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Faith Torah

Ye Shall be Holy (Leviticus 19)

Conversations with friends or among strangers often revolve around our ‘worth’ or the worth of someone we know . . . as society interprets it.

‘I am a doctor, or a lawyer, or an Indian chief’ (shout out to Betty Hutton).  Men tend to measure their worth by their occupation.

We measure our children’s worth by what they have accomplished.  ‘My son made the honor roll, my daughter is a linebacker on the High School team, or my child is reading at age three.’

We might even transfer another person’s worth to someone we know, ‘my son married a nuclear physicist, or my daughter adopted an orphan AND a shelter pet.’

We even measure the worth of our pets by their looks or achievements.

These are wonderful things and worthy of note, but what are we telling ourselves and others about what we believe is important?  Is achieving greatness in the world of men actually meaningful?

We live in a fallen world, so succeeding in it is important (failure could mean starvation and death).  Being really, really good at not starving or dying can be a good thing, also, but not if we lose sight of what we need to be to succeed in the next life.

If you believe this life is all we have, then I guess you better do your best before entering into oblivion.  But if you know, and believe, that a just God created the Heavens and the Earth (and everything in it), then you also know that He will eventually judge us according to the standard He set.

Man’s standards change frequently, so trying to live within their standards can be difficult . . . or even dangerous.

Theft use to be bad.  For thousands of years it was considered bad.

Thou shalt not steal.

Exodus 20:15

Today, depending on the degree of liberalism being exercised by your State’s leadership, theft of as much as $950 is no longer punishable and the police will not respond (unless the theft occurs in conjunction with other, more serious, crimes the government is still enforcing . . . for now).

What is your value as a store owner when the State allows others to seize what you purchased for resale?  How successful are you at the whole, ‘not starving and dying’ thing when it costs an enormous amount to stay in business, but sales evaporate because of ‘legalized’ theft?

Yahweh establishes a standard of what is ‘success’ that is not difficult to achieve and cannot be stolen from you.  That success is marketable now and in the future, but few hold it in high regard.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

Leviticus 19:1-2

‘There you go preaching again!’ 

People hate to hear from the scripture because they have their own standard of what is right and good and they believe that Yahweh will honor it because they fervently believe that He should agree with their standard of right and good.

I love it when people proclaim, “God knows what is in my heart!”

He knows, alright, and He tells us it is scary.

  • And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
  • And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD 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)
  • The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
  • 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. (Jeremiah 7:23-24)
  • 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: (Matthew 15:18-20)
  • 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:20-23)

Don’t argue that ‘God is not talking about the actual organ, but about a person’s core beliefs.’  You are saying the same thing when you tell people that, ‘God knows I have a good heart.’

You don’t – get over it.  We teach children not to steal, or lie, or hit, or . . . .  The instruction does not become unnecessary because we grow older.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

Leviticus 19:1-2

He is holy so He is a good judge of what holy is.  Let’s see if His standard is within our ability.

Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:3

Commandments five and four, respectively.  Fearing (respecting) your parents is something your parents tried (with varying measures of success) to get you to do from a young age.

Interesting to note, Yahweh never tells us to “love our parents”.  In many cases, that would be impossible to do.  Have you ever tried to make someone love you?  That seldom works.

What is possible is to respect someone’s position whether you like them or not.  I despised my commander during Desert Storm (he felt the same towards me) but I respected the position he held and followed the orders he gave.

I have two teachings on Sabbath (Keep it Holy and Change to Sabbath?).  He thought it was important; Yeshua thought it was important; the Apostles thought it was important; and they will STILL be important in the Millineal Kingdom (Isaiah 66:23).

Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:4

Don’t worship other gods – simple.  If you choose Yahweh, don’t profane Him by worshiping others, also.

Did you confess Yeshua as “Lord”?  That should mean something [confessing Yeshua as Lord].  One does not accept a wedding proposal and whore around with others.

5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will. 6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire. 7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted. 8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Leviticus 19:5-8

Thank Yahweh for His blessings – simple.

The peace offering was never mandated, it is an additional sacrifice, made at the worshiper’s discretion, to thank Yahweh for His blessings.  Unlike the normal sacrifice, the animal was returned to the worshiper or given to the needy to be consumed.

Waiting too long would allow the animal to spoil and would not be a blessing to anyone.

9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:9-10

Give to the poor and needy – simple.

Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

Leviticus 19:11

Commandments eight and nine.  Good advise no matter who you wish to serve.

And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:12

Commandment three.  Swearing by the name is the marriage covenant.  One shouldn’t take someone’s name in marriage and then deride the person and whore around (worship others).  This is the meaning of profaning the name, not cursing (though that’s not a good thing, either).

Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

Leviticus 19:13

Commandment eight, again.  Don’t take from others and don’t keep from others what you owe them.  Again, good advice in every situation.

Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:14

Don’t belittle those of little or no faith.  Your judgment will be based on how you measure up to His standard, not how much better you look than others.

Yeshua appeared contradictory because he abused the Pharisees for their lack of faith, but nurtured others because of their lack of faith. It appears that way because two Greek words were translated ‘lack of faith’ in English. The Pharisees knew enough but refused to believe (apeitheia – willful unbelief, obstinacy, disobedience) – the others did not know enough to believe (apistia – unbelief, unfaithfulness, distrust).

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

Leviticus 19:15

A righteous standard is its own standard, there should not be two standards of justice (like we have today), one for the elites and another for the rest of us.

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:16

Commandment nine, again.  Don’t lie about people

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:17-18

There is that ‘heart’ thing again.  Do not sin against your neighbor and do not allow your neighbor to live in sin.  If you do not rebuke sin, the other may not turn from it and sin could rule their life.

Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.

Leviticus 19:19

Purity is important.  All these hearken to the incursion of devil spirits in Genesis 6 that copulated with humans and produced evil giants.  The mixing of genes and seeds leads to bad outcomes

Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.

