This is a parable about the saying,
“The grass is not always greener on the other side.” And it comes from a passage that I just read in Genesis 13. This is what the scripture says: “Lot raised his eyes and saw all the vicinity of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere - this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah - like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt going toward Zoar.” Genesis 13:10-11 I mean who wouldn’t want a land that was watered like the garden of Eden, or a beautiful land that ran along the lower Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea plain? The parable begins with a man called Abram who was brought out of Haran to the land of Canaan. Abram followed his Amazing Compass and traveled to Shechem, the region that grew up between three small mountains- Mt. Gerizim, Mt. Ebal and Mt. Ephraim. It must have been quite a view for him to be surrounded by three little horns. “Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh.” Genesis 12:6 I wonder if Abram knew this would be the place where God would deliver the blessing or the curse. The oak of Moreh stood on a hill that today is often called - Little Hermon. This mountainous ridge rises boldly from the northern edge of the vale of Jezreel. In the book of Enoch, Mount Hermon is the place where the fallen angels descended to Earth. Perhaps Little Hermon is reflection of it? “And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: ‘Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' And Semjâzâ, who was their leader, said unto them: ‘I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin. And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.' Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon. And these are the names of their leaders: Sêmîazâz, their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl, Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl, Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl. These are their chiefs of tens. I read that Enoch was at first accepted in the Christian Church, and was even quoted in the Book of Jude. But later it was excluded from the biblical canon for having a blending of Mesopotamian religions. So now, we have a westernized view. As I dig deeper into scripture and the Spirit of God opens my eyes, I gain spiritual wisdom that I could never know on my own. The chief tens - how do these fallen angels operate in this world? Do you believe that Paul spoke the truth when he said Satan is the prince of the air? Ephesians 2:1 And is it true “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 Did Daniel really see “a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.” Daniel 7:7 Was Daniel telling the truth when he said, “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were serving Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court convened, And the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9-10 Did Daniel know what Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:10? “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” Ephesians 3:8-12 Abram was led to Little Hermon to get the job done! He followed God’s voice right to the terebinth tree, sometimes called the Oak of Moreh. Then God led him to Egypt so that he could come back to Canaan with with "livestock, silver, and gold.” “Abram went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there previously; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.” “Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. And the land could not support both of them while living together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.” “Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are relatives!” Abram said, “Is the entire land not before you? Please separate from me; if you choose the left, then I will go to the right; or if you choose the right, then I will go to the left.” Lot raised his eyes and saw all the vicinity of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere - this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah - like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt going toward Zoar.” "So Lot chose for himself all the vicinity of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed to the east. Abram and Lot separated from each other. “Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the vicinity of the Jordan, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked sinners against the Lord.” Genesis 13:1-13 The meaning of the parable is this - Lot chose "the grass that was greener on the other side." But what he did not realize is that the men in Sodom were wicked sinners who hated the Lord. These men were operating under the chief tens, and God was getting ready to destroy them. Soon, we will see what happens as a result of his decision. The grass is not always greener on the other side.
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