Tithes & Alms

• In I Peter 3:1-7, there are some key admonitions to the wives that are very important for salvation.

1Pe 3:6

Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. G4423

 

Definition:

G4423

πτόησις

ptoēsis

pto'-ay-sis From G4422; alarm: - amazement.

Thayer Definition: 1) to be afraid of with terror

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• Peter is encouraging the women not to be caught up in their emotions to be afraid when hearing of  alarming things because this was the mistake that Sarah made, of which, caused her death. Her emotions for her son overwhelmed her reasoning to stay temperate in emotions and sound in mind when she was given alarming news that was contrary to what she was told by Abraham. Let's follow the testimony and learn of how the enemy seeks to separate the wife from the righteousness of being sound minded and temperate in emotions cleaving to her husband:

Jasher 23:1-5

At that time the word of Ahayah came to Abraham, and He said unto him: Abraham! And he said, here I am. 2. And He said to him: Take now thy son, thine only begotten son whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains, which shall be shown to thee, for there wilt thou see a cloud and the glory of the Lord. 3. And Abraham said within himself, how shall I separate my son Isaac from Sarah his mother, in order to bring him up for a burnt offering before the Lord?  4. And Abraham came into the tent, and he sat before Sarah his wife, and he spoke these words to her. 5. My son Isaac is grown up and he has not for some time studied the service of his Alahayim, now tomorrow I will go and bring him to Shem, and Eber his son, and there he will learn the ways of the Lord, for they will teach him to know the Lord as well as to know that when he prayeth continually before the Lord, He will answer him, therefore there he will know the way of serving the Lord his Alahayim.

• (Abraham is faithful that Ahayah will restore Isaac from the dead so he makes plans to take his son to Shem after he goes to offer him up.)

Heb 11:17-19

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that Alahayim was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

• (This is why Abraham told his wife he was taking Isaac to Shem because he had no doubt his son would live). Continuing the story:

Jasher 23:6-13

And Sarah said, thou hast spoken well, go my lord and do unto him as thou hast said, but remove him not at a great distance from me, neither let him remain there too long, for my soul is bound within his soul.

• Unfortunately, she was cleaved more to what she loved, than to the words of her husband and it would be used against her by the Devil to get an emotional reaction out of her later in this story when Satan will speak against what her husband said in regards to her son. (The mother of seven sons in Maccabees 4 is an example of not being overtaken in emotions regardless of what someone says as Peter instructs. We will look at that story for a dichotomy of what the sisters in the church are called unto according to sound doctrine.) Notice the words of Abraham are that Isaac is going to Shem and Eber to study and learn how to serve his Alahayim. Lets continue:

7. And Abraham said unto Sarah, my daughter, let us pray to the Lord our Alahayim that he may do good with us. 8. And Sarah took her son Isaac and he abided all that night with her, and she kissed and embraced him, and gave him instructions till morning. 9 And she said to him, O my son how can my soul separate itself from thee? And she still kissed him and embraced him. And she gave Abraham instructions concerning him. 10. And Sarah said to Abraham: O my Lord, I pray thee, take heed of thy son, and place thine eyes over him, for I have no other son nor daughter but him. 11. O forsake him not. If he be hungry give him bread, and if he be thirsty give him water to drink ; do not let him go on foot, neither let him sit in the sun. 12. Neither let him go by himself in the road, neither force him from whatever he may desire, but do unto him as he may say to thee. 13. And Sarah wept bitterly the whole night on account of Isaac, and she gave him instructions till morning.

• (She was in agreement for Isaac to go learn but not wholeheartedly when it came to him leaving as is evident by her already worrying about Isaac instead of being temperate in emotions and sound minded in moderation having faith in Alahayim. Instead she was vexed through worry for her son, not trusting her husband nor Alahayim that provides for us and gives us what we need everyday. Instead she usurped herself over Alahayim and her husband.)

