G-D's Perfect Law

Messianic Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Moshe

It is Sunday morning. Minister Johnson climbs onto the podium, turns to Romans 10:4, and proclaims good news by announcing, "The Savior paid it all. We are free from those Old Testament regulations and now are under grace through faith alone!"

Many in nominal worship today believe and proclaim this same message — that Yeshua HaMoshiach (Jesus the Messiah) has "nailed the Law to the cross." How much of this belief is true, however? Has the Law been nailed to the stake or does G-D’s Law remain in effect for His New Testament believers?

Before we move forward, please keep in mind that we must look at the Scriptures as one path from beginning to end (see my earlier study “The Ark and the Cross”). Now, let us examine some popular New Testament passages cited by those who would abolish G-D’s (Biblical) law.

What Was Added?

Many point to a passage in Colossians as proof that Yeshua did away with the Old Testament Laws. Here Paul writes, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his stake" (Col. 2:14).

With an understanding of the Greek word "ordinances" in this verse, we find another meaning. The Greek word here is No. 1378, dogma. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Greek Dictionary defines dogma as: "from the base 1380; a law (civil, cerem., or eccl.): — decree, ordinance." Dogma is found seven times in the New Testament and refers to man-made decrees. One authority writes, "As the form of error at Colosse was largely Judaic, insisting on Jewish ceremonial law, the phrase is probably colored by this fact," Word Studies in the New Testament, p. 908.

Thus, dogma here is not signifying G-D’s Law, but man-made decrees or ordinances. Paul was referring to the added law (oral laws), which our brothers the Jews tacked on to G-D’s HOLY Laws. We find the Apostle Paul warning Titus of this added law in Titus 1:14: "Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth." Notice that this said nothing about G-D’s laws.

G-D was not always pleased with these added laws. Yeshua chastised the Jews in Matthew 15 and Mark 8 for their "commandments of men," which here meant eating with unwashed hands. The Jews made many physical commandments, but they neglected the spiritual aspect of G-D’s Law, and that is what displeased Yeshua (Jesus).

The Telos of the Law

In Romans 10:4 we have a passage that is misconstrued by a majority of preachers today. "For Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes."

On the surface it may appear as if Yeshua ended the law for everyone when He died on the execution cross. Does that harmonize with the rest of G-D’s Holy Word, however? Are we now living lawlessly? If so, then we have no sin because "sin is not imputed when there is no law," Romans 5:13. But that cannot be, because Paul also wrote, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of G-D," Romans 3:23. Is something missing here that most don’t see?

The Greek word for "end" in this passage is telos, and telos is defined in Strong’s Greek Dictionary as: "to set out for a definite point or goal, the point aimed at as a limit" — No. 5056.

With this in mind, the word "end" found in Romans 10:4 SHOULD be translated as its Aramaic counterpart “Sakah” as "goal." We find a better rendition of this verse in the Jewish New Testament (by David Stern), which reads, "For the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah who offers righteousness to everyone who trusts."

The same Greek word telos is translated "end" in James 5:11: "…you have seen the end [telos] of G-D." Has G-D come to an end? Of course not, and neither has the law. Both G-D and the law have goals, not ending points. We will now look at an important goal of the law.

No Longer Under a Schoolmaster

Paul is saying that only through the Law can we know Messiah, but after we have come to the knowledge of Yeshua we no longer need a schoolmaster, because the Law is part of us now, as is the Messiah.

In the Greek culture a schoolmaster was a paidagogos, a trustworthy slave who had the guardianship of the boys of a household. They needed him for guidance and instruction while they were young. But after they grew up, they lived by the precepts he taught them. It became second nature to do what they had been taught. They would no longer need the schoolmaster once they learned "the rules." This is the point Paul was making with the law. A similar example would be: an airline pilot would no longer need his instructor once he successfully completed his training. However, if he decided to ignore the rules and laws of air travel in mid-air, he would soon come crashing down along with his flight crew and everyone else on board the plane.

Through faith we comply with G-D’s will automatically. His precepts and laws are now part of us. We no longer need a strict schoolmaster guiding our every thought and action because doing the right thing is second nature.

Now, the Aramaic differs somewhat from the Greek text, and because I do believe in the Aramaic primacy of the Brit Chadashah (New Testament), it is only fair that I solidify that we are to keep the law through not only the Greek aspect, but the Aramaic as well.

3:23 ad la din tatheh haymanutha namusa nater hava leyn kad khevisshin

l'haymanutha d'aitida havat l'meytglayo

Before but came faith Torah guarding was us while we were confined from faith about to be revealed.

But before faith came Torah was guarding us, while we were confined from the faith about to be revealed.

3:24 namusa hakiyl taraa hava l'an lvat Meshikha damin haymanutha netzedekh

The Torah therefore tutor was for us going towards the Messiah that us by faith be justified.

The Torah was therefore a tutor for us, going towards the Messiah, that we, by faith, might be justified.

3:25 kad atha din haymanutha leh havin tehit taraa

Since come but faith not we under tutors.

But since faith came, we are no longer under tutors.

Here, in the Aramaic, instead of Greek singular use of schoolmaster, the word Tutors is used. Aramaic reads tutors, and the plural form is intended because Aramaic uses the same word for singular and plural forms. But by saying tutors (the plural form), Paul is taking a direct shot at the Pharisees who as “teachers of the law” added their own rules that in effect, placed a fence around the Torah, which made the laws grievous like a heavy yoke of bondage or slavery. There is also clearly a word play between the Taraa (tutors) who locked the Torah away behind their own dogmas/rabbinical fences, and the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) who said “I am the Tarea (door)”. In other words, Paul is reminding us how Yeshua opened the door, not to just bring the Gentiles in, but to also free the Jews from the bondage of the Pharisees who sit in Moshes (Moses) seat (MT 23:1). Paul has contrasted the true tutor of Torah pointing to the Messiah, against the Pharisees who remained as tutors to their traditions and rejected the Messiah. So then, clearly, we are to follow the Torah and should we not, we will miss our mark and miss our goal.

Lawkeeping in the New Testament

Yeshua and many of His faithful disciples not only show that the Law has NOT been annulled, but they also express for it a deep love.

In Matthew 5:17-19 Yeshua says that those who keep and teach G-D’s Law will have great treasures in G-D’s Kingdom: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Yeshua came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill or complete it, as the Greek indicates. Yeshua said those who uphold and teach the Law will be blessed with honorable positions in the Kingdom, but those who refuse to keep it and teach others the same fallacy of non-obedience will not be blessed and will not inherit any position.

Yeshua was not the only advocate for G-D’s Law. We find the Apostle Paul, who is usually cited as being against the law, in Romans 3:31 in fact promoting law-keeping: "Do we then make void the law through faith? G-D forbid: yea, we establish the law." Paul never said that G-D’s Law wasn’t important. Many will say that all we need is faith. Paul says that we need both faith and law. We are not to throw out the Law because of faith, but as Paul says we are to establish it within our lives.

In Romans 7 we find the Apostle Paul again promoting G-D’s Law: "Know you not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?...What shall we say then? is the law sin? G-D forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet...Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Rom. 7:1, 7, 12).

Paul Advocates Old Testament Law

Paul says that the Law has dominion or authority over us till death, just as marriage does between two people. He also says that without the Law we would not know sin. Paul concludes these passages by not diminishing the Law, but by giving it the highest honor.

In one New Testament Passage we find the Apostle Paul using the Law of Moses to convey his own message to young Timothy. "For the scripture says, You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward" (1Tim. 5:18). His using such an example indicates that Paul taught and promoted the Old Testament Laws as authority, meaning the basis for New Testament teachings. Both of these laws can be traced back to the Torah (instructions; first five books of the Old Testament):

· "You shalt not muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn" (Deut. 25:4).

· "The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with you all night until the morning" (Lev. 19:13).

In Acts 24 Paul is standing before Felix, the governor of Judea. Paul is being accused of following and even promoting a division among the Jews. In truth, Paul never rebuked the Jewish faith, but proclaimed that he followed all that his ancestors taught. "But this I confess unto you, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the G-D of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets" (Acts 24:14).

In the governor’s attempt to condemn the Apostle, Paul not only says that he believes, but also unmistakably advocates the Law and the Prophets. If he believed in the Law and the Prophets, he clearly would have been observing both. The Law here includes all five books of the Torah, while the Prophets indicates the entire collection of the Old Testament prophets and all that they taught about G-D’s will through His law.

Obviously, Paul never uprooted the Law, but had great respect and love for it. He realized its benefits. He knew that the only way to know right from wrong was by G-D’s holy standards inspired in the first five books of His Word. What would we use for knowing right from wrong if G-D’s Law were annulled? And lest we forget, what we know as the New Testament was not even written at the time and the only “Bible” they had was what we call the Tanakh (Old Testament). It was commonly referred to as “the Scriptures”.

A Litmus Test for Righteousness

The Law was not given to mankind to save us, but simply to show us right from wrong. In Romans 3:20 we see that without these standards we would live in a world with utter chaos. "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

We are also warned of breaking Moses’ Law in Hebrews 10: "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of Elohim, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that has said, Vengeance belongs unto me, I will recompense, says G-D. And again, G-D shall judge his people" (Heb. 10:26-30).

Notice that the writer of Hebrews very plainly says that once we have come to the knowledge of the truth, there is no more remedy for sins committed thereafter. This is a dreadful thought.

The writer of Hebrews continues by stating that those who break Moses’ Law, which was received through G-D, will have a greater judgment than those of the Old Testament. This contradicts the man-made notion of a New Testament based on grace and faith alone. Salvation involves more than a simple proclaiming faith and grace to all those who believe. Salvation requires an action — obedience.

We find this confirmed in Hebrews 5:9: "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." Yeshua, the author of salvation, offers the gift of salvation only to those who obey G-D’s Word. We cannot just believe or say that we have faith, but must act on our faith by obedience.

By observing His Law we demonstrate to G-D that we want to obey and serve Him. In 1John 5:3 we read that if we love G-D we will obey His commandments. "For this is the love of G-D, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

This passage is important to understand because the message goes much deeper than most realize. We not only show love by keeping G-D’s commandments, but we must also keep them out of a deep-down desire to serve Him. His commandments must be so desirable that they never seem grievous to us.

If they are grievous, then we have defeated the purpose of observing G-D’s Torah. G-D’s Law is to shape and mold us into G-D’s own character. Any negative feelings toward His law amount to resistance of that goal. G-D’s standards are a reflection of His own morals and ethics. Why should He not want us to have the same nature as He does?

Faith Alone Is Not Enough

In the Book of James we find Yeshua’s brother unequivocally promoting law keeping for G-D’s people.

"What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit? Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one Elohim (Lord); you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:14-19).

James asks a crucial question for any believer: What good is it if we have faith but no works? It’s like a vehicle with no gasoline, it travels nowhere. Our salvation works the same way. With faith and works we are promised G-D’s kingdom; however, without either of the two our salvation comes to a halt, with no gasoline to continue.

James also said that even the demons believe in Yeshua’s existence, but just having this belief does not make them worthy of G-D’s Kingdom. They have neither works nor an obedient heart.

Obedience as Well as Faith

Three noteworthy passages are found in the Book of Revelation. The first is the prophecy of the woman, meaning the Assembly, being taken into the wilderness for protection from the adversary. "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of G-D, and have the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah" (Rev. 12:17).

Notice what distinguishes G-D’s people. Two characteristics define G-D’s “true” saints: keeping of G-D’s commandments, and having faith in Yeshua. By these two characteristics G-D’s expectations for His people are clearly defined.

We find these two attributes again in Revelation 14:12. "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of G-D, and the faith of Yeshua."

G-D defines His Saints as those that are keeping His commandments and having faith in Yeshua the Messiah. Very simply, these two elements are essential for a believer, for without them we will not have access to G-D’s magnificent Kingdom.

In the last chapter of the Bible G-D warns us once again of the need for keeping His commandments. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14).

Here at the end of the Bible G-D clearly says that keeping His commandments is a requirement for entering His glorious Kingdom. G-D will only accept those with an obedient and humble heart. A heart that never wavers from Him, but stays true to the end.

Every word that now comprises the Old and New Testaments is for our benefit. However, please do keep in mind that the Bible that Yeshua and the disciples read was NOT the Bible we know of today. The New Testament did not even exist at that time. Yeshua and all those living in that time period only had use of the Tanakh (the Old Testament) which they referred to as “the Scriptures”. So Paul’s comments here are reflected toward the Tanakh (Old Testament) as he explains the importance of the Old Testament in 2 Timothy 3:16: "All scripture is given by inspiration of G-D, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

Every utterance that G-D has given is profitable in some way. Whether it be reproof, correction, or instruction, G-D’s Word has a place in each of our lives. It instructs us to righteousness, which is defined by observing G-D’s Law.

