Category: Torah

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Faith Torah Works

Come as You Are?

Christian churches [501(c)(3)s] are trying to outdo each other to prove they are ‘more inclusive’ – it is like a competition.  The larger the church, the more successful they are thought to be.

“Jesus loves you just the way you are” is one of their slogans.  They must be speaking of Jesús Aguilar (he likes having all kinds of fans), because the Jesus I know reached out to everyone, but is very discriminating as to who he accepts.

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

Matthew 22:1-6

Yeshua generally spoke in parables because the message he brought was too complex for the average listener to understand.  This parable, however, starts with what appears to be a rather undisguised, abridged description of the Hebrews’ history of profaning Yahweh’s Covenant and abusing (or even killing) His prophets.

7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

Matthew 22:7-10

Now the parable become more obscure to the normal listener at that time.  Of course, we have the advantage of thousand’s of years of commentary concerning Yeshua’s words and the letters of Paul, so we understand the servants are those that went forth to ‘teach all nations . . . to observe all things whatsoever Yeshua commanded them.’ (Matthew 28:19-20; see also Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:8)

Remember, salvation was never exclusive for the Hebrew nations.  Yahweh repeatedly stated His Law and its blessings were for the native born Israeli and the fellow traveler, as well (Exodus 12:49; Leviticus 19:34; 24:22; Numbers 9:14; 15:14-15; 15:29; Deuteronomy 1:16; and more).

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 22:11-13

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:41-42

Cast out the guest because he was wearing the wrong clothes?  Sounds kind of elitist – definitely sounds like the king is discriminating . . . even to the people he invited to the feast.

We are to be clothed (enduo / en-doo’-o [G1746]) with the holy spirit:

“let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on [enduo] the armour of light . . . But put ye on [enduo] the Lord Jesus Christ”

Romans 13:12-14

For this corruptible must put on [enduo] incorruption, and this mortal must put on [enduo] immortality.

1Corinthians 15:53

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on [enduo] Christ.

Galatians 3:26-27

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye on [enduo] the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Galatians 4:22-24

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on [enduo] the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Galatians 6:10-11

Can someone call upon the Lord and not put on [enduo] the holy spirit?  Yeshua tells us many who are perceived as Christians have not clothed themselves in preparation of the wedding feast.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:21-23

This includes Christian ‘leaders’ (Matthew 7:15-19)

Enduo requires voluntary action on the part of the person wanting to be clothed.  Believing is not enough – proper action is required.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:19-20

What actions?

1) Repent? 

1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 13:1-5

The Word, nor historians, tell us what the Galilaeans did to incur the wrath of Pilate, but it was supposed that they must have been especially wicked to have been slaughtered by the Romans in the midst of doing sacrifices.  It appears those telling Yeshua of the event wanted his reaction to the news – this may have been a trap by the Jewish leaders to ensnare Yeshua in his words. 

He does not express an opinion about the event, but he does turn the story around to speak to the importance of repentance.  He includes the events around the collapse of the Siloam tower to reenforce the need for repentance.

If Yeshua loves us as we are, why do we need to repent?  “From that time [after his 40 day fast following his baptism] Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

2)  Renew Our Minds?

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

Put on [enduo] the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him . . . Put on [enduo] therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved . . . .”

Colossians 3:10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10
Bob the Priest

Renew our minds to what?  To the latest trendy preacher? To the latest, popular, self-help book with ‘Christian’ themes?  How can we know what is “right”?

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psalm 19:7-8

If Yeshua loves us as we are, why do we need to renew our minds? 

3)  Emulating the man that we profess is our Lord?

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1John 2:3-6

If Yeshua loves us as we are, why is he asking us to be like him? 

Yes, come as you are . . . but don’t stay as you are.  It is impossible to change a lifetime of bad habits and bad decisions overnight, but you have to make the decision that you want to change. 

When the Apostles were trying to figure out how to incorporate pagans into the faith, they understood this problem.  The leadership determined that the pagans must initially agree to stop committing four especially nasty sins and that they would learn the rest of the Law, over time, by attending synagogue each Sabbath. (Acts 15)

Believing you can confess Yeshua as Lord and continue your life the same as you always had belies your claim that he is your Lord.  You cannot enter a marriage relationship and continue to act as if you are single.  Learning to do right in a marriage takes time, but it will never happen if you believe anything is okay in a marriage.

Yahweh and Yeshua want all men to be saved and have a seat at the wedding feast – few want to do what is required to have a seat at the table.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Matthew 22:14

I’ve not plugged my book in a while.

If you want to walk as Christ walked . . . if you want a starter guide on what the Law demands of us . . . if you don’t want to wait a lifetime of synagogue services to jump-start the renewing of your mind to the Word, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah is a good vehicle, but it does not replace you as the driver.

It lays out the essentials for today’s believers and then you can test it and make it your own (it has a chapter on how to make the Word your own)

Categories
Prescribed Holy Days

Yom Kippur – Atone for Yourself

29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 16:29-34

What is Yahweh telling us about this holiday:

  • It is a permanent regulation (mentioned twice)
  • We are to afflict ourselves.
  • It is for the Israelite and the Gentile believer.
  • The priest makes an atonement through a blood sacrifice.
  • It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest.

I mentioned it in my blog about Yom Teruah, but it bares repeating.  The spring holidays proscribed by Yahweh pointed to the coming messiah and were fulfilled by Yeshua Ha’mashiach (Joshua, the Redeemer) the Passover lamb that was killed to take away the sins of the world, rose again, and gave us holy spirit.  The Fall holidays point to the return of Yeshua in glory as ruler of heaven and earth and judge of mankind.

The instructions to observe Yom Kippur are repeated later in Leviticus:

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. 29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. 30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. 31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.

Leviticus 23:26–32

Once again, Yahweh is telling the believers:

  • It is a special (“high day”) Sabbath that is to be observed no matter the day of the week it falls on.
  • We are to afflict ourselves (mentioned twice).
  • The priest makes an atonement through the sacrifice.
  • It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest.
  • If we don’t afflict ourselves, we are to be destroyed.
  • If we don’t rest, we are to be destroyed
  • It is a permanent regulation.
  • It is to be a complete day, from sunset to sunset.

Yahweh commands us to “afflict” (ânâh / aw-naw’ [H6031] – abase self, chasten, or submit) ourselves and to do no work. During the Days of Awe, we are to reflect upon our lives, but on the Day of Atonement, we are to thoroughly examine ourselves and ask forgiveness for our shortcomings. This introspection is our last chance to change our outcome.

