Some passages in the writings of Paul, such as Romans 14, have been largely used by some who say that these passages permit believers to violate the Biblical dietary laws and Sabbath. Many believe that these are now only matters of conscience and that we are free to either accept or reject them for our own lives, with the preference being toward rejection. We will take a deeper look at this chapter and a few other similar passages throughout Scripture to see if we can find out what Paul was actually saying.

In the chapters leading up to Romans 14, Paul had been dealing with the issue of sincere love for our brother (Romans 12:9, 14-21, 13:8-10). Now he applies this teaching to a specific situation that was going on in the community at Rome. Apparently there had arisen some type of dispute about certain eating habits and holy days. He begins by saying, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions,” (verse 1). The first thing we must take note of is that this is not an issue of one group being right and another wrong, but it is a question of “opinion,” or as some translations put it, “disputable matters.” The argument doesn’t hinge upon a commandment, or else Paul would be more fixed on one side being correct. He does, however, reveal which side he personally agrees with in the next verse: “One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only,” (verse 2). Who are these two groups of people, and what are the reasons behind their diet choices? The traditional response claims that this was an issue between those who still followed the kosher laws (the weak in faith who only ate vegetables) and those who realized that these laws were no longer important. This interpretation doesn’t work for several reasons. Surely a matter of following a commandment wouldn’t be considered simply a difference of opinion to Paul, for he tells us that those who follow God subject themselves to the Torah (Romans 3:31, 8:7). If he had been adamant in teaching that the Torah was no longer binding, as most are quick to suggest, then surely he would have condemned anyone eating vegetables to avoid breaking kosher laws. Since he did not do so, and since he previously affirmed the role of the Torah, we can safely assume that this dispute is not related to the kosher laws in the Torah.

If the issue was not kosher, then what was it? The problem was Rome itself. Idolatry filled every aspect of life to the point where even food sold in the marketplace was often offered to idols. Judaism considered food sacrificed to idols “defiled,” as we see exemplified in Daniel 1:8-12. Daniel knew that portions of the meat and wine of the king would be involved in pagan offerings, so he refused to partake of any of this food, determining that he would eat only vegetables, and God blessed him for it. This belief about defiled food was passed on to the new Gentile believers at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:20). Because of this, apparently some members of the community, whether Jew, Gentile, or a mix thereof, had become so afraid of accidentally consuming food dedicated to idols that they chose to refrain from meat entirely. The other group felt safe to eat “all things.” Being able to eat “all things” quite obviously does not literally mean all things, for example poisonous things. Extending this limitation, to a Jew, unkosher food would never be considered food at all, and thus Paul’s initial audience would never assume he was instructing them to violate the Torah. This is also true in 1 Timothy 4:1-5. Paul is also not encouraging the believers to violate the rule established at the Jerusalem Council that declared food offered to idols as forbidden. What he is saying here is that the man strong in faith feels free to eat any food from the marketplace unless it had been explicitly made known to him that the food in question was sacrificed to an idol. This is made clear by comparing this passage with

1 Corinthians 10:25-28 where Paul gives his readers similar instructions regarding food sacrificed to idols.

Not only had there been disagreement between those who ate and those who didn’t, but apparently it had led to some ill will and judgment among the community (Romans 14:3-4). Matthew 7:1 says, “Do not judge, or you will be judged.” The practice of loving one’s neighbor excludes the possibility of condemnation and allows us to not pass judgment on our brother. Just as Paul spoke of in leading up to this point, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love,” (Romans 12:9-10). Since neither group is acting in violation to the Torah, their judgments and contempt for one another are not rooted in truth, but in the flesh.

Paul now turns his attention to the subject of special days, which were apparently also dividing the community: “One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind,” (verse 5). Due to our theological assumptions, the first thing we think of when we hear this is the Sabbath, although this is not mentioned anywhere in the text. Due to the same reasons we asserted about this being a “disputable matter,” this can not be speaking of the Sabbath (Exodus 31:16). There are many types of days which Paul could be talking about, but the most likely is some type of fast days which were esteemed as holier or more distinct than other days. The reason this makes sense is verse 6: “He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.” This would seem to be contrasting one who eats against one who esteems the day and doesn’t eat. We see an example of the practice of regular fasting in Luke 18:11-12, and this practice carried over from Judaism into the practice of the early followers of Yeshua, for He assumed that they would be fasting after His death and resurrection (Matthew 6:16-18, Mark 2:18-20). While fasting would have been common, setting aside a fixed schedule of days which were better to fast on (outside of Biblically assigned fast days) because of a belief that these days had special holiness is not something that can be proved either way, and therefore is a matter of conscience. The phrase “Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind” in verse 5 must be carefully understood within its context so it will not be twisted. It goes back to verse 1 which indicates that both the dispute over diet and special days are not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter where neither side can be proven objectively correct. This is not to say that this applies to every disagreement between believers, for someone can be convinced in their own mind of something that is contrary to God’s truth, and in such cases it is not beneficial for them to continue in this thinking (Ephesians 5:11, Titus 2:15, 1 Timothy 5:20). Paul himself corrects people on their behavior all throughout his epistles, showing that he did not apply this idea of absolute freedom from doctrinal limits in most situations.

Paul goes on to say, “I know… that nothing is unclean in itself” (verses 14, 20). We must look at the Greek language to find out what this is really saying. The Greek word used here for “unclean” is koinos. This word means “common,” in the sense of something which is not holy. When used in reference to Jewish purity, koinos refers to otherwise holy/pure things which have become as if they were unholy, for example through defilement by touching an unclean thing. This word is contrasted against akathartos, which means “unclean” as in something which God has called unclean, such as with the food laws in Leviticus 11.

We see a similar statement as the one in Romans 14:14, 20 being dealt with in the first part of Mark 7. Yeshua and the Pharisees were having a debate over unwashed hands. This hand-washing wasn’t about getting rid of germs, but was because the Pharisees believed that to eat with unwashed hands was defiling the food, or making it “common,” koinos. Their discussion was not over types of food, but about the tradition the Pharisees had about the handling of food and if eating such food made a person “unclean.” Yeshua explains in verse 8: “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” The discussion in Mark 7 is not about whether kosher is valid, but about if kosher food can become defiled by eating it with unwashed hands. Then, in verse 19, it says, “Thus He [Yeshua] declared all foods clean.” Is this an accurate translation? The King James, among others, translates this final phrase as part of Yeshua’s quote instead of a parenthetical statement: “[Do ye not perceive that]… it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught [latrine, sewer], purging all meats [foods]?” According to these translations, Yeshua is not saying that every animal is now clean, but that through the process of digestion, any perceived defilement of kosher food (for example because of unwashed hands) is lost and excreted with the other waste. Even if the translation “He declared all foods clean” was accurate, however, it would mean the same thing: outside of any purity laws in the Torah, any perceived uncleanness is invalidated through digestion. This is the same argument Paul is making in Romans 14:14, but instead of hand-washing, the subject is possible dedication to idols.

In summary, we need to remember to look at Scripture in context. Romans 14:1 says we should not pass judgment on “disputable matters.” I think we would all have to agree that God’s commands are not disputable. We need to acknowledge that what Paul is addressing are areas of personal conviction, not the commandments of God. This is the issue at hand here in Romans 14, in Mark 7, and in other such Scriptures. Paul is not saying that either the food laws in the Torah or the ruling of the Jerusalem Council are not important to follow. His main point in writing the community about this issue is addressing the attitude which the two groups have toward each other because of their difference of opinion. Ultimately, the big problem is not debatable opinions on whether food should be assumed to be defiled or undefiled just because it is sold in the pagan marketplace. The underlying issue Paul is addressing is that the two disputing parties were harboring resentment toward each other because of their disagreement. Since neither side of the conflict is breaking the Torah, it comes down to how one has been called to walk by God, and therefore the important thing is to respect each others’ convictions before God. If one group had been walking contrary to Torah, then Paul would surely have corrected them, as he does so often in his epistles.

In matters of truth, let us be zealous; but in matters of personal conviction, let us not be quick to pass judgment or criticism on others: “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (Romans 14:17).

In Galatians 2:11-21, we see a little bit of drama between Paul and Peter. There are some parts of this passage that, if not properly understood, could lead to some faulty beliefs. Let’s take a closer look.

In Galatians 2, Paul had been explaining a meeting he had with the “pillars”—James, Cephas (Peter), and John—and how just as Paul had been called to the Gentiles, they went to the Jews. He continues in verses 11-12: “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.” What was the big problem with Peter eating with Gentiles? Who is the party of the circumcision, and what do they care about who Peter associates with? In those days, Jews had strict regulations against associating with Gentiles. At that time and place in history, if someone wasn’t Jewish then in practically every case they were involved in idol-worship. To avoid becoming defiled by associating with an idolater, Jewish tradition stated that eating with Gentiles was forbidden. Peter, however, had special reason to ignore this rule when he associated with Gentile believers in Yeshua (Jesus). He had been the first of the apostles to fellowship with a Gentile (Acts 10:9-11:18). In Acts 10, Peter receives a vision from the Lord: a sheet with both clean and unclean animals on it is lowered before him, and the Lord tells him to kill and eat the animals. Peter replies, “Surely not, I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” This happens three times. The vision ends with God saying, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Many people say that this vision is God telling Peter that he no longer is obligated to observe the kosher food laws. The problem with this interpretation is that the passage is not talking about food, and Peter himself does not interpret the vision to mean that he has been liberated from dietary prohibitions. The key to understanding this passage is verse 28: “And he said to them, ‘You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.'” The issue being addressed is not animals, but men.

Now we can return to Galatians with a proper understanding of why Paul took issue with Peter’s behavior. Since Peter had been the first of the apostles to eat with God-fearing Gentiles, he knew for a fact that this was not an impure thing. Paul tells us that the reason Peter acted against his convictions was out of fear of the “party of the circumcision.” This was a group of people who believed that Gentiles needed to be circumcised (formally converted) in order to achieve salvation and be accepted into the community of believers (Acts 15:1). This is the false gospel which Paul is opposing all through Galatians (Galatians 2:3-5). The circumcision party could have been believing Jews preaching circumcision for all, or they could have been Gentiles who had been circumcised and converted to Judaism themselves who were trying to convince other Gentiles to do the same. Whoever they were, apparently Peter and the others felt intimidated by them, and so they concede to their beliefs (verse 13). Paul is not going to let this slide, and so he calls Peter out in front of everyone: “But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?'” (verse 14). He reiterates that this has to do with the “truth of the gospel.” Paul’s gospel to the Gentiles had to do with the fact that they did not need to be formally circumcised and undergo conversion to Judaism in order to share in reaping the blessings of Israel, including the Holy Spirit and the gift of salvation through the Messiah of Israel, Yeshua. Therefore those who were teaching a false gospel were preaching otherwise, sharing the opinion of those in Acts 15:1.

What does Paul mean that Peter is living like the Gentiles? The most common interpretation is that Peter had originally abandoned the Torah, but now he was trying to convince Gentiles to come under its heavy burden, and this is what Paul was rebuking him for. This interpretation, however, does not make sense considering the catalyst of the argument, which was regarding table fellowship with Gentiles, which is not even mentioned in the Torah. So what does it mean that Peter was living like a Gentile, and in what way was his current behavior compelling the Gentiles to “live like Jews?”

Within the context of the passage, we see that Peter had been living like a Gentile in the sense that he did not rely on Torah-observance or physical heritage to receive justification (verses 15-16). This doesn’t mean he didn’t still keep Torah, since it is the standard God has given His people to live by (Psalm 19:7-11). Just as Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, Peter was one of the apostles who was called to their fellow-Israelites, as Paul explained earlier in the chapter. Although this is the case, Peter recognized that Gentiles who believe in Yeshua do not need to be circumcised and convert to Judaism, as he demonstrates, for example, in Acts 15:7-11. So when he separates himself from eating with the Gentiles in order to appease those of the party of the circumcision, he is essentially agreeing with them in saying that the Gentile believers are impure before God unless they become circumcised, thus “compelling the Gentiles to live like Jews.” The phrase “live like Jews” is from the Greek word Ioudaizein, which is sometimes translated as “Judaize.” The use of this word doesn’t mean keeping God’s commandments, but rather implies becoming Jewish, thus falling back to a “salvation by works,” where salvation is attained by being physically Jewish through heritage or converting to Judaism through circumcision. This is the big problem in Galatia that Paul is trying to put down. Paul is not rebuking Peter for teaching Gentiles about God’s commandments, but because of Peter’s eagerness to turn his back on the Gentiles in order to preserve his reputation before some influential people.

To put a timeline on this event, some scholars believe that the original letter to the Galatians was actually written before the Jerusalem council recorded in Acts 15. The passage in Galatians 2:1-10 speaks of a journey to Jerusalem, but due to conflicts of details, it is unsure if this is the trip where the council took place or if it is a separate occasion. Up until that decision, the common consensus was that Gentiles would become legally Jewish upon professing faith in Yeshua. Paul did not agree, and eventually, according to Acts 15, the rest followed suit. So if it is the case that this happened before the Jerusalem Council, there was no established doctrine on how Gentiles were to be accepted.

Paul links this belief about circumcision with the phrase “works of the Torah,” (Galatians 2:15-16). This phrase has been somewhat misunderstood over the years, and after reading Paul’s fiery criticisms of those who rely on the works of the Torah, some have been led to believe that one who attempts to walk in line with God’s commandments is seeking to be justified by the works of the Law. In this passage, however, we see that Peter was not trying to force Gentiles to keep any specific commandments, but rather his behavior was insinuating that Gentiles needed to physically convert to Judaism in order to be accepted into the body of Yeshua and fellowship with the other believers. The Dead Sea Scrolls shed some light on this phrase. One of the scrolls is entitled “Selection on Works of the Torah.” Discussed within are various religious rulings, mostly regarding ceremonial purity. Paul may or may not have known about this document, and perhaps this phrase was used in other contexts as well. But bearing this in mind, we see that Paul was applying the term “works of the Torah” to mean specific traditional commands, particularly those which mark a person as legally Jewish, and saying that a person is not justified by observing these. This fits with the overarching theme of conversion and acceptance of the believing Gentiles that is the main focus of Galatians.

Paul’s dialogue against Peter ends in verse 21: “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Torah, then Messiah died needlessly.” If we achieved salvation by merely becoming circumcised, then there would have been no need for Messiah to die. But this is not how we are saved, and it is not how anyone was saved prior to Yeshua. Everyone who is righteous before God is not so on account of things they have done or their lineage, but because they have faith in God to forgive their transgressions when they earnestly repent (Ezekiel 33:12-16, Daniel 9:18-19, Hosea 14:1-4). Even before Yeshua was born, those who lived by faith were trusting in Him, even if they didn’t understand it fully (John 8:56, Hebrews 11:13).

To summarize, this passage in Galatians recounts a slight altercation Paul has with Peter. While some understand some of the phrasing to mean that Peter had been living outside of the Torah, this passage says nothing of Peter turning from Judaism and living like a pagan. He had not turned from Judaism, but was living the way the vision of the sheet had revealed to him. This meant he was open to fellowship with Gentile believers, which up to that point in history was taboo for a Jew. After some men came to the community who did not believe the same way, he changed his tune. If we consider the fact that Galatians may have been written before the events of Acts 15, there was still no hard and fast rule at the time of this event about how Gentiles should be included. The party of the circumcision could have been Jews, but it is also possible that they were Gentiles who had already become legally Jewish and were trying to convince other Gentiles to do so as well. Paul was not anti-Torah, but he was bringing the teachings of the Judaism of his day that related to Gentiles forward in his teachings against those who taught that the only way for a Gentile to be justified was by legally becoming a Jew. To Paul, “works” refers to attempts at earning justification through conversion to Judaism and the various extra laws which rest upon a person once they go through such a conversion. He was not opposed to Gentiles being obedient to God according to the commandments within the Torah that apply to them as Gentiles. His main goal was instructing Gentiles that they did not need to become Jewish in order to be justified before God.

Paul uses several illustrations to teach his readers about the intent or the purpose of the Torah (Law) in the book of Galatians. Let’s go through this and see what Paul is trying to tell us. In Galatians 3:1-18, Paul had been rebuking the Gentile Galatians. Some men had come to them who were compelling the Gentiles to convert to Judaism through ritual circumcision, which these men believed was a necessary prerequisite for becoming joined to the promises that God had made to Israel (Acts 15:1, Galatians 2:3-5). Paul knew that since God had shown that the Gentiles’ hearts had been circumcised by giving them the Holy Spirit, there was no need for them to become physically Jewish in order to be accepted by God (verses 2-3). Paul uses the phrase “works of the Law” to mean attempting to receive justification by becoming ritually converted to Judaism. It does not mean obeying God’s commands out of a love for Him and a desire to do His will. Paul backs this up by explaining that God’s promise to Abraham was through faith, and took place before the covenant at Mt. Sinai. The giving of the Torah does not change the way the promise was received. “Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made” (verse 19). God made the promise to Abraham that salvation for the nations would come through his seed, which Paul explains is Yeshua. To this promise He added the Torah to define and convict sin until the promised seed came through whom all nations would be blessed. After saying all of this, Paul wants to make sure we don’t think the Torah contradicts the promise to Abraham: “Is the Torah then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Yeshua the Messiah might be given to those who believe” (verses 21-22). Because of our inability to be perfect, the only way we can achieve justification is through Yeshua. We also see that the word translated as “believe” here is actually a form of the Greek word for “faith.” We don’t have a word in English for “faithing,” but the original word implies an active, obedient exercise of faith in God’s promises.

Continuing, Paul makes another illustration about the role of the Torah: “Therefore the Torah has become our tutor to lead us to Messiah, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Messiah Yeshua” (verses 24-26). In English, Bibles often translate the word paidagogos as “tutor” or “guardian.” A paidagogos was more than just a tutor in Paul’s day. Well-to-do families in the ancient Greco-Roman world would hire a person to serve as a warden for their children. The full job of a paidagogos was to be a caretaker, to supervise, and to direct the child’s conduct and moral behavior, as well as to serve as a type of bodyguard. Paul is saying that the job of the Torah is to do this same thing for us. “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor,” (verse 25). Does this mean that we no longer follow the instructions of that tutor? No, but the lessons which the tutor teaches us are learned more in depth as we mature. Once we have come to faith in Yeshua, we see the Torah in the light of His revelation. Every part of the Torah reveals Yeshua, for He is the Living Word, and therefore every “jot and tittle” within the Torah has something to teach us about Yeshua. Through the Torah, we learn that we are unable to keep it perfectly, which leads us to Yeshua. This is the sense in which we are no longer under our paidagogos, the Torah. The lessons it teaches us and the ways it expects us to behave are continued as we grow in knowledge of Yeshua: “For all of you who were baptized into Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah” (verse 27). One would not hire a tutor for someone who was not their child, and thus Paul tells us, “And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (verse 29). We as Gentiles, who once were afar off, have been brought near to God and to His people Israel through the Messiah of Israel and are counted as sons of Abraham through faith. As we see in Romans 11, Gentiles are grafted into the promises of Abraham. We know that Abraham is the father of many nations. Believers from the nations become the spiritual children of Abraham and become fellow heirs with the Jewish people when they put their faith in Messiah: “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:7).

When the Gentiles in Galatia previously did not know God, they served pagan gods and idolatry, and Paul says that they were enslaved to “weak and worthless elemental things.” One part of the Gentiles’ disobedience was falling back onto these practices, which included the observation of “days and months and seasons and years” (verses 8-9). No one is exactly sure what Paul meant by “elemental things,” but he used it several times: in Colossians 2:20-21 in reference to ascetic practices, and here in this passage. The Greek word he uses is stoicheion, which in Paul’s time had several meanings: the basic elements of the cosmos (fire, earth, air, water), spiritual forces such as angels, or the basics of something, as in elementary teachings. As far as the meaning of this passage goes, two main interpretations are frequently accepted: the Gentiles were observing Biblical days or they were observing pagan days. Would Paul really refer to the precepts of the Lord as “weak and worthless” or “of the world?” Psalm 19:7 says, “The Torah of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Paul himself says in Romans 7:12 and 14 that the Torah is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual. Because of how the letter to the Galatians has traditionally been interpreted, it is an easy succession from “the Torah is no longer important” to “the Biblical feast days are no longer important.” In truth, however, the book of Galatians is not intended to dissuade anyone from keeping God’s commandments as applicable to them, but was a correction on false teachings about conversion and justification. So how about the second theory ? Do the “elementary principles” refer to certain practices within paganism and idolatry? Galatians 4:8 says, “Formerly, when you (Gentile believers) did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.” Paul reminds his Gentile listeners of their previous life of idolatry. So, if they were raised in this idolatrous system, then it would make sense that the “weak and worthless elementary principles of the world” are not God’s ways, but the idolatrous rituals and false religion they had been raised in. He was not telling them to avoid God’s calendar, but was warning them not to revert to the pagan celebrations they had been raised in or mix them into their walk with God.

Paul continues his explanation in Galatians 4:21-31 by using an allegory. He likens Hagar to the covenant at Mount Sinai, what is often called the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant is not the Scriptures which we call the “Old Testament,” and it is not the Torah. The Old Covenant was the agreement of the people of Israel to follow God’s commands (Exodus 24:7), which they were unable to do. Paul says, “Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children,” (Galatians 4:25). So long as obedience to God is done solely through human effort, sin, being the inability to fulfill God’s commands, will hold in bondage. When Paul chastises the Galatians for wanting to be “under law,” he is not condemning them for trying to walk in God’s ways. Rather he is condemning their attempts to gain hold of the promise through the flesh, just as Abraham and Sarah did when they tried to bring forth the promised child through physical means alone (Genesis 16:2). Sarah’s conception of Isaac, however, was much more miraculous. From a human point of view, it would appear impossible for Sarah to bring forth a child so late in life, especially after being barren up until that age; but with God, all things are possible. After Paul introduces Hagar as representing the earthly city of Jerusalem, he brings her into contrast with Sarah, who represents the heavenly city of Jerusalem: “The Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother,” (verse 26). If Hagar is the Old Covenant, then Sarah is the New Covenant. The New Covenant is not a new set of rules to follow, but it is a miraculous and supernatural ability to do that which was previously impossible through the flesh (Jeremiah 31:33-34). From a human perspective, it is impossible to keep God’s commands perfectly. If we try to keep them merely through our own efforts, we will be committing the mistake of Abraham and Sarah, becoming, as it were, a child of the bondwoman. But if we put our faith and hope in God through Yeshua (Jesus), walking in the Spirit, then He will be faithful to fulfill His promise in writing His commands on our hearts. It is only then when we will no longer be held in bondage to the sinful nature, but will be fulfilling our role as children of promise: “So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman,” (verse 31).

What is Paul’s main point about the Torah? “Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Messiah will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Torah… For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” (Galatians 5:2-3, 6:15). If one undergoes conversion in order to become Jewish, then they are considered Jewish and therefore are obligated to observe some parts of the Torah that Gentiles are not. By converting they are essentially saying that salvation comes by being Jewish instead of by having faith in Yeshua. Paul is not condemning the Galatians for wanting to obey God or keep the commandments that apply to them, but he is condemning them for trying to earn their salvation by becoming converted. Remaining a Gentile believer in Yeshua does not mean that we are free to ignore God’s commandments, however: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (verse 16).

The Torah acts as a paidagogos, a tutor, in order to teach us the way we are to live and to lead us to Yeshua. As we grow in relationship with Him, we will find ourselves desiring to obey God, since His commandments do not change, and these commandments are being written upon our hearts. If we are led by the Spirit of God, we are not under the condemnation of the Torah (Romans 8:1, Galatians 5:18), and therefore, by the power of the Spirit, we will no longer be hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). Whereas before, because of the sinful nature, we could not submit to God’s Torah, now by the Spirit we will be able to. The Torah still has purpose in the life of a believer.

As Paul spread the good news around the known world, he experienced the joy of fellowship as well as the bitterness of persecution. We can learn a lot about Paul by examining the stories surrounding his trials and his testimonies before the religious and secular ruling bodies, from Jerusalem to Rome.

In Acts 21, Paul is heading to Jerusalem. His plan was to get there in time for Pentecost (Acts 20:16), which is the Greek name for the Biblical Appointed Time of Shavuot. This was one of the “pilgrimage feasts,” that is, one of the Appointed Times on which God said every male from Israel needed to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). It was not a coincidence that Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem on Shavuot. As an observant Jew he would have felt an obligation to observe the commandment to make pilgrimage. Not only that, but it would also provide an opportunity to spread the message of Yeshua (Jesus) to people who would be gathered in Jerusalem from all over the world.

