was written, Satan desired to destroy everything that had life.  In The Book of Esther, Satan tempted Haman to conspire to murder the entire Jewish race.  Before Haman had ever conjured up Haman's plan, God had already positioned Esther and Mordecai to save the Jewish people. 

Isaiah 65:24 (NIV)  Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

Haman's conspiracy occurred before the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  After the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, when Hitler contrived his plan to murder the complete Jewish race, where were "Esther" and "Mordecai"?  "Esther", "Mordecai", and no one else was in place to save the Jewish people.  Why?  It was because at the time of Adolph Hitler, God gave the Jewish people the justice that they had asked for, referenced in Matthew 27:25 printed above.

During the three and one-half year "great tribulation" Period, at the time of the Fifth Trumpet and the Fifth Bowl, Satan will desire to destroy everything that has life.  EVEN DURING THE MIDST OF THE "GREAT TRIBULATION" PERIOD, GOD WILL STILL BE PLACING STRICT LIMITATIONS ON SATAN.  At the sounding of the Fifth Trumpet, God will allow Satan to torture ONLY those people who DO NOT have the Seal of God on their foreheads.  At the sounding of the Fifth Trumpet, God will ONLY allow Satan to torture the followers of Satan.

Revelation 9:1-11 (NIV) The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. 7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

Revelation 16:10-11 (NIV) The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

Because Satan desires to destroy everything that has life, Satan attempts to get people to commit sin.  Satan knows that if Satan can get someone to commit sin, it will effect their death, because sin causes death.

Romans 6:23a (NIV) For the wages of sin is death,

God completely controls Satan and Satan's fallen angels, but God allows Satan to tempt people to commit sin.

Jeremiah 6:26-27 (NIV)  O my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn with bitter wailing as for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.  "I have made you a tester of metals and my people the ore, that you may observe and test their ways.

God does not tempt anyone, but God allows Satan to tempt God's people, in order to develop perseverance in God's people.  God knows the end before the beginning.  God does not need the information concerning whether a person will stand or fall under temptation, because God already knows whether they will stand or fall.

James 1:2-15 (NIV)  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.  The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.  But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.  For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.  Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

God knows exactly what each person can bear, and God ONLY allows Satan to tempt a person to the extent that God knows that the person is able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Satan tempted Eve to commit sin.

Genesis 3:1-15 (NIV)  Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"  The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "  "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.  "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.  Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"  He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."  And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"  The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."  Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"  The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."  So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

Jesus Christ knew that Satan was going to tempt Simon Peter to commit sin.

Luke 22:31-34 (NIV)  "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."  Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

Luke 22:52-62 (NIV)  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?  Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour--when darkness reigns."  Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.  Peter followed at a distance.  But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.  A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."  But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.  A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.  About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."  Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."  And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Satan tempted Jesus Christ to commit sin.  "God cannot be tempted by evil" (James 1:2-15 printed above), but when Jesus Christ took on the form of a human, Jesus Christ was tempted as a human so that Jesus Christ would have personal experience of the temptations that humans suffer.

Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)  Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."  Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"  Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.  "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:" 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"  Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."  Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"  Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.

Because we know that God completely controls Satan and Satan's angels, another question arises about whether, or why, God has allowed the murder of various individuals, including many who were righteous; and who did the murdering? 

Even though Satan desires to destroy everything that has life, God completely, totally restricts Satan from acting upon Satan's desires.  Satan cannot execute anyone without God's permission.  Without the permission of God, Satan cannot touch one single hair of the head of anyone.  The only occasion that God grants Satan the permission to execute some person or group, is after God has judged the person or group, God has found the person or group guilty, and God has sentenced the person or group to death.  Satan is then permitted to execute God's death sentence on that person or group.

There is a difference in a death executed by Satan, and a murder committed by a human. 

God chooses not to control individual humans to the extent that God prohibits humans from sinning.  If God chose to stop one sin, to be consistent, God would have to stop all sin. If God stopped all sin, humans could not sin, and by default God would have robbed humans of their freewill.  Because God has chosen to give mankind a freewill, Satan is allowed to tempt individuals to destroy themselves, and Satan is allowed to tempt other humans, who by default also have a freewill, to destroy other humans.  Satan can tempt, but Satan cannot execute without God's permission.  God allows Satan to tempt humans, with Satan's only restriction being that Satan cannot tempt humans beyond what that individual human can bear.  Satan can tempt humans to commit any heinous crime, as long as the temptation does not surpass what that individual human can bear.  All heinous crimes committed by humans, are committed because Satan has tempted a human with a freewill, who had the strength to resist the temptation, to commit that heinous crime.  Unlike Satan, humans can murder without God's permission, because humans have a free-will.

All lies are because of Satan.  Satan is a pathological liar, Satan cannot tell the truth.  The devil will tell YOU any lie that YOU will listen to, in order to manipulate YOU into a position that will enable the devil to murder YOU, or tempt YOU to murder another human.

