The "god" Of The Philistines

1 Samuel 5:1-4

"Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon's torso was left of it."

At this particular time in Israel's history, blind old Eli was the high priest.  He and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas who served with him, were part of a corrupted priesthood.  They were no longer worthy to have the Ark in their possession.

Ark Taken "Captive."

God allowed it to be take "captive" by the Philistines, who were battling with Israel at that time.  They took it back to Philistia, the location of modern-day Gaza, and brought It into the temple of their fish God, "Dagon."  The word, "taken" is in quotations because it was more like the Ark took them captive! That golden box housed the Most High God and He can defend Himself!

Well, they placed the Ark in the temple of their merman-god's temple--Dagon was half man, half fish--rejoicing that he was the one who gave them the victory over the God of Israel.  

The next morning, know where their "god" was?  FACE DOWN IN FRONT OF THE ARK, bowing
down before it!

The priests of Dagon thought maybe there had been an earthquake or something during the night, so they helped their "god" back up (snicker).  Next morning, where was he again?  Same posture:  face down EXCEPT his head and his hands were chopped off!  

Head speaks of intelligence; hands speak of power, the arm of flesh.  That's what happened to the devil at Calvary!   His power and intelligence were destroyed, his HEAD CRUSHED!  Hallelujah!

Typologies.

Everything o the Old Testament points to something in the New.  Remember when the soldiers came to take Jesus "captive" in the garden?  They asked Him if He was Jesus and He said He was.  Literally, the words he used were, "I AM."  Every single o e of them fell to the ground before Him.

You see, He cannot be taken captive, either.  He patiently waited until they all got up off the ground, dusted the,selves off, and (no doubt) held out His hands for them to restrain.  He allowed Himself to 
be taken and crucified.  He willingly gave up His life to save all of us!  

If the devil had an inkling of a clue that crucifying Jesus would lead to his head being crushed, I 
guarantee you, he would never have "orchestrated" Jesus' capture and death.  In so doing, he orchestrated his own demise and sealed his fate FOREVER!

The modern-day counterpart of the Biblical Philistines are just as impotent and their forebears.  They live in the area we today know as the Gaza Strip.  They can NEVER PREVAIL AGAINST THE GOD OF ISRAEL!  That goes for any other nation that seeks to harm the apple of God's eye.  

As it says in Psalm 124:4, "He that keepeth Israel NEITHER SLUMBERS NOR SLEEPS.

Oh yes:  Our God is FAR greater than the "god" of the Philistines!

Mephibosheth

2 Samuel 9:1-5
"1 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?”
2 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
He said, “At your service!”
3 Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?”
And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?”
And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar."

Mephibosheth.  What a sad name with a very sad story to go along with it.  How'd you like to have that for a handle?  In Hebrew it means, "From the mouth of shame."  Not very complimentary.  As if his name wasn't sad enough, he had an accident when he was five:  His nurse dropped him and he ended up lame in both feet!  Talk about misfortune!

Who was this character, why the strange name, and why is his story recorded for us?  We'll need to back up a few years to find the answers; back to when Jonathan, his father, first met David.

Back Story.

Jonathan was the son of King Saul.  At one point during his 40-year reign, they faced the Philisines and their giant champion, Goliath.  39 days into the confrontation, David came on the scene and, with God's help, he knocked him out with a small, smooth stone from his sling.  He then ran over, grabbed his sword and killed him with it and cut off his head!    

 

The Philistines, who were terrified and demoralized, turned and fled!  It was a GREAT VICTORY for Israel that day!  

Well, that sure got the King's attention.  He asked his commander, Abner, who the young man was, but he didn't know.  So he went over and brought David to King Saul.  Let's follow the story.

1 Samuel 17:55-58, 18:1-3

When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, (Goliath) he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?”

And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”

Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”

So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore."

Verse 4 says, " Then Jonathan and David made (cut) a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt."

So here was David, this seventeen-year-old kid, standing in front of the King, still holding Goliath's giant, bloody head in his hand.  And  at the King's side was the crown prince of Israel:  Jonathan. 

This was their first meeting.  

As David spoke to the King, the soul of Jonathan was "knit" to David's and he loved him as his own soul.  They immediately became such great friends that they decided to "cut a covenant" with each other.  

King Saul was so impressed by this young man on whom was great favor from God that he took him that day and would not let him return to his own house anymore.  WOW!