When Paul arrives in Jerusalem, he meets with the community of believers in Yeshua who live there, sharing that his missions have brought many Gentiles to belief (Acts 21:18-19). Responding to Paul’s testimony about the Gentiles, the elders in Jerusalem share how God has granted them success among the Jewish people, saying that thousands of Jews have believed and that they are “zealous for the Torah” (verse 20). Their zeal is not presented as a negative, but rather as a sign of their devotion to God which is combined with their belief in Yeshua. Tainting this zeal, however, are rumors which have followed Paul as he spreads the gospel to the Gentiles: “They have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs,” (verse 21). As Paul went around preaching to the Gentiles, he brought the message that was relevant to them. That message was that Gentiles didn’t need to be physically converted to Judaism to receive salvation (Acts 15, Galatians 6:15). This did not diminish the value of the Torah in the believer’s walk nor did it remove the necessity to obey the commands of circumcision or tradition for the Jewish believers (Matthew 23:2-3, Acts 22:12, Galatians 5:3).

Evidently some people had misunderstood and twisted Paul’s message to mean that circumcision, the Torah, and the oral customs had all been canceled and done away with. This was never Paul’s message or his goal. In order to prove to everyone that these are only lies and rumors, the elders tell Paul: “We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Torah,” (Acts 21:23-24). The plan was for Paul to purify himself in the Temple, which he would have done anyway as it was necessary after travelling out of Israel, and to pay for the sacrifices which were necessary to complete the Nazarite vows these four men had taken (Numbers 6). This would prove to everyone that Paul himself was walking according to the commandments and honoring the Temple. Any claims saying that he taught against the commandments or the Temple would have many witnesses to prove otherwise. The elders did not question Paul’s Torah-observance, because they knew him personally and they knew his message. They did not believe the rumors, and neither should we. Unfortunately, some men who had been opposed to Paul recognize him from his travels abroad, and they start a ruckus before he can go through with the plan (Acts 21:27-29). Soon the Roman guards come down and arrest Paul for his own safety and to hopefully settle the crowds. Paul, hoping to redeem himself, asks the commander if he may speak to the crowd. Even though the circumstances have changed, Paul’s goal is still the same: to prove that he has not taught or acted in any way contrary to the Torah. Beginning to address his accusers, he first asserts his credentials: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today,” (Acts 22:3). Paul explains that he is Jewish just like them, and that he is well-educated in regard to the commandments, having just as strong of a desire to live according to God’s ways as they have. Paul tells them about his experience with Yeshua, and also addressed any accusations that he was opposed to the Temple by telling them that even after this experience with Yeshua, he worshipped and prayed there (verse 17).

The crowds have been listening attentively. His defenses have successfully addressed the false claims laid against him. Then he continues to share what God told him as he prayed in the Temple: “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!'” (verses 21-22). The fact that Gentiles could share in the blessings of Israel was unacceptable to the crowd, yet this was Paul’s main message throughout his ministry. Just as is seen in Acts 15, many Jews thought Gentiles were unable to share in God’s blessings. The inclusion of the Gentiles was the stumbling block in Paul’s teachings, not anything about the Torah being cancelled.

In order to get more answers about his behavior, Paul is summoned to stand before the Sanhedrin. His opening words again tell us about what he believed: “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day,” (Acts 23:1). The literal Greek of Paul’s words says, “I in all good conscience have lived as a citizen to God.” The word translated as “to live as a citizen” is politeuomai, which in Jewish contexts has been used to imply obedience to a set of laws (as a citizen would do), namely the Torah. Paul is asserting that this trial is unjust on the basis that the purpose of the Sanhedrin was to litigate on matters of Torah, and Paul is letting them know that he has not transgressed any commandment worthy of legal punishment. “But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, ‘Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!'” (Acts 23:6). Recognizing that this trial won’t go well, Paul aims to divide the Council on sectarian lines. Some have said that Paul’s claim that he is a Pharisee is just him playing the crowd to his advantage. If he was trying to stir up the Sanhedrin, he would not need to preface the fact that he was on trial for his belief in the resurrection with this bold claim of identity. On the contrary, he was speaking the truth: Paul is still a Pharisee, and he is on trial because of his belief in the resurrection of Yeshua and the implications it brought for the Gentiles.

Paul is now brought before the Roman governor Antonius Felix. The High Priest Ananias and an entourage of hand-chosen priests bring various charges against Paul, accusing him of stirring up trouble, being the ringleader of the Nazarenes, and of desecrating the Temple. Paul goes on to prove that he was not stirring up trouble, that being of the Nazarenes was not much different from the other sects of Judaism, and that he himself honored and worshipped in the Temple. He says, “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Torah and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.” (Acts 24:14-16). At that time, those who believed in Yeshua were known as the Way or the Nazarenes, and this movement was still a sect within Judaism. Paul explains that the Way is not just another sect, but is the true form of Judaism, obeying everything in the Torah and Prophets including the essential acceptance of Yeshua as the Messiah. Although the governor believes Paul is innocent, he holds him in custody until eventually he loses his position and is succeeded by Porcius Festus, at which time Paul’s enemies request another trial. Paul once again testifies, “I have committed no offense either against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar” (Acts 25:8). He had not transgressed or taught against the Torah nor any Roman laws in any way worthy of punishment, and his accusers had no proof saying otherwise. After the governor wishes to send him back to Jerusalem, likely into a trap, Paul appeals to Caesar (verses 10-11). When he finally arrives in Rome, Paul recognizes that it will be some time before he will have an opportunity to testify before Caesar. He takes this time to reach out to the Jewish community in Rome, explaining that although he has done nothing wrong against the Torah, the nation of Israel, or Rome, he is unjustly bearing his chains for the hope he has in God (Acts 28:17-20). The leaders are intrigued, and set up a meeting between him and an audience of fellow Jews.

Large crowds come to hear him speak, and Paul boldly proclaims his belief that Yeshua is the Messiah. He would need to back up these claims with Scripture and reasoned arguments, and Paul ends up speaking “from morning until evening” (verse 23). Some came to belief, but when it becomes evident that a large portion will not, he tells them that he is now going to the Gentiles (verse 28). At this, the people leave, having a great debate amongst themselves (verse 29). Once again the fact that the message of the Messiah is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews causes a great amount of discussion and backlash. The book of Acts ends with Paul preaching the message of the Kingdom, urging Jew and Gentile alike to repent from wickedness and put their faith in Yeshua the Messiah.

In conclusion, we have seen Paul’s trials tell us a lot about him and his beliefs. Those who were spreading lies about Paul tried to paint a picture of him as one who broke Torah, abhorred the Temple, and encouraged Jews to forsake these things as well. Paul’s own words tell us that he prayed and offered sacrifices in the Temple, lived according to the Torah in line with the Pharisaic interpretation, and encouraged both Jews and Gentiles to repent, trust in Yeshua the Messiah, and obey His commands. The main cause of his persecution was his belief, as revealed to him by Yeshua Himself, that Gentiles could join themselves to Israel without converting to Judaism through Yeshua the Messiah. Paul did not believe that following Yeshua was in any way opposed to Torah-observance, and he fought hard to show his own innocence in regard to his observance of the commandments.

Every year in Israel they celebrate Tu Bishvat, which is celebrated on the 15th of Shevat (Hebrew calendar). It is also called Rosh Ha Shanah La’llanot, literally, ”New Year of the Trees.” This is the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. They mark the 15th of Shevat by eating fruit, particularly from the kinds that are singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy Land: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. On this day we remember that “man is a tree of the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19). ”When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege.” We want to look at Psalm 1 and reflect on the lessons we can derive from our botanical analogy.

Psalm 1

”Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

The Righteous Vs. The Wicked

We see the contrast between the righteous person and the wicked person. The righteous person does not follow after the wicked, nor do they even sit with those who mock the Lord and His ways. This is a question that you need to ask yourselves. Who are my friends? Who are my companions? If they do not love the Lord and His commandments, His ways and His statutes, should you be in their company? If you delight in God’s law and you meditate on His Word, should you sit with those who mock the Lord and curse His name? The righteous stand for truth, for they are the light in the darkness. They speak God’s Word and they live by it. They are like a tree planted by streams of water. The water is represented by the Holy Spirit. We are planted in God’s Word where the Holy Spirit can water us day and night. The righteous will not suffer drought, nor will his leaves ever wither. The righteous will bear fruit in season.

Yeshua/Jesus tells us in John 15:1-8, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.”

If we are planted in God’s Word by the waters of the Holy Spirit, we will bear that fruit, and much fruit at that, and we will be disciples of the Lord and we will prosper (receiving the blessings of the Lord) in the work of the Lord. But just as Psalm 1 and Yeshua tell us, if we are like the wicked we will not bear fruit, the fruit of the righteous, and we will be cut off and thrown into the fires, for we will be like chaff. The choice is ours. Do you want to be brought down by the companions you keep or do you want to sit in the presence of God, being watered by the Holy Spirit so you will flourish and bear fruit? Your friends, your companions, those you work with or attend school with will see your light, and your words to them will bring truth, and with prayer and conviction you can save many for the kingdom because you will prosper because the Lord watches over the ways of the righteous.

Maybe we too need to be awakened so that we can begin a new season of bearing fruit, and as we bear fruit, the Holy Spirit will bear fruit also in us, for the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We also see in Jeremiah 17:7-8, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Along with our delight in God’s Word, we must trust Him as we walk with Him living out His Word in our lives. Without faith it is impossible to please God. To have faith we must trust God that He will do all that His Word says He will do in our lives. When we trust God, it too is like being planted by the water. Our roots go down deep and we drink in that life-giving water, and we stay green no matter what comes our way. The trials and tribulations of life do not affect us because we trust in the Lord. We know that our lives are in Messiah and He is the giver of all that is good. So we continue to bear fruit even in the midst of all that comes our way in life. We stay green and watered and we bear fruit.

Psalm 92:12-15 tells us, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'”

If we are planted in the waters of the Holy Spirit, living by God’s Word, even when we are old and grey God will still use us for His kingdom and we will bear fruit for the glory of God. How great and awesome is that: in God’s eyes we are never too old to serve Him. “Go Green!” Be planted by the water of God’s Word and you will always be living green.

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

God wants us to worship Him, and there is a proper time and place that God has made holy.

Worship in God’s Space

Before creation, all there was was God. There was no space or time because God had not yet created them. So for God to create a home for man, He had to pull back from Himself, and this is what we call space. In this space, God created all that we see and don’t see, all that we know and all that we still don’t know. God created us to worship Him. God also wanted us to have fellowship with Him. He wanted to dwell with man because He loved us so much. What He did was set aside another place, and that place was the sanctuary, also known at first as the Tent of Meeting and then the Temple. God spoke to Moses about building Him a dwelling place, a sanctuary—not just any dwelling place, but one that mirrored His Sanctuary in heaven. Exodus 25:9 tells us, “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all of its furniture, just so you shall construct it.” And again in Hebrews 8:5, “These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the Tabernacle. For God said, ‘Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.’”

We see that the Sanctuary is an earthly space that mirrored God’s heavenly Sanctuary. This holy dwelling was a space in our realm where God and Man could come together. It consisted of the Outer Court, where on the Altar of Sacrifice there was continually a shedding of blood by which Man could draw near to worship God. Yeshua/Jesus became our sacrifice by which we can now draw near to God, even enter into His throne room. There was the Laver, which the priests would wash their hands and feet in before entering into the Inner Court. God’s appointed space, the Sanctuary, was so holy that God required the priests to remain in a state of holiness so that they could do their work in the Temple. We too also must remain in a state of holiness, because we are a royal priesthood, and we too bring our worship before our Creator, our heavenly Father. If we fall out of that state of holiness because of sin, we can once again be washed in the cleansing blood of Yeshua when we repent.

Then came the veil which led into the Inner Court, called the Holy Place. The Holy Place consisted of the Altar of Presence, which twelve loaves of bread sat upon, and each Sabbath the priests would eat of these loaves which were as fresh and warm as when they were placed on the altar the Sabbath before. Yeshua is the Bread of Life. The Menorah was the only light, and its light shone out of the Temple. The Menorah represents Yeshua, who is the Light of the World. The Altar of Incense, which sat before the veil that led into the Most Holy Place, represents the prayers of the saints.

Once a year, the High Priest would take this incense in a fire pan from this altar and enter into the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, and the smoke from the burning incense would mingle with the cloud that covered the Ark of the Testimony, which was the only thing placed in this section of the Sanctuary. The Holy of Holies was so holy that the High Priest could only enter once a year on an appointed day called Yom Kippur. On top of the Ark was a covering which was called the Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat had two gold cherubim with their wings touching each other. Inside the Ark was kept the Ten Commandments. All were holy, all were parts of worship.

Walking Through the Tabernacle in Prayer

So let us look at the Tabernacle as a form of prayer. We start on pilgrimage to the House of the Lord. Here is where we sing and praise the Lord. We enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Yeshua is the door: we must come in the name of Yeshua. Then we must stop at the Altar, bringing the sacrifice by which we draw near, that is, Yeshua. From there we go to the Laver and wash in the blood of the Lamb, repenting of our sins and asking for forgiveness. We then go and enter into the Holy Place. We stop at the Table of the Lord, for Yeshua is our food and drink. We then go to the Menorah, for Yeshua is our Light, and there we ask the Holy Spirit to anoint us. Then we bring our prayers and supplications before God at the Altar of Incense.

So to put this all together, I believe our prayer should sound something like this: After praise we would say, “Father, I come in the name of Yeshua and I draw near by His sacrifice. I come with thanksgiving in my heart and I enter your courts with praise. Father, I am eternally grateful that You loved me so much that You sent Yeshua to die on my behalf so that I may have eternal life. I thank You, Yeshua, for Your shed blood, for there is power in that blood to wash me clean. Wash me clean of all my known and unknown sins and all that I have committed with my thoughts, words, and deeds. (Pause and consider your deeds. Repent and ask God to help you with all those sins that so easily entangle you.) Take off my filthy garments and robe me in Your righteousness, for You are my righteousness. My life is complete in You. Father, let me come and feast at Your table in the light of Your Word, for Yeshua is the true manna from heaven, the Bread of Life, the well of salvation. He is our food and drink, our portion—our cup overflows. He is the way, the truth, and the life; lead me in the path that leads to life and keep my foot from slipping, for Yeshua is the Light of the World. He is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Fill me with the oil of that light and anoint me with the Holy Spirit. Impart to me Your wisdom, knowledge, understanding, discernment, Your insight, Your foresight and Your truth. Let me not be deceived and pass on a deception, but give me truth. And Father, let my prayers and supplications and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You.” Now you can start to petition God. You can begin to praise and worship again if you choose, but then it is here where you begin to be still and listen to what God has to say to you.

The place we choose as our place of worship is our Sanctuary; it represents the heavenly Sanctuary, as does our home, and even our bodies, which are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. All are holy and must be kept holy because God is holy and so we too must be holy just like His Sanctuary. When we celebrate God’s Appointed Feast of Tabernacles we are celebrating the time when God and Man will dwell together forever in God’s Sanctuary, His Tabernacle.

The Tabernacle of God is Yeshua. Everything in the Sanctuary represents Yeshua because He is the Tabernacle of God. We read in Revelation 21:22-24, “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.” His appointed space is His holy space, the place of worship, the Sanctuary, the place of holiness.

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

A Royal Priesthood

Peter quotes Exodus 19:4-5 (“‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine…”) when he tells the people in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.” We are to be priests before God, bringing our sacrifices to His altar. But we cannot come to God just any old way: we must come before Him set-apart—holy. If we must all come before God holy and clean, then, being priests, our example is to look at the Aaronic priesthood. “They served in a sanctuary that was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain’” (Hebrews 8:5). When we realize that our place of worship, be it individual or congregational, represents the heavenly sanctuary of God, then we need to be properly dressed. We start by being clean. The sanctuary was all about cleanliness and holiness. The Laver was in the outer court and the priests would wash themselves. We also must come before God clean by repenting of our sins and being washed in the blood of Yeshua/Jesus.

Garments of Splendor

As priests, we too must put on holy garments. God tells Moses in Exodus 28:2, “You are to make for your brother Aaron (the High Priest) garments set apart for serving God, expressing dignity and splendor.” This word “splendor” in Hebrew means beauty. The same root of the word is found in Isaiah 61:10, “I will rejoice [delight] greatly in the Lord; all that I am [my soul] rejoices [exults] in my God. He has covered me with clothes [garments] of salvation and wrapped me with a coat [robe] of goodness [righteousness], like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding [or who adorns himself with a headdress like a priest], like a bride dressed in [adorns herself with] jewels.” Here we have a picture of the Bridegroom beautifully dressed. What a great picture of the Bridegroom serving his bride in their little house, the Tabernacle of God. We too must put on these holy garments, the garments of praise. Isaiah speaks of this in Isaiah 61:3, “Provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” Once again, we see this beautiful picture of God’s people dressed in splendor. These garments added beauty to the sanctuary. These garments also had the finest embroidery and stitch work, detailed weaving, and handiwork. But what also added to the beauty were the colors. The colors of the sanctuary were the same colors of the priestly garments. We are going to look at these colors and what they symbolized.

Gold: Gold is the purest metal and is often used in connection with royalty. This showed that the priesthood was a royal priesthood.

Blue: The sky blue color in Hebrew is called techelet. Blue was to represent heaven. It is also the same color as the tzitzit (the cords which are worn on the four corners of the garments). The priest’s robe was made of this blue. So like the tzitzit, it is a reminder to follow Torah; the priest’s robe was like one big tzitzit to remind the people to follow Torah. Now this blue was made from the blood of the chilazon. The chilazon was a Mediterranean snail. It was very rare. It took 12,000 snails to produce 1.4 grams of dye.

Scarlet: Scarlet is a color to remind us of our human nature. The high priest then represented mankind. The crimson color was produced by a worm called the crimson worm. The crimson red was called tola’at shani.

Purple: Purple was a combination of the blue and scarlet. Again, because of the difficulty in making this color, it was a sign of royalty. This dark red color which resembled purple was called argaman.

White: White represents purity; it’s on this basis that we come to God.

The Armor of God

We see many of the garments of the priesthood in the armor of God: the head piece, the breastplate, the sash. Ephesians 6:14-17, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

On our headpiece we have the name of Yeshua written. It is by His name that we enter into prayer, and it is by His blood that we draw near. He is our righteousness that we robe ourselves in, and when we enter into prayer, just like the High Priest that entered into the Holy of Holies with the incense from the altar, we join with God as one, and God hears us and runs to our aid and together we defeat the enemy of our soul.

Time to Wash Our Garments

But we must maintain clean garments. This is what is written to the church in Revelation 3:3-5, “Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you. But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white. Like them, the one who is victorious will be clothed in white garments. And I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.”

And again in Revelation 19:7-9, “Let us rejoice and celebrate and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. She was given clothing of fine linen, linen bright and pure. For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints. Then the angel told me to write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’” If we are to bring a continual sacrifice of praise to God through our daily lives, then we must stay in a state of holiness. How about you? Are your garments white? Are you walking in holiness or self-righteousness? The Bible tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are right before God. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Messiah Yeshua is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). “You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Today, lift up your holy hands and put on the oil of gladness. Wash your garments in the blood of Yeshua, repentant and completely surrendered and praising the Creator of all things. Bring the fruit of your lips. Let us long for the day when our Messiah will return. He will dwell with us as we dwell with Him in the Temple of our God. We will minister to Him in His Temple, the Body of Messiah, in garments of glory, garments of splendor, garments of beauty.

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

God’s desire is for His children to be holy. This holiness involves more than just a few superficial changes: it is the state of being committed and devoted to God with our entire lives. Some of the other brochures in this series discuss what holiness looks like in different areas of our faith. Now we are going to look at a particular topic which may catch some off guard: holiness in our diet. The predominant view of diet in Christianity is that it doesn’t really play any role in making us holy or unholy. The kosher food laws commanded in Leviticus are supposedly laid aside with the mere wave of a hand by Yeshua (Jesus) Himself. But is this really what Yeshua was doing? Why would God care about what we eat in the first place? In order to answer these questions, we need to look at the Scriptures to see what God says about the kosher food laws, found in Leviticus 11.

God prefaces these food laws by telling Moses, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth’” (Leviticus 11:2). In the ensuing verses, He goes on to explain that certain physical characteristics of birds, fish, four-footed animals, and insects will determine which specific animals within those groups are considered edible. For example, the well-known prohibition on eating pork comes from a ban on the land animals which do not have both a split-hoof and the abillity to “chew the cud,” or in modern terms, ruminate: “The pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you” (verse 7).

The logic behind these particular classifications being used to determine which animals are clean or unclean for consumption is not given in the text. God obviously does not feel the need to explain His reasons for establishing these rules in particular, but He makes it very clear that these particular rules are for a reason. The animals which God says are not to be consumed are negatively described using the strongest of terms: “You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you… Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is abhorrent to you… These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds…” Not only is the meat of these animals to be avoided, but the possibility of even touching their corpses is to be completely shunned. By consuming these animals the people would be considered to acquire the same negative traits: “Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean” (verse 43).

Those who have eaten some of these forbidden animals will be quick in their defense that not only do these meats taste good, but they have no more of a negative health impact than some other foods which are not prohibited. The terms “detest,” “abhor,” and “unclean” seem to be perhaps an overreaction. But when we return to the text of the passage, we quickly understand the basis for the disgust: “I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy” (verses 44-45).

Thus the reason for avoiding these animals is simple: it is for the sake of holiness. This is an indisputable fact straight from God’s own mouth. By enforcing a certain diet as acceptable for His people, God effectively separated them from the surrounding nations who had no issue with eating whatever food they could find. Although other nations who did not know God behaved in this manner, God’s children were held to a higher standard. Their distinctive diet would make them stand out, and when they interacted with other nations, inevitably these other individuals would be curious and ask, “Why don’t you eat the same way we do?” Thus holiness in action would open opportunities to spread God’s message of holiness to other groups of people. While it is possible to speculate about why God chose the particular animals He did and how these individual selections would lead to holiness, the most important thing to take away from this passage is that the kosher laws were indeed established as a standard for walking in holiness.

From these passages, it does appear to be indisputable that dietary laws are an important aspect of holiness, and yet many have attempted to dispute the relevance of these dietary restrictions based on some statements found in the New Testament. These rules are frequently assumed to only hold relevence for those who are Jewish. What position should believers in Yeshua who aren’t ethnically Jewish take in regard to the kosher food regulations? One of the biggest obstacles to those who wish to observe the kosher food laws are some unfortunate misunderstandings of certain New Testament Scriptures.

To explain in-depth each of the disputed Scriptures in the New Testament which purportedly negate the dietary laws is beyond the scope of this brochure. Nevertheless, a few guiding principles may be helpful in determining what these passages are really saying. First, it is important to keep in mind that Scripture cannot contradict itself. If God said that by observing these food restrictions His people would be devoting that part of their lives to Him as holy, then we must keep that in mind when we read the rest of Scripture. God tells us, “I, the Lord, do not change” (Malachi 3:6). This is a fact which we may take comfort in, for it means that all of His promises are sure. It also means that His standard of holiness remains the same. In Leviticus 11, God says that by keeping the dietary laws, His people will be holy, just as He is holy. God doesn’t change, He gave the dietary restrictions for the purpose of holiness, and He still desires His people to be holy. All other Scripture passages must be interpreted with these facts in mind, since God and His Word cannot be in contradiction. Another issue to keep in mind while reading these New Testament passages is that in addition to the prohibitions regarding certain animals explicitly commanded in Scripture, the Jewish sages and rabbis throughout the ages have regarded the clean foods in Leviticus 11 as being capable of becoming defiled in certain situations. In the New Testament we see this in Yeshua’s dispute with the Pharisees over eating with unwashed hands (Mark 7:1-23, Matthew 15:1-20), as well as in the various disputes over food sacrificed to idols (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8). This is what the debate about clean and unclean foods was about, not God’s unchangeable laws.

Much discussion has taken place over whether or not the kosher laws are binding upon believers from the nations. If believers don’t follow the kosher food laws, are they buying themselves a ticket to hell? Not necessarily, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). But we are also told in Hebrews 12:14, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” If we are to be holy in all our behavior, does this not include our diet? These commandments were given to the people of Israel, as all of the commandments were (including those in the Gospels). As grafted-in Gentiles, we have the opportunity to also draw near to God through obeying Him in love. God’s word shows us that doing the right thing for the wrong reason is not acceptable to Him, and so we must be careful to check our motives to be sure we are obeying Him out of love, and not to the neglect of the weightier commands of justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23).