John 8:44 (NIV) "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Jesus Christ referenced the fact that truth is hidden from those who do not want to see the truth.

Matthew 13:10-17 (NIV) The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"  He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.  In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.  For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'  But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

Matthew 11:25 (NIV)  At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."

Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV)  He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Isaiah 6:9-10 (NIV)  He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'  Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

The truth is hidden because people purposely turn their ears away from the truth.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NIV)  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 

When people distance themselves and hide from God, people expose themselves to the devil's lies.  Because they delight in wickedness, these people move so far from God that they cannot hear God's voice calling to them.  They can then only hear the voice of the devil as the devil gives them a very convincing lie in order to destroy them.  The Holy Word of God is setup to reveal God to those who seek Him, and to hide God from those who delight in their sin.  God sets before YOU life and death.  YOU have a freewill .  If YOU want to believe the devil's lies, that YOU can sin and still go to Heaven, Holy Scripture has been set up that makes it easy for YOU to believe that lie of the devil.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,  and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

People who "delight in wickedness" distance themselves and hide from God, as Adam and Eve did, referenced in Genesis 3:1-15 printed above.

Isaiah 28:15-18 (NIV)  You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement.  When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place."  So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.  I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.  Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand.  When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.

God has given YOU prevenient grace that allows YOU a free-will that enables YOU to choose to worship God, or to choose to not worship God.  God has set before YOU life and death in order to give YOU an opportunity to exercise YOUR free-will and live. 

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (NIV) Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

God has given YOU the Holy Word of God in order to teach YOU the Truth.  God allows Satan to tell YOU any lie that Satan wants to tell YOU, because God has also given YOU the Holy Word of God that will refute all of the devil's lies.  If YOU delight in YOUR wickedness, then YOU are refusing to love the Truth that God has set before YOU, and God has sent a powerful delusion that will enable YOU to believe what YOU have already decided in YOUR heart that YOU want to believe.  John Calvin and all "Calvinist's" have believed the lie of the devil.  All people who commit sin, that they do not repent of, will be condemned.

The teaching of John CALVIN is a lie from the devil, and A POWERFUL DELUSION for people who DELIGHT IN SIN and do not want to stop sinning!

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

THE TERRIBLE TRAGEDY OF LISTENING TO THE DEVIL'S LIES, IS THAT YOU MAY INADVERTENTLY CROSS THE DEADLINE OF GOD!

Genesis 6:3a (KJV) And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man,

In addition to being a God of mercy, God is also a God of perfect Justice. YOU flirt with the DEADLINE OF GOD when YOU delight in wickedness, because when YOU delight in wickedness; YOU hide from God, YOU harden YOUR heart against God by justifying YOUR wickedness, YOU close YOUR eyes to truth about God, YOU stop YOUR ears from hearing from or about God, and YOU become receptive to the lies of the devil that are designed to destroy YOU.  YOU harden YOUR own heart to the extent that YOU will never be able to hear God's voice.

John 6:43b-44a (NIV) Jesus answered.  "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,"

It is the Holy Spirit of God that the Father has sent to draw YOU back to God.  When you listen to Satan's lies to the extent that YOU can no longer hear the voice of the Holy Spirit of God, YOU will have committed the unpardonable sin by grieving the Holy Spirit of God.  YOU will have crossed the DEADLINE OF GOD. 

Matthew 12:31 (NIV)  "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven."

Matthew 12:31 (KJV)  "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men."

At that point in time, because YOU have completely shut YOURSELF off from the Holy Spirit of God, YOU are judged, doomed, and await God's timing for execution of God's Judgment.  God may choose to wait until YOU die of natural causes in order to execute His Judgment, or God may choose to bring glory to His name by executing His judgment at His time.  Whether YOU live one year, or one hundred years during YOUR natural life, the length of YOUR natural life is irrelevant if YOU become doomed to eternity in Hell.

The history of Pharaoh gives us an example of God's perfect order. In Moses' initial interaction with Pharaoh, Pharaoh did not know God, and Pharaoh did not know about God.  Pharaoh was completely ignorant of God.  After Pharaoh became aware of God, Pharaoh did not comply with God's law; Pharaoh defied God's law and came under a curse. Pharaoh was cursed because after he became aware of God, Pharaoh purposely hardened Pharaoh's own rebellious heart. Pharaoh hardened his heart against God to the extent that Pharaoh could no longer hear the voice of the Holy Spirit of God.  At that point in time, Pharaoh had crossed the DEADLINE OF GOD. God would have been justified in destroying Pharaoh from the first moment that Pharaoh had knowledge of, and rebelled against God. God exercised patience and destroyed Pharaoh at a later time in accordance with God's perfect order. God had for-knowledge of how Pharaoh would react, but Pharaoh determined initially how Pharaoh would react. By contrast, Moses was raised in the same household with the same training as Pharaoh, yet Moses chose to obey God.