​Jasher 23:14-19

And in the morning Sarah selected a very fine and beautiful garment from those garments which she had in the house that Abimelech had given to her. 15. And she dressed Isaac her son therewith, and she put a turban upon his head, and she enclosed a precious stone in the top of the turban, and she gave them provision for the road, and they went forth, and Isaac went with his father Abraham, and some of their servants accompanied them to see them off the road. 16. And Sarah went out with them, and she accompanied them upon the road to see them off, and they said to her, return to the tent. ​17. And when Sarah heard the words of her son Isaac she wept bitterly, and Abraham her husband wept with her, and their son wept with them a great weeping; also those who went with them wept greatly. ​18. And Sarah caught hold of her son Isaac, and she held him in her arms, and she embraced him and continued to weep with him, and Sarah said, who knoweth if after this day I shall ever see thee again? 

• Sarah is already in fear of whether she will see Isaac again instead of reasoning on the words of her husband and trusting Alahayim. These fearful thoughts and concerns will be used against her by the Devil later.

19. And they still wept together, Abraham, Sarah and Isaac and all those that accompanied them on the road wept with them, and Sarah afterward turned away from her son, weeping bitterly, and all her men servants and maid servants returned with her to the tent.

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• Interestingly, the whole family was emotional thus far, but as we continue reading, we see the difference in how one responds when facing adversity. Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah were all tempted by the Devil in the coming verses, but Sarah, given to her fears (fearful thoughts) in her emotions instead of being temperate waiting to speak with her husband, was the only one who fell in her trial. Abraham cleaved to Ahayah obeying his voice. Isaac cleaved to his believing father’s words instead of hearkening to anyone else as is upright for an unmarried son who's believing father is the head of household, but Sarah hearkened to the words of a stranger without consideration of what her husband told her due to her prior fears and being afraid at the alarming news of the stranger.

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1. Abraham tried by Satan to doubt Ahayah’s command

Jasher 23:25.

And whilst Abraham was proceeding with his son Isaac along the road, Satan came and appeared to Abraham in the figure of a very aged man, humble and of contrite spirit, and he approached Abraham and said to him, art thou silly or brutish, that thou goest to do this thing this day to thine only son?

• (The Devil uses people just as he uses demonic spirits, so take heed to who one listens to for advice and counsel. Abraham had to withstand the temptation of going against his Lord, Yache, and prevailed by being faithful in obeying his voice.)

Jasher 23:26.

For Alahayim gave thee a son in thy latter days, in thy old age, and wilt thou go and slaughter him this day because he committed no violence, and wilt thou cause the soul of thine only son to perish from the earth?

• (Tempting him with his love for Isaac to entice him to worry about Isaac over what he was commanded)

Jasher 23:27.

Dost thou not know and understand that this thing cannot be from the Lord? For the Lord cannot do unto man such evil upon earth to say to him, go slaughter thy child.

• (He is gaslighting (lying in deceit) trying to persuade Abraham to see Alahayim in a different light testing his faith by trying to make him doubt it was Alahayim that wanted him to do it.)

Jasher 23:28.

And Abraham heard this and knew that it was the word of Satan who endeavored to draw him aside from the way of Ahayah, but Abraham would not hearken to the voice of Satan, and Abraham rebuked him so that he went away. 

• (He knew it was Satan because it was contrary to what Ahayah said to do. When we are temperate and sound in mind, Ahayah provides a way out of the temptation through the simplicity of obeying his voice.)

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2. Isaac tried by Satan to doubt the command and guidance of his father from Ahayah.

Jasher 23:29-31

And Satan returned and came to Isaac; and he appeared unto Isaac in the figure of a young man, comely and well favored. 30. And he approached Isaac and said unto him: Dost thou not know and understand that thy old silly father bringeth thee to the slaughter this day for nought? 31. Now therefore, my son, do not listen nor attend to him, for he is a silly old man, and let not thy precious soul and beautiful figure be lost from the earth.

• (the Devil tried to claim authority over Isaac as his son to hearken to him instead of Abraham, his head of household.)

Jasher 23:32.