Let us not be content to stagnate in our relationship with God, but always seek to draw closer to Him in holiness and in love through faith and obedience to His commands.

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

So if God requires us to be holy, then what does holiness look like? To be holy means to be set-apart, sanctified unto God. So what makes us sanctified and set-apart? Let us look into God’s Word to find the answer to this question. Our whole life is an act of worship unto God. We were created for this purpose. We are going to look specifically at worship in God’s time.

Creation of God’s Day

Genesis 1:14 starts us off. “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years.’” We want to note that it was here that God created time, and we are going to look at this element regarding worship. Genesis 2:1-3 tells us, “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested (took a sabbath) from all His work which God had created.” From this we see that God set apart the seventh day and made it holy. We want to note that this was one reason that He created time, for the purpose of marking sacred times. Christians feel that this was only for the Jewish people, but as we see that is not true, for there was not yet a people-group called “Jewish.” We must also understand that when God chose Abraham, he was not Jewish but a Chaldean from Ur.

When God called out a people, they had to accept Him and His Commandments. This is what we see at the mountain of Sinai. Exodus 19:5-8, “‘Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.’ So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.” If this sounds familiar it’s because Peter tells us that same thing. Not that we have replaced Israel—God is faithful to His Word, or else what assurance do we have? No! It’s because the promise is for us also. So what is this seventh day Sabbath about?

The Seventh Day Sabbath

Exodus 20:9-11 tells us, “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Here we see what holiness looks like. The Bible tells us in Mark 2:27-28, “Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’” We see clearly that the Sabbath was created for mankind and Yeshua/Jesus, our Lord, is the Lord of the Sabbath.

We see the first thing that God did was to set apart a certain day as holy, and that day is the seventh day. So how does that relate to worship?

Worship as One

I’m sure you are thinking that you can worship God any day of the week. Remember, God created time for the purpose of creating not only day and night, but seasons and sacred times, His Appointed Times (Genesis 1:14-16). These times are when God and man meet in a special way. We become one, like on the day of Yom Kippur when the cloud from the incense came together with the cloud that was over the Ark to form one cloud. Today when we keep the Sabbath we are telling God that we trust Him with our lives, that we lay down our ability to provide for ourselves and that He is our source for everything. The psalmist writes in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Hebrews 4 speaks about that Sabbath rest. The previous verses speak about those who refuse to believe. God tells them that they will not enter His rest, but for those who believe, God says in verses 10-11, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.” Worship God with all your heart, soul and strength any day of the week, but on the seventh day Sabbath come to God by resting from your works and worship Him in Spirit and in the Truth of His Word, as one who is betrothed, and the two shall become one. Like the cloud from the Incense Altar and the cloud from the Ark mingled together as one, so we become one with Him on His Appointed Time of worship.

By resting from our works, we show God that we trust Him with our lives. Paul writes to the Philippians, “For my God shall supply all my needs.” When we rest from our works, we are depending on God to provide for us. Matthew 6:25-27 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” And Yeshua goes on to say in verses 31-33, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” We must worship God with our lives according to His truth, and that truth is that God created the seventh day Sabbath and He rested, and so should we.

God has other Appointed Times, and those Biblical times are listed in Leviticus 23. These Appointed Times were created especially for man so that we may have that closeness with God. God created the sun and the moon on the fourth day of creation for the purpose of holiness. Today the Jewish people still use a lunar calendar as a witness of the God of Creation, for Scripture says that first there was night and then morning.

These Biblical times are: Passover (the same day Yeshua became our Passover Lamb), Unleavened Bread (Yeshua took our “leaven,” sin, and made us “unleavened,” sinless), Pentecost (fifty days later, the giving of the Holy Spirit and His teachings, “Torah”), Day of Trumpets (preparing for the coming King, starting with repentance), Day of Atonement (judgment day, “Is your name written in the Book of Life?”), Feast of Tabernacles (foreshadowing the Messianic Age).

All of these point to Messiah, with the Sabbath foreshadowing the age to come when we will have that eternal rest in God forever. But the Sabbath is the Crown Jewel of all the feast days. We too have our appointed time with God every day and that is our prayer time, our time to praise the Lord and lift up His name. These times are the morning and afternoon and evening prayers that we see in Daniel 6:10, which tells us that Daniel always prayed to God three times every day: “Three times every day, he bowed down on his knees to pray and praise God.” Three times a day we should acknowledge God in prayer and thanksgiving. This is what sets us apart. This is what makes us holy: worshiping God in His times.

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” How do we live as living sacrifices holy unto the Lord? The next verse tells us. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” If our lives are a sacrifice unto God, our gift to Him, then what does Scripture tell us about this? Well, first we need to be right with God. Yeshua’s (Jesus’) message to all was just this: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). This is the start to holiness. Yeshua was telling His hearers that God was with them, for God is His kingdom. Repentance is a change not only of mind, but action. Matthew 5:23-24 tells us, “Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” If we are to bring a continual sacrifice of holiness to God through our daily lives, then we must stay in a state of holiness. We must examine ourselves daily, and when we do we see that, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

If we cannot forgive, then God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15). Repentance and forgiveness seem to be key in the walk of a believer. We are to bless and not curse (Romans 12:14). “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). As Romans 12 tells us, if we are to be holy then we must not be like this world. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father, but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever” (1 John 2:15-17). We need to think differently than the world. We need to be set-apart. As we have seen so far, there are things required of us. What I have quoted from the New Testament is from our foundation, what we are built upon, and that is the Law of God, the Ten Commandments. We find that the Holiest place—the place that even the High Priest could not enter but once a year, and at that only with the blood of a sacrifice and the incense from the altar to create a cloud that mingled with the cloud of God—this place was the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God was. In this place was the Ark of the Covenant, or Testimony. In the Ark was placed the Ten Commandments. Why? Because it was the keeping of these laws that gave a testimony to the world that the keeper was a child of God.

“Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who shall hear of all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people’” (Deuteronomy 4:6). We are to be light, and we are to be set-apart. Nothing sets us apart like keeping God’s commandments. Yeshua said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Yeshua even expounded on many of His commandments in Matthew 5:21-48 because He tells us in verse 48, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This is what the psalmist writes about God’s law: “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is Your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression” (Psalm 19:7:11). The commandments of the Lord do not only make us a wise and discerning people, but they also set us apart from the world. We cannot live separate from God’s teachings, His words. They are the foundation of our lives. In fact, they must be our lives. Every fabric of our being must be the Word of God.

This is what Proverbs 4 tells us about God’s Word and life: “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 3 tells us the rewards of living by God’s Word: “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.” Matthew 6:19-24 tells us about our heart and God’s Word: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” God’s Word is our treasure. The more we have the knowledge of His Word in our lives, the more we will live by His Word. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

If we are going to be holy and set-apart, then we must live by God’s Word and we must treasure His Word in our hearts. God’s Word is light, and it brings light to our very souls. When our hearts and souls are committed to God, then we can truly do what the Lord requires, which is to be totally surrendered to God. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). As a holy priesthood coming before the Lord, let us lift up holy hands and worship God night and day. “Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who serve by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord” (Psalm 134:1-2). “Lord God, at dawn You will hear my voice, and at dawn I shall be ready and shall appear before You”

(Psalm 5:3). Our lives must be a holy sacrifice before God, pleasing to God as a sweet aroma going up to heaven. “May my prayer be set before You like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). And again, “For we are a fragrance of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Messiah in the sight of God.”

Are your lives holy as He is Holy?

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

John 4:23-24 says, “But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.” Yeshua/Jesus tells us in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.” Quite clearly Yeshua tells us that His Word is truth. In John 14:6, Yeshua answers this way: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Yeshua is the Word of God made flesh, and He is truth. That means every jot and tittle of God’s Word is truth and all of God’s Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16). Our lives are an act of worship unto God. They are to be living sacrifices offered up to Him every day of our lives. This means that we need to remain in a state of holiness. We can not offer a sacrifice to God that is blemished. If God tells us to be holy then that means we can be holy. We must start by repenting of our sins daily. Even every time we sin we must allow the conviction of the Holy Spirit to bring us to repentance. Galatians 5:16-17 tells us, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” So then how do we live in the truth? By walking in the Spirit. Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. At Mt. Sinai the Ten Commandments were given on the same day, Pentecost, when many years later the Apostles received the Holy Spirit. So God’s Word and the Holy Spirit go together. You can’t have one without the other because it is the Holy Spirit that helps us to walk in the truth of God’s Word. God told Moses to place the Ten Commandments in the Ark of the Testimony to show man that the way to holiness is through obedience to His Word.

1). Exodus 20:1-3: “Then God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.’” Every one of us has been delivered from the house of slavery. Let’s look at what the Apostolic Scriptures tell us about this first commandment. John 8:34-36 tells us, “Truly I (Yeshua) say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the Son does remain forever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” Galatians 5:1 says, “It was for freedom that Messiah set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Colossians 1:13 says, “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

2). Exodus 20:4-5: “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, or likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Paul mentions idolatry as one of the deeds of the flesh versus walking in the Spirit of God in Galatians 5:20. Revelation 21:8 speaks about the new heaven and earth and those who will not enter it: “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” This covers many of the commandments.

3). Exodus 20:7: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” Because people have filled their minds and hearts with everything but the Word of God, people have turned to the futility of their minds. Yeshua (Jesus) tells us in Matthew 12:36-37, “And I say to you that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.” Yeshua tells us in Matthew 5:34-37, “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King, nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil.” God’s name is holy and we are to be holy. Our lives are to be for the glory of God, and so, “our speech always should be with grace.”

4). Exodus 20:8-11: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male servant nor your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” We see that this commandment has to do with the creation of the world when God created the Sabbath day and called it holy (set apart). Genesis 2:2-3 says, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” This day is for everyone! In fact, Yeshua tells us that He is the Lord of the Sabbath in Matthew 12:8, and says in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath.” When we keep the seventh day Sabbath, we bear witness to the world that God is the Creator and Yeshua is the Lord of the Sabbath, which also testifies to the Jewish people that He is the Messiah.

5). Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” Our relationship with God begins with the family unit, because our parents represent God in an earthly manner. God has a chain of command in the family. Ephesians 6:1-9 tells us what a godly family should look like: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: “That it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” Could this be one of the reasons why there is so much teen suicide?

6). Exodus 20:13: “You shall not murder.” It is natural that this should follow next, for the opposite of love is hate, and that is what murder is. In Matthew 5:21, Yeshua expounds on this commandment. He tells us that if we are even angry with our brother or even call someone a fool, we will be liable. Yeshua tells us that we must go make things right with a person before He will even accept our sacrifice at His altar. We see this is true with a man’s prayers if he is not right with his wife (1 Peter 3:7), and now we see it with our neighbor.

7). Exodus 20:14: “You shall not commit adultery.” Adultery is not only a lack of faithfulness, but a problem with lust. Today too many people marry out of lust. Why do I say this? Because we have become lovers of self, and love is just the opposite. Yeshua said this about adultery in Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say, everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

8). Exodus 20:15: “You shall not steal.” Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him who steals steal no more; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has a need.” Paul saw that a person should be responsible for his own needs and work, but if he cannot because of illness or infirmity then those who do work should share with him who is in need.

9). Exodus 20:16: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” It only seems right for the next two commandments to follow stealing, because we can steal a person’s reputation and even his life by lying against him falsely. In Revelation 21:8, we see that all liars will be part of those thrown into the lake of fire. Lying is a serious matter, and how much more so when we lie and someone’s life is ruined because of it. We ruin people’s reputations and even friendships and at times break up families. Like the thief, the person who lies must make restitution by telling the truth and restoring that person back to good standing with his family or boss or even the law. He needs to be responsible for helping his neighbor get back on his feet by helping with lost wages so he will not have to resort to stealing. You see, everything has consequences, and every bad consequence has to be undone.

10). Exodus 20:17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant nor his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” This last commandment tells all. If we truly love one another like we are to love God and even our self, then we will not have feelings of hatred and anger and lust and jealousy and greed. These are all of the flesh, and God is all about the Spirit. We are able to live by God’s Word. We are able to walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh. We are able because of Yeshua; we are now dead to sin (Romans 6). Today we have taken off the yoke of God’s kingdom and we have fallen for the lies of the devil and we walk in darkness because of it and so we stumble. But today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, but quickly go back to the Father who loves you. Repent and He will forgive you. Return to His commandments and choose life, choose holiness.

We have looked at the topic of trees several times this year. We saw that trees play a big part in life. Today we want to look at another tree, the Tree of Life. We saw that Yeshua/Jesus died on a tree that brought us life: Yeshua, the Living Torah, the Word of God. Once again we want to take a closer look at another tree that brings us life: the Tree of Life.

Genesis 2:9 says, “LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” The Tree of Life has been somewhat of a mystery to us. Some people debate that the Tree of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life are one and the same. We do know that Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Good and Evil and their eyes were opened to exactly that: the right and wrong of things. They saw into the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Light. They saw their sin, and their sin multiplied with Cain killing Abel.

Could this be the reason why God put these two trees in the center of the garden? Because these two trees were and are still the center of life. Could life be all about good and evil, the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Light? Psalm 1:1-3 tells us, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” Proverbs 3:13-18 tells us about the Tree of Life: “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.”

The writer tells us that wisdom (the Word of God) is so valuable to us that it is worth more than anything that we might hold dear. No money, no jewels can even come close to the value of God’s Word (wisdom). Yeshua is the Word, the Torah made flesh. John 1:1-5 says this about Yeshua: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Yeshua Himself said that He was the way, the truth, and the the life (John 14:6). So what gives us the knowledge of good and evil? God’s Word, His Torah (which is God’s Word). The Torah was from the beginning, and it is the same yesterday and today and forever. It is the foundation, and it is God’s wisdom. It is what we as believers must find and let our roots go down deep into. It is our foundation and it is our life because God has told us this in His Word. This is who Yeshua is, and we must not close our eyes to it. It was Yeshua who was in the center of that Garden. He is the Tree of Life, He is the Tree of Knowledge. As believers, we have closed our eyes to this fact. We have been told that we do not need our foundation, we do not need the Tree of Life, we do not need God’s Wisdom, for all we need is Yeshua. YES, we need Yeshua, the Word of God, the Torah. YES, we need the shed blood of Yeshua also. But Yeshua (salvation), God, came down to gain us salvation, but that does not negate the fact that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have life. His flesh is His fruit, the bread of life that sustains us for life. His blood cleanses us from sin for life. We must have both. We too must be trees of life so that others can come and eat of our fruit. Proverbs 11:30 tells us, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” The book of Revelation also speaks about the Tree of Life: “Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life, which stands in the paradise of God, to everyone who wins the victory” (Revelation 2:7). Revelation 22:1-3 says this: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the Tree of Life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.”

How do we get the victory? We must live by God’s Word. We must search for it like the one who found the great pearl: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46). How about you? What will you do to eat from the Tree of Life? Will you search for God’s wisdom and make it the center of your life? Will you forsake evil to obtain good? Will you live by the Torah, which you can do by keeping the Ten Commandments? Yeshua said, “If you love Me keep my commandments.” Will you be planted by the streams of God’s Word so that you will produce fruit?

I leave you with this thought: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live…” (Isaiah 55:1-3). It’s free! What is stopping you from coming and eating from the Tree of Life, Yeshua, the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Word of God, the Torah, the fruit of righteousness?

1 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” It sounds like Paul is telling us that we can find true godliness in the mystery of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. How then can we be godly people practicing godliness in our lives? The answer is to be like Yeshua/God. Unlike holiness, which is a lifestyle set-apart for God, godliness has a lot to do with our character—who we are and how we act. Romans 5:3-4 says this about character: “But we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” How we act in our faith is just as important as what we believe about our faith. If suffering produces endurance and endurance character, then we see how important it is for us to suffer. Hebrews 5:8, speaking about Messiah, says this in the Aramaic Bible: “And although He is the Son, He learned obedience by the fear and the suffering which He endured.” Paul tells the Phillipians, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” So if godliness has to do with our character and character is produced by our sufferings, we see that our sufferings and endurance also produce obedience to God, and obedience to God leads to a covenant knowledge of who God is. This is what Paul was referring to in Philippians 1:29, that that knowledge leads us to have participation in Messiah’s sufferings: “For to you it has been granted for Messiah’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 tells us, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” We also see that when we do suffer and endure it, it pleases God, which we see here in 1 Peter 2:20: “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

1 Peter 4:19 also tells us, “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” Romans 5 tells us that our suffering leads to endurance and that endurance leads to character. Paul speaks about this to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10: “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” We see very clearly that when we endure suffering and hardships and various trials that this gives us great character and godliness. Paul calls our life of godliness a race to be won in Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Yeshua, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” James 1:2-4 tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” We have seen several things that constitute godly character in the believer. But Scripture tells us even more about our character. Hebrews 13:5 tells us this, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.’”

If our example is Yeshua, then let’s see what His advice is to His followers in Matthew 19:21-24. “Yeshua answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Yeshua said to His disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’” 1 Timothy 6:6 tells us, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” When we are satisfied with what we have and where we are in life we are virtually saying, “God has been faithful to me.” That is why God has put such importance on being thankful. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul tells us, “Give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God in Yeshua the Messiah among you.” Being thankful in all things keeps us humble and contrite, for God hates pride, and this is what happens to us when we are not thankful. Romans 1:21 tells us the result of not being thankful: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” We are to be eternally grateful to God for Yeshua and His shed blood, our eternal sacrifice. God has already showed us His great love; anything else is His grace and mercy, no matter what may come our way, good or bad. But when our character reflects godliness it tells us that no matter what comes our way we can rejoice knowing that God will never leave us or forsake us. Philippians 4:4-7 says this: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua.” This is endurance in the time of suffering that gives us godly character.

This godly character allows us to still obey God by trusting in His character, knowing His great love was demonstrated to us through Yeshua, and because of this we can have contentment, peace of mind, and still give thanks to God in all things. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 tells us, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” We know that Paul tells the Romans that our lives are to be an acceptable sacrifice of service unto God. A person with godly character is a person who has given God His life in service for the kingdom. He has laid down his life as a sacrifice unto God. We too give our lives for our brethren as Messiah laid down His life for us. Humility is what gives us a heart for others. We ought to think of others first as Philippians 2:3 tells us: “In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves.” We must have a servant’s heart if we are to be godly people. Yeshua washed His disciples’ feet and told us to do the same as we read in John 13:14-17, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” A life of service to God is one that requires us to lay down our lives for others. It requires us to die to ourselves. It is one of obedience to God. Matthew 16:24-26 says, “Then Yeshua told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?’”

When we receive Yeshua, we accept His yoke upon us, as Matthew 11:29-30 tells us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” When we accept Yeshua as our Lord and Savior, we become a servant, or better yet, a slave to our Master Yeshua. We flee from the trappings of this world and we cling to God. Our home is not this present world, but our Father, our Creator: He becomes our eternal home. We leave darkness for Light. We leave behind our wicked ways for godliness.

1 Timothy 6:11-12 says this: “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” The mystery of godliness is found in the person of Yeshua the Messiah, and when we follow His example, imitating Him in our lives, we become more and more like Him. We have looked at suffering that produces endurance and endurance that produces character, and now we want to end by looking at character that produces hope. Romans 5:5 says this about hope: “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Our hope is in the Lord Yeshua who demonstrated His great love for us, so that we too may demonstrate His love through us by our godly character. For Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 4:10, “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” Hope never disappoints, so let us endure as we run the race keeping our eyes fixed on the Author and Finisher of our faith, Yeshua our Messiah, the mystery of godliness revealed in our hearts.

Godliness is a road that we need to walk if we are believers in the Lord Yeshua/Jesus. It is a lifestyle that we need to adopt if we are going to be holy people, the people of God. It is a life of virtue and it is a walk following after the Holy Spirit, being obedient to the Word of God. Galatians 5:25 tells us, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” It is not good enough to say, “I am born again.” We must actually live like we are born of the Spirit. And we know that the Spirit is at odds with the flesh. You can not mix the world with the spiritual and think that they will cohabitate, for it would be like serving two masters: we would love the one and hate the other. That means that we need to crucify our flesh (Galatians 5:24), actually put it to death so that we now only serve God and not self. Many people think that they can juggle the two—that they can actually walk this tightrope between godliness and worldliness. But God says, “I wish that you would be either hot or cold” (Revelation 3:16). In Matthew 7:13-14 Yeshua tells us, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” The narrow road is the road on which the redeemed of the Lord walk, and Isaiah 35:8 speaks of it as a highway, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The narrow road is one that produces fruit, and that fruit is of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we walk with the Holy Spirit, He leads us on the path of righteousness, and godliness is its fruit. The Holy Spirit sows seeds in our hearts that produce good fruit in our lives. But if there is good fruit then there is also bad fruit, and that fruit is the result of sowing seeds of this world into our lives. 1 John 2:15-17 tells us, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever.” If we are going to walk on the path of godliness then we need the Holy Spirit to sow the seeds of godliness into our hearts. Romans 3:18 tells us why the world does not know the path of godliness, and that is because they have no fear of God. So what is the fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord is having a reverence for God. Now, we may say that we reverence God, but we are to love God with all our heart and soul and being. 2 John 1:6 tells us, “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.” Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Unless we have the fear of God and obey His commandments and all that He requires of us, we will not be on the path that leads to life because we can not live a godly life apart from God’s Word. Proverbs 2:1-15 tells us “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.” When admonishing the churches in Revelation 2:4, Yeshua reminds the church in Ephesus that they have fallen away: “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” We think that because we go to church or even read the Bible or do good works that we are godly people, but this is not necessarily true.

We may not have the fear of the Lord. We may not be working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Paul says this in Philippians 3:7-11, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law (for salvation), but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” We may not have crucified our flesh and died to self, all of which is walking on the wide road. We cannot be deceived: the world and the Spirit do not cohabitate. We are running a race, and Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, “Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” A godly life is a disciplined life.

1 Timothy 4:4-8 says, “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the Word of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Messiah Yeshua, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” The Word tells us that God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6), so we too must be disciplined in living a godly life. Which road are you walking today? Maybe it is a road of lukewarmness, dabbling in the world and putting on a look of holiness as you go about your church duties.

Maybe you have unforgiveness in your heart, but you act like you truly love your brother. Maybe you know God’s Word, but there is no fear or trembling at His Word. Yeshua is our example of godliness, and unless we are walking in His footsteps we cannot and will not live a godly life. We must embrace everything that He is, and He is the Word made flesh. He lived out His life as an example to us to show us the Father, and we are to live out our lives as an example to lead others to Him. Anything less than godliness and holiness will not reflect who God is. We are to be the light of the world and when our deeds, our very life, are brought into the light, it is clear what we are, for the light exposes everything. You may say, “But I am not perfect.” No! Who is? But unless we make a concentrated effort to walk on that narrow path that leads to life we will stray onto the wide road that leads to destruction. We can not say, “I am a good person. I try to be a good neighbor.” We must walk with the Holy Spirit, and that means that we must be attentive to His voice. We must hear His voice so that we know what God’s will is for us in our lives and in every situation that may arise. We must build up our spiritual muscles. To do that we must stay in prayer and in the Word of God, not just reading our Bible but actually living it, every word of it. We are running a race to win. But as we run on this path of godliness we will always have things that cause us to stumble and maybe cause us to fall. We will encounter temptations and every kind of hurdle. Our adversary will be there to try to derail us and cause us to go from the narrow path to the path that is wide so that we lose our way and even maybe turn around and go back to those old habits and sins. But like Paul, if we stay disciplined like a soldier who does not involve himself in worldly affairs but only concerns himself with pleasing his commanding officer, we will be able to fight the good fight. We fight for our King. We fight for His kingdom. Only the godly person will wear the full armor of God. To put on the armor, one needs to walk on the narrow path. This requires us to live a lifestyle which is disciplined and totally devoted to God. Our adversary is as a roaring lion.

