The Worth of a Soul and the Mercies of God*

     Because of the worth of a soul, God sent His Son as the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world (Gen. 1:1, Rev. 13:8). The origin of the human soul is the breath of God: "And the LORD God formed (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Gen. 2:7). The Hebrew word for soul is nefesh meaning a living being, a spirit." The soul is made up of the mind, the will, and the emotions. The prophet Micah revealed the value of the soul: "...Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." (Mic. 6:6-9). We can hear the cry of the LORD throughout the world, especially to America, for the value of our souls.

     The prophet Jeremiah thought of his afflictions, was humbled by them, and had given up his strength and hope because of them. However Jeremiah remembered something that gave him hope again: "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." (Lam. 3:17-24). The mind, will and emotions of Jeremiah's soul almost overcame him, but his soul also reminded him: "The LORD and His unending compassions and mercy is my portion," and gave him hope again. Our mind, will and emotions sometimes try to take us in a different direction, but then we are reminded of how much the LORD values each soul that came from His own breath. Will you allow things that you have suffered to humble you until you remember the mercy of the LORD towards you? The song, "It is Well with My Soul" was written by a man who lost his family in a ship accident, yet he later remembered and declared the eternal nature of the LORD's mercies towards our souls by giving His Son, Jesus, for our salvation.

     Peter had rebuked Jesus in horror when Jesus told His disciples how, in Jerusalem, He would be killed and raised up again on the third day. However, Jesus in turn rebuked Satan and told Peter that he was desiring not the things of God, but of men. Jesus then said: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mt. 16:24-26). We may never have to face physical crucifixion, but we are called to die to self and live for Christ. What is your cross today? Finances, family, life? Are you still willing to stand? 

     Many have been willing to do anything to gain wealth, fame and success, but what they attained is at the loss of their soul. Jesus warned, saying, "Take heed , and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." (Lk. 12:15). Jesus then went on to tell a parable about a certain rich man. His ground had brought forth an abundant crop. The crop was so large that the rich man had no room left to store it all. He decided to tear down his current barns and build greater barns to keep all his fruits and goods: "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God." (v. 16-21). One of the wealthiest men in the world, J.D. Rockefeller, received a terminal diagnosis when he was in his 50's. He had been a giver from his youth, by tithing, etc. When he received his diagnosis, however, he began to give liberally, establishing colleges, hospitals, financing the Underground Railway for escaped slaves, buying slaves' freedom. He ended up living to the age of 98, saying, "Everything belongs to God." Are you ready for the coming day of the Lord? Where is your investment? Are you a conduit or a vault?

     Peter wrote to the church to stir up their pure minds. He did this by reminding them of what the holy prophets of scripture and the later apostles had written and taught. He wrote that in the last days, there would be scoffers who would argue against the day of judgment saying that life has continued from old and will continue. Peter urged that we, the believers, are to stand firm in what we know to be true in the face of this scoffing. These scoffers, Peter wrote, willfully forget the judgment by flood waters that previously covered the earth, for which there is much physical evidence to be found. Peter said that the judgment would not come by water this time, but by fire, and the only reason that the judgment seems to be slow in coming is: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Pet. 3:1-9). Here again, we see the mercy and patience of God towards men, and the care for their souls, allowing them as much time as possible to repent and turn back to Him. However, there is a defined prophetic timeline that rules these events (see v. 8), and we are in the six-thousandth year of the Lord's dealing with man. The seventh thousand-year period will mark the return and rule of Jesus on earth. God's promise from the beginning to Adam and Eve and to us was that of a Savior who would crush the head of the Serpent for our souls' sake. Jesus died for the sins of the world. 

     We have a powerful account of the repeated mercy of God towards souls in the Book of Jonah. As we know, Jonah was commanded to take the Word of judgment to the foreign city of Nineveh, who were heathen enemies of Israel, but his will and emotions caused him to run away on a ship going in the opposite direction instead. The crew of the ship threw Jonah into the ocean, and a great fish swallowed him, wherein Jonah died. He cried out to the LORD when his soul remembered the mercy of God. The LORD then heard Jonah from "the belly of hell", and the great fish spat out the prophet onto dry land. The LORD again commanded Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh with the (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) preaching that He gives Jonah. When he reached Nineveh, Jonah began to cry out: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown," (Jonah 3:1-4). The people and the king of Nineveh heard and believed the word of Jonah, and began to fast, both man and beast, and cry mightily to the LORD, repenting of their violent ways. The king said: "Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said he would do unto them; and he did it not." (v. 9-10).

     The LORD had shown Nineveh mercy, but Jonah was displeased exceedingly and very angry. He had prophesied the LORD's Word of destruction, and Nineveh received mercy instead. Jonah allowed his emotions to take him away from the LORD. He told the LORD that this was why he had fled before: "I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil." (Jonah 4:1-2).

     Jonah's emotions were so offended by the mercy of God extended to Nineveh that he asked the LORD to take his (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) life (nefesh - life, soul) from him "for it is better for me to die than to live." The LORD asked Jonah: "Doest thou well to be angry?" (Jonah 4:3-4). 

     As Jonah sat to the east of the great city to watch what would happen to it, the LORD caused a gourd to grow over Jonah to provide him a living covering for shade and to deliver him from his grief. The next morning, the LORD sent a worm to kill the (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) gourd plant and the sun beat down on Jonah until he fainted. Again Jonah wished (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) himself to die. (v. 5-8). The LORD pointed out to Jonah that by His mercy, Jonah had enjoyed the covering of the gourd   and then had pitied the gourd's death: "And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons (adam - man, mankind) that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" (v. 9-11).

     Knowing the worth of the soul that came from His own breath, God extends mercy. It was a loving, merciful God who made the way of salvation through His Son, Jesus, before the world was even created. The worth of the soul is more than all the riches of the world. There is an opportunity for me to bring my newest book, NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling, to a city even greater than Nineveh, and in need of repentance: Times Square in New York City. If the Lord opened the door of opportunity, I know that He will provide for it. Not only to bring knowledge of the last days, but also to bring salvation to the lost sheep of Israel to whom the book, NAZAH, especially ministers the Gospel of Jesus. The LORD has promised, "All Israel shall be saved."

     If your soul is caught up in the things of this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, having your mind washed in the water of the Word. And pray for this nation.

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 7/14/24 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.

**NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.