the anguish of His soul

All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation,
who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people,
to whom the stroke was due?
His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
But the LORD was pleased To crush Him,
putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors


What do I learn about the Father through what His Son went through?

My Father took my sins into His hands and placed them upon HIS Son.

The Light Bringer placed his hands upon the goat for Azazel and placed the iniquities of Israel upon the goat for Azazel.

This is no abstract concept, no distant scene. This is my Father who loves me desperately, taking my transgressions and iniquities into His own hands and placing them upon the head of His Son. This is His Son, my Saviour, willingly carrying that burden upon His soul and delivering it to where they belong....the pit, the grave, the abode of the Prince of this world.

This is my Father and His Son and the Holy Spirit with their soul laboring under the burden of iniquity and grieving.
This is my Father satisfied.
This is my Father beholding me as cleansed and righteous.
This is my Father's full knowledge and of what His Son, the Righteous One, has done.
This is my Father never abandoning my soul to darkness.

This is what has been accomplished for us as we believe in Him.

Our Father allowed our sins to be placed on His Son but He did not allow His Son's soul to stay in the pit with our sins and He will never allow my soul to go to the pit of hell. What an active role the Father had....how could I have not seen that before?

the Light Bringer shall

Studying the goat for Azazel led me to outline Leviticus 16....and oh what precious truths He shows us in His scriptures.

Over and over in this chapter we see "Aaron shall" . Aaron "Light Bringer". Jesus Christ, the One who brought us Light.....look at what He and He alone has done. He has done and continues to do the work.



The LORD spoke to Moses
• After the death of Nadab and Abihu
o Sons of Aaron
o Approached the presence of the LORD and died
The LORD said
• Tell your brother Aaron
Aaron
• Shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil
• Before the mercy seat which is on the ark
• Lest he die
• For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat
Aaron
• Shall enter the holy place with this
o A bull for a sin offering
o A ram for a burnt offering
Aaron
• These are holy garments
o Shall put on the holy linen tunic
o shall be next to his body The linen undergarments
o shall be girded with the linen sash
o attired with the linen turban
Aaron
• Shall bathe his body in water and put them on

Aaron
• Shall take from the congregation
o 2 male goats for a sin offering
o one ram for a burnt offering
Aaron
• Shall offer the bull for the sin offering that he may make atonement
o for himself
o for his household
Aaron
• Shall take 2 goats
o Present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting
Aaron
• Shall cast lots for the 2 goats
o One lot for the LORD
o One for Azazel
Aaron
• Shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell
o Make it a sin offering
• Shall be presented alive before the LORD the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell
o To make atonement upon it
o To send it into the wilderness as AZAZEL
Aaron
• Shall offer the bull of the sin offering
o Make atonement
• For himself
• For his household
• Shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering
o Which is for himself
Aaron
• Shall take
o a firepan of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD
o 2 handfuls of finely ground sweet incense
• bring it inside the veil
Aaron
• Shall put the incense on the fired before the LORD
• That the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony
• Lest he die
Aaron
• Shall take some of the blood of the bull
o Sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side
o Sprinkle some of the blood with his finger 7 times in front of the mercy seat
Aaron
• Shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering
o Which id for the people
o Bring its blood inside the veil
• Sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side
• Sprinkle some of the blood with his finger 7 times in front of the mercy seat
Aaron
• Shall make atonement for the holy place
o Because of the impurities of the sons of Israel
o Because of their transgressions, in regard to all their sins
Aaron
• Shall thus do for the tent of the meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities
• When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place
o No one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out
o That he may make atonement
• For himself
• His household
• All the assembly of Israel
Aaron
• Shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD
• Make atonement for it
• Shall take some of the blood
o Of the bull
o Of the goat
• Put it on the horns of the altar on all sides
Aaron
• Shall with his finger sprinkle some of the blood on it 7 times
o Cleanse it
o Consecrate it from the impurities of the sons of Israel
Aaron
• Shall offer the live goat
o When he finishes atoning
• For the holy place
• The tent of meeting
Aaron
• Shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat for Azazel
o Confess over the goat for Azazel all the iniquities of the sons of Israel
o Confess all the transgressions in regard to all their sins
Aaron
• Shall lay them on the head of the goat for Azazel
• Shall Send the goat for Azazel away into the wilderness
o By the hand of a man who stands in readiness
The goat for Azazel
• Shall bear on itself
o All their iniquities
o To a solitary land
The man who stands in readiness
• Shall release the goat for Azazel into the wilderness
Aaron
• Shall come into the tent of meeting
o Take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place
o Shall leave the garments there
Aaron
• Shall bathe his body
o With water in a holy place
o Put on his clothes
• Come forth
o Offer his burnt offering
o Offer the burnt offering of the people
o Make atonement
• ‘for himself
• for the people
Aaron
• Shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar
The man who released the goat for Azazel
• Shall wash his clothes
• Shall bathe his body with water
• Afterward he shall come into the camp