Dr. Ian Malcolm [Jeff Goldblum] – Jurassic Park

20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. 22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

Leviticus 19:20-22

The bondmaid was not able to refuse her master, though she should resist if she was betrothed (married, but not consummated – the betrothal period lasted up to a year. This is a HUGE subject and will be addressed in my next book, GRAFTED: Embracing Marriage).

23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. 24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal. 25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:23-25

I’m assuming the Canaanites had polluted (defiled) the natural food source (mixing seeds?) and it needed time for natural processes to work out the defilement.

Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

Leviticus 19:26

This is several prohibitions.

Enchantments and observing times are the easy ones – don’t practice magic or consult horoscopes.  This is consorting with other gods because the God does not allow it.

Eating anything with the blood has been interpreted in many ways, and all of them are bad

  • Eating raw flesh
  • Drinking blood
  • Eating the flesh of an animal that had been dismembered, but is still alive (e.g., removing the leg from an animal, but keeping it alive so the rest of the meat does not spoil).  The Torah has many laws concerning the human treatment of animals.

Act 15 discusses the counsel of the Apostles who are trying to decide how to incorporate pagans into the faith. The decision was made to have them abstain from four particularly wicked practices (“But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.” [Acts 15:20]) and learn the rest of the law over time by attending Synagogue.

27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. 28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:27-28

These are Egyptian customs that are displeasing to Yahweh.  He freed them bondage in Egypt – practicing them is like pining for the ‘good old days’.

Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

Leviticus 19:29

This is not literal in today’s terms.  “Prostituting” often meant defiling or profaning and spoke to idolatry or adultery to the covenant.

“Whore”, noun, “A person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain.”  All prostitutes are whores, but not all whores are prostitutes.  Read Larry Klayman’s book, Whores, for an indictment of America’s ruling class.

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:30

Yahweh mentions Sabbaths, again.  These are important to Him and should be important to us.

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:31

Mediums, palm readers, tarot readers, witches, warlocks, and the like are charlatans.  If they are actually exercising power, it is not coming from the true God.  Stay away.

Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:32

Respect your elders.  They know things from actual experience.  You do not have to follow their guidance (it may not long apply in this quickly evolving economy and technically advancing world), but learn what you can.

Do we really need to personally learn by making every mistake or can we learn from others? I know that sounds funny coming from me.

33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. 34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:33-34

The Law of Yahweh is for all who want to benefit from a relationship with Yahweh.  Torah does not require converting to a specific religion, as all other religions do.  His blessings are for all who confess and believe.

The Jews forgot this directive and separated themselves culturally from strangers.  When Yeshua commanded his disciples to make disciples ‘of all the world’, the Apostles hearkened to their upbringing and only reached out to fellow Jews.

Yeshua gave Peter a vision (Acts 10), telling him to not regard things as unclean that were not stated to be unclean.  Without this vision, he may have ignored the servants of the Roman centurion, Cornelius, who wanted to know about the one, true God.

35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. 36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Leviticus 19:35-36

Use fair and just weights and measures.  In this verse, He identifies Himself as the One who “brought you out of the land of Egypt”, so it may have been the practice of the Egyptians to defraud the Hebrews through phony weights and measures.

Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:37

Yahweh has given us a system of rules to interact with Him and with each other that is good.  Even if the atheists are right – Yahweh does not exist and we advance into oblivion upon our death – the worst that could happen is that we follow the rules and we live a ‘good’ life.

Many want to be powerful politicians or professional athletes or mega-media figures.  Wouldn’t it be great if we were all just ‘good’?

It is stated that the Torah has 613 instructions from Yahweh.  I dispute that since the list has duplicates.  No matter the number, knowing the Law is important, but trying to take it all in at once appears to be very daunting (not as daunting as the Code of Federal Regulation [CFR] that is written in small print and yet, still covers over 25 feet of shelf space in the library).

In Acts 15, the Apostles decided to have the new pagan converts abstain from four particularly wicked practices (“But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.” [Acts 15:20]) and learn the rest of the law over time by attending Synagogue.

You can do the same with my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah (only five-eighths of an inch thick, but it has much larger print plus pictures and cartoons).  It is an easy guide to helps you navigate His perfect Word.

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. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Psalms 19:7-11
Categories
prayer Torah

Let Us Pray (the sequel)

Many people I know (myself, included) do not have a vigorous prayer life.  Prayer is important and how you pray can be important.  I spoke to rituals last week – rituals are a custom or a routine.  Prayer should be a routine, but not ritualistic.

  • Why would Yahweh listen to me?
  • I’m too busy
  • God already knows what I need
  • I’m not as good at it as others are
  • I don’t know what to say

The list could be much longer, but these are the more common reasons given and I don’t need to explain away every excuse (“the maximum range of an excuse is zero meters!” shouted every drill sergeant to every trainee)

•  Why would Yahweh listen to me?

Yahweh is your Father – Fathers listen to their children.  They may think what you are saying is crazy, but they listen.  They hear what you say and what you don’t say – both mean something and a father can decipher both because of age and experience.

The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

Psalm 34:15

•  I’m too busy

We say the same thing regarding calling and/or visiting our earthly parents.  One does not “Honour thy father and thy mother (Exodus 20:12)” by ignoring them.  Yahweh is your Father, also – honor Him by spending time in prayer.

•  God already knows what I need

I often know what my children need, but since they are adults, I do not impose myself on them.  If they want my help, they will ask for it.  To do everything for them that I know they need is to continue to treat them as children.

Have you ever heard the expression, “It sounded like a good idea in my head”?  It normally follows some idiotic pronouncement that you wish you had not said out loud.  It is then followed by an explanation of what you really intended to say.

Say what you need . . . then clarify, if necessary.

•  I don’t need anything, I’m good

I don’t want my children to just come around when they need something.  I do want them to come to me when they need something, but I don’t want that to be the only reason they come around.

They visit friends for no reason other than to be friendly – it is a blessing when they are friendly to me.