Covenants.

A covenant is far more than simply an agreement between two parties.  It was a very serious matter in those days.  In Hebrew, it is the word, "berít."   There are secrets in the Hebrew letters for this word which we will not go into here.  For more on that topic, please follow this link:  https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/08/18/covenant-%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa-birit-2/

 

In that culture, when two people "cut a covenant," it was for life, literally, until death ended it.  They, "Cut a covenant," because it always involved the shedding of blood.   And if either party went back on their word, the penalty was death! 

 

Initially, what they did was to take an animal, like a bullock or a ram, cut it in half and place the two pieces opposite each other.  Abram did exactly that in Genesis 15 when God cut a covenant with him.....with a little bit of a twist.  For the whole story, please follow this link: 
https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/abraham-the-sleeping-partner/


Obviously there was blood everywhere.  The two parties walked barefoot between the pieces on the bloody ground in between the hewn animals.  This was known as, "The walk of death."  They vowed "till death do us part."  

Sound familiar?  Most marrige ceremonies include this phrase because marriage is a covenant, not a contract.  Similarly, in David's day, a covenant declared that, "So be it unto me if I fail to keep my word, I shall be as this animal."  In other words, "cut me in half!"  They then exchanged their outer garments and weapons signifying that "I take on you and you take on me.  It was a change of position.  The exchange of weapons declared, "My enemies are now your enemies and your enemies are now my enemies."  

(Jesus took on human flesh.)

The Greatest Covenant Of All.
 

This is what happened at Christmas.  Jesus made a Covenent with His Father on our behalf.  He walked the walk of death for us.  We live because He died our death in our place.  He sealed the covenant, we benefit.  

And what do we exchange?  He gave us His robe of righteousness, we give Him our filthy robes.  He gives us His strength, we give Him our weaknes.  He gives us His health, we give Him our disease.  And He fights for us!  

Doesn't sound like an very equal deal, does it?  You're absolutely right:  It isn't.  God is unfairly good on our behalf.  But thats ok.....I'LL TAKE IT!  

Jonathan and David.

Jonathan, as the crown prince of Israel, took off his princely robe and placed it on David. David gave him his outer garment.  He also handed him his armor, his sword, his bow and his belt.  

His robe was a symbol of his higher position.  You see, it is always the higher, more prominent, more powerful that covers the weaker, lesser person of low position.  At this point, David was a shepherd boy.  This indicates an exchange of position.

Jonathan also gave him four other items:  Armor, sword, bow and belt.  Being a warrior culture, he gave David his armor and weapons indicating that David's enemies have now become Jonathan's. Whoever tried to harm him in any way, Jonathan would come to the rescue.  His belt is a symbol of his authority.  All this was conferred on David.  

Who knew that the enemy he would need protection from was Jonathan's own father, King Saul!  Time after time he sought to kill David and who came to his rescue?  Jonathan!  

Finally, they sealed the deal by mingling their blood.  Each made a cut on their wrist, joined his to the other and spoke the terms of their agreement and walked the walk of death.  Thus, they became blood brothers.  The scar would remain as a reminder of their covenant.
 

This is why, though he had many opportunities to kill him, David never laid a hand on Saul.  He was, in effect, through Jonathan, in Covenant with his entire family.  The day both Saul and Jonathan fell, that Covenent remained in effect.  
 

Mephiboshet.

"Mephi" was the sole surviving member of King Saul's family.  Jonathan somewhere along the way, had a child of which, apparently, David was unaware.  That's quite surprising considering how close these two men were.  

When his Grandfather, King Saul, and his father, Jonathan, were both killed that fateful day on Mt. Gilboa, the palace inhabitants, upon hearing the news, were thrown into a panic.  You see, they all knew that Saul hated David and had hunted him for years.  They naturally assumed that David also had no love for the king.  Terrified that he was going to come and kill them, they fled for their lives.         


David however, upon hearing the news of their deaths, was so distraught that he cursed Mt. Gilboa. He said, "O mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you..." 

David cursed that place because his dearest friend died there.  To this day, the top of the mount is bare.  Nothing will grow on it.  It is bate to this day. You can see it in the picture below.         

(Note the bare spot on top of Mt. Gilboa.)

You see, everyone knew David was annointed by Samuel, the prophet.  He was to be the next king of Israel, not Saul's son, Jonathan..  That's why he was so jealous of David.  

