The relationship between Yahweh and Satan is very difficult to understand, but we know from God’s Word that Satan is mankind’s Adversary and Accuser. Satan is referred to in the Bible by many names. Each one of them describes him as a spirit bent on subverting Yahweh’s plan for mankind and preventing man from having intimacy with the Creator. Why God allows, and has allowed, Satan to exercise authority in His universe is a mystery, but from the third chapter of Genesis through the remainder of the Bible Satan is seen as the enemy of mankind and God’s opponent in a spiritual war that rages to this day.

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Today’s Feature

Yahweh’s creation changed dramatically when Satan deceived Eve, and she and Adam ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil against Yahweh’s explicit instructions. Their sin forged a gulf between God and man that remains mankind’s most pressing problem, and it was not simply eating forbidden fruit. They attempted to usurp Yahweh’s sovereignty and impose their own authority over God’s creation. This is something Yahweh will not allow. He will not relinquish sovereignty over His creation to anyone.

The Relationship between Yahweh and Satan

The relationship between Yahweh and Satan is very difficult to understand, but we know from God’s Word that Satan is mankind’s Adversary and Accuser. Satan is referred to in the Bible by many names. Each one of them describes him as a spirit bent on subverting Yahweh’s plan for mankind and preventing man from having intimacy with the Creator. Why God allows, and has allowed, Satan to exercise authority in His universe is a mystery, but from the third chapter of Genesis through the remainder of the Bible Satan is seen as the enemy of mankind and God’s opponent in a spiritual war that rages to this day.

The Bible actually talks about two creations with a period of time between them known as “chaos.” This is known as the “gap theory,” and the meanings of the Hebrew words used in the following verses suggest strongly that it is more than just a theory.

The first creation is discussed in Genesis 1: 1—“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The Hebrew word translated as “created” in Genesis 1: 1 is bara. It means “to create something out of nothing.”

The second creation is discussed in Genesis 2: 2—“By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” The Hebrew word translated as “had done” twice in this verse is asah. It means “to create something from something else,” or to reconstruct something already in existence into something entirely different. The reconstruction process is described in Genesis 1:3 through Genesis 2: 2, and it is highlighted by the phrase “God said.” God spoke and reformed the elements into something very different.

Between the two creations, an interval of time lapsed the length of which we do not know. Actually, the interval occurs between Genesis 1: 1 and Genesis 1: 2, and during this time chaos reigned. Genesis 1: 2 says, “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” The Hebrew word translated in this verse as “formless and void” is tohu-va-vohu, and it literally means chaos.

After Yahweh completed the creation process, He rested. (Genesis 2: 2) Then we are told in Genesis 2: 4, “This is the account of the heavens and the earth.” The Hebrew word translated in this verse as “account” is towledah (to-led-aw’). It means the history of or birth of generations. In other words, this verse tells us that the creation narrative in Genesis is to be understood as a literal historical record. It is not a myth, and it is not just an interesting story.

In the interval of time between the two creations during which chaos reigned, a rebellion occurred in heaven and there was war between Yahweh and Satan. Eventually, Satan and his angels were defeated and thrown out of heaven. Ezekiel 28: 12-15 describes Satan before he rebelled against Yahweh:

“You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.”

Isaiah 14: 12-14 provides a very good description of Satan’s sin that initiated the war in heaven between Yahweh and Satan and his angelic followers: “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the most high.”

Satan’s sin was pride. He wanted to be like God and to usurp His authority. Take a close look at the “I will” statements in these verses from Isaiah. Clearly, Satan wanted to take God’s place and for that he was thrown down to earth.

Satan has been very active on the earth. He has done everything in his power to destroy the Jewish people because Yahweh promised that through them He would bless the world. Even now, there is an ongoing battle that we are witnessing firsthand. Satan is still trying to prevent Yahweh from fulfilling His promises, but his first attack on mankind occurred in the Garden of Eden.

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SnyderTalk® Commentary

Nobel jury defends Obama decision

“’We simply disagree that he has done nothing,’ committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland told the AP on Tuesday. ‘He got the prize for what he has done.’” Funny thing, this quote was changed later in the day. I guess the folks at The Associated Press read their story and realized how awkward it sounded. At the AP, they know how to quote a source, so I’ll bet they got it right the first time. I’m sticking with the original version because it’s priceless, and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can. As an aside, do you think the AP would doctor a quote to make someone look good or bad? This experience makes me wonder.

That may be the weakest defense of a controversial decision that I’ve ever seen. To begin with, the Nobel Prize Jury is supposed to scour the globe in search of the most accomplished people in their respective fields. We know that President Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize less than 2 weeks after taking office. What did President Obama do during his first 2 two weeks in office that set him apart? What did he do to earn the Nobel Peace Prize?

This is the esteemed Nobel Jury Chairman’s response: “We simply disagree that he has done nothing.”

Excuse me. Is that an answer? Is that your rationale?