This is not to be equated with a New Year resolution (as many do) – NYRs seek an earthly benefit (e.g, weight loss).  On Yom Kippur we seek change that will align us in the Father’s Will.  Failure to maintain a NYR is not seen as a tragedy – “I’ll try again next year.”  There may not be another chance to atone a year later.

On the Judgment Day, Christ will judge us – the judgment entered in these books is sealed.  On Yom Kippur, this day is, essentially, one’s last appeal, one’s last chance to change the judgment, to express your repentance and make amends.  Another Yom Kippur may not avail itself.

The Day of Atonement is a foreshadowing of a future event (as all the holy days were / are) and we, as believers, are to prepare ourselves.  This life is not the only existence we have to look forward to, but failure to live it according to the dictates of Yahweh could mean your second life could end very quickly in a lake of fire.  Yom Kippur is a yearly reminder that judgment is coming, and we want to prepare ourselves.

Yom Kippur is the only day that a priest could enter the holy of holies and submit a burnt offering for the sins of the people. It is a foreshadowing of the Day of Judgment when Christ will judge all.

The life blood of the sacrificial animal was required in exchange for the life blood of the worshiper (the symbolic expression of innocent life given for guilty life).  Yeshua, however, as our High Priest (in heaven – he is not of the family of Aaron, nor a Levite), shed his innocent blood once for an atonement for all people (Hebrews 9:23–25). Unfortunately, few accept his sacrifice.

The choice is to accept Christ as your Savior (i.e., do as he commands) and live life everlasting, or to face Christ as your judge and possibly die in the Lake of Fire. I believe that those who never knew Christ can be judged as honorable based on whatever standard he chooses, in their cases.  Ultimately, Yeshua will be just in whatever manner he adjudicates.

The “once saved, always saved” theology must reckon with Christ’s proclamation that few will enter into the kingdom (Matthew 7:13-14, see also 1Peter 4:17-19).  A doctrine that is almost universally accepted amongst Christians sounds more like the “broad way that leadeth to destruction” than the “narrow way which leadeth unto life”.

When you examine (afflict) yourself, you will, no doubt, come up lacking (if you don’t, then you are not serious about chastening yourself) – welcome to the club.  We are not trying to achieve perfection; we are trying to make commitments to being better.  Failure to do so questions your confession of Yeshua as “Lord” in your life (see my blog, Born Again?).  When one hires on as a servant, they do not get to choose how they want to serve their Lord; they agree to serve as the Lord wants and endeavor to do the best they can.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Yeshua will not be mocked.  He knows what we don’t confess, so we might as well deal with sin in our lives before we are judged for those sins.

Traditionally, Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day.  Orthodox Jews refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur (one of the meanings of afflict is “ravish”). It is a complete, twenty-five-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur.  These restrictions, however, can be lifted where a threat to life or health is involved.

Do not mistake a fasting as the affliction. Fasting is a form of affliction, but Yahweh desires that we afflict our souls, not our bodies – to get honest with yourself and truly repent unto life. Fasting is okay if you want, at any time, but it is neither a substitute for, nor a heightening of your taking an assessment of your walk with Yahweh.

Isaiah warns against seeking attention by using a fast to advance your image as better than others because of your ‘affliction’:

3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Isaiah 58:3-7

Isaiah speaks of feeding and clothing the poor on Yom Kippur. As it is a complete Sabbath, prepare food and collect clothes beforehand to distribute. We can (and should) do good even as we take the time to assess our relationship with the Father and His Son.

I once gave blood on Yom Kippur – the timing and the imagery of the sacrificing of blood, yet giving of life shouted out to me.

Remember that Yeshua told us, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Categories
Prescribed Holy Days Torah

Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets) – A Christian Holiday?

23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Leviticus 23:23-25

Yom Teruah is referred to as the Day of Trumpets (it is not a feast day, as it is commonly misconstrued to be) but is more accurately translated as a day of blowing or shouting. The walls of Jericho were brought down with a great teruah (as were the first two little pigs’ homes).

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout [teruah], that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Joshua 6:20

Long ago, I learned that the Hebrew holidays were both commemorative and prophetic:

The Word does not give a reason for this specific holiday, but under Babylonian captivity, the Jews adopted many of the traditions of their overlords . . . including the names of the months (the months were initially referred to as “the first month”, the seventh month”, etc.  They were given names in Babylon – the fourth month to this day is named after a Babylonian god: “Tammuz”).

Babylon celebrated their new year twice in their calendar, one landing close to the Day of Trumpets.  In order to celebrate their holiday, they mixed it with the Babylonian new year and named it Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew for “head of the year”).  Since Babylon had two new year celebrations, it would not appear strange for the Jews to do the same. The tradition remained, even after they left their captivity in Babylon.

This is the only holy day that coincides with a new moon but not the only day that is to be celebrated with trumpets.

Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your Elohim: I am Yahweh your Elohim.

Numbers 10:10

The Hebrew months begin on each new moon and the trumpets were sounded to herald in each month, but the seventh month was declared by Yahweh to be special.

1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. 2 And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto Yahweh; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: 3 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram, 4 And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 5 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: 6 Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto Yahweh.

Numbers 29:1-6

Once again, the reason for the holiday is not given and the specific instructions for commemorating it are unavailable today because there is no sanctuary or Levitical tribe to perform the sacrifices.

Joseph was said to have been released from prison on this day (Psalm 81:3-6) and the messiah was thought to end their earthly bondage on this day.  For this reason, Israel used this day to officially coronate their kings.  The new king would start their rule upon the death of the previous king, but the ceremony would take place on Yom Teruah.

Many Christians believe that Yeshua was born on Yom Teruah (I keep promising to do a blog about Christ’s birth on September 11, 3 BC, but I get side-tracked easily) which should make this a Christian holiday – much more appropriate that that hideously pagan and overly commercialized festival they celebrate in December (see my blog, Party Like a Pagan).

Christ is also believed to be returning in glory on Yom Teruah, though most Christians no longer look to any specific day because of a misunderstanding of Mark 24 and 1Thessalonians 5.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

1Thessalonians 5:2-6

A thief cannot overtake someone who is vigilant, so the Christian who believes that any random day may be the return of Christ will be overtaken by events, just like the unbeliever.  The people in Noah’s time were witnessed to for decades and carried on as if nothing could happen (Noah’s Flood – a timeline (6)). They were warned and still they drowned.