they who burn
• shall take outside the camp
o the bull of the sin offering
o the goat of the sin offering
• whose blood was brought into to make atonement in the holy place
• shall burn in the fire
o their hides
o their flesh
o their refuse
• shall wash his clothes
• shall bathe his body
• afterward he shall come into the camp
THIS
• Shall be a permanent statute for you
o In the seventh month
o On the 10th day
You- whether the native, or the alien who sojourns
• Shall
o Humble your souls
o Not do any work
ATONEMENT
• Shall be made for you to cleanse you
YOU
• Shall be clean from all your sins before the LORD
• It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you
• That you may humble your souls
• It is a permanent statute
The priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as a priest in his father’s place
• Shall make atonement
• Shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments
• Shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary
• Shall make atonement
o For the tent of meeting
o For the altar
• Shall make atonement
o For the priests
o For all the people of the assembly
YOU
• Shall have this as a permanent statute
• To make atonement
o For the sons of Israel
o For all their sins once every year
And just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did.

azazel

I continue to think about what Christ said " I have come that you may know Him". In looking at the burial of Christ, how do the scriptures related to that bring me into a deeper relationship of knowing Him.

#2 of JP's list

2.) The burial of Christ is important in fulfilling Old Testament types:

First, I need a better understanding of types. How do we know if a passage in the OT is a "type" of NT truths? I look at the list below and I am intrigued as to how they apply to Christ's burial. Some seem more obvious than others: Noah in the ark, Joseph in the pit, Jonah in the fish. Others quicken my senses......ahhhhh: the scapegoat, the rod. Father, what is here for us to learn, to see, to hear? Father, thank you for giving us Your Son so that we may know You.

• The scapegoat into the wilderness (Lev. 16:5-10, 26; cf. Jn. 1:29)

"and he (High Priest) shall lay them (iniquities and transgressions) on the head of the goat for Azazel and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. And the goat for Azazel shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat for Azazel in the wilderness"

Who is the man who stands in readiness? Who is this one who walked with the goat for Azazel into the wilderness?

Thank you Father for so much to meditate upon.

nathan

The first time I heard that Jesus Christ had gone to hell I was flabbergasted. What? No way! What in the world are you talking about?

Even now I am uncertain on it (11/1...I am no longer uncertain. He took my sins for me and he took them to hell).... after he died on the cross, while He was buried for 3 days, he descended so that He might ascend. During that three days he descended into sheol and led the captives free. Does anyone else have this same understanding? Is an understanding of His burial and these 3 days important to us as believers? (11/1 YES!)

I think so....very important to understand the truth of what He did and does for us in our sanctifying walk. JP has listed many passages of scripture that set me to thinking.

Deut. 21:22-23

"committed a sin worthy of death....you shall surely bury him on the same day ....so that you do not defile your land which the Jehovah your God gives you as an inheritance."

