Mountains of Ë•dōmꞋ |
ä' said,
"I've loved Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ. But you ask 'How?'
Wasn't Ei•sauꞋ the eldest twin? Yet, I loved Ya•a•qovꞋ-Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ and eschewed Ei•sauꞋ-Ë•dōmꞋ—making his mountains of Ë•dōmꞋ a wasteland and giving his inheritance to jackal-bitches." 2 Descendents of Ë•dōmꞋ will be called the clan that ä' has forever vexed." 3
" 'A son will respect his father, and a worker his boss. If I'm a Father, where is the respect for Me? And if I'm the Boss, where is the awe of Me?' says the Boss of the armies to you ko•han•imꞋ, who have despised My Name!"
" 'How have we despised Your Name?', you ask?"
"You take what you find unfit for your table, your scraps, and put them on My Table, the Mi•zᵊbeiꞋakh, as sacrifices! Give what's unfit for your table and your scraps to your mayor or a national leader and see how that turns out for you! My Name is great among the goy•imꞋ while you commonize My Name—in your oral-traditions.4 Consequently, the Table of A•don•âiꞋ is defiled as well as the produce. Its food is despisable."
"If you don't hearken and put it in your heart to respect My Name," says ä' of armies, "then I will send the curse with the imprecation; Whatever you bless I will curse with the imprecation if you don't place respect for My Name in your hearts!"
"The lips of the ko•han•imꞋ should watchguard knowledge, and Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ should be able to seek Tor•âhꞋ from his mouth, because he is supposed to be the ma•lâkhꞋ of ä' of armies."
"But you have veered from DërꞋëkh ä', causing many to stumble in Tor•âhꞋ. You have corrupted the bᵊrit of Lei•wiꞋ," says ä' of armies. "That's why I've made you despised and defrocked to all of the kindred—which is totally appropriate because you haven't watchguarded My DërꞋëkh, injecting your own agenda into Tor•âhꞋ."
YᵊhudꞋâh, too, is a betrayer-bride of her Husband, ä', in a to•eiv•âhꞋ done in Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ and Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim, for YᵊhudꞋâh has married an idolater, a daughter of a strange god. ä' will decree kâ•reitꞋ from the tents of Ya•a•qovꞋ for the man who does this; both the instigator and the collaborater—no matter if he's a VIP who prays regularly in beit kᵊnësꞋët.
ä' is fed up with your oral-traditions. You ask, "How?" In your oral-tradition: Since evil people prosper, then every one who has does wrong must be good in the Eyes of ä' and He delights in him? Else, where is the Ël•oh•imꞋ of mi•shᵊpâtꞋ?
"Behold, I am sending My ma•lâkhꞋ 5 who shall blaze the DërꞋëkh before Me, and—suddenly!—the â•donꞋ,6 whom you request, shall come to his palace; and the ma•lâkhꞋ ha-bᵊrit 5 whom you desire—behold, he comes," says ä' of armies.
Who will ripen7 the day of his coming? Or who will stand at his appearing? Because he is like a purifying fire or a laundry soap-plant. He will sit like a smelter, smelting silver. He will purge the Tor•âhꞋ-Clergy8 and refine them like gold and silver. Then ä' shall have those who shall officiate Mi•nᵊkh•âhꞋ in tzᵊdâq•âhꞋ. So ä''s blend9 shall officiate the Mi•nᵊkh•âhꞋ of YᵊhudꞋâh and Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim, like the early days and ancient years.
"Then I will draw near you," says ä' of armies, "doing mi•shᵊpâtꞋ; being a swift witness against reciters of incantations, adulterers, perjurers and exploiters of the wages of workers, the widow, the orphan and subverters of the geir—without being terrified of Me. For I am ä'. I haven't changed. And you, bᵊn•eiꞋ-Ya•a•qovꞋ, you have not been finished—though, from the days of your forefathers, you have strayed from My khuq•imꞋ, and you haven't watchguarded them. Make tᵊshuv•âhꞋ to Me and I will return to you," says ä' of armies.
Optional parental preparation:
Questions you might anticipate that your child might raise and be prepared to discuss: