It Only Takes A Spark to Start a Forest Fire!

Presenter Abstinence Education Seminar in Shannondale, Harpers Ferry, WV, July 2nd, 2021: More information and Registration

James 3

It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! 6 The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person’s entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures can be tamed and have been tamed. 8 But our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison.

Psalm 41

6 When visitors come,
all they ever bring
    are worthless words,
    and when they leave,
    they spread gossip.

Women of the Bible

6. Bathsheba

 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking upon the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, “I am with child.”
    So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David… David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants are my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”…
    In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab; and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite was slain also…
    When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son… And the lordstruck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died…
    Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went into her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the lord loved him.
    2 Samuel 11.2-27, 12.15-18, 24

King David, of blessed memory, was a great sage and recognized transmigrations. When he saw Uriah the Hittite, he knew that he was the Serpent who had seduced Eve, and when he saw Bathsheba he knew that she was Eve, and he knew that he himself was Adam. Thus, he wished to take Bathsheba from Uriah, because she was destined to be David’s mate… And the reason Nathan the prophet chastised him was because he hastened, and did not wait… for his haste caused him to go to her without performing tik-kun (restoration), for he first needed to remove from her the contamination of the Serpent, and thereafter to go to her, and he did not do so. Therefore, his first son Bathsheba died, for he was from the impurity of the Serpent, but from there on there was no Satan and no bad effect.31Sefer Peli’ah (Judaism)

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Bathsheba had cause to hate King David. But if she had, she could not have become the mother of King Solomon. She could have hated King David for intentionally sending her husband Uriah to the battlefield to be killed and taking her as his wife, but she accepted it as her fate, or rather as Heaven’s will. In other words, she believed that King David’s act was not done out of ill intent, but rather to fulfill a greater purpose of God. Further, Bathsheba was a patriot who prayed for her nation to be victorious even if her husband Uriah might have to make the ultimate sacrifice. Bathsheba thought that although her husband was killed, it was honorable for him to die as a loyal subject. Moreover, it was to his honor that she accepted being offered to the king with joy. She had such a high-standard viewpoint. She thought, “It is my duty to my husband that I offer myself to the king with loyalty and devotion.” With this attitude, she married King David. On this foundation, she could give birth to King Solomon. (40:97, January 24, 1971)
 
King Solomon’s mother was Bathsheba. She had been the wife of Uriah, but King David stole her from him. How, then, could the child from that union become King Solomon? Bathsheba was in the position of a second wife.   In terms of the providence to restore the positions in the Garden of Eden before the Fall, David was in the position of Adam and Uriah was in the position of the arch-angel. But the position of Eve had to be restored through a woman in the position of the wife of the Archangel. The archangel caused Eve to fall by stealing her from Adam, her original partner, and possessing her with false love. In order to indemnify this, David, Uriah and Bathsheba should repeat this triangular relationship and reverse it. The child born on the foundation of having fulfilled this condition according to the standard of the Principle would be a child of glory, blessed with Heaven’s love. That child of glory was King Solomon. (35:168, October 13, 1970)
 
 
 

Rehab Risked Her Life for Heaven’s Will

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2412

Because Adam and Eve lost the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven, if we do not restore it, God will not be able to, either. The devil has a strong desire to destroy it. We must restore the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven. The Family Pledge says, “seek our original homeland.” In the religious world, people were all commanded to leave their homes and lead celibate lives. However, the Unification Church is the opposite: it says to return to one’s hometown; to go back to one’s hometown. The message of returning to one’s hometown is the best news of all good news that has never been heard in the history of religion. This is the one-time only, joyful news of all joyful news. (264-187, 1994.10.9)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1320

The fact that 30,000 young couples from around the world have come together to be married is truly something to be celebrated on a universal scale. It is more wonderful than the marriage of a prince or princess of a king in his palace, which is celebrated by the whole nation. This marriage is on the worldwide level. If the Blessing on the worldwide scale were to develop from this to a second or third occasion, events of epic proportions would take place as a result. (234-281, 1992.8.27)

Richard: Everyone needs to receive the Blessing.