When we live in this world and become part of it we open ourselves up to his pursuing us and overtaking us, but when we are like our Master Yeshua, he can only pursue us, for he will never overtake us. When we put on the helmet of salvation, we put on the colors of the kingdom. We lift our banner high and proudly we serve our King because he has taken us from the kingdom of darkness and brought us into His kingdom of light. We once were dead in our sins, but now we are alive in Messiah Yeshua and we live for only Him. When we put on the breastplate of righteousness we put on the righteousness of Yeshua and it is no longer we who live but Yeshua in us. That means that we have died to self and we pick up our cross and follow Him. When we put on the belt of truth, we put on the yoke of the kingdom. We take on His commandments and statutes and teachings (the Torah) and now these are the truths that we live by. When we carry the shield of faith, we carry the promises of God, for He will never leave us or forsake us, and under His wing we shall find shelter. When we lift up the sword of the Spirit, we lift up the Word of God and the enemy must flee. When we wear the shoes of the gospel, we become committed to advance the kingdom and bear fruit that will last for eternity. Philippians 3:20-21 tells us, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” We are now citizens of the kingdom, walking on the path of godliness, fighting the good fight of faith, conquering as we go, lifting up the name of our King Yeshua. We no longer look like the world nor do we talk like the world. We no longer conform to this world, but we have transformed and renewed our minds, and now we know what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is (Romans 12:2).

Regarding godliness, if how we act in our faith is just as important as our faith, then faith and godliness go hand in hand. 2 Peter 1:5-7 tells us, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” Peter tells us that we need to add to our faith. James 2:18 tells us, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” If we are supposed to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12), then we too must work out our faith. It is all part of walking on the path of godliness. The first thing we must do is add goodness to our faith. We must choose to be good because God is good. Psalm 136:1 tells us, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Goodness is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and we must bear fruit in our lives by sowing the seeds of God’s Word. John 15:1-4 tells us, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” When we let God take His Word and change our ways through the knowledge of Him who leads us by sowing His seeds in our hearts, He then leads us in all goodness. As the Psalmist writes in Psalm 23, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

God takes us from our sinfulness and He leads us to Him who is Light, as we read in Ephesians 5:8-10, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” Yeshua tells us in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” This is just another work of faith, to be light in the darkness and to do good works. Paul tells the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power.” The power of godliness is what so many deny, and that is because they have not added knowledge to their faith. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah.” God’s Word is light, and if we do not have the Word of God in us we can not live by it, and if we do not live by God’s Word then we will not have the knowledge of who God is. It’s this knowledge that helps us to walk on the path of godliness. Colossians 1:9-10 tells us, “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” We see after knowledge that we are to add self-control. Self-control is also a fruit of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 9:25 says, “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” We are running a race, and we are running to win. You only get one chance in life, and how we run the race is important to how we finish it. 1 Corinthians 9:24 tells, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” Hebrews 12:1 tells us, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Self-control is saying, “I will no longer run with the world, for I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind.” 1 Peter 4:3-5 tells us this about our past: “For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” To self-control we add perseverance to our faith. Hebrews 11:1 says this: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” If this is what faith is, and we are to add perseverance to it, then we can not give up hope. Romans 8:25 tells us, “But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” We have seen so far that we are to add goodness and knowledge and self-control, all building up our faith, one step at a time.

And we now reach that plateau which may be the hardest, and that is to keep going when our trials and tribulations tell us to quit. Perseverance is what makes us strong in our faith. It is the glue that holds us to our faith. Living a godly life requires us to persevere in faith, for there is a reward at the end of the journey. Romans 2:7 says, “To those who persevere in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life.” We see all of this must come before godliness. We must live a godly life, and to do that we must have goodness (a heart change) and knowledge of who God is and what He requires of us, and then we can have the self-control to say “NO” to sin and the world, which then we now have the strength to persevere through, and after all of that we can add godliness. We have conquered our sins and they no longer have a hold on us. We are set free and are free to live for God. Godliness has great value for this world and the world to come. We have disciplined our bodies (1 Timothy 4:8). We are running the race as one who is disciplined and focused on winning. And now we are able to add mutual affection, or in other words, kindness. This is also one of the fruits of the Spirit. Proverbs 3:3 says, “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” Kindness is one of the attributes of God, and so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We are now children of God and we must be as He is, showing kindness and mercy with compassion, walking in humility and gentleness and patience.

This now takes us to love, also a fruit of the Spirit. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love: yes, even greater than faith, because God is love and He loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). And the mystery of godliness lies in Yeshua our Messiah (1 Timothy 3:16). Paul writes in Ephesians 3:16-19, “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Messiah and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

We have seen how godliness plays a part in our walk of faith and that through the work of the Holy Spirit who sows the seeds we bear the fruit in our lives so that we can be godly people. “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Yeshua will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

Paul instructs Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 6 about godliness and false teachers, “These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Messiah Yeshua/Jesus and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Throughout the years there have been many prosperity teachers who have taught that God wants us all to be rich, and that if we are not then we don’t have faith. Many televangelists have gotten very rich over the years preaching to us a false gospel. They preach a watered-down, lukewarm gospel. They preach anything but to crucify the flesh and forsake this world and to be content with what we have: nothing about laying up treasure in heaven. Yeshua tells this story in Luke 12:16-21, “And He told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.’” We live in a society where everyone wants everything for free, and yet salvation, which is a free gift from God, does require of us our very lives. Paul tells us that many will not agree with sound doctrine or godly teaching. How true that is today! We have been taught this compromised, watered-down, lukewarm doctrine for years, so how are we to know what is sound and what is not? You could go back and see what famous preachers taught in the 1800’s or at the turn of the century when we had a great revival, or you could simply go to the Word of God and see what is written, as long as you do not have a modern version of the Bible.

You may be thinking that this is all ridiculous to think that our Bibles have been changed to line up with some of our teachings today. Well, Paul warns us, John warns us, Peter warns us, and Jude warns us, and even Yeshua warns us. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 tells us, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these.” Yeshua tells us that we will know a false teacher by his fruit. Here is some of that fruit:

1) Is the teaching using the Word of God as the central source? Is it being taught just as it is written in the Word of God? Scripture will always explain Scripture.

2) Is Yeshua the central theme of the teaching? For everything we need for life and godliness is in Him, for He is the mystery of godliness.

3) Does the teaching compel you to forsake the world and draw closer to the Messiah, to crucify the flesh and leave your sinful nature behind?

4) Does the teaching teach you to pursue God and the things of God, like the Holy Spirit and His fruit, godliness and holiness?

5) Or does the teaching tell you just what you want to hear? In the end times people will only want their ears tickled: no teaching about sin, or repentance, judgment, or even hell.

6) Does the teaching result in a change of heart or a change in lifestyle?

7) Does the teacher use his own stories or drama or props or other gimmicks to teach?

8) Does the teaching leave you feeling justified that now you can keep doing what you have been doing with no convictions?

9) Is the teaching about increasing church membership or income? Only God gives the increase and prospers a church, and that is done by prayer and faithfulness.

10) Is the teaching about social justice, globalism or politics? We must have the meat of the Word if we are going to become strong spiritually. If we are only going to be taught the same types of messages, we will not be able to stand strong against the attacks of the Devil. We need to be like the Bereans who would search out the Scriptures to be sure that they were being taught correctly. Knowing our Scriptures is the same as knowing God. If we are incorrect in our knowledge then we are incorrect about who God is, and it will affect our walk with God and our faith in God.

There is teaching today that says that we do not need to live by God’s Word, for that is considered being under the law. There is teaching that says that if we accept Messiah we are saved and now we can live under no condemnation. What about the conviction of the Holy Spirit and repentance? The twisting of God’s Word is a terrible offence to God and His people. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Yeshua warns us in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” We must learn to test the spirits, but to do that we need to be walking in the Spirit. Paul tells us to flee these people who have a form of godliness but deny its power.

We need to be godly people, and to do that we must first realize that there is great value in godliness, that it is worth pursuing. We must be content in where God has us, and so that means that we should not be pursuing worldly gain. Yeshua tells us in Luke 12:15, “Then He said to them, ‘Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.’” Here in America we have so much that so many people have to have storage sheds to keep their things or buy bigger houses. We must learn contentment, but we also need to learn humility. When we are humble we do not need to compete with our neighbor. We do not need to feel superior and in so doing, as the saying went years ago, “keep up with the Jones’.” We should rejoice when our brother is blessed and not try to outdo him in his blessing; and no matter what we may think, that is exactly what we do. Yeshua is our example in godliness: a king who was born in a stable; a leader who was rejected by his brothers; a man of wisdom who was mocked and laughed at; one who did miracles and was called the devil. He never fought or opened his mouth, but with humility he forgave his persecutors. Instead of wearing a crown, he wore thorns. This is godliness. This is what we strive for, for it has great value for this life and for the life to come. This is the power of godliness, for in it we have eternal life and we have the victory.

Maybe your family is one of those whose mother saved everything you did in school. She has every one of your school pictures and all of your artwork. Maybe she even saved every one of your report cards. There is nothing like bringing out the photobooks and remembering all those good old days. It’s nice to remember. Well, this is what God does. He records everything good and bad that we have done and one day He is going to open those books and we are going to stand before Him while it is all read to us, as it is said in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” And again in Romans 14:12, “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” Also, Revelation 20:12 tells us about that day: “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” Yeshua/Jesus says this even about our every word: “The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:35-37).

WOW, that’s not quite like looking at what mom has saved for us! We have been taught that when we stand before God He will say to us that we are saved because of Yeshua. That is true, but Scripture does tell us that those books will give an account of everything good and bad, and that we will be recompensed for our deeds, good or bad. He also says that we will be judged by our words. It shows us how important it is that we examine ourselves daily. 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 says this: “Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.” Our loving Father wants to be able to open those books and see only good things about us, but to do that we must repent of our sins now. We must let God show us those deeds done in the flesh that need to not only be repented of, but changed in our lives. Now is the time so that when those books are opened God can say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Now is the time to apply the shed blood of Yeshua to those sins, those deeds, those words. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This is the work that God is continually doing in our lives. This is why we celebrate the Fall Feasts. This is God’s way of telling us to take that time to get it right now.

We want to take just a brief look at these Appointed Times of God. The Fall Feasts are called the Season of Repentance. We are going to look at the first feast called Rosh Ha Shanah.

Rosh Ha Shanah

Rosh Ha Shanah is also known as the Feast of Trumpets. Thirty days before Rosh Ha Shanah is a time where we are to consider our deeds. Here is that idea of examining ourselves, judging ourselves to see if we are in Messiah. 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” Also in 2 Peter 1:10-11, “So, dear brothers, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen, and then you will never stumble or fall away. And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” We can not take for granted such a great salvation, for Hebrews 2:1-3 tells us: “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” This is why celebrating and remembering this feast is so important because it reminds us that Yeshua is coming back and so the trumpet is sounding to ask this question: Have you made your garments white?

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, also called the Day of Atonement, is next, and this feast day is all about our names being written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is the holiest day on the calendar. From Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is ten days, and they are called the Days of Awe. These are solemn days leading up to Yom Kippur. Why? Because if your name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you will not have eternal life. This day symbolizes the closing of the gates of heaven. This day represents the day of judgment. On this day we fast and pray and seek God. We can not take anything for granted.

As believers we think that Yeshua paid our debt and now we have our ticket to heaven, but is this what His parables tell us? Matthew 25:1-13 tells us about those who were prepared and those who were not. They were all virgins. They were all there waiting. The difference was 5 were prepared and 5 were not. What happened to those who were not prepared and had to go and buy oil? “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

When Yeshua compared the kingdom to a wedding feast, He told the story of a king who invited guests to a wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14. His servants returned and told the king that the people were too busy to attend. So the king tells them to go to the streets. “‘So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

There are so many more Scriptures, but what we see in all of them is that people who thought they were entering in did not, even those who thought they would by telling Him, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?” But He tells them, “I know you not.” Or, “If you don’t forgive, then I can not forgive you.” Or, “If you are ashamed of Me then I will be ashamed of you before My Father.” We can not take our salvation for granted. We must examine ourselves and repent of our sins, as small as they may seem to you. We must allow the Holy Spirit to change us.

Yom Kippur is definitely for believers. We must take this day and humbly come before God, with thanksgiving for the shed blood of Yeshua, but also we must be holy because He is holy. We must be light, because He is light. We must make our garments white, for the Scriptures tell us, “Then one of the elders addressed me: ‘These in white robes,’ he asked, ‘who are they, and where have they come from?’ ‘Sir,’ I answered, ‘you know.’ So he replied, ‘These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them’” (Revelation 7:14).

Are you ready to have the books opened? Do you think that maybe a dress rehearsal might help? Then consider keeping God’s Appointed Times of Rosh Ha Shanah and Yom Kippur, because what follows these two is the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, and that is quite a celebration: the wedding feast and our eternal life with our Messiah.

We as Christians speak about holiness, and yet many of us do not know what holiness is. We do not know what it looks like. I think that without an understanding of what true holiness is it is hard to understand that it has disappeared. So we are going to do some detective work to find clues that will lead us to true holiness.

To understand holiness, we are going to begin at the beginning, the beginning of creation. Here we find the term used for the first time in Genesis 2:1-3. “So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants). And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.”

We see here that God separated the seventh day as His own. That alone makes it holy. His day is the seventh day which is called the Sabbath. The Scripture tells us how to keep the day. Exodus 34:21, “You shall work for six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; [even] in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest [on the Sabbath].” We see here that God set the seventh day apart and made it holy, and that means that we too must be like Him and rest from our work just as He rested from his work.

But if you think that this is not for us today, we read in Mark 2:27-28, “Then Jesus told them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’” We see here that this day is for all men because it gives witness to the Creator, and so Yeshua/Jesus says that He was the Lord of this day. Our Lord Yeshua is the Lord of God’s day the seventh day, the Sabbath.

This is our first clue to holiness, a specific day, His Appointed Time.

In Exodus 3:5 Moses sees a burning bush and he is drawn to it. “Then God said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet [out of respect], because the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’” Why was this ground holy? Because God was present. We see this also when Joshua encounters the Captain of the Lord’s army in Joshua 5:15: “The captain of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy (set apart to the Lord).’ And Joshua did so.” We see a similar situation at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:10-13 when God came to the people on the mount, and He instructed Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate (make sacred or holy) them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.” Again we read in Exodus 25:8, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” So we see that God dwelt among His people in the Sanctuary; and in the Sanctuary there was the outer court and the holy place, but then there was the holiest place on earth, and that was the Holy of Holies. It was here that the High Priest could only enter once a year, on the day called Yom Kippur, and at that only with the blood of the sacrifice, for the atonement of the people. It was here that the mercy seat and the cherubim that covered the Ark of the Presence (also called the Ark of the Covenant) were.

But there is also one other place that is holy, and that is the heavenly Sanctuary, the one that Moses was to copy exactly. Isaiah 6:1-7 tells us Isaiah’s experience within the throne room of God. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’ Then one of the Seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’”

Revelation 4:8-11 tells us again about the heavenly sanctuary. “Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’”

Holiness requires us to come to the One True Living God on His terms and not ours. We must come with a reverence, even a submission as we see by the taking off of our shoes (slaves did not wear shoes). We are to come to Him with a clean heart which comes with repentance. We see here a second clue to what holiness is, and that is any place where God’s presence is, especially in His Sanctuary.

Let’s keep searching for clues to holiness. If we want to find out about holiness then we need to go to the most holy place, which was the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies sat the Ark of the Covenant, also referred to as the Ark of the Testimony. In Exodus 25:10-22 we see that God instructs Moses to build the ark. He tells him to place a cover on the top which He called the Mercy Seat. “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”

So what was this testimony that God gave them? Well, a testimony is something that gives witness to; and what gives witness to God? Let’s take a closer look.

Hebrews 9:3-4 tells us, “And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid roundabout with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the Covenant.” The manna not only tells us of a God who provides for His people, but that Yeshua/Jesus, the true manna from heaven, is the bread of life. Aaron’s rod tells us that God is watching over His word. Who is His word? Yeshua, the Word made flesh. The Hebrew word for “watch” is “shoked.” It is also the same word for “almond,” and that is what Aaron’s rod budded with. “So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds” (Exodus 17:6-8). God also had Moses put in the ark the tablets of the covenant, otherwise called the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were not just a list of “do”s and “don’t”s, but they are a guideline to the nation of Israel in which we have been grafted into as God’s people, to guide us in the way of holiness. “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do this in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a God so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:5-7). Yeshua tells us in John 14:15, “If you love Me keep My commandments.” Yeshua the Word made flesh, the God who not only provides for us the True Manna of Heaven but also watches over His word, the holiest witness in the Holy of Holies, was God’s Word, Yeshua who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Today people think that they do not have to keep these commandments, but unless we want to be a people of lawlessness, we will keep God’s commandments for they are our wisdom and understanding, they are our witness to the God of Israel, our God. How else can we be light without the light of God’s Word? How else can we be holy unless we obey His holy commandments? Every servant obeys His master. God told Moses to place the Ten Commandments in the Ark of the Testimony to show man that the way to holiness is through obedience to His Word.

1). Exodus 20:1-3: “Then God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.’”

2). Exodus 20:4-5: “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, or likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

3). Exodus 20:7: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”

4). Exodus 20:8-11: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male servant nor your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”

5). Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.”

6). Exodus 20:13: “You shall not murder.”

7). Exodus 20:14: “You shall not commit adultery.”

8). Exodus 20:15: “You shall not steal.”

9). Exodus 20:16: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

10). Exodus 20:17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant nor his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Just think about how many of these Yeshua expanded and taught on. Revelation 21:8, “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” This covers many of the commandments. I say they are worth keeping.

Our third clue is the obedience in keeping the Ten Commandments, the testimony that was in the Ark of the Testimony, in the Holy of Holies. If the sanctuary is where the presence of God resides then I ask, the place where you worship God, being your home, your church, your own tabernacle, your body: is it holy? Then I ask, how do you approach God? How do you worship: like He is common or like He is holy? He has spoken to us what is required of us: Holiness! “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the LORD” (Hebrews 12:14). So we must ask ourselves these questions, because without holiness we will not see God. We will continue finding more clues in our next newsletter.

Till then you have three clues to help you.

Many Christians believe that physical circumcision has been replaced by a spiritual circumcision of the heart. It is evident from the New Testament that for Gentiles who believe in Yeshua (Jesus), circumcision and conversion to Judaism are not necessary for salvation, and in fact these things are discouraged. But what about Jewish believers? And what does it mean that a person’s heart is circumcised?

The first mention of physical circumcision in the Bible is God instructing Abraham that he and his descendants are to circumcise their sons as a lasting sign of the covenant between them: “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations” (Genesis 17:10-11). This passage doesn’t say anything about circumcision of the heart, but is very specific in stating that it is circumcision of the flesh, and that it is to continue throughout the generations of Abraham’s descendants, even going so far as to call it an “everlasting covenant” (verse 13). Circumcision was a visible sign of Abraham’s obedience, which as Paul tells us stemmed from his faith in God (Romans 4:11).

The first time circumcision is related to anything non-physical is found in Leviticus 26, which predicts a future day when, after Israel has strayed from the covenant and recognizes their sin, they will be restored: “If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me… or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham” (Leviticus 26:40-42). Here, the people are referred to as having “uncircumcised hearts.” If circumcision was instituted with Abraham as a sign of faithfulness, then the uncircumcision of their hearts indicates their rebellion and refusal to obey God. This is also alluded to in Jeremiah 4:1-4.

We see this symbolism again in this week’s portion where Moses is speaking to the children of Israel about the same future day of exile and restoration. He uses similar language to refer to the disobedience of the Israelites, but he includes a prophecy about how God will remedy the situation: “Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live… And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all His commandments which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 30:6, 8). Here we find another clue that circumcision of the heart has to do with obedience and faithfulness. In this time of restoration, everyone whose heart is circumcised by God will be able to obey God faithfully and keep all of His commandments.

There is another allusion to this in the words of the prophet Ezekiel: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances” (Ezekiel 36:25-27). Again we see that the circumcision or restoration of the heart is related to obedience and following God’s commandments.

Paul echoes these words regarding being circumcised in the flesh without being circumcised in the heart. He tells his Jewish readers, “For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Torah; but if you are a transgressor of the Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision” (Romans 2:25). Although the outward circumcision is a sign of faithfulness, if it is not accompanied by a faithfulness and obedience from the heart, then it is not the circumcision which God desires. Paul continues, “So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Torah, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?” (verse 26). If a Gentile believer, who is not required to be circumcised, lives his life in obedience to God and His commandments as they apply to him, then he will show that his heart is circumcised, which means that he is obedient to God.

The chapter concludes with Paul saying, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God” (Romans 2:28-29). Inward circumcision does not invalidate outward circumcision, but outward circumcision is supposed to be a sign and a reminder of the covenant which God made with Abraham because of his inward circumcision. Paul is not saying that Gentile believers become or replace Jews, but he is saying that not everyone who claims to be a Jew is truly acting in a Jewish way (meaning obeying God and keeping His commandments through the power of the Spirit).

Therefore, let us make sure we have allowed God to circumcise our hearts as we seek to know Him and imitate His obedience to the Father, for “in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah” (Colossians 2:11).

Many Christians believe that physical circumcision has been replaced by a spiritual circumcision of the heart. It is evident from the New Testament that for Gentiles who believe in Yeshua (Jesus), circumcision and conversion to Judaism are not necessary for salvation, and in fact these things are discouraged. But what about Jewish believers? And what does it mean that a person’s heart is circumcised?

The first mention of physical circumcision in the Bible is God instructing Abraham that he and his descendants are to circumcise their sons as a lasting sign of the covenant between them: “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations” (Genesis 17:10-11). This passage doesn’t say anything about circumcision of the heart, but is very specific in stating that it is circumcision of the flesh, and that it is to continue throughout the generations of Abraham’s descendants, even going so far as to call it an “everlasting covenant” (verse 13). Circumcision was a visible sign of Abraham’s obedience, which as Paul tells us stemmed from his faith in God (Romans 4:11).

The first time circumcision is related to anything non-physical is found in Leviticus 26, which predicts a future day when, after Israel has strayed from the covenant and recognizes their sin, they will be restored: “If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me… or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham” (Leviticus 26:40-42). Here, the people are referred to as having “uncircumcised hearts.” If circumcision was instituted with Abraham as a sign of faithfulness, then the uncircumcision of their hearts indicates their rebellion and refusal to obey God. This is also alluded to in Jeremiah 4:1-4.

We see this symbolism again in this week’s portion where Moses is speaking to the children of Israel about the same future day of exile and restoration. He uses similar language to refer to the disobedience of the Israelites, but he includes a prophecy about how God will remedy the situation: “Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live… And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all His commandments which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 30:6, 8). Here we find another clue that circumcision of the heart has to do with obedience and faithfulness. In this time of restoration, everyone whose heart is circumcised by God will be able to obey God faithfully and keep all of His commandments.

There is another allusion to this in the words of the prophet Ezekiel: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances” (Ezekiel 36:25-27). Again we see that the circumcision or restoration of the heart is related to obedience and following God’s commandments.

Paul echoes these words regarding being circumcised in the flesh without being circumcised in the heart. He tells his Jewish readers, “For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Torah; but if you are a transgressor of the Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision” (Romans 2:25). Although the outward circumcision is a sign of faithfulness, if it is not accompanied by a faithfulness and obedience from the heart, then it is not the circumcision which God desires. Paul continues, “So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Torah, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?” (verse 26). If a Gentile believer, who is not required to be circumcised, lives his life in obedience to God and His commandments as they apply to him, then he will show that his heart is circumcised, which means that he is obedient to God.

The chapter concludes with Paul saying, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God” (Romans 2:28-29). Inward circumcision does not invalidate outward circumcision, but outward circumcision is supposed to be a sign and a reminder of the covenant which God made with Abraham because of his inward circumcision. Paul is not saying that Gentile believers become or replace Jews, but he is saying that not everyone who claims to be a Jew is truly acting in a Jewish way (meaning obeying God and keeping His commandments through the power of the Spirit).

Therefore, let us make sure we have allowed God to circumcise our hearts as we seek to know Him and imitate His obedience to the Father, for “in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah” (Colossians 2:11).

“In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20).

If I am in Yeshua/Jesus and He is in the Father and I am in God, then how could I ever be alone? Even if I feel alone, I am not because God is in me. He is with me always. We go through all kinds of trials and tribulations in our lives. We experience the shadow of death. Our hearts break at the loss of a loved one and yet we do not go through this alone. When I hurt, God hurts. When I cry, He gathers all my tears. “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8).

Yeshua carried our sorrows: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6). “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Yeshua feels our pain. He knows because He too suffered. He too felt pain. He too was tempted. He is in us and He knows us. He lives to make intercession on our behalf. When we cry, He cries out to the Father on our behalf. He too cried over a loved one: “‘Where have you laid him?’ He asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they answered. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’” (John 11:34-36).

