Unseen Realm: Michael Heiser Part 1

 God has been showing me a couple different things from this book called Unseen Real: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.   The book shown the clear verses and passages that detailed the Supernatural Real working against us.   Also,  the book also explained certain well known passages in the Bible such as Genesis 3 and Job 1-2.   The book explains why Israel faced giants such as goliath and his origins.   Lastly,  it gives you the passages for origins of the spiritual worldview in Psalm 82 and it helps you understand God and his Word.  

The concepts discussed in this book are never described in the church.   Heiser does a great job of developing and helping the reader understand that God did have divine beings on this divine council that rebelled against him; Psalm 82 and Job 1-2.    Also,  Heiser helps the reader understand the "Satan" is not a serpent but a divine being that was on God's divine council but rebelled.   In Job 1-2,  "Satan" is shown as arbiter or judge in the story of Job.  Heiser reveals that there are multiple rebellions that took place in the Old Testament: Genesis 3, Genesis 6,  and the tower of Babel in Genesis 11.  

These "sons of god," rebelled against God in the passages of Genesis 6 and Psalm 82.  These "sons of god" are referred to as elohim similar to God but in lower than God. Their descendants would end up becoming the Anakim and Repalim.  Their descendants were the Nephalim during the time of the flood.   Their future descendants would become the giants as Moses sent out Joshua and Caleb to spy out the land.  This is also where the offspring of Goliath and his clan of giants would come from.   Lastly,  they would end up becoming a type of demonic forces during the time of Jesus' ministry.  

Another important concept is the Deuteronomy 32:8-9 worldview,  which describes how God disinherited the "sons of god," to the other surrounding nations.    He sent them out from Israel's midst because they disobeyed God and his commands.   This worldview shows how Israel was battling these nations throughout the whole Old Testament.   It helps you understand the Old Testament more clearly.  Lastly,  this worldview helps shape how we see the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.  

I will be posting a part two soon.  There is so much in this book to detail and discuss in length.  I will have to review and do another post this weekend.   There will be another update when I finish this book.    God is calling me to do multiple reviews of this life changing book.  

God's love for us

 In reference in Valentine's Day,   God reminded me of his love for in my time in his the Bible this morning.   I was reading Lamentations 3, which is a book of the Bible that is rarely read by many.   The verses in Lamentations gave me a picture of God's love for me.   It also showed me the depth of God's love for us.    Lastly,   it helped me reflect that God's love for us is new every morning.  

First,  this acrostic poem in Lamentations 3:21 describes God's love as never ceasing and his mercies never come to an end.   The poem says,  "The steadfast love the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end."   Think about that for a minute.    God's love for us never ever ceases and his mercies on us never ever come to and end.   Then the poem goes on in verse 22,  "they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."   God's love for us is new every morning,  meaning when we repent of our sins that God gives us grace the next day.    He loves us and pursues us with this everlasting love and compassion for us.  

This is similar to how God loved and pursued Judah despite their sin.  God's steadfast love his (covenantal action on the people's behalf) never ceases.    This type of love replaces judgement with restoration.    God desired Israel and us as believers to repent,  he shows mercy and grace toward us.  God's covenantal integrity remain intact in all situations because he was faithful to his chosen people and is faithful to us. 

Important themes in Jeremiah

 There are a few important themes in Jeremiah were that Jeremiah preached God's Word to the people despite persecution that he faced.   Also,  the Israelites and Judeans were unrepentant of their sins.    Jeremiah constantly preached about judgement of their sins and yet they still would not repent.   He was faithful to speak what only God revealed to him through spoken word.   Despite speaking the truth of God's Word,  he was persecuted consistently for depending on God and speaking the message he had been given.   

In Jeremiah 26,  God commanded Jeremiah to preach to the people in people's house of worship.  He preached a message of repentance calling the people to turn from their sins and back to God.   God said through Jeremiah he would relent of the coming judgement if the people repented of their sin.   After he had prophesied this message from God in 26:3-4,  the priests and prophets were enraged because of this message from God.   In verse eight, the priests and prophets grabbed ahold of Jeremiah saying, "You shall die."  They then inquired as to why he prophesied this future judgement pronounced on them by God.    Then shortly after this at the at the entry of the New Gate over the house of the Lord these same false prophets and priests threatened him with death,  "This man deserves death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears."

In the next section in verses 12-15, Jeremiah told the prophets and the priests what God called him to say to the people.   He repeated his message once again that God called the people to repent of their sins and evil ways to turn to God.   If they repent of their sins, then God will relent of judgement on the city.  Also, if they put Jeremiah to death, then they will bring innocent blood upon themselves and upon the city.   Jeremiah was also put in prison and a cistern in 37-38.

In the following section in verses 16-17,  the elders and the people cautioned them to not put Jeremiah to death.      They realized former prophet Micah prophesied in the days of Hezekiah.  The elders and people decided not to harm him because Micah feared God and depended on him.   The elder,  Ahikam the son of Shaphan protected Jeremiah.  

In Jeremiah 42,  the commanders of the forces of Judea asked for a word from Jeremiah from God for for mercy.   Jeremiah sought God's direction and what he will say to them.   At the end of ten days,  God said if they remain in the land,  then he will build them up and not pull them down.   If the people do not remain in the land and go to Egypt there will be famine and die by the sword.   They ended up going to Egypt and disobeying God.   This is another example of the people's constant disobedience against God's plans for them.