Romans 9:16-24 (NIV) It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? 22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

patience n. 1. the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain without complaint, loss of temper, or anger. 2. an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. 3. quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence. 4. ChieflyBrit. SOLITAIRE (def. 1). - Webster's Dictionary

God had foreknowledge of how Pharaoh would respond to God before Moses ever interacted with Pharaoh.

Exodus 3:19-20 (NIV) But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.

When Moses began to interact with Pharaoh, Pharaoh did not know God.  Pharaoh had a free-will at that point in time.  Pharaoh initially testified that Pharaoh did not know God. Pharaoh was acting in ignorance of God.

Exodus 5:2 (NIV) Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go."

The justification that Jesus Christ used in requesting forgiveness for those that Crucified Him, was that they did not know what they were doing:

Luke 23:34a (NIV) Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

After a person is "saved," or "justified," but before they are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, their sin nature will surface and they will sin.  In YOUR path to Holiness, after YOU have repented of YOUR past acts of sin, and YOU continue to learn more about, and seek more of God with all of YOUR body, soul, and spirit; when YOU sin, if YOU repent, Jesus Christ will intercede to God the Father for YOU and YOU will be forgiven of YOUR act of sin. 

1 John 2:1 (NIV) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

However, once YOU have metaphorically crucified YOUR sinful spirit, the Holy Spirit of God will be able to dwell in YOUR heart, and YOU will no longer be forced by YOUR sinful spirit to commit sin.  When YOU are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, YOU will be able to live completely without sin. 

After a person is filled with the Holy Spirit of God, they "know" God in the Biblical sense, and are then no longer acting in ignorance of God.

Hebrews 6:4-6 (NIV) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Hebrews 10:26-27 (NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Pharaoh then began to gain knowledge of God. At that time, Pharaoh began acting in rebellion against God.

Exodus 7:7-14 (NIV) Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. 8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.

As Pharaoh gained knowledge of God and of God's power, Pharaoh was no longer acting in ignorance of God.  Pharaoh still had a free-will at that point in time.

Exodus 8:8 (NIV) Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."

Exodus 8:13-15 (NIV) And the LORD did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

Pharaoh's magicians reinforced Pharaoh's knowledge of God, when they testified to Pharaoh about God.

Exodus 8:16-19 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,' and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats." 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals. 19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.

Pharaoh continued to harden Pharaoh's own heart in rebellion against God.

Exodus 8:29-32 (NIV) Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only be sure that Pharaoh does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." 30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, 31 and the LORD did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.

Exodus 9:5-7 (NIV) The LORD set a time and said, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land." 6 And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.

At a point in time, Pharaoh had so distanced himself from God, that Pharaoh could no longer hear the voice of the Holy Spirit of God.  When Pharaoh could no longer hear the voice of the Holy Spirit of God, Pharaoh was doomed.  In accordance with Isaiah 63:9-10, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, and Proverbs 1:20-33, the perfect order of God then hardened Pharaoh's heart.  God judged Pharaoh, found Pharaoh guilty, and sentenced Pharaoh to destruction.

Isaiah 63:9-10 (NIV) In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.  Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,  and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Proverbs 1:20-33 (NIV) Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:  "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?  If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.  But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you--when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.  "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.  Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.  For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

At that point, Pharaoh no longer had a free-will. At that point, because of his own deeds, Pharaoh was doomed!  God was now waiting patiently for God's own timing in the carrying out of that sentence of destruction.

Exodus 9:10-12 (NIV) So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.

Exodus 9:13-17 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go.

Exodus 9:34-35 (NIV) When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

Exodus 10:1-2 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD."

At that point, Pharaoh not only recognized God, but that he had sinned against God.

Exodus 10:16-20 (NIV) Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me." 18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

At that point, when Pharaoh wanted to do good, the perfect order of God still hardened Pharaoh's heart. The perfect order of God had become Pharaoh's enemy.

Exodus 10:24-27 (NIV) Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go, worship the LORD. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind." 25 But Moses said, "You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the LORD our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the LORD." 27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go.

Exodus 11:9-10 (NIV) The LORD had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you--so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt." 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.

Exodus 14:1-8 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. 3 Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this. 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.

Exodus 14:15-17 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.

Exodus 14:23-25 (NIV) The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."

Exodus 14:27-28 (NIV) Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

At that point in time, Isaiah 63:9-10 was fulfilled in Pharaoh.

Isaiah 63:9-10 (NIV) In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.

Because of Ahab's wickedness, the perfect order of God had hardened Ahab's heart.  God had judged Ahab and condemned Ahab to death.  God allowed Satan, the executioner, to lie to Ahab, in order to effect Ahab's execution.

1 Kings 22:19-23 (NIV)  Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.  And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' "One suggested this, and another that.  Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.'  " 'By what means?' the Lord asked. " 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. " 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.'  "So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you."

God instructed the weeping prophet Jeremiah on three occasions not to pray for a people that were already doomed.