We think that God never hears us, but He hears every word. “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand” (Revelation 8:4). “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).

God is so faithful to us that He even carries us when we can not even go forward. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Selah (think about it)” (Psalm 68:19). No matter what we are going through, no matter how hard it is, no matter what we think the outcome may be, God is with us. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2).

Psalm 91 tells us, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’ For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra; the young lion and the serpent you will trample down. Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.”

When we walk in God’s ways, when we trust Him with our lives, He covers us with His wings, and no matter what is happening in our lives He is there as our refuge. He gives His angels charge over us to look after us and protect us. When things come our way we must always remember that God will work it all out because He loves us. Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.” Romans 8 continues to tell us that even when the accuser of the brethren, the devil himself, tries to accuse us, Yeshua is right there to intercede on our behalf. Verses 33-34: “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Yeshua, our Messiah, is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

God’s love for us is so great that nothing will ever separate us from it; and because of it, God will never leave us or forsake us. Verses 35-39: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Your sake we are being put to death all day; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We are never alone, for if we belong to God then God belongs to us. If we are in Messiah Yeshua and He is in us and He is in the Father, we will never walk alone, guaranteed!

As we enter into a time of thanksgiving, a time of celebration, the holidays can be anything but joyful. Our trials and tribulations can bring us nothing but sorrow. Yet Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” We may say, “I am only human, this is asking too much.” So how do we learn to put our trust in God so that we can have that joy, that peace that comes from knowing Him, so that we can trust Him in our times that seem like the only way is for us to help ourselves?

We are going to look at Luke 12 for the answers to this question beginning at verse 14b. Yeshua/Jesus tells the crowd of people, “‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.’”

We must have the right priorities. We must put God first. Life is not in our possessions but in God. Anything other than that is greed and lust. 1 John 2:16 tells us this: “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” So you have two options, God or the World!

Luke 12:22-26 goes on to tell us, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life ? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Yes, we are valuable to God and when we come to know God, we begin to see that we are His children and so we belong to Him and He cares about us and will not forsake us. He is not like an earthly father who may let us down from time to time. God knows what is best for us because He created us.

We also see that worry gets us nowhere. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Messiah Yeshua.” Luke continues to say in verses 32-34, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Fear is not of God, nor is worry. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Psalm 34:15). When we are facing life’s darkest hours and we cannot find joy, we must ask ourselves a few simple questions. Is this happening because I am trying to build bigger barns? Is it because I have replaced God with the lust of the eyes or the flesh or the pride of life? Maybe my worry is about the fact that my treasure is here on earth and not in heaven? Paul tells us in Philippians 3:7-14, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Messiah has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Messiah Yeshua my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Messiah and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Messiah. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Messiah and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Messiah Yeshua first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Messiah Yeshua, is calling us.”

During these holidays we must hear the words of Ezra and Nehemiah. When Ezra began to read from the book of the Law the people heard God’s Word and after being in bondage for so many years they began to weep. “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:9-10). Today and everyday, no matter what is happening in your life, remember this: the Lord loves you and you are His. “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving” (Psalm 28:7).

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Most believers can quote John 3:16, but I don’t think that we really grasp the meaning of this verse. This is the time that we traditionally celebrate the birth of Yeshua/Jesus. We put up a Christmas tree and decorate it. We sing songs about it and we give gifts to celebrate it, but do we really grasp what it is that we are celebrating? Let’s take a closer look.

God So Loved

The Scripture tells us that God so loved that He gave. I’m sure most of us heard the expression, “It is better to give than receive.” We know that giving is an act of love by the scripture. Giving is also an act of kindness. It is also an act of mercy. It took great love on God’s part to send His only begotten Son. Yeshua/Co- Creator is the spoken Word of God. God spoke and it was created. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3). John 1:1-3 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” So we see here that Yeshua is not only God’s word but that He is God. For Yeshua to be born He had to let go of His deity. He had to be made in the likeness of man.

“Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to cling to, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).

Yeshua had to wrap Himself in the flesh of man. God took on the form of man and He humbled Himself and became obedient to death on the cross for the sins of man. It is a mystery, but a mystery that we must believe to have everlasting life. Because Yeshua was also man, we put Him on the same plane as us and in so doing we don’t have the respect for Him that we should. We celebrate this tiny baby born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, when in fact He is not this baby that we celebrate. I ask you, when you celebrate your birthday do you celebrate a baby or a grown person? Yeshua’s birth date was not recorded and that was for a good reason: because God does not want us to dwell on a tiny baby but on the fact that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

And when did God give His only begotten Son? He gave Him on the cross. He gave him as a sacrifice for our sin. It was not only an act of love or kindness, but an act of mercy. “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us!” (Romans 5:8). Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” God’s unmerited favor was shown to us. His mercies are new every morning. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Yeshua Himself tells us as He was celebrating the Feast of Passover, at the Seder Meal that we call the Last Supper, “And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me’” (Luke 22:19). Do you see it? “My body given for you…” God so loved the world that He gave. Yeshua tells us that we are to remember Him, when? At Passover during the Seder Meal, the same day as the crucifixion. Paul tells us the same thing: “Get rid of the old yeast, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Messiah, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the festival, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

Now I said all of this to say this, We do not really understand the magnitude of what Yeshua saved us from. We can not really understand what it is like to be permanently separated from God. We do not really understand the darkness of Hell. This was the real pain that Yeshua suffered. This is the burden that He carried, our sin and the pain that He felt being totally separated from God and cast into a darkness that we can not understand. One day we will realize, but not until we see Him face to face will we understand Hell’s true meaning. If we neglect such a great salvation we will miss out on God’s mercy, His great love of giving us His Son, and we will experience a pain like we have never felt before. As believers let us spread this message this Christmas Season. The greatest gift of love was God who gave to us a Savior who died for us so that we would not have to bear the pain of being seperated from a loving, giving Father.

We found three clues in part one of “What is Holiness”: holiness is in God’s Time—the seventh day Sabbath; holiness is in God’s Space—wherever God is present, especially in His sanctuary; and holiness is obedience to God—keeping His Commandments. We are now going to continue in searching for clues.

1 Peter 2:9 Peter tells us, “You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.” We are to be priests before God, bringing our sacrifices to His altar. But we cannot come to God just any old way: we must come before him set-apart—holy.

If we must all come before God holy and clean then, being priests, our example is to look at the Aaronic priesthood. They served in a sanctuary that was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle, “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain (Hebrews 8:5). When we realize that our place of worship, be it individual or congregational, represents the heavenly sanctuary of God then we need to be properly dressed. We start by being clean. The sanctuary was all about cleanliness and holiness. We also must come before God clean by repenting of our sins and being washed in the blood of Yeshua/Jesus.

As priests we too must put on holy garments. God tells Moses in Exodus 28:2, “You are to make for your brother Aaron (the High Priest) garments set apart for serving God, expressing dignity and splendor.” This word splendor in Hebrew means beauty. The same root of the word is found in Isaiah 61:10, “I will rejoice [delight] greatly in the Lord; all that I am [my soul] rejoices [exults] in my God. He has covered me with clothes [garments] of salvation and wrapped me with a coat [robe] of goodness[righteousness], like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding [or who adorns himself with a headdress like a priest], like a bride dressed in [adorns herself with] jewels.” Here we have a picture of the Bridegroom beautifully dressed. What a great picture of the Bridegroom serving his bride in their little house, the Tabernacle of God. We too must put on these holy garments, the garments of praise.

Isaiah speaks to this in Isaiah 61:3, “Provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” Once again we see this beautiful picture of God’s people dressed in splendor.

These garments added beauty to the sanctuary. Many of these garments are also found in the armor of God, the head piece, the breastplate, and the sash. Ephesians 6: 14-17, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” On our headpiece we have the name of Yeshua written. It is by His name that we enter into prayer and it is by His blood that we draw near. He is our righteousness that we robe ourselves in; and when we enter into prayer, just like the High priest that entered into the holy of holies with the incense from the altar, we join with God as one, and God hears us and runs to our aid and together we defeat the enemy of our soul. Today, lift up your holy hands and put on the oil of gladness. Wash your garments in the blood of Yeshua, repentant and completely surrendered, praising the Creator of all things. Bring the fruit of your lips. Long for the day when our Messiah will return. He will dwell with us as we dwell with Him in the Temple of our God. We will minister to Him in His Temple, the Body of Messiah, in garments of glory, garments of splendor, garments of beauty as Peter tells us, “You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

We see here our fourth clue to holiness, and that is: our garments must be clean when entering into God’s presence. If we are to be holy and we are to worship the holy God, then we must worship according to what is required of us so that we will be accepted into His presence.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

John 4:23-24 says, “But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.” God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Our lives are an act of worship unto God. They are to be living sacrifices offered up to Him every day of our lives. This means that we need to remain in a state of holiness. We can not offer a sacrifice to God that is blemished. If God tells us to be holy then that means that we can be holy. We must start by repenting of our sins daily, even every time we sin we must allow the conviction of the Holy Spirit to bring us to repentance. We are not to be conformed to this world. 1 John 2:16 tells us, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

Galatians 5:16-25 tells us, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

Romans 8:13-14 says, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Romans 8:5 says, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

So then how do we live in the truth by walking in the Spirit?

First: Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. So God’s Word and the Holy Spirit go together. You can’t have one without the other because it is the Holy Spirit that helps us to walk in the truth of God’s Word.

Second: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Proverbs 3:13-18 tells us, “Blessed are those who find wisdom (God’s word), those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.” To live a holy life we need to partake of that which is holy. Yeshua tells us in John 6:53 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

We need to eat the Bread of Life and drink from the Well of Salvation, but then we need to live the Word. James 1:22-25 tells us, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the Word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

Our Fifth clue is walking in the Spirit, and living by the Word of God

God tells us to be holy, and we have seen that that means to be set apart from the world. We are to be as set apart from the world as light is from darkness, and wickedness is from godliness. We know that our whole life is an act of worship unto God and so every area of our lives must be holy, reflecting a holy God. Yeshua is our example of what it means to be holy.

Our next and final clue is just that: as disciples of Yeshua our Messiah, we must follow His example in all things so that we too may be examples of holiness to the world. We are going to briefly look at His life according to the gospels.

John the Baptist cries out “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). First, I must say that we all must be like John and point others to the Master. If we are to be like Yeshua then we too must become lambs of God. Lambs were used as sacrificial offerings. Paul tells us in Romans 12 that we too are to be living sacrifices. In John 2:13-17 we see Yeshua cleansing the temple, because His Father’s house was to be a house of prayer and not the worldliness of corruption. How about our churches and congregations today? Do we stand up to the things that are not holy and righteous? Do we stand up and say, “STOP,” when we let our House of Prayer become corrupted with worldliness? We are to be keepers of all holiness in our churches and congregations, and when we see something that does not line up with the Word of God or God’s character we need to cry foul! Yeshua talks about being born again in John 3, but so many people do not realize that being born again means that we have set ourselves apart from the world’s ways in thought, word, and deed. Yeshua went about and did good. He also did many miracles. How about us? Yeshua was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-14). He operated in the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). We saw on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles and they too were filled with the Spirit. Signs and miracles are all part of a person’s life who has separated himself from the world. We are to be like our Master Yeshua. He said in John 14:12, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 6 tells us that Yeshua was the Bread of Life. When we preach and teach others the Word of God and they eat that which is life, we too, become breads of life. In John 8:12, Yeshua tells us that He is the Light of the world. In Matthew 5:14, He tells us that we too are the light to the world. In John 10:11 Yeshua says this: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). We too are to lay down our lives for each other in so many ways, by not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans 12:3) or by putting others first (Philippians 2:3) and serving one another. Yeshua told His disciples, “See I have washed your feet now go and do the same” (John 13:12-15). Yeshua prayed for His disciples and for future believers. We too are to pray for each other and for the Body of believers. And let us not forget to pray for those who are being persecuted in the world.

Finally, we see Yeshua was crucified. We too, are to crucify the flesh, and as Paul tells us in Philippians 3:10-11, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” Yeshua told His disciples to follow Him, and that is what it is all about, following Yeshua the holy Son of God, the holy Word of God. Even Paul says, “Follow me as I follow Messiah.”

We have seen many ways that we can be holy. The Father has sent us the Holy Spirit to lead us in all truth, and we know that the way to life is through truth.

So the question is, are you a Hebrew? And you may say, “No!” but I’m sure that after you read this you may say, “Yes, yes I am.”

Most Christians use the term “born-again” instead of the word “Hebrew” to describe their “new life in Messiah.” But the two terms should equate to the same unique behavior and identity: to be “Hebrew” is to be “born again” to a new life outside the evil world-system. It refers to one who has crossed or passed over from death to life (1 John 3:14). “Crossing over” means surrendering one’s life totally to the God of the Hebrews who is Yahweh. Let’s take a closer look into this Hebrew word.

Ivri

The word “Hebrew” comes from the word “ivri” This word was used to describe Abraham. It literally means “from the other side” because Abraham came from Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) to Canaan (Israel), most likely crossing the Jordan. But before we get to Abraham we are going to look at others who also crossed over before him in a “born again,” Hebrew way.

Colossians 3:2 tells us, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Enoch is a good example of this. He was the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God, like Adam in the garden. Hebrews 11:5-6 tells us, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Enoch passed along his beliefs to his son. Because of this God did not bring about the flood until Methuselah died.

We know that God brought about the flood because of idolatry and wickedness on the earth. There was no mercy or justice. Noah was a righteous man and so God spared him and his family in the ark. Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.” Even though God cleansed the earth in the flood, evilness still persisted. An evil empire began known as the Babylonian Empire and places like Babel and the city of Ur were part of this empire. The people worshiped all sorts of gods and built ziggurats as temples. This is what the tower of Babel was, a temple to the gods. God dealt with the people once again, but this time He confused them with different languages and scattered the people.

This brings us to Eber. His name (Eber or Ever) is taken from the word Ivri, to cross over. Eber is the great-great-grandson of Noah. Eber was one who lived on a higher spiritual plane than most of the world. He knew what caused the flood and his thoughts went beyond those around him.

Abraham was related to Eber. Abraham lived in the city of Ur. Abraham was not only surrounded by idol worship, but his family also worshiped idols. To get an idea of what the world was like at the time of Abraham, we just have to read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and how Abraham’s Nephew Lot was tormented day and night by the sinful nature of his neighbors. When God told Abraham to leave his father and family and to follow Him, we must understand that that was a big decision in Abraham’s life because he grew up with many gods, and now he was only going to serve one God, the One True Living God. Hebrews 11:8-10 tells us, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Now Abraham stood on one side, which was with God, and the world stood on the other side, which was idolatry. God made a covenant with Abraham and eventually it was passed down to his descendants. Abraham was a man who stood alone in his faith. No one else served only one God. It was Abraham against the world. Then to think that God would ask Abraham to sacrifice his only son! Well, you must remember that the gods of Abraham’s time required such things from their worshipers, but Abraham was different because he believed that God made a promise to him and that God would keep His promises. He truly is the father of faith. Abraham was not only a man of faith but he also was a man who was obedient to God’s commands. God chose Abraham because he knew that Abraham would teach his son to be like him and in so doing it would pass on from generation to generation. Abraham is the father of the Hebrews who later would be called the Jewish nation.

So we see now that Enoch, Noah, Eber, Abraham and his children separated themselves from the world. They had faith in God, and in so doing they obeyed His commandments and walked with Him in fellowship. We want to quickly look at one more and that is Moses. Hebrews 11:24-25 tells us, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” Because of Moses’s decision to separate himself from the gods of Egypt, the Hebrew people by faith passed through the Red Sea as on dry land (which led them to the other side in victory), but when the Egyptians tried to do so they were drowned (Hebrews 11:29).

To say that you are a Christian is not enough: you must completely separate yourself from the world. You must stand alone and stand in faith, believing and obeying the commandments of the One True Living God. In Hebrews 10:10 it tells us, “We have been set apart as holy because Messiah Yeshua did what God wanted him to do by sacrificing his body once and for all.” Just one more example of why we need to follow in the footsteps of those who crossed over to the other side: 1 John 2:15-16 tells us, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

So are you a Hebrew? If you have been grafted in as Romans 11:17 tells us and you have set yourself apart from this world by not conforming to this world but being transformed by the renewing of your mind, living by faith in Yeshua, being led by His Holy Spirit, then you have crossed over from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light and yes, now you can say, “I am a Hebrew.”

February is called the love month. We send people cards and letters telling them just how much we love them. We buy flowers and candy and even expensive jewelry to show just how much we love them. It makes us feel good to do these things and to say these things. So I ask this simple question: when it comes to God, is it enough just to tell God that we love Him? God is so vast and so powerful and man is so simple and small, can such a small word as love be enough to express our love for God? I know that God gave us our speech and our words and we have bounds, not like God who has no bounds. But even at that, is it enough just to tell God we love Him? We know that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son. God did not only tell us that He loves us, but He gave something very dear to Him to show His love.

What about us? How do we show God that we love Him? Well some may say, I go to church. Others may say, I pray. Other may even say that they serve in their church or congregation. But is this enough? Well, some may say, I don’t only serve at my church but I volunteer in my community. But is this enough? God is a big God, and He must require a lot from us. Others may say, I do not need to do anything to show God my love because I am saved by grace and none of my deeds are necessary because we are not saved by our works. To that I say, We are talking about love not salvation.

Let’s take a closer look at what God requires of us to show our love for Him.

John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep My commandments.”

John 14:21, “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

John 14:23-24, “Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. And the word that you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.’”

1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

Luke 10:27, “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’”

John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

1 John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

We have seen a few things that are required of us. By these things (love, keeping the commandments, dying to self, and serving only God), we show our love for Him. Of course, this list is limited for this teaching, but it gives us an idea of what we need to do in our lives going beyond just saying to God, “I love you.”

1 John 3:18 tells us, “My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do.” So let us love God not just in word but in deed, and if we are to love God this way then we need to love one another also this same way.

1 Corinthians 13 tells us what true love is and how to show it: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love”

Love goes beyond physical things, for the world’s way is not love. But when we love from the heart, then the fruit of love is real and sweet and good. This year, let’s learn to love God and man according to real love: God’s love.

Let’s say it God’s way!

Many people are keeping Lent at this time, but we need to prepare our hearts not just for this time that remembers the past, but we need to prepare our hearts for what is coming in the future.

Zechariah 9:9 tells us this: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Matthew 21:1-11 also tells us this: “Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, “The Lord needs them,” and he will send them at once.’ This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”’ The disciples went and did as Yeshua had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ And when He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Yeshua, from Nazareth of Galilee.’”

Because the people knew the prophecy, when it was fulfilled right before them they acted accordingly. Yeshua made this statement in Matthew 16: “He replied to them, ‘When it is evening, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.” And in the morning, “There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.” Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?’”

Are we discerning the times? If we are not, how will we be ready for what is coming? It may not be today, but what about tomorrow? For no one knows the time or the hour. Yeshua tells us in Matthew 24:42-44, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

We must be ready like the five wise virgins who had prepared for the coming of the bridegroom even if he came late (Matthew 25:1-13). So how do we prepare?

First, we must let go of the world’s hold on us. We cannot serve two masters.

Secondly, we must be anxiously waiting for only one: the King of Kings, as it tells us in Jude 1:21, “Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to eternal life.” When speaking about prayer, Yeshua ends His parable with a very interesting statement in Luke 18:8: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Third, will our faith carry us through? We are told that faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:5-16 tells us, “For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” (that is, to bring Messiah down), or “Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead).’ But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Yeshua as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’ However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Messiah.” So the practicing of our faith is important, but just to know the Word is not enough. James 2:18 tells us, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

The fourth thing that we must do to be prepared is not only to live by God’s Word, but we must bring the good news to others. If we believe what the Bible tells us, then we should be confessing that before men. We should be working to advance the kingdom, and when our Messiah returns He will find faith in us and will find us doing the work of the kingdom. It will keep us from falling into the trappings of the world and it will keep the Word of God always before us, and our faith will grow as we bring more and more people into the kingdom.

Keep your oil burning and you will be prepared for the coming Bridegroom.

Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” I remember many years ago the debate was, “Once saved always saved: True or false?” Those on the one side said, “No! If you are truly saved you can not fall from grace.” The other side said, “Yes, you can!” We want to look into this closer and see, according to Scripture, which side was correct.

Grace

What is grace? Most people say it is God’s unmerited favor. The word ‘grace’ (chen in Hebrew, charis in Greek) as it is used in the Scriptures literally means “favor, to bend or stoop in kindness to another as a superior to an inferior.” Grace is God’s mercy, His compassion toward us. It is God’s work released in us to empower us. We can never merit God’s favor. We are always indebted to Him not only for giving us life, but eternal life if we accept it by faith. All throughout this life we need God’s mercy, His unmerited favor, grace, because we are sinners, and we are only saved through the shed blood of Yeshua (Jesus). So then if we have God’s grace propping us up, per se, like a safety net, then how can we go wrong? But is it true that grace is nothing more than a safety net? Could there be more to it?

Faith

The Scripture tells us that we have been saved by grace through faith. So what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith (pistis) is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” We must have grace and faith. We must have faith in the power of His grace towards us. We must have faith in the power of the shed blood of Yeshua to save us from our sins. Just like the Israelites had to put their faith in the shed blood of the Passover lamb that was put on their doorposts to protect them from the death angel, so we too must have faith in the shed blood of our Passover lamb Yeshua to protect us and cover us from eternal death. That is why we have the hope of salvation. We have not yet seen our salvation, so we put our faith, our hope, in God’s merciful grace and the shed blood of Yeshua to save us.

Justification

We were eternally damned, without hope. Ephesians 2:12 tells us, “Remember that you were at that time separated from Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” We were sinners, and there was no way that we could redeem ourselves, no way that we could come before a righteous and holy God. But God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to be that sacrifice on our behalf. What mercy, what unmerited favor we received, what a gift! But we must ask ourselves, “why?” We were enemies. Romans 5:6-11 tells us, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Messiah died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Messiah Yeshua, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

So when man sinned in the garden, we were cast out of His presence. We had fallen short of God’s glory and we were eternally lost. God in His great mercy sent His Son to pay our eternal debt by His shed blood, and now we have been justified and washed clean by the blood of Yeshua. Romans 5:1-2 speaks to this very issue: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Messiah Yeshua. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” We now have peace restored to our relationship with God, all based on the unmerited grace which He extended toward us. Justification saves us from the wrath of God and all is well, end of story… or is it?

The Rest of the Story

The purpose of His grace is not just to save us from wrath and damnation, but to fulfil God’s original purpose which He had in creating us in His image and likeness. That original purpose was to have children who had proven themselves faithful under testing and come to a maturity of character in which He could share as co-heirs the responsibilities of administering His creation. So grace is God meeting man where he is in order to bring man to Himself. It is the active demonstration of the unconditional love of God, but it does not meet us where we are just to leave us in that condition and merely overlook our deficiencies and shortcomings. God meets us where we are, in our sin and our weakness and our immaturity, in order to transform us and conform us to His image and stature. So, although God is long-suffering and patient with us in the extension of His grace toward us, there is an ultimate expectation in the ministry of His grace toward us for the fulfillment of our ultimate restoration.

So then if this all began when man sinned, then when we accept Messiah our Savior in faith, God’s grace is there for us when we sin? Not unless we repent of our sins. The Bible tells us that we should not let sin reign over us. If we are now under grace and we have been justified, then sin should not have any affect on us. Paul tells us in Romans 6:1-2, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? May it never be!” The manifestation of God’s presence in our lives at any time is not a validation of our present state, of our personality, or of our present lifestyle. It is an extension of unmerited grace toward us in the interim, while He is patient with us as little children who need to go through the stages of growth to reach maturity. He knows that we need His constant reassurance of parental love in the process. But while He will not withdraw His Presence while we act out our childish ways, we frustrate the grace of God and become transgressors when we build again the former things, instead of going on to maturity. And maturity means becoming His children, fully obeying His laws and commandments and no longer sinning, for sin is transgression against His laws and commandments, which are loved when one finally understands! “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

This is why Romans 8:1-4 tells us, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua because through Messiah Yeshua the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” So it is possible to abuse the grace of God by continuing to live according to our own desires and our own will. When we live according to our flesh and not by the Spirit of God, we can fall into condemnation.

Romans 8:5-8 continues to say, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” So only when we walk according to the Spirit of God is there no condemnation.

Romans 6:12-16 continues to say, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” So what is this all about? We are not under the law and yet we are still obligated to keep the law?

Romans 7:4-12 says, “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Messiah, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

Romans 8:12-17 says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

So what can cause a believer to fall from grace? The first commandment tells us, “I am the Lord your God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Yeshua tells us that we are to love the Lord with all of our heart and soul and mind. So when a conflict of interest comes into our lives it can actually separate us once again from God. If we have not circumcised our hearts, how can we be born again? Unless we are born again we will not see the kingdom of God. If we do not crucify the flesh and die to ourselves, then how can our lives be hidden in Messiah? James 4:4 says, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” And again in 1 John 2:15-16, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

When we run with the world and live like the world, even if we think that we are living for God, we are actually separating ourselves from the holiness and godliness of God and before we know it we have become just like the world. God is no longer our source. Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Peter 1:10-11 says, “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Revelation 3:5 says, “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

Conclusion

Yes, we are saved by the grace of God, by the shed blood of Yeshua, by having faith in His sacrifice for us, for we can not save ourselves. So thanks be to God that salvation is a gift from God! But yes, we must remain in the grace of God, and to do that we must walk by the Spirit and obey God’s commands and His will for us, or else we will compromise God’s grace. If we fall from grace we must repent, turn back, and confess our sin, for He is faithful to forgive us. But if we neglect to examine ourselves, we run the risk of searing our conscience, resulting in complacency, and the lust of this world will overtake us.

This teaching is not conclusive, for there are so many other Scriptures that could have been added, but this is a start for each person to consider. We are to search out the Scriptures and study them and learn from them and follow them. If we are not putting time into our walk with God, then we have already broken the first commandment to not put other gods (things) before Him, and as Yeshua said, we are to love God with all of our heart and mind and soul. So I ask you today to examine your walk with God with an open mind and heart and seek Him out. A good relationship with God, one that allows you to walk in the Spirit of God, will equip you to be an overcomer in this world and help you in worldly temptations, for we are to mature in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and allow the grace of God to grow with every passing day.

After instructing Moses on the specifications for the building of the tabernacle, it is now time for Moses to lead its construction. When all the work was completed, it was examined and everything was found to have been done exactly as God had specified. Scripture tells us that we as believers are a tabernacle, and we will also be examined and tested to see if we meet up to God’s specifications. Let’s take a closer look.

The work of building the tabernacle required a great amount of skill. There would be weaving, metalworking, stonesetting, and other tasks which required a great deal of talent. God therefore appointed two men named Bezalel and Oholiab, endowing them with the Holy Spirit in order to give them supernatural wisdom and skill in making everything precisely according to God’s instructions. Since God was going to dwell in this place, it needed to be perfect, and so there was no room for artistic license in this endeavor. These two men were not the only ones who were to work on the tabernacle: “Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.” The role of most people was to provide the materials such as gold, silver, and cloth (Exodus 35:21-29). These two men, however, were both explicitly mentioned as having been specially gifted for the purpose of creating some of the finer parts of the tabernacle, such as the engraving, embroidery, and stonecutting.

“So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them” (Exodus 39:43). Once all of the items had been completed, all that remained was for everything to be set up and for the services of the tabernacle to begin. While everything else had been done by the people, the completion of the task, including setting up and arranging everything in its proper place, was Moses’ job: “He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work” (Exodus 40:33).

All of this time and effort has been leading up to the moment when its purpose would be realized. God shows His acceptance of the work of the tabernacle by descending into it and filling it with His presence: “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). Since everything has been done according to God’s instructions, He is able to dwell in the tabernacle amidst the people of Israel, communing with them and leading them through all of their travels (verses 36-38).

The construction of the tabernacle has many lessons to teach us about our role as believers, especially in the light of the New Testament Scriptures. We are told that we, like the tabernacle, are God’s dwelling place (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:5). Once we come to believe in Yeshua (Jesus), we are called to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, building us up into a place where God can dwell: “Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). This is not a passive work on our part, but a conscious effort to obey God in love through the Holy Spirit and to make our heart a place where He can dwell not only temporarily, but permanently, leading us and speaking with us everywhere we go. God has endowed us with the skills necessary to do this work through the Holy Spirit, but we must stay diligent to stay within God’s framework. He knows what must be done in each of us in order for Him to use us and dwell within us in the fullness of His power. We must not speculate what God wants to do within us, but rather we must simply obey Him.

Just as we as individuals are a tabernacle/temple, how much more so is the body of believers in Yeshua a tabernacle. Like Bezalel and Oholiab, some have been gifted for certain tasks more than others for the purpose of building up God’s people into a tabernacle: “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Messiah” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Just as with the building of the tabernacle, however, each and every person has a role to play, and no role is more or less important than any other position.

Let us each continue the work of the tabernacle of our hearts so that we may all become a place where God can dwell in the fullness of His power.

After instructing Moses on the specifications for the building of the tabernacle, it is now time for Moses to lead its construction. When all the work was completed, it was examined and everything was found to have been done exactly as God had specified. Scripture tells us that we as believers are a tabernacle, and we will also be examined and tested to see if we meet up to God’s specifications. Let’s take a closer look.

The work of building the tabernacle required a great amount of skill. There would be weaving, metalworking, stonesetting, and other tasks which required a great deal of talent. God therefore appointed two men named Bezalel and Oholiab, endowing them with the Holy Spirit in order to give them supernatural wisdom and skill in making everything precisely according to God’s instructions. Since God was going to dwell in this place, it needed to be perfect, and so there was no room for artistic license in this endeavor. These two men were not the only ones who were to work on the tabernacle: “Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.” The role of most people was to provide the materials such as gold, silver, and cloth (Exodus 35:21-29). These two men, however, were both explicitly mentioned as having been specially gifted for the purpose of creating some of the finer parts of the tabernacle, such as the engraving, embroidery, and stonecutting.

“So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them” (Exodus 39:43). Once all of the items had been completed, all that remained was for everything to be set up and for the services of the tabernacle to begin. While everything else had been done by the people, the completion of the task, including setting up and arranging everything in its proper place, was Moses’ job: “He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work” (Exodus 40:33).

All of this time and effort has been leading up to the moment when its purpose would be realized. God shows His acceptance of the work of the tabernacle by descending into it and filling it with His presence: “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). Since everything has been done according to God’s instructions, He is able to dwell in the tabernacle amidst the people of Israel, communing with them and leading them through all of their travels (verses 36-38).

The construction of the tabernacle has many lessons to teach us about our role as believers, especially in the light of the New Testament Scriptures. We are told that we, like the tabernacle, are God’s dwelling place (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:5). Once we come to believe in Yeshua (Jesus), we are called to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, building us up into a place where God can dwell: “Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). This is not a passive work on our part, but a conscious effort to obey God in love through the Holy Spirit and to make our heart a place where He can dwell not only temporarily, but permanently, leading us and speaking with us everywhere we go. God has endowed us with the skills necessary to do this work through the Holy Spirit, but we must stay diligent to stay within God’s framework. He knows what must be done in each of us in order for Him to use us and dwell within us in the fullness of His power. We must not speculate what God wants to do within us, but rather we must simply obey Him.

Just as we as individuals are a tabernacle/temple, how much more so is the body of believers in Yeshua a tabernacle. Like Bezalel and Oholiab, some have been gifted for certain tasks more than others for the purpose of building up God’s people into a tabernacle: “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Messiah” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Just as with the building of the tabernacle, however, each and every person has a role to play, and no role is more or less important than any other position.

Let us each continue the work of the tabernacle of our hearts so that we may all become a place where God can dwell in the fullness of His power.

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Messiah, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah” (Philippians 3:18-20).

The Bible tells us in James 4:4, “Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy.” So, can we actually believe that we are good Christian people and yet actually be God’s enemy? What exactly is friendship with the world? 1 John 2:16 says this: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

If we go back to the garden of Eden, we will see what this is all about. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.”

God told man that they could eat from every tree in the garden except one. The serpent came and tempted Eve, lied to her, and trapped her by using lust, the desire to have something that you cannot have. He distorted the love of God with lust, and she saw that it was good to eat and pleasant to look at. I’m sure that all the trees were good and pleasant to look at. God Himself at creation said that it was all good. But she coveted something that she could not have. She called evil good and disobeyed God along with her husband. We say, “If only Adam and Eve would not have sinned, life would be so nice!” If it would not have been Adam or Eve, it would have been someone else, because this is what man has done all of these years since.

We question God’s commands. We think that we are gods and we can handle our lives. We believe the little lies, that if we do this this time we will never do it again. We tell ourselves that God is a loving God and He will forgive us. We use the cross as an excuse to tell ourselves that Yeshua has died for our sins, so we are free to do all that we want to do because “we are saved by grace.” Our appetites grow for the things of this world instead of the things of God. We grow fat, but not on the Word of God. Our appetite for the things of the world has caused us to do just the opposite of what it did for Adam and Eve when they ate from the Tree of Knowledge. Their eyes were opened to good and evil (which is the state that we now live in), but when we have an appetite for the things of the world, we who now know good and evil have chosen evil.

The Bible tells us friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4). We know that the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are not from God (1 John 2:16). Our falling away by going after the things of the world is totally a violation against the cross of Messiah. Why? Because Paul tells us in Romans 6:1-4, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Messiah Yeshua were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Messiah was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

We are not to be fence-sitters, for the Bible tells us that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Either we are going to be a friend with God or we are going to be His enemy. We are to set our minds on heavenly things, like His truth (the Word), pursuing godliness and holiness, and the advancement of the kingdom. We are to be workers in God’s vineyard, harvesting souls. If this is not our desire, but instead our desire is to live life obtaining the world’s goods, then we are enemies of the cross and enemies of God. Life is not in our possessions, but in God. “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

As we look to the cross of Messiah, we must ask ourselves: “Have I picked up my cross, and am I following in the footsteps of my Savior? Have I truly crucified my flesh with all of its passions and desires for this world? Am I putting my thoughts on things above, and pursuing after the things of God?” We must examine ourselves to be sure that we truly are in the faith, as Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Messiah Yeshua is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” If you find that you are an enemy of the cross, repent.

At this time more than ever we should be meditating on the cross of Messiah. We should be examining ourselves, and we should be coming closer to Him. In fact, we need to embrace His cross. Philippians 3:3, 7-11 tells us. “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Messiah Yeshua and put no confidence in the flesh. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Messiah. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Messiah Yeshua my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Messiah and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Messiah, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Let’s come to know Messiah and embrace His cross and all that that means.

The Tabernacle represents Yeshua (Jesus). The layout of the Tabernacle parallels the Biblical Feast Days.

THE SPRING BIBLICAL FEASTS

The spring Biblical Feasts are represented by the Outer Court and the Holy Place and relate to Yeshua’s first coming.

Passover

The Altar of Burnt Offering represents the feast of Passover, for Yeshua was our sin offering and our Passover offering (1 Corinthians 5:21, Luke 23:44-46, Romans 8:3).

The Laver represents being washed in the blood of the Lamb (1 John 1:7).

The Table of Showbread represents Yeshua, the Bread of Life (John 6:35). The showbread was made without yeast (unleavened). If leaven is likened to sin (1 Corinthians 5:8, Matthew 16:6), then our sinless Yeshua was also unleavened (Hebrews 4:15).

Pentecost

The Word, or the Torah (John 1:1, 14), was given on Pentecost, or Shavuot (Exodus 19). The Menorah represents Yeshua, the Light of the World (John 8:12). The oil of that light represents the Holy Spirit (Zecheriah 4:1-12), which was given at Pentecost in the form of tongues of fire upon the disciples (Acts 2:1-41).

The time between the Spring and Fall Feasts is symbolized by the Altar of Incense, which represents the prayers of the saints, the Bride, in preparation for the second coming of Yeshua, the Bridegroom (Revelation 8:4).

THE FALL BIBLICAL FEASTS

The Holy of Holies represents the Fall Feasts and Yeshua’s second coming.

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashana is also known as the Feast of Trumpets (1 Corinthians 15:52, Matthew 24:31). Yom Kippur is called the Day of Atonement. The time from Rosh HaShana through Yom Kippur is called the High Holy Days, and it is intended to place our focus on the Final Judgement. The Ark of the Covenant/Mercy Seat is where God sits enthroned (Exodus 25:22, Psalm 99:1, Isaiah 37:16). It represents the Final Judgement (symbolized by the High Holy Days) when a throne of judgement will be set up and the Lamb’s Book of Life will be opened (Daniel 7:9-10, Revelation 20:11-15, 21:27).

Sukkot

The outer structure or covering of the Tabernacle represents the Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot. This tent represents our future dwelling when we will tabernacle or dwell with God (Deuteronomy 33:27, Psalm 132:1-5, Revelation 7:15, 21:3).

Sabbath

The entire Tabernacle was a holy place to draw near to God. It represents the Sabbath, which is a day set apart as holy for us to draw near and rest in the finished work of Creation (Genesis 2:1-3) and the work of Yeshua, which will be made full when He returns and reigns on earth for 1,000 years (Hebrews 4:9-11, Isaiah 66:22-23).

Leprosy is something which we see talked about in Scripture, but it is not something which we generally think about or consider in our society today. Although the purification rites of a leper are not something one might see as something necessarily important to study, there are some things on this subject which do have lessons to teach us. Since two full chapters in Leviticus are devoted to the treatment of those who are afflicted with this impairment, we are going to take a closer look.

God begins His instructions regarding leprosy by telling Moses and Aaron, “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean” (Leviticus 13:2-3).

When the Bible speaks of leprosy, you may have noticed in the footnotes that leprosy does not necessarily mean actual leprosy as we understand the disease today. Many translations therefore attempt to avoid any confusion by simply replacing the word “leprosy” with “skin disease.” In today’s medical understanding, leprosy is a specific bacterial condition known also as Hansen’s Disease, whereas in the Hebrew the word for leprosy, tzaraat, apparently means a different condition both in its symptoms and in that it could affect not only people, but also houses or articles of clothing (Leviticus 13:47-49, 14:34-35).

The disease of tzaraat was considered a punishment for loose lips, such as slander or gossip. This interpretation finds a suitable example in the story of Miriam and Aaron: “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?’ And the LORD heard it…. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous” (Numbers 12:1-2, 10). Because of the words which were spoken against Moses, God punished Miriam with leprosy. Another reason for this belief about the correlation between leprosy and sins of speech is from a bit of wordplay: metzorah is the Hebrew word for “leper,” and motzi shem ra means a person guilty of slander/libel.

This understanding may help put a new lens on a certain passage in the gospel of Mark. A leper came to Yeshua (Jesus) and asked to be healed. Yeshua is filled with compassion and lays His hands on the man: “Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone…’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around” (Mark 1:42-45). Although Yeshua had healed this man’s leprosy, he did not obey Yeshua. Instead, he went around and spoke to everyone what Yeshua had explicitly told him not to. Is it possible that the reason he had gotten leprosy in the first place is because this man had trouble controlling his tongue?

Continuing this line of thought, the sages interpreted the treatment for leprosy as reflecting the nature of its cause: “He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 14:26). Since the afflicted person apparently has trouble controlling their tongue, during the period which they are afflicted they are to be separated from others. This also serves to teach us that it is important to separate oneself from a person who is loose in their talk. By listening to their words, you become a party to their sin. You also put yourself in danger of becoming like them or of acquiring unrighteous attitudes because of their words (Isaiah 33:15).

Many warnings are given throughout Scripture about sinful speech. We are told not to even keep company with those who might lead us astray by listening to their words, nor to “sit in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1:1). James puts it succinctly when he says, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). While today we may not have to worry about getting leprosy, the sins associated with speech are something we must remain vigilant against. Simply paying attention to what we say will not be enough to truly purify our speech: “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). This is why James was able to so confidently state that one whose speech is impure is deceiving himself. The issue is not so much the words themselves, but the fact that these words can only come out of a heart which is equal in impurity to such speech. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:6).

If we find ourselves being a party to impure or destructive speech, let us not only seek to separate ourselves from this in the flesh, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, purify our hearts from which all impurity arises.

Leprosy is something which we see talked about in Scripture, but it is not something which we generally think about or consider in our society today. Although the purification rites of a leper are not something one might see as something necessarily important to study, there are some things on this subject which do have lessons to teach us. Since two full chapters in Leviticus are devoted to the treatment of those who are afflicted with this impairment, we are going to take a closer look.

God begins His instructions regarding leprosy by telling Moses and Aaron, “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean” (Leviticus 13:2-3).

When the Bible speaks of leprosy, you may have noticed in the footnotes that leprosy does not necessarily mean actual leprosy as we understand the disease today. Many translations therefore attempt to avoid any confusion by simply replacing the word “leprosy” with “skin disease.” In today’s medical understanding, leprosy is a specific bacterial condition known also as Hansen’s Disease, whereas in the Hebrew the word for leprosy, tzaraat, apparently means a different condition both in its symptoms and in that it could affect not only people, but also houses or articles of clothing (Leviticus 13:47-49, 14:34-35).

The disease of tzaraat was considered a punishment for loose lips, such as slander or gossip. This interpretation finds a suitable example in the story of Miriam and Aaron: “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?’ And the LORD heard it…. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous” (Numbers 12:1-2, 10). Because of the words which were spoken against Moses, God punished Miriam with leprosy. Another reason for this belief about the correlation between leprosy and sins of speech is from a bit of wordplay: metzorah is the Hebrew word for “leper,” and motzi shem ra means a person guilty of slander/libel.

This understanding may help put a new lens on a certain passage in the gospel of Mark. A leper came to Yeshua (Jesus) and asked to be healed. Yeshua is filled with compassion and lays His hands on the man: “Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone…’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around” (Mark 1:42-45). Although Yeshua had healed this man’s leprosy, he did not obey Yeshua. Instead, he went around and spoke to everyone what Yeshua had explicitly told him not to. Is it possible that the reason he had gotten leprosy in the first place is because this man had trouble controlling his tongue?

Continuing this line of thought, the sages interpreted the treatment for leprosy as reflecting the nature of its cause: “He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 14:26). Since the afflicted person apparently has trouble controlling their tongue, during the period which they are afflicted they are to be separated from others. This also serves to teach us that it is important to separate oneself from a person who is loose in their talk. By listening to their words, you become a party to their sin. You also put yourself in danger of becoming like them or of acquiring unrighteous attitudes because of their words (Isaiah 33:15).

Many warnings are given throughout Scripture about sinful speech. We are told not to even keep company with those who might lead us astray by listening to their words, nor to “sit in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1:1). James puts it succinctly when he says, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). While today we may not have to worry about getting leprosy, the sins associated with speech are something we must remain vigilant against. Simply paying attention to what we say will not be enough to truly purify our speech: “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). This is why James was able to so confidently state that one whose speech is impure is deceiving himself. The issue is not so much the words themselves, but the fact that these words can only come out of a heart which is equal in impurity to such speech. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:6).

If we find ourselves being a party to impure or destructive speech, let us not only seek to separate ourselves from this in the flesh, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, purify our hearts from which all impurity arises.

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was” (James 1:23-24).

We so often think that the Bible speaks only to unbelievers, but the Bible is speaking to believers. You have to ask yourself, how can a person who believes in the One True Living God and who claims to be redeemed forget who he is? According to statistics by the Barna group in 2017, 38% of people who believe that the Bible is inspired by God and without error read their Bibles less than 4 times a week; and 20% of those who believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, but has some errors, also read their Bibles only 4 times a week or less. So if you take into account Sunday service and maybe a Bible study during the week, the average Christian is only reading their Bible somewhere from two times a week or less to not at all on their own. That is a sad scenario when you think that we are supposed to take the Word of God and hide it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11), that this law of the Lord which is now supposed to be written on our hearts (Hebrews 10:16), is not really written on our hearts. And so then you must come to the conclusion that if we do not have the word of God in our mouths (Romans 10:8) , because it is not in our hearts, then how can we live it out? It now becomes easy to forget who we are, for out of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Our heart is like a well. We fill it up with the Word of God and from this well we draw all day, every day. John 7:38 tells us, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” It is not good enough that we believe in God. James 2:19 tells us, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”

Today we live in a world where people are not only divided, but modern technology has caused us to have conversations hiding behind a veil. Social media makes it easier for us to speak our minds, and we do not have to face those we are accusing or criticizing. Today we can donate money right on our phones or online, and we can stay away from those who are hurting. It is easier today than ever to forget who you are. There are so many voices out there that we can easily be deceived. So how do we not forget who we are? We must be involved. We must put feet and hands to our faith. James 2:18, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” Yeshua (Jesus) went about doing good. He is our example. We must follow in His footsteps. We must be as He is. Then we will not, we cannot, forget who we are, for we are to be Christ-like…Christians!

I think that the place that we should be the most Christ-like is at our places of worship and yet, unfortunately, that is the place that we are at our worst. We so often have our cliques and groups, and when new people come or others want to join in on your group they are not always received. Deacons and their wives so many times are considered the elite in the church along with the pastor and his wife. Church leaders in ministries also are included in this special group. James 2:1-4 tells us this: “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Messiah Yeshua must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

If we have this attitude in our congregations, then we also have this same attitude toward others in our daily lives. James 2:14-17 tells us, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” So often, people think that there is no one in their congregations that is in need or hurting. This is especially true in a wealthier or middle-class congregation. But this is not true. Anyone can fall on hard times, even if it is for the moment. We need to open our eyes and ears to the people around us, even our neighbors and our family. People don’t tell us everything that is going on in their lives. That is why so many people commit suicide, and the people around them didn’t even know that they were going through a problem. As people of God we need to pray for people and let God direct us to people who need our help. God tells us even to help our enemy or even those that may not believe like us. James 2:8-13 says, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For He who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘You shall not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.’

Let us always keep the Word of God before us, so that we are always looking into not only the mirror of God’s Word (which we should be a reflection of), but we will also will be looking into the window of God’s Word which allows us the opportunity every day and every moment to put our faith into practice. Make an investment into a life, into a soul, and your dividends will return to you a blessing that you will not be able to contain. Luke 6:38 tells us this: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Next time you look into the mirror of God’s Word, quickly look out the window and see how you can put it into practice.

A peculiar commandment is seen in Leviticus 19 about not placing a stumbling block before a blind person. When interpreted literally it seems as if this would be an easy commandment to follow, as most people presumably never feel the desire to trip someone who cannot see. But what is the deeper meaning of this commandment?

In God’s commandments, we see many miscellaneous ways in which we are to love God and love our neighbor. An interesting example of the latter is seen in Leviticus 19:14, which says, “You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.” Because of the seemingly obvious nature of this commandment, many have asserted that the literal command here is somewhat hidden behind this imagery. The traditional interpretation is that the blind man is not someone who is physically blind, but rather is intellectually or spiritually blind. To put a stumbling block before this person means to provide the circumstances where harm will come to them or they will sin. The ending of the verse states that by following this command, you are acknowledging that even though the blind man or the deaf man wouldn’t know who treated them this way because of their disability, and thus the offender would be able to get away with it, there is a Judge who sees and hears.

We receive a more complete understanding about stumbling blocks by examining the use of this phrase in the prophets. For example, when God is explaining to Ezekiel his role as watchman and prophet over the people of Israel, He gives him this warning: “Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand” (Ezekiel 3:20). Is this verse saying that God places stumbling blocks before the righteous, violating His own commandment? Obviously this is not the case. We see that the verse says, “if a righteous person turns from his righteousness… and I lay a stumbling block before him.” Therefore, we see that the stumbling block is the inevitable consequence of that person’s path toward sin. If Ezekiel fails to point out that the people were walking along a dangerous path, then God will hold him partially responsible for the stumbling block because it was his duty to point out to people that the only possible end to their walk of sin was to stumble (Proverbs 24:16, Isaiah 24:20).

We see again in the book of Ezekiel an example of a stumbling-block, this time because of the priests: “‘Because they [the priests] ministered to them [the people of Israel] before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn against them,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘that they shall bear the punishment for their iniquity'” (Ezekiel 44:12). The priests themselves were a stumbling-block to the people because of their idol worship. The Levites were supposed to be the religious leaders, but instead of leading the people to God, they became as false shepherds leading the people astray (Ezekiel 34:1-10).

Yeshua (Jesus) reinforces the previous warnings about becoming a stumbling-block: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matthew 18:6-7). To be a stumbling block does not necessarily mean it is done with the intention of causing harm. As we saw with Ezekiel and with the Levites, a neglect of duty on our part can cause others to fall into sin. Yeshua warns us that we must pay close attention to our words and actions so as not to be a stumbling-block to others.

