This is my two hundred and thirty-second monthly teaching letter and continues my twentieth year of publication. I have resolved to do a series of lessons providing clarifying criticism of Howard B. Rand’s books, tracts and articles published in his Destiny Magazine.With this lesson I will continue where I left off with the “The Book Of The Kingdom”, chapter XIII of XXIV, “The Reign Of Saul”, Destiny, for part #2 of chapter XIII, February 1950, (and I will edit it out of necessity):

“.... Saul was informed of what the people were doing and he immediately issued a command that they cease violating the law. Then he gave instructions that all the cattle to be prepared for food were to be brought to him and prepared according to the requirements of the law. After this the King offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and the people satisfied their hunger.

“Results of a Rash Oath

“Saul then issued orders that the army was to pursue the Philistines all that night, assail them at dawn and leave not a man alive. The captains of his hosts, as well as the men themselves, assented, but the priest with Saul informed him it would be better for him to make inquiry of Yahweh before carrying out this order. The King did as suggested and inquired of Yahweh if he was to pursue the enemy that night, but he received no answer to his question. Saul immediately recognized that there was sin in his camp because Yahweh refused to be inquired of concerning his campaign.

“The King gathered the captains and all the people together to make inquiry to find out who had sinned. Saul declared that if it proved to be his own son Jonathan, he would surely die. Thus, again, he passed hasty judgment before the facts were known. Lots were cast and Saul and his son Jonathan were taken. Again the lots were cast and Jonathan was selected as the offender. His father thereupon asked him what he had done. Jonathan confessed that he ate some honey as they passed through some woods when they were pursuing the Philistines. He wanted to know if he must die because he ate the honey when he was hungry....

This is my two hundred and thirtieth monthly teaching letter and continues my twentieth year of publication. I have resolved to do a series of lessons providing clarifying criticism of Howard B. Rand’s books, tracts and articles published in his Destiny Magazine. I will continue # XI “The Ark Captured And Restored” & # XII, “Israel Demands A King”, for November & December, 1949 (and editing will be necessary):

“The Ark Captured And Restored:

“Israel’s Fighting Men went out to meet the Philistines who had come against them to battle at Aphek, and the hosts of Israel were routed before their enemies. Four thousand Israelites fell in one day upon the field of battle. When the army returned to their fortified camp, the elders of Israel sought the reason why Yahweh had allowed His people to be smitten before their enemies.

“Ark Brought Into Camp

“It was decided to send to Shiloh and have the Ark of the Covenant brought into the camp of Israel so that its presence might rescue them from the Philistines and assure victory over their enemies. With the Ark came Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who were very wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Actually, the people themselves had turned away from Yahweh and were worshipping idols, refusing to obey the Almighty’s commandments and keep His statutes. Herein lay the real reason why they had been defeated, for they had lost full contact with Yahweh their Almighty by their failure to walk in the paths of righteousness. Now they were seeking to compel Yahweh to protect them by bringing the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh into the midst of the battle. They could not conceive of Yahweh allowing the uncircumcised Philistines to gain possession of their most sacred thing, the Ark of the Covenant with its Mercy Seat, where the Almighty’s people met with Yahweh.

“Condition for Victory

“What the elders in Israel and the people were failing to recognize was that Yahweh could protect the Ark, even though it might be necessary to allow it to be captured by the Philistines because of sin in the camp of Israel. Subsequent events clearly demonstrate the accuracy of this assertion. Even the presence of the Ark of the Covenant could not assure victory to a sinful nation. Yahweh had declared Israel must keep His Sabbaths and reverence His sanctuary, and then He said:

“‘If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them ... ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.’ (Lev. 26:3-8.)

“But if Israel persisted in despising His statutes and abhorring His judgments, refusing to obey all His commandments, and so breaking His [marriage] Covenant, among the things to be visited upon them was the following:

“‘... I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant ...’ (Lev. 26:25.)