Jeremiah 7:12-29 (NIV) "'Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. 14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. 15 I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.' 16 "So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger. 19 But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame? 20 "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched. 21 "'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. 25 From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.' 27 "When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. 28 Therefore say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips. 29 Cut off your hair and throw it away; take up a lament on the barren heights, for the LORD has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under his wrath.

Jeremiah 11:6-17 (NIV) The LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your forefathers up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, "Obey me." 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.'" 9 Then the LORD said to me, "There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their forefathers, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their forefathers. 11 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13 You have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.' 14 "Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress. 15 "What is my beloved doing in my temple as she works out her evil schemes with many? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment? When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice." 16 The LORD called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form. But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken. 17 The LORD Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done evil and provoked me to anger by burning incense to Baal.

Jeremiah 14:10-16 (NIV) This is what the LORD says about this people: "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins." 11 Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people. 12 Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague." 13 But I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.'" 14 Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. 15 Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. 16 And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.

The words of Eli are most appropriate, and can also be applied to Pharaoh's situation. Eli's sons were wicked, and as priests obviously had some knowledge of God, and God's perfect order. Eli's sons had entered into the identical doomed situation, that the wickedness of Pharaoh had caused Pharaoh to be in. The perfect order of God had already hardened Eli's sons, prior to God's judgment and subsequent execution of Eli's sons; just as the perfect order of God had hardened Pharaoh's heart, prior to God's judgment of Pharaoh and subsequent execution:

1 Samuel 2:22-25 (NIV) Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the Lord's people. 25 If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the Lord's will to put them to death.

The history of Saul warrants consideration. God changed Saul's heart.

1 Samuel 10:6-9 (NIV) The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8 "Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do." 9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.

After God changed Saul's heart, Saul compromised on what God had directed Saul to do. In perfect consistency, the perfect order of God hardened Saul's heart.  God turned away from Saul, because of Saul's hardened heart, and became Saul's enemy.

1 Samuel 28:16 (NIV) Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?

Village of Endor in Israel where Saul and the witch contacted Samuel

There is a point in time, when every single Gentile who is going to be saved, will have been saved:

Romans 11:25 (NIV) I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

That point in time, when every Gentile who is going to be saved will have been saved, will be in the middle of the Seven Year "covenant" Period, which is the beginning of the three and one-half year "great tribulation" Period:

Matthew 25:1-13 (NIV) "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9 " 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' 12 "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' 13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

Every unholy Gentile will have a hardened heart by Christmas Day, December 25, 2012; when "the full number of Gentiles has come in" (Romans 11:25 printed above).  "And the door was shut." (Matthew 25:10 printed above)  YOU will have crossed the DEADLINE OF GOD. At that point, the perfect order of God will have become YOUR enemy!  Many Gentiles have already crossed the DEADLINE OF GOD, many more will cross it before that point in time. In the middle of the Seven Year "covenant" Period, which is the beginning of the "great tribulation" Period, all Gentiles will have become holy, or will have crossed the DEADLINE OF GOD.

Proverbs 1:20-33 (NIV) Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: 22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. 24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, 25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-- 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. 28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

Revelation 16:8-11 gives an example of people who have crossed the DEADLINE OF GOD after the beginning of the three and one-half year "great tribulation" Period:

Revelation 16:8-11 (NIV) The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire.  They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

Repent 1: to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life  2a to feel regret or contrition b. to change one's mind.  (Webster's Dictionary)

These people "refused to repent."  Their hearts were hardened, they were doomed and damned.  They could no longer hear the Holy Spirit of God drawing them to God.

John 6:44 (NIV) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."

Every person who has knowledge of God and then acts in rebellion of God, is worthy of death. God is justified in destroying any Godless person at any time. A person who has knowledge of God and is in rebellion against God, is on extremely dangerous ground. That person is recklessly dancing on the precipice of eternity, as that person toy's with God's mercy. If YOU are alive and Godless, it is only because God has chosen to delay the inevitable destruction that YOU deserve until a later time. At any time, God can choose to discontinue God's delay and permit the just destruction that YOU deserve. If YOU are not in communion with Jesus Christ, then YOU are toying with God's mercy. I encourage YOU to immediately repent of YOUR sins, lest God's patience with YOU end. If YOU still have a genuine desire for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, it is because YOU can still hear God's call and YOU still have a chance for redemption.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY!

The most tragic statement of all eternity is prophesied in Jeremiah 8:20 in the desperation of a doomed man:

Jeremiah 8:20 (NIV) "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved."

Job 1:1-22 (NIV)  In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.  He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.  His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.  When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.  One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.  The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"  Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."  Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."  "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied.  "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.  But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."  The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."  Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.  One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"  While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"  While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"  While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"  At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:  "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."  In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Job 2:1-13 (NIV)  On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him.  And the Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"  Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."  Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."  "Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life.  But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."  The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."  So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.  Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.  His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"  He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"  In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.  When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.  When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads.  Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

The devil's persecution of Job referenced in Job 1:1-22, and Job 2:1-3 printed above, creates a question.  Does God allow righteous people to suffer?