Furthermore, He warns us against stumbling ourselves: “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell” (verses 8-9). Not only are we to be careful not to cause others to sin by our actions, but we must also be sure we do not ignore our own path. Paul gives a similar message when he warns, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

So we see that the commandment to not put a stumbling block in front a blind person is much more far-reaching than initially is revealed. While it is essential that we take heed to guard ourselves and others from encountering a stumbling-block, the only way this can truly be done is by allowing God to lead us in all things: “O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; make Your way straight before me” (Psalm 5:8). With all of this in mind, let us direct our love and our trust toward God as we seek to always walk along the path He has laid out before us.

A peculiar commandment is seen in Leviticus 19 about not placing a stumbling block before a blind person. When interpreted literally it seems as if this would be an easy commandment to follow, as most people presumably never feel the desire to trip someone who cannot see. But what is the deeper meaning of this commandment?

In God’s commandments, we see many miscellaneous ways in which we are to love God and love our neighbor. An interesting example of the latter is seen in Leviticus 19:14, which says, “You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.” Because of the seemingly obvious nature of this commandment, many have asserted that the literal command here is somewhat hidden behind this imagery. The traditional interpretation is that the blind man is not someone who is physically blind, but rather is intellectually or spiritually blind. To put a stumbling block before this person means to provide the circumstances where harm will come to them or they will sin. The ending of the verse states that by following this command, you are acknowledging that even though the blind man or the deaf man wouldn’t know who treated them this way because of their disability, and thus the offender would be able to get away with it, there is a Judge who sees and hears.

We receive a more complete understanding about stumbling blocks by examining the use of this phrase in the prophets. For example, when God is explaining to Ezekiel his role as watchman and prophet over the people of Israel, He gives him this warning: “Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand” (Ezekiel 3:20). Is this verse saying that God places stumbling blocks before the righteous, violating His own commandment? Obviously this is not the case. We see that the verse says, “if a righteous person turns from his righteousness… and I lay a stumbling block before him.” Therefore, we see that the stumbling block is the inevitable consequence of that person’s path toward sin. If Ezekiel fails to point out that the people were walking along a dangerous path, then God will hold him partially responsible for the stumbling block because it was his duty to point out to people that the only possible end to their walk of sin was to stumble (Proverbs 24:16, Isaiah 24:20).

We see again in the book of Ezekiel an example of a stumbling-block, this time because of the priests: “‘Because they [the priests] ministered to them [the people of Israel] before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn against them,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘that they shall bear the punishment for their iniquity'” (Ezekiel 44:12). The priests themselves were a stumbling-block to the people because of their idol worship. The Levites were supposed to be the religious leaders, but instead of leading the people to God, they became as false shepherds leading the people astray (Ezekiel 34:1-10).

Yeshua (Jesus) reinforces the previous warnings about becoming a stumbling-block: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matthew 18:6-7). To be a stumbling block does not necessarily mean it is done with the intention of causing harm. As we saw with Ezekiel and with the Levites, a neglect of duty on our part can cause others to fall into sin. Yeshua warns us that we must pay close attention to our words and actions so as not to be a stumbling-block to others.

Furthermore, He warns us against stumbling ourselves: “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell” (verses 8-9). Not only are we to be careful not to cause others to sin by our actions, but we must also be sure we do not ignore our own path. Paul gives a similar message when he warns, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

So we see that the commandment to not put a stumbling block in front a blind person is much more far-reaching than initially is revealed. While it is essential that we take heed to guard ourselves and others from encountering a stumbling-block, the only way this can truly be done is by allowing God to lead us in all things: “O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; make Your way straight before me” (Psalm 5:8). With all of this in mind, let us direct our love and our trust toward God as we seek to always walk along the path He has laid out before us.

Slavery is a topic which has purely negative connotations to us today. When we encounter slavery discussed in the Scriptures, we are unsure how to react. Although this is the case, we are told that we ourselves are slaves. How are we supposed to understand this?

Many ancient civilizations practiced slavery in one form or another, but God did not want the Israelites to mimic their practices. He did not want slaves to be mistreated or worked ruthlessly: “If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service” (Leviticus 25:39). If a person had become indebted to another in some way, in order to work that debt off he would work for his debtor. God instructs the debtors not to take advantage of the workers, however, but to treat them as if they were a hired hand. God also tells them that a fellow-Israelite was not to be kept even in this reduced form of slavery for an extended period of time. Every fifty years, there was to be a year of jubilee, a time where slaves would be released and purchased lands would return to their ancestral owners. This was the case whether the slave had worked off their debt or not (verses 40-41).

The reason they were not to be treated as a slave was because the debtor did not really own the other person: “For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale” (verse 42). It was not within another person’s power to buy or sell a fellow-Israelite because they were God’s servants, not man’s. Instead of thinking of the slave as their own, they were to remember that God was the one who brought each one of them out of Egypt. Even those who did not indebt themselves to others should not feel superior, for they too were brought out of slavery in Egypt: “For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (verse 55).

Since God redeemed the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, the people now belonged to Him. Since this was the case, they were to serve Him alone by obeying Him and keeping His commandments (Deuteronomy 13:4). If instead they were too burdened with service to one another, then they would not be able to serve God with all of their heart. Since they had previously been slaves in Egypt, they knew how it felt to be in this position, and so they of all people should have known that this was true.

We as believers in Yeshua have also been redeemed and purchased in the same way by Yeshua (Jesus): “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14). Because we have been purchased with His blood, we are no longer bound in service to sin, but we are now free to be slaves to God.

What does it mean to be slaves to God? Paul tells us, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? … I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification” (Romans 6:15-16, 19).

Being a slave of righteousness therefore means obeying God and keeping His commandments. Just as He instructed the people of Israel not to harshly treat their slaves, so too He is merciful and compassionate. His desire is that we will serve Him out of love: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Yeshua also indicates that living in service of Him and obeying Him is not difficult: “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Instead of being under the heavy burden of sin, we are to serve God by walking in righteousness.

Human slavery is a terrible thing, but this is a relatively new idea. Since slaves were a common part of society, it served as a suitable illustration to use to describe the believer’s relationship with God. Although the word “slave” is used, this doesn’t mean that we should imagine slavery to righteousness as taking upon ourselves a heavy burden, but we must remember that our work can only be done voluntarily out of love, and in it we will find true freedom from slavery to sin: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Slavery is a topic which has purely negative connotations to us today. When we encounter slavery discussed in the Scriptures, we are unsure how to react. Although this is the case, we are told that we ourselves are slaves. How are we supposed to understand this?

Many ancient civilizations practiced slavery in one form or another, but God did not want the Israelites to mimic their practices. He did not want slaves to be mistreated or worked ruthlessly: “If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service” (Leviticus 25:39). If a person had become indebted to another in some way, in order to work that debt off he would work for his debtor. God instructs the debtors not to take advantage of the workers, however, but to treat them as if they were a hired hand. God also tells them that a fellow-Israelite was not to be kept even in this reduced form of slavery for an extended period of time. Every fifty years, there was to be a year of jubilee, a time where slaves would be released and purchased lands would return to their ancestral owners. This was the case whether the slave had worked off their debt or not (verses 40-41).

The reason they were not to be treated as a slave was because the debtor did not really own the other person: “For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale” (verse 42). It was not within another person’s power to buy or sell a fellow-Israelite because they were God’s servants, not man’s. Instead of thinking of the slave as their own, they were to remember that God was the one who brought each one of them out of Egypt. Even those who did not indebt themselves to others should not feel superior, for they too were brought out of slavery in Egypt: “For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (verse 55).

Since God redeemed the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, the people now belonged to Him. Since this was the case, they were to serve Him alone by obeying Him and keeping His commandments (Deuteronomy 13:4). If instead they were too burdened with service to one another, then they would not be able to serve God with all of their heart. Since they had previously been slaves in Egypt, they knew how it felt to be in this position, and so they of all people should have known that this was true.

We as believers in Yeshua have also been redeemed and purchased in the same way by Yeshua (Jesus): “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14). Because we have been purchased with His blood, we are no longer bound in service to sin, but we are now free to be slaves to God.

What does it mean to be slaves to God? Paul tells us, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? … I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification” (Romans 6:15-16, 19).

Being a slave of righteousness therefore means obeying God and keeping His commandments. Just as He instructed the people of Israel not to harshly treat their slaves, so too He is merciful and compassionate. His desire is that we will serve Him out of love: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Yeshua also indicates that living in service of Him and obeying Him is not difficult: “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Instead of being under the heavy burden of sin, we are to serve God by walking in righteousness.

Human slavery is a terrible thing, but this is a relatively new idea. Since slaves were a common part of society, it served as a suitable illustration to use to describe the believer’s relationship with God. Although the word “slave” is used, this doesn’t mean that we should imagine slavery to righteousness as taking upon ourselves a heavy burden, but we must remember that our work can only be done voluntarily out of love, and in it we will find true freedom from slavery to sin: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

When Yeshua (Jesus) was speaking to Nicodemus about being born again, Yeshua made a very interesting comparison about people being born again and the wind. We want to take a closer look at this and see if we can understand more clearly about this passage.

John 3:1-8 records this conversation: “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ Yeshua replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ Yeshua answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’” There! There it is: this obscure statement about those who are born again being like the wind. Let’s start by briefly looking at the Holy Spirit.

Evidence of the Holy Spirit

The Hebrew word for the Holy Spirit is ‘Ruach,’ which means breath, wind, or spirit. John 20:22 tells us that Yeshua breathed the Holy Spirit into the apostles: “And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” The Holy Spirit is a force. He is invisible. He can only be felt like the breeze upon your face, gentle and comforting. Like a soft voice speaking to us, He comforts and helps us (John 14:26). You can only experience the Holy Spirit through His gifts that He gives. Paul tells us of those gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. You can only see the Holy Spirit by the fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). As much as the Holy Spirit can be gentle, He can also be a powerful force. On the day of Pentecost, the people felt the awesome power of the Holy Spirit when those who were gathered felt a mighty wind blowing and tongues of fire appeared, and the disciples all began speaking in tongues. The people all around were amazed because each one could understand them in their own language (Acts 2:1-5).

Alive in the Spirit

So how does all of this relate to being born again? The Holy Spirit gives new life, and we see this in a great story in Ezekiel 37:1-10: “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live. ‘So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

These bones are like being born again. We too were dead in our flesh, and now we are born anew in our spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 tells us, “Such is the confidence that we have through Messiah toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Yeshua told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again, but this time not in the flesh, but in His Spirit. It was not enough that he kept all the laws and traditions. It was not enough that he knew the holy scriptures. Of course, all of this is important for a relationship with God, but he needed to walk out and live out those laws and traditions and scripture not only in faith, but by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We can become dry. We can become dead. We can go about our lives as people who are just going through the motions. We think that we are alive, but we are really dead. Revelation 3:1-3 tells us, “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of Him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.”’”

If we are still living in the flesh, by the world’s way (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life, 1 John 2:16), then we are not living in newness of life, as Romans 6:3-4 tells us: “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Messiah Yeshua were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

We too must die to the flesh. We too must rise into newness of life, or to put it in another way, we must die to the flesh and be born again in newness of life. We must be born of the Spirit and we must live by the Spirit and we must walk by the Spirit because now we are dead to the flesh and alive in our spirit by the renewing of our minds and hearts, as Romans 12:2 tells us, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

All of this to say this: When we are born again, born of the Holy Spirit, in newness of life, we become like the wind. We are no longer bound by the things of this world. Our Spirit is now free to serve God and God alone. God, who is not bound by His creation, is free, and so we too become free of bounds. We serve God according to His fullness, for we can do all things in Messiah as Paul tells us in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” God’s love is not like the world’s; God’s peace is not like the world’s; and we who now walk by the Holy Spirit walk in God’s love and peace. We are free and free to serve Him. We go through life like the wind that blows, operating in the gifts of the Spirit and living by the fruit of the Spirit. Like a gentle breeze or a mighty wind, we serve God by being led by His Spirit, born again in newness of life. We never know where the Holy Spirit will lead us—one day here, one day there, doing this or doing that—but we are always in tune with God, hearing His voice.

So be like the wind and blow wherever God leads you, doing His work, living in the Spirit by His fruit and using His gifts that He gives to those who are born of His Spirit.

The Psalms tell us a lot about God’s character and also how He deals with mankind. Who He is and what He requires of us are important for us to know: how else can we serve Him? We are going to look at Psalm 18, especially verses 24-26, which tells us how God will reward our righteousness by our godly living.

Psalm 18:24-26 tells us this: “Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes. With the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind; with the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless; with the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself astute.” We want to take a closer look at these verses to see what God’s word is exactly telling us about God.

The Backstory Behind This Psalm

We see the author of this psalm writes a note of instruction to the choir director, so we know that this psalm was used for worship in the temple. The note reads, “A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” We know from Scripture that David was anointed king while Saul was still king. 1 Samuel 16:13-14 tells us, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.” So this Psalm-made-song was about David and his now enemy King Saul.

Now, this was not the first song sung about David and Saul. “Then the priest said, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.’ And David said, ‘There is none like it; give it to me.’ Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, ‘Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands”?’” (1 Samuel 21:9-11).

We continue to see this conflict all throughout 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel 22:2-3 gives us insight into the danger that David was in—even his family was not safe. This scripture also shows David as the champion of the poor and needy. “So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him. Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him. And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, ‘Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.’” David, even though he was running from King Saul, still knew that for now Saul was the king, and so he was God’s anointed and he must have respect and honor for his authority.

So when David had the chance to kill his enemy, he did not. 1 Samuel 24:10-12 tells us of such a time. “Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’S anointed.’ Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it. May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.” David referred to Saul as father because he was married to Saul’s daughter Michal (1 Samuel 18:20).

David had another chance to kill Saul, but once again refused to strike down God’s anointed. “But David said to Abishai, ‘Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the LORD lives,’ he said, ‘the LORD himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.’ So David took the spear and water jug near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep” (1 Samuel 26: 9-12).

Even though David was anointed king, he spent many years fleeing King Saul. God will always test His people, and through His testing we are made into vessels that He can use for His glory. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

But the day came when God removed the enemies of David, especially King Saul. At the end of 1 Samuel we are told that Saul and his 3 sons died in battle. “Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua” (1 Samuel 31:1-2). David now knows that he will be king, but this was not a time of celebration, but of great sorrow. David writes a song and has the people learn it as a memorial to Saul and his son Jonathan. 2 Samuel 1:17-27 says, “David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar): ‘A gazelle lies slain on your heights, Israel. How the mighty have fallen!’” (verses 17-19).

Psalm 18

Now that we have seen the backstory and we have seen how David conducted his life, we can now look at Psalm 18:24-26. Verse 24 says, “Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.” The Bible tells us that our hands should be holy hands, lifting them up in prayer to God (1 Timothy 2:8, Leviticus 9:22). We should not use our hands to sin. Yeshua (Jesus) tells us, “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go to hell” (Matthew 5:30). We see the importance of having clean hands. Psalm 18:21-22 tells us David’s words: “For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His ordinances were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.” The choices that we make to keep God’s ways are considered our righteousness.

So how did God recompense David? We must consider that recompense is compensation or reward given for loss or harm or effort made. God made a covenant with David, as we see in 2 Samuel 7: 8-11, 16: “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. . . . Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”

This now takes us back to the beginning of this newsletter. Verses 25-26 tell us, “Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes. With the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind; with the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless; with the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself astute.” David was righteous before God because he did the right thing regarding Saul. He knew that Saul was the anointed of God and only God could remove Saul as being king and leader of God’s people. When David had the chance to kill Saul, he did not lift a finger toward him in evil. David’s hands were clean from the blood of his enemy. David showed kindness and mercy. He loved his enemy and did not take revenge upon him. Yeshua tells us in Luke 6:27-31, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke continues in verses 35b-36, “Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Because of David’s kindness, God showed him kindness. David withheld his hand against Saul, which made him blameless, and so God rendered him blameless and this led to David being pure in heart and action, and so God blessed him. We also see that Saul’s jealousy and his contempt toward David caused him to lose, not only his kingship, but his life in battle, thus allowing the way for David to become king.

How about us? Can we say that we love our enemies? Do we show kindness to those who may not deserve our kindness? Can we say that our motives and our actions are pure? David was not swift to shed blood. How about us? Do we have feet that are swift to do evil? Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:8-12, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’”

Today, we are living in a world filled with hateful speech. We are divided as a country, and as Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

Today, let us be more like King David who did not take vengeance or revenge, but let us love one another, and the kindness that we show will be shown to us. God wants a people without spot or wrinkle. That means that we must be blameless and pure and righteous in all that we do and say. Then we too can say like David, “Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes. With the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind; with the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless; with the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself astute.”

What does it really mean to walk with God? We read in the Bible that Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the evening (Genesis 3:8). We also know this to be true with Enoch in Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him.” The Bible tells us in Amos 3:3,

“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” So what does it mean to walk with God? Will He actually come down and take a walk with us, and what do we have to do to walk with Him?

Well we see from Amos that we must first agree to walk with God. There is much power in agreeing. We see this in Scripture in Matthew 18:19, “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” When you agree to walk with God, you now agree to walk where He walks. We walk together in agreement as one. John 15:5 tells us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Again in John 15:7-8 it says, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” And again in John 15:9-17 He says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”

We see that when we agree to walk with God, we abide in Him and remain in His love, agreeing with Him, keeping His commandments as a friend, and as a friend we have agreed to walk together. Where He goes, we go. We serve God out of love for God. So often, we like to say that we are saved by grace and not works, and in so doing we think that we do not need to do what God requires, because that would be works. But Yeshua (Jesus) died for us because of His great love for us, and so in return we agree to walk with Him, and in so doing we serve Him out of love.

We are the Bride of Messiah. The Bible tells us that a husband and wife become one flesh. This is what John 15 is telling us, that we must abide in God and He will abide in us. We become one.

Before the “Vine and Branches” dialogue, Yeshua told His disciples in John 14 that He was going to send the Holy Spirit. In verses 20-21 He says this: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love them and show Myself to them.”

When we walk with God, that does not mean that we walk ahead of Him or behind Him, but we walk together arm-in-arm with Him. Every step He takes, we take. God so loved, and so we too must so love. Yeshua laid down His life and we too must lay down our lives. 1 John 3:16 tells us, “This is how we know what love is: Yeshua Messiah laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Yeshua emptied Himself as it tells us in Philippians 2:6-7, “Who, though existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal to God a thing to be grasped. But He emptied Himself—taking on the form of a slave, becoming the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man.” And He picked up His cross, and so we too must empty ourselves and pick up our cross as it tells us in Matthew 16:24, “Then Yeshua told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Yeshua kept the commands of His Father (John 15:10), and so we too must keep His commands (John 14:15). Yeshua was not of this world, and so we too must not be part of this world. Yeshua showed us what it means to walk with God, and we must follow in His footsteps so that we may abide in Him and He in us and we in the Father. Yeshua’s prayer to the Father in John 17 sums it up best: “I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them the words You gave Me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours. All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine. And glory has come to Me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave Me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them. I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”

Yeshua showed us what it means to walk with God, and we must follow in His footsteps so that we may abide in Him and He in us and we in the Father. Why not go for a great walk today with our heavenly Father? All you have to do is agree to walk together.

Do you have leprosy? I am sure your first response to this is “NO!” But we want to take a closer look at this subject because there is a spiritual leprosy that many people do not know about. But first we want to look closer at leprosy itself.

Leprosy was an infectious skin condition. A person would go to the priest and he would examine the person and diagnose his condition. If he was infected with leprosy he would declare him a metzora (leper). The person was then pronounced as unclean (tamei). The priest’s examination of the leper is a picture of the final judgment when God will examine every person after the books are opened to determine if they are clean or unclean. The laws of clean and unclean were very important because of several reasons: 1. The temple was a holy place; and 2. The priests who served in the temple had to remain in a state of holiness.

1 Peter 1:16 tells us, “You must be holy because I am holy.” We are God’s royal priesthood and we stand before God’s altar today bringing the sacrifice of praise. We see in the New Jerusalem that nothing unclean will enter it, Revelation 21:27.

First of all, this is not unusual, for many religions had their purity laws.

Things like childbirth and even being under the same roof as a dead person made you unclean. Anyone who had contact with an unclean person also became unclean. A sin offering had to be presented in these cases to make one clean again. We see that with the birth of Yeshua, Mary, when she came into the temple, offered a sin offering. Luke 2:22 tells us, “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took Yeshua to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons.’”

So why are leprosy, childbirth, and death associated with uncleanness? And how does a sacrifice make you clean? And where was the sin in Mary having a baby? And just how does being under the roof of a dead person make you unclean?

To answer your question, there is no sin. But if there is no sin, then what is it all about? The afterbirth of a child would make you unclean, and the death of a person was considered mortality and decay, both unclean. The Bible describes Biblical leprosy as decomposition and decay, in other words, corruption of the flesh. The laws of the sacrifices teach that God’s sanctuary must be free from decay. All sacrificial offerings had to be burnt and consumed within two days. All sacrifices had to be unleavened because leaven represented corruption because it ferments the dough, and so leaven represents sin. God’s sanctuary represents immortality and incorruptibility.

In God’s presence there is no death, no decay, no decomposition. 1 Corinthians 15:54 tells us, “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” Leprosy symbolizes the sinful nature of man. Man’s human condition leads us to death and decay. But our spiritual nature can also lead us to this end. An unclean person with leprosy would cry, “Unclean, unclean!” so that no one would draw near him, resulting in him being separated from the rest of the community. We see this with Miriam, Moses’s sister in Numbers 12: “Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife. They also grumbled by saying, ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ The Lord heard this. At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, ‘Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.’ The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow.”

Spiritual leprosy is the sin of gossip, lies that ruin people’s reputations, or being a false witness. It brings about corruption and death, and it not only separates us from God, but it also separates us from the body of Yeshua. Matthew 18:15-17 tells us, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation. If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as an unbeliever and a tax collector.”

We have an obligation to keep God’s sanctuary clean and holy, or else it will become corrupt and death will overtake it. Today, so many churches are dying for just this reason, because spiritual leprosy has contaminated it. Today, there are people who sit in the sanctuary that have unrepented sin. We must remember that God is holy and we are to be holy—pure and holy. Romans 7:24-25 says, “Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Yeshua the Messiah our Master.” Only Yeshua can cleanse our souls. Only He can take away the stain of sin because He took our sin upon Himself, and by His shed blood we are now made clean (tahor). He is our sacrifice that cleanses us and makes us clean so that we can once again come into God’s presence. God’s laws are not obsolete just because we say they are. God has not changed. Sin is still sin and unclean is still unclean. Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”

Do you suffer from leprosy? Maybe your words or thoughts or actions have made you unclean. Are you washed in the blood of Messiah, or are you still unclean because you think you do not need to repent? Sin begets sin. It is like leaven, your sins will increase and multiply and grow. Come make yourself clean. As 1 John 3:3 tells us, “ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as He is pure.”

We read in Revelation 18, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” What is the Bible talking about when it is referring to Babylon the Great? We are going to take a closer look at Babylon because it has been such a mystery throughout the generations, and it seems to be a central focal point of the Revelation. We want to look at how the Babylonian Empire began, but first we need to start with Noah.

Ancient Babylon

Noah knew God because of Adam, because Adam was still alive during the time of Noah. The Bible tells us in

Genesis 6:9 that Noah was a righteous man and a preacher of righteousness. But we also know from God’s Word that not everyone knew God. These people perished in the flood. From the epic creation poem Gilgamesh, we learn how man survived a Great Flood. The Biblical account of creation and the flood told by these ancient Mesopotamian religions are very close except for the mention of the One True God. Though the only survivors of the flood were Noah and his family, that did not stop the Evil One from continuing to tempt people into idol worship. Genesis 10 gives us the complete account of the new world after the flood. In verses 8-9 it tells us, “Cush (the son of Ham, the son of Noah) was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar.” So we see that Babylon had its beginning after the flood, and Nimrod was the first ruler of what would become a great nation. The capital of ancient Babylon was Babel, and we know from the Bible what took place in Babel. Genesis 11:3-4 tells us, “They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower (a ziggurat) that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” God saw this and He confused their language so that people could not come together as one people for purposes of power, and as we see they wanted a name for themselves, not for God. We see here the beginnings of Secular Humanism, the worship of self as a god, for we all now become gods and so we have no need of the One True God. We see that God scattered the people, the very thing that they did not want to happen. Since the Tower of Babel, people have gone out to conquer lands for the purpose of power and might. Ancient Babylon was about 55 miles south of modern day Baghdad. Babylon was ruled by Hammurabi after Nimrod. Hammurabi was an Amorite—a Semitic group of people that settled in Mesopotamia in about 2000 BC.

