Psalm 16:4

Psalm 16:4

Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

a. NLT: Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood or even speak the names of their gods. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. Amplified Bible: Their sorrows shall be multiplied who choose another god; their drink offerings of blood will I not offer or take their names upon my lips. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Septuagint: Their weaknesses have been multiplied; afterward they hasted. I will by no means assemble their bloody meetings, neither will I make mention of their names with my lips.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: Their sorrows will multiply, those who rush after other [gods]; I shall not pour their libations of blood; I shall not carry their names upon my lips. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

1. “Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god…”

a. [Their] sorrows [Strong: 6094 ʻatstsebeth, ats-tseh'-beth; from 6087; a idol; also, a pain or wound:--sorrow, wound.][AMG Complete Old Testament Word Study Dictionary: A feminine noun meaning hurt, injury, pain…Although sometimes portrayed in physical terms, this term clearly refers to emotional suffering and not physical pain or injury.]

b. [shall be] multiplied [Strong: 7235 râbâh, raw-baw'; a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):--(bring in) abundance (X -antly), be in authority, bring up, X continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, X -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), X process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.]

c. [that] hasten [after] [Strong: 4116 mâhar, maw-har'; a primitive root; properly, to be liquid or flow easily, i.e. (by implication); to hurry (in a good or a bad sense); often used (with another verb) adverbially, promptly:--be carried headlong, fearful, (cause to make, in, make) haste(-n, -ily), (be) hasty, (fetch, make ready) X quickly, rash, X shortly, (be so) X soon, make speed, X speedily, X straightway, X suddenly, swift.]

d. another [god] [Strong: 312 ʼachêr, akh-air'; properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc.:--(an-)other man, following, next, strange.]

1). In 1994 the city of San Jose agreed to put a sculpture of the pagan god Quetzalcoatl in the town park and put out a total of over $500,000 dollars to finance it. After a lawsuit that failed, the statue was unveiled in late 1994.

a). Georgie Ann Geyer, a nationally syndicated columnist wrote this in December of 1994: “What a strange Christmas season! As they have been for so many years now, strictly Christian observances are banned in public spaces and schools where children supposedly learn of their history and heritage. Yet in San Jose, California, a statue of the Toltec-Aztec Mexican god Quetzalcoatl was just unveiled in a downtown plaza. After a good deal of controversy, one Christian pastor characterized the “plumed serpent” god as “a dead, forgotten god who deserved to be dead because of all the lives sacrificed to him”, the city paid $500,000 for the statue, all (yet again) in the service of “diversity.” Result: Christianity, being the mainstream religion of America, has to be restrained for the tastes of the “politically correct,” but obscure and even morally offensive gods such as Quetzalcoatl are now encouraged and even publicly subsidized.”

b). Incidentally, World Magazine reported in November of 1994: “At the same time, in the same downtown park, the city removed a manger scene that had been a Christmas fixture for 20 years. “The crèche in the park was offensive to a significant part of the community,” Mayor Susan Hammer said. The city returned the crèche in December following a public outcry.

2). Hundreds Gather for Unveiling of Satanic Statue in Detroit, Nash Jenkins Time Magazine, July 27, 2015. The bronze monument was unveiled by the Satanic Temple in Detroit on July 25, 2015 The "largest public satanic ceremony in history". A little before midnight on Saturday, a crowd of around 700 gathered in an old industrial warehouse a few blocks from the Detroit River for what they’d been told was the “largest public satanic ceremony in history.” Most of them professed to be adherents of Satanism, that loosely organized squad of the occult that defines itself as a religious group. Others came simply because they were curious. After all, Satanists exist in the popular psyche as those who casually sacrifice goats and impregnate Mia Farrow with Lucifer’s child; if this ceremony was indeed unprecedentedly big, who knew what could be in store? The reality of the event — and of the contemporary Satanic movement at large — was tamer, and, if the Facebook pictures speak the truth, harmlessly festive: a cross between an underground rave and a meticulously planned Halloween party. They were there to publicly unveil a colossal bronze statue of Baphomet, the goat-headed wraith who, after centuries of various appropriations, is now the totem of contemporary Satanism. The pentagram, that familiar logo of both orthodox Satanists and disaffected teens, originated as a rough outline of Baphomet’s head. The statue itself is impressive: almost nine feet tall, and weighing in at around a ton. The horned idol sits on a throne adorned with a pentagram, but it is the idol’s wings, and not his chair, that curiously evoke the Iron Throne from a certain celebrated HBO fantasy series. He has the jarring horns of a virile ram but the biceps of a guy who lifts four or five times a week. His legs, which are crossed, end not in feet but in hooves. It might seem more menacing if not for the two bronze-statue children standing on either side of him — a girl on his left; a boy on his right; both are looking up at him earnestly. “Baphomet contains binary elements symbolizing a reconciliation of opposites, emblematic of the willingness to embrace, and even celebrate differences,” Jex Blackmore, who organized the unveiling, told TIME late Sunday night. In a sense, the statue is a stress test of American plurality: at what point does religious freedom make the people uncomfortable? http://time.com/3972713/detroit-satanic-statue-baphomet/ 