Undoubtedly he poisoned the minds of all his household over the years against him to the point where they all hated and feared him.  For years he relentlessly pursued David, seeking to kill him.  

Naturally they thought that when Saul and Jonathan were killed, he would come after them, seeking his revenge!  Had they known about the covenant between Jonathan and David, they wouldn't have been afraid.  Far from thoughts of harming them, he sought for ways to bless his family.

David Seeks To Bless The House Of Saul.

Mephibosheth probably heard nothing but awful things about David as he was growing up, very likely from his nurse. 

 "Don't you let David know where you are or he'll kill you.  You know how your grandfather hates him."  

When Saul and Jonathan fell that day, his terrified nurse no doubt picked him up and ran, trying to protect him.  It isn't clear exactly what happened but somehow she dropped the boy in her haste.  His legs were crushed, leaving him lame for the rest of his life.  

They hid from him in the furthest place they could find away from the palace.  No one would think to look for them there.  It was called, "Lo  Debar."  

 

Secrets In The Hebrew.

"Lo," in Hebrew means, "No."  "Debar" means "pasture."  It comes from the root word, "Davar," which means, "word."  It's actually a play on words!  This was a desert town where there was no pasture.  In other words, "no word of God:"  It was isolated, remote, desolate. 

How very sad!  Here he was, a prince of Israel, of the royal house of King Saul, living in shame and poverty in a desert town, far from the palace, which was his rightful place.  

 

Well, one day after David had been King for a while, he probably looked down at the scar on his wrist and remembered the covenant he had made with his beloved Jonathan.  So he voiced a desire to his staff to bless the house of Saul for his sake.

Among his staff was a servant named "Ziba, formerly of the palace staff of King Saul.  He not only knew of the existence of Jonathan's son, he knew the town, "address" and the family with whom he was staying!  

Elated, David sent his best men to go and fetch the boy.  He was most likely was a teenager or a young man by this time.

 

Having heard nothing but bad about David all his life, you can imagine his reaction when he heard that the Kings men had found him.  Probably thought, "This is it.  I'm a dead man!"  Imagine his surprise being treated with honor and respect.  Let's follow the story.

2 Samuel 9:5-7

"Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.   Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”

And he answered, “Here is your servant!”   So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

That wasn't what he was expecting!  Poor kid was probably terrified.....until he heard the king's words, "Do not fear."  Then he was puzzled.  So he said in verses 8-10, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

 And the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master's son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants."

Wow!  If he was puzzled before, now he was stunned!
 

The Hebrew word for "kindness" here and in the opening Scripture is "hesed."  Hesed means "GRACE!"  He wanted to shower him with Grace!   Raised from poverty to wealth, from obscurity in the dryest of places to being seated at the king's table, waited on by his servants!  And now, eating at the King's table FOREVER with 35 people to work his land for him, adding blessing and prosperity upon him that can only be described as "OVER THE TOP!"  

"So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet."

Imperfect Walk.

His story ends by reiterating that "he was lame in both feet."  Why?

Feet in Bible typology depicts "walking."   This young man obviously was unable to walk well. 
David in this part of his story is a typology of our Heavenly Father.  Like Mephiboshet, you and I are terrified of God before we come to Christ.  We are far from Him in a dry, deserted, desert place where there is no word of God, only lies about Him.  Just like him, we think that God, like he thought of David, is angry and out to get us.  Unbeknownst to us, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
 

The only things we've heard about God are also things that aren't true, whispered in your ear by the devil.  He says things like "Don't you dare go to Church.  If you believe in God, He could put sickness or cancer on you!  You have to clean up your act before you approach Him.  After all, He's a ho-o-o-ly God!"    

But  like in this story, the truth is, God loves us.  Like David and Jonathan, He cut a covenant with the human race.  Saul, in this story, is a typology of the human race.  Though it was David and Jonathan who were the actual participants in their covenant, that same covenant was for the benefit of Saul and his entire family. Jonathan depicts our Lord Jesus!  

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  He was the guarantor of the covenant between His Father and us.  There was most definitely a shedding of blood to seal the deal; the blood of the sinless Lamb of God! 

Jesus says to us, "Fear not!"  He is calling you and I to come just as we are:  Lame, imperfect, lacking, depressed, sick.  "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!"

