If...
Yeshua=Life......................John 6:35, 48-50; 11:25 Matt. 19:17 1 John 5:11
Yeshua=Way.....................John 14:6
Yeshua=Truth..................John 14:6
Yeshua=Light....................John 8:12
Yeshua=Word....................Matt. 4:4 John 1:14, 6:63 Rev. 19:13
Yeshua=First & Last.......John 1:1-2 Rev. 1:8 [see also John 10:30, 38; 16:28, 17:21; 1 Cor. 13:10---Yeshua & Father are One]
And...
Torah=Life.........................Proverbs 3:18; 6:23; 10:11 Psalms 1:2-3; 16:11; 36:9
Torah=Way........................Deut. 19:9; 2 Sam. 22:31; Psalms 18:30; 25:4; 119:33-35; Isaiah 30:21, 48:17; Jeremiah 6:16, 7:23, 21:8
Torah=Truth......................Psalms 25:5; 43:3; 119:142, 151 Proverbs 30:5-6
Torah=Light.......................Psalms 27:1; 36:9; 119:105 Proverbs 6:23 Isaiah 2:5, 60:19-20
Torah=Word......................Deut. 4:2, 8:3, 32:4 Psalms 19:7; 119:89, 107, 160 Isaiah 5:24, 40:8, 55:11, 66:2; Ezekiel 33:30-32; Romans 7:12; 2 Timoth 3:15-16; James 1:7, 25
Torah=First & Last..........Isaiah 41:4, 44:6 John 1:1-2 Rev. 1:8
Then---
Yeshua=Life=Torah...............Yeshua is the Torah!!!
Yeshua=Way=Torah..............Yeshua is the Torah!!! !
Yeshua=Truth=Torah............Yeshua is the Torah!!!
Yeshua=Light=Torah.............Yeshua is the Torah!!!
Yeshua=Word=Torah............Yeshua is the Torah!!!
Yeshua=First & Last=Torah..Yeshua is the Torah!!!
The Way, The Truth, The Life, The Light, The Word, The First & The Last....
The Torah & Yeshua are One
Friday, April 6, 2007
The Wisdom of Proverbs (part 2 a continued study on Proverbs ch. 1
We began our study into the wisdom of Proverbs with the very words of the wisest man on earth. King Solomon was granted wisdom from God above every other human being on earth, and it was told that there would never be another with such great wisdom. ( 1Kings 3:12) It was the very wisdom of the LORD Himself, that was bestowed upon Solomon.
We left off with Solomon's first proverb in verse 7. He stated that it is the fear of Yahweh that is the beginning of knowledge, and that one is a fool if he despises wisdom, and discipline. This simple fact is stated more than one time in scripture, but in Proverbs ch 2, He gives some clarity as to how we can understand this fear.
We already know that fear is a reverential awe, as explained in our previous session, but how do we attain to this fear.
"My son, if you accept my words, and treasure up my commandments with you, so that you make your ear attend to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures, then you would understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God. For Yahweh gives wisdom; Out of HIS mouth come knowledge and understanding." ( Proverbs 2:1-6)
The commandments of God are wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He says that if you treasure these commands, your ear will be attending to wisdom, and your heart will be gaining understanding. The "her" mentioned here, is the wisdom of the commandments. (see Prov. 1:20 wisdom is called a "she").
So in order to understand the fear of the LORD we must walk in the commandments of the LORD.
Continuing in chapter 1 v 8 "My son, heed the discipline of your father, And do NOT forsake the Torah of your mother; v9 " For they are a fair wreath on your head, and chains about your neck. "
Solomon says listen to the discipline of your father, and don't forsake what your mother teaches you. He is repeating the very essence of the fifth commandment of God. Honor your father and mother so that your days are prolonged on the earth.
Proverbs 3:1-2 repeats again that the Torah commands lengthen your days on the earth.
"My son, do not forget my Torah, And let your heart watch over my commands; For length of days and long life, and peace they add to you."
The commandments are an adorning for you. v.9
Solomons wisdom is summed up in the obeying of the Torah. This is where his wisdom begins.
In verses 10-19 Solomon goes on to explain the dangers of keeping company with sinners, and says in v 15 very plainly, "My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path"
He concludes this portion by saying that their ways are of those who are greedy for gain, and it is impending death to walk with them. (see v10-19).
In v 20. He says that ' Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the broad places. At the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the openings of the gates, in the city she speaks her words"
Remember wisdom is called a "she" here, and keep in mind that wisdom comes from the LORD's mouth. The voice of wisdom here is asking why, why won't you turn from your evil ways, how long are you going to continue scoffing at my words? . Wisdom says in v 23 "Turn at my reproof. See I pour out my spirit on you, I make my words known to you."
This is Yeshua ( Jesus) speaking here. He is the Word made flesh. ( John 1:14) He is the One who poured out His Spirit upon us and made His words known to us.
" But the Helper the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in MY Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you." (John 14:26)
It was said of Jesus in the gospels many times. Where did this man get such wisdom? Yeshua is the very essence of Wisdom. ( Mt 13:54; Mk. 6:2, Lk. 2:52)
Yeshua came to impart His wisdom to us. He came teaching repentance, and came to give us life.
v 24 of Proverbs shows the stubbornness and hard heartedness of the people.
" Because I called and you refused, I have stretched out My hand and no one inclined. And you spurned all my counsel, and would not yield to my reproof"... He states that this will bring calamity on them, and then they'll be in distress, and they'll call out at that point.
But look what He says will be the result.
v 28 " Let them then call on me, but I answer not. Let them seek me, but not find me."
This is a very harsh word. He says they will call, but I won't answer, because they didn't obey my words. My Torah!. This is confirmed in Prov. 28:9
" He who turns his ear away from hearing the Torah, Even his prayer is an abomination."
and again in Prov 15:29
"Yahweh is far from the wrong ones, BUT HE hears the prayers of the Righteous.
(A righteous one walks in the Torah commands.) (Psalm 119:172 "All Your commands are righteous")
v 29 Why will HE not answer?
" Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Yahweh. They did not accept my counsel, and despised all my reproof, therefore let them eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own counsels."
It is because they did not walk in the fear of Yahweh. They did not obey HIS commandments, and choose to turn away from sin. So now they will be filled with their own counsels, which will surely bring evil upon them.
See Jeremiah 6:19
" Hear O earth! See I am bringing evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to MY Words, nor MY Torah- and they rejected it. "
Prov. 1: 32-33 " For the turning away of the simple slays them, and the complacency of fools destroys them. BUT whoever listens to me dwells safely, and is at ease from the dread of evil. "
This is the conclusion of chapter 1 of Proverbs, but this is not where it ends.
Solomon sums it all up in the first 6 verses of chapter 2. He has just spoken all his first words of wisdom. He has laid down the foundation, and stated that it begins with obedience to the Torah of the LORD and sums it up by saying that if you will accept these words, and treasure all the commands of Torah, it is only then, that you will gain the fear of Yahweh.
The Fear of Yahweh begins with Obedience to Torah.
The Torah of Yahweh is the Wisdom of Proverbs
For a continued study into the Wisdom of Solomon's Proverbs, and the fear of Yahweh, study Proverbs chapter 2-4
We left off with Solomon's first proverb in verse 7. He stated that it is the fear of Yahweh that is the beginning of knowledge, and that one is a fool if he despises wisdom, and discipline. This simple fact is stated more than one time in scripture, but in Proverbs ch 2, He gives some clarity as to how we can understand this fear.
We already know that fear is a reverential awe, as explained in our previous session, but how do we attain to this fear.
"My son, if you accept my words, and treasure up my commandments with you, so that you make your ear attend to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures, then you would understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God. For Yahweh gives wisdom; Out of HIS mouth come knowledge and understanding." ( Proverbs 2:1-6)
The commandments of God are wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He says that if you treasure these commands, your ear will be attending to wisdom, and your heart will be gaining understanding. The "her" mentioned here, is the wisdom of the commandments. (see Prov. 1:20 wisdom is called a "she").
So in order to understand the fear of the LORD we must walk in the commandments of the LORD.
Continuing in chapter 1 v 8 "My son, heed the discipline of your father, And do NOT forsake the Torah of your mother; v9 " For they are a fair wreath on your head, and chains about your neck. "
Solomon says listen to the discipline of your father, and don't forsake what your mother teaches you. He is repeating the very essence of the fifth commandment of God. Honor your father and mother so that your days are prolonged on the earth.
Proverbs 3:1-2 repeats again that the Torah commands lengthen your days on the earth.
"My son, do not forget my Torah, And let your heart watch over my commands; For length of days and long life, and peace they add to you."
The commandments are an adorning for you. v.9
Solomons wisdom is summed up in the obeying of the Torah. This is where his wisdom begins.
In verses 10-19 Solomon goes on to explain the dangers of keeping company with sinners, and says in v 15 very plainly, "My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path"
He concludes this portion by saying that their ways are of those who are greedy for gain, and it is impending death to walk with them. (see v10-19).
In v 20. He says that ' Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the broad places. At the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the openings of the gates, in the city she speaks her words"
Remember wisdom is called a "she" here, and keep in mind that wisdom comes from the LORD's mouth. The voice of wisdom here is asking why, why won't you turn from your evil ways, how long are you going to continue scoffing at my words? . Wisdom says in v 23 "Turn at my reproof. See I pour out my spirit on you, I make my words known to you."
This is Yeshua ( Jesus) speaking here. He is the Word made flesh. ( John 1:14) He is the One who poured out His Spirit upon us and made His words known to us.
" But the Helper the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in MY Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you." (John 14:26)
It was said of Jesus in the gospels many times. Where did this man get such wisdom? Yeshua is the very essence of Wisdom. ( Mt 13:54; Mk. 6:2, Lk. 2:52)
Yeshua came to impart His wisdom to us. He came teaching repentance, and came to give us life.
v 24 of Proverbs shows the stubbornness and hard heartedness of the people.