•  I’m not as good at it as others are

Prayer is not about saying the right words, in the right order, with the right amount emphasis.  No good parent ever rejected a child because of the words they used.  They may reject them for any number of valid reasons, but the words they used is probably not one of those reasons.

I’m often impressed by the ‘heartfelt’ prayers of weepy tel-evangelists.  Sometimes they are weepy because what they are praying for is heart-wrenching (which makes me weepy, also), but it can just as easily be a show of how fervent they want you to think they are.

Yahweh is not impressed with the eloquence of our choice of words or our choice of emotion(s).

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:5-7
  • I don’t know what to say

The last reason was about not knowing how to say a prayer the right way.  This one is about the fear that keeps us from even starting to pray . . . and probably is a result of several of these excuses and maybe more.

1Timothy tells us of the elements of prayer:

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1Timothy 2:1
  • Supplications – Strong’s 1162 deesis {deh’-ay-sis}a petition:–prayer, request. Bullinger’s Critical Lexicon (BCL) – expression of need.  See also, Acts 1:14; Ephesians 6:18 (twice); and Philippians 4:6.  In each case, it is used with the word prayer, so supplication is a specific kind of prayer.
  • Prayers – Strong’s 4335 proseuche {pros-yoo-khay’} prayer (worship); by implication, an oratory – pray earnestly, prayer.  BCL – speaking out to, prayer towards (restricted to prayer to God, and marking the power of Him, whom we invoke).
  • Intercessions – Strong’s 1783 enteuxis {ent’-yook-sis} an interview.  BCL – a falling in with, meeting with, coming together; access, audience, a petition; requests concerning others and on their behalf.
  • Giving of thanks – eucharistia {yoo-khar-is-tee’-ah} gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship):–thankfulness, (giving of) thanks(-giving).  BCL – to show one’s self grateful; give thanks.
  • For all men – any, every, the whole – humankind

So what Timothy is telling us, is that we should:

  1. Pray for ourselves;
  2. Pray with believing that Yahweh can do what we ask;
  3. Pray for others; and
  4. Give thanks (1Thessalonians 5:18)

During his ‘sermon on the mount’, Yeshua also gave a template for prayer:

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (Matthew 6:9-14)

Matthew 6:9-14

Yeshua said, “after this manner”, not ‘repeat these exact words every time you pray’.  The elements of Timothy 2 are present:

  1. Pray for ourselves – “Give us this day our daily bread” and “forgive us our debts”
  2. Pray with believing that Yahweh can do what we ask – “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” and “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever”.
  3. Pray for others – “as we forgive our debtors” and “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (can anyone deny that life would be better for everyone if Yahweh’s Will – original creation – was law on earth?)
  4. Give thanks – “Amen” [used to express solemn ratification (as of an expression of faith) or hearty approval (as of an assertion)]

There are two prayers that are spoken, routinely by the Jews on a daily basis.  They are the Shema and the Birkat Ha-Mazon. 

Shema:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5:

Hear, [Oh] Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.

Sh’ma Yisra’eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad

And you shall love the Lord your God

V’ahav’ta eit Adonai Elohekha m’odekha

with all your heart and with all your soul

b’khol l’vav’kha uv’khol naf’sh’kha

and with all your might.

uv’khol m’odekha

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

The Jews profess that they are commanded to say this exact prayer, by the Torah, when they liest down, and when they risest up.  Orthodox Jews also claim they must bind them for a sign upon their hand, and between their eyes (tefillin).  Writing or placing the Shema on the doorpost of their homes (mezuzot) is common practice for most Jews.

I speak to these and other customs concerning the Shema and clothing practices in my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah.

Though the prayer is a beautiful passage and worthy of being repeated daily, the profession of Torah mandate ignores the context of verses 1-3. 

1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 6:1-3

Yahweh was in the process of giving them the Law, and the Law was to be in their hearts, and taught to their children, and talked about around the home, etc., not just two verses of the Torah.

Birkat Ha-Mazon (Grace After Meals):

This is the other prayer recited by the Jews daily.

When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

Deuteronomy 8:10

Yahweh commands us to bless him after we eat, which is opposite of the Christian habit of praying before meals.  The Torah, however, does not dictate the words we must use to bless Yahweh.  In the same way that a parent says, “what do you say?” to instruct a child to say, “please” and “thank you”, Yahweh is telling us, “what do you say?” after we eat.

If you have a lousy (or non-existent) prayer life, the Shema and the Birkat Ha-Mazon are a good way to jump-start your communication with the Father.

Categories
Faith Torah Word Study

School’s Out?

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Galatians 3:24-25

Were you taught that once we were born-again in Christ Jesus, that we are no longer under the Law [schoolmaster], that we have no guilt if we fail to keep the Law?  I was, as were many in the Dispensational movement. 

It is very tempting to tell a sinful human (approximately 99.999999999….% of all of humanity – I understand there was one exception), that they need not fear the consequences of sin because all that stuff in the Old Testament no longer applies.  Have you ever considered the consequences of not one thing being a sin?

Looking at only the Ten Commandments (the Big Ten), saying we are not under the Law gives acceptance to lying, murder, adultery, and theft, just to name a few.  What kind of society do you have now?

I’m not advocating for keeping the Law because it makes for a good society (which it does), but because I believe this is what we are instructed to do.  If the Word actually stated, “the Law no longer applies”, then I would accept Yahweh’s judgment and try to figure out how I can best steal more from you than you steal from me.

Such logic mirrors the guiding principle of the Church of Satan, “Do what thou wilt”.  Something is not as it seems.

Peter warns us that Paul’s letters are hard to understand.

15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

2Peter 3:15-16

Let us not be unlearned and unstable, which leads to our destruction.

Anyone who quotes a single verse from a letter of Paul is silly or is intentionally trying to subvert the Word.  Context is everything with Paul because he builds his case for Christ in a similar way that a lawyer might build his case for his client – both build a legal structure that they know will be attacked, so they include numerous support arguments that interweave with the rest of their chronicle, so the finished product is unassailable to anyone trying to poke holes in their narrative.