He has invited us to come and eat at His table forever, to pour out on us so many blessings, we will not have room to receive them all!  It matters not that our walk, Church, is imperfect.  At rest, seated at His table, eating from the bread of life, no one will be looking at our feet. 
And guess what?  Everyone else sitting at His table is imperfect in their walk.  They are just as lame in their feet, too.

So fear not.  Rest.  Eat.  Be refreshed, and take comfort in the story of Mephibosheth.

 

A VERY Special Baby: Christmas Series Part 4

Exodus 13:11
“And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s."

(Simeon holds baby Jesus."

When Jesus was about one month old, Mary and Joseph, as required by law, took Him to the temple to be dedicated. An old man named Simeon was there.  Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, he was there at the temple that very same day.  God was keeping His promise this faithful man of God that he would not die until he got to see Jesus. He had waited many years for this promise to come true.

Secrets In The Hebrew Language.
"Simeon," in Hebrew, comes from the root word "shema," which means "hear." Ask any of your Jewish friends about the "Shema" and they will tell you it encompasses the whole law.  It is a summation of this one verse from Deuteronomy 6:3:  "Shema Israel: Yahweh Elohenu, Yahweh Echad." "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is One LORD."  They will not speak the word, "Yahweh," the Tetragrammaton, but instead substitute the word, "Adonai," however.

Typologies.

Simeon is a type of the law, the Old Covenant, that was passing away. When he saw Jesus, he took the baby in his arms and said, "Lord, now You are letting your servant depart in peace." He had seen God's "salvation;" God's "Y'Shua-Jesus!". Simeon, a typology of the Law (Shemá), was happy to "go away" because JESUS--GRACE was coming into the world!  The Holy Spirit is showing us that the law was being replaced by grace! HALLELUIA!!!

At the same time, there was a prophetess named "Anna, "who had been day and night in the temple, fasting, praying and pointing people to Jesus.  Her name is a short form of the name"Channanaiah," which means, "God's grace."

Luke 2:36-38 (KJV) 36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of *Phanuel,* of the tribe of ASHER: she was of a GREAT AGE, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."

(Prophetess Anna.)

Did you catch that?  The INSTANT Simeon left, she appeared!  

She was the daughter of "Phanuel."  Phanu means "face."  "El" is an abbreviated form of God's Name, "Elohim/Creator."  "Hannaiah haPhanuel," means Anna was "Grace from the face of God!"  

Remember what Proverbs tells us?  "A merry heart doeth good, like medicine."  In the presence of God, there is true happiness, well-being and LONG LIFE."  Here she was at the age of 84, still strong, still preaching away, pointing people to Jesus! What a gal!  

As soon as "Shema" departed, she came in to see the baby. Isn't God good?  He wanted us to know for sure that  the Law was leaving because Grace was coming!  

Gematria.
Here's something else in this passage.  She was 84 years of age, it says.  That is a very interesting number.  Numbers in the Bible have meanings.  The rabbis call this phenomenon, "Gematria."  (For more on this topic, follow this link:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/11/bible-numerics.html)

You see, Hebrew uses the letters of the alphabet for numbers, unlike Western cultures. What does the number 84 tell us? 

If you remember your times tables from grade school, you know that 84 is 7x12.  7 is the number of perfection or completion.  7 is "shevah," in Hebrew, which means "promise or oath."  12 is the number of government. 7x12=84 therefore 84=PERFECT GOVERNMENT.  GRACE...not law...IS PERFECT GOVERNMENT!!!

As the passage indicates, all these many years, Anna had been preaching in the Temple, dishing out "Royal Dainties."  What are "Royal Dainties?"  This whole scene was foretold by Jacob in his blessing over his son, Asher, way back in Genesis 49:20, when he prophesied over his son, Asher,

"Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield "royal dainties."

Anna was feeding people the Bread of Heaven:  Royal Dainties.  Jacob may not have had the full revelation but his blessing over his son was a prophetic reference to this distant relative, Anna. Care to guess from what tribe she came?  Yes, Asher!  

Asher means "healthy and happy."  Even at the advanced age of 84, she was both happy and healthy because she had been preaching about Jesus for years.  The Holy Spirit hides the secret to our happiness and longevity here in her story.  Preaching Jesus: GRACE brings happiness and longevity!

Now, because of Jesus, you and I don't have to go around telling everyone about Jesus; we GET TO go around dishing out such "royal dainties," just like Anna because of that VERY special baby!