The Book of Job gives insight into this question.  Job said that Job had not sinned.  Job said that Job wished Job could confront God and debate Job's righteousness.  Job wished that Job could meet God before an arbitrator and convince God of Job's righteousness.  One of Job's comforters summarized what Job had said.

Job 34:5-6 (NIV)  "Job says, 'I am innocent, but God denies me justice.  Although I am right, I am considered a liar; although I am guiltless, his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.'

Job's comforters said that God never makes a mistake, and consequently that righteous people do not suffer.  Job's comforters said that the fact that Job was suffering was proof in itself, that Job had sinned.

Job 34:7-12 (NIV)  What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water?  He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with wicked men.  For he says, 'It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God.'  "So listen to me, you men of understanding.  Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong.  He repays a man for what he has done; he brings upon him what his conduct deserves.  It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.

When God spoke, God questioned where man was, when God created all things.  God implies that God's decisions are based on logic and evidence that are beyond man's comprehension.  Man must have faith that God's decisions are perfect.

Job 40:1-14 (NIV)  The Lord said to Job:  "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?  Let him who accuses God answer him!"  Then Job answered the Lord:  "I am unworthy--how can I reply to you?  I put my hand over my mouth.  I spoke once, but I have no answer--twice, but I will say no more."  Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:  "Brace yourself like a man;  I will question you, and you shall answer me.  "Would you discredit my justice?  Would you condemn me to justify yourself?  Do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice thunder like his?  Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.  Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand.  Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave.  Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.

Job 41:10b-11 (NIV)  Who then is able to stand against me?  Who has a claim against me that I must pay?  Everything under heaven belongs to me.

After speaking with God, Job recognized how absolutely insignificant Job was.

Job 42:1-6 (NIV)  Then Job replied to the Lord:  "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.  You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'  Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.  "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.'  My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.  Therefore I despise myself and -repent in dust and ashes."

Understanding Job's situation will come from a Holy Spirit inspired study of The Book of Jasher.  The Book of Jasher was not canonized by Roman Emperor Constantine, but The Book of Jasher was canonized by Joshua, Samuel, and Timothy respectively, when they referenced The Book of Jasher in Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18; and 2 Timothy 3:8 respectively.

Job "was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil".

Job 1:1-22 (NIV)  In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

While Job "was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil", The Book of Jasher reflects that Job was an officer and counselor to Pharaoh at a time prior to the birth of Moses.  Job advised Pharaoh to kill all of the boy babies of the Children of Israel. 

Jasher 66:11-22 (translated by Ken Johnson, Th.D.)  So all the elders of Egypt and its wise men came before the king and bowed down to him and sat before him. 12 And all the elders of Egypt and the wise men thereof said unto the king, May the king live forever; thou didst counsel us the counsel against the children of Israel, and we did unto them according to the word of the king. 13 But in proportion to the increase of the labor so do they increase and grow in the land, and behold the whole country is filled with them. 14 Now therefore our lord and king, the eyes of all Egypt are upon thee to give them advice with thy wisdom, by which they may prevail over Israel to destroy them, or to diminish them from the land; and the king answered them saying, Give you counsel in this matter that we may know what to do unto them. 15 And an officer, one of the king's counselors, whose name was Job, from Mesopotamia, in the land of Uz, answered the king, saying, 16 If it please the king, let him hear the counsel of his servant; and the king said unto him, Speak. 17 And Job spoke before the king, the princes, and before all the elders of Egypt, saying, 18 Behold the counsel of the king which he advised formerly respecting the labor of the children of Israel is very good, and you must not remove from them that labor forever. 19 But this is the advice counseled by which you may lessen them, if it seems good to the king to afflict them. 20 Behold we have feared war for a long time, and we said, When Israel becomes fruitful in the land, they will drive us from the land if a war should take place. 21 If it please the king, let a royal decree go forth, and let it be written in the laws of Egypt which shall not be revoked, that every male child born to the Israelites, his blood shall be spilled upon the ground. 22 And by your doing this, when all the male children of Israel shall have died, the evil of their wars will cease; let the king do so and send for all the Hebrew midwives and order them in this matter to execute it; so the thing pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Job.

There is no indication that Job had a personal vendetta against the Children of Israel, anymore than King David had a personal vendetta against the Moabites when King David lined the Moabites up and killed two-thirds of them.

2 Samuel 8:1-2 (NIV) In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.  David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

God testified that King David was, "a man after my own heart;"

Acts 13:22 (NIV) After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

Job and King David functioned in the administration of government at a time when man was spiritually ignorant.

Acts 17:30 (NIV) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

While Job had no personal vendetta against the Children of Israel, Job's counsel effectively cursed the boy babies of the Children of Israel.  In so doing, Job who, "was blameless and upright", " feared God and shunned evil", ignorantly crossed a promise of the Lord to Abram.  The Lord promised Abram, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse".

Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV) The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

The boy babies of the Children of Israel were descendants of Abram.  GOD ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES!  When Job cursed the boy babies of the Children of Israel, Job automatically came under the curse of God.  Job lost his sons and daughters, servants, oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, and was afflicted with sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 

IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND FOOLISH FOR ANY PERSON, GROUP, OR NATION TO HINT AT, COMMIT, OR OMIT, ANY ACTION OR INACTION, WHEREBY GOD MIGHT JUDGE THAT ACTION OR INACTION AS A CONSTITUTING A CURSE UPON ANY SINGLE ONE OF, OR ANY COLLECTIVE GROUP OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL! 

Leaders of the Federal Government of the United States of America have made an agreement that will result in the fall of the State of Israel.  At the exact same time that Israel is invaded, and Jerusalem is conquered, the United States of America will suffer a nuclear attack on New York City, and possibly other large wicked cities, and the Federal Government of the United States of America will cease to exist.

upgraded January 19, 2012

Frequently Asked Question #8

Response:  To understand why Esau was not improperly maligned, we must analyze the physical and spiritual ancestry of the women he married.

Genesis 26:34-35 (NIV) When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 27:46 (NIV) Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living."

Genesis 28:6-9 (NIV) Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, "Do not marry a Canaanite woman," 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

We begin by addressing a copy error in the Holy Word of God. Although it is clear that Esau had only three wives, there are actually six women mentioned in some of the early Hebrew scrolls. The incongruence of some of the early Hebrew scrolls is indicative of copy errors from the singular original Hebrew scroll that was plenarily inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and written by Moses. As no one can effectively defense the position that the Holy Scriptures are exempt from translation errors, so YOU must also know that the Holy Scriptures are not exempt from copy errors. This fact does not negate the complete accuracy of the Holy Spirit of God inspired singular original scroll.

    1. Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite - Genesis 26:34 - printed below

    2. Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite - Genesis 26:34 - printed below

    3. Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham - Genesis 28:9 - printed below

    4. Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite - Genesis 36:2 - printed below

    5. Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite - Genesis 36:2 - printed below

    6. Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth - Genesis 36:3 - printed below

Esau's first two wives were clearly blood-line Canaanite women.

Genesis 26:34-35 (NIV) When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 10:15-17 (NIV) Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, 16 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,

Esau's third wife, Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael is not referenced as a blood-line Canaanite in the NIV translation.

Genesis 28:8-9 (NIV) Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

Genesis 36:2-3 (NIV) Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite-- 3 also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.

Genesis 36:2-3 in the NIV version referenced above, appears to separate Esau's wives as two from Canaan, - also Basemath.  In the original Hebrew text, they are all grouped together as Canaanite women.

Genesis 36:2 (HEB) 'esav:H6215 laqach:H3947 . 'ishshah:H802 . . bath:H1323 . kena'an:H3667 'adah:H5711 . bath:H1323 . 'eylown:H356 . chittiy:H2850 . 'oholiybamah:H173 . bath:H1323 . 'anah:H6034 . bath:H1323 . tsib'own:H6649 . chivviy:H2340

Genesis 36:3 (HEB) . bosmath:H1315 yishma'e'l:H3458 bath:H1323 'achowth:H269 . nebayowth:H5032

Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

The Canaanites came from Canaan.   Canaan was a descendant of Ham, the youngest son of Noah. 

Shem was the middle son of Noah.  Abram was a descendant of Shem.  Abram was the father of Ishmael.  Ishmael was Mahalath's father.  The Ishmaelites came from Ishmael.

Clearly we see that Mahalath, descendant of Ishmael, descendant of Shem, son of Noah was not a blood-line, physical Canaanite.

Spiritual clarification begins when we recognize that Mahalath's father Ishmael was a physical and spiritual descendant of Abram, not Abraham.

Genesis 16:16 (NIV) Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Although Mahalath was not a blood-line Canaanite, the Holy Word of God sometimes reflects the spiritual descendancy of people rather than their physical descendancy as in the case of Abram/Abraham. The perception of the world was that Abram and Abraham were the same physical man, but God reflects that they were two different spiritual men. Abram was a different spiritual man than Abraham and produced different spiritual descendants.

Genesis 21:5 (NIV) Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Many years after Ishmael was born to Abram, God revealed that Abram and Abraham were different spiritual men when God recognized only one son of Abraham.

Genesis 22:1-2 (NIV) Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

God did not recognize Ishmael as a descendant of Abraham.  God recognized Ishmael as a descendant of Abram. God viewed the descendancy of Isaac different than the descendancy of Ishmael. God was viewing them from their spiritual descendancy.

Romans 9:6-9 (NIV) It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

Ishmael was a hostile, ass of a man, and all of his descendants have also been.

Genesis 16:11-12 (NIV) The angel of the LORD also said to her: "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

Genesis 25:18 (NIV) His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.

The Edomites (descendants of Esau) closely allied themselves with the Ishmaelites and Canaanites against Israel. Clearly the Ishmaelites and Canaanites were of the same spiritual family.

