Just a thought - Do you walk the straight and narrow?

I was reading the Epistle to the Hebrews this morning, an Epistle initially not intended to be included in the Holy Writ according to the likes of  Martin Luther, the Roman Catholic Church and other Church Fathers because, amongst various reasons, it was considered too Jewish and not in line with the ethos of the "New Testament" evangelical move!

The Epistle to the Hebrews is a massively important Writing for those of us coming back to the fullness of the Entire Word, because contrary to popular interpretation, Hebrews deals with the seamless re-introduction and move back to the Melchizedek Priesthood from the Levitical Priesthood.  It firmly links the "Old" and "New" priesthood in a smooth fashion explaining Messiah Yeshua as the Temple, the Sacrifice and the High Priest of the reintroduced Melchizedek Priesthood.

The Melchizedek Priesthood was in place from Creation until Mt. Sinai where upon the Levitical Priesthood was introduced to lead the Nation of Israel back to the Father and the Covenant via graphic illustrations represented in and through real time applications of said Levitical Priesthood and Protocols.  

Now all this may seem a little strange when looking through the spectacles of our present understanding of Scripture, but the scene for a more in depth exegesis cannot be played out with this short "thought", suffice to say that Hebrews is considered a crucial Epistle as it was purportedly penned just a few years before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE and thus lays out the foundation of worship in the Ancient but reintroduced Melchizedek Priesthood without the need of a Physical Temple and accompanying Levitical Temple Protocols.

Now that a little groundwork has been laid, please allow me to present my thought:  As I was reading Hebrews 12, which when paraphrased tells the reader (us) that because YHWH Elohim loves us so much HE needs to chastise us from time to time , and even though chastising is not pleasant it is needed to be applied by a Loving Father so that those who are chastised are able to bear righteous fruit - then follows verses 12 & 13 of Hebrews 12 from which my question for this missive arose: 

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.  (Heb. 12:12-13 - ESV emphasis added)

The word translated "wherefore" is the Greek conjunction G5105 = toigaroun which can also be translated as truly or consequently, by which and so forth:  

The word I have underlined and translated as "make" is translated from the Greek word poieo - G4160 - which can be translated as commit, + contend, cause, observe.

Finally I would like to draw your attention to the words translated as "straight paths" which come from the Greek words G3717 = orthos  - right (as rising), level or direct; straight and G5163 = trochia - a track (as a wheel rut which by implication means by repeated movement on the same path) a course of conduct. Thereby inferring to deliberately move back to a repeated  and right course of conduct

So the writer to the Hebrews is saying to those he is directing this Epistle to (believing Hebrews , including believing Jews of the day) in essence this:

Chapter 11

We have a massive cloud of witnesses stretching back from the present day (time of writing of Hebrews, but still very applicable to us today) until the time of Habal (Abel) testifying to us all that they, this "cloud", accepted by faith that that which was revealed to them, and for which they now hoped concerning YHWH's returning Kingdom ruled on earth by Messiah Yeshua, because what they had had revealed to them in the Spirit was indeed based on a fact which they had not yet seen come to pass, but which they knew would come to pass, and because of this knowledge they were able to put up with immeasurable hardships, the whole while remaining committed to The Covenant of YHWH.  However not only did our forefathers believe in the returning Kingdom of YHWH, they also knew that we who were still to come (be born) would be used too in preparation for the Return of The Kingdom of Heaven in It's due time (i.e. that we were needed also to facilitate and complete our ordained works in anticipation of the return of Messiah Yeshua and His Rule on earth, thus being added ourselves to this expanding cloud of witnesses who we know by faith have gone before us and shown the way). (Eph. 2:10)

Chapter 12

Now seeing that we are surrounded by such an unassailable example of conduct and faith, and seeing that we too have a large part to play in Messiah's return and rule, we too must therefore be prepared for the necessary correction we shall need to enable us to fulfil our tasks for His Coming Kingdom, and just as correction is meted out to us by our earthly fathers to enable us to learn and conform to instruction, so must we be corrected by our Loving Heavenly Father through our circumstances in life, precisely as HE needed to apply to our forefathers to enable them to become HIS cloud of witnesses to us.  Thus Verses 12 & 13 tell us that : Because we see the very cloud of witnesses and our required chastisement as the means needed to enable us to conform we must take courage in this chastising, take heart and strengthen our drooping hands and feeble, weak knees by choosing to go back and walk in the old straight paths so that in us which is indeed afflicted may also be healed.