Chimham's Inn: Christmas Series Part 2

Luke 2:1-7

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN.”

(No room at the Inn.)

Taxes.  Nobody likes taxes.  Yet, amazingly, God used them to orchestrate events so that His Beloved Son, Jesus, would be born in Bethlehem.  

Herod was king back then though he was not the true King.  He wasn't even Jewish.  He was an Edomite, a usurper and a very evil King at that, though he was a great builder.  

On the other hand, Joseph and Mary BOTH were direct descendants of King David.  They were actually the rightful heirs of the throne, a bonafide royal couple.  Through their lineage, Jesus had a double claim to the throne of his father, David.

Genealogy.

Matthew chapter 1 records Joseph's lineage to David, who's ancestor was Solomon.  Mary's is recorded in Luke 3.  Her ancestor was Nathan, another of David's sons, for he had many.  Interesting that his name means, "Gift!"

Did it ever seem strange to you that the lineage in Matthew only goes as far back as David, the son of Abraham?  Why?  Because Matthew is all about Jesus as the King of Israel.  Luke's gospel, on the other hand, portrays Jesus as "the perfect Man."  That is why which the genealogy recorded there traces all the way back to Adam, proving Jesus was fully man.  He did not take over some human body, like invasion of the body snatchers.   

(For more on that topic, follow this link and also discover why we have four gospels:

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/why-do-we-have-four-gospels-tabernacle-series-part-5/)

Joseph And Mary's Itinerary.

There were two possible routes they could have taken. {See map}  One was more direct; the other turned East, ran along the Jordan River toward Jericho and then turned West, back again toward Jerusalem.  Both were approximately 70-75 miles in distance, give or take, and would have taken about four or five days if one were to walk about 20 miles a day. 

In the opening passage, it says that "the days were accomplished that she should be delivered."  By that phrase, you can tell she must have been VERY PREGNANT, not too far from her due date.  How'd you like to make a trip like that, ladies, at nine months pregnant?  Wow!

The Jordan route would have been the most likely for two reasons.   First, it would have been flatter terrain and thus easier traveling.  Being the lower in elevation, it would also have been more moderate in temperature. The other reason was that most Jewish people did not like to go through Samaria.  They did all they could to skirt around that region lest they be soiled by contact with those ignorant Gentiles. 

Why Did Mary Accompny Joseph?

Either way, in those days, it was a long and difficult journey from Nazareth and Mary, being great with child, would have found it particularly difficult.  

Under normal circumstances, she would never have accompanied Joseph on this journey because, back then, only men were taxed.  But because she was so far along in her pregnancy, which no one could adequately explain, she would have been in grave danger had she remained in Nazareth.  She wasn't legally married to Joseph yet, simply betrothed, so they assumed she had broken the Law of Moses.  They might have stoned her to death.

The Inn.

Now what about this Inn, and who in the world is Chimham (pronounced "Kím-ham)?"  

There is a very long history and interesting story to tell.  Located in greater Bethlehem, it was a well-known place for travelers to stop along their journey.  There were many lodging places all throughout the Middle East along the Silk Road.  Such places, called "Caravanserai," offered travel-weary folk lodging for the night as well as food and water for their transportation, kinda like our Modern-day hotels.  The oldest of these is in present-day Turkey.  Still standing, it is more than 600 years old!

History Of The Inn.
Mary and Joseph's ancestor, David, was a Bethlehem boy from way back.  He lived there until he became king and moved into the palace, which at that time was located in Hebron.  The home in Bethlehem, where he grew up, was passed down to him by his father, Jesse.  He inherited it from his father, Obed, whose Mom and Dad were Boaz and Ruth, the Moabitess.  

Boaz, you recall, was the wealthiest and most eligible bachelor in all of Bethlehem who had fallen madly in love with Ruth, the widow of Naomi's son.  You can imagine his home was not too shabby, more like an estate.  

His parents were Salmon and Rahab.  Remember her?  She was the reformed prostitute from Jericho that helped the two Hebrew spies.  Salmon's father was Nahshon who had been captain of the tribe of Judah.  He lead the Israelites through the Red Sea.

What an long, amazing and illustrious lineage of the Bible's "Who's Who!  

Barzillai The Gileadite.

Back when David was King, his son, Absolom, who was extremely handsome and charismatic, wanted the throne for himself.  He stole the hearts of the people away from his father.  But instead of fighting his son, David chose to walk away.  He didn't want to kill him.