For the very reasons that Christ was born on Yom Teruah and will return on Yom Teruah, this day is neither a Jewish holiday nor a Christian holiday.  It should be a believer’s holiday.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1Thessalonians 4:16-18
Categories
Torah

Noah’s Curse (9)

The following is continuation of the Flood narrative (Noah’s Flood 6, Noah’s Flood 7, Noah’s Flood 8) based on the research I have been doing for the Torah commentary I am writing. If you have ever wanted to know more than was available with a simple reading of the Scripture, this will help.

  • Genesis 6 – The Purpose of the Flood
  • Genesis 7 – The Deluge
  • Genesis 8 – The Flood Abates
  • Genesis 9 – Noah’s Curse

This will probably be the last of this series as the text quickly moves through the genealogies and then introduces Nimrod and Abraham. I anticipate I will spend the next several months working through the next few chapters.

1 And Elohim blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Genesis 9:1

This is the same command as was given to Adam and Eve in verse 1:28.  Elohim prefers life and later, (verse 9:5-6), He condemns anyone who premeditatedly takes it.

   Man, today, is preoccupied with the taking of life.  Whether it is the barbarous leaders of totalitarian regimes or the fanatical environmental leaders who advocate zero population growth (ZPG) (which Planned Parenthood fits into).  Man desires to exert total control over all people and having a smaller population makes it easier to ensure some folks do not escape the plantation.

   Man claims that having children is a drain on a person’s time and resources – ‘you can eat out and travel more if you don’t have children’.  Elohim believes children are a blessing.

    It is ironic that the same governments that push for smaller families are also concerned that there are fewer younger people to support the massive social security systems they have constructed.

2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

Genesis 9:2

Man was not given dominion of the Earth, again (Genesis 1:28), but he is told that he will (and must) dominate over the animal kingdom.

3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Genesis 9:3

Animals are now food?  I believe a strong argument can be made that man ate animals before the flood.  All life is important to Elohim, so the sacrifice of an animal and the wasting of the burnt flesh would be odious to Him.

   Man and animals would have had to maintain a vegetarian diet for nearly a year.  With the resumption of animal sacrifice, consumption of their flesh would begin, again, but it sounds like Elohim is permitting the eating of livestock separate from the sacrifice.

    Man, however, is capable of great cruelty towards each other and to the animals.  Elohim later codifies humane treatment of man and animals. 

4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Genesis 9:4

Consumption of the blood of the animals is not permitted.  This is a rite of passage for hunters after their first kill – Elohim detests it.  It is also one of the four big ‘no-nos’ from Acts 15:20, when it was decided how to treat the new pagan converts to the faith.  The new converts had to stop this practice (and three others) immediately and they would learn the rest of the Torah over time by attending Synagogue.

   Blood sacrifice empowers the fallen angels, also, which is why so many pagan religions require human sacrifice – especially child sacrifice.  These angels would have lost their heavenly aura, also, and therefore seek to fill the void of Elohim’s life-giving presence with the life of other beings (“for the life of the flesh is in the blood” – Leviticus 17:11) [Douglas Hamp]

5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. 6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of Elohim made he man.

Genesis 9:5-6

Man may take the life of an animal for food, but man is not to take the life of another man.  Neither is an animal permitted to take the life of a man.  Any man or animal that does is to be put to death.

    People who denounce the death penalty refuse to see it for what it is.  First, it is a commandment of Elohim for certain crimes; second, it is just since the victim of the murderer was given a death sentence by the culprit; and third, it is not just to have the family of the victim suffer their loss AND support the murderer with room and board for the rest of their life (even if it is a miserable life).

   Man is to judge man and beast.  He is also responsible for executing a guilty party.  Animals are incapable of formulating the necessary intent to murder, but that is not an issue – the taking of human life is a serious matter. [Dennis Prager]

    When someone exclaims, “only God can judge me”, they are repudiating His command (the first of many) that we judge each other according to His Word.  They are probably also announcing that they are violating the Torah and want to continue to do so without any Earthly consequences.

7 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

Genesis 9:7

Once again, Elohim tells the survivors to be ‘fruitful and multiply’.  The animals do not need such guidance – they will multiply on their own and will overpower man if he does not add to his own ranks.

8 And Elohim spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

Genesis 9:8-10

Elohim is not going to leave Noah’s family to their own devices.  He repeats the covenant He made with Adam.  If they continue to acknowledge Him as Elohim in their words and their actions, then He will bless their crops, herds, and their children.

    The Hebrew Talmud proclaims that Elohim establishes what is known as, “the Noahide Laws” as a part of the covenant he makes with Noah.  These laws are to be followed by all mankind (Noah and his family were all of mankind at that time), unlike the Law of Moses, which applied to the Israelites and the people that left Egypt with them (Fellow sojourners.

    Two of the laws are obvious from this chapter.  I cannot find why the other five are attributed to Noah, nor why consuming blood is not on the list.  The seven laws are:

  1.  Do not profane Elohim’s Oneness – do not practice idolatry.
  2.  Do not curse your Creator.
  3.  Do not murder (verse 6).
  4.  Do not eat a limb of a still-living animal (verse 4). Some cultures did this to preserve the rest of the meat.  It is obviously cruel to the animal.
  5.  Do not steal.
  6.  Harness and channel the human libido. Incest, adultery, rape and homosexual relations are forbidden (verses 24-25?).
  7.  Establish courts of law and ensure justice.

11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And Elohim said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between Elohim and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17 And Elohim said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

Genesis 9:11-17

Elohim promises to never destroy the Earth by Flood, again, and the rainbow would be the remembrance for all of this promise.

   Part of this is that Elohim wants people to love Him willingly.  The story of the Flood has survived for thousands of years, though the reasons for it are not so readily remembered.  If man was always fearful that Elohim might decide to flood the world again, then the adherence to His Word may be coerced rather than free-will.

   The rainbow does not mark the location of a pot of gold, but of something much more valuable.  It is to be a reminder of the Covenant that Elohim made with man and the commitment each has made to the other.

   Unfortunately, man has made it a symbol of his desire to openly violate Torah.

18 And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. 20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Genesis 9:18-21

Noah begins to till the soil again.  He makes wine from the harvest and becomes drunk.  This incident does not take place immediately after leaving the ark (as some teach) since it takes up to three years for viable grapes to grow – the first harvest only produces sour berries. (how long does it take a new vineyard to yield grapes)

    One can speculate that he was trying to drown the memories of what they had endures less than two years earlier, or it could just be that Noah had not had alcohol in nearly four years and he no longer knew his body’s tolerance level.

