The version used is KJV
Here then are some reasons for making the change from exec Director at IBM to a husbandsman.
The inspiration was, as I studied Bible, I was called to obey the Most High, from [Jerm6:16]
Thus saith YHVH, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
This along with the desire to better comprehend the parables and follow the commands from Genesis, to what Yah called Adam to do, lead me to the decision to move off from Galveston and move to Ozarks. Here then was the original thinking for this move
- follow the ancient paths as shown in the Bible, where the faith was lived out
- understand better the parables and all the stories around sower/shepherd from my Master Yeshua
- desire to work with hands and sweat
- wanting a simpler life with less amenities
From this start, it expanded to additional reasoning to return us back to the land. This required me to re-evaluate my employment and ended up leaving IBM in Aug 2021.
Return to the ancient paths
Since the modernity and what I had learned thru my growing up in the world, didnt answer many of the questions, after I became a believer, I started considering the ancient paths. Since the bible is true and is the Word of The Most High, I wanted to adopt its call for my life. This started with the call to return t the ancient paths: reading the following verses, tracking back what the command was to our (spiritual) fathers from 1King 8:58.
Jeremiah 6.16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
1Kings 8:58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
Jeremiah 18:15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
The promises from Genesis 8.17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
Definition of wealth
As I began to look at money, finances and wealth, I was called to evaluate what wealth actually is. There are different ways to look at richness. The traditionalist/classicist way is for us to have savings/bank accounts/retirement funds and be out of debt. The modernist view is more skewed towards ability to automate most things and have instant access to anything. But the ancient view of wealth was family, land, livestock, community, farm et cetera.
Who dictates what wealth is anyway? I decided to look at biblical examples to see what made more sense. I had to look at the current available options to ensure I was not being a foolish servant to my Master Yeshua.
I evaluated what was longer lasting and came to the conclusion to adopt the ancient view, not just following the command from [Jer6:16] but also looking at the temperance and illogical economy that being unveiled. The stock market kept going up when several families went broke, people lost their jobs and there was malaise in the air. Some of the companies which were to go bankrupt in 2020 with no travel and spend with lockdowns, actually grew in popularity and their stock price. This lead me to abandon stock market as a viable wealth building vehicle.
Buying gold, silver and precious metals was a good backup, but really will be useless if there is no way to handle the basic sustenance of food, raiment and shelter, when there is a dearth of it. So I abandoned focusing on transferring money to hard assets as a wealth building mechanism.
I had to start with food, shelter and clothing as the beginning of wealth building and then areas which contributed to that. While doing it, I wanted to make sure I was out of debt, as [Pro22:7] states, a borrower is a servant/slave to the lender. Therefore, the need was to ensure the wealth produced food and secured clothing and shelter.
In addition to these basics, the examples of children and land ownership enhanced the definition of wealth with family, livestock, crops, vineyard, orchards and land as the pinnacle. All the blessings of Yah was to the growth of family, land, sustenance and not my bank account. [Deu15:4], [Deu28:8], [Deu 28:12], [Deu30:16].
Moving away from city to garden
In biblical times, cities were typically concentration of evil and they continue to be. They became effective means of organization as industrialization took off in 1800s. It has continued to morph, where the cities now resemble that of what we read in Genesis - underneath the veneer of pristine walls and well manicured plots, lies evil and human depravity. As much as they are modern mission field to preach the gospel and save the lost, it also provides enough trappings for a believer, to choke out his spiritual growth. So one must be careful to know when the mission work ends and when the city has engulfed them. In addition, every major problem around riots, cultural movements are only possible in cities as these problems are introduced by forcing diverse group of people to coexist with the only fabric of making the $ bill holding them together. This is the case in all big cities I have lived in from Philadelphia to Pondicherry. As much as city life offers conveniences, ease and comfort, for me, the city introduces diverse problems for spiritual development as it is an artificial setting, all driven by need to be efficient around the economy.