For the sake of argument, I’ll buy that explanation. President Obama did not do nothing. For instance, I assume that he brushed his teeth each day, and he went through the process of learning where everything is inside the White House. At the end of his first 2 weeks in office, he probably knew most of the rooms in the White House by name, but what did he do to serve the interests of mankind…to bring peace to the planet? That’s the question Mr. Jagland was asked. I suppose he intended to clarify when he said, “He (President Obama) got the prize for what he has done.”

Now I get it. President Obama did something, but the Nobel Jury Chairman won’t tell us what it is.

When Yasser Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize, I was flabbergasted. When Fat Albert won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his monumental work on global warming, I was stunned. At least Arafat pretended to be involved in peace talks with his Israeli counterpart. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Barack Hussein Obama, defies description, but I’ll take comfort in knowing that he did not do nothing.

This is what I think we should do. We should commission a plaque for the president. On it, we should have these words engraved: “To President Barack Hussein Obama. He didn’t do nothing.” I’m sure it will make a lasting impression on him, and he’ll cherish it as a keepsake.

President Obama may do something one day to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, but to date he has not. I know it; you know; President Obama knows it; and the Nobel Prize Jury should have known it, but obviously they didn’t.

Video (click title)—Has the U.N. become a mockery? The answer: it sure looks that way.

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Today’s Events Shaping Our World

Spinning Globe

U.S. and Western Hemisphere

Video (click title)—Obama calls for bipartisan work on healthcare

Video (click title)—health bill clears hurdle with Snowe’s support

Video (click title)—Delaware first-grader is not a felon

It’s no wonder people are taking their kids out of public schools. Sometimes the people running our tax funded schools remind me of The Wizard of Oz…specifically the scarecrow—if I only had a brain.

Video (click title)—fact check on health bill

Video (click title)—Columbine shooter’s mother breaks silence

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Israel and Middle East

“On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind Yahweh, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

Isaiah 62: 6-7

Sunrise Over Bethany on the Backside of the Mount of Olives

The Sea of Galilee

Iran’s irrational regime
Fatah says signs Egypt’s Palestinian unity proposal
8 killed in blast north of Baghdad
Palestinians say hopes in Obama evaporated
Iran: probes open into opposition leader Karroubi In Nazi Germany, that was the first step in the execution process for high ranking people. Others they just shot in the streets. Iran today is a lot like Nazi Germany.

untouched originals 200

Dolphins in the Red Sea in Eilat

For your information, the highway referred to in the article above is Highway 60. On occasion, I’ve taken it from Arad to Jerusalem. If you’re traveling from Arad to Jerusalem, you have three options. You can take Highway 31 to Highway 40 in Be’er Sheva (Beersheba) and take Highway 40 to Tel Aviv. Just outside Tel Aviv, you get on Highway 1 and take it to Jerusalem. Another option is to take Highway 31 to the Dead Sea. At the Dead Sea, you get on Highway 90, drive up the Arava to Highway 1, and take it to Jerusalem. The shortest option by far is to take Highway 60 through the West Bank to Jerusalem.

Highway 60 is a scenic route that goes through Hebron and very near Bethlehem, but the last time I took that road I decided that I would never take it again. My reason is simple. The looks you get as you drive through Arab villages on Highway 60 are menacing. They can tell that you’re not a “Palestinian,” and the young males in particular give you the evil eye.

Highway 60 resembles a narrow country road in the U.S., so you can’t go very fast under ideal conditions, but conditions are never ideal. You share the road with donkey-drawn carts hauling fruits and vegetables and other things, so there is plenty of time to enjoy the view. There is also lots of time for malevolent souls to do some damage if they want to, and candidly, you can tell by the looks you get that some of the people you meet would like nothing more than to hurl a stone (or something more dangerous) at you. It wasn’t like that 10 years ago. You used to be able to stop at the fruit and vegetable stands and talk with the villagers. They appreciated your being there. I suspect that the stand owners would still enjoy talking with you, but the kids are becoming more and more threatening.

This is a word of caution to my friends in Israel who travel that route regularly. It’s not safe. I think it’s time for you to use another route. Personally, I prefer Highway 90 up the Arava unless I have business in Tel Aviv.

Video (click here)—clashes over al Aqsa mosque

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China, Russia, India, and Asia-Pacific

Pakistani jets soften up militant targets
Pakistan bombs militants in South Waziristan
Court rules against Stalin’s grandson in libel suit
U.S. military says Afghan force numbers no secret
China’s super-rich bounce back from financial crisis
Russian FM: Iran sanctions threats won’t work I know it; you know it; and the Russian FM knows it. What’s wrong with Clinton and Obama?
Clinton fails to win specific Russian pledge on Iran
China and Russia bolster ties with gas and trade deals
Russia uses ambiguity to boost its power
The historic accord between Turkey and Armenia: what lies ahead?

Armenia Map

Video (click title)—China minting super-rich

Video (click title)—Secretary Clinton: Iran’s nuke program of serious concern

Video (click title)—Deadly violence in Pakistan

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Europe and Africa

Video (click title)—a Nobel burden?

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