Greetings, One and All. May you have Peace. As the Sovereign Lord JAH, and as His Son, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords grant it.
In playing with my four puppies I often think “What are they thinking? What do they want from me in any given moment? If they could speak to me, What would they say?” Each puppy is different—totally different from the other, with special individual personalities or so it “seems.” Sometimes they misbehave. Sometimes they’re stubborn, obstinate, and at other times, they are so loving and playful. Sometimes, they’re jealous, all qualities I perceive to be human rather than animal, AND YET. . . . The common term among mankind is to label these qualities on animals as something we humans attribute to them and so label it “anthropomorphic.” Meaning attributing “human qualities” to that of animals (non-humans). AND YET. . . . I was reminded of what the author of Ecclesiastes wrote in the third chapter of that biblical book:
I also said to myself, "As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath [see Blue Letter Bible definition below]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.
All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"
For some reason, I am always reminded of the above text. So I looked it up in the Blue Letter Bible. What I found there under the word “same breath,” was most interesting. If ALL have the “same breath”—both humans AND animals—as described in the BLB, as shown below, then we need to change our thinking of JAH’s creations, yes? These are just my mental ramblings.
Ruwach rü'•akh feminine noun Strong's H7307 - ruwach wind, breath, mind, spirit 1. breath 2. wind 1. of heaven 2. quarter (of wind), side 3. breath of air 4. air, gas 5. vain, empty thing 3. spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation) 1. spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour 2. courage 3. temper, anger 4. impatience, patience 5. spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented) 6. disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse 7. prophetic spirit 4. spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals) 1. as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being 5. spirit (as seat of emotion) 1. desire 2. sorrow, trouble 6. spirit 1. as seat or organ of mental acts 2. rarely of the will 3. as seat especially of moral character 7. Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son 1. as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy 2. as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning 3. imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power 4. as endowing men with various gifts 5. as energy of life 6. as manifest in the Shekinah glory 7. never referred to as a depersonalised force
Do not animals have all of these attributes that are defined above with that Hebrew word “ruwach”? Just as humans do? In our human arrogance, many of us think that we are superior to animals, above animals such that we can treat any way we want—even cruelly, yet the biblical text clearly identifies us as and tells us that we are like the animals. The animal kingdoms were given to us to care for, watch over, and have in subjection—in love—as God desires us to live in love. We should remember that just as the first man Adam was given the “breath of life” from the nostrils of Jah, so too were the animals—and they received the “breath of life” FIRST. Humans are not superior as the author of Ecclesiastes so states.
Do we think that animals are dumb just because they do not (normally) speak as humans do? (See below Balaam’s ass for an exception permitted—Numbers 22:21-39.) Do we think ONLY humans can Praise JAH? Think again. Read:
Psalm 145:13-21:
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does 14 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time [see below]. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him [see below], to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
Psalm 147:9:
He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
Psalm 148:
1 Praise the Lord Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and women, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. 14 And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 150:
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
We should remember that animals were both inside and outside of the Garden of Eden—the Paradise of God.
That’s it, that’s all. Just thought I’d share some of the things going on in my head and in trying to grasp the Will of JAH.
Come! Take Life’s Water—Free! May JAH bless one and ALL!
--Armand
Numbers 22:21-34:
21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
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