And Isaac heard this, and said unto Abraham, hast thou heard, my father, that which this man has spoken, even thus has he spoken?

• As you can see Isaac did not even respond to Satan, he was temperate, immediately telling his father and patiently waiting for his counsel on what to do. This is how we have to cleave to our covering (head of household) when tempted.

Jasher 23:33.

And Abraham answered his son Isaac and said to him, take heed of him and do not listen to his words, nor attend to him, for he is Satan endeavoring to draw us aside this day from the commands of Alahayim.

• (Isaac went to his covering, his father, and his father counseled him and rebuked Satan. Likewise, we all ought to take this testimony for guidance to overcome the wicked darts of the enemy. There is no discussion to have with Satan or his spirits, even as Isaac didn't even respond to Satan but spoke to his father.) The deceit of the Devil can be seen in the words spoken to lead one astray from the commands of the Lord regardless of a person's appearance. Whether appearing in the glory of pride (the young man who came to Isaac) or the appearance of humility (the old man who came to Abraham), words of transgression are indicators of Satan's spirit seeking to lead one astray as is evident by Abraham's and Isaac's experiences both of which belittled either Alahayim or the head of household. Lets see how things panned out when obeying Alahayim for Abraham and Isaac:

Jasher 23:70-71

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a ram was caught in a thicket by his horns; that was the ram which Ahayah Alahayim had created in the earth in the day that he made earth and heaven. ​71. For Ahayah had prepared this ram from that day, to be a burnt offering instead of Isaac.

• (When faithful and patient, Ahayah always makes a way out. He provided a ram to deliver his servant Isaac.)

1Co 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but Alahayim is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Jasher 23:74-75

And Abraham sprinkled some of the blood of the ram upon the altar, and he exclaimed and said, this is in the place of my son, and may this be considered this day as the blood of my son before the Lord. 75 And all that Abraham did on this occasion by the altar, he would exclaim and say, this is in the place of my son, and may it this day be considered before the Lord in the place of my son. And Abraham finished the whole of the service by the altar, and the service was accepted before Ahayah, and was accounted as if it had been Isaac; and Ahayah blessed Abraham and his seed on that day.

• (See that Isaac has already been delivered from the sword before Satan comes to lie and say he is being sacrificed)

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3. Sarah tried by Satan to be "afraid with amazement" 

• Sarah is tempted to doubt the words of her lord just like everyone else. Abraham said he was going to Shem. {Jasher 23:5-6} He would have taken Isaac after the sacrifice because that was the first thing he did after burying Sarah. Sarah hearkened to the alarming words of the Devil that her son was dead because the devil had been working on her from before Isaac left with fearful thoughts of never seeing him again. This is why Peter is warning the women to “not be afraid with any amazement." If Sarah had remained sound minded and temperate not being afraid with fearful thoughts as Isaac was in his trial, she could have patiently waited for Abraham to return not hearkening to the words of a another man other than her husband and ask him about the strangers words if she may have heard them, remembering it is not what Abraham said, even as Isaac turned unto his father when a stranger came with words contrary to Abraham's. She is a testimony for women in the faith not be afraid with fearful thoughts by staying temperate in their emotions and of a sound mind in moderation at all times.

Jasher 23:76.

And Satan went to Sarah, and he appeared to her in the figure of an old man very humble and meek, and Abraham was yet engaged in the burnt offering before Ahayah.

• (Don’t let the countenance of a person nor their appearance of character deceive us, but take heed to the words that they speak, whether in the light of the law or works of the Devil. Questions for reasoning may be: Is it against the law? Is it according to the fruits of the Spirit? is it the Lord's will? Is it contrary to what your lord (head-the man) told you? Would your lord be in agreement? Have I gotten counsel from my lord about this? Sisters have to be vigilant)

Jasher 23:77.

And he said unto her: Dost thou not know all the work that Abraham has made with thine only son this day? For he took Isaac and built an altar and killed him, and brought him up as a sacrifice upon the altar, and Isaac cried and wept before his father, but he looked not at him, neither did he have compassion over him.