" Because I called and you refused, I have stretched out My hand and no one inclined. And you spurned all my counsel, and would not yield to my reproof"... He states that this will bring calamity on them, and then they'll be in distress, and they'll call out at that point.
But look what He says will be the result.
v 28 " Let them then call on me, but I answer not. Let them seek me, but not find me."
This is a very harsh word. He says they will call, but I won't answer, because they didn't obey my words. My Torah!. This is confirmed in Prov. 28:9
" He who turns his ear away from hearing the Torah, Even his prayer is an abomination."
and again in Prov 15:29
"Yahweh is far from the wrong ones, BUT HE hears the prayers of the Righteous.
(A righteous one walks in the Torah commands.) (Psalm 119:172 "All Your commands are righteous")
v 29 Why will HE not answer?
" Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Yahweh. They did not accept my counsel, and despised all my reproof, therefore let them eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own counsels."
It is because they did not walk in the fear of Yahweh. They did not obey HIS commandments, and choose to turn away from sin. So now they will be filled with their own counsels, which will surely bring evil upon them.
See Jeremiah 6:19
" Hear O earth! See I am bringing evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to MY Words, nor MY Torah- and they rejected it. "
Prov. 1: 32-33 " For the turning away of the simple slays them, and the complacency of fools destroys them. BUT whoever listens to me dwells safely, and is at ease from the dread of evil. "
This is the conclusion of chapter 1 of Proverbs, but this is not where it ends.
Solomon sums it all up in the first 6 verses of chapter 2. He has just spoken all his first words of wisdom. He has laid down the foundation, and stated that it begins with obedience to the Torah of the LORD and sums it up by saying that if you will accept these words, and treasure all the commands of Torah, it is only then, that you will gain the fear of Yahweh.
The Fear of Yahweh begins with Obedience to Torah.
The Torah of Yahweh is the Wisdom of Proverbs
For a continued study into the Wisdom of Solomon's Proverbs, and the fear of Yahweh, study Proverbs chapter 2-4
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Shema Yisrael
Hear O Israel !
The cry of the watchman in Ezekiel chapter 3 is this: Hear O Israel what the Lord is speaking to you.
Yahweh said, ""Son of man go to the house of Israel and you shall speak to them MY words....but the house of Israel is going to refuse to listen to you, for they refuse to listen to ME. For all the house of Israel are hard of head and hard of heart.....And He said to me "Son of man receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. And go! Come to the exiles, to the children of your people, and speak to them, 'Thus said the master Yahweh', whether they hear, or whether they refuse."...... Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. And you shall hear a word from My mouth, and shall warn them from ME.""
"When I say to the wrong, ' you shall certainly die', and you have not warned him, nor spoken to warn the wrong from his wrong way, to save his life, that same wrong man shall die in his sin, and his blood I require at your hand. But if you have warned the wrong and he does not turn from his wrong....he shall die in his sin and you have delivered your soul. And when a righteous one turns from his righteousness and shall do unrighteousness...he shall die. Because you did not warn him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done is not remembered, and his blood I require at your hand. But if you have warned the righteous one that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall certainly live, because he has been warned, and you have delivered your soul." ......But when I speak with you I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, 'Thus said the master Yahweh. He who hears, let him hear. And he who refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house. " Ezekiel ch. 3
The people of Israel are a rebellious and disobedient people! These are the very words from the mouth of the Lord.
I asked the Lord why. Why are we so rebellious and disobedient?
The Lord's answer was, "There is no Fear"
We do not have the Fear of the Lord.
I recently began a study on Proverbs chapter 1, entitled 'The Wisdom of Proverbs'. In this study I began to look at the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 says, " The Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
Fear is defined as a reverential awe (reverence is a deep respect, affection, or worshipful attitude).
It is those who possess this fear, these are the ones who are obedient to HIM. If we are not obeying the simple instructions of the Torah (which is His loving guidance for our lives), than we do not have the fear of Yahweh.
According to His Word in Proverbs ch 1, if we do not have this fear, than we do not have knowledge, because fear is the beginning of knowledge.
Obedience is defined as attentative hearkening (hearken is the word shema, and means hear and do),obedience is compliance or submission.
Rebellion is : disobedience, and comes from the root word meaning to disobey, to rebel, to provoke.
Disobedience is: to disobey, to neglect to hear, willfully disobeying
The word disobedience and rebellion are the same exact Hebrew word #4784, and it comes from the root marah- which means to make bitter, to rebel, be disobedient, grievously provoke.
Disobedience to Torah is Rebellion, and it is the same sin in the Lord's eyes as witchcraft.
1 Samuel 15:23 " For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry."
Obedience to Torah is not conditional. It is not dependent on our circumstances (ie whether it fits into my schedule or not). Obedience is not based on convenience. ( it's convenient today, so I'll obey, but on the other hand "now is not a good time for this to come up, so I just can't obey today")
In 1 Samuel 15:22 Yahweh states: " To obey is better than sacrifice".