Ps. 16:9-11

"Thou will not abandon my soul to sheol
neither wilt Thou give Thy Holy One to undergo decay"


22:15

"Thou dost lay me to the dust of death"


Isa. 53:9

"his grave was assigned with wicked men"


Acts 2:22-32

"He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh suffer decay"

13:26-41 (to the men of Israel)

"dead, no more to return to decay"
"Thou wilt not allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay"
"did not undergo decay.
Therefore let it be known to you brethren that through this One forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you"

Rom. 1:1-2

"gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures"

What is the significance of the fact that our physical bodies undergo decay when we physically die and that Jesus the Holy One was "not allowed" (by God) to undergo decay.

Look at this....He did not just NOT decay.....God, His Father did not allow Him to undergo decay...His Father did not permit decay.

Decay
Shachath: pit , destruction, grave

from
Shuwach: bowed down, sunk down, depression of the mind

Ok now I am confused. NASB translates Shachath as "undergo decay", but everywhere else it just means pit or grave. So does this actually mean "did not allow him to stay in the pit/grave?"

Jesus Christ came that we might know the Father...so what in these passages allows me to know Him more? For me it is the aspect the He kept His Son from the pit.

My Father is my Keeper.

My Father is my Bestower, Granter, Permitter, Ascriber, Employer, Devoter, Consecrator, Dedicator, Payor, Entrustor, Deliverer , Assigner, Designator.

He is our Nathan. He did not allow the pit/ the grave/ the decay. Therefore, through this ONE,
forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to us!

Ge 9:13 -

I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.

sweetie nice

I am not fond of sarcasm, but Isaiah 41 caught me so off guard that I laughed out loud. What is this? God......God speaking....God? being sarcastic?

Produce your cause, saith the LORD;
bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

Let them bring them forth, and shew Us what shall happen:
let them shew the former things, what they be,
that We may consider them, and know the latter end of them;
or declare Us things for to come.

Shew the things that are to come hereafter,
that We may know that ye are gods:
yea, do good, or do evil, that We may be dismayed, and behold it together.

Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.

POW. Yikes!. Wow.

I was brought up sweetie nice. We say nice things to each other because we are nice people and especially because we are nice Christians. Words that are not nice are not good.

What else have I missed in His Word simply from the fact that I thought everything has to be nice and what I was reading could not possibly mean what it seemed to be saying?

Nippon

This morning took me back to a tender place, Japan.

The pictures on this blog were a delight for me...a walk down memory lane. One post about thinking outside the box initiated an interesting conversation between Anonimo and myself. As I explained to him the Japanese way of thinking that appears to Americans as "inside the box", he commented on how worship affects culture and not vice versa.

Shinto and Buddhist worship is vastly different from the religious heritage of America. If we compare the two cultures with their backgrounds in worship, there seems a correlation there. Definitely a new viewpoint for me to take a look at.

God has created us to be worshippers. What you worship or who you worship determines everything else.

Food for thought.

apologetics is radically sanctifying

Tim Nichols wrote

Apologetics is devotional, worshipful, and radically sanctifying…

…if it’s done properly.


I would agree and so Anonimo and myself will be joining Tim for 4 sessions of worship, apologetics style.

See the link above for more information if you are interested.

regeneration

The wind bites my skin as I sit at the skate park. A crowd of boys glide up and down the ramps on their boards. It is obvious that this is their culture.

There is a sameness about them. As I watch them and listen to them,unbidden, the word unregenerate comes to mind.

And this one thought takes me to a question: Can the unregenerate mind believe , trust or comprehend the death, burial, resurrection and appearance of Christ?

If I were to have the chance to start a conversation with one of these boys about salvation...would that unregenerated mind be able to grasp these spiritual truths?

He that is not spiritual does not understand the things of the Spirit. Do you see my logical conclusion and sincere question?

If I were to have the chance....

***********

Hi.

Hey.

Why aren't you skating?

...I am sick of all this...I come here everyday and hang out with these guys. We do the same thing over and over and that's it. What are you doing here?

Watching my boys. If you are sick of it, why do you keep coming?

What else is there?