Forget Not the Law of G-D

Within the prophets we can find an abundance of prophecies for the New Testament believer. One prophet specifically educates us concerning the Law of Moses. His prophecy is a reply from G-D.

In Malachi chapter 4, Malachi prophesies of the distant future. He tells of a time when the whole earth shall burn like a furnace, and the wicked shall become stubble. Malachi’s message is vital, for the message does not stop with those in the Old Testament, but continues on for those in the latter days.

He warns that we must not forget the Law of Moses: "Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments" (Mal. 4:4). This is important to understand. We in the 21st century learn here that the saints are told to keep ALL the Law, with statutes and judgments.

Stepping out in Faith

Messianic Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Moshe

Rosh Chodesh-New Moon Day-April 19, 2007

G-D’s word is filled with many wonderful promises. We are promised that G-D will direct our steps, work all things to our good, give us of His goodness and the list goes on and on. Look at Exodus 19:4-5:

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

4 Atem re'item asher asiti le-Mitzrayim va'esa etchem al-kanfeI nesharim va'avi etchem elai.

'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.

5 Ve'atah im-shamoa tishme'u bekoli ushmartem et-briti viheyitem li sgulah mikol-ha'amim ki-li kol-ha'aretz.

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

One thing that is critical to understand is that G-D’s promises are only to those who obey and follow Him. If you look, you will notice that G-D’s promises always follow a command. The reason is simple, if you do not abide with G-D, you can’t enjoy the benefits that are a part of that relationship. We are the only barriers to experiencing G-D’s goodness. G-D will never force Himself on you. He calls and reaches out to us, but unless there is a response of love on our part, that call goes unanswered. The secret to experiencing G-D is to make Him the object of our affection. If we love G-D’s blessings more than G-D, our relationship with G-D will suffer. Our focus should be outside of our own desires. A selfish relationship never works. Both sides must be giving. G-D has given of Himself to us, we need to give our hearts and actions to G-D or we will have a one-sided relationship and can never experience true intimacy. I believe we must focus on learning how to love G-D. As our love for G-D grows, He will call us into a deeper relationship.

G-D only reveals to us a little at a time. If we are faithful, He will show more of His will to us. The more we align ourselves to G-D’s will, the more we will experience Him. One principle the bible clearly shows is that G-D will test our faithfulness before He increases us. A good example of this is illustrated in Matthew 25:14-30:

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his masters money.
After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’
His Master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Master.’
He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’
His Master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Master.’
Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
But his Master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The point I believe this passage teaches is that G-D knows what our abilities are. He tests us based on our ability in order to prove who is faithful and who is not. Talent refers to a considerable sum of money in this passage. The first two servants were faithful with what they were given. They were not self-focused but rather were focused on their Master. They did not cling to what was given to them because the money was not the objects of their affection. Their Master was. Their focus was not on looking out for themselves but working to increase the kingdom of their Master.

The lazy servant was quite the opposite. His focus was solely on himself. He was more concerned about what cost might required of him and he did not have the love for his Master that gave a desire to work for his Master’s benefit. The object of his affection was himself and his possessions. The risk of personal cost was more than he was willing to sacrifice. I believe we all start off as a spiritually weak person who has the self-focus. Many will remain lazy out of fear of what personal cost might be incurred. Until we leave behind the idea of fulfilling our own desires, we will never see anything but fear of missing out or loosing out on our lives.

In Luke 9:23-24 YESHUA says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it".

G-D does not think like we do. We cling to our need to look out for number one. G-D requires getting outside of a self-centered way of thinking and to follow Him. If you live for yourself, that is what you will get. However, you can’t fill that emptiness inside, you can’t overcome in this life, and nothing done for yourself can be carried into eternity. If you live for YESHUA, seek His will and trust in G-D to meet your needs, He promises to fill you to overflowing. You can’t fill your own emptiness, but G-D can fill you to overflow.

We must get outside of ourselves. We must first become Messiah centered and Messiah focused. Then we must continue to get outside of ourselves by reaching out to others. G-D will fill you, but you can’t rest content with the idea that G-D’s love shown to you is for you alone. In Matthew 10:8, YESHUA instructed His disciples to reach out and meet the needs of those around them, not to use their outreach for gaining money, but to freely give as G-D has given to them. That verse still holds true. A pond is filled and becomes stagnate. A river becomes filled and flows outward looking for outlets for the water that continues to feed it. I believe that is how G-D works. If you refuse to reach out, you will become stagnate and polluted. But if you are focused beyond yourself, as you reach out to others, G-D will continue to fill you and you will continue to grow. We are to be conduits of G-D’s love, not self-centered puddles that never serve a purpose. As I minister to others, G-D ministers to me. As I pray for and become a healing hand through G-D to the many needs around me, G-D heals me.

Learning to trust and depend on G-D is essential. As we grow, we need to learn to follow G-D wherever He leads. G-D never promised this would be easy. In fact, G-D will put us in a position that requires us to either turn from following Him, or depend on Him. If you look at the great men of the bible, G-D always tests them before exalting them. Joseph was exalted above everyone in Egypt during the great 7-year famine and only had to answer to pharaoh. G-D tested Joseph by allowing him to get to the lowest point of his life. He was forgotten in a dungeon for years and years. I believe this test had a two-fold purpose. First it tested Joseph’s faith. Because Joseph did not give up on G-D, his faith was strengthened and G-D blessed him far above what he ever dreamed would be possible. The second purpose was to show Joseph that alone he could do nothing. If G-D had exalted Joseph immediately, he would have likely been lifted up in pride. He was always known as a holy man, but it is so easy to feel self-righteous. Joseph might have thought it was his own greatness that exalted him. But because all hope was lost, his dream was only to get out of the dungeon. It would take G-D to restore his freedom and becoming a ruler was not even an idea. Joseph was unaware that G-D was shaping him to be salvation to his own people, but because he hoped in G-D even in trouble, G-D was able to prepare him.

We see the opposite when those same people were delivered by the hand of Moses and lead to inherit the promised land. Israel had become enslaved. Against all odds, G-D called Moses out of hiding to lead his people out of slavery. The people watched the wondrous signs of G-D as He plagued the Egyptians into obedience, saved Israel from pharaoh’s pursuing army, fed them in the desert, gave them water, sheltered them from the sun in the day and gave them light at night, and the list of amazing proof that G-D was leading them goes on. G-D led them to the banks of the Jordan River. All they had to do was cross into their homeland. G-D’s tested the people before handing them His many blessings. Look at Numbers 13:1-3

And the ELOHIM spoke to Moses, saying,

Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.

So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the ELOHIM, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.

Numbers 13:26-14:3

Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.
Then they told him, and said: We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.
The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.
But the men who had gone up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.
And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.
There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.
So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.
And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!
Why has the ELOHIM brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?

Their reaction to this crisis really hits home. How many times do we do the same thing? G-D builds our faith by rescuing us from our troubles, strengthening us, making us strong in Him and tries to teach us to look to Him as our deliverer. G-D has proven Himself by His many wonders that are clearly seen when we reflect upon our lives. But a time will come when G-D will ask you to prove your faith. TRUE faith is belief and trust in action. Faith is obedience. Believing in G-D is not enough, faith is placing our complete trust in the G-D in whom we believe even when the odds are against us. The negative odds are the whole point. G-D wants us to see that the odds are against us so that we know He is G-D and that we are not sufficient in ourselves.

What became of the promise? Look at Deuteronomy 1:30-36:

The Lord your G-D, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
and in the wilderness where you saw how the ELOHIM your G-D carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’
Yet, for all that, you did not believe the ELOHIM your G-D, who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.
And the ELOHIM heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying,
‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers,
except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the ELOHIM.’

The promise was denied to all except the two who stood strong and believed G-D. Verse 38 says that Joshua led the next generation into the promise land and Caleb was the only other one allowed to claim the promise because only they believed in G-D’s deliverance. The power of G-D is great, but our faith is required. G-D will not force you to obey and without obedience, you can’t claim the promises of G-D. G-D will stretch your faith. G-D doesn’t care about lip service. Some believe that the words you speak are how the promises of G-D are claimed. The bible doesn’t support this idea. The bible says that G-D’s people honor Him with their lips, but their heart is far from Him. G-D doesn’t honor lip service. G-D honors those who trust in Him from the heart and place the hope of their lives in His hands. Those who are willing to step out in faith at G-D’s calling even when they know success is impossible will find G-D’s power enables them to succeed. I believe this is the only way to be exalted by G-D. Otherwise we will be lifted up with pride thinking that we have done a great work. Of course it must be G-D’s calling. G-D calls us to stretch ourselves beyond our own strength so that we will know that He is G-D.

The first step is to make G-D the object of our affection so that we can get outside of ourselves. As we grow, it is equally important to follow where G-D leads. If we try to be our own master and filling ourselves is our desire, we can’t experience Him. If fear is our master and we back away from G-D’s lead, we can’t experience the fullness of G-D and the fullness of HIS beautiful promises. The way to overcome our self-centered way of thinking is found in Proverbs 16:3, "Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established." G-D honors commitment based on our step of faith. Commitment is to remain faithful even when we are challenged and don’t feel like continuing.

In conclusion, almost every believer, regardless of the denomination, has heard of the time that Kepha (Peter) walked on the water right after the miracle of the feeding of the multitude. If you remember the 14^th Chapter of Matthew, YESHUA took five loaves of bread and two fishes, looked up into heaven, then blessed and broke the bread, and because of this, an entire multitude of over 5,000 people ate until they were full and in fact, there were 12 full baskets left over. After that, YESHUA told his talmidim (students, disciples) to get on the ship and to go before him to the other side into the land of Gennesaret. Then YESHUA went up on a mountain to pray. Matthew 14:24-33 tells us:

Mat 14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

Mat 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night YESHUA went unto them, walking on the sea.

Mat 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

Mat 14:27 But straightway YESHUA spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

Mat 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, ELOHIM, if it be thou, bid (command or order) me to come unto thee on the water.

Mat 14:29 And he (YESHUA) said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to YESHUA.

Mat 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous (ischuros- is-khoo-ros), he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, ELOHIM (LORD), save me.

Mat 14:31 And immediately YESHUA stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Mat 14:32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Mat 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of G-D.

According to John 21:7, Peter was a good swimmer. But here, we find Peter caught between faith and fear. Now notice that YESHUA did not say “Oh you of NO faith” or “Oh you unbeliever”. He said “Oh thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt” or in modern terms, “you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Don’t forget, Peter had personally witnessed many miracles at this point and just seen the feeding of the multitudes and His Messiah walking on water.

You see friend, YESHUA knew that when we as believers find ourselves caught between a little faith and fear, that we are vulnerable to the fiery darts of the wicked. It is at this point in our lives that Satan would love to sift us as wheat. It is at this time that he wants to turn our children and loved ones against one another. He wants to drive a wedge between mother and father. He wants to place a wall between families. He wants us to search out one another and find as many faults as we can against one another, becoming accusers instead of intercessors. Satan wants us to become haters instead of lovers, persecutors instead of comforters, bitter instead of joyous. Everything that G-D wants for us, Satan wants just the opposite for us. And when we are weak in faith, or when we refuse to step out in faith, we become weak spiritually, like a dried up fig tree. To overcome this, we must step out in faith, trusting in G-D and being obedient to His Holy word. We’ve got to keep that prayer line open and pray as often as we can. We’ve got to lift up one another, even above ourselves, and we must not be a stumbling block. Make a commitment to step out in faith this day, give your love to G-D and share your love of G-D with those nearest you. Don’t let the devil win. Don’t let the devil steal your victory. Don’t let the devil take your crown when we are so close to home. AMEIN!

DOES G-D'S LAW APPLY TODAY?

Messianic Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Moshe: Bible Study, March 27, 2007

Shalom

Begin with Luke 4:1-13…There is much controversy about the law among the various religions of this age. Unfortunately, the general consensus among the anti-nomians is that the law has been done away That is, obedience to the laws of the Old Testament is no longer required. In our modern society it seems that the majority rules. The fact is the majority of professed believers say the law was nailed to the stake or the law was annulled or cancelled.

Colossians 2:14 among other verses are then quoted as verification. Is this point of view valid? Could this vast majority be wrong? It is alleged YESHUA (Jesus) fulfilled the law thus bringing it to an end. Matthew 5:17 is quoted to verify this point. Just believe and you will be saved, that is all that is required and Acts 16:31 will be quoted to attest to this modern concept.

A cursory reading of many scriptures seems to imply that the law was done away. Do these scriptures all add up to the ultimate conclusion that the law is truly cancelled? Could this vast majority of religions be mistaken? Could the numerous scholars who have studied this subject and arrived at this conclusion be in error? Isn't it probable that the majority is right and the minority is wrong? Let's turn to Revelation 12:9 to find the answer to this question:

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

According to this scripture, the whole world has been deceived by Satan. This is the majority. Could this include the scholars and highly trained teachers? Indeed it can and has.