A sacrifice is what caused a person to be in 'right standing' with God. So to obey is better than that?
It is by our obedience that we are declared right in God's eyes. James chapter 2 says " was not Abraham our father declared right by works...." . Faith alone is not enough! Faith without works is dead. Read james 2: 14-26.
In Jeremiah 11: 3-4 " Thus said Yahweh, God of Israel, "cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant..."
We already know this! We understand from reading torah, year, after year, after year. The very last chapters in the torah, in Deuteronomy explicitly explain the blessings of obedience vs. the curses of disobedience. The blessings are life! Choose life, HE says. Disobedience brings a curse upon you!!!!
And Yahweh says that you will be "cut off" from His people, or cut off from Israel.
Cut off- Stongs #3772 to cut off, down or asunder, to destroy, or consume, destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hewn down, or perish.
WE better get this down people! Disobedience is sin! This is a warning.
Numbers 15 clearly states the difference between sinning defiantly (on purpose) vs. sinning by mistake. Read Numbers chapter 15 v 27-31. He talks about the person who sins by mistake and the sacrifice performed to atone for that sin, and then goes on to say, but the person who sins defiantly shall be cut off. He then gives an example of a man who defiantly disobeyed, and was stoned to death in his sin. The very next thing the Lord says to us is interesting. He immediately tells his people to make Tzit Tzit for themselves, as a reminder for themselves, so that they won't forget to obey.
Yahweh goes so far as to help us remember by giving us a visual reminder to look at each day so that we will not foget His words. So that we won't forget to obey!!!!
In this portion, concerning the sacrifice performed, this sacrifice was for unintentional sin, not for intentional sin. There are consequences, even for those sins that are done by mistake, but God is gracious and forgiving, and HE has covered us. He bridges the gap where we fall short. But we should never presume upon the grace of God. In Romans chapter 5 Paul says " Shall we continue in sin to let grace increase?" LET IT NOT BE! "
Just because Yahweh's grace abounds, that is not an excuse to let sin abound more, by remaining in sin and rebellion. Do not presume upon the grace of God, thinking to yourself that God will cover you this time. In Luke ch.12 he says " You fool, your life shall be required of you tonight".
Rebellion provokes Yahweh to wrath. Read Numbers ch 16:20-32
He will not tolerate disobedience and rebellion when we know the truth. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 Yahweh tells us that His examples of disobedience and wrath were written down to be a witness for us upon whom the ends of the ages have come, so that we do not make the same mistakes that they did in the wilderness.
Read 1 Cor. 10:1-12 This is our Warning People! God will only put up with our disobedience and rebellion for so long and then the earth will open her mouth and swallow us up.
It's like the game of "Don't Spill the Beans". Little by little the sins pile up, and don't seem to really affect the pile, but then suddenly that last bean, that last sin is added to the bunch, and then swish, all the beans come crashing down. The earth opens her mouth and swallows them up.
This is not a word about a terrible, and frightening God who's going to strike us down. It's a word about a loving and righteous God who loved us to the point of death. One who loves us so much that he gave us His very Life so that we might live, and is now teaching us how to walk by following the instructions that He knows will bless our lives.
In James 1:23-24 He says " And be doers of the Torah and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like."
We are to Hear and Do. It is the Shema! Shema Yisrael! Hear O People of Israel!
So why do we disobey? Why do we rebel against the very words we know to be life?
What happens is that we get comfortable in the land. Yahweh said we would!!!! ( Deut 30)
We get too comfortable and the cares of the world choke out the truth of His word. Yeshua said it like this,
"The salt loses its saltiness". That means that what was once important to you last year, maybe now it isn't so important. Maybe now we just let things slide a bit more. The salt is slowly becoming tasteless.
In Lev 2:13, we are told to salt all offerings, and again the command is repeated by Jesus in Mark ch 9. Salt all your offerings. In Mt. 5:13 Yeshua said YOU are the salt of the earth. In other words you are what's going to preserve the covenant.
The salt becomes tasteless because we have no Fear. If we do not have the Fear of Yahweh we do not have knowledge. If we only obey Yahweh when it's convenient for us, that is not true obedience. The scripture says that the "Torah is your life and the length of your days" Deut32:47. Is it really your life or is it only a part of your routine. Do you live by it? or only when it fits into your schedule your own way?
The righteous shall live by faith, and faith without HIS works is dead. Faith without works is not real faith. You don't truly believe God and His Word if you do not Live by His Word. Faith is an action word, and it says I believe therefore I will do.
Remember Yeshua said " If you love Me you will keep My commandments". John 14:15. In 1 John he repeats " And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.
"We are called to exhort, build up, and help each other. We are our brothers keepers. The words says in 1 John 5:16 " If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask and HE shall give him life."
We are to pray for our brothers just as Moses did and saved many from the wrath of God. ( Not all were saved though, for some it was too late). We are to go to our brother if we see him in sin, (but remember to take the beam out of your own eye first), and try to reconcile him to favor with God. If we just ignore the sin, we become just as guilty as the sinner.