   “uncovered” – galah / gaw-law’ [H1540]  a primitive root; to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal:–+ advertise, appear, bewray, uncover.

    Noah, in a drunken state, probably stripped down and went to his tent to sleep it off.

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

Genesis 9:22

“Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father”.  Ham had four children – why is Canaan singled out?  He appears to have been the last one born (verse 10:6).  Why doesn’t the verse read, “Ham, the father of Cush”, his firstborn?

   “nakedness” – `ervah / er-vaw’ [H6172]  nudity, literally (especially the pudenda [genitalia]) or figuratively (disgrace, blemish):–nakedness, shame, unclean(-ness).

    “saw the nakedness of his father” – this is an idiom.  It does not mean that Ham saw his father in the nude (which was probably a common occurrence since the family probably bathed in a common area.

   The phrase refers to Ham having sex with Noah’s wife (Ham’s mother).  Look to the other uses of the phrase when Yahweh is prohibiting incest in the Law:

    6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. 7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 8 The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.

  14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.

    16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.

Leviticus 18:6-8,14,16

  Ham took advantage of his father’s inebriation to have sex with his mother.  Afterwards, he told his brothers what he had done.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

Genesis 9:23-25

Noah wakes up and curses his grandson?  This only makes sense if Noah’s wife becomes pregnant from the act and has Ham’s fourth son.

    In the notes to verse 6:18, I remarked that the sons were alluded to as ‘righteous’, but their wives were not mentioned in the text.  They belonged to the pool of people that were described as ”corrupted” (Genesis 6:12).

   The Word never gives the name of Noah’s wife (nor the wives of Noah’s three sons).  Though woman was created to be equal with man, Elohim holds the man responsible for family and therefore the Word generally follows the lineage of the men.

   Jasher 5:15-16 states that Noah’s wife was Naamah, the daughter of Enoch (a good indication that she may have been pure – though good parents don’t always raise good children).  This would have made her a great-great aunt and since Enoch was translated when Noah was four-years old, probably significantly older than Noah, also.

   Jubilees reports that her name was Emzarâh, the daughter of Râkêl, his father’s brother (making her a first cousin – Jubilees 4:32).  This seems more likely than the account in Jasher.

  The wives and possibly two of the sons would have brought corrupted (recessive) DNA unto the ark and therefore there was the possibility that the corruption could have passed on to some of the children (depending on which genes found dominance in the children). (Douglas Hamp)

   When the sons of Noah started having families, did they recognize Nephilim traits in their children?  Did Ham’s son have six fingers and toes (a trait associated with giantism – 2Samuel 21:20 – also, see the relief of Nimrod on this page.

    Ham’s first son was Cush, the father of Nimrod – a man who ‘became’ Nephilim (see the notes at verse 10:8).  If after three attempts to have a ‘normal’ child failed, he may have become desperate enough to impregnate the only woman he ‘knew’ to be pure.

   “servant” – `ebed / eh’-bed [H5650]  from 5647; a servant:–X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant, (man-)servant (causatively) enslave, etc.

   This curse is odd, since we do not know how many years elapse between the Flood and the birth of Ham’s fourth child.  How soon after the flood do the descendants of Noah start to make servants, or even slaves, of their family members?

   It is also odd since it cannot possibly be Canaan’s fault that his father had sex with his grandmother.   The corruption of DNA had probably progressed to a point that incest was beginning to produce deformities and Noah is acknowledging the defect.

    Many families have a family member that is incapable of making their way in the world and live with a member of their family, doing chores to earn their keep. 

Notice the full grown lion in Nimrod’s arm

Only two generations later, Nimrod (Ham’s grandson) becomes the king of the world, so the subjugation of family does happen rather quickly.

26 And he said, Blessed be Yahweh God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Genesis 9:26

Shem is designated as the chief son in terms of the bloodline   The brothers’ descendants will war with the descendants of Shem in the future.

27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Genesis 9:27-29

Noah lived 950 years, but his sons lived little more than half that long and the lifespans of future generations became much shorter.

Yahweh destroyed the earth to prevent man’s unbridled wickedness from destroying the creation. After the flood, the wickedness returns almost immediately. Man is wicked by nature and needs a moral compass to keep from succumbing to corruption.

37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24:37-39

The days are near when man’s attempts to be like gods will completely corrupt the earth (as what happened in the days of Noah). This time, Yahweh will use fire to cleanse the earth and begin anew.

Do not be a god – be a follower of the one, true Yahweh.

Categories
History Torah

Noah’s Flood – a Timeline (8)

The following is continuation of the Flood narrative (Noah’s Flood 6 and Noah’s Flood 7) based on the research I have been doing for the Torah commentary I am writing. If you have ever wanted to know more than was available with a simple reading of the Scripture, this will help.

  • Genesis 6 – The Purpose of the Flood
  • Genesis 7 – The Deluge
  • Genesis 8 – The Flood Abates

Dennis Prager has a good commentary (Rational Bible: Genesis), but he doesn’t dig deep into the Flood story. His analysis is more notable in other areas of the Word.

1 And Elohim remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and Elohim made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; 2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

Genesis 8:1-2

The narrative picks up again at the forty day mark when he stopped the rain.

“Elohim remembered Noah” – this expression is used numerous times and means that Yahweh took action.  He doesn’t forget the only eight people He has saved.

    “wind” – ruwach / roo’-akh [H7307] wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation. 

    “asswaged” – shakak / shaw-kak’ [H7918] a primitive root; to weave (i.e. lay) a trap; figuratively, (through the idea of secreting) to allay (passions; physically, abate a flood):–appease, assuage, make to cease, pacify, set.

    Elohim’s ‘breath’ blew upon the face of the flood and the waters were calmed.  The first forty days were very tumultuous – the humans and the animals would have been traumatized by it.

And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

Genesis 8:3

The land began to break through the flood waters.  Part of this may have been the upheaval of the tectonic plates and the new formation of mountains.  Noah and his family are only halfway through their ordeal.

And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

Genesis 8:4

Like any large ship, much of the hull is underwater.  It would have eventually become shallow enough to run aground, even though it may have still been completely surrounded by water.

5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. 6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

Genesis 8:5-6

Forty days after the mountain tops appear, not the initial forty days of rain.