Hammurabi had his own code of laws and religion. We see that many of Hammurabi’s laws are still in effect today, such as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and cutting off one’s hand for stealing. Hammurabi built Babylon to be a great city with intersecting roads and canals. Hammurabi had the people build many temples to many gods. They built temples called ziggurats. One of their chief gods was called Marduk. Shamash was the name of the sun god. From the Enuma Elish, the epic poem of this ancient religion, we learn how Marduk becomes the chief god. The people eventually called him “Bel,” which means “lord.” The Bible tells us that Abraham was from the town of Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur was a city south of Babylon, which is in the modern state of Iraq. Ur could have been called Urak originally as it tells us in Genesis 10:10, listing it as one of Cush’s original kingdoms. We know that Abram’s family worshiped all of the idol gods of Mesopotamia. Abram and his wife left with his father Terah and his brother Nahor and his wife and Lot the son of Haran to go to Canaan, but they only went as far as Haran, which was on the border of modern day Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, and settled there (Genesis 11:13). It was from there that God called Abram to leave his country and relatives to go to the land that God would show him. It was here that Abram and Sarai left to serve the One True Living God, a God that he did not totally know. It is here that God tells the first of His chosen to flee what came to be known as the Babylonian Empire. So let’s take a closer look at the religion of Babylon and how it got its beginning.

The History of Mystery Babylon’s Humanistic Religion

Humanism has its roots all the way back to when the Evil One spoke this in his heart, as we see in Isaiah 14:1-2, “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! . . . You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” “How you have fallen,” and he did fall. The Evil One, the Devil, Satan himself, now was on a quest to bring people to himself and to be their god and to have them worship him. He was there in the Garden of Eden when he spoke to Eve as recorded in Genesis 3:1-5, “He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’” When Eve responds, he continues, “‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

Here it is: “You will be like God.” Humanism is the belief that we are all gods. At the Tower of Babel the people did not build to bring honor to God but to themselves. If we are not living for God then we are living for ourselves, and the worship of ourselves is the worship of the Evil One. When Yeshua (Jesus) was tested in the wilderness, what did He say to him, as we see in Matthew 4:8-10? “Yeshua said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’” The Father of Lies has been telling a lie from the beginning—that we can be gods. We hear it today: “You deserve a break today,” “You owe it to yourself,” “You earned it,” “If it feels good do it,” “Experience all that life has to offer.” In Genesis we see that the lie he spoke to Eve was that it is okay to question the Word of God, that man cannot trust God because God lies. Satan lied when he said, “We can be like God,” “We all can be gods,” “If God cannot be trusted then He is not supreme and therefore there are no absolutes, no morals, no truth, and so this now allows us to rebel against God, because God was and is the liar.” We are now free from all restraints. Humanism’s emphasis is on secular concerns: “I am the center of the universe.” We have replaced the Word of God with science, philosophy, and man’s reason. We seek for man’s enlightenment and knowledge. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:1-4, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” So what do Humanists believe? Let’s take a look at their own manifesto. In 1933, the Humanist Manifesto I was published. Here are 15 key points: 1. It begins with there is no Creator; 2. Man is an animal and all life is a product of evolution; 3. Man has no immortal soul so there is no future judgment; 4. Religion is a by-product of evolution and social development. Secular humanism must replace outdated concepts as in Christianity and Judaism; 5. There are no absolute values; 6. Humanism rejects all religious morals and concepts of right and wrong; 7. Humanism is a religion; 8. Humanists are social engineers out to remake the world in their image; 9. Humanists want to create a heaven on earth through collectivistic (communist) socialistic utopia; 10. In that socialistic amoral utopia there is no room for traditional religion of any kind; 11. There is no faith or hope beyond this present world; 12. There can be no restraints put on humans in their pursuit for sensual pleasure (hedonism); 13. There is an emphasis on living for the moment; 14. Traditional religion and religious expression must give way to a global humanistic one world religion; 15. Humanists have a collectivistic/Marxist view of economics. In 1973 the Humanist Manifesto II was published with an updated blueprint for a new One World Order. Even though the manifesto was updated, not much has changed because Humanism was founded upon principles of self-empowerment, critical thinking, reason, curiosity, and doing good for the sake of the other. Humanism requires no authoritarian figures to control one’s thinking or motivate one’s actions because what is right for me may not be right for you. Today all restraints are off, and the Humanist feels empowered and free. The global effort has begun to control governments and laws and has even affected modern-day religious thought; the years of pushing their ideas in the world of academia and the media with Hollywood at its side, about this new age of “the Human Right” and “Social Justice” and basically this: “All for one and one for all.” Socialism and even Communism that they have been pushing for decades has begun to pay off. Even if we realize it or not, Secular Humanism, or should I say the religion of Babylon, has played a part throughout history. We have seen the breakdown of every area of our lives. History has been repeating itself over and over again, but with greater influence as the population has exploded over the centuries. We see Paul’s words to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:1-4) about how the people will be in the end times is totally correct. Our walk with God has become cold. We see, in Revelation 2-3, Yeshua telling the 7 churches that they need to come back to their first love and do the things they did at first. He tells them they are holding onto the teachings of Baal and the Nicolatians (Humanism) and committing acts of immorality. They were tolerating the false prophetess Jezebel (Humanist teachings) who was leading them astray to commit immorality. Yeshua calls it Satanic teaching. He tells them that they are soiling their garments. They thought they were alive, but actually they were dead. Yeshua calls it all a lie. He tells them that they are lukewarm and that He will spit them out. They think that they are rich but they are poor, miserable, and naked. He tells them that they need to repent. This was for the church then and this is for the church now. Satan’s counterfeit religion has come through the ages, and he has taken down so many before us because he is so crafty.

Today, the world has a lot to offer, especially here in America. The church is not even close to what it was in the previous centuries. We have fallen into Humanism if we realize it or not. So many people believe that they no longer need the Ten Commandments. So many people are into social justice that they believe that they, and not God, need to bring about an equal world. Today the church is seeker-friendly and so politically correct that sin and repentance are no longer preached. We believe that we can not fall from grace, even though we see in the parables of Yeshua that that is not correct. The door will be closed to many who think they are standing but are not. Yeshua tells us in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” We may go to church or to Bible studies, but do we seek God out for His will in our lives? Do we pray when we need to make a decision to find out what God thinks about it? I have known people who prayed for God to open a door, and when several doors opened they believed that it was God opening every door, and so they chose whichever job had the better pay, never considering to ask God His will. This is all Humanism. We must learn to seek God out and to pray things through, and that takes time and even perseverance, waiting upon God and trusting Him. But if we do not, then we rely on our own intuition or our own resources, and that is all Humanism. Whenever we leave God out of our lives or when He is not the center of our lives, then that is Humanism. When we live outside of His Word, it is Humanism. When we start to think that something is owed to us, that is Humanism. We cannot earn anything because God is the one who gives us everything, and when we start to think differently, that is Humanism. So we must beware lest we fall. Examine yourself to see if you are still in the faith as 1 Corinthians 13:5 tells us, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Messiah Yeshua is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”

In the previous brochure we saw how Mystery Babylon and its religion began. Now let’s go to the Book of Revelation and see just how this false religion will coexist with the antichrist. Revelation 13:1-10 tells us this about him: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”

This beast is Babylon, a powerful, one-world government system by which its people are ruled by Humanism. Their king, who is worshiped and considered as God, is the antichrist, Satan himself. There will be a time of persecution like none other, a darkness upon the earth like never before. We have seen the beginning of this even today with hundreds of true believers suffering persecution and martyrdom every day all around the world. Antisemitism is also on the rise, and more and more Jewish people are finding their Messiah Yeshua as the Gentile age comes to a close. But one day, Babylon the Great will come to an end with all those who worshiped the beast and took part in her sins.

Revelation 13:11-18 tells us this: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had the power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred sixty and six.”

Revelation 17:3-7 goes on to say, “Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Yeshua. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: ‘Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.’”

Who is Babylon that the kings and the inhabitants of the earth will have this adulterated affair with her? And second, what are these waters by which she sits?

God’s Word always interprets the Scriptures, and so we should not go outside of that interpretation. The Scripture gives us a riddle. Revelation 17:8-18 explains, “‘The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come. This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers.’ Then the angel said to me, ‘The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.’”

Many people over the years have thought that the ten horns were ten nations and those ten nations made up the return of the Roman Empire. It is not so important to understand or to know who these ten kings are or where these seven hills are or who the antichrist is. These things will be revealed in due time, but what is important is the call to come out from Babylon, because this one-world government along with its Humanistic false religion will be judged with everyone who has fallen into her trap.

Revelation 17:1-2 tells us, “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’”

Revelation 18:1-8, “After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted: ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.’ Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given, pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, “I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.” Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.’”

You may think that all of this won’t happen in your life time, and yet we already have a global system in place. We have a world court, and agriculture, and a world bank, and a global stock market, and a world army in the UN, and with the internet we have global commerce, and I could go on and on. All we need is for one person to rise up and rule it all. Humanism is now in the church. Today there are many preachers who do not even believe what they preach. They believe in same-sex marriage, they believe in abortion, they do not believe in a final judgment. They believe that God is only love and that He will not judge us or condemn us.

Every denomination has made concessions and compromises to their creed of faith. Yes, every denomination. The heads of faith from all over the world have signed agreements, and heads of universities also.

Does your life bring glory to God? Do you walk in holiness as He is holy? Do you live a godly life reflected by the keeping of God’s commands according to his Word? Yeshua tells us in Matthew 12:36, “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” The only way that you can know if you are not under the trap of Secular Humanism is if you have made God the center for your whole life, as He tells us in Matthew 6:19-21, 24, 31-33: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. . . . For no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. . . . Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

If you have fallen into the trap of Humanism, repent and come back to your first love, or else as God tells us, “Flee, Flee Babylon,” for she will fall, and you will fall with her.

Our Heavenly Father is always looking and watching over us. Nothing is hidden from His sight. Nothing happens that He is not aware of. He sees all and He knows all, but like a mother He comforts us. The Bible tells us this in so many passages, and this is what we are going to take a closer look at.

Hebrews 4:13 tells us, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we must give an account.”

2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us, “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”

Zechariah 4:10 says, “So these seven are the eyes of the Lord that range to and fro over all the earth.”

Job 31:4 tells us, “Does He not see my ways and number all my steps?”

Jeremiah 16:17 tells us, “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes.”

Jeremiah 23:24 says, “‘Can anyone hide from Me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?’ says the LORD.”

We could go on and on but I think we see that God has a watchful eye on us. We see this analogy in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11- 32), that this father, who represents our Heavenly Father, watched continually for the return of his son, which represents us; and when he spotted him coming afar off he went running to him. We too were once afar off and our Heavenly Father ran to us and brought us near. Ephesians 2:13 tells us, “But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah.” This son in the parable actually became an enemy to his father. You say, “How so?” This story was told in the day when it would have actually meant that when the son asked his father for his inheritance, he would have actually been saying to his father, “I wish you were dead.” But remember, the father here represents our Heavenly Father, and the son represents us, and Scripture tells us in Romans 5:8-10, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.”

The father, when he sees his son returning home after squandering his inheritance on loose living, runs to him and has the fatted calf prepared and he puts on him a robe and ring and shoes to represent that his son is not a hired hand or a slave but his birthright child. It is such a loving picture of God, who never loses sight of us and is always ready to bring us back into the fold, like the son in the parable who realizes his sin against his father and that he is now separated from him and says to himself that he will return and repent and ask for forgiveness. Our Heavenly Father waits for us when we sin to repent and run back to Him. For He too has made the way for us to be brought near, and He places a robe on us, and a ring, and shoes on our feet, and He too has slaughtered His precious Son Yeshua, the Lamb, and celebrates our return. Luke 15:7 says, “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

But so often we think that we do not need to repent of our sins. We think that we do not need to humbly come before our Heavenly Father and ask for forgiveness. We see here by the Scriptures that God sees all and He knows our iniquity and that we will one day give an account. The Scriptures tell us that we need to humbly walk with our God. Micah 6:8 tells us, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” James 4:4-10 says, “So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy. Or do you think the Scripture means nothing when it says, ‘The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning’? But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’ So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.”

God loves us, and so He must discipline us so that we will not wander off. Hebrews 12:6-11 tells us, “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God is always watching over us, like a shepherd who watches over his flock, a staff in one hand and a sword in the other to discipline and protect his sheep. Psalm 131:1-2 tells it best, “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself. I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content”—God our Father, and yet like our mother.

Will we refuse God today? Yeshua cried out about Jerusalem in Luke 13:34, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” Let us today know that God our Father is always watching over us and He loves us and like a mother He wants to bring us to Himself. How about you? Are you going to be like the prodigal son and repent and come running back to the Father? Are you going to let God gather you into His arms and place a robe and ring and shoes on your feet? Because He has slaughtered the precious Lamb Yeshua to wash you clean and make you a restored child of God.

1. The High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashanah. There are five names for this holiday:

• Usually it is called Rosh Hashanah, which means “head of the year.” This day marks the beginning of the new civil year. It is also the head of all years: the traditional belief is that the world was created on Rosh Hashanah.
• The Bible calls this day Yom Teruah, which could be translated as “the day of blowing,” or “the feast of trumpets” (Numbers 29:1). Another similar title is Zichron Teruah, which means “a remembrance of blowing” (Leviticus 23:24). These names indicate that this is a festival for blowing trumpets. As Psalm 89:15 says, “Blessed are the people who know the sound of the teruah, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face.” (See also Psalm 98:6)
• Another name for this day is Yom HaDin, “the day of judgment.” The traditional belief is that on this day, God opens the heavenly courts of justice to determine everyone’s fate for the coming year. This is a picture of the final judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15).
• It is also called Yom HaZikaron, “the day of remembrance.” The previous name of this day leads to this one: since on this day we bring to mind God as Judge of the universe, we ought to take time to remember our deeds over the past year and repent of any sins we have committed (1 Corinthians 10:12;
  2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 John 1:9).
• One final name for this day is Yom HaKeseh, “the day of concealment” or “the hidden day.” When we repent, God forgives and in a sense conceals our sins. Additionally, this speaks of the second coming of Yeshua, which is hidden in the sense that the day and hour it will occur is unknown (Matthew 24:36).

2. In 1 Corinthians 15:52, Paul says that the dead will be raised when the last trumpet is blown (see also Matthew 24:30-31). This is a theme associated with Rosh Hashanah.

3. Today is a day for celebrating the coronation of God as King of the universe. This is a consequence of this day’s association with creation. Before God could be King of the universe, He had to create it; once He created it, He became its Ruler. When Yeshua returns, He will then be crowned King Messiah and His Kingship will be complete (Daniel 7:13-14; Zechariah 14:9; Matthew 2:2; Revelation 19:11-16).

4. The sound of the shofar is supposed to spiritually awaken the one who hears it. The traditional prayer in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah is, “Awake, you who are sleepy, and ponder your deeds” (Romans 13:11; Ephesians 5:14). This awakening is associated with resurrection (Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:20;
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).

5. Apples dipped in honey are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah. The sweetness of these two foods combined is a fitting taste to celebrate the anticipated sweetness of the new year (Psalm 19:10; 34:8).

6. A ceremony that takes place on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah is called Tashlich, which means “casting off.” Families or congregations will go down to a body of flowing water, such as a river or lake, and cast small stones, representing specific sins, into the water. This is meant to invoke Micah 7:19, which says, “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Just as the water sweeps the stones away from us, so too Jesus “appeared in order to take away sins” (1 John 3:5).

7. Rosh Hashanah is part of a period of time called Teshuvah, which is the Hebrew word for “repentance.” This is a time where we prepare ourselves for the High Holy Days by praying, focusing inward on our deeds, and recognizing the things we need to leave behind in the new year (Matthew 3:8; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Philippians 1:6, 3:12-16).

8. On the tenth day after Rosh Hashanah is the next of the High Holy Days, called Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. The ten-day period between the two is called the Days of Awe, since it is believed that this time of year is when God is especially attentive toward mankind. This closeness naturally ought to invoke feelings of reverence and awe as we seek to encounter God and be changed by Him, as Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” It is traditional to make a special effort during this time to reconcile ourselves to God and to the people around us (Matthew 5:23-24; Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).

9. Yom Kippur was the only day of the year when the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, in order to make atonement for the people of Israel. Likewise, Yeshua entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven in order to make atonement for us once and for all (Hebrews 9:24-26).

10. Fasting from food and water is one of the commandments for Yom Kippur, based on an interpretation of Leviticus 23:29, “For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people.” The New Testament gives us some additional insight about the spiritual discipline of fasting (Matthew 6:16-18).

The Fall Feasts are not like the Spring Feasts, because the Spring Feasts have to do with Yeshua’s (Jesus’) first coming and have been fulfilled, but the Fall Feasts have to do with His second coming, and so far we are still waiting and preparing for His coming. Today we are going to look at the ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These ten days are considered the holiest time of the year, the time when God and man are closest together, and for this reason they are called the Days of Awe. During these ten days, you blow the shofar (a trumpet made of a ram’s horn) and give a reason for blowing it. We are going to look at why these ten reasons are important in the life of a believer and how important it is to be prepared.

The yearly reminder of the Fall Feasts causes us to examine ourselves and allows God to open our eyes and our hearts to those areas in our lives that we need to change and even those sins that need to be repented of. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Messiah Yeshua is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” And Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:10-11, speaking of godliness, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Messiah Yeshua.”

The First Reason

The first reason is taken from Psalm 98:6, “With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King.” The trumpet is blown to signal the beginning reign of a king. We know that our King Yeshua will sit on the throne of King David for one-thousand years, and on that day that He is crowned King the trumpet will blow.

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17).

“Which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15).

“And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!'” (Revelation 15:3).

“And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS'” (Revelation 19:16).

“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).

The Second Reason

The second reason is a call to repentance, as it is said: “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). Whoever wants to repent—let him repent and turn to the Lord, the Creator.

Every king has a kingdom, and we know that Yeshua went about teaching repentance, for Matthew 4:17 tells us, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.'”

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

“Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5).

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).

The Third Reason

The third reason is a reminder of Mt. Sinai when they all entered into the covenant with God by saying, “We will do and we will be obedient” (Exodus 24:7).

Yeshua tells us in John 14:15, “If you love Me keep My commandments.”

Philippians 3:10-11 says, “That I may know Him (as in a covenant relationship) and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Philippians 3:12b-16 continues, “I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Messiah Yeshua. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

“For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15). We have been called to obedience and that obedience calls us to walk in the footsteps of our Messiah.

To enter into covenant with Messiah, we must not only be obedient, but we must know Him, for we are His Bride. Like a bride-groom enters into a covenant with his bride, this is how deep and wide we need to know our Messiah.

The Fourth Reason

The fourth reason is to remind us of the words of the prophets that were compared to the sound of the shofar, as it is said: “Then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away . . . But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life” (Ezekiel 33:4-5).

We are in a spiritual battle that we fight while we wait for the coming of our King. Yeshua tells us to be ready and to keep watch in Matthew 24:42-44, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

As we wait for our King, we must not only be ready but we must proclaim all that we hear Him speak to us. Yes, we are the trumpet that must sound. Yeshua tells us in Matthew 10:27, “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

As we wait and as we proclaim, we fight, as Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

And to fight that fight, we must put on the armor, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:10-20: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

We fight a spiritual battle every moment of every day. The shofar gives us our battle cry. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

The Fifth Reason

The fifth reason is to remind us of the destruction of the temple and the sound of the battle cries of the enemies, as it is said, “Because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war” (Jeremiah 4:19).

When we hear the sound of the shofar, we are reminded of His temple. Today, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

The enemy can destroy our temple, and so we must heed the sound of the trumpet, as 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 tells us, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Messiah and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’ And, ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'”

The Sixth Reason

The sixth reason is to remind us of the binding of Isaac, as it is said, “Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.” (Genesis 22:13). We should offer our lives to be sacrificed through Messiah, and thus we will be remembered by God.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We are told again by Paul in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Messiah and I no longer live, but Messiah lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Yeshua tells us in Matthew 16:25, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

The Seventh Reason

When we will hear the blowing of the shofar, we will be fearful, and will tremble, and we will humble ourselves before the Creator, for that is the nature of the shofar: it causes fear and trembling, as it is written, “If a trumpet is blown in the city, will not the people tremble?” (Amos 3:6).

In the book of Joel, which is a harbinger of things to come, we read exactly this in Joel 2:1-2: “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.” Peter tells us this in Acts 2:20-21 on the day of Pentecost: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Joel 2:15-17 continues, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, ‘Spare Your people, Lord. Do not make Your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, “Where is their God?”‘”

The Eighth Reason

The eighth reason is to recall the day of the great judgment and to be fearful of it, as it is said:, “Near is the great day of the Lord, near and coming very quickly . . . A day of trumpet and battle cry” (Zephaniah 1:14-16).

In John 5:28-29 Yeshua tells us this: “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

As Romans 14:10-12 says, “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Likewise, 2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Revelation 17:14 says, “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”

The Ninth Reason

The ninth reason is to remind us of the ingathering of the scattered ones of Israel that we ardently desire, as it is said: “It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who are perishing in the land of Assyria… will come and worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:13).

Yeshua tells us in Matthew 24:31, “And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

Matthew 24:36-42 tells us about the ingathering: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

In 1 Thessalonians 5:4 we are told that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night: “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.”

Again, Revelation 16:15 tells us, “Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are awaiting Me, who keep their robes in readiness and will not need to walk naked and ashamed.”

The Tenth Reason

The tenth reason is to remind us of the resurrection of the dead, as it is said, “All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, as soon as a standard is raised on the mountain, you will see it, and as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it” (Isaiah 18:3).

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 says, “For if we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Yeshua. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Messiah will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

And 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 says, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.'”

Conclusion

So we have seen that the Biblical Feasts of Spring and Fall are important to keep because they are God’s Appointed Times. The Day of Atonement is the holiest day of them all because this day represents the day that the books will be opened.

Revelation 20:12 tells us, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”

Revelation 19:6-9 says, “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure’—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'”

So now that we know, let us blow our shofar not only for the New Year, but in anticipation of our coming King Yeshua.

We are quickly coming into the time of year when things begin to change. Although the weather tells us that it is definitely still summer, there are subtle changes in the air which signal something to come. It’s a transitional period. Of course, the exact timing of these shifts in weather may vary from year to year. However, one thing that remains annually consistent is the beginning of the Fall Feasts. The first day of the seventh month, according to the Biblical calendar, is called Rosh Hashana. It is the new year, and thus it is a time of new beginnings. As the old year fades into the past, it is the hope that the negative aspects of our old self will not be carried with us into the new year. This attitude is carried forward and intensified as we prepare for the next Appointed Time ten days later, Yom Kippur: the holiest day of the year. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement—the day when God convenes His heavenly courtroom and opens the books in which are written our deeds. It is a yearly prefiguration of the final judgment, when our eternal fate will rest on whether our names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

As a means of seeking to attain this goal of changing for the better in the new year, and additionally in order to spiritually prepare for the Day of Atonement, it is traditional in Judaism to devote the preceding forty days to a special period of contemplation and prayer. The period between the first day of the sixth month and Yom Kippur is thus known as the Forty Days of Repentance. It is a time to consider one’s deeds and make a concentrated effort to awake from spiritual complacency.

This call to awakening is symbolized by the daily blowing of a ram’s horn trumpet, called a shofar. After the horn is blown, the following prayer is said:

“Awake, you that are sleepy, and ponder your deeds; remember your Creator and go to Him for forgiveness. Don’t be like those who miss reality in their hunt after shadows and waste your years in seeking after vain things which can neither profit nor deliver. Look well to your souls and consider your deeds; let each one of you forsake his evil ways and thoughts, and return unto the Lord so that He may have mercy on you.”

You may not own a shofar yourself, but you can still participate. You can find audio of shofar calls on YouTube or elsewhere online. In a pinch, any other kind of trumpet will suffice, or use your imagination. Once every day from now until Yom Kippur (September 28, 2020), listen to the sound of the shofar and recognize it as a call to attention, an awakening from spiritual slothfulness. Then say the prayer above and do what it says, considering your deeds and repenting in each of those specific areas the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. We believe that you will find this to be a blessed and transformative experience.

During these days, you may find it helpful to meditate on a few of these Scripture verses:

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Messiah will shine on you.’ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:11-16)

“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:11-12)

“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5-8)

“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15)