• (Abraham told Sarah he was taking Isaac to Shem, so if she had been temperate and of a sound mind, she could have not responded and waited to speak with her husband as Isaac did. Unfortunately the seed was already planted in Sarah, as she was already in agreement with Abraham having a lack of compassion for Issac as to why she gave so many orders for Abraham regarding Issac; as she even placed Issac's word above her husband Abraham saying unto him, but do unto him as he may say to thee. Showing her lack of reverence for her husbands authority over her.)

Jasher 23:78.

And Satan repeated these words, and he went away from her, and Sarah heard all the words of Satan, and she imagined him to be an old man from amongst the sons of men who had been with her son, and had come and told her these things.

• (Now we know when it’s the Devil talking to us, whether in our mind or in our face through someone, he repeats over and over until we cave in to hearken to his words and get into our emotions. Sadly Sarah listened to him being in her emotions blinded by her prior fears which kept her from seeing the spirit working in that old man by evidence of his contrary words. On the other hand, Isaac, though he didn't know it was Satan himself, patiently asked his father about the deceitful words said to him and only believed his father’s word, as an example of abiding in your covering. 

Jasher 23:79.

And Sarah lifted up her voice and wept and cried out bitterly on account of her son; and she threw herself upon the ground and she cast dust upon her head, and she said, O my son, Isaac my son, O that I had this day died instead of thee. And she continued to weep and said, it grieves me for thee, O my son, my son Isaac, O that I had died this day in thy stead.

• (She hearkened and believed the stranger without consulting with her husband. It was expedient for Sarah to have been temperate without fear at the news remembering that this was not what Abraham had said he was going to do while waiting patiently to ask him when he returned.)

Jasher 23:80-86

And she still continued to weep, and said, it grieves me for thee after that I have reared thee and have brought thee up; now my joy is turned into mourning over thee, I that had a longing for thee, and cried and prayed to Alahayim till I bare thee at ninety years old; and now hast thou served this day for the knife and the fire, to be made an offering. 81. But I console myself with thee my son, in it being the word of the Lord, for thou didst perform the command of thy Alayahim: For who can transgress the word of our Alahayim, in whose hands is the soul of every living creature? 82. Thou art just O Lord our Alahayim, for all thy works are good and righteous; for I also am rejoiced with thy word which thou didst command, and whilst mine eye weepeth bitterly my heart rejoiceth.

• Thankfully she didn't turn away from Alahayim in her heart to speak against His will if it had been that Isaac would have been physically offered. It would have just been profitable not to believe the lie of a stranger's emotionally provoking words instead of her husband's. 

83 And Sarah laid her head upon the bosom of one of her handmaids, and she became as still as a stone. 84. She afterward rose up and went about making inquiries till she came to Hebron, and she inquired of all those whom she met walking in the road, and no one could tell her what had happened to her son.

• Now in her emotions, she has left the tent contrary to the command of Abraham and Isaac who bid her return to the tent before they left having no regard for her husbands command.

85. And she came with her maid servants and men servants to KireathArba, which is Hebron, and she asked concerning her son, and she remained there whilst she sent some of her servants to seek where Abraham had gone with Isaac; they went to seek him in the house of Shem and Eber, and they could not find him, and they sought throughout the land and he was not there. 86. And behold, Satan came to Sarah in the shape of an old man, and he came and stood before her, and he said unto her, I spoke falsely unto thee, for Abraham did not kill his son and he is not dead. And when she heard the word, her joy was so exceedingly violent on account of her son that her soul went out through joy. She died and was gathered to her people.

•  (Unstable emotions can lead to our death. One has to be grounded in faith, having soundness of mind, and temperance not being afraid of anything seeing that the Devil will use any lack of moderation against us to lead us astray.)