3). One Nation Under Allah? What Your Kids Are Learning at Some Schools

10/8/2015 CeCe Heil is a Senior Counsel for the ACLJ specializing in public policy and global legal matters including the United Nations. Islamic indoctrination is happening in public schools all across America. Over the past few months, we have updated you on some of the Islamic indoctrination happening in Tennessee and Georgia. However, these are not isolated events—it's a nationwide epidemic that has been brewing for a while. For the last several years, parents from across the country have contacted the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ)—from California to Maine—concerned about the teaching of Islam in their local schools. It seems that many schools may be going well beyond simply teaching about a religion. From disparate treatment of religions, to distortion of truth, the teaching of Islam seems entrenched with problems. Students in Tennessee and Georgia were told to recite the Five Pillars of Islam—the Islamic conversion creed—while not learning about Christianity or Judaism. Some schools in Georgia reportedly went as far as to tell students that Allah is the same God worshipped by Christians. And at least one Tennessee middle school—where Islam was covered for over three weeks—students were told to write "Allah is the only God," while the lesson on Christianity was skipped in its entirety. This far surpasses education on the history of world religions. This is indoctrination. Almost 7,000 Tennessee citizens have contacted us expressing their opposition to this egregious practice. It is our goal to make sure that any unconstitutional actions by the school districts, pertaining to Islamic indoctrination, cease. To this end, we sent open record requests to every school district in Tennessee—on behalf of over 160,000 individuals—to uncover the truth about what students are learning. Although, several school district attorneys have tried to stall compliance based on the "citizenship" of the ACLJ, the State of Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel has already specifically addressed that matter (in a letter dated September 23, 2015) and has made clear that the requested documents must be made accessible to our requesting attorney, who is a Tennessee citizen, stating: "Because a corporation does not have the ability to provide a government issued photo identification with an address on it, it is the opinion of this office that for purposes of the Act, the term 'citizen' does not include corporations. However, it is also the opinion of this office that when an individual who is making a request on behalf of a corporation is able to produce government issued photo identification that includes a Tennessee address, any record that is responsive to the request and is not confidential is required to be made accessible to the requestor." (emphasis added) The opinion from the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel only serves to underscore what we have known all along—our open records requests are valid, and the school districts are required to produce all records that are responsive to our requests. We are following up with any school districts that have erroneously denied our open records request.  In the end, these flawed stonewalling tactics will not stand to hide the truth. Of course, not all school districts in Tennessee followed the stall tactic, and we are currently receiving and working with many districts pertaining to the requested records. But it's not just Tennessee where we are involved.  In April, we reported that at least one high school in Wisconsin was apparently forcing students to "pretend you are a Muslim. We sent a letter to the school—on behalf of thousands of concerned citizens and parents—explaining that forcing students to adopt a particular religious viewpoint violates the Establishment Clause. Now, we have heard from over 205,000 people across the nation, and are currently looking into curriculum concerns in Georgia where we have heard from almost 6,000 citizens and California where we have heard from over 22,000 citizens. The ACLJ is continuing to fight to end the unconstitutional teaching of Islam in public schools. We are taking on clients and preparing important demand letters to send to these schools and are weighing our legal options to stop this outrage. Incredibly, as Islam continues to be taught in schools around the nation, students are being denied the right to establish Bible Clubs on campus, bring their Bibles to school, and speak about Christianity. Simply put, schools may not promote Islam while silencing Christianity.  http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/52541-one-nation-under-allah-what-your-kids-are-learning-at-some-schools 

4). Does this apply to America? Yes, I think it does. I personally believe this includes the recent rise in Muslim violence toward America, school shootings and other violent occurrences causing emotional and physical pain in America. 

2. “…their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.”

a. drink offerings [Strong: 5262 neçek, neh'-sek; or נֵסֶךְ nêçek; a libation; also a cast idol:--cover, drink offering, molten image.]

b. [of] blood [Strong: 1818 dâm, dawm; blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), + innocent.]

c. [will I] not [Strong: 1077 bal bal from 1086; properly, a failure; by implication nothing; usually (adverb) not at all; also lest:--lest, neither, no, none (that...), not (any), nothing.]

d. offer [Strong: 5258  nâçak, naw-sak'; a primitive root; to pour out, especially a libation, or to cast (metal); by analogy, to anoint a king:—cover, melt, offer, (cause to) pour (out), set (up). a primitive root; to pour out, especially a libation, or to cast (metal); by analogy, to anoint a king:--cover, melt, offer, (cause to) pour (out), set (up).]

e. take up [Strong: 5375 nâsâʼ, naw-saw'; or נָסָה nâçâh; (Psalm 4:6 [7]); a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.]

f. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

g. [their] names [Strong: 8034  shêm, shame; a primitive word; an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character:--+ base, (in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.]

 

h. into [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

i. [my] lips [Strong: 8193  sâphâh, saw-faw'; or (in dual and plural) שֶׂפֶת sepheth; probably from H5595or H8192 through the idea of termination (compare H5490); the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.):--band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, ((sea-))shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.]

1). The Law of Moses forbade the mentioning of the names of other gods.

a). Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

2). Similarly Paul writes in Ephesians.

a). Ephesians 5:3, 4  But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.