Women of the Bible

5. Rehab

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…
    Matthew 1.1-6
 
And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, “Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, “True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from; and when the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof…
    Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us… Now then, swear to me by the Lord that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house…” Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall.
    Joshua 2.1-15
 
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
 
The genealogy of Jesus recorded in chapter one of the Gospel of Matthew lists the names Tamar and Ruth, both of whom were in the position of concubines. It lists Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, another concubine. It lists Rahab, who was a prostitute. These women, concubines and prostitutes, appear in the Bible as playing significant roles in the background of human history. (92:292, April 18, 1977)
 
Rahab appears in the Gospel of Matthew. What kind of person was she? She was a prostitute, but more than that, she helped a spy of her country’s enemy. It is realistic for a prostitute to sympathize with her country’s enemy, but she risked her life to do it. She demonstrates that for the sake of Heaven’s will, we should risk our lives. Like Rahab, we should deny our life, our circumstances, and all the privileges our life affords. History progresses from that point of self-denial. (30:196, March 22, 1970)
 
 
 

Women on God’s Side Must Go the Opposite Way

James 2

20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works isdead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Richard: The “works” is the providence of Home Church.

Matthew 10

13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

Richard: Good advice for visiting your neighbors when doing Home Church.

Women of the Bible

4. Tamar

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Tamar was one example of how God’s lineage developed through women with an unusual path of life. Why would God use women of questionable morals in the dispensation? Ordinary women who offer their bodies in love, as Eve did, belong to Satan and are 100 percent on Satan’s side. Women on God’s side must go the opposite way. Hence, God needed women who could deny love on Satan’s side and [offer their bodies] to return to God.
Since Tamar met this criterion, God selected her and worked through her to fulfill the providence. What exactly did Tamar do? She was a righteous woman who was willing to take on the role of a sinner as she strived to fulfill God’s will. As Eve lied to God and her husband-to-be at the time of the Fall, Tamar deceived her father-in-law and her husband to-be, the third son of Judah. Tamar did precisely what Eve did, risking her life, but she did it for God’s will. (92:286-88, April 18, 1977)

I am sure Tamar prayed like this, “O Lord God, I miss the realm of Thy blessing. I am doing this to continue Thy blessed lineage, so God, please forgive me. Even though I may die tens of thousands of times, if only I can continue the blessed lineage of Judah through this immoral act, I have no regret.”
With that desperate heart, Tamar did not mind facing even death in order to fulfill God’s Will and resolve His grief. Tamar’s filial piety and obedience to God’s will was truly amazing. Yet it was painful for God to have to work His providence of restoration through this kind of complicated situation. (110:222-23, November 18, 1980)

Satan sowed the seed of false love within the womb of Eve, which gave birth to evil life. Therefore, God needed to purify a mother’s womb from which the heavenly Son could be born. Despite Jacob’s victory in winning over Esau, the forty-year period from their birth to their reconciliation still remained to be separated from Satan. The great mother who assumed the responsibility to meet this condition was Tamar.
Tamar had the single-minded conviction that she would carry on the lineage of the chosen people. To that end, she disguised herself as a prostitute and slept with her father-in-law, Judah, and became pregnant with twins. At the time of birth, one of the twin sons, Zerah, stretched out his hand from the womb to be born first. But he was pulled back into the womb; and the second son, Perez, was born first, taking the position of the elder brother. Thus, within the womb of Tamar, the first and second sons fought, and their reversal of position separated them from Satan.
This became the condition for restoration in the womb. Upon this condition, the Messiah could be conceived within the blood lineage of the chosen people, on the base of the nation of Israel that could stand up to the Roman Empire two thousand years later. The victorious foundation on the national level could then be formed in the womb of a mother free of satanic accusation, prepared for the seed of the Son of God. On this foundation, the holy mother Mary emerged in the mainstream of God’s providence. (277:205-06, April 16, 1966)

Tamar Was Indeed Virtuous

Cheon Seong Gyeong 487

Love embraces all four directions. At the same time, there has to be relations of front and back, and left and right. Because love is like this, the husband stands next to his wife in a relationship of left and right, and realizes a love that embraces the four directions. When such a wife loses her husband and falls from the position of being supported by the universe into a position of having no support, she feels the pain of his loss, as well as the pressure from the universal power. (Blessed Family – 901)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1272

In order to enter God’s realm of heart, your lineage has to be the same. You can only join that realm of heart after changing your lineage, which originated from a different root. The stems are different. The roots, stems and sprouts need to be identical. For that to be so, the great work of the conversion of lineage is absolutely necessary. This cannot be carried out alone. You need True Parents for this task. (172-55, 1988.1.7)

Richard: Everyone needs to receive the Blessing.