7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. 8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

Genesis 8:7-8

Noah releases a raven and a dove.  The raven does not return, but we can surmise that it survived the 45 days between its release and Noah opening the ark because ravens are unclean (carnivores and scavengers are unclean) and there were only two.  We still have them today. As a scavenger, it would have found ample ‘food’ floating on the waters.

But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

Genesis 8:9

The dove came back to the window because it could find no place to land.  The raven may have landed on some flotsam or even on another part of the ark away from the window.

10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

Genesis 8:10-11

The ‘window’ may not have given Noah a view of the area surrounding the ark, this is why he had to rely on the olive twig in the dove’s mouth to know the waters were abated.

12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. 13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. 15 And Elohim spake unto Noah, saying, 16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

Genesis 8:12-16

Noah removes the side door and the ground is no longer covered in water, but it is probably still a soggy mess.  This is why Elohim waits an additional 55 days before telling Noah to go forth from the ark.

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.

Genesis 8:17

Just like at the beginning, in the Garden, All life is to go into the land and be fruitful and multiply.

18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. 20 And Noah builded an altar unto Yahweh; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Genesis 8:18-20

Noah sacrifices to Yahweh of all the clean beasts. Despite the ordeal they have been through, they are still alive and Noah shows his appreciation and seeks a propitiation of their sins through the sacrifice.

And Yahweh smelled a sweet savour; and Yahweh said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Genesis 8:21

Yahweh has a sense of smell?  This is a figure of speech (personification) where Yahweh is said to smell to emphasize His appreciation of Noah’s sacrifice.

    Yahweh’s heart (personification, again), which is always good, is contrasted with the heart of mankind, which is always evil (Jeremiah 17:9).  Remember this when someone is violating the Torah, but exclaims, “God knows my heart.”  Yes, he does, and He is not impressed. (see also, Matthew 15:18-19 and Mark 7:20-23)

   Yahweh vows to never again destroy the Earth, but that does not leave out the possibility that man may destroy it, or at least a large portion of existing life forms [RB].

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Genesis 8:22

“While the earth remaineth” – this implies that the Earth may cease to exist – we know that the earth in its current form will cease to exist when it is purged by fire on the Day of the Lord (2Peter 3:10-13).  Man’s ability to destroy all is near impossible.  Launching all nuclear weapons would substantially reduce the populations of the higher life forms, but some life would still remain.

    The seasons are first mentioned here, meaning that they may be more pronounced after the Flood.  The climate was probably more temperate before the destruction of the ice canopy.

This was intended to be a three part series but the story of Ham, his indiscretion, and the seemingly explainable cursing of Ham’s son, Canaan, is important in showing that man is habitually evil and needs a savior.

There was a television documentary entitled, “Scared Straight” (1978) that put juvenile delinquents into jail with hardened criminals who lectured them on the brutality of prison. This was supposed to change the lives of the young ne’er-do-wells by showing them the grievous fate they faced if they did not change their lives. The lethality of the Flood failed to change the nature of man.

Look for “Noah’s Flood – a Timeline (9)” . . . or maybe I’ll go with a more descriptive title since the story continues, but the Flood timeline is completed in this blog.

Categories
Faith History Torah

Peter Warned Us

Christians claim that Paul ‘clearly writes that the Law is done away with through Yeshua.’  If fact all of Christianity is based on the ‘clear’ understanding that Paul taught there is a new doctrine and a new covenant.

Yet Peter (who got the same revelations) tells us that Paul’s letters are “hard to understand” and that ignorant and unstable people twist his words to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:15-17).  Peter lived at the same time as Paul – they shared the same language, customs, and faith, so we can assume that he knew Paul better than we do, so if Peter said that Paul’s words on the law of God were difficult to understand, then his words on the law of God are indeed difficult to understand.

We have no reason to doubt Peter’s first hand testimony about Paul’s letters in the first century.  Peter obviously read those letters and knew the subject matter intimately.  Who are we to say anything different 2,000 years of history and culture removed?  Paul certainly did not become any easier to understand.  So using Paul to say that “we are not under the law of God” is nothing new . . . Peter already warned us some 2,000 years ago about that error, and in fact, he called it the error of lawless people.  So let us begin examining some of the reasons Paul is so difficult to understand.

We should want to be very careful in understanding Paul in matters of the law of God. It is very easy to make Paul appear as though he is contradicting himself. Thus, there are at least six problems we all should attempt to avoid in our reading of Paul.  Meaning anytime we read Paul, to take Peter’s warning into consideration, we want to make sure that we do the following to avoid the six common problems in understanding him.

1) We need to examine the back of the Bible in light of the front of the Book. The Bible constantly reuses Biblical terms that are already defined for us if we are willing to seek them out. We need to examine the Bible holistically, and not ignore what was already written in the Word.  Remember, there was no “New Testament” in the time of Paul.

2) We need to make sure that we are not verse plucking out of Paul’s letters. Paul’s teachings bring in the wealth of knowledge he acquired over decades of learning – he did not dabble in sound-bites.  We also need to remember that a letter is a letter and is intended to be read from front to back. We also need to recognize that the letters are not to us, but to a specific group of people with specific problems.

3) We also need to not place so much trust in man. Just because our favorite teacher, pastor, etc., gives their own opinion on how to understand Paul, that does not mean you should not challenge that perspective and Test Everything. Even in the first century, Peter mentioned that self-proclaimed teachers and experts were making the same mistake of using Paul to teach against the Law of God. We do not want to fall into the same trap, especially since Peter specifically warned us beforehand.

4) We also need to realize, that just like there are popular debates today, there were popular debates that were occurring in the first century. There were Jewish sects and denominations each with their own corrupted views of the Scriptures. Many times, Paul is teaching against a particular Jewish sect, and their doctrine, not the Law of God. This is revealed using historical evidence, and even Paul’s own letters.

5) All of us have a past, preconceived ideas and glasses that we use to read the Scriptures. We need to be aware of those glasses, and be willing to take them off to see the Scriptures with our own eyes, to understand what the Bible really says. Sometimes this involves goings slow and taking a deep breath. Sometimes the best approach is to assume nothing, and Test Everything.

6) Lastly, we need to understand that Paul uses the word “law” in many different contexts and ways, at least six different ways:

(1) the Law of Sin (Romans 7:23-25)

(2) the Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:12)

(3) the Law of Faith (Romans 3:27)

(4) the Law of Righteousness (Romans 9:31)

(5) the Law of God (Romans 3:31; 7:22-25; 8:17)

(6) the Law of Christ (Romans 8:2; 1Corinthians 9:21)

       We need to understand which “law” Paul is writing about; use context to define these laws; and understand how they relate, or don’t relate to us in the faith.