TRUTH HIDDEN FROM THE WISE

The answer to this question is also in G-D's word, Matt.11:25 YESHUA says the deeper truths of G-D's word have been hidden from the wise and scholarly and have been revealed to babes. The word babe in Greek is Nepios meaning unlearned, simple thinking people. G-D said that He would confound the scholarly and those who propose to be great He tells us that the majority (including the scholarly) are deceived; they are mistaken. "But Elohim hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and Elohim hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty," 1 Corinthians 1:27.

Keep this in mind during this study, you don't need to be a scholar or highly learned to understand the deep things of G-D. His truth has always been believed by the simple minority of pure hearts which has been right while the majority was wrong. To cite a few examples: Noah who G-D said was righteous, Gen.7:1.

Vayomer YHWH le-Noach bo-atah vechol-beytcha el-hatevah ki-otcha ra'iti tzaddik lefanai bador hazeh.

Noah was the minority but he and his family were right and the rest of the world was wrong and were destroyed on account of it. Lot was the only righteous one in two whole cities. Remember Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Eliyah, Elisha, the prophets and many, many others who were the minority in their time.

Let us not neglect to mention YESHUA who was the only right one in the whole world. His apostles who He taught were the minority. Yes, the majority can be mistaken. They can be deceived. With this in mind let us begin by understanding how the unlearned, simple thinking person can understand while the wise and scholarly cannot. 1 Cor. 2:1-16 answers the question to its fullest. The deep things of G-D are spiritually discerned. They don't come by the wisdom of man but are given us through the Spirit of G-D. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all the truth if we are receptive, John 16:13. Through the Holy Spirit we have access to the mind of the Messiah. 1 Cor. 2:16

Let us now allow G-D's Spirit to work in us as we begin to study deeper into the subject of the Law. It is commonly referred to as the law of Moses. This implies that the law originated with Moses. Let's clarify just where the law came from:

Sh’mot 13:9 Vehayah lecha le'ot al-yadcha ulezikaron bein eineicha lema'an tihyeh torat YHWH beficha ki beyad chazakah hotzi'acha YHWH miMitzrayim.

"And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that G-D's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath G-D brought thee out of Egypt," Exodus 13:9.

Sh’mot 16:4 Vayomer YHWH el-Moshe hineni mamtir lachem lechem min-hashamayim veyatza ha'am velaktu davar-yom beyomo lema'an anasenu hayelech betorati im-lo.
"Then said G-D unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no," Exodus 16:4.

THE LAW IN GENESIS

These and many other scriptures confirm that it is G-D's law. It originated and came from Him. No one will argue that point as it is self-evident. The setting of this groundwork is to show that these same laws that were given at the time of Moses were in force and known to the patriarchs and others even in pre-flood times and did not originate at the time of Moses. A careful study of the book of Bereshith/Genesis will reveal this truth.

A few of the more prominent scriptures on this topic start with Cain and Abel in Genesis, chapter four. Two things of note occur in this chapter. First, Cain and Abel both brought offerings to present to G-D. Abel's was accepted while Cain’s was rejected. Cain was crestfallen over his rejection. He was angry. G-D asked him why he was angry, then declared Cain would be accepted if he did right. If he did not do right, sin was crouching at the door.

1 John 3:4 states, “Sin is the transgression of the law”. G-D told Cain he did wrong. If he did wrong, there of necessity had to be a law defining what was right in that situation. The presence of sin necessitates a law must have been broken, else it would not be a transgression. If Cain had not transgressed a law concerning offerings and what was acceptable, his offering would have been accepted. G-D expected him to know what was right and what was wrong. Knowing this, his offering was rejected.

Following this, Cain was furious. He tricked Abel into traveling into the wilderness where he killed him and buried his body. Cain knew this was wrong and he was punished because he knowingly killed his brother. For there to be a penalty there had to be a transgression or breaking of the law. Paul said that where there is no law there is no transgression. It follows that if there is no law there can be no sin and no penalty, Rom.4:15. Did Cain know of a commandment that said, thou shalt not kill? It is obvious that he did.

Let's go forward to another prominent case where it is evident that the Ten Commandments were known to Joseph, Gen. 39:8-10.

8 Vayema'en vayomer el-eshet adonav hen adoni lo-yada iti mah-babayit vechol asher-yesh-lo natan beyadi.
He refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, my master knows nothing about what I am doing in the house, and all that he possess, he has placed in my hands.

9 Eynenu gadol babayit hazeh mimeni velo-chasach mimeni me'umah ki im-otach ba'asher at-ishto ve'eych e'eseh hara'ah hagdolah hazot vechatati le-Elokim.
No one in this house is greater than me. He has not withheld anything from me other than you, for you are his wife. How can I do such a great evil, and sin against G-d."

Joseph, after being sold as a slave into Egypt found favor with Potiphar, a captain of Pharaohs guard and was given charge over all Potiphars possessions. Potiphar's wife desired to lay with Joseph, but he resisted her advances, saying he could not do such a terrible thing and sin against G-D, verse 9.

How did Joseph know it would be a sin to lay with her? He was very familiar with the Commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery evidently taught by his forefathers. It was said of Abraham by G-D in Gen.26:5

5 Ekev asher-shama Avraham bekoli vayishmor mishmarti mitzvotai chukotai vetorotai.
[All this is] because Avraham listened to My voice, and minded My mandate, My commandments, My decrees and My Torah."

Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws. It was not just the Ten Commandments that were known to the pre-flood followers of G-D. And lest we forget, Noah knew about clean and unclean foods, Gen.7:1-5.

LAW ADDED DUE TO TRANSGRESSIONS

There are many more scriptures to verify that the law as given by the Ten Commandments was known and obeyed before it was given to Moses at Mt.Sinai. But these will suffice for the purpose of this study. To come to a correct understanding as to whether the law has been done away, we first need to know what the law is and what it does and how G-D uses it. Let's go backward in time to Paul’s day and examine a scripture that most think says that the law was given as a punishment for sin committed by the Israelites. This question arises from time to time on the meaning of Gal.3:19: why then the law? It was added because of transgressions. Is it really correct to say the law was added as punishment? G-D gave Moses the law to give to the Israelites. Can you think of a good reason why a written code of laws was necessary at that time? Let's go back to the very beginning of mankind to find the answer. G-D instructed Adam fully when he was created. Paul said sin entered the world through Adam, Rom. 5:12 (more on this scripture later.) Since sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4) then Adam was fully instructed in the law of G-D. This law was handed down from father to son for many generations (as yet not a written code of ethics). Circumstances led Jacob (Israel) and his family to take up residence in Egypt.

Because of Joseph they found favor in the eyes of the Pharaoh. In due time a new Pharaoh came to power who did not know Joseph and was not disposed to be kind to the Israelites. They were forced into slavery where they remained for 430 years; they were not allowed to keep Sabbath, make offerings etc., to their Elohim G-D. They gradually lost sight of whom and what they were. They forgot G-D's laws, statutes, and commands which their forefather Abraham had kept and handed down to his sons. Moses questioned who it was He was talking to at the burning bush, Exodus 3:16. The Israelites would demand proof of whom Moses was speaking for they had lost contact with and had little memory of the Elohim of their fathers, being residents of pagan Egypt for over 400 years.

They were ecstatic to leave Egypt and finally be free. However, the joy soon turned to complaining as they encountered numerous problems along the way and did not know the power and loyalty of almighty G-D. This attitude continued throughout the journey to Mount Sinai. When Moses went up to Sinai to receive G-D's instructions for the Israelites, he was gone forty days. They were so accustomed to the false deities of Egypt that they told Aaron to make them a deity, something they could see, something they could look at. Aaron complied, Ex. 32:1-6.

Take special note of this: they did not realize they were sinning. This was the deity which brought them out of Egypt as far as they were concerned, verse 4. They were following the practices of Egypt where they had been for 430 years. That is why they were given the law, to identify sin for them, Gal. 3:19. Not for punishment as some think, but to identify sin for the Israelites. The law was now written in stone to identify clearly what G-D's principles are. The law was etched in stone for Israel because of their sins, their transgressions.

This has not changed. The law still identifies sin, Rom.3:20, last part. Paul says, through the law comes the knowledge of sin. He says, also, (Rom.7:12) he didn't know he was coveting until the law identified it for him. He sees the law as a Holy thing and the Commandment is Holy, just and good, verse 12. He agreed totally with Moses on this subject, Deut. 4:5-8. He saw the law as bringing wisdom to the Israelites. He saw the righteous concepts that the law teaches, verse 8.

Remember, the Israelites had been without law and any moral principles for hundreds of years while in Egypt. G-D could not in good conscience hold them responsible for their actions in this situation. Paul understood the concept, where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4:15. Yet he said in Romans 5:13: sin was in the world before the law was given referring to the written code given to Moses at Mount Sinai. G-D in His goodness and fairness could not impute a penalty without first outlining the transgression which He did through publishing and codifying the law.

PURPOSE OF THE LAW

Therein lies the purpose of the law. It instructs. It tells us the difference between right and wrong The law does not make us righteous. It does not give us salvation. It guides. Let me qualify these statements. The law does not make us righteous. It has no power to do that. It instructs us in righteous behaviour. It does not give us salvation. It is a mirror, rule and guide. It monitors our behaviour. It establishes rules to live by. It instructs us in the righteous behaviour that leads to the salvation process. That is what the law does. It instructs. That is what it did for the Israelites and that is what it does for us. Let us proceed with the law force and YESHUA not yet in the picture. The law defines sin. Sin is the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4.The wages of sin is death. Rom. 6:23 first part. Therein lies the curse of the law, Gal. 3:13.

DEATH IS A CURSE

Death is a permanent condition that lasts for all eternity. There is no provision in the law for a resurrection. There is no provision in the law for eternal life. There are just temporal rewards pertaining to this life for obedience and a death sentence for disobedience. Death eternal. If we obey the law it is powerless in regard to us in that we are not under the penalty of death. We empower the law when we disobey. When we sin we give the law power over us and it can now demand a penalty to be paid. That penalty (wages of sin) is our death, Rom. 6:23. This is eternal death from which there is no escape.

Remember, there is no provision in the law for a resurrection. If we have sinned but once, the death penalty stands against us. There is no provision in the law for our forgiveness. From that point on, if we obey the law to perfection the death penalty for that one infraction still stands against us. It must be paid before we are right with G-D. It requires us to be dead forever. That is the state we are in with the law and without YESHUA.

Dead for all eternity. What would we gain by paying the penalty for our own sins? We are dead forever and still separated from G-D. What would G-D gain from this? Nothing. Just billions of eternally dead people whose whole existence was pointless from both positions. Question: can the law make us righteous? Answer: no, it can only instruct us and demand a penalty if we fail to heed its instructions. Can you see how pointless it would be for us to pay the penalty for our sins? We would be dead for all eternity with no hope of living again.

Therein lies the curse of the law that Paul speaks about in Gal. 3:13: the death penalty that hangs over everyone. He said in Col. 2:13 that we were dead in our trespasses. Paul fully understood the condition of mankind without Messiah. In Col. 2:14 he talks about a Cheirographon or legal bond (written debt) which stands against us. This scripture has been translated in various ways: King James: handwriting of ordinances New International: having cancelled the written code with its regulations Revised Standard: having cancelled the bond which stood against us. All these phrases are translated from a single Greek word, Cheirographon. It means a legal bond of indebtedness This Cheirographon stood against us. This legal bond of indebtedness was the penalty that the law demanded to be paid, the death penalty for our sins. We could not pay this debt ourselves. We have already seen the futility in that.

SALVATION IN YESHUA

Enter Messiah YESHUA! He became cursed on our behalf Gal. 3:13. He paid the cheirographon or Bond that was against us and set us free from the laws curse. This cheirographon was marked paid and (symbolically) nailed to the tree with Messiah. Col. 2:14. Messiah accomplished what we on our own could not do. We are now justified before G-D. Rom. 5:9-10. We are reconciled to the Heavenly Father.

Take special note: This is not a completed salvation process! This is the beginning of the salvation process only! Give attention to the last part of verses 9 and 10. It says that now being justified or reconciled by the death of His Son we shall be saved by His life, 1 Cor. 15:17.

If Messiah has not been raised your faith is futile and you are still in your sins wrote the Apostle Paul. We are reconciled to the Father by the Death of YESHUA but we are saved by His life. Paul understood this and explains how this can be in Gal. 2-20. It is no longer I who live but Messiah lives in me. It is the resurrection and life of YESHUA that will save us. The salvation process began at the torture stake and Savior continues that process in us throughout our lives. Now that YESHUA has paid the penalty the law demanded which began the salvation process in us, where does that leave the law? Is it still required? Does it still play the same role in G-D's plan as it did before the death of YESHUA?