As he was wandering here and there with his mighty men, several people helped him. Let's follow the story in lI Samuel 17:27-29.

“Now it happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, brought beds and basins, earthen vessels and wheat, barley and flour, parched grain and beans, lentils and parched seeds, honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.””

Barzillai was very old, somewhere around 80 years old.  Two chapters later when Absolom was killed, David prepared to cross back over the Jordan and return home.  Gilead, where he had sought refuge, is in present day Jordan.  He wanted to reward Barzillai for his many kindnesses but he declined as we'll read below:

“Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.” And the king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Now whatever you request of me, I will do for you.” Then all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had crossed over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place. Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel.”

II Samuel 19:37-40

The Sons Of Barzillai.

Later on, David, on his deathbed, didn't have much of anything good to say about anyone:  "Kill this person, get rid of that guy," and so on; except for the "sons of Barzillai.  

““But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.”

I Kings 2:7 NKJV

We don't even know Barzillai's real name, only that he was the son, "bar," of "Zillai;" but his sons were accorded forever the privilege of eating at David's table in his own house, you know, the beautiful home of Boaz in greater Bethlehem.  Later on, this house came to belong to Chimham and his descendants as you see in the scripture below.

“Then Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah after he had murdered Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—the mighty men of war and the women and the children and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. And they departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, as they went on their way to Egypt,”

Jeremiah 41:16-17 

This great home which had belonged to David became the Inn which formerly belonged to the royal family of the house and lineage of David.  By the time Jesus came along, however, it had changed hands and had turned into a purely money-making operation.  I mean, come on; a VERY PREGNANT lady comes along and the innkeeper can't even ask anyone to give up their room for her?  The guy was obviously all about money.  

But did Joseph kick up a fuss and pull rank on him and say, "Don't you know who I am? I'm the rightful king of Israel.  I'm a DIRECT DESCENDANT of King David himself!"  No.  None of that.  He left it in God's hands to work all things out for good.  And so He did.  God was about to show to His people a sign; a sign to the shepherds.

So where did Mary have her baby?  IN THE "CAR PORT; the stable," where the animals were kept.  

Baby Jesus was placed in a very particular manger, most likely the one at the foot of the Tower of Eder, Eder Migdol, or the Tower of the Flock.  It was here that they kept sheep used for temple sacrifices.  

They were all good quality sheep fit for use a sacrifices because, as soon as they were born, they were  "wrapped in swaddling" clothes to lie in mangers so that, while they were very young and rambunctious, they wouldn't jump around and injure themselves.  That would render them unfit to be used.  So, when the Angel told the shepherds that they would find the babe wrapped in "swaddling clothes, lying in a manger," there was no doubt in their minds what manger it was!

The Original Owner Of The House.

You learned that grand home once belonged to Boaz, whose great, great grandfather was Nahshon, the captain of Judah.  But there was someone long before Nahshon who built that house years before and who lived there first:  Jacob.

When his favorite wife, Rachel, died, he buried her just outside Bethlehem and erected a monument there when exists to this day. 

“So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.” Genesis 35:19-21

Rachel's tomb is still there.

Spiritual Truth.

Notice the name change from Jacob to Israel?  That means there is a spiritual truth hidden here.  Jacob was his given name but the name, Israel, was given to him by the Lord.  He "pitched his tent just beyond the Tower of Eder," where the flocks of the temple sacrifices were kept.  Being his most beloved wife, he wanted to be close to her so he built his house nearby the monument he erected.

Years later when the young shepherd boy, David, came along, he most likely was a shepherd to those very sheep who would be used in temple sacrifices.  He would even fight against wild beasts for these sheep who were basically born to die.  

Centuries later, the original family owners, THE ROYAL COUPLE, the parents of David's great, great, great, great......grandson, THE KING OF ALL KINGS, came looking for lodging and safe haven so that His mother, Mary, could have her baby.  How incredibly ironic that there was no room for Him in the house that He rightfully owned!   And do you know why they were rejected, even though she was VERY PREGNANT?  They probably didn't have enough money to bribe the money-grubbing owner.  So, they were relegated to a cold stable for animals where there was only a stone manger filled with hay in which to place lay baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes.

And that, Church, is the amazing history of the Inn where no room was found for the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords known as Chimham's Inn.