119 Ministries has a wonderful, multi-video, in-depth examination of Paul and his writing entitled, “The Pauline Paradox”.  Make the time.

https://www.119ministries.com/teachings/video-teachings/

Categories
Torah

Holy Torah (Genesis) TGV – 1of2 – 31Dec2023

This is ALMOST what you have been waiting for!

This is the draft I promised. I am very giddy with excitement. Yes it needs a lot of polishing, but the info is what is important.

I had to break the work into two parts because it is over 400 pages and WordPress is balking at its size. I plan on getting it onto Amazon as soon as possible, even though it is a draft, because many people want to feel the pages of a book

Feel free to lovingly make suggestions and report grammatical corrections. This is a labor of love and I want to do it the justice it deserves. Thanks

20231231-Genesis-aDownload
Categories
Torah

“Everyone is Doing It”

Peer pressure is so toxic.

How often do we lie to ourselves and others, in order fit in or to not make waves?

“Everyone is doing it”, we are told.  Of course, no one has actually asked everyone and we all know at least one person who prides themselves in holding opinions contrary to the majority.

Secondly, if the majority is wrong, do you follow them?

Remember your mother telling you, “If everyone is jumping off a bridge, would you do it, also?”  Of course when that exact occasion arose (during an Army run that took us through the swamps of Georgia), the Commander leapt from a bridge into the brook below . . . and yes, we all jumped in after him.

I want to look to the ten Commandments.

They are the words that Yahweh spoke orally to all the Israelites (Exodus 20:1-17), and the only words of the Torah that were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant.  The Ark was the centerpiece of Holy of Holies, so it can rationally inferred that these words are more important than the rest of the Torah.  It is all important, but some things are more essential.

The Commandments are the basic framework for how humanity can successfully interact with Yahweh and with each other.  The rest of the Torah may or may not apply to a person based on the circumstances (the ordinance to build a wall around your roof to prevent folks from falling off [Deut 22:8] would obviously not apply to a tent-dweller) but the Commandments are meant to apply to everyone.

Doing the Commandments is how we show love and obedience to our Heavenly Father and His son, Yeshua Ha’mashiach (Jesus the Christ).  It is how we ‘do good’ to our fellow man.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

1John 2:3-7

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

John 14:15, 21, 23-24

This being said, a majority of people believe, maybe half of them should be obeyed . . . this includes most Christians.

Don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t lie, it is hard to make a case for ignoring many if them, though some people and some faiths do make a case for ignoring them in the right circumstances.

Christians believe it is proper to lie to prevent a worse evil (Germans who lied about hiding Jews in their homes were preventing murder, while their neighbors who obeyed the Nazi laws and truthfully identified Jews were aiding in murder). Jews have the example of Rahab, who hid the Israeli spies in Jericho and lied about their presence to save their lives (Joshua 2).  

These are considered justifiable exceptions and not a blanket repudiation of Yahweh’s Commandments.

Islam teaches it is okay to lie to an infidel (called taqiyya) in order to deceive and defeat them.  This can be referred to as a ‘strategy’ rather than the prevention of a greater evil.

There are, however, blanket repudiations of the Commandments that are taught by the modern church that lead people away from Yahweh rather than to Him.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Exodus 20:8-11

The fourth Commandment begins with the admonition to “remember”.  Where, in the Christian Church, is this command remembered?  Some Christians claim that the Sabbath has been changed to Sunday – Sunday is the “Lord’s Day”!  This is poppy-cock for several reasons:

  1. The “Lord’s Day” is only mentioned in Revelation 1:10 and refers to the Tribulation and the actual time that Christ presides on Earth . . . which has not happened, yet.
  2. The Sabbath is (and always has been) a weekly ritual to commemorate the creation of heaven and Earth by Elohim.  When we make it ‘holy’, we praise the Creator.  Government schools and churches (at the behest of government and with the threat of a discontinuance of government funds) teach evolution, which is a religion created to counter belief in God (I have written a chapter in a currently unpublished book about the fallacies of evolution [continuing scientific discoveries have disproved the theory of evolution – its continued adherence in the lack of scientific evidence makes it a religion])
  3. Most of the people that claim that Sunday is the new Sabbath do not show where the change is made in scripture (Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets – Amos 3:7); where they take time off work; where they do not cause others to work (e.g., cashiers when they go shopping, or ushers when they go to a show); nor do they honor the day by making it holy.

The vast majority of churches ignore the clear and specific instruction of the Commandment and teach that meeting for a service on a different day is sufficient.  “Everyone is doing it.”

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Exodus 20:7

This is third Commandment and often referred to as the “unforgivable sin”. 

It is not about using Yahweh’s name in your habit of cursing (though that is not a pleasing thing for Him to hear come out of your mouth).  When you “take the name of the LORD thy God” you are accepting His Covenant (the subject of my second book in the Grafted series).  The Covenant is like a marriage vow where you take the name of your spouse and agree to live in a relationship with them.

You take your spouse’s name ‘in vain’ who you whore around with others and neglect your spouse.  Yahweh divorced the tribes of Israel (Jeremiah 3) for the “adultery” of worshiping other gods.  Without His protection, the ten Northern tribes were captured by the Assyrians and carried off and the remaining two tribes were captured by the Babylonians and carried away.

The marriage vows commit us to “honor and obey” our spouse.  Do we honor and obey Yahweh when we refuse to keep His commandments and teach others to disobey, also?

The ten Commandments instruct us to avoid eight things and do two others (Remember the Sabbath and honor Mother and Father).  These ten were important enough that Yahweh wrote them out on stone tablets and instructed the tablets to be placed in a prominent place with His Tabernacle.

Teaching that they no longer apply to Christians is the standardized message of today (“Everyone is doing it”), but are you going to violate them because everyone else is . . . because you don’t want to offend others? Yahweh gave you free-will, do not relinquish it to false teachers.

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23

Yeshua did not only intend this message to warn about the Pharisees of his day, but also of the Pharisees of today.  If the faith you follow is the same as everyone else is following, you may be in the “broad way”.  Go to the scriptures and make them your own so that you know (see my blog, “Make the Word Your Own” for ways anyone can competently study the Word).

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2Timothy 2:15

If you trust in me, or Osteen, or Meyers, you will show yourself approved unto Bob, or Joel, or Joyce.  You can do much better.