FORGIVENESS FOR BREAKING THE LAW

YESHUA saw the law was an instructor. He saw that it identified sin for us. He saw that it was powerless if we obeyed it. We give it power over us if we disobey its instructions. We give it the power to demand our death. Is this still the case? Can we still come under the curse of the law?

To begin to understand our current relationship with the law let's use an example from our era. When Queen Elizabeth was coronated she granted pardons to many criminals. Some were convicted murderers with life sentences. They did not pay the penalty for their crimes. The Queen forgave them and set them free. They were under her grace.

Did she cancel the law that convicted them? No, she cancelled the penalty. Could the law possibly convict them again? Could they fall from the Queens grace? Were they now free to do whatever they desired with no further consequences? Could the law no longer touch them? They remain under the Queens grace as long as they obey the law. If they break the law, they fall from the Queens grace and can once again be convicted by the law. The law still identifies criminal activities just as it did before the Queen was coronated. She cancelled the penalty not the law.

It is no different today with G-D's laws. G-D granted us pardons through the death of His Son who paid the penalty in our place. The law remains as it was before. It is still an instructor and identifies sin. We are under G-D's grace. We remain in this state as long as we obey the law. G-D's plan is superior to the Queens plan.

G-D has inserted a forgiveness clause. He will reapply HIS blood as atonement for our sin if we do transgress the law, but only if we sincerely repent. 1 John 1:9 also 1 John 2:1-2. If we do sin, transgress the law (1John 3:4), He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins. When sin exists, it needs to be forgiven and the law must also exist to identify it.

LAW DONE AWAY - NO SIN

As was stated in the beginning of this study, the teaching that the law was nailed to the cross is erroneous. Let's take this concept to its ultimate conclusion. Assume for a moment that this is true, that the law is done away. 1 John 3:4 says sin is the transgression of the law. If, then, there is no law there can be no sin. Then there can be no penalty. Paul said, where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4:15; 5:13.

Where does that leave us in relation to YESHUA and His sacrifice? If there is no law, then sin was cancelled at the stake. Since sin is the transgression of the law and it was cancelled, then every one born after that time has not sinned and has incurred no penalty needing forgiveness because there is no law. What does this mean? It means for those who teach that Hell is real and is where sinners go, Hell will actually be an empty place. If the law was nailed to the cross, then one could commit genocide (mass murder), participate in ethnic cleansing, rape, steal, commit adultery, violate the Sabbath, and not have to worry about any form of consequence or punishment. Therefore, YESHUA did not die for your sins or mine as we haven't committed any, as we were born after He died and got rid of the law, and to this day we have not sinned, according to the no law teachers. That is the ultimate conclusion to the law done away concept.

In that case we are not under grace because grace would not be necessary. There can be no other conclusion. How does this concept square with scripture? 1 John 1:8 says, if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. John wrote this statement some 50 to 65 years after the death and glorious resurrection of YESHUA. He also said sin was still in the world, (1 John 1:10) if we say we have not sinned we make Him a liar and the truth is not in us. So what are we saying by the law done away statement? We are calling YESHUA a liar and the truth is not in us. Read the scripture again. That is what it says!!!

SIN IS STILL WITH US

What about the many scriptures that are quoted that seem to say the law was done away? Most of these scriptures are in the writings of Paul. The first thing we need to know is Paul’s attitude toward the law. A good place to start is with Paul’s own words in Acts 24:14: but this I admit to you, that according to The Way, which they call a sect, so I worship the ELOHIM (LORD) of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law or written in the prophets.

If you read the preceding chapter you will find that Paul was being accused by the Jews of preaching against the law, Acts 23:29. Isn't that what people say even today, that Paul teaches against the law? Read again his response to this charge in Acts 24:14. In Acts 25:8 Paul says, “Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I offended at all”. Paul was innocent of the charges brought against him at that time and is still innocent of the same charge that is brought against him today by most of the Christian professing world. Paul taught the law is Holy and the Commandments are Holy, just and good. Rom. 7:12.

We have seen previously that Paul recognized that the law identifies sin. Rom. 3:20. Remember, YESHUA had died and was resurrected many years before Paul wrote this. But Paul said the law still identifies sin. It is still doing what it had done since creation, defining what sin is. It still instructs. Consequently, Torah actually means teachings, instructions…

Notice especially that Peter warns us to be careful of Pauls writings: "As also in all his [Pauls] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction," 2 Peter 3:15-16 AV.

YESHUA'S WORDS

Let's go now to the person who was supposedly the head of the Jerusalem assembly of believers. He is writing to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. In James 2:8-12, he discusses the royal law. You shall love your neighbour as yourself. That is the second part of the royal law. Let's turn to Matt. 22:37-40 to find the complete royal law. You shall love G-D your ELOHIM with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind verse 38. This is the first and great Commandment and the second is like it: you shall love your neighbour as yourself verse 40. On these two Commandments hang the law and the prophets. The first four of the Ten Commandments tell us how to love G-D and the last six tell us how to love our neighbour.

In James 2:8-12, we read in verse 10: If you break one point of the law you become guilty of it all. He adds that the one who said do not commit adultery also said thou shalt not kill. Can you see how the royal law we are to live by encapsulates each of the Ten Commandments? They are the full embodiment of G-D's law. James wrote many years after the death and resurrection of YESHUA. Even so, James is still talking about the law as being equally binding on all those who consider themselves true believers.

PERVERTED UNDERSTANDING

Don’t forget Messiah’s own words in Matthew 5:17 where he states “Do not think that I come to destroy the law’. Yet, in spite of that stern warning, that is exactly what many professing believers think and teach today. YESHUA fulfilled the law so we don't have to they erroneously declare! The word fulfill is understood in this way: I have fulfilled my duty so the duty no longer exists. It is understood in the sense of bringing something to an end. This is not the meaning it had in the old English of the 1611 translation of the King James Bible. At that time it meant to make replete or to cram to the fullest. In other words, to fill full. Fill to the brim. To execute the letter and the spirit of the law.

This is an example of the way word meanings change over the centuries. Another example of this is 1 Thes. 4:15: For this I say unto you by the word of the Master, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Master shall not prevent them which are asleep. Notice the word PREVENT. In the King James Translation of the Bible it means to precede or go before. The word does not have that meaning in today’s English. It means to stop something from happening or to stop someone from doing something. It is the same with the word fulfill.

MAGNIFIED THE LAW

Returning to Matt. 5:17, let us understand exactly what YESHUA said and meant by His statement. We must turn to the Greek language from which the King James was translated. The Greek word for abolish is “kataluo” It means to loosen down, to destroy demolish. The Greek for fulfill is “pleroo” It means to cram full, to make replete to level up. YESHUA said He didn't come to kataluo (to destroy) but to pleroo (build up or magnify) the law. He came to expand the law to encompass its fullest spiritual meaning. Isn't that just what He went on to do in verses 18 to 48? He took the law from thou shalt not do, to the spiritual thou shalt not WANT to do. Was it not to show that sin begins in the mind and heart? YESHUA magnified the law and made it honorable, Isaiah 42:21. Since YESHUA went on to expand the law to its fullest, should we honestly think that it was done away? Was He not preparing the way for writing the law in the hearts and minds of His people in HIS coming Kingdom?

There are many other scriptures that are used in an attempt to prove that the law was done away. This is done mainly by changing the subject of a statement to something it is not. So when someone tells you the laws of G-D have been nailed to the cross and no longer exists, ruuuunnn! AMEIN!

The life of YESHUA is described as a "fountain opened in the house of David for sin and UNCLEANNESS" (Zech. 13:1). A fountain not only for deliberate sins, but for the uncleanness contracted through with the death of this world. This wonderful is the source of the "running water" used in the water of separation. By the power of the Holy Spirit a "clean man" applies that living water to my soul! That "clean man" is YESHUA the MESSIAH, praise His name! By faith I place myself in closest touch with this heavenly water. I yield myself to it, I let it cover me, penetrate into my deepest being, and go through me. I cannot withhold its cleansing, sanctifying, transforming power. I must in faith turn away from all that bespeaks death, to receive of this cleansing, with the assurance that it will manifest its blessed power in me. ELOHIM is seeking the fully developed life of His Son in us in order to manifest HIS NATURE through us as the central revelation of Himself to the whole creation. How we desire to be His Sons! How we hope to be like Him! How we long to speak deliverance to the creation! With what anticipation do we follow on that we might know Him in all His glorious fullness! So let us, with childlike. expectant faith, open wide our souls to the full experience of the water of separation! AMEIN!

CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE

Messianic Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Moshe- Ereb Shabbat: March 23, 2007

Shabbat Shalom

Yehoshua/Joshua 24:13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

Jos 24:14 Now therefore fear G-D, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye G-D.

Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve G-D, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve G-D.

Jos 24:16 And the people answered and said, Elohim (LORD) forbid that we should forsake G-D, to serve other gods;

Jos 24:17 For G-D our ELohim, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

Jos 24:18 And G-D drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve G-D; for he is our Elohim.

Jos 24:19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve G-D: for he is an holy Elohim; he is a jealous Elohim; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

Jos 24:20 If ye forsake G-D, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

Jos 24:21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve G-D.

Jos 24:22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you G-D, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

Jos 24:23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto G-D the Elohim of Israel.

Jos 24:24 And the people said unto Joshua, G-D our Elohim will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

Jos 24:25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

Jos 24:26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of Elohim, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of G-D.

Introduction:

To use an illustration: My good car had an unfortunate meeting with the back end of a truck. The insurance company says it is totaled. To them, it is not worth fixing. But to me it is! It is my car! So I had the choice of getting rid of it or fixing it. I chose to fix it, because I expect to get years of service out of it. They will have to get rid of the damaged hood, grill, bumper, headlights and fender, if the car is to be useful again. When I next see the car, it will be like new. And, under current state law, even its title will have to be renewed.

I was thinking about things like this when I felt led of the Ruach (Hebrew for ‘spirit’) to speak on this subject of renewal and just how important renewal is to continued service. Contracts are renewed; as are subscriptions, prescriptions, agreements, wills, and covenants. New circumstances invariably lead to changes in many cases.

In Joshua 24 we have the account of a ‘covenant renewal’ ceremony. Because the passage has so frequently been misapplied, let me place it in its proper context for you. This is a covenant renewal made by believers in G-D, Israel (including both those who joined as foreigners, or strangers), the people of G-D. The people of G-D had come far from Egypt, both physically and spiritually. And after so many victories and defeats, both physically and spiritually, they found themselves gathered together by Joshua at Shechem. They had just finished conquering the strategic points in the land, taking all the important cities from the southern and northern coalitions of Canaanite kings; and each of the Israelite tribes had now been given its inheritance in the land. So at this convocation they could reflect on their success under G-D’s good hand of blessing.

But no easy time lay ahead for them. As a military man Joshua knew that the opposition would stiffen. Conflicts with the Canaanites on the battlefields as well as in the centers of worship were just beginning. Knowing that, and knowing Israel’s weaknesses, Joshua had gathered the people to Shechem to renew the covenant. The chapter records how he rehearsed all that G-D had done for them (vv. 2-13) — but then called for a new commitment to serve the ELOHIM.

Again and again G-D has called His people to renew their commitment to Him through this and other passages like it. In many ways like Israel of Old you now stand on the threshold of a new beginning with many unforeseen challenges and conflicts that the end times is surely to bring. You can look back and attest to many spiritual victories as G-D has led you in the way. You have seen His wonders; you have enjoyed His blessings. But you dare not assume that the level of your commitment in the past that got you here today will see you through the challenges of the future. You have to be much stronger than you are now if you plan on being an over-comer. New circumstances require a renewed resolve; and your continued usefulness to G-D calls for increased commitment to Him. I believe that G-D is calling for that now. I feel deep within my soul that G-D is crying out to us to draw even closer to him. To toss out the world, its wealth and riches, and let HIM reign in our lives. You see, HE has to be number one in our lives. HE cannot be second to a wife, or to a husband, or to a child, or to a sister or brother, mother or father. He must be first and foremost, number one. Numeral uno.

There is so much we can learn from this chapter as the renewal of the covenant unfolds. The passage falls neatly into three parts--the call for commitment (14-15), the response of the people (16-21), and the implementation of the covenant (22-25). But there is one central theme that is obvious to even the casual reader, the call to serve G-D and He Alone; and it builds, section by section.

Exposition

I. The Call: Give your allegiance to the ELOHIM (14, 15).

The basic message of the passage, and the important lesson for us today, is the call to give our total allegiance to G-D. Joshua's call is presented first in its positive form, and then in the negative. This he follows with an “escape clause.”

