The Wall

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“What a dear old wall that is that runs along by the river there! I never pass it without feeling better for the sight of it. Such a mellow, bright, sweet old wall; what a charming picture it would make, with the lichen creeping here, and the moss growing there, a shy young vine peeping over the top at this spot, to see what is going on upon the busy river, and the sober old ivy clustering a little farther down! There are fifty shades and tints and hues in every ten yards of that old wall. . . . It looks so peaceful and so quiet, and it is such a dear old place to ramble round in the early morning before many people are about.” Jerome K. Jerome, “Three Men In A Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)” Ch. 6 (1889)

Mishteh: Simultaneous Blessing/Judgment

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We nod our heads to the statement, “It’s a blessing when God comes,” but we shouldn’t —the statement is false. Whether God’s coming is a blessing or not a blessing is determined by the spiritual status of those He comes to – not by God. His coming is a single shared experience; for some it is blessing and for others it is destruction. This is the concept of “mishteh;” a common shared experience with simultaneous blessing/destruction within a group of people – depending upon their individual status. This is a concept described in Genesis that continues through Revelation and the consummation of God’s promises.

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