Categories
Torah

Losing Those Close to Us

I said ‘goodbye’ to a brother in Christ, yesterday.  I had known him for years and he was a fellow workman in the ministry I used to be a part of. 

When I left the ministry (though not the faith), I tried to maintain contact with my denominational family.  I was often asked why I left because the minister was charismatic and popular.  I confided with a few, but I declined to explain to most because it was personal to me and I did not want to set up a situation where people felt they had to choose one of us over the other (make no aversions, I was not the choice they were going to make), like what happens when a married couple divorces and their friends find it awkward to remains friends with both parties even though they were close with both.

Then, my awakening happened.  I’ve spoken of my revelation before and my renewed and energized study of the scriptures.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2Timothy 2:15

There is nothing quite as cute (and irritating) as the zeal of a convert.  There is also nothing quite as ugly as the persecution of the apostate (a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.) that has left the church.  Muslims go as far as demanding the killing of apostates (Why is the Apostate to be Executed in Islam).

I have not left the faith though I no longer teach the dispensational doctrines associated with my former ministry.  I still teach salvation through faith in Christ, which is (or should be) the bedrock of all Christian dogma.

No one that I know of has demanded my death (the closest has been my wife, who, with good cause, has fantasized about it for decades), but I have been the subject of false claims of heresy. 

It is common to try to marginalize the outcast so that others do not follow in their path.  My previous minister (the one I broke from) was earlier compared to a child molester when he was fired from the ministry he had started.  There was no accusation of child abuse, but the comparison was an intentional smear to marginalize him and shrink the number of people from moving to his new ministry.

The Apostle Paul was falsely accused of crimes against the faith.  This begs the question of why would they have to ‘falsely’ accuse him if Paul was actually teaching against the Jewish faith?  They should have been able to actually accuse him if he was speaking against the Torah.

The more years one spends in a denomination, the harder it is for them to conceive that their doctrine could contain error or that any other denominations may contain a greater understanding in some aspect of their faith.  This is made easier by the construction of simple adages that aid in avoiding examination of any perceived (or real) contradictory belief held by others.

Been there – done that.

I remember when the Roman Catholic church taught us that Catholics were the only ones going to heaven.  That made for some interesting conversations with my HS sweetheart who, as a Baptist, was taught only the Baptists were going to heaven.  We both thought we could convert the other over time.  Ahhhh, the presumptiveness of religions and teenagers.

I said ‘goodbye’ to a brother in Christ because of his continued misstatements (yes, lies) about what I was saying and teaching.

The issue concerned my teaching that once someone has accepted Christ as their savior, the believer should follow the whole Bible (including the Law of Moses).  His interpretation of this was that I was teaching people that they had to follow the Law to be saved. 

This is a blatant lie, told knowing, since I asked which of my dozens of blogs and hundreds of memes ever advocated a works’ salvation. I have never taught that obedience to the Law was required for salvation since the Word clearly states that nothing we can do will save us.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

I formerly taught, as he still does (and as 97.3% of the Christian world teaches) that the Law of Moses no longer applies to us because of the death and resurrection of Yeshua.  I have come to understand that this is not true, which I would have understood sooner if I had embraced the Old Testament.

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Malachi 3:6

Most Christian churches embrace Malachi when he speaks to bringing in the tithes (Malachi 3:8-10), but not when he counters their  dispensational belief that Yahweh treats us differently at different times in history.

The books of James and 1John consistently state that we manifest our faith through obedience to the Word. 

Teaching that the ‘first half of the book’ no longer applies does not leave us with a Godly standard we can apply in order to manifest our faith.  It leaves us with a personal interpretation of what “loving one another” looks like.

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

Mark 12:28-31

The Scribe understood that Yeshua was placing the ten Commandment into two groups – one group that dictates our relationship with Yahweh (no idols, Sabbath, taking His name in vain, etc.) and one that dictates our relationship with humans (no lying, stealing, murder, etc.).

The Scribe would not have responded, “thou hast said the truth”, if Christ had given some nebulous answer that did not tie itself to the Word.

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 13:34-35

What defines “loving one another” if it is separated from the Word?  What if someone else defines it differently?

13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Galatians 5:13-14

What defines “love thy neighbour as thyself” if it is separated from the Word?  What if someone else defines it differently?  What if they are a narcissist or a self-loather?

Yeshua, walked, talked, and ate the Scriptures.  He never veered from the Law of Moses.  He was controversial because he refused to follow Talmud (Jewish traditional ordinances) when it contradicted Moses and the prophets.  This made him increasingly unpopular with the ruling religious leaders and led to his execution.

My book and my blogs examine what it means to follow Torah, since I had no idea of what that looked like because of my many decades of erroneously believing and teaching the Torah does not apply to Christians.  I posted the first chapter of my book to help clarify what works are (Faith Without Works?).

Following Torah in the absence of faith in Christ is okay, since the Law of Moses is a great standard for living in a civil community, but it does not lead to salvation.  Being a ‘good’ person is good, but it is not the standard of the Word for salvation. 

Conversely, faith in Christ without works is dead (James 2:17, 26).

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

1John 2:3-7

Following Torah does not require one become a Hebrew.  Jews welcome converts, but Yahweh does not require conversion for salvation.  Many non-Israelites left Egypt, also, after Yahweh had devastated the land and proved their gods to be impotent.

48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

Exodus 12:48-49; see also Numbers 15:15-16

I said ‘goodbye’ to a brother in Christ and it saddens me – even as the separation of death hurts my soul.  I pray for a reconciliation, but it is better to separate than to bring strife into the family.

I am open to debate and welcome it, because I will never believe that I fully understand scripture.  I will not contest with someone that requires I argue and defend a position that I do not hold so that they do not have to examine a position that they do hold.

Check out my blogs at WordPress.com and decide for yourself.

As a side note, you will occasionally see a photo of me wearing a fuzzy hockey puck (a shtreimel – pronounced shtry-mull).  I created this photo in response to the many people who have asked if I am a Jew or referred to me as a “Judaizer”.  The photo makes me laugh . . . not only because it is such a bad example of photoshop, but because I enjoy taking a jab (in jest) at my friends who believe following the Law of God is impossible and burdensome.  Yahweh says that neither is the case.

Categories
Torah

Faith Without Works?

[an excerpt from GRAFTED: Embracing Torah – coming to a bookstore near you]

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:20

Christianity teaches that Yeshua’s sacrifice freed us from sin and that Yahweh does not see our sins because they are covered by Yeshua’s blood. Once we “confess Yeshua as Lord” and “believe Yahweh raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9-10), then we are guaranteed everlasting life. Living a good life afterward is nice but not necessary.