Women of the Bible

4. Tamar

Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of the lord; and the Lord slew him. Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the off-spring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.30 And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the lord, and he slew him also. Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
    In course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died; and when Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” she put off her widow’s garments, and put on a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot, for she had covered her face. He went over to her at the roadside, and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” He answered, “I will send you a kid from the flock.” And she said, “Will you give me a pledge, till you send it?” He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood…
    About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; and moreover she is with child by harlotry.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Mark, I pray you, whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” Then Judah acknowledged them and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not lie with her again.
    When the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. And when she was in labor, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This came out first.” But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out; and she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name was called Zerah.
    Genesis 38.6-30

Tamar was the daughter of a priest, and it can hardly be imagined that she set out with the intention of committing incest with her father-in-law, since she was by nature chaste and modest. She was indeed virtuous and did not prostitute herself, and it was out of her deeper knowledge and wisdom that she approached Judah, and a desire to act kindly and faithfully (towards the dead). And it was because her act was based on a deeper knowledge that God aided her and she straightaway conceived…
    There were two women from whom the seed of Judah was to be built up, from were to descend King David, King Solomon and the Messiah, viz. Tamar and Ruth. These two women had much in common. Both lost their first husbands, and both took similar steps to replace them. Tamar enticed Judah because he was next-of-kin to her sons who had died… Ruth similarly enticed Boaz, as it says, “she uncovered his feet and laid her down,” (Ruth 3:7)… From these two women, then the seed of Judah was built up and brought to completion, and both of them acted piously, and had for their aim to do kindness toward the dead, for the proper establishment of the world subsequently
    Zohar 1.188a-b (Judaism)

It Was a Replica of the Situation in Adam’s Family

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Revelation 6

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come out!” 8 Then I saw a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Death’s Kingdom followed behind. They were given power over one fourth of the earth, and they could kill its people with swords, famines, diseases, and wild animals.

Nehemiah 8

8 1-2 On the first day of the seventh month,[a]the people came together in the open area in front of the Water Gate. Then they asked Ezra, who was a teacher of the Law of Moses, to read to them from this Law that the Lord had given his people. Ezra the priest came with the Law and stood before the crowd of men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand. 3 From early morning till noon, he read the Law of Moses to them, and they listened carefully. 4 Ezra stood on a high wooden platform that had been built for this occasion. 

Women of the Bible

Rachel and Leah

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

For the first seven years, Jacob worked hard to gain the hand of Rachel, but Laban gave him Leah instead. We see that the intent of God was to have Jacob fulfill Adam’s mission for restoration. To reverse the process of the Fall, he should first go through Leah (on Satan’s side), and then he could embrace Rachel.
In the world there are two types of women. One type is fallen woman, and the other is a woman in the restored position. Leah plundered, as it were, her younger sister’s position. Laban, who represented Satan in this, blocked Rachel’s way in the providence of salvation by favoring Leah. Jacob tried to work it out, but the problem was that these two women were fighting each other over Jacob’s love.
It was a replica of the situation in Adam’s family, where Cain and Abel fought each other over God’s love. Rachel, like Abel, was trying to follow the purpose of God. At the same time, Satan interfered through Leah to promote his Cain-like self-centered love. Satan tried to seize the leading role in love, and in so doing tried to destroy God’s ideal…
She did not know at that time, but Rebecca, as the mother, was supposed to work with Jacob’s wives. She was to persuade Leah to submit to Rachel, so the wives could unite with Jacob’s heart. We can now see how difficult it was for her at that time; this was in addition to her mission to lift up Jacob in the position of Abel and enable him to appease Esau in the position of Cain, as well as to win over Isaac.
It was Rachel’s position, not Leah’s, which had to be upheld, and in that way Jacob, Rachel and Leah could be united as one. The elder sister should naturally submit to the younger. It is completely analogous to the relationship between the brothers Esau and Jacob, where the elder should surrender to the younger one hundred percent and honor the younger as though he were the elder. Likewise, for restoration to occur, the positions of Leah and Rachel as elder and younger sisters should be reversed. (244:239-40, February 14, 1993)

Among American women, are there any who are truly happy? Many are entangled in a relationship of Leah (the legal wife) and Rachel (the mistress). Some even go beyond that, to the point of practicing a life of free sex under the pretext of equality. Yet their actions are often rooted in jealousy…

During their struggle over love, Leah and her maids gave birth to ten sons, while Rachel had two. This became the division between the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah—between ten tribes and two tribes—in the position of Cain and Abel. Thus, the struggle for love within Jacob’s family ultimately led to a divided nation and the wars between them. (244:248-49, February 14, 1993)