29 September 2026
18 Tishrei / Tuesday / 4 Sukkot
@Mandaue Watchtower
Here and Now
Here and Now
I was able to sleep so well in the Music Room near the EtzHayim Tree where the cats are watching over me, it's amazing what cats could do. But the kittens were looking at me like they were watching over me.
SOAP
Scriptures
Torah Reading:
Parshat Vezot Hab'rachah, 3rd Portion (Devarim (Deuteronomy) 33:13-33:17)
Deuteronomy 33:13-17 New King James Version
13 And of Joseph he said:
“Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
14 With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months,
15 With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’
17 His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them
He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
SOAP
Scriptures
Torah Reading:
Parshat Vezot Hab'rachah, 3rd Portion (Devarim (Deuteronomy) 33:13-33:17)
Deuteronomy 33:13-17 New King James Version
13 And of Joseph he said:
“Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
14 With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months,
15 With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’
17 His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them
He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
Bible in A Year
2 Chronicles 36:1-8; Luke 1:57-80
2 Chronicles 36
The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiakim
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in [d]bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Then [e]Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin
9 Jehoiachin was [f]eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah,[g] [h]Jehoiakim’s brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Luke 1:57-80 New King James Version
Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
Circumcision of John the Baptist
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”
61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zacharias’ Prophecy
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the [a]Dayspring from on high [b]has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
2 Chronicles 36
The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiakim
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in [d]bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Then [e]Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin
9 Jehoiachin was [f]eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah,[g] [h]Jehoiakim’s brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Luke 1:57-80 New King James Version
Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
Circumcision of John the Baptist
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”
61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zacharias’ Prophecy
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the [a]Dayspring from on high [b]has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Observation
GOD had indeed blessed Joseph like a firstborn because of the way GOD humbled and formed him for years so that HE could use Joseph to save the entire nation of Israel, but the way Joseph was blessed was like a firstborn because even if he wasn't the firstborn of Jacob, GOD anointed him like a firstborn to humble down all his elder brothers who were proud and just wicked in their hearts.
Evil Kings who ruled Judah or Israel were certainly dealt with by GOD during their lifetime and not after they were dead, but during their lifetime GOD had already been judging the wicked which the world calls karma but there's no such thing as karma... but there is such a thing as judgement.
John was a favored child because GOD wanted to use his life, his parents life to show GOD's great miracle working power. GOD could just use anybody, and He will pour out the Spirit of grace to those who are hungry and thirsty for HIM and HIS presence in their life.
Application
For all the times I've been complaining to be a firstborn because it is difficult, I realized that it is a priviledge to be so, Joseph had a very difficult life, but it was full of redemption and honor. I don't know if I AM willing to go through difficulty for the sake of honor and redemption, but it's really not my decision to make, I just want to live the best that I could in all that I could for GOD and HIS glory and righteousness...I am careful not to sin against GOD but grace should not be lived in fear but in faith, faith in the ONE who we live for, but when one does evil, fear is inevitable, there is no peace for the wicked because the ONE who has peace is the ONE who follows the Prince of Peace.
John was filled with faith because he had faithful parents, he was destined to be GOD's prophet and so his parents raised him to be so, but he was too much focused on the judgements of GOD that when JESUS was not a judge yet, but a savior, John was dissappointed. Could it be that when we expect something from GOD and it doesn't come to pass, that we become so dissappointed we lose our trust and sight in the ONE that matters most more than anything on earth? ok I don't want to talk about John but how do I apply the story of John's parents into my own life? IT IS TO STAY FAITHFUL, to be hopeful and to have joy in the LORD, to wait on HIM, to never give up, even if it seems like everything seems to be fading away, my age, my life, beause I am getting old and no glimpse of GODs promise for me can be seen yet because one day the LORD will appear to me in the form of a husband and then a KING.
Prayers
Dear ABBA,
O HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, GREAT are YOU O GOD my KING, take care of me JESUS, have mercy on me O LORD, for I am needy, clingy and lowly, I have no one else but YOU. I pray O GOD, help me to live out my purpose as a firstborn in my family with honor to YOU, I pray that YOU heal all the wounds in me, and in my family and church family, help us O GOD to be healed to be reconciled, to be redeemed. I pray O GOD, forgive my sins, they are many please forgive and forget them O GOD, I pray make me brand new everyday, make me new, so that I can live for YOU. I pray help me FATHER to be all that YOU want me to be, take care of me and help me to live for YOU for YOUR honor and glory, SEE GOD if I just live for me, I will waste my life away but when I live for YOU, YOU can make me great and glorious because YOU want all YOUR children to reflect YOUR brightness and glory. So help me GOD to be holy, to be perfect and to just do my best for YOU. Help me to eat right, live right, think right so I can be right and not just be right legally without love and compassion but teach me to live in love and compassion thankYOU FATHER for chosing me and myfamilyand I prayhealing over us, over ourchurch and the many people wounded around us, heal us andlet YOUR HEALING flow throughus for we are YOUR servantsYOUR CHILDREN, and we need YOU O GOD, ALL GLORY AND HONOR Belongs to YOU alone KING YESHUA IN JESUS I trust and obey, AMEN!
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