A. The positive instruction: Serve G-D.

G-D’s people must reverently serve Him in sincerity and truth, in spirit and truth. The idea of serving in this context is very different from some of the modern concepts, either in the Congregation or in domestic service. I have known rich people who have had hired servants; but those servants often demand higher wages, or fail to show up, or even quit if they find something better. Not so in the ancient world. Servants were owned by the master; they submitted their lives to the master; they lived to do the will of the master. And as required by the Torah law, the master took care of them. Our carnal nature does not like the words yield, surrender, submit, or serve. And this is why we are to battle against our carnality, flesh versus spirit. The idea of “serving” has never been a popular one and to this day, many cannot bring themselves to serve as they would rather BE served. But it is what G-D calls us to do. There is no higher title for us than to be called “a faithful servant of the ELOHIM (LORD) G-D.”

Here is the essence of the biblical covenant and it is very simple: G-D has promised to give His people everything (Ps: 84:11: no good thing will He withhold from then that walk uprightly-the righteous), and in return He expects that likewise we will hold nothing back in our servitude to Him.

Of course, our pattern for such service is our ELOHIM YESHUA MESHIKHA (Lord Jesus Christ). He demonstrated that service to the Father called for humility, willful submission, and obedience. And His service to the Father found expression in service for others.

Two qualifications are made for serving the ELOHIM in our passage in Joshua. The command to serve the ELOHIM, twice given, is joined by the command to fear the ELOHIM. This term signals the double aspect of drawing near in devotion and adoration, and shrinking back in fear, awe, and respect. The people were to love and worship the ELOHIM, but they were never to forget that He was the sovereign G-D. Without this adoration and fear, true spiritual service to Him is impossible.

The other qualification is that the service must be in sincerity and truth. The term translated “sincerity” is literally blamelessness or perfection; and the word “truth” basically means reliability, dependability, stability. The two words form one idea (a hendiadys): “perfect stability.” Spiritual service cannot be erratic; it cannot be half-hearted. G-D wants service that He can count on; He wants good and faithful servants.

B. The negative instruction: G-D allows no rival allegiances.

G-D allows no rivals for His people’s devotion. The service of G-D is exclusive. It does not permit interference, or competition, or divided loyalty. So Joshua commanded the people to put away the gods of Chaldea and of Egypt. Hosea tells us that many of the people harbored such deities, probably as an extra precaution just in case things with the ELOHIM did not work out. It is something like what Mark Twain describes when he writes of the cool confidence of a believer — with two aces up his sleeve! No, what Joshua is saying is that you cannot serve two masters, just as YESHUA (Jesus) says in Matthew 6:24. You cannot reconcile the claims of the world and the claims of MESHIKHA (Messiah). If you try to join both, the world will win, for it has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Serving false gods may seem easy; it demands no integrity and allows you to go with your baser instincts. But, of course, it is the way that leadeth to misery and destruction.

Today we do not have idols in the sense they did (although there are some people in the world part of a new age enlightenment rushing headlong to embrace ancient deities). But there are things that can become idols for us. There are things of our choosing that we depend on, things we cannot do without, things that occupy our attention and interest and thereby rob us of our full devotion and service to G-D. Oh Friends, these idols have to be removed if we are to step forward into greater commitment to our G-D and Saviour.

I have found in my spiritual life, and I suspect you have too, that it is not a question of what I am willing to give to G-D; it is rather a question of what I hold back from Him that is rightfully His. Until He has the pre-eminence in my life, in your life, then we are not really a servant. Oh sure, we can play the part, and some do it very well, and they fool everyone. That is, they fool everyone but the Almighty G-D.

We must not underestimate the level of commitment that the Scripture lays out for us. Note it well friends: We become useful servants of the ELOHIM only when we are totally committed to the person of YESHUA MESHIKHA and to His Word. Apart from that, we cannot claim the right to call ourselves His servants.

C. The escape clause: You must choose whom you will serve.

Joshua said to the people, “Now, if this sounds like a bad deal to you, or too demanding, choose some other gods to serve. There are plenty of them around in Chaldea, or Canaan. But choose today!” Of course these words were rhetorically designed. Joshua did not want them to choose to serve other deities. And by referring to these other deities he knew that the people had seen how impotent and immoral they really were. These false gods may have had the appeal of antiquity; and they might have made the people more acceptable to the world around them. But if they followed them they would be following gods who could not save; gods who could not heal, gods who could not and cannot deliver, if they lived under the wrong moral masters they would be ruined morally.

But decide they must. And if it is G-D the ELOHIM of their forefathers they would serve, then they had to be rid of every idol.

There are many in the Messianic community today who (1 Kings 18:21 Eliyahu (Elijah) says “halt between two opinions).” If you call G-D “ELOHIM,” then there is no room for Baal, or Sophia, or tribal deities. If you try to embrace them both, you will worship the false deities. They are all inclusive; but we must be exclusive. But it is with the ELOHIM alone that there is salvation. This is what the disciples realized. Those who were only curious or mildly interested left YESHUA when His sayings troubled them. So YESHUA asked the twelve, “Will you also go away?” But they were committed. Peter said, “Where will we go. You have the words of eternal life.”

So Joshua said in Joshua 24:15, “Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my household, we will serve G-D.” How marvelous to see a true spiritual leader, a man of conviction and resolve. The Bible says that as long as Joshua lived, the people served the ELOHIM. But after him there was a dearth of consistent spiritual leaders, and so chaos prevailed. G-D is looking for such leaders today, those who in the face of opposition, with or without support, will stand and say, “You choose whom you will serve, but I will serve the ELOHIM.”

When I entered my training I recall one of the professors saying that if there was anything else that we would rather do than enter the ministry we had better go and do it. It is important to think through this commitment to service G-D very carefully, to make sure you know this is the right thing ‘for you’ to do.

II. The Motivation: Give your allegiance to G-D because you owe Him everything (16-21).

A. The only reasonable response is to serve the Savior.

The idea of choosing other deities was rejected by the people with the deepest aversion. They immediately responded to Joshua with “G-D forbid that we should forsake the ELOHIM!” Abandon the ELOHIM for inferior gods? Never!

There reasoning was sound. It was the ELOHIM who redeemed them from Egypt, who brought them up to this land, who preserved them along the way, who defeated all their enemies. They saw the miracles. They enjoyed the provisions. They now received their inheritances in the land. So they acknowledged, “He is our G-D!” They knew that there was no other G-D that they should serve. But they were also now realizing that the greater the blessings the greater the commitment that G-D requires. So in response to Joshua’s call, they responded, “We will serve the ELOHIM.”

B. It must be a carefully thought out decision.

But Joshua answered their response in a rather surprising way: “You cannot do this. You will fail. And the ELOHIM will destroy you without any regard that He has done you good in the past!” This is hardly the way we would draw people into our Churches today. Some denominations make it as easy as possible. Any nod of the head and they eagerly add them to the member rolls even if the person continues the unholy lifestyle of living he/she had previously. What Joshua was saying to them is that they needed to consider seriously what they are doing. A commitment to the ELOHIM is a serious matter; it cannot be trifled with.

The reason for Joshua’s warning is that G-D is a holy and jealous G-D. What His holiness demands His jealousy, His burning passion, will safeguard. When you step into G-D’s holiness in some commitment like this, you must know that G-D will make sure that His holy name will not be tarnished. And so Joshua tells them that a hollow commitment will bring divine judgment. He was testing their faith to see what it would take to stop them.

YESHUA often did the same thing. People came to Him for the answer to eternal life, or for healing, and He would test their faith with harsh responses or amazing demands. In one passage when YESHUA was on the northern borders, a Syro-Phoenician woman, a distant relative of these very Canaanites that Joshua fought, came to Him asking for healing for her daughter. She addressed Him as the Son of David, for she was well aware of the ancient conflicts between their countries. At first YESHUA seemed to ignore her, and so the disciples tried to get rid of her. But when she persisted, YESHUA said to her in Matthew 15:24, “I have not come but to the lost sheep of Israel.” He was seeing if she would be put off by the old racial barrier between Israelite and Canaanite. But this woman was not to be put off by ancient prejudices. In her desperation she pleaded, “ELOHIM, have mercy.” So YESHUA pursued it further: “It is not right to take the children’s food from the table and give it to the dogs.” But in humility and with perseverance the woman said, “Yes, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters table.” Oh G-D, give us some crumbs, give us some crumbs, HalleluYAH! In the Gospel narrative the people of Israel had begun to reject YESHUA; this woman was willing to take whatever scraps of the Gospel fell from their table. John later would write John 1:11, “He came to His own, but His own received Him not; but as many as received Him, to them gave He the authority to be the children of G-D.” YESHUA said to the woman: “Great is your faith!” Her daughter was healed. YESHUA had responded to her in such a way that she had to persevere in her request, and in so doing she revealed her faith was strong.

When Paul considered the demands of serving the ELOHIM, he could only cry out, “Who is sufficient for these things?” The meaning was that no one is sufficient. If we are to serve the ELOHIM successfully, it will take the sustaining grace of the ELOHIM and the power of His enabling Spirit. But it begins with our presenting ourselves HOLY to Him, ready and willing to serve no matter the cost, even unto persecution, imprisonment, and yes, death.

And so Israel, cautioned by Joshua over rash or half-hearted decisions, made their decision: “We will serve the ELOHIM.” We will serve Him. We will lift up His name on High. We will praise Him. We will walk in His law.

III. The Implementation: Give your allegiance to the ELOHIM by submitting to His will, and His alone (22-25).

There are two parts to the implementation of this covenant renewal. First, the people were to clean out all strange gods. I am impressed by some of the websites that I receive newsletters from those who minister in openly idolatrous countries, such as in the Far East. Whenever someone commits his or her life to YESHUA MESHIKHA, they have an idol-removing service. The congregation goes to the house to destroy the idols and consecrate the place to the ELOHIM. I think we need to give more attention to the removal of our idols, these hindrances and distractions from service, which will then put more of an emphasis on whole-hearted commitment. There can be nothing standing in the way of our service to the ELOHIM.

The second part of the implementation is submission: “Incline your hearts” is the instruction. This is a call for willing submission to obey the ELOHIM. We must have the predisposition to obey. Thus, when we go to the Word of G-D, we go as we go to our clothes’ closet, not only to take inventory, but to find something to wear.

It comes down to this: I must determine that I will obey the Word of G-D, even if it is unpopular or inconvenient. My commitment to serve the ELOHIM begins with the decision to obey His will and do what is right. Paul words it this way to the Congregation at Rome in Romans 6:19: “Yield your members as servants of righteousness unto holiness.” It is as Samuel reminded King Saul, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” But as long as I debate and decide whether or not to do His will, I am not a servant.

Conclusion

And so all the days of Joshua the people served the ELOHIM. But when he and his generation died, new leaders arose who did not have such a commitment. And the result was the chaotic period of the judges when everyone did that which was right in his own eyes. Much like today! How important it is for people to make commitments to serve the ELOHIM! And how important it is to have spiritual leaders with the courage to do just that!

At the outset of any new venture in your spiritual journey, at the beginning of a school year spent training for future service, or a new Congregation association, or a new life in a new job, you need to examine your hearts to determine how committed you are and how you are going to serve G-D. Right away, perhaps today, you must sit down with your family (for they too will be drawn into the battle) and consider what it will take spiritually to serve G-D in the chaotic years to come.

You cannot rest on past victories to see you through. You cannot ride the crest of past blessings. New challenges demand a new commitment to serve the ELOHIM. For G-D demands total allegiance for success in His service.

And those who commit themselves to serve the ELOHIM will enjoy even greater blessing from Him. The service of G-D is the highest glory of nature, the most perfect freedom of rational human beings; the surest and most abundant source of comfort and outward prosperity. It exalts those who are devoted to it to an alliance with the purest and noblest beings in the universe, with prophets and apostles, with ministering angels on high, and with the ELOHIM YESHUA MESHIKHA Himself. It sets the soul upon an endless career of improvement in all that is good and right, opens before it bright visions of glory, and secures G-D’s presence and favor for its support and guidance while passing through this world. And in the world to come, we shall hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” AMEIN!

The stake was not Yeshua=s source of joy, but what lied beyond the stake. The benefit of reconciling us to Himself was of such joy that He was willing to endure the torture and bear the shame that He despised. That should be our focus as well. We don=t endure our circumstances because we enjoy them. We endure because we are looking ahead to the joy that Yeshua has set before us. Whatever I invest my life into now will be what I reap for all eternity. Only when I value what G-D promised, can I endure what tries to sidetrack me. I am willing to lay aside anything that prevents me from finishing this race because everything is worthless compared to the prize at the end of this race.