It is the call of the watchman. Ezekiel chapters 3 and 33
Shema Yisrael! Hear O Israel the cry of the watchman. Hear the Words of the Lord!
Pray for the Fear of Yahweh!. For it is the beginning of Knowledge!!!
The cry of the watchman in Ezekiel chapter 3 is this: Hear O Israel what the Lord is speaking to you.
Yahweh said, ""Son of man go to the house of Israel and you shall speak to them MY words....but the house of Israel is going to refuse to listen to you, for they refuse to listen to ME. For all the house of Israel are hard of head and hard of heart.....And He said to me "Son of man receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. And go! Come to the exiles, to the children of your people, and speak to them, 'Thus said the master Yahweh', whether they hear, or whether they refuse."...... Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. And you shall hear a word from My mouth, and shall warn them from ME.""
"When I say to the wrong, ' you shall certainly die', and you have not warned him, nor spoken to warn the wrong from his wrong way, to save his life, that same wrong man shall die in his sin, and his blood I require at your hand. But if you have warned the wrong and he does not turn from his wrong....he shall die in his sin and you have delivered your soul. And when a righteous one turns from his righteousness and shall do unrighteousness...he shall die. Because you did not warn him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done is not remembered, and his blood I require at your hand. But if you have warned the righteous one that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall certainly live, because he has been warned, and you have delivered your soul." ......But when I speak with you I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, 'Thus said the master Yahweh. He who hears, let him hear. And he who refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house. " Ezekiel ch. 3
The people of Israel are a rebellious and disobedient people! These are the very words from the mouth of the Lord.
I asked the Lord why. Why are we so rebellious and disobedient?
The Lord's answer was, "There is no Fear"
We do not have the Fear of the Lord.
I recently began a study on Proverbs chapter 1, entitled 'The Wisdom of Proverbs'. In this study I began to look at the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 says, " The Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
Fear is defined as a reverential awe (reverence is a deep respect, affection, or worshipful attitude).
It is those who possess this fear, these are the ones who are obedient to HIM. If we are not obeying the simple instructions of the Torah (which is His loving guidance for our lives), than we do not have the fear of Yahweh.
According to His Word in Proverbs ch 1, if we do not have this fear, than we do not have knowledge, because fear is the beginning of knowledge.
Obedience is defined as attentative hearkening (hearken is the word shema, and means hear and do),obedience is compliance or submission.
Rebellion is : disobedience, and comes from the root word meaning to disobey, to rebel, to provoke.
Disobedience is: to disobey, to neglect to hear, willfully disobeying
The word disobedience and rebellion are the same exact Hebrew word #4784, and it comes from the root marah- which means to make bitter, to rebel, be disobedient, grievously provoke.
Disobedience to Torah is Rebellion, and it is the same sin in the Lord's eyes as witchcraft.
1 Samuel 15:23 " For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry."
Obedience to Torah is not conditional. It is not dependent on our circumstances (ie whether it fits into my schedule or not). Obedience is not based on convenience. ( it's convenient today, so I'll obey, but on the other hand "now is not a good time for this to come up, so I just can't obey today")
In 1 Samuel 15:22 Yahweh states: " To obey is better than sacrifice".
A sacrifice is what caused a person to be in 'right standing' with God. So to obey is better than that?
It is by our obedience that we are declared right in God's eyes. James chapter 2 says " was not Abraham our father declared right by works...." . Faith alone is not enough! Faith without works is dead. Read james 2: 14-26.
In Jeremiah 11: 3-4 " Thus said Yahweh, God of Israel, "cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant..."
We already know this! We understand from reading torah, year, after year, after year. The very last chapters in the torah, in Deuteronomy explicitly explain the blessings of obedience vs. the curses of disobedience. The blessings are life! Choose life, HE says. Disobedience brings a curse upon you!!!!
And Yahweh says that you will be "cut off" from His people, or cut off from Israel.
Cut off- Stongs #3772 to cut off, down or asunder, to destroy, or consume, destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hewn down, or perish.
WE better get this down people! Disobedience is sin! This is a warning.
Numbers 15 clearly states the difference between sinning defiantly (on purpose) vs. sinning by mistake. Read Numbers chapter 15 v 27-31. He talks about the person who sins by mistake and the sacrifice performed to atone for that sin, and then goes on to say, but the person who sins defiantly shall be cut off. He then gives an example of a man who defiantly disobeyed, and was stoned to death in his sin. The very next thing the Lord says to us is interesting. He immediately tells his people to make Tzit Tzit for themselves, as a reminder for themselves, so that they won't forget to obey.
Yahweh goes so far as to help us remember by giving us a visual reminder to look at each day so that we will not foget His words. So that we won't forget to obey!!!!