What does it mean to “confess someone as Lord”? I break down the criteria of “confessing” and “believing” at my blog site on WordPress.com (Born Again and Born Again – Part 2). This is not just an utterance of the right words (like an incantation), it is a deliberate commitment.

Joseph Stalin was a seminary student before joining the Communist Party in Russia. He later ruled the Soviet Union and oversaw the deaths of tens of millions of his own citizens as well as financing revolution throughout the world. Christianity teaches that if “Uncle Joe” (as FDR called him) was born again at some point before his venture into Communism, then he will be with us in paradise.

Christians often cite Galatians 2:16-21:

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Or Romans 8:1-4:

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

I agree that salvation is through faith (not that it matters whether I agree or not – it is what the Word proclaims), but Scripture states that works are the evidence of our faith:

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? canfaith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not thosethings which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

James 2:14-24; emphasis added

Paul continued to keep the Law throughout his life and was not shy to let people know: “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets” (Acts 24:14).

When we stand before the Judgment Seat (bema), we will be judged “least” or “greatest” in the kingdom (or somewhere in between):

10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Romans 14:10-12

If faith in Christ is all we need, then what is the “account we must give” to Yeshua? Of course, we will be judged by our actions!

And what standard do you think he will use? No doubt the standard that Yeshua followed perfectly. Aren’t we called on to be like Christ? “Be ye followers of me [Paul], even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul admonishes the local church for allowing a man guilty of incest to remain within the body of believers:

1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1Corinthians 5:1-5

The believers in Corinth knew of the sin, appeared to be ignoring the sin, and thereby acquiesced to the sin. The sinners were emboldened rather than chastised. They should have been counseled to reject their sin as the Word instructs (Matthew 18:15–17).

By neglecting to confront the sin, the community had (through omission) told the sinners that their behavior was acceptable and set an example that others might have followed. When we accept the unacceptable because of community standards or even praise the sinners as being “courageous,” we reinforce sin and condemn our brothers to destruction rather than redeem them to life.

Paul instructs that the man guilty of committing incest to be “delivered unto Satan for destruction.” This is more powerful than you might think. Being outside the religious community in a Roman-occupied land was very dangerous. Excommunication would force one to face the perils of everyday life alone until they eventually succumbed to the perils.

By removing them, it would force the sinners to reconsider their behavior and send a clear signal to the rest of the community that unrepentant sin would not be tolerated. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” but unrepentant sin can never be acceptable.

The “grace of God” that Paul speaks of in his epistles is not a blank check. It is not a “get-out-of-hell-free card”. Yahweh has not suspended His Law, and neither has His Son (as evidenced by the Word and by the lifestyles of the apostles). The Law (those aspects of it that can be followed today) is still necessary to navigate through this fallen world.

What Yahweh says about His Law:

  1. It blesses and curses if it is done or not done (Deuteronomy 11:26–28; see also James 1:25).
  2. It defines sin: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20; see also Romans 7:7; 1 John 3:4).
  3. It is perfect: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).
  4. It is liberty or freedom: “44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. 45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts” (Psalm 119:44–45; see also John 8:31–32).
  5. It is Truth: “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth” (Psalm 119:142; see also John 8:31–32).
  6. It is instruction on how to live or behave: “And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do” (Exodus 18:20; see also 1 Kings 2:1–3).
  7. It is instruction on how to love Yahweh and others: “2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:2–3; see also Deuteronomy 6:5–9).
  8. It is a light or the way of life: “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23; see also Psalm 119:105).
  9. It is for both Jew and the Gentile who dwell with you: “15 One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD. 16 One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you” (Numbers 15:15–16; see also Romans 11:16–27).
  10. It is Yeshua: “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13; see also John 1:14).

Psalm 119 has 176 verses, and every one specifically mentions a word synonymous with the Law. His Commandments are pretty important to Him.

What Yahweh says about obedience to His Law:

  1. It is our purpose or the whole duty of man: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
  2. It is wise: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever” (Psalm 111:10; see also Psalm 19:7).
  3. It is evidence of our faith: “3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1John 2:3-6; see also James 2:18).
  4. It is how we love Yahweh and others: “5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it” (2John 1:5-6; see also 1John 4:19; 2:3-6; 5:3).
  5. It is not sinning: “1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1John 2:1-3; see also John 5:14; Romans 8:6).
  6. It makes us His “peculiar” people: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine” (Exodus 19:5; see also Titus 2:14; 1Peter 2:8–9).
  7. It is our delight: “1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2; see also Psalm 119:35; Proverbs 29:18).
  8. It is instruction in righteousness: “16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2Timothy 3:16-17; see also 1John 3:7, 5:17).
  9. It brings blessings and rewards: “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12; see also Psalm 119:1-2, 128:1).

Yahweh created life, and then He gave that life a code of conduct so that it could survive and prosper in a fallen world. We are still in enemy territory, and it would behoove us to continue in the ways that many of Yahweh’s greatest warriors swore by. He does not change, and neither does His desire for us to obey His guidance (Malachi 3:6-7).

Works do not bestow salvation. Faith plus works do not bestow salvation. Faith bestows salvation and is evidenced by works. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24).

Back to our “friend” Joe Stalin (he’s my poster boy for losing salvation). The Word states that we have all “sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This is why we have the sacrifice of Yeshua to cover our misdeeds. Willful and rampant trespass is not the same thing. In fact, it is evidence that one is not saved through “grace”:

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 10:26-31

This would appear to imply that one can lose their salvation, and I am okay with Yeshua making Stalin take a swim in the “fiery lake,” even if Joe was “born again” in his youth. Is grace conditional? I find no place where we are encouraged to violate the Torah because sin no longer touches us.

In fact, Paul adamantly states, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (Romans 6:15).

Does Yeshua allow himself to be mocked by the person who is “born again” and does whatever filthy act they desire? I don’t have the answer to this, but then, if you are reading this book, you are probably not seeking to treat salvation dishonorably. Do your best with what you know, then seek more knowledge.

You have a written record of what Yahweh has said is important. You also have the sacrifice of Yeshua to save you from eternal damnation.  If you are thankful for life and life everlasting, why not show your thanks and do what you are commanded to do?

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

1John 2:1-7; emphasis added

If you were arrested for being a [Believer],

would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Author unknown