Look toward the finish line and you can endure any hardship. Yeshua is the author and the finisher, the Princely Leader and Perfecter of our belief. He is the One we begin with when we lay down our life in exchange for the new life created for us. He is also the reward at the end of the race. All good things come from His hand.

2 Timothy 2:

11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.

12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

My prayer is that we each keep our eyes on the end prize so that we may endure. AMEIN!

The Truth About Repentance

Messianic Rabbi Ben Moshe: Shabbat Mar. 17^th, 2007

Repentance is not an ugly word, but it is a positive evaluation that I make so that I can gain G-D's plan for my life. Many people have misconceptions of what repentance is. There are three principles of repentance that I want to discuss here. The first two are a comparison between worldly repentance and true repentance and the third is how repentance applies to our lifestyle so that we walk in hope and the joy of knowing G-D on a personal intimate level.

1. Worldly repentance - Remorse

There are two main Greek words for repentance that I will be discussing. Worldly repentance is translated from the Greek word 'metamelomai' which literally means to have remorse for one's actions. Worldly repentance is destructive and unreal. It gives you a false hope because you are not genuine when seeking repentance. Let’s take a look at the biblical example of worldly repentance. Matthew 27:

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against YESHUA to put Him to death.
2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!"
5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

The King James Version translates remorseful into the word repentance. The product of worldly repentance is not a changed life, but defeat and destruction. Worldly repentance is not a change of heart, but remorse, regret and the burden of one's guilt. The world can only see this as the meaning of repentance. That is why I frequently hear critics of the Messianic faith say things like, "I don't like Messianics because all they do is make me feel guilty like I don’t do enough or love G-d" or "to be a Messianic means you have to [carry your Bible everywhere/do certain works like wear the tzitzits, or head-coverings, and even abstain from anything enjoyable in life/or any list of ideas] and hang your head down in shame". Every genuine Messianic I know that is actually living their faith has a valid self-image and lives joyfully because of the freedom G-D has given them, even if there life is full of health problems, aches and pains, or even if they are financially poor. They live for G-D in spite of their personal circumstances. When it would be so easy to give up, or toss in the towel, instead, they hunker down, and pray the blessings of G-D down upon them.

Where does this perception come from? In our modern culture, it comes from counterfeits of the faith, and there are thousands of them. There are countless religions that base salvation on penance, deeds, and rules. G-D is not impressed with our efforts if our heart is far from Him. In fact, this grieves G-D. A genuine relationship with MESHIKHA (Aramaic for Messiah/Christ) produces holiness, holiness produces good works, good works produces atonement, and if your life does not meet this criteria, you will not be able to produce a genuine relationship with G-D. The relationship must come first. Only G-D can produce these good things in our lives, we cannot do them on our own. We subject ourselves to G-D's commands out of a love for G-D and a desire to grow close to Him. We value our relationship with G-D more than the pleasures of this life and we have the faith that G-D can keep His promise that "Those who trust under the shadow of His wings will be abundantly satisfied with the fullness of His house and He will give us to drink from the river of His pleasures" (Psalm 36:8). What are you and I missing by turning from temptation? Nothing! However, we would stand to lose much more by turning from His promises.

Another source of this worldly repentance is a rejection of grace and the need we feel to bear the penalty for our own wrongs. Judas was such a man. He saw that his actions had given the religious leaders the opportunity to condemn YESHUA to die on the stake. Judas' motivation all along was his own self-interest. He followed YESHUA as long as he thought he was to rule along side YESHUA when He set up His kingdom. But when YESHUA started talking about the world to come and a heavenly kingdom, Judas' visions of greed and prosperity began to melt. He sold YESHUA into the hands of His enemies for 30 pieces of silver. His exact motivation is not entirely clear. Either he decided to abandon YESHUA and get a profit on the way out, or he intended to force YESHUA' hand. Perhaps he thought that if YESHUA were attacked, he would be forced to stand and fight and establish His kingdom now. Judas never knew that he was fulfilling G-D's plan while sinning against the ELOHIM. Whatever the reasoning was, we do know Judas' motivation was greed. He was a thief from the beginning and in the end, the silver he so coveted failed him in the end. It was so worthless that he threw it on the ground. I don't think that Judas expected YESHUA to be condemned to die because when he saw that He was condemned, he tried to fix the problem by pleading with the priests. When he saw the consequences of his actions, he was very remorseful, however, his remorse was the worldly type, a counterfeit repentance. If he would have had genuine remorse, he would have gotten down on his knees, begging and pleading to G-D for forgiveness. Instead, the word tells us his worldly repentance led him to suicide. Which is exactly what worldly remorse or worldly repentance can often lead to.

Worldly repentance is nothing but remorse and regret for the consequences of our action. It has no redeeming qualities; it only puts us under the burden of our guilt. Judas repented of his actions, but he did not turn to G-D for forgiveness. He tried to remove his guilt by arguing with the priest. They didn't care that he betrayed innocent blood and said so. He then tried to ease his conscience by casting the money into the temple. Undoing a wrong is like trying to unscramble an egg. Giving the money back did not erase the burden or undo the consequences. Because of the weight of his guilt, Judas hanged himself as though that would offer restitution. It does not. In death, Judas was just as guilty as in this life, only now he had no opportunity to be redeemed. Worldly repentance does not turn us toward G-D, but instead it drives us away from G-D. We feel unworthy of G-D's mercy because we are not looking at G-D or His word; we are looking at our actions and our guilt. Guilt can never bring us to true repentance. Only the light of G-D's word can produce true repentance.

2. True repentance

True repentance comes from the Greek word 'Metanoia' (Hebrew word ‘teshubah), which means to change one's mind and purpose - to turn from our own personal purpose and toward G-D's purposes. A good example of this can be found in 2 Corinthians 7:

10 For sorrow according to G-D produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed according to G-D: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what righting of wrong! In every way you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Here is another good example of Holy sorrow leading to true repentance:
Psalm 51:

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O G-D, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight -- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

Many make claims that the Bible makes them feel guilty. But that is because they are looking at their guilt and rejecting the Bible. When you transgress the Laws of the Almighty creator, you should feel guilty. Sorrow produced from transgressing G-D’s laws should lead to repentance and a clean, forgiven and purified heart, if we are genuinely repentant. When we are bearing the burden of our guilt and our focus is on ourselves, we will crumble under the weight. So the only hope that we have is to try to forget the burdens and move on. The only way we can forget this burden is to run from anything that reminds us of it and try to drown out its memory with heavenly things, holy pleasures and holy activities. Each time something new becomes the norm, people have to find something new to entertain them. If someone without MESHIKHA allows themselves to rest and be silent, the guilt catches up again. Once our guilt becomes overwhelming, depression and despair take over.

HOLY sorrow is just the opposite. This type of repentance is only found in the revelation of G-D's word. When I look at the holiness of G-D and see myself compared to Him, I clearly see that I fall way short. But I also see that G-D has bridged the gap for me. Mercy and restoration is always G-D's first choice. Holy sorrow always reveals G-D's desire to forgive and heal. Worldly sorrow is when someone sees their sins and chooses to bear the penalty on their own account.

True repentance is when I see my sins and failures and I lay them down in exchange for G-D's forgiveness, holiness and righteousness. True repentance is when I compare my path - the direction that I am going - to the path G-D has created for me to walk in and choose to change over. I leave my ways to follow His ways. Here is YESHUA'S example of genuine repentance:
Matthew 13

44 " Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 " Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46 "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

That is what we must do to find G-D's perfect plan. Like the man in the field, when we see G-D's purpose for our lives, we will evaluate it. We will either reject it and say our way is better and only what pertains to this life counts, or we will see G-D's plan and the eternal value of it. Once we see the value of G-D's will, we will count everything we have as worthless compared to G-D and His purpose. It will be a bargain to lay aside everything we have in exchange for Him. Without this kind of repentance, you will never understand the true believers life and you will never choose G-D's will over your current path. Holy, genuine repentance is not merely sorrow over what you have done in your life, but the joy of what G-D offers in exchange for your life. G-D has created a new life and a complete plan for every person who ever lived. One day we will all look back and see the perfection of G-D's plan. Those who chose it will rejoice but those who chose their own ways will regret it. That is the amazing love of G-D. Even though G-D knows that very few of us will ever follow His plan, He still predestined us to inherit all of His blessings. But He does not force us into His purpose. That is a choice.

3. Holy repentance is a lifestyle

Repentance is not a single act, but a lifestyle choice. It is a continuous evaluation that I make as I compare my life to G-D's word and seek to conform to the image of MESHIKHA. As I see areas that are drawing my focus away from G-D's plan, I reset my focus on MESHIKHA and align my life with His will. It doesn't mean that I beat myself over the head and live in misery, but instead I choose to keep myself aligned to His holy path by focusing on YESHUA MESHIKHA. He is the author and finisher of our faith. HE is the only way to be justified and forgiven so that we can have a vibrant relationship with HIM and He is also the finisher of our faith. He is the goal we aim for and the One who equips us to live the true believers life that sometimes may be beyond our own abilities. Holy repentance is to recognize that G-D's plan is good and my path has no lasting benefit. It also means that I must abide in MESHIKHA. Look at John 15:

1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
9 " As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

It is beyond your ability to produce holy fruit if you are not a genuine follower of G-D. Holy fruit is the good works that glorify G-D and those people we impact that will grow and begin to glorify G-D and produce fruit as well. Many people run back and forth trying to find G-D's will and find their purpose. Many believers produce meaningless good works that G-D doesn't acknowledge just because they feel they should be doing something. To find G-D's will is a profoundly simple task. Abide in MESHIKHA. Two key verses I want to draw attention to is verse 5, "He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" and verse 7 "If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask what you desire and it shall be done…by this My Father is glorified".
 
To abide is to have a consistent relationship centered on MESHIKHA. Being a true believer is a two-way relationship. He abides in us from the moment we completely surrender our hearts and lives to Him. We open the door of our heart, invite Him in and make Him Savior and ELOHIM. That is only half the picture. Many believers live defeated lives because they think this is where the relationship ends. Inviting MESHIKHA into our heart is only the beginning. This is the moment we walk through the door and become a citizen of His kingdom as a child of G-D. No relationship is vibrant unless it is growing. He always remains in us as long as we continue in His word ; it is we who must make the effort to abide in Him. The Bible makes it clear, the key to abiding is His word. If His word abides in us, we have the open door. If we have that abiding relationship, our desires will be right and G-D will bless those desires. If my desires take me away from G-D, they will not be granted because I must abide. G-D already has the plan. I must let G-D lead me to where He is blessing; He will not alter His plan to bless what I am doing if it is outside of His will. If my purpose is to abide and glorify G-D, my desires will be centered around that and I will ask with the promise that G-D will do it - so that G-D is glorified.

When I glorify G-D, I will benefit beyond anything that I can seek on my own. Glorifying G-D must come first. This is where faith takes a front seat. If I have faith in G-D's plan for my life, I will joyfully seek to glorify G-D because I already have the promise of G-D's blessings. I know I won't be lacking in any good thing; what I must guard is the treasure of my salvation. If I take care to glorify G-D, I can leave the satisfaction and fulfillment to Him. G-D said, "I am your exceedingly great reward". When G-D is my reward, I will never be shortchanged. It's a small thing for G-D to bless me. The harder task is for me not to allow worldly desires to draw me away from an abiding relationship.

Finally, I want to look at how sin applies to our daily lifestyle of repentance. Compare these two passages from 1 John:

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that G-D is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of YESHUA MESHIKHA His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

1 John 3:

5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of G-D was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of G-D does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of G-D.
10 In this the children of G-D and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of G-D, nor is he who does not love his brother.

In the first passage, John makes it clear that we are forgiven and cleansed from our sins through an abiding relationship with G-D. To have fellowship, we must be walking with Him in His will. Those who walk willfully contrary to G-D do not have fellowship with Him and don't have the promise of forgiveness. It is the righteousness of G-D that cleanses us and makes us righteous. It is a foreign righteousness - His righteousness given to us through faith in MESHIKHA. Because it is the righteousness of G-D, I believe the Bible clearly shows us that we must walk in G-D's presence. We can't take what is G-D's into the pursuit of the world. Many people have left their salvation at the door because they fail to realize that we can't leave G-D and expect to be walking in righteousness. To reject G-D's ways is a lack of faith and without faith and works it is impossible to please G-D. It is a growing process to learn to surrender each area to MESHIKHA. Our focus is the difference. If we are focused on the world, we will walk in the world. If we are focused on MESHIKHA, we will walk in MESHIKHA and allow Him to shape us.

The second passage adds more information to clarify John's lesson on sin. Verse 6 says "whoever abides in Him does not sin" and 9 says, "whoever has been born of G-D does not sin…and he cannot sin".
 