Some depiction of cities from the front of the bible. - The first city was developed by Cain and naming it after his son Enoch ![[kjv/Genesis/Genesis.4.17]] - The Hebrew word for city is H5892 (eer) which means city/town/excitement/anguish of terror. The literal meaning is a place guarded by walking or a watch. - In Genesis 10, Nimrod and others built several large cities: Rehoboth, Calah, Nineveh. - This culminates in the tower of babel built in the city ![[kjv/Genesis/Genesis.11.4]] - Genesis 15:16 talks about the iniquities of the Amorites complete all in cities.
Back to the garden is where I go following examples set in the Bible. As you read from Genesis 2, Yah planted the garden and placed man there in ![[kjv/Genesis/Genesis.2.8]]
Abraham chose the hill country while Lot lived in Sodom. Not sure if it had some thing to do with Lot's future even though he was called righteous by Peter.
The final city
Therefore while I make the transition from the city to garden, I can enjoy the blessings. Bible still provides a blueprint on how to approach that transition and live. From Jeremiah 29, even while in Babylon, plant gardens and rejoice. We tried to follow this in Galveston, as I came into the faith. And with my wife's help we also did this while we were in Austin, Bastrop and outside Philadelphia.
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.4]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.5]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.6]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.7]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.8]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.9]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.10]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.11]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.12]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.13]]
- ![[kjv/Jeremiah/Jeremiah.29.14]]
There is one city, however, that I am looking forward to being part of, the city on a hill, the new Jerusalem, the city of God. From Psalm 46:4 ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.46.4]] and Psalm 87:3 ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.87.3]]
Until, the return of my King and Messiah, I need to make my way to the garden away from the city.
Away from ease and comfort
Approach to farm life
We start with our barn with RV to stay in and then plant our vineyards, orchards, vegetable garden and then bring animals and start farming and then build the house. From Proverbs 24:27 ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.24.27]]
Be diligent and not a sluggard, per Proverbs 24
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.24.30]]
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.24.31]]
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.24.32]]
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.24.33]]
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.24.34]]
The instructions on herd management and true wealth is gien in Proverbs 27.
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.27.23]]
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.27.24]]
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.27.25]]
- ![[kjv/Proverbs/Proverbs.27.26]]
In the end, the command is to take dominion over the land that Yah has blessed me with. From Genesis 1
- ![[kjv/Genesis/Genesis.1.26]]
- ![[kjv/Genesis/Genesis.1.27]]
- ![[kjv/Genesis/Genesis.1.28]]
From Psalm 72
- ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.72.8]]
and from Psalm 8
- ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.8.4]]
- ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.8.5]]
- ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.8.6]]
- ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.8.7]]
- ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.8.8]]
- ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.8.9]]
From Psalm115:16 ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.115.16]] and the promise of righteous shall inherit the land from Psalms 37:29 ![[kjv/Psalms/Psalms.37.29]]
We now, take dominion following the completed work of our Messiah and our desire to follow Him.
- Distance from the world, stay set apart. Exodus 19:6 and Leviticus 11:44
- Get out of debt Proverbs22:7, Isaiah24:2, Leviticus 25:36, Deu 23:19
- Eating what we grow and rely on all provisions that come from Yah Psa60:12, Ecc5:19
- Take up God's promises faithfully - garden and farm based metaphors, agricultural context vs merchant/liesure class and fully grasping the teaching of my Messiah
- Build something together with my bride
- More tangible output for effort put
- Get out of the system
- Learn more skills that are useful
- Move away from constant connection
- Not make money my idol
- Better useful to saints
- Health and lifestyle
- Witness more of the glory of Yah's handiworks instead of mans
- Increasing cognitive capacity and rewiring my brain - see Brain Drain by Adrian Ward and Margaret Bos
- Walking away from attention economy to give attention to my Yah (race for our attention paper)
- Be taught by the Word and not media Luke 6:40
- Be mindful of what we need to bring in -> craftsman approach
- Go from optimizing with given constraints to a different kingdom and not to flip flop between kingdoms
- Connect work with results that I can see
- End the endless busy work that dulls you
- Connected with physical reality vs fooled by the spirit of the age (maya)
- I have to do laborious work 6 days if I need to rest from labor the 7th