As corny as you might think this sounds, there is Jesus.

Oh man, are you one of those Jesus freaks?

Yeah, I am, I believe in Jesus. He took me from the sickness of it all and gave me a life worth living.

I can't believe it. A Jesus freak. You guys are just a bunch of hypocrites. Besides what you say I have to do is way too hard. No way.

Did I say you have to do anything?

Well, not you, but you know ....all you freaks say the same thing. Stop doing this and stop doing that. God is like this big angry dude that just wants to smash me with His fist. Why would I even wanna go there?

I am sorry you have been told all that.

It's true isn't it?

No, not really. Do you mind if I tell you something from the bible?

Go ahead, but I am sure I won't understand it...the bible is just some old huge book. Who could ever read all that? Who would want to? Except some freak.

Yep, it is a pretty big book all right. Lots of words. It is actually a whole bunch of books put together...that is why it looks so big. A lot of the books are pretty short, like letters to someone.

Really?

Yes. One of the books is called John, that is the one I wanted to tell you about.

All right go ahead. I probably couldn't stop you anyway

Say the word and I shut up.

Whatever. What did you want to say?

Before I do, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to listen to me. I appreciate that.

........yeah well, you don't seem to be that freaky.

Thanks. John was a really good friend of Jesus and after Jesus died he wrote down a book about Jesus' life. One of the things he wrote about was being saved. Do you know what that means?

Yeah, I think it means not going to hell. But I don't believe in hell.

Actually being saved is all about eternal life....it is a gift that God wants to give you, eternal life.

You know that sounds whacko right? Eternal life, you mean like the fountain of youth or something?

Nope, I mean eternal life, life after our physical body dies, a life that means everything instead of nothing....and a life here on earth that means something instead of nothing.

So what your saying is there is this gift that God has and he wants to give it to me and then this stupid life will actually mean something?

Yes, that is what Jesus' friend John wrote about..life....eternal life...salvation.

I am not saying that I believe anything you are saying....but are you telling me that there is a way to have eternal life?

Yes.

OK, what is that way?

Jesus.

Come on, what does that mean. Jesus? I hear the word Jesus all the time....heck I say it all the time. It means nothing.

Not the word Jesus, the name Jesus. That is what means something. You have any friends named Josh?

OK now you are really freaking me out. How did you know my name is Josh?

I didn't ...really...but it is nice to meet you Josh, my name is Aletheia. Jesus' name means Joshua.

You're kidding me right? He had the same name as me?

Yep. Joshua...it is a Hebrew name....do you know what it means?

No, I think my mom named me after some movie star or something.

It means God is Salvation.

You're kidding me?

Nope, Joshua is Jesus' name and it means God is salvation. His whole name is Jesus Christ.. Christ means Messiah, Redeemer. So His whole name means God is salvation Redeemer.

Weird.

Yeah. Remember we were talking about eternal life? John's book tells us all about it.

No way anyone is gonna give me eternal life.

Why?

Come on, I am a jerk. I do stupid things. No way God, Jesus, Joshua, whoever... cares about me and would actually give me something like eternal life.

Josh, God does care about you. A lot. So much that he sent His only son Jesus Christ...remember...salvation? redeemer?....He sent His only son to die for you so that you could have eternal life. All those jerky, stupid things you have ever done and will do again...Jesus died for that...so that you could have eternal life.

That is weird, all that dying stuff. So that is it? He died and now I have eternal life?

Not exactly, he asks just one thing.

Here it is, I knew it. Ok, lay it on me, what do I have to do?

John tells us in his book...believe.

Believe?

Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

So believe in this Jesus Joshua guy? Believe that God is salvation and this guy redeems, whatever that means?

Yes, believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But how can I believe if I don't even understand it all?

It is simple, just believe. You can't understand it all yet...but that moment that you believe...you are given eternal life and understanding will begin to follow.

This is crazy, but I gotta tell you I am sick of what I have now and who I am now.

Believe Josh. Believe in the One who redeemed you from all of this.