In this portion, concerning the sacrifice performed, this sacrifice was for unintentional sin, not for intentional sin. There are consequences, even for those sins that are done by mistake, but God is gracious and forgiving, and HE has covered us. He bridges the gap where we fall short. But we should never presume upon the grace of God. In Romans chapter 5 Paul says " Shall we continue in sin to let grace increase?" LET IT NOT BE! "
Just because Yahweh's grace abounds, that is not an excuse to let sin abound more, by remaining in sin and rebellion. Do not presume upon the grace of God, thinking to yourself that God will cover you this time. In Luke ch.12 he says " You fool, your life shall be required of you tonight".
Rebellion provokes Yahweh to wrath. Read Numbers ch 16:20-32
He will not tolerate disobedience and rebellion when we know the truth. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 Yahweh tells us that His examples of disobedience and wrath were written down to be a witness for us upon whom the ends of the ages have come, so that we do not make the same mistakes that they did in the wilderness.
Read 1 Cor. 10:1-12 This is our Warning People! God will only put up with our disobedience and rebellion for so long and then the earth will open her mouth and swallow us up.
It's like the game of "Don't Spill the Beans". Little by little the sins pile up, and don't seem to really affect the pile, but then suddenly that last bean, that last sin is added to the bunch, and then swish, all the beans come crashing down. The earth opens her mouth and swallows them up.
This is not a word about a terrible, and frightening God who's going to strike us down. It's a word about a loving and righteous God who loved us to the point of death. One who loves us so much that he gave us His very Life so that we might live, and is now teaching us how to walk by following the instructions that He knows will bless our lives.
In James 1:23-24 He says " And be doers of the Torah and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like."
We are to Hear and Do. It is the Shema! Shema Yisrael! Hear O People of Israel!
So why do we disobey? Why do we rebel against the very words we know to be life?
What happens is that we get comfortable in the land. Yahweh said we would!!!! ( Deut 30)
We get too comfortable and the cares of the world choke out the truth of His word. Yeshua said it like this,
"The salt loses its saltiness". That means that what was once important to you last year, maybe now it isn't so important. Maybe now we just let things slide a bit more. The salt is slowly becoming tasteless.
In Lev 2:13, we are told to salt all offerings, and again the command is repeated by Jesus in Mark ch 9. Salt all your offerings. In Mt. 5:13 Yeshua said YOU are the salt of the earth. In other words you are what's going to preserve the covenant.
The salt becomes tasteless because we have no Fear. If we do not have the Fear of Yahweh we do not have knowledge. If we only obey Yahweh when it's convenient for us, that is not true obedience. The scripture says that the "Torah is your life and the length of your days" Deut32:47. Is it really your life or is it only a part of your routine. Do you live by it? or only when it fits into your schedule your own way?
The righteous shall live by faith, and faith without HIS works is dead. Faith without works is not real faith. You don't truly believe God and His Word if you do not Live by His Word. Faith is an action word, and it says I believe therefore I will do.
Remember Yeshua said " If you love Me you will keep My commandments". John 14:15. In 1 John he repeats " And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.
"We are called to exhort, build up, and help each other. We are our brothers keepers. The words says in 1 John 5:16 " If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask and HE shall give him life."
We are to pray for our brothers just as Moses did and saved many from the wrath of God. ( Not all were saved though, for some it was too late). We are to go to our brother if we see him in sin, (but remember to take the beam out of your own eye first), and try to reconcile him to favor with God. If we just ignore the sin, we become just as guilty as the sinner.
It is the call of the watchman. Ezekiel chapters 3 and 33
Shema Yisrael! Hear O Israel the cry of the watchman. Hear the Words of the Lord!
Pray for the Fear of Yahweh!. For it is the beginning of Knowledge!!!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Abe, Joe & Mo (Chimps, Champs, or Chumps?):"a Conversation about Religious Evolution"
Abe: What a screech-out they are having up there in Kansas... Not quite a world war, but close! Seems some man, a Charles Darwinnah wrote a book, "The Descent of Man---Origin of the Species." (I wonder is it da-scent, like the smell of...?) You know in a boxing match the referee lifts the glove of one of the boxers and says, "And Da-Winnah is...!" So up in Kansas they are duke-ing it out to see who Da-Winnahs and Da-Losers will be. A lot of religious folks are up in arms because they don't want their pedigree to include us.
Joe: Well, Abe, you have to admit we never built any 110 floor Big Buildings! I hear tell eating at "The Top of the World" was quite the experience... pretty "high on the hog!" How high up would that World Trade Center be Mo?
Mo: Are you saying we are among Da-Losers? OK by me, cousin... that was the Big Building that collapsed! That day, anyway, higher wasn't better. Not so clear now who are Da-Winnahs and who are Da-Losers. Pigeons probably did OK though.
Abe: Seems to me it takes a lot more faith to take an elevator up 110 floors than to leave one's country...
Joe: But if you have a job making bricks, you got to show up on time and do the time...! Slavery looks good if you have never known anything else. If you owe a million on your home, the bank won't settle for peanuts!