• In closing, these were the events Peter was referring to that the women may be admonished to walk in all the righteousness of Sarah except being given into emotions of being frightened by any fear but rather letting their moderation be known before all men as the Lord is at hand humbling themselves under the mighty hand of Alahayim to walk in his fruits and law at all times cleaving to their head of household. It would have saved Sarah if she would have kept temperance and patiently waited to talk with her husband about the matter to get the facts from him.

A Woman not "afraid with amazement" 

• An example of a woman not afraid with any amazement can be seen in the Hebrew woman who took courage in her trails for an example unto the sisters in the Church: 

4Ma CHAP. 15.

1. REASON of the sons, master over the passions! O religion, that wast dearer to the mother than her children! 2. The mother, having two choices before her, religion and the present saving alive of her seven sons according to the tyrant's promise, 3. loved rather religion, which saveth unto eternal life according to Alahayim. 4. O how may I express the passionate love of parents for children? We stamp a marvelous likeness of our soul and of our shape on the tender nature of the child, and most of all through the mother's sympathy with her children being deeper than the father's. 5. For women are softer of soul than men, and the more children they bear the more do they abound in love for them. 6. But, of all mothers, she of the seven sons abounded in love beyond the rest, seeing that, having in seven child-bearings felt maternal tenderness for the fruit of her womb, and having been constrained because of the many pangs in which she bore each to a close affection, she nevertheless through the fear of Alahayim rejected the present safety of her children.7. Ay, and more than that, through the moral beauty and goodness of her sons and their obedience to the Law, her maternal love for them was made stronger. 8. For they were just, and temperate, and brave and great-souled, and lovers of each other and of their mother in such manner that they obeyed her in the keeping of the Law even unto death. 9. But nevertheless, though she had so many temptations to yield to her maternal instincts, in no single instance did the dreadful variety of tortures have power to alter her Reason; but the mother urged each son separately, and all together, to die for their religion. 10. O holy nature, and parental love, and yearning of parents for offspring, and wages of nursing, and unconquerable affection of mothers! 11. The mother, seeing them one by one racked and burned, remained unshaken in soul for religion's sake. 12. She saw the flesh of her sons being consumed in the fire, and the extremities of their hands and feet scattered on the ground, and the flesh-covering, torn off from their heads right to their cheeks, strewn about like masks. 13. O mother, who now knew sharper pangs than the pangs of labour! 14. O woman, alone among women, the fruit of whose womb was perfect religion! 15. Thy firstborn, giving up the ghost, did not alter thy resolution, nor thy second, looking with eyes of pity on thee under his tortures, nor thy third, breathing out his spirit. 16. Neither didst thou weep when thou beheldest the eyes of each amid the torments looking boldly on the same anguish, and sawest in their quivering nostrils the signs of approaching death. 17. When thou sawest the flesh of one son being severed after the flesh of another, and hand after hand being cut off, and head after head being flayed, and corpse cast upon corpse, and the place crowded with spectators on account of the tortures of thy children, thou sheddest not a tear. 18. Not the melodies of the sirens nor the songs of swans with sweet sound do so charm the hearer's ears, as sounded the voices of the sons, speaking to the mother from amid the torments. 19. How many and how great were the tortures with which the mother was tormented while her sons were being tortured with torments of rack and fire!20. But Inspired Reason lent her heart a man's strength under her passion of suffering, and exalted her to make no account of the present yearnings of mother-love. 21. And although she saw the destruction of her seven children and the many and varied forms of their torments, the noble mother willingly surrendered them through faith in Alahayim. 22. For she beheld in her own mind, even as it had been cunning advocates in a council chamber, nature, and parenthood, and mother-love, and her children on the rack, and it was as if she, the mother, having the choice between two votes in the case of her children, one for their death and one to save them alive, thereupon regarded not the saving of her seven sons for a little time, but, as a true daughter of Abraham, called to mind his Alahayim-fearing courage. 22. O mother of the race, vindicator of our Law, defender of our religion, and winner of the prize in the struggle within thyself! 23. O woman, nobler to resist than men, and braver than warriors to endure! 24. For as the Ark of Noah, with the whole living world for her burden in the world whelming Deluge, did withstand the mighty surges, so thou, the keeper of the Law, beaten upon every side by the surging waves of the passions, and strained as with strong blasts by the tortures of thy sons, didst nobly weather the storms that assailed thee for religion's sake.