Psalms 83:1-18 (NIV) A song. A psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. 2 See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. 3 With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. 4 "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." 5 With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you-- 6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, 7 Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. 8 Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. Selah 9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, 10 who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground. 11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12 who said, "Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God." 13 Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. 14 As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, 15 so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. 16 Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. 17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. 18 Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD-- that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

It is also interesting to follow the physical and spiritual descendancy of Esau to the Amalekites, the most Godless and wicked humans in the Bible. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau.  The Amalekites are a synonymous type of Sin.

Genesis 36:12 (NIV) Esau's son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau's wife Adah.

Exodus 17:14-17 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." 15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

Deuteronomy 25:19 (NIV) When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!

1 Samuel 15:1-3 (NIV) Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

1 Samuel 15:13-19 (NIV) When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the Lord's instructions." 14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" 15 Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest." 16 "Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied. 17 Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' 19 Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?"

2 Samuel 1:1-16 (NIV) After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor. 3 "Where have you come from?" David asked him. He answered, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp." 4 "What happened?" David asked. "Tell me." He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead." 5 Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?" 6 "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young man said, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?' 8 "He asked me, 'Who are you?' "'An Amalekite,' I answered. 9 "Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.' 10 "So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord." 11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?" "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered. 14 David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?" 15 Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!" So he struck him down, and he died. 16 For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the Lord's anointed.'"

Esau married Mahalath because his parents were grieved about his previous marriages (Genesis 28:8-9 referenced above). The Holy Scriptures do not state that Esau married Mahalath because he loved her, or because he wanted her as his wife. Esau married Mahalath because his parents were displeased about his previous marriages. Logic would quickly bring us to the conclusion that if Esau married Mahalath in reaction to his parent's displeasure, Esau was attempting to extract some kind of subsequent emotion from them. We have only two options for the emotion that Esau was trying to extract. Esau was either trying to appease his parents, or he was trying to further irritate his parents.

In accordance with Genesis 16:11-12, and Genesis 25:18 printed above, the descendant daughter of the hostile ass Ishmael, was also a hostile ass.  In view of everything that we know about Esau, and everything we know about the descendants of Ishmael, it would be unfounded and naïve to believe anything but that Esau was trying to further irritate his parents.

The position that Esau took a wife from the Ishmaelites in order to please his father and mother in considering what we know about the Ishmaelites is patently absurd. Esau found that the Canaanite women were displeasing to his parents, so because of his rebellious self-will, he went and married a descendant of the hostile ass Ishmael, who was a descendant of Abram.  Mahalath was from Esau's own family tree, in that she was a physical descendant of Abram, but clearly she was a spiritual descendant of Canaan.

It is as though Esau thought, "I will go to the lowest level of Abram's descendants and rub my parent's faces in their law." "I have not married a Canaanite, consequently I have complied with the letter of the law of their requirements.  How do they like Mahalath, descendant of the hostile ass Ishmael, as a daughter in law?" While complying with the letter of their desires, Esau had purposely and rebelliously crossed the spirit of their desires.

Throughout time, godless sinful people do the same thing in attempting to comply with the letter of God's requirements or Law, while purposely and rebelliously violating the spirit of God's requirements or Law!  Judaism and Judeo-Christian Organized Religion have fallen into the same position of attempting to give the appearance of compliance with God's Law while purposely and rebelliously violating the spirit of God's Law.

The questioner of this FAQ #8 has stated that Esau was judged unfairly in the Holy Scriptures. The question that immediately comes forth is: Who is the Judge in the Holy Scriptures?  The answer is GOD.  As God is the Judge, to state that Esau was judged unfairly is to state that you know that God made a mistake. It is to imply that your judgment is superior to God's judgment. That is obvious blasphemy, as well as blatant ignorance. Where is the questioner's alliance? What is the questioner's motivation? We relate to, and consequently ally and defense those people that we perceive as being like ourselves in some way. This is categorical, all inclusive, and covers the area of politics, race, economics, regional, education and any other parameter possible. The questioner is attempting to defense Esau because the questioner perceives of himself as being like Esau. The questioner recognizes, that like the Canaanites, the questioner is a spiritual brother of Esau. We saw the same justification for lawlessness used by a large number of people in the O. J. Simpson trial because of racial identification.  We saw the justification for lawlessness used again in the defense and acceptance of the wickedness of President Bill Clinton, because of a conscious or subconscious moral identification. We saw the justification for lawlessness used by many Republicans in the defense and acceptance of the wickedness of both George Bush's, because of the Republican's political identification.  The attempt to justify Esau is an attempt on the part of the questioner to justify the lawlessness of the questioner. It is not only Esau, but primarily and more importantly at this time, the person who is questioning God's judgment concerning Esau who is Godless.

Why were Esau and Jacob treated differently by God?