Mo: Well, this is how I see it. Everyone, including the religious folks are saying "anything goes." No law, no teaching, no instructions... kind of a do-it-yourself kit of life. Interesting that the ones who say "The Law" has been done away with are now pretty upset with the removal of "The Law" from their public buildings... Abandon one thing and soon aborting or abandoning baby follows... Lots of confusion out there. Good business climate for psychiatrists... lots of de-pression. You guys know about that? Guess it's kind of going lower and lower---descending maybe?
Abe: So can either one of you explain to me what the "nuclear option" is? Some guy think he has the power of God? Must be some guy whose job description is The Termite Terminator!
Maybe that explains why all the Ant-eaters are on strike... something about the termite world being contaminated by artificial pesticides...
Abe: Well, good buddies... I haven't figured this all out yet...
Mo: Abe! Let's Google-it!!! What do you think?
Abe: Da-Winnahs and Da-Losers both got impeccable arguments, Mo. No way of knowing by the talk. Somewhere in all this confusion, our true relatives must be alive. I went and looked up the words descend/descendants---means to go down, down-steps, to go lower and lower... The present world is surely descending, but not from us!!!
Joe: Well, Abe, you have to admit we never built any 110 floor Big Buildings! I hear tell eating at "The Top of the World" was quite the experience... pretty "high on the hog!" How high up would that World Trade Center be Mo?
Mo: Are you saying we are among Da-Losers? OK by me, cousin... that was the Big Building that collapsed! That day, anyway, higher wasn't better. Not so clear now who are Da-Winnahs and who are Da-Losers. Pigeons probably did OK though.
Abe: Seems to me it takes a lot more faith to take an elevator up 110 floors than to leave one's country...
Joe: But if you have a job making bricks, you got to show up on time and do the time...! Slavery looks good if you have never known anything else. If you owe a million on your home, the bank won't settle for peanuts!
Mo: Well, this is how I see it. Everyone, including the religious folks are saying "anything goes." No law, no teaching, no instructions... kind of a do-it-yourself kit of life. Interesting that the ones who say "The Law" has been done away with are now pretty upset with the removal of "The Law" from their public buildings... Abandon one thing and soon aborting or abandoning baby follows... Lots of confusion out there. Good business climate for psychiatrists... lots of de-pression. You guys know about that? Guess it's kind of going lower and lower---descending maybe?
Abe: So can either one of you explain to me what the "nuclear option" is? Some guy think he has the power of God? Must be some guy whose job description is The Termite Terminator!
Maybe that explains why all the Ant-eaters are on strike... something about the termite world being contaminated by artificial pesticides...
Abe: Well, good buddies... I haven't figured this all out yet...
Mo: Abe! Let's Google-it!!! What do you think?
Abe: Da-Winnahs and Da-Losers both got impeccable arguments, Mo. No way of knowing by the talk. Somewhere in all this confusion, our true relatives must be alive. I went and looked up the words descend/descendants---means to go down, down-steps, to go lower and lower... The present world is surely descending, but not from us!!!
Pinyon haBen: Redemption of the First-Born
Every first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, "What does this mean?" you shall say to him... (Exodus 13:13-15) A man, husband, and father in Israel is to be prepared to answer this question. Even further, the "why?" which lurks just below the surface. So, this is my answer to my son and all Israel. "By strength of hand Yahweh brought me out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let go, Yahweh slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt... Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all the males that first open the womb; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem." The God of Israel gives a command to the fathers in Israel. I am a father in Israel and I have a first-born son. So, the command as given in Numbers 18:15 is a command for me: "Nevertheless the first-born of man you shall redeem. And their redemption price you shall fix at five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary."
But there is a real problem according to Psalm 49:7---"Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice..." The mockery directed to Yeshua is appropriate for me: "Show your power... Save yourself. If you cannot save yourself, how can you save another?" So I cannot redeem myself, neither can I redeem the life of another, even one as precious as my first-born and only son. Luke (24:21) poignantly utters the cry of every Father: "But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel." The prophecy of Luke 1:68 seems to be false or delayed---"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and raised up a horn of salvation for us..."
But then Yahweh, Father of Yeshua, arises with a mighty arm and redeems by his power his First-Born!!! So the pattern, the Torah of covenant is revealed. Thus says Yahweh: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money." (Isaiah 52:3) "You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1:18) And further "In him we have redemption through his blood... according to the riches of his grace..." (Ephesians 1:7)
Yahweh redeems his First-Born; Yeshua redeems his first-born, the first among many brethren---the sons and daughters of the Kingdom of Israel. "Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify [according to Torah] for himself a people of his own..." (Titus 2:14) All this was made known from the beginning: Yahweh's desire to have a people of his own possession, a holy nation set apart unto him, a kingdom of priests... (Deut. 7:6) And the end of the matter is the same plan and purpose (1 Peter 2:5-9, Rev. 5:9-10) Redemption, in every respect, is the sole work of Yahweh and his Messiah: for a people---Israel---a people of his own possession. He is the Aleph and the Tav of Redemption!