I gotta think about this.

No problem...I would need to think about it too. Thanks for listening...maybe I will see you next time we are here.

K. Hey that John guys book. How could I get that? Sounds easier to read than that bible thing.

Do you have the internet?

Of course! everybody does.

Just type in online bible. There are a lot of different sites. There are also a lot of different versions of the bible. Just choose one and click on John and then you can read that book. If it is too hard to understand, try a different version.

Thanks. I always thought Jesus people were freaky. How come you are normal?

Sometimes we just have to take a little time to talk so that we can realize I am not a freak and you are not a freak. See you around Josh.

*****************


Why do we ask the unregenerate mind to believe the spiritual truths of the death, burial and resurrection?

And if we are not asking them to believe the spiritual truths, then what are we asking them to believe?

Just the facts, mam?

Something is off kilter here.

many apologies

As I waited for Sardius in the dentist office I read through the latest Newsweek. One article caught my eye: Arguing Against the Atheists.

Recently several books have been released in response to a book entitled "God is not Great".

These books all hope to make the case for the author's belief in God.

"What God Can Do for You Now"
"Why Faith Matters"
"A Friendly Letter to Skeptics and Atheists"
"Is God a Delusion?"
"How to Believe in God"

Wow.

The author of the article made a great point....everyone seems to view God differently. So here we have all these books, polls, opinions, debates on God...and no one is speaking about the same God. Everyone has their own view of God and so the books, polls, opinions and debates go nowhere. There is no starting point of Truth.

Thus...I must ask myself...how do I share the Truth of who He is with someone whose idea of Him is so skewed that they can barely hear what I say?

I already know part of the answer because I have experienced it: I allow Him to live through me. My co-workers who interact with me daily and "know" me will be far more willing to listen and consider belief...than the guy I have never met that I stop as he walks by me on the street. Paul talks about this "sphere" in 2nd Corinthians. We all have our own "Sphere of Influence".

Scenario #1

Hey A, I have this assignment for my world lit class. I have to read the Old Testament (said with a squirm) Um, uh....well ...(and it comes out in a rush)....I know you like, read the bible and stuff and I was wondering if you could maybe help me.

sure.

Well you see I have all these stories I have to read and compare and I read for like 2 hours last night and I can't understand any of it...I mean none of it! I only have the King James. Do you know of another bible that might be easier for me to understand.

sure. I will bring it in tomorrow.

Thank you! (and their relief is palatable)

*******

This is a version called the Message, modern everyday language. I think you will have a much easier time understanding the Old Testament with this. What do you have to read?

Oh, the genesis story and umm, the flood and some other stuff.

Well, it should go a bit faster for you with this version.

Will you proofread my papers after I have written them?

You bet.

********

Here are my papers and thank you for letting me borrow your book. That was way easier. I feel like I could really understand what I was reading. Thanks for proofreading, let me know what you think.

Good stuff here, I liked reading it. Especially what you had to say about Job's friends. My favorite part was your conclusion: Mercy. That God is merciful. You are exactly right. Not many people seem to see or understand that mercy. Job's three friend's are quite a crack up aren't they? They really represent some different philosophies of thinking. Hey I gotta get back to work. See you later.

*******

Hey, A. I was thinking last night and I need to ask you something. What you said about Job's friends..did you think my conclusions were wrong or that I didn't understand something?

Nope, I thought your paper was very good. And I really liked that you saw the mercy of God. You didn't mention Job's 4th friend though. I was wondering what you thought of him.

A 4th friend! What? My assignment said to evaluate the 3 friends.

Yep, there is a 4th friend. He just sits and listens to it all and then he says his piece. He is younger than the others...but he sure seems to get it. And then comes the best part. God speaks. That's my favorite.

Hmmm, another friend. But you thought my paper was ok?

Yes. You always do a good job with your writing. I look forward to reading the rest of them.