 

4Ma CHAP. 16.

1. THUS then, if one both a woman and advanced in years, and the mother of seven sons, endured the sight of her children being tortured to death, the Inspired Reason must confessedly be supreme ruler over the passions. 2. I have proved, accordingly, that not only have men triumphed over their sufferings, but that a woman also has despised the most dreadful tortures. 3. And not so fierce were the lions around Daniel, not so hot was the burning fiery furnace of Mishael, as burned in her the instinct of motherhood at the sight of her seven sons being tortured. 4. But by her religion-guided Reason the mother quenched her passions, many and strong as they were. 5. For there is this also to consider, that had the woman been weak of spirit, despite her motherhood, she might have wept over them, and perchance spoken thus: 'Ah, thrice wretched me, and more than thrice wretched! Seven children have I borne and am left childless! 7. In vain was I seven times with child, and to no profit was my ten months' burden seven times borne, and fruitless have been my nursings, and sorrowful my sucklings. 8. In vain for you, O my sons, did I endure the many pangs of labour, and the more difficult cares of your upbringing. 9. Alas, for my sons, that some were yet unwed, and those that were wedded had begotten no children; I shall never see children of yours, nor shall I be called by the name of grandparent. 10. Ah me, that had many beautiful children, and am a widow and desolate in my woe! 11. Neither will there be any son to bury me when I am dead!' 12. But the holy and Alahayim-fearing mother wailed not with this lamentation over any one of them, neither besought she any to escape death, nor lamented over them as dying men; but, as though she had a soul of adamant and were bringing forth the number of her sons, for a second time, into immortal life, she besought rather and entreated of them that they should die for religion's sake

 

• This woman’s testimony of enduring in faith without being afraid of any amazement is a witness and encouragement for sisters to know through religious reasoning, they can stand strong in the faith with moderation enduring and overcoming the trials of passions (emotions) unto salvation by cleaving to the words of their husband: 

4Ma 2:14-15

14. And the rule of Reason is likewise proved to extend

through the more aggressive passions or vices, ambition, vanity, ostentation, pride, and

backbiting. 15. For the temperate mind repels all these debased passions, even as it does

anger, for it conquers even this.

4Ma 2:17. 

For the temperate mind is able, as I said, to win the victory over the passions, modifying some, while crushing others absolutely.. 

4Ma 2:20. 

For in the day when Alahayim created man, he implanted in him his passions and inclinations, and also, at the very same time, set the mind on a throne amidst the senses to be his sacred guide in all things; 21. and to the mind he gave the Law, by the which if a man order himself, he shall reign over a kingdom that is temperate, and just, and virtuous, and brave.

4Ma 3:15. 

For the temperate mind is able to conquer the dictates of the passions, and to quench the fires of desire, and to wrestle victoriously with the pangs of our bodies though they be exceeding strong, and by the moral beauty and goodness of Reason to defy with scorn all the domination of the passions.

4Ma 1:3

3. That is to say, if Reason is proved to control the passions adverse to temperance, gluttony and lust, 4. it is also clearly shown to be master over the passions, like malevolence, opposed to justice, and over those opposed to manliness, namely rage and pain and fear. 5. But, some may ask, if the Reason is master of the passions, why does it not control forgetfulness and ignorance? Their object being to cast ridicule. 6. The answer is that Reason is not master over defects inhering in the mind itself, but over the passions or moral defects that are adverse to justice and manliness and temperance and judgement; and its action in their case is not to extirpate the passions, but to enable us to resist them successfully.

• We hope these testimonies help for understanding, awareness, belief, and encouragement to do the work to make your calling sure in Alahayim. Be of good courage sisters and may the Lord Yache prosper his daughters  in good works.