It is important to view both of these passages together so that the point is not missed. Chapter one tells us that if we say we have not sinned, we are calling Him a liar and that when we do sin, and we are walking in Him, we confess and are forgiven. In summary, chapter 1 is saying that we must be walking with G-D, but we are still human and there will be times when we allow ourselves to be drawn into sin. But we confess, get back into fellowship and continue to walk in the light with the absolute promise that our sins are forgiven. The scenario in chapter 3 is a different mindset completely. This chapter is talking about a lifestyle. The first point is that we can't abide in Him and sin. We must be drawn away in order to sin. James 1:14 says that each one of us is tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed. We don't sin in fellowship with our Holy G-D, but we must be drawn into the devil's territory and take the bait.

The second point to note is that this refers to a celebration of sin. Anyone who has the Spirit of G-D in their heart will not be able to celebrate a sinful lifestyle. You will always feel the conviction and the calling to return to fellowship with G-D. Some people have a battle overcoming habits and some try to drown out G-D's call, but if we belong to Him, we will never have genuine rest until we return to G-D. Because G-D's seed (or the Holy Spirit) remains in us, we cannot live or follow a sinful lifestyle. If G-D does not deal with us, we don't belong to Him. G-D will call us to repentance and will hold us and make us strong. We must stand on His strength and not our own. Look at Psalm 145

14 The ELOHIM upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The ELOHIM is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.
18 The ELOHIM is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
20 The ELOHIM preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

Those who belong to G-D have the promise that G-D will uphold us with His hand. He will give us strength and equip us. We have the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13 that G-D will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. The key to resisting temptation is found in James 4:6-8

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "G-D resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
7 Therefore submit to G-D. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to G-D and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The key to resisting temptation is not resistance, but total submission to G-D. Satan does not flee from our resistance, but he flees from G-D when G-D’s power rests upon us. I can tell you from my own life that resistance based on my own strength does not work for long. Satan keeps pounding my weaknesses until I give in. Like pushing a weight off my chest, I can hold out for a while, but in time I will tire and give in. Submission is the opposite of resistance. When I submit to G-D, I am turning from temptation and toward G-D. No longer am I dependent on my own strength, but I am dependent on His strength. I have the promise that when I draw near Him, he draws near to me. Therefore His strength can pull me out of my weakness and Satan flees because I am near G-D, not because I resisted Satan.

A lifestyle of repentance is the most valuable aspect of the true believers life. If I am not evaluating my position compared to G-D's word, I have no way of knowing that I am drifting away. A slight change of focus will eventually set you far off course unless there is something in your life that provides correction. That is why the Bible tells us to renew our minds daily. The farther off course we get, the harder it is to make changes and the easier it is to get discouraged. Repentance is a joy. Nothing is sweeter than positioning my life in line with G-D's plan and keeping it there. It is the resistance to repentance that causes dread and worldly repentance that burdens us with guilt. Genuine repentance gives freedom, satisfaction and fulfillment.  AMEIN!

BE YE HOLY

Messianic Rabbi Ben Moshe- Ereb Shabbat: March 16, 2007

Shabbat Shalom 

Lev 11:44 For I am G-D your ELOHIM. Sanctify (Qadash) yourselves therefore, and be holy (Qadosh); for I am holy (Qadosh): neither shall you defile (tame- tawmay) yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.

Lev 11:45 For I am G-D that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim: ye shall therefore be holy (Qadosh), for I am holy (Qadosh).

Lev 11:46 This is the law of the beast, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth;

Lev 11:47 to make a distinction between the unclean (tame- pronounced as taw-may) and the clean (tahor- taw-hore, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.

Although we did not read verse 42, I thought it was interesting to tell you that in Vayikra 11:42, the Hebrew word “gachon” (H# 1512), spelled gimmel-chet-waw-final nun. The “waw”, which is used as the “O” vowel in ancient Hebrew, before vowel points were added, is much larger in the original Hebrew text and is considered the EXACT mid-way point of the Torah, in other words, the exact middle between Bereishith and Debarim (Genesis and Deuteronomy). Consequently, the Hebrew word “gachon” means “belly”, or middle, which is also considered the midpoint in humans. Now back to our study for this glorious Ereb Shabbat.

After Moshe and the Hebrew people crossed the Sea of Reeds (a.k.a. Red Sea) G-D set before them the high calling He had in view for His people. "Ye shall be holy (set-apart), for I am holy. . . " (Leviticus 11:44). In a world that was given over to the unholy living of heathenism that often characterized pagan nations, our holy ELOHIM G-D called upon His people to set new standards of righteousness that He put in place for those who would desire obedience – and these standards of holiness are required as He is holy! Should it be any surprise to us that the same language is used in reference to His assembly in the Brit Chadashah? G-D is unchanging and He asks and expects the CONGREGATION, you and I, His people, His bride today, to partake of His nature (2 Peter 1:4), to follow His teachings on holiness. "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16).

The words "holy" or "sanctify" are often interpreted to mean "righteous" or "pure" or something similar. But the basic concept of the word qadosh (used in Leviticus 11:45) and its related words such as Qadash is that of "apartness" and "distinction", separated from impurity, set apart. Each of the nouns, adjectives and verbs from this root express these ideas with a view to a specific purpose or limitation.

Now, the Brown, Driver and Briggs (BDB) Hebrew and English Lexicon list the meaning of the word as "separation" or "withdrawal," and the denominative verb qadash, "to be set apart, consecrated." The dictionary by Koehler and Baumgartner (KBL) list the various meanings as "to be holy, withheld from profane use, to be treated with special care, fallen to the sanctuary's share." Others offers evidence from later Hebrew usage (post-biblical and Rabbinic) for the straightforward meanings of "be/become pure, holy, sacred."

In addition to the adjective, qadosh, "holy," and the denominative verb qadash, "to be holy," there is the noun qodesh that has the meaning of "apartness, sacredness." There are also the words qedesh, "sanctuary," and miqdash, "sacred place." These words clearly refer to places that have been set apart from common or secular use for the sole purpose of worship. When the verb "to be holy" is written in the piel, pual, hithpael verbal systems, the meaning becomes "causitive." That is, it then means "to make holy, to be made holy, and to make oneself holy," respectively, similar to a call of action that is a continual lifelong process. Here the translations usually use English words such as "sanctify" or "consecrate", which, if you are not careful, you can miss out on the point altogether. Consequently, when you are trying to define a Biblical Word, it’s ALWAYS best to use Biblical definitions for Biblical words instead of trying to place modern definitions to sooth the itching ears of the antinomians and their blind teachers.

WRONG STANDARD OF HOLINESS

One's daily life demands that he seek some standard for righteousness, but what is that standard? Unfortunately, in our rapidly growing secular and globalist world, rulers, men often use the wrong standard for righteousness. It would have been so easy for the nation of Yisra’el to have sought to be like the heathen, pagan nations that were all around them. However, the ELOHIM reminded them that they had been called out of Egypt (Lev. 11:45) for a specific purpose, and that they were not to base or determine their righteousness by being like those other nations. "After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do, and after the doings of the land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do, neither shall ye walk in their ordinances" (Lev. 18:3). As the history of man has been a history of men not abiding by G-D's Torah, or teachings, it is madness to think that righteous standards are to be found in following what others are doing.

G-D's instructions, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil" (Exodus 23:2), should remind us that the standard of righteousness is not to be set by doing what most people are doing, as most people live their lives in complete sin, not caring if they are offensive to G-D or not. YESHUA himself shows that most people will not live by G-D's teachings when he says in Matthew 7:13-14:

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Some set as a standard of righteousness the standard taught them by their parents. If parents were sinless, then they could serve as the standard, but this simply is not the case as Romans 3:23 tells us:

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of G-D;

YESHUA envisioned that following him would sometimes mean turning from parents (Matt. 10:37) as the child grows becomes an adult. Parental teaching, as important as it is, cannot be the main standard. Now please children, don’t get me wrong and do not start to disobey your parents because that would be a violation if the fifth commandment. In other words, it would be sin, a transgression of the law. Some have thought that learned men should set and be the standard. However, Paul states the impossibility of men knowing the things of G-D apart from G-D. "What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him, even so the things of G-D knoweth no man, but the Spirit of G-D" (1 Corinthians 2:12). No man knows the things of G-D! Man cannot determine righteousness of G-D on his own! What this simply means that if your congressman or government, or even a global body makes a law that is against the Torah, against G-D, then you are not to follow it, even if it meant your imprisonment, loss of benefits, or in extreme cases, your death. Why?

THE ONE STANDARD OF HOLINESS

Because there is only one standard of holiness and that is found in G-D! G-D created man in His image (Genesis 1: 27) and when man fell, G-D brought about the true faith and designed it so that we would be conformed to His image. “As we behold the glory of the ELOHIM we". . . are changed into the same image” (2 Cor. 3:18). G-D wants us to be like Him and only Him! We are not to strive be like football stars, or rock stars, or movie actors. We are to be like our magnificent creator G-D. We are to partake of His nature! He and ONLY HE is the supreme and ONLY proper standard of holiness that we are to follow!

WHAT HOLINESS ISN'T

Now, there are a number of passages that clearly show the meaning of separation, and many of these passages are set in common life situations. For example, Isaiah 65:5 illustrates this specific aspect of the word clearly. The prophet describes those self-righteous or arrogant people who say, "Stand by yourself, come not near me, for I am holier than you." These are people who are wrapped up in pagan idolatry and false ideas of holiness. They sought after their own will and not G-D’s will. But the idea of physical distance and separation are clearly related to the idea of "holy."

Haggai 2:12 offers another usage that may amplify the meaning. The text says, "If one bear holy flesh in the bottom of his garment, and with the bottom of the garment touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said, 'No'." As the next verse indicates, uncleanness or defilement can be caused by contact; holiness, on the other hand, cannot be transmitted by physical contact with that which is holy. The point of the passage is that it is separation that is at the heart of qadosh; contact and contamination are at the heart of impurity.

Galatians 5:19-21 lists many of the unholy practices that have destroyed men of long ago and are yet prevalent in our day. To show how serious these practices are, the list ends with these words, "They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of G-D" (Galatians 5:21).

MESHIKHA's (Aramaic for Messiah) CONGREGATION must abhor these, for to be found guilty of them will bar the doors of His Kingdom. These are the words of a holy Elohim telling us exactly what He wants us to avoid and what HE expects HIS true people to avoid and detest. There are sexual sins listed -- adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. Adultery is unlawful sex between two people, with at least one of these being married. Fornication is immorality of every sort. It is the Bible word to describe any sort of sexual sin. Uncleanness literally means impurity and refers to those thoughts and actions that lead to immorality. Lasciviousness means absence of restraint, indecency, and includes unchaste behavior of how you dress, your speech and action and inaction. How unfortunate that men and women have left G-D's wonderful design of marital sex and have perverted it and set up their own standards in this area with all kinds of rancid filth.

There are the sins of idolatry and witchcraft. Idolatry can be either the outward worship and service of an image made with hands (see Psalm 115:3-7 for discussion of the folly of such worship) or the covetous service of any material thing (Colossians 3:5). Witchcraft refers to sorcery, superstition, the occult and horoscopes, or speaking thru a median . To follow such is to deny that G-D controls this world, that He determines what happens in our lives (Daniel 4:17).

There are sins of attitudes - hatred, variance, emulations, wrath. Hatred is the opposite of love and refers to bitterness of spirit and hostility toward others. Variance is the strife that results from hate. Emulations means jealousy and the uncontrolled desire to have what others have. Wrath is violent anger. Jealousy smolders in the heart, wrath is the same attitude outwardly shown.

There are sins of false teaching and division - strife, seditions, heresies, debate. Strife often brings about factions, and taking of sides and divisions into parties. Seditions literally means "standing apart" and refers to the divisions into selfish groups. Heresy is the teaching of one's opinions that give rise to division.

There are the sins of drunkenness and revelings. Drunkenness is the indulgence in strong drink to which so many are addicted. While wine is permitted, strong drink is not. Revellings are the wild drinking parties that are found in every society. There are other lists in the Bible (Rom. 1:26-32; Col. 3:5-10), but this list should help us to see that G-D expects His people to be holy, to have as their standard of righteousness His holy nature.

AN EXAMPLE OF HOLINESS

In Galatians the Holy Spirit has another list that shows us much of what is involved in holiness. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. 5:21-22). These are attributes of our G-D that He expects us to have. Take each of these words, read the Old Testament and you'll find they describe our precious Elohim G-D. Take each of these words, read the New Testament and see each of them displayed in the life of YESHUA. G-D's standard for holiness has been lived on this earth, we can see it without fault in our Savior. As He was tempted in every way we are (Hebrews 4:15), it makes no difference when we live or where we live - we have the perfected example of holiness we need! Peter describes this perfect life in these words, ". . . MESHIKHA also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not. . . " (1 Peter 2:21-23). MESHIKHA our example - this is G-D's visible standard of holiness! We are to be like him!