A few Hebraic circulars: the question of the Passover Seder ["What does this mean to you?"] and the question of the Redemption of the First-Born are the same. The five silver coins of the Bridal Price/Redemption and the five silver coins of the Redemption of the First-Born are also the same...
This is my answer to the "what does this mean to you?" and the "why do you do this?": I bring five silver coins for my first-born son to be obedient to the Torah command. I may not fully understand the matter, but as my insight about the Sabbath has deepened by being obedient, so I believe I will receive the same gift of understanding in the same way---the way of obedience. I remember Yahweh redeems: in the past, now, and in the future. The redemption of the children of Israel in the past and present, according to covenantal promises, are the earnest credibility of those promises for the future for all Israel. Yeshua, as First-Born Son---Israel---sits at the right hand of his Father, and at the end, all his brethren shall be gathered in his Kingdom. Yeshua first, then us. The coins are tangible signs of my remembering. The coins, like the wine and challah ("do this in remembrance of me...") give material expression to the past and present experience of Yahweh's/Yeshua's redemption. Finally, the coins testify to my hope as a father in Israel to see the completion, the fullness of Yahweh's redemption. It may be that my hope will need be expressed in the same appeal and cry of Yeshua, "Eli, Eli... The coins represent my appeal as a man of Israel.
In this present and deepening darkness, we see through a mirror dimly. Yet, we see in Spirit the covenant, the promises, the gifts, the depths of Yahweh's plan for Israel. In the culmination of Yahweh's redemption of all of the First-Born of Yeshua's Kingdom, then, we shall see face to face, even as Moses. "O give thanks to Yahweh... Let the redeemed of Yahweh say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered..." (Psalm 107:2) "Come bless Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh, who stand by night in the house of Yahweh! Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless Yahweh! May Yahweh bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth! (Psalm 134)
But there is a real problem according to Psalm 49:7---"Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice..." The mockery directed to Yeshua is appropriate for me: "Show your power... Save yourself. If you cannot save yourself, how can you save another?" So I cannot redeem myself, neither can I redeem the life of another, even one as precious as my first-born and only son. Luke (24:21) poignantly utters the cry of every Father: "But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel." The prophecy of Luke 1:68 seems to be false or delayed---"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and raised up a horn of salvation for us..."
But then Yahweh, Father of Yeshua, arises with a mighty arm and redeems by his power his First-Born!!! So the pattern, the Torah of covenant is revealed. Thus says Yahweh: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money." (Isaiah 52:3) "You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1:18) And further "In him we have redemption through his blood... according to the riches of his grace..." (Ephesians 1:7)
Yahweh redeems his First-Born; Yeshua redeems his first-born, the first among many brethren---the sons and daughters of the Kingdom of Israel. "Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify [according to Torah] for himself a people of his own..." (Titus 2:14) All this was made known from the beginning: Yahweh's desire to have a people of his own possession, a holy nation set apart unto him, a kingdom of priests... (Deut. 7:6) And the end of the matter is the same plan and purpose (1 Peter 2:5-9, Rev. 5:9-10) Redemption, in every respect, is the sole work of Yahweh and his Messiah: for a people---Israel---a people of his own possession. He is the Aleph and the Tav of Redemption!
A few Hebraic circulars: the question of the Passover Seder ["What does this mean to you?"] and the question of the Redemption of the First-Born are the same. The five silver coins of the Bridal Price/Redemption and the five silver coins of the Redemption of the First-Born are also the same...
This is my answer to the "what does this mean to you?" and the "why do you do this?": I bring five silver coins for my first-born son to be obedient to the Torah command. I may not fully understand the matter, but as my insight about the Sabbath has deepened by being obedient, so I believe I will receive the same gift of understanding in the same way---the way of obedience. I remember Yahweh redeems: in the past, now, and in the future. The redemption of the children of Israel in the past and present, according to covenantal promises, are the earnest credibility of those promises for the future for all Israel. Yeshua, as First-Born Son---Israel---sits at the right hand of his Father, and at the end, all his brethren shall be gathered in his Kingdom. Yeshua first, then us. The coins are tangible signs of my remembering. The coins, like the wine and challah ("do this in remembrance of me...") give material expression to the past and present experience of Yahweh's/Yeshua's redemption. Finally, the coins testify to my hope as a father in Israel to see the completion, the fullness of Yahweh's redemption. It may be that my hope will need be expressed in the same appeal and cry of Yeshua, "Eli, Eli... The coins represent my appeal as a man of Israel.
In this present and deepening darkness, we see through a mirror dimly. Yet, we see in Spirit the covenant, the promises, the gifts, the depths of Yahweh's plan for Israel. In the culmination of Yahweh's redemption of all of the First-Born of Yeshua's Kingdom, then, we shall see face to face, even as Moses. "O give thanks to Yahweh... Let the redeemed of Yahweh say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered..." (Psalm 107:2) "Come bless Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh, who stand by night in the house of Yahweh! Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless Yahweh! May Yahweh bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth! (Psalm 134)
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