This is my two hundred and twenty-eighth monthly teaching letter and ends my nineteenth year of publication. I have resolved to do a series of lessons providing clarifying criticism of Howard B. Rand’s books, tracts and articles published in his Destiny Magazine, which includes several guest writers of varying degrees in excellence. Although I rate Rand and his associate writers only 50%, some of their articles are simply outstanding.

With this lesson, I will continue a critical review of a series entitled “The Book Of The Kingdom” found in Destiny magazines from January, 1949 until April, 1952 in 24 chapters, and oddly enough Rand does not identify an author. He may have written it all himself, or it might have been a team effort by him and some of his associated writers. So Rand either wrote it, or if by the help of others, at least he approved of it, and is responsible for it (and it will be edited by me):

With WTL #227 on “The Book Of The Kingdom”,Destiny, June 1949: chapter VII of XXIV, “Samson The Nazarite”, I was unable to finish in its entirety, which I will do here by starting with Delilah and Samson’s death:

“Delilah waited until Samson had fallen asleep with his head in her lap. She called for a man [probably a barber, C.A.E] to shave off his hair, then, awakening him, she told him that the Philistines were upon him. He arose, expecting to do what he had done before, not knowing that the Spirit of Yahweh had left him. The Philistines seized him and, putting out his eyes, they took him down to Gaza where they bound him in chains and set him to grinding corn in the prison with the slaves. Thus, Samson’s love of a woman who was willing to trade his devotion to her for financial reward brought about his ultimate downfall. Samson himself betrayed Yahweh by disclosing to a daughter of the enemies of his people the source of his strength.

This is my two hundred and twenty-sixth monthly teaching letter and continues my nineteenth year of publication. I have resolved to do a series of lessons providing clarifying criticism of Howard B. Rand’s books, tracts and articles published in his Destiny Magazine, which includes several guest writers of varying degrees in excellence. Although I rate Rand and his associate writers only 50%, some of their articles are simply outstanding.

With this lesson, I will continue a critical review of a series entitled “The Book Of The Kingdom” found in Destiny magazines from January, 1949 until April, 1952, in 24 chapters, and oddly enough Rand does not identify an author. He may have written it all himself, or it might have been a team effort by him and some of his associated writers. So Rand either wrote it, or if by the help of others, at least he approved of it and is responsible for it (with revision where needed):

Continuing from WTL #225 and “The Book Of The Kingdom”,Destiny, April 1949: chapter V of XXIV, “The Period Of The Judges”, and before we continue with chapter V, I would like to repeat a paragraph cited in WTL #225 thusly:

“Victory Over Sisera

“It was under Deborah’s direction that Barak attacked the armies of Sisera (Judges 4:4-10). Sisera escaped and took refuge with Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. He instructed her to say that no man had passed that way and he retired in her tent. While he was asleep Jael slew him by driving a peg into his temple. She then went out to meet Barak and led him to the tent where he found the body of his enemy. Deborah’s prophecy was fulfilled that Sisera would be delivered into the hand of a woman. This victory over Sisera was commemorated by a song sung by Deborah in which reference was made to the fact that deliverance came ‘when the people willingly offered themselves’ (Judges 5:2)”. [“Kenite”, (smith) most likely by occupation only. C.A.E.]

AtPsalm 83:1-18 (a song or Psalm of Asaph), gives us a list of the enemies that hate us:

“¹ Keep not thou silence, O Yahweh: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O Yahweh. ² For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. ³ They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. ⁴ They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. ⁵ For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: ⁶ The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; ⁷ Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; ⁸ Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen [i.e., helped] the children of Lot. ⁹Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: ¹⁰Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. ¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: ¹² Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of Yahweh in possession. ¹³ O my Almighty, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. ¹⁴ As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; ¹⁵ So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. ¹⁶ Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Yahweh. ¹⁷ Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: ¹⁸ That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Yahweh, art the most high over all the earth.”