*************

Scenario #2

(It is opening night at The Haunted Ship. A hundred or so teenagers are standing around and waiting in line. I wear a big placard "Jesus Saves" on one side "You are going to hell" on the other. I walk back and forth and shout out about the devil and demons and how this haunted ship is wrong.)

Do not go in there! Save yourselves! Jesus saves! Listen to me, I have some good news to tell you. Hey , Hey can I talk to you?

Leave me alone you idiot.

Really I just want to talk to you about God.

God!? whatever, there is no God or if there is a God who even cares. I don't! He doesn't care about me or anybody except those who can be "very, very good". Whatever. You are creeping me out. Yuck. Let's go guys.

God loves you!

Whatever....man that guy is weird. if that is God than forget it.

***********

I do not write this to mock....I only hope to be honest in what I have seen.

Thus...I must ask myself...how do I share the Truth of who He is with someone whose idea of Him is so skewed that they can barely hear what I say?

Which scenario leads to a place to start with the Truth? #1 or #2? You know my answer.

Is there another part to the answer?

contemplating falseness

Dearly Beloved and I recently watched a fictionalized account of Joseph Smith and the beginning of the mormon religion. It was very eye opening for us. For Anonimo, the comparisons to experience were staggering. For me, I felt a deep sadness at what we do when we do not take God at His Word.

Men throughout time have sought to serve God and in this seeking have only found their own preeminence. Somewhere along the journey they lost sight. They could no longer hear. Their hearts beat slowly, and time became their own and not His.

These men have always been what is often called charismatic. Charis: Grace. What they are is false grace. What irony. They are blind to the charis of Him and take a false charis upon themselves and project it onto and at others.

Again what irony that it is this false grace that draws people to them...people who truly desire true grace. But these men stand in the way of true vision, true understanding. They put themselves in the place of God. Oh grief.

When we stand and speak forth "stop!", they will not listen, they no longer hear. They are so in tune with their own truth that Truth sounds like lie to them. In love we speak the truth and it is returned with spit and gnashing.

I hold out my hand , palm upward, and offer the very smallest mustard seed. They brush it aside and over run me with their words. My tiny seed is not lost in the dust of their activity and so I gently pick it up and offer it once more. The exhalation of their disgust and exasperation blows my seed into the wind.

I say "You yourself have said 'faith alone'. Why do you not honor my tiny seed?" And I am dwarfed in the presence of their anger and astonishment. "How dare you....how dare you! question me!" And their interpretation is held up as a golden serpent when all I can see is a wooden staff.

My tiny seed has blown into the wind and I spread my arms wide and shout "behold!behold! that which was but a tiny speck is now towering strength. Can you tell me? Please tell me...how did something so small become so big?"

And they look in bewilderment at the sturdy tree which overshadows us both and they cannot answer...so they banish "away with you, you bitter wormwood. If you will not listen and obey MY voice....AWAY."

And they turn to those who are silent watchers and standing as tall as they can in there false charis...they begin to admonish" Take heed my brothers and sisters, take heed of this one who dared to question. See what falseness she speaks. See what bitter poison runs from her mouth. Take heed and see her no more. Her words you will not hear. Turn away from this reviler...she is that which I have warned you of." And his spit flies from his lips as his eyes glaze. I see it, they do not as they sway under his words and false charis.

My tree shades me. I sleep. I am exhausted. My dreams take me far away and at the same time terrorize me with images of the men who preached falsely.

When I awake I see others sitting nearby....their clothing covered with scars of shouted words "bitter! striving! carnal!!" Spit drips where it has fallen on their faces.

Some clench a tiny seed, others nurture a seedling. Still others lean against the protection of mature, beautiful trees.

Far off we see the false men marching. Many are following. We gaze into the sky and shade our eyes from the sun. We look back down and yet are so blinded we can no longer see the crowd that is marching away. Perhaps they do not exist? Maybe they never existed.

But then the blindness subsides and they are clearly seen again. Marching, marching and we see their destination and we cry out in a loud voice "WAIT!, Wait...listen." But they will not hear, they cannot hear.

Should we follow? Do they need us? What should we do?