All people who comply with God's Law of Matthew 22:37-40 are not only descendants of Abraham and brothers of Jacob; they have become brothers to Jesus Christ.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied:"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

We must not add to God's Law as Eve did. God did not say "You must not touch it." The Jewish Midrash visualizes that after she added to the Law, and then touched the fruit in violation of her addition to the Law and sustained no penalty; she was emboldened to eat the fruit in violation of God's Law.

Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV) And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Genesis 3:3 (NIV) but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"

Like Eve, the Jews added to what God said through their oral tradition known as the "Mishna."  When people disprove, disbelieve or violate what the Mishna says, they are emboldened to violate what God has said in His Holy Word.

We must not take away from the law.

Revelation 22:18-19 (NIV) I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

God's laws are superior to man's laws. Yet we are even directed by God to obey man's laws unless they conflict with God's laws. YOU will pay a penalty if YOU are caught violating man's laws. God directed His children to comply if possible with man's laws so that His children do not have to pay that penalty.

Romans 13:1-10 (NIV) Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

How are YOU under grace and not under law? Because YOU are under grace and not under law, are YOU then allowed to have other god's before Adonai Elohim? Are YOU allowed to engage in idolatry? Are YOU allowed to blaspheme the Name of God? Are YOU allowed to commit murder, adultery, or steal? The answer is obviously no. And yet there are those that believe that under God's grace, YOU are allowed to violate any and all of God's spiritual laws without penalty. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for YOUR violation of God's Law. It does not give YOU a license to continue in violation of God's Law.

Jude 1:4 (NIV) For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

People who teach that YOU can violate God's Law without penalty are clearly exposing the irrefutable fact that they are a brother of Esau and the Amalekites!  They are a spiritual child of the devil! The Antichrist, or Man of Sin, is the Man of Lawlessness. Sin is Lawlessness 1 John 3:4 (NIV). The Antichrist is a man of chaos. The Man of Lawlessness will not accept God's Law. The Man of Lawlessness is a rebellious direct contrast to God who is perfect in His Law.

If God's spiritual laws are no longer in effect then His physical laws have also been judged null and void. If YOU believe that God's physical laws are inconsistent and no longer in effect, attempt to defy the law of gravity. YOU can't fly because God's physical laws are still in effect. God's laws never change - as light comes, we understand them better. Jesus Christ NEVER denounced or minimized God's Law. Jesus Christ consistently criticized the Pharisee's interpretation of God's Law. Jesus Christ also criticized the traditions that the Pharisees considered to be superior to God's Law, or that the Pharisees used to negate God's Law.

Matthew 5:17-19 (NIV)  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

John 7:19-24 (NIV) "Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"  "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?"  Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are all astonished.  Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath.  Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?  Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

Paul complied with God's Law.

Acts 21:20-26 (NIV) When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." 26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

Acts 23:3-5 (NIV) Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!" 4 Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God's high priest?" 5 Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'"

Compliance with the Levitical law cannot effect communion with God, so the Levitical law or ceremonial law was nailed to the cross, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:9-17 (NIV) For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.  In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.  When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

It is not through obedience to spiritual laws that YOU are saved, as the law can never give life. YOUR compliance with spiritual laws do not guarantee YOU communion with Jesus Christ any more than YOUR compliance with health laws guarantee YOU good health, or YOUR compliance with financial laws will make YOU rich. YOUR violation of health laws will guarantee ruining YOUR health just as YOUR violation of financial laws will ruin YOU financially, and YOUR violation of spiritual laws will ruin YOU spiritually.

Galatians 2:15-16 (NIV) "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:21-3:14 (NIV) I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? 6 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Obedience to the Law is required but it does not and cannot save YOU. Only Jesus Christ can save YOU. However, faith in Jesus Christ does allow YOU to fully obey to the Law of God.

Romans 1:5 (NIV) Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

Romans 1:17 (NIV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Romans 2:13-15 (NIV) For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)

Romans 3:21-31 (NIV) But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Romans 10:4 (NIV) Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Romans 11:6-7 (NIV) And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,

Acts 13:39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

The Pharisees had a level of righteousness. Levels of righteousness are based on levels of the law.

Matthew 5:20 (NIV) "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

The stated laws of the Old Testament are embryonic. The Pharisees were in partial compliance with the Intuitive, Noahatic and Mosaic law, but they were not in compliance with the Law of Love. For YOU to love God, love YOUR fellowman, and love YOURSELF covers all spiritual laws.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Romans 14:5-6 (NIV) One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Compliance with God's Law leads YOU to Holiness.

Romans 6:19 (NIV) I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

Jesus Christ was the first from the dead and was able to conquer death because Jesus Christ had no sin. Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4 NIV). Sin will give death a handle on YOU so that death may hold YOU.

Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

YOU have sinned.

Romans 3:23 (NIV)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

If the Blood of Jesus Christ does not cover YOUR sin, death can and will hold YOU in Hell. Through faith in the Blood-Substitution Sacrifice of Jesus Christ YOU must live without sin so that when YOU die, YOU will also be able to conquer death.