Now if  we use the Word to interpret the Word we shall see that "straight paths"  or the alluding to "straight paths" is used in many Scripture, but for this missive I shall draw on only a few:

• Deut. 5:32 refers to walking in the Torah of YHWH!
• Deut. 17:11 refers to complete obedience and execution of the unbiased and fair judgement made by the Levitical Priesthood in difficult judicial matters of the Law.
• Deut. 17:20 refers to the King of Israel (remember this will apply to King Yeshua as well) not veering to the right or the left of the Commandments of YHWH so that it will go well for the K/king and his children (us) in the Kingdom (King leading by example).
• Deut. 28:14 admonishes us to not go to the right or the left from any of the Word commanded by YHWH as this is tantamount to serving other elohim (gods) - and continues in vs. 15 to say that His people will indeed go to the left and the right of HIS commandments and statutes and thus massive curses will through the consequence  of necessity overtake them (us!).
• Josh. 1:7-8  YHWH commands Joshua to be strong and courageous so that he may observe to do all according to the Law of Moshe and not to turn to the left or the right - but that he (Joshua - a foreshadowing of Messiah Yeshua) should mediate on the Law day and night - so that it goes well with him!
• Josh. 23:6-8 Now we read Joshua towards the end of his life, charging the people of Israel to be courageous and to keep all that is written in the law of Moshe, and  not to turn to the left or the right of it, not even to mention the names of the gods of the nations conquered before them and to never accept their ways of worship or swear by these demonic pagan elohim (bow down, use their ways of worship etc) but rather to cling to YHWH!

As I have stated there are so many, many other Scriptures alluding to the "straight paths" such as Prov. 3:5-7; Prov. 4:26-27; Acts 13:10; and the need to make the paths straight before the coming of The Holy One, Yeshua  - Mark 1:3; John 1:23 and they all speak or strongly allude to the keeping the Covenant (Torah) of YHWH as given at Mt. Sinai and as portrayed by our very actions through a circumcised heart!

Master Yeshua, and without meaning to sound facetious, the same Yeshua Who told us in Matt. 5:17-20 that HE did not come to ever do away with the Law and the teachings of the Prophets,  tells us very plainly in Matt. 7:12-14 that the Law and the Prophets demand of us equally that we should love our brother as ourselves, and to do this we shall need to enter the narrow path of life through the straight and narrow gate:  However, Yeshua also advise us very succinctly  that very few find it:  In point of fact it would seem that more than most find the wide gate and broad way and this seeming right way leads to destruction!  Prov. 16:25.

Question if I may please - How many are walking the same path as you do right now?

Dear reader, I do not know what your answer to the above question is, but I do know that it is the responsibility for each and every one of us to decide for him or herself which path they  are to follow?  It is our responsibility to lift our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees, and make straight paths for our feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed!

Do you, dear reader, in your most honest and quiet moment believe you walk in the straight and narrow?

Just a thought.

Please, once again check what I have said and hold me accountable for my words, I too am trying to find the Straight and Narrow path to eternal life with Yeshua; I too want to one day be His Bride without spot or wrinkle.  This is an old path, but we have wondered of it I fear, we need to find it again because it affects our eternity!

Shalom till the next time

Bo'az

Just a thought - Is YHWH Elohim a "hip" Postmodernist?

I need to rectify an opinion that erroneously assumed that I do not adhere to the Epistles of Rav Sha'ul - Paul (and possibly assumed of most of us coming back to the application of Torah) -  I (we?) love and cherish the writing of Rav Sha'ul (Paul), and in my opinion some of the most edifying and instructional words concerning our coming back to the Torah (Covenant) can be found therein. 

Although I may often disagree with the various translators choice of translated words used in their specific translation - I (we?) fervently adhere to and accept every single Book in the Holy Bible, all 66, as Divinely inspired and do not add to or take away from The Bible as revealed to us and presented today.

After watching a youtube film (movie?) I have been led (inspired?) to pen this thought, which you may want to consider over this coming Sabbath and our journey towards Shavuot (Pentecost).

This film - The Genesis Code (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtm1o1DQ0o) - actually presented me with two very interesting points on which to ponder:  The first being hidden in the title and presented by a dramatised argument which shows the possible symbiotic relationship between Genesis 1 and modern science:   The second, which I now wish to throw into the arena of discussion through this short article was the concept of The Post Modern Era/World we are purported to be living in today!

Obviously our Creator knew exactly what was good and bad for us so HE gave us, His Children, a guideline to live by: HOWEVER, to prove His True Love for us as demonstrated through His Character and actions, and in an act of reciprocation by us, to show our true love and Trust for YHWH and as demonstrated through our character and actions, we were given the right to choose whether to obey Him (His Instructions) or not - we were given an inalienable right as our American brethren would say - but obviously with this choice comes massive consequences and responsibilities far to daunting when weighed against eternity for us to be able to make alone, however the choice as to which path we walk still remains ours, with HIS help should we so desire. (Lev. 26:1-13 - just a side line here:-  for those of us in Namibia, and others experiencing a drought see verse 4 - if we walk in YHWH's ways HE will give us rain - maybe we should not be praying for rain right now - maybe we should be asking HIM why He has not given us rain?  Lev. 26:14-46; Deut. 30:19-20; Jos. 24:15).