Let us look at more of Galatians ( I have a four part teaching on Galatians at my website, if you want to see more of the context of the overall letter).

6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 

Galatians 3:6-9

We are blessed through faith, not of works.  Few believers would argue this, but part of the context of Paul’s letter to the Galatians is that there were those preaching works unto salvation and it was harmful to the new believers.

Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness, so righteousness by faith was not a new concept that was introduced by Christ.  The Law was the believers’ guide to understanding and obeying the Heavenly Father they could not see, but then Yeshua came and physically manifested the Law and the Father.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

John 14:6-9

Believers now had the example of the Father, physically among them.  The Law asked believers to envision a good and loving Father, but now Yeshua was the concrete example . . . and what was his example?

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

John 5:14-19

All has not been fulfill, nor has heaven and earth passed away, so what is the “schoolmaster” that has been done away with?  Let’s go back to Galatians 3:

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 

Galatians:21-22

The Law is NOT against the promises of God, but it cannot bestow righteousness – that is only through faith.

 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Galatians 3:23-25

“Schoolmaster” is the Greek word, paidagogos, “a servant [slave] whose office it was to take the children to school.”  Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines it as:

Among the Greeks and Romans, the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of man­hood. The name carries with it an idea of severity (as of a stern censor and enforcer of morals) in 1Cor. 4:15, where the father is distinguished from the tutor as one whose discipline is usually milder, and in Gal. 3:24 sq. where the Mosaic law is likened to a tutor because it arouses the consciousness of sin (i.e., preparing the soul for Christ, because those who have learned by experience with the Law that they are not and cannot be commended to God by their works, welcome the more eagerly the hope of salvation offered them through the death and resurrection of Christ, the Son of God.

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

The schoolmaster was not needed once the children were mature enough to go to school on their own.  The children were still going to their education, they just were no longer accompanied.

Without the knowledge of good and evil that the Law provides, we would not know to do good rather than evil.  We would not understand that there is an afterlife and that we must seek the blessing of the one that can make the afterlife available.

Without the Law, we would not gain the education we need to learn that we cannot work out our own salvation.  The Law gave us the example of people who achieved righteousness through faith.

Once we confess Christ as Lord, through faith, (Born Again?) and believe he has risen from the grave (Born Again? Part 2) we no longer need a schoolmaster (the Law) to lead us to Christ.  That does not negate the need to distinguish between good and evil . . . and to do good.  As we read, earlier, Christ is the Law made flesh.

The Law leads us to Christ, who is the Word [Law].

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

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith 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 those things 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?

James 2:14-20

John tells us we are to walk as Christ did.  Do we need to wonder What Would Jesus Do?  No, we do not – every page that depicts Christ shows him following Torah – he never wavered. Don’t profess faith in Christ and ignore the commandments.  Don’t be a liar – rather, Do What Yeshua Did.

   James tells us that faith without works is unprofitable and dead!  The devils have faith – they know and believe Yeshua is the son of Yahweh, but their works are evil

Saying that the law is done away with because we now have faith in the perfect law-giver is equivalent to saying we don’t need clothes because we have done away with the need to have someone dress us.  I don’t want to live in a society that has no clothes . . . . I can’t believe that imagining an audience with no clothes is supposed to help a speaker overcome nervousness – it would make me nauseas.

Finally, Paul says,

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:26-29

Your nationality, gender, skin-color, whatever means nothing.  The only thing that matters is faith in Christ.  It is like the expression, “Irish-American” (or Italian-American, or Mexican-American, or . . . .).  Unless you have dual citizenship, you are an American.

Read the Word.  Learn what is available through Christ and then take action.  I’ve read it and I know what happens if you don’t take action – you don’t want those consequences.

A guide I find particular helpful (of course I do, I wrote it) in navigating your way through the Law is GRAFTED: Embracing Torah. Buy it before the censor take it down.

Categories
Faith Works

“What is Your Quest?”

If you didn’t immediately conjure up the ‘Gorge of Death’ from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, then I’m not sure why we are conversing here. 

For those who have not seen the film (in which case, ‘your mother was probably a hamster, and your father smelleth of elderberries’), Terry Gilliam is asking King Arthur’s knights a series of three questions – if they answer any of them wrong, they are cast into the gorge.

The second question given to each is, “What is your quest?”

As followers of Christ, do you know what your quest is?

The disciples travelled with Yeshua; watched Yeshua; ate with Yeshua; were instructed by him and asked him questions, but when he was crucified, they were lost.  Peter even states he is going back to fishing (John 21:3).

Without their master, they did not know their purpose.

Before ascending into heaven, Yeshua gave them their quest:

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of [the Father, and of] the Son[, and of the Holy Ghost]: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  [the bracketed phrases were added by the translators to reinforce the doctrine of trinity that was not originally present in the verse]

Matthew 28:18-20

The phrase “teach all nations” should properly read, “make disciples of all nations”.  Of course, teaching is an important part of discipling, but it is possible to teach without the student learning.  Yeshua is asking for them to teach and live a certain way that will cause others to believe.

“Do as I did, and make disciples throughout the world”

This was their quest and, as disciples of Yeshua, it is now our quest.  We are to walk as Yeshua walked (1John 2:6) and share Christ in words and actions so as to make disciples of others.

There is no path that leads to salvation that does not go through Christ, so don’t waste a lot of time talking about how wonderful your church building is or how eloquent your pastor is.  You may have a spectacular praise & worship team, but they are a poor substitute for speaking and walking the Word.

Yeshua speaks a parable about rewards for discipleship (Matthew 25:14-30):

 14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Matthew 25:14-15

Later, Yeshua instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received “power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

Matthew 25:16-17

It is true that some people are more gifted at pastoring or evangelizing (Ephesians 4:11), but he does not expect the same results from everyone:

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Luke 14:28b

18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

Matthew 25:18

Don’t take what you are given and hide in the back pew on Sundays or keep silent for fear of offending someone.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:15-16

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Matthew 25:19-21

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

When the lord (think Yeshua) returns, he reviews what his servants have accomplished.

22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Matthew 25:22-23

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

The second servant did not accomplish as much, but the lord was still satisfied with the results.  He took what he was given and did something with it.

 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

Matthew 25:24-25

Fear is not a justification for hiding your faith or for inaction.

26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

Matthew 25:26-27

Had the servant done even the barest minimum he could have done (put the money in the bank), there would have been at least a slight gain.  Because of inflation, the lord got the same amount back, but it was not worth as much,

 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:28-30

Satan does not take a break.  The culture, the news, evil people, false preachers, wicked politicians, are all trying to keep the sheep from hearing the true Word.  They are wolves that hungrily devour those that would believe

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Acts 20:29

The flock needs a shepherd to protect it.  You are not called to be that shepherd – you are called to speak his words and show his works so that the sheep will recognize the sound of the master’s voice.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

John 10:27

You may never see a transformation, but you may influence them to take their first step toward salvation.  Don’t think you need to do it all:

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

1Corinthians 3:5-10

You are responsible for doing your part and to take heed how you do it.  A builder who uses glue where screws are needed does not prepare a house to weather a storm.

Don’t just speak the Word to those you think are not saved.  Your fellow workmen need encouragement, also.  They suffer the same fear and doubts that you do and nothing strengthens like the Word.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17

Study much, so you can stand approved before Yahweh (2Timothy 2:15) and so you can be a good and faithful witness.

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Acts 18:24-26 – emphasis added

Endeavour to be the best you can be for Yahweh, Yeshua, and their people . . . and then endeavour to be better.  Your brothers and sisters in Christ will be there for you.

Do you know “God’s Instructions” (Torah)?  Sadly, nearly every “christian” church teaches that the things Yeshua said and did have been “done away with” since the resurrection of Christ.

This does not explain why Torah will be kept in the Millineal Kingdom and why believers are instructed to be like Christ and walk as Yeshua did.

GRAFTED: Embracing Torah was written for Christians who want to “Do what Yeshua Did!”  Yahweh gave us one set of instructions.

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 – emphasis added
Categories
Torah

LOST

“I once was lost, but now am found . . . was blind, but now I see”

John Newton – Amazing Grace

       In Luke 14, Yeshua goes to the home of a chief Pharisee to eat on the Sabbath day and he heals a man which had the “dropsy” [edema – an abnormal infiltration and excess accumulation of serous fluid in connective tissue or in a serous cavity].

       Yeshua first asks if it is “lawful to heal on the sabbath day”?  None answer him, so he heals the man.  

       Understanding that the people present were uncomfortable about his actions, he further emphasizes his point by asking a simple question, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?”

       Once again, all refuse to answer him.  They had all been taught what not to do on the Sabbath, but they seldom considered what they could do

“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27)

       The same can be said for the entire Torah [Instructions – first five books of the Bible].  It was written for man so he could live in the fallen world he occupied.  The instructions explain how best to worship Yahweh and how best to interact with others.

       But what happens when we decide to not follow His Instructions?  What happens when the church teaches that the instructions are no longer to be followed?

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2Timothy 4:1-4)

       What happens when the truth of Yahweh’s Words are ‘lost’?

       Luke 14 continues with Yeshua beginning to teach through the asking of questions [the Socratic Method]:

  • Who builds a tower without first making sure he has enough material to complete it?
  • Who goes to war without first making sure they have the men and materials to win?

       Planning is important.  Knowing what you want to achieve and knowing how to achieve it is important.

       Yeshua is not interested in building towers or in fighting wars (yet), but as we see in Luke 15, he is interested in saving souls.  But only those that desire to be saved.

In Luke 15:4-7, Yeshua tells of a shepherd who loses one sheep and leaves the 99 he has to find the one that is lost.  Not only does he seek the one lost sheep, he celebrates when the sheep is found.

       How many of us are satisfied with a 99% success rate? Yeshua seeks 100% of his sheep.

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:25-27)

       Yeshua was the Word made flesh (John 1:14) and he always spoke and did his Father’s Will (John 14:31; 6:38)

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:14-16)

       Luke 15:11-32 is the parable of the prodigal son (or the parable of the forgiving father – the son has nothing if the father isn’t a forgiver).

       There are lots of teachings about the son who claims and then squanders his inheritance.  Only when he is destitute and fears dying does he return to his father.

       He hopes his father will forgive him and take him on as a lowly servant, but his father embraces him and returns him to his rightful position as a member of the family.  His father holds a celebration for the ‘lost’ son has returned to him.

       I’d like to emphasize Luke 15:8-10:

8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?  9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

       In the Eastern culture the ten pieces of silver was a gift from her husband.  It was not expensive, but, it carried a very deep sentimental value. It was not the only gift given to her by her husband, but it was certainly the most precious.

       Some say that each piece was about the size of a quarter.  In most cases, each coin would have the coat of arms of the husband’s family on one side.  Usually the year the coin was made was on the other side.

       On very special occasions the woman would hang these in her hair.  Because it had such sentimental value, the woman was very careful when wearing the ten pieces of silver.  The consequences of losing one were very harsh.

       None of the ten pieces could be replaced.  If the wife were to lose one, her husband would banish her from the house until she found it.  They believed that if you lost even one piece of the ten, then you would have lost God’s blessings as well.

(https://confidenceandjoy.com/ten-pieces-of-silver/)

       So what was Yeshua telling the people about losing one silver coin?  One of Ten?

       The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6)

       12 And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. 13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. (Deuteronomy 4:12-13)

       She ‘lost’ one coin and diligently searched for it – celebrating when it was found.  Yeshua equates this with a sinner that stops doing one (or more) of the Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:6-21; Exodus 20:2-17) but then returns to Yahweh’s Instruction and repents. “. . . there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

       Have we lost a coin . . . or two, or three?

       Most of us have broken several of the Commandments in our life and repented, determining to never break them again (and often failing . . . again).

       Have you ever stolen (Exodus 20:15)?  Did you feel bad about it? Do you wish you had never done it?  Did you repent of your sin?  If you did, it is because you heard the voice of the Word made flesh.  You listen to the shepherd.

       If you are okay with stealing, then you are not of the flock.

       What about the fourth Commandment?

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)

       Have you ever worked on the Sabbath (we often have no choice – we are in bondage to the world)?  Shopped on the Sabbath (we have a choice about making others work on the Sabbath)?  Did you feel bad about it? Do you wish you had never done it?  Did you repent of your sin?  

       Why do we believe Sunday is the ‘new’ Sabbath (‘the Lord’s day’)?  Did Yahweh make a change to His Law or is it a product of what the church teaches?

       Has the time come that we refuse to endure sound doctrine?  Have we sought after teachers with “itching ears” who preach the truth we want to hear, turning the Word of Yahweh into fables? (2Timothy 4:1-4)

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)

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. (Psalm 119:142)

       When did we decide to ‘improve’ on what is “perfect”, “sure”, “right”, and “pure”?  How did we develop a ‘better’ “truth”?

       Yahweh, Himself, wrote the Commandments onto stone tablets and gave them to Moses to place in the Ark of the Covenant.

       Are we listening to the shepherd when we unrepentantly break the Sabbath on a weekly basis.  Even if the Sabbath was changed to Sunday (which it hasn’t), do Christians “keep it holy”?

       Is the Sabbath a silver coin you have ‘lost’?  Are you looking to ‘find it’?  Will you rejoice when you decide to do the whole Word of Yahweh?  The angels in heaven will.

       My book (Grafted: Embracing Torah) is a good guide for someone wanting to know what keeping Yahweh’s Instructions entails.  There is an entire chapter devoted to the Fourth Commandment – keeping the Sabbath holy.  It is not a substitute for you going to the Word and making it your own, but it is not a bad start, either.

Categories
History

The Story of Hanukkah

Hanukkah is not a religious holiday – it is a National Holiday, equivalent to America’s Independence Day.  Whereas America has only fought and won it’s independence once, Israel has had to fight numerous times to throw off the shackles of foreign occupation.

Invariably, Israel, like America, could not be defeated by an outside force until it had destroyed itself from within. Deliverance from overwhelming oppression is only available when the people turn back to Yahweh and submit to what He has told us is good and right.

It takes place between the last book of the Old Testament (Malachi) and before the first book of the New Testament (Matthew).  Though originally in the 1611 King James Bible, the books of the Maccabees  (http://www.metaphysicspirit.com/the-books-of-the-Maccabees.pdf) were removed (along with several others) in the late 1800s, so it is not part of today’s canonized Bible. 

The story is interesting and enlightening for those who believe we are entering into the time of tribulation.  Hanukkah is celebrated because of the minor miracle that Yahweh performs to show His approval of Israel’s actions to free themselves and root out the symbols of pagan worship and idolatry.

Under Syrian Rule

From 222-186 B.C., Antiochus III, the King of Syria waged war with King Ptolemy of Egypt over the possession of the Land of Israel. Antiochus III was victorious and the Land of Israel was annexed to his empire. At the beginning of his reign he was favorably disposed toward the Jews and accorded them some privileges. Later on, however, when he was beaten by the Romans and compelled to pay heavy taxes, the burden fell upon the various peoples of his empire who were forced to furnish the heavy gold that was required of him by the Romans. When Antiochus died, his son Seleucus IV took over, and further oppressed the Jews.

Added to the troubles from the outside were the grave perils that threatened Judaism from within. The influence of the Hellenists (people who accepted idol-worship and the Syrian way of life) was increasing. Yochanan, the High Priest, was opposed to any attempt on the part of the Jewish Hellenists to introduce Greek and Syrian customs into the land.

The Hellenists hated him. One of them told the King’s commissioner that there was a great deal of wealth in the Temple. The Temple treasury consisted of the contributions of “half a shekel” made by all adult Jews annually that were used for Temple operation and maintenance (as well as other community needs).

Seleucus needed money in order to pay the Romans. He sent his minister. Helyodros. to take the money from the treasury of the Temple. Yochanan, the High Priest, beg him not to do it. Helyodros did not listen and entered the gate of the Temple. But suddenly, he became pale with fright. The next moment he fainted and fell to the ground. After Helyodros came to, he did not dare enter again.

The Madman: Antiochus IV

A short time later, Seleucus was killed and his brother Antiochus IV began to reign over Syria (in 3586 – 174 B.C.). He was contemptuous of other religions because they did not call for the worship him. He was called “Epiphanes,” meaning “the gods’ beloved.” Several of the Syrian rulers received similar titles. But a historian of his time, Polebius, gave him the epithet Epimanes (“madman”), a title more suitable to the character of this harsh and cruel king.

Desiring to unify his kingdom through the medium of a common religion and culture, Antiochus tried to root out the individualism of the Jews by suppressing all the Jewish Laws. He removed Yochanan as High Priest of the Temple and in his place installed Yochanan’s brother, Joshua, who loved to call himself by the Greek name of Jason who was a member of the Hellenist party,  As High Priest, Jason used his office to spread the Greek customs among the priesthood.

Jason was later replaced by another man, Menelaus, who had promised the king that he would bring in more money than Jason did. When Yochanan, the former High Priest, protested against the spread of the Hellenists’ influence in the Holy Temple, the ruling High Priest hired murderers to assassinate him.

Antiochus was at that time engaged in a successful war against Egypt. But messengers from Rome arrived and commanded him to stop the war, and he had to yield. In Jerusalem, a rumor spread that a serious accident had befallen Antiochus – thinking that he was dead, the people rebelled against Menelaus, the High Priest who fled together with his friends.

The Martyrs

Antiochus returned from Egypt enraged by Roman interference with his ambitions. When he heard what had taken place in Jerusalem, he ordered his army to fall upon the Jews. Thousands were killed and harsh decrees were enacted against the Jews. Jewish worship was forbidden and the scrolls of the Law were confiscated and burned.  Sabbath rest, circumcision, and the dietary laws were prohibited under penalty of death.

The soldiers tested the adherence of the Jews to the Laws by forcing them to eat pork. Thousands sacrificed their lives rather than consume what G-d had instructed them was unclean. The famous story of Hannah and her seven children happened at that time – the sons were all tortured and killed individually in front of the rest until all were martyred rather than deny G-d.

Mattityahu

Antiochus’s men went from village to village to force the inhabitants to worship pagan gods. One of the tricks the Syrians used was to wait for the Sabbath to attack the Jews, who would not fight on the Sabbath . . . and would die easily at the hands of the Syrians.

When they arrived in the village of Modiin, where Mattityahu the old priest lived, the Syrian officer built an altar in the marketplace. They first tried to bribe and then threatened Mattityahu to offer sacrifices to the Greek gods. Mattityahu replied, “I, my sons, and my brothers are determined to remain loyal to the covenant which our G‑d made with our ancestors!”

Thereupon, a younger, Hellenistic Jew accepted the bribe and approached the altar to offer a sacrifice. Mattityahu grabbed his sword and killed him.  Mattityahu’s sons and friends fell upon the Syrian soldiers – killing many of them and forcing the rest to flee for their lives. They then destroyed the altar.

Mattityahu knew that Antiochus would be enraged when he heard what had happened. He would certainly send an expedition to punish him and his followers. Mattityahu, therefore, left the village of Modiin and fled together with his sons and friends to the hills of Judea.

Loyal and courageous Jews joined them. They formed legions and from time to time they left their hiding places to fall upon enemy detachments and outposts, and to destroy the pagan altars that were built by order of Antiochus.

The Maccabees

Before his death, Mattityahu called his sons together and urged them to continue to fight in defense of G-d’s Torah. He asked them to follow the counsel of their brother, Shimon the Wise. In waging warfare, he said, their leader should be Judah the Strong. Judah was called “Maccabee,” a word composed of the initial letters of the four Hebrew words Mi, Kamocha, Ba’eilim, and Hashem, (“Who is like You, O G‑d”).

Antiochus sent his General, Apolonius, to wipe out Judah and the Maccabees. Though greater in number and equipment than their adversaries, the Syrians were defeated by the Maccabees, who fought on the Sabbath and were given an astounding victory by G-d (Mark 2:27). Antiochus sent out another, larger, expedition which was also defeated.

After these defeats, an army of more than 40,000 men swept the land. When Judah and his brothers heard of that, they exclaimed: “Let us fight unto death in defense of our souls and our Temple!” The people assembled in Mitzpah, where Samuel, the prophet of old, had offered prayers to G‑d. After a series of battles, the vastly out-numbered Hebrews were strengthen by G-d and war was won.

The Dedication

Now the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem to liberate it. They entered the Temple and cleared it of the idols placed there by the Syrian vandals. Judah and his followers built a new altar, which he dedicated on the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev, in the year 3622 (139 B.C.).

Since the golden Menorah had been stolen by the Syrians, the Maccabees now made one of cheaper metal. The Temple Menorah was fed by a basin that the Priests would continually fill so the light would never go out.

When they went to fill the basin and light the Menorah, they found only a small cruse of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan. It was sufficient to light only for one day but the purification process for new oil took seven days.

By a miracle of G‑d, the Menorah continued to burn for eight days with the one day supply of oil they started with, till new oil was made available. That miracle proved that G‑d had again taken His people under His protection. In memory of this, our sages appointed these eight days for annual thanksgiving and for lighting candles.

The Hanukkah menorah is different from the Temple menorah.  Yahweh directed Moses to make a seven candle light for the tabernacle.  The Hanukkah menorah has nine – the ‘shamash’ (center candle that lights the rest) and eight to remember the deliverance of the Jews and the miracle that Yahweh performed in the Temple.

The shamash remains lit, but each night a new candle is lit until all the candles are lit on the eighth day.

After Hanukkah

Judah led the Maccabees in several more battles to free the rest of the land from the Syrians, other neighboring enemies; and the Hellenistic Jews who were destroying Israel from within.

This respite would not last . . . the shadow of Rome loomed over the horizon and the Hellenistic Jews would eventually erode the faith from within.  (https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102978/jewish/The-Story-of-Chanukah.htm)

Are you ready to stand for the Faith . . . no matter what?

Will you compromise with ‘fellow believers’ who twist the Word in order to curry favor with the ruling elites?

Freedom comes at a cost.

Hard decisions are coming that will affect your life . . . and your everlasting life.  You may be hated, you may be ‘cancelled’, you may one day be beaten and/or killed, but you must determine now that you will believe in and stand for something bigger than yourself.

Stand (in thoughts and deeds) for the one, true Yahweh, who has given us his Instructions on life in this fallen world – until his son arrives with an army of angels to take back the creation and make all things right.

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Good Fruit

This will be the fourth and last installment of this series.  If you missed the earlier ones, I recommend you read them first . . . they are fairly short and their insight will help with the narrative of this one.

So far I have concluded (and I hope you have, too) that:

  1. The “forbidden fruit” was not an apple;
  2. The “forbidden fruit” was probably not even a piece of food;
  3. The ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ was not a literal tree.
  4. The “snake” was not a snake; and
  5. An angelic being (the tree) taught Eve some forbidden knowledge (the forbidden fruit) and her using that knowledge (eating the fruit) caused her heart to change towards Yahweh.

The story appears to suggest that Adam and Eve’s actions were the cause of their fall from grace . . . thereby insinuating a ‘works-based’ salvation.  This has never been the path to a relationship with Yahweh and I want to show the definition and the purpose of “good works” (good fruit) so we can understand how our behavior absolutely identifies the status of our relationship.

If you have a relationship with someone that you say that you ‘love’, but you are having an affair, then your thoughts and your words are belied by your actions.

When our children obey the rules we have instituted for them (to protect and instruct them),  it is their way of telling us they love and honor us.

The serpent found that it could tempt the humans into disobedience giving it a fleeting sense of being more desirable than Yahweh.  It also was able to appropriate the dominion of the Earth from Adam  I have no idea how this transfer took place, but Elohim gave it to Adam and Eve . . .

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (emphasis added)

Genesis 1:26-28

. . . and later, Satan offered it to Yeshua if he would serve him.

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Luke 4:5-8

If Satan had been lying about having dominion, Yeshua would have called him on it. 

Elohim freely gave Adam the dominion and taking it back would have been a contradiction of His gift.  We know from the Word that Yahweh cannot contradict himself:

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Deuteronomy 23:19; see also, Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18

A lie is a contradiction (this answers George Carlin’s question about whether ‘God could make a rock so big they even He could not lift it’?).  The dominion will need to be taken – as it was when Satan took it.

When Yeshua returns, he will take back the dominion from the one destined to swim in the fiery lake.  Until that time, Satan uses that dominion as a means to tempt mankind into worshipping him.

Turning from Yahweh and His Instructions is idolatry and this is no-no numbers 1 and 2 on His Top-Ten list:

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Exodus 20:3-6

Satan, also, is a jealous god and he, as well as his minions, want the glory and honor rightly belonging to Yahweh.  Whenever they distract you with one of their ‘tricks’, you are choosing them over the Creator.

Two Hundred angels convinced themselves that if they came to Earth, and co-mingled with the humans, they could awe them into worshiping them instead of Yahweh.

This is the incursion that is nearly hidden in Genesis 6.  The Book of Enoch (Chapters 6 – 8) gives more detail into what these angels were teaching men that impressed them so greatly.  The women, also, found the angels to be impressive and appealing.  The unions between the angels and the human women created a race of giants upon the Earth that consumed more than could be produced, so they started to feast upon humans.

Men were so enamored with the new knowledge and/or fearful of the giants, that they completely turned away from Yahweh:

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Genesis 6:4-7

Not only were all men corrupted, but the beasts of the field were, also.  All mankind was destined to perish and the redeemer may never have been born if Yahweh did not take drastic action to preserve Abraham’s lineage.

You know of Noah’s Flood (why was it named after him?  He didn’t make the flood) and how only eight souls survived plus two of every animal (seven pairs of each of the clean animals).  The corruption returned amongst some of Noah’s grandchildren (Doug Hamp explains how this was able to survive – Corrupting the Image)

Mankind quickly descended into corruption, again, but a faithful man (Abraham) looked to Yahweh for guidance in his life and became the symbol for all believers forever more.

Even when the tribes of Israel sinned, they were always able to come back to Yahweh’s favor by recognizing and following Abraham’s example.

Abraham was not chosen because he did good works.  He was chosen because he believed as was evidenced by his works.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11:8-10

After Abraham’s descendants came out of bondage in Egypt, they walked between walls of water to cross the Red Sea – believing that Yahweh would protect them.  They believed and then they crossed.

In the wilderness, Yahweh gave them a written set of rules (the rules existed before this, but now they had something they could refer to).  In effect, He told them (as well as the “strangers” who left Egypt with them), ‘if you love Me, do these things’.

When they did, they were blessed – when they didn’t, calamity often followed:

26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

When did Yahweh’s Torah (“Instructions” – the first five Books of the Bible) become obsolete?  When did what Yahweh declared was “perfect” and “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. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:7-11 – see also, Psalm 18:30

. . . become less perfect and less “right”?

Christians often claim that, ‘Paul teaches that the Law is done away with in Christ’ and will quote verses in Romans 8.  This is the subject for a wholly different book, but if Paul is teaching other than the Torah, why are the Jews making false complaints “which they could not prove” (Acts 25:7)? 

Shouldn’t the Jews have accused him of what he was actually teaching if he was teaching other than the Law of Moses?  Remember that Peter says that all the letters of Paul are “hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2Peter 3:15-16).

Wasn’t Yeshua the ‘Word made flesh’?

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 1:14-17

When did Yeshua become the ‘less-than-perfect sacrifice’?

Jesus kept the entire Law, as did the Apostles Paul, Peter, James, Stephen, et-al.  We are also instructed to keep the Law:

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 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. 

1John 5:1-3

We are not known by what we believe – we are known by how we act because of what we believe.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 7:16-20

If you are a believer, how do you know what to do in order to produce good fruit?  Christians tell you to do good works, but the definition of what is good is left up to the believer.

Why not use what your Creator said was “perfect” instead of making up your own (flawed) guide?  Even Paul tells us that the Law is vital to know what is right and what is wrong:

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”

Romans 7:7

As a Christian you have been told that the Law is a heavy burden, but have you ever investigated what it would mean to keep the Law?  This is why I wrote my book Grafted: Embracing Torah.  I didn’t know what it would mean either and since I could not find a simple guide for new believers . . . I wrote one.

Yahweh poured His Heart into His Word.  I poured my heart into my book to help me (and you, if you are curious) understand Yahweh’s Heart.

Not a shameless plug . . . an earnest desire to have His people (members of our family) return to His Word the way He desired, not the way 33,000 different denominations have interpreted it differently.

I’m not a ‘church’ or the leader of one.  I don’t travel the country and speak in churches for a fee.  I am a voice in the wilderness calling out while there is still some time.

If you are a Christian who was told that ‘the Law is for the Jew’ and that you have something ‘better’, I beg you to go to the Word and re-examine what Yahweh says is “perfect”.  If you need it, I hope Grafted can help.

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