Yahweh's Will & Purpose

The God of the Bible---Yahweh by Name--- makes known His will and purpose. Every faith, whether religious or not, gets lived out by its adherents in various statements of will and purpose. These may originate in revelation, science and philosophy or other human endeavor. These become the "pillars", or load-bearers of our life, helping to make some sense of our existence and the purposes for our being.

The Bible is the revelation ascribed to the One God Yahweh: this God does not mince words or equivocate concerning his purpose and will. "Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the children of Israel." (Exodus 19:5-6) The plan and purpose of Yahweh are plain and clear: by covenant Yahweh undertakes "the work" of setting free a people. By choosing to hear and obey, this people ratify the covenant which is to be a relationship of Life and Blessing. "What other nation on earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name..." (2 Samuel 7:23) "And thou didst make thy people Israel to be thy people forever." (1 Chron. 17:22)

By means of a set of teachings and instructions---the Torah---a loving Father makes provision for this people to realize abundant life, and become a sanctified and holy (that is set-apart) people. Yahweh's will and purpose for his people is "that it might go well with you." (Deut. 6:33) The will and purpose of Yeshua (Jesus) are exactly the same as his Father's: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10) Continuing, "Jesus said to them,
'My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.'" (John 4:34) He was truly the living Word: Yeshua lived his life according to the loving instructions of his Father, that is according to Torah. Not altered, not diminished, not added to, not forsaken or set aside. Yeshua came not to establish a new set of instructions (Torah), neither new times or holy days, nor new religion...

So that none might boast: "by my power I have ransomed or delivered or saved my own life..." the God of Israel raises the final and all-sufficient ransom of his people: Yeshua. He is the Messiah/Sacrifice/Servant come to do his Father's will. He completes the work of redeeming "that people." The failure of that covenant people to obey---whether willful or inadvertent---brings forth the final chapter of Yahweh's redemptive plan. Yeshua is the Final Word from Yahweh; as Redeemer/Messiah/Sacrifice he confirms his Father's will and obeys. The will of Yeshua is the will of his Father. "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose...to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren." (Romans 8:28-29) "and Messiah Yeshua, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:14)

Some imply that Yahweh is either double-minded, or a capricious mind-changing God. Even more deceived and treacherous are those who characterize Yahweh as angry, vengeful, and wrathful while Jesus is loving, merciful, sensitive... "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought forth by the word of truth..." (James 1:16-18) Yahweh's purpose and will have not changed by as much as a jot or tittle.

"but you shall be called the priests of Yahweh" (Isaiah 61:6) agrees with Exodus; and Peter agrees with these two witnesses: "and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood... But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people..." (1 Peter 2:5, 9) And John confirms these three: "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father..."
(Rev. 1:6) "and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God... (Rev. 5:10) The beginning of the story and the end of the story are the same.

Yahweh's plan, will and purpose have remain unchanged: by his mighty arm one people, a people named Israel, are being called, redeemed, restored, set-apart, and sanctified. Grafted-in or native-born branches: makes no difference. All are short, separated and broken off, that is outside Yahweh's will and plan. A Messiah from Yahweh and a Torah from Yahweh---they are synonymous as the Living Word---are birthing together all Israel as a kingdom of royal priests and a holy nation. This Israel is the Israel of Yahweh. This is Yahweh's Word and he will accomplish it; that Word will not return to Yahweh empty or incomplete. (Isaiah 55:11) All the witnesses to Yahweh's plan and purpose agree: He wills to have a people of his own possession. Who is the man who dare contest such a will and presume to overthrow it?