One of the common uses in this Holiness category concerns holy place--places are set apart. Certain places, spots of ground, hills, houses, even countries, came to be known as "holy" because they were set apart to G-D, or because they were places where G-D appeared, and therefore they could not be treated as common ground. In the presence of G-D at the burning bush, Moses was commanded to remove his shoes because the ground upon which he was standing was holy ground (Exod. 3:5). What made that patch of sand holy was the fact that G-D was there; it was unique.

One of the most frequent uses in the Bible concerns the temple mount, Mount Zion, G-D's holy hill. The only thing "holy" about a hill is that it was the place that G-D chose for his dwelling place. It was not a common hill; it was not like any others. It was set apart to G-D and his worship. To ascend the holy hill required a certain amount of purification ritual, because this was no ordinary mountain.

Along with this sanctification of the mountain, there was also the setting apart of the altar, tabernacle and utensils (Exod. 29:37, 30:29). Vessels and instruments were set apart to the service and could not be used for common or profane purposes. It is interesting to note that our word "profane," in spite of how we use it now, originally meant "outside the temple." That which is profane is simply common, and sometimes pretty base.

Another sub-category here is that times are set apart. Sacred seasons and days were those times of the year that were set apart for specific purposes, primarily to G-D's service. The first mention of "holiness" comes in Genesis 2:3 where we read that G-D "sanctified" (made holy, set apart) the seventh day. This day, known as the Sabbath day (for G-D "ceased" [shabat] from his work), was to be distinct from all others, just as each special season dedicated to worship was to be different. No common activities could be conducted on these days, and no pagan rituals either. The holy times were to be given over to the worship, service, and enjoyment of G-D.

THE CONGREGATION AND HOLINESS

We know that G-D is holy. The obvious starting place is in passages that describe G-D as "holy." The idea of holiness is a common description of G-D's unique power and position as the sovereign Elohim of the universe: he is distinct from all that is impotent and impure. Isaiah records many references to the holiness of G-D, such as this one: "For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy (qadosh): I dwell in the high and holy place, also with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isa. 57:15). No one else could claim such things. There is no one like G-D in all the universe. It is important to remember here that Isaiah's context in the latter part of the book is filled with descriptions of G-D's unique character ("I am Yahweh and there is no one else," Isa. 45:5). It is His person and works that display his uniqueness. Isaiah records the words of G-D, saying, "Thus says Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel and His Maker . . . . I have made the earth and created man upon it; I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded" (Isa. 45:11-13a).

By definition one can say that G-D's holiness means that he is set apart. Specifically, He is distinct and separate from all created beings and false gods; there is no one like him in any way or in any place. The evidence for this is found in all the other attributes of G-D--all of them will clarify in what ways G-D is distinct or different than all the false gods and all creatures. For example, His righteousness and his power display that there is no one like him. He is not sinful and impure as people are, or as the false gods are; neither is he powerless as mortals or pagan deities. These and other contrasts between the nature of G-D and all of creation may be summed up in the description that "G-D is holy."

Due to the failure of G-D's people, however, the reputation of G-D has been tarnished in the eyes of some people. It wasn’t G-D’s fault, it was the fault of those who had a different ideal on how to serve him. Ezekiel tells how the ELOHIM will gather his people and fulfill his promises to them in order to prove himself holy (Ezek. 36:23). The nations will then know that by his power and in his faithfulness He keeps His word for He will be sanctified in their sight. Until then, the saints can only pray for this to happen with "Hallowed be thy name" (AV).

Many today have lost sight of G-D's holiness and the result is a chaotic, diseased prone world of sin. Some who claim to be religious may condone sin but the true CONGREGATION cannot be of this nature. The true believers, the true congregation serves the ELOHIM, she seeks His way and lives by His teachings of morality. When she ceases to do this, HE rejects her (Revelation 2:5) and she is as worthless salt, useless in his hands (Mat. 5:13). In an age when society is seeking new lifestyles, when it is seeking a new morality, the CONGREGATION of MESHIKHA upholds His standard of holy living.

The primary requirement for believers in both Testaments is that they be holy, because G-D is holy (Lev. 19; 1 Pet. 2). They are to be set apart from the world and from sin and from ordinary or profane lives; they are to be set apart to G-D. They are to be distinct. They can not be like the world. They must dress holy, walk holy, talk holy, be holy, with a pure heart with a desire to be pleasing in the sight of our almighty creator. They cannot serve two masters. Oftentimes, we speak of "holy matrimony" (a term that we may need to revive if the society keeps paganizing and corrupting marriage); that means the marriage is set apart from the world--it is different. In the Bible we also read how the praise and worship of the righteous is to be adorned with holiness (Ps. 29:1, 2); praise from people who live and love and choose as the world does is hypocritical and not pleasing to G-D. Holy worship comes from holy living. You’ve got to talk right, walk right, dress right, do right, all with a pure heart.

There is a simple illustration for this concept of holiness that may help people understand it better. You may have in your linen closet "holy towels." That is, those towels are set aside for company. Now if someone in the family came in from the garage and used one of those towels, that person would be guilty of desecrating that which is holy--and it goes without saying, that they would be dealt with rather severely. There are other towels and in this case rags that are for common, everyday use.

When some one is spoken of as living a worldly life, it is meant that he lives in a worldly manner, or in a manner like the world, far from the holiness required by G-D for His believers, His holy people. Likewise, when some one is spoken of as living a holy life, it is meant that he lives in a holy manner, or in a manner like that of G-D. To many this is a hard saying, but it is possible for man to live just such a life; in fact, it is the only right way of life. A holy life is the only true life. Such a life is demanded by the Scriptures. We are to live "soberly, righteously, and holy in this present world" (Titus 2:12).

G-D's dear children are told to be "followers of him" (Eph. 5 :1). In some translations this reads, "Be ye imitators of G-D," and in some others, "Be ye mimickers of G-D." From this we understand that to be a follower of G-D is to live or act in a manner like him. Again, it is said of those who abide in MESHIKHA, that they should walk even as he walked. Our manner of life should be as was the life of YESHUA. It is said of MESHIKHA that "when he was reviled, he reviled not again." Although He was treated most shamefully by His enemies, HE did not seek to avenge Himself. When insulting remarks were made to him, he gave no reply. He was not interested in defending himself. To live a holy life is to live in the same manner. When believers are reviled, they bless; when they are persecuted, they suffer meekly and patiently, and they pray for their enemies. When YESHUA was being put to death by his enemies, he prayed the Father to forgive them. When a man who had come to take YESHUA had his ear cut off, YESHUA in his tender compassion healed this bitter persecutor's wound. This is the true spirit of holiness.

The full standard of holiness is attained to only when the whole tenor of the life is in simplicity and holy sincerity. The apostle Paul said in testimony that his rejoicing was this: the testimony of his conscience that in simplicity and holy sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of G-D. He had had his conduct in the world. A holy life is wholly free from ostentation; every act is done in purest simplicity and truest sincerity. As G-D scrutinizes every act by his all-seeing eye he discovers no impure motive, as vain-glory or lifting up of self; for all is in holy sincerity.

The grace of holiness in the true believers character is capable of cultivation and increase. There is a law in both the material and spiritual that exercise is conducive to growth. The Spirit-filled apostle said, "Exercise thyself unto holiness." In the Emphatic state this reads, "Train thyself for piety." Here is something for every soul that has any aspiration to be more holy in life. Train yourself for piety. To become of deeper piety and more holy is the joy of the true believers heart. By training we become more pious. The lawn-tender forms an espallier by intertwining the branches of the vine. He keeps intertwining them as they grow, and by such training forms a lattice-work of shrubbery. The soul intertwined with the meek and lowly life of YESHUA will form a character of deep piety and sincere holiness. The daily life should be intertwined with the life of YESHUA. Let there be no reaching out for anything outside of Him.

For a proper development of the true believers grace there must be a constant training or intertwining of the soul with G-D. This linking more tightly is the result of growth, and growth is produced by exercise, and exercise consists in reading the Scriptures, in prayer, and in deep thought or heart-communion with G-D. The athlete takes such exercises and eats such foods as will most properly develop and strengthen his muscles. The soul that has any longings for more of G-D must exercise to have its yearnings gratified. To be conscious of a growing up into MESHIKHA, to feel the soul intertwining more and more with the life of G-D, is fullness of joy and perfect happiness. It gives you the peace that passeth all understanding. Friends, is there an ardent flame of pure love in your heart? Do you walk with YESHUA in a devout, trustful, reverential spirit? If not, then you should.

In closing, I want to mention the word Qadosh with all its related forms has the significance of being set apart for some specific, (normally) religious purpose. This necessarily involved a separation from certain things and a dedication to others. The holy person is one who is consecrated to the holy Elohim G-D and to spiritual service. This means that the life and the conduct of the believer is to be distinct from the common folk or profane. Of course this does not refer to the perfunctory or mechanical and routine necessities of life--believers use much the same measures for transportation, maintenance, and household matters as the unbelievers do. However, within all aspects of life they make choices; and if they live, love, and choose as the world does, for the reasons the world does, they are profane. They must seek ways to live out their faith. The standard for this sanctification is G-D himself: "Be holy because I G-D your Elohim am holy." G-D is distinct from all celestial and terrestrial beings and items by his nature and his works. And so the life of the believer is to imitate and reflect that holiness.

Do you oftentimes find your mind contemplating the wonders of creation and the glories of salvation? Is your soul habituated to breathe in the atmosphere of heaven deeply? Is that holy awe filling you? Is that tender sensibility of spiritual things filling your heart? Is that fine, keen edge upon your soul that gives you such hunger for holy things? Is to become more holy a sincere desire of your heart? Then diligently perform all the duties that belong to a holy life. Some give great diligence for a time and make spiritual gain and then lose it all in a day of slackness. But do not slack, be constant, be persevering, be encouraged, reach forth, press forward,-and the prize of meekness. peace. and the Holiness of G-D will consume and crown your life. AMEIN!

We can make Him our GOD or we can make our desires our false gods, full of emptiness. A sinful lifestyle is a curse in itself. To conclude this study, I want to read you an email I received from a new believer in Messiah who came out of a Catholic background. “I lived by my desires before I knew Yeshua and I found no satisfaction. After I accepted Yeshua, I did not have direction and quickly went back to my old lifestyle. Once again, I pursued my own desires until one day I finally looked up and told GOD that I had no enjoyment in my life. For years I struggled trying to break free of the curse of my sins and could not. Finally as a broken man I began to seek GOD who at the time seemed so distant. I did not give up and He delivered me from the chains that I could not break. Solomon said it best. "I did not deny myself any pleasure but my conclusion is that all is vanity" B empty and meaningless.

Friend, pleasures outside of GOD will always produce emptiness. Each choice of obedience can and will only give you more fulfillment and more satisfaction. My prayer is that you commit to purity and trust GOD to be the One who fulfills.

Proverbs 10:22, "The blessing of the Elohim makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it."

Something to Earnestly Ponder

As you earnestly ponder this, seriously ask yourself if the following four paragraphs make sense to you and make sure to give yourself an honest answer. YOU deserve an honest answer.

1. Almost every mainstream denomination claims that the laws of God came to an abrupt end at the death of Yeshua Messiah on the cross. They say that “Yeshua the Messiah came to end the law and He done that by nailing the laws to the cross”. If this were true, then why oh why do the Scriptures consistently teach us NOT to sin and that if we do sin we should repent?

2. For there to be sin, there HAS to be laws in place that would identify sin for mankind, especially for professed believers. If then, the laws of God no longer existed, it wouldn’t matter if a professed believer committed adultery and another murdered, and yet another dishonored his/her parents or even worshipped another God. We would have no need to repent (when you repent, you ask forgiveness FOR your SINS (i.e. the breaking of Gods laws: 1 John 3:4 ), turn from past sins (i.e. stop breaking the laws of God), and turn to God) and we would certainly need no advocate IF the holy laws of God were truly abolished.

3. Additionally, the Holy Messiah would have died in vain. The Word of God tells us that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (remission means a pardon, forgiveness of sins; Matt. 26:28; Mark 1:4; Heb. 9:22). If the laws of God have indeed ended, there would be NO need to evangelize or proselytize because there would be NO sin and NO way to identify sin. The laws of God are the true measuring rods that help believers to identify and avoid sin.

4. Remember, sin is the transgressing of God’s law. Where there is no law, there is NO sin. Without the law still being active and in place, we would NOT know what sin is. Does your teachers teach you that sin is the transgression of the laws of God? Then how can he teach that the laws of God were nailed to the cross? Now, do you still believe that the laws of God were nailed to the cross? Honestly?