Having had the choice to follow His Instructions for eternal life denied us by Adam and Chava for all eternity (Gen. 2:9; 17; 3:6-7) we cannot now help ourselves but to choose according to the knowledge of our own human perceptions of good and evil, thus we are forever running and hiding from YHWH and trying to cover our nakedness with the "proverbial fig leaves" of our choices exhibited through our works (read actions).

Please, just to make sure there is no ambiguity here - I need to once again clarify that with out Rebirth in and through the acceptance of the atoning Sacrifice of Messiah no matter what choice we make WE WILL GARNER NO BENEFIT WHAT-SO-EVER OUT OF THAT CHOICE!  TRUE REBIRTH IN MESSIAH IS ALL THAT CAN ACTIVATE THE BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IN OUR LIVES AND RESTORE ETERNAL LIFE AS PROMISED TO ADAM AND CHAVA (EVE) PRIOR TO THEIR FALL!

As a consequence of the fall from Grace in the Garden we now have a large character trait easily identifiable in our fallen nature, and that is we need to give somebody else the blame for our SIN; by implication we attempt to distance ourselves from the "offence" by a - it's not my fault.." syndrome (Gen. 3:12-13). However with each excuse comes a humanly plausible justification which will agree with our fallen nature (flesh) and with which we are able to "live" this in turn bolstering out penchant for blaming others and taking the blame off of ourselves.  This action "tickles" our ears and soothes our consciences and will inevitably leads to our "new" justification later becoming our "new" lifestyle, and by telling ourselves the same lie repeatedly and using the same justifications of "its wasn't really my fault", even when the justification does not line up with The Living Holy Word, we will eventually believe that lie and our consciences can then become seared to the Truth, a glorious Truth which will now seem like judgement and not Love as was intended by the Father! (Gen. 3:6; James 1:12-18; Ps. 119;9, 16, 18, 24)

As we, each and everyone of us, was created as a building block of a society in which we live and not an island unto ourselves, we will by natural design/creation begin to seek out those of like mind and lifestyles, this created human need obviously then impacts the societies in which we live and grow and will eventually, because we are who we are, lead to us needing leaders and because of our very fallen nature we will elect leaders whom we believe represent our life views, opinion and lifestyles best, but now chosen WITHOUT THE INTERJECTION OF THE RUACH HAKODESH  - THUS WE NOW HAVE BEGUN TO EVOLVE TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF "ENLIGHTENMENT" or SELF DETERMINATION ACCORDING TO OUR STANDARDS, BUT NOT YHWH'S STANDARDS! - and this "ENLIGHTENMENT" which we are so proud of is NOW grandly trumpeted through dispensationalism  - Elitism of the enlightened ones!

Aah, dispensationalism - thank heavens we don't have to live and think like our unenlightened and old fashioned parents and forefathers who believed naively that YHWH the Creator worked in unified complete and oft repeated cycles and not, as we know today, in disjointed stop-start acts of vengeance by reinvention of the wheel according to our "mental/social growth!"

I am not shouting at our children - we all, every generation from Adam forwards has done it; we parents have laid down a frame work our children would find absolutely impossible not to imitate and build on!  And so the cycle of destruction (postmodernist call it "enlightenment" I believe) goes on to finally arrive at where we are today:  But what of tomorrow?  Well tomorrow will become the graveyard for todays enlightenment because after all we live in the evolving Post Modern Era - Alas an era a very, very long way from The Garden and its Instructions for Life given by a Loving Creator Father! 

It now seems that we have arrived, by our own design and choice, at a place where our Post Modernism Theology (Humanism) has enabled us in our "own wisdom" to now be "... as gods, knowing good and evil" without  the input of YHWH and His Instructions for Life (Gen.3:5) and forever "evolving" by our own worldly wisdom into ... I don't know - maybe a "perfect god" made in our own image? Rom. 1:18-32

“Postmodernity returns value to faith and affirms the nurturing of our spiritual being as vital to humankind. Unfortunately, with the loss of truth, people will now seek faith without boundaries, categories, or definition. The old parameters of belief do not exist. As a result, people will be increasingly open to knowing God, but on their own terms.” 

https://thinkpoint.wordpress.com/2007/02/22/25/ 

The  same article gives a simple yet workable definition for the 3 "humanly inspired" era's man has "evolved through" to be where we so proudly are today.

The pre-modern era was one in which religion was the primary source for truth and reality. God’s existence and revelation were widely accepted in pre-modern culture. In the modern era, science became the predominate source for truth and reality. Religion and the morality based on it were arbitrarily demoted to a subjective realm. In the postmodern era, there is no single defining source for truth and reality beyond individual preference.  

https://thinkpoint.wordpress.com/2007/02/22/25/

Let's go back now to our youtube which led to this thought and a look at what was said to the young heroine by her academic advisor:  Here is a summary paraphrase:

"We live in a Postmodern World where we have no absolutes, no restrictions, no restraints ...where the only reality is what each person perceives ........ there is no conflict between whether there is a God or not because the subject is simply irrelevant!....The only truth is subjective, a truth that works for each individually - Voltaire said correctly that religion was good as it kept the masses under control....  Absolute truth is an insult to others because it says that they are wrong, and especially to "inteligencia" who know that life evolves by random choice of nature.....Absolute Biblical Truth cannot exist in a Postmodern World - there is no truth - truth is relative!   Truth and rationality are biases and the only real SIN is to criticise anothers views or moral choices!  Whilst it may been alright for your parents to believe those things, you do not have to - do not sacrifice a career with the elite - a chance to change the world because of your dogmatic Biblical beliefs!" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtm1o1DQ0o

Now my questions:  

Where do you and I stand on this issue dear reader?  Does our belief system dispense with The Old Testament, it's GOD and HIS Laws?

Does our belief system say that we have no more rules because Paul took them away?

Does our belief system separate us from the SINS of those Old Testament Jews - you know the ones who kept Sabbath, ate kosher as defined in Leviticus 11, celebrated YHWH's Leviticus 23 Festivals and so forth?

Does our belief system say that Jesus paid for our SINS so that we now no longer have to keep what HE died for, even when braking them caused our separation from YHWH Abba anyway and the death of Yeshua?  (Circular thinking I believe is the correct term for this thought process - the snake will eventually eat its own tail that way:   See SIN defined as the breaking The Written Law of YHWH Elohim, given by YHWH Personally to Moshe - 1 John 3:4).

Do we believe that YHWH is a biased Elohim Who saw that keeping His Perfect Law was too difficult for the Jews, so HE punished the Jews, divorced them, scrapped HIS Marriage Covenant and gave us an easy way out by allowing us to now break the Law HE punished the Jews for breaking?

If we believe all this, we do indeed follow and worship a fickle and unstable god who will allow anything to go.  If the above does represent our belief system, watch for the next mood swing of this god because it could be a doozy - in fact it may even resemble this final thought which is said to be a mantra of satanism:

"You can do whatever you want to do!"

Hmm.... Just a thought!

Shabbat shalom

Bo'az

The Carpenter who was a Farmer.

My wife and I have been blessed to be able to live in a rural farming area. This shows me much of the Creation with all it's cycles and seasons we may not always see in the cities and suburbia.

If I was to sum up all that I have learnt since my rebirth many years ago, I am not sure I would be able to reduce it to a single word or experience, but one thing I would be able to include in my perceived lists of  "acquired knowledge" is the fact that YHWH seems to love to wait.

A profound changs I believe has occurred in my life since my rebirth is that I seem to always have time now to wait on YHWH for His will to Mature and bear Fruit without my clumsy and quite frankly, obstructive and sinful efforts!

As the 31 year old paramilitary member of the Police Force that I was at my rebirth, I was always expected to take the Bull by the horns, wrestle him to the ground, solve the problem and move on to the next issue.  I learnt never to get out of the way of the bull - I would face him head on and crush him in whatever way the situation required.

Brave battle scars and good war stories for those nights around the fires in the African bush, what! 

But what of now, more than a quarter of a century later?  Well I still sit occasionally around those night fires in the African Bush, still tell stories - but not stories about the bull I battled to the ground in submission:  No. No - now I tell stories about how YHWH has battled that bull to the ground, whilst I have stood and waited on the side lines watching how HE does it! 

Do I have this waiting game down pat yet?

Absolutely not.  But I think we all need to get to that place where we begin to cry out for the Shepherd Who will "Lead us in paths (cycles) of righteousness for His Names sake!"

"Who will lead us beside the still waters."

"Who make us to lie down in pastures green!"

"Who will restore our souls!"  (Ps. 23)

That is what this time of "counting the Omer" which leads up to Shavuot, is all about in principle. Watching, listening, learning, and more importantly it is a special set apart appointment YHWH uses to achieve this work - a Moed!   His appointed time to as HE wills - not our suggested time for Him!

There are so many, many gifts that the Master has given me in my life; we may not always recognise them as gifts, but He tells us that EVERYTHING works together for the good of those who love YHWH and are called according to HIS purpose and since we are called from our mothers wombs that is an eternal promise. (Rom. 8:28-29)

But the most precious of the gifts that I have been taught since my rebirth, and am still being taught, is the heavenly concept of time management.  And that, brethren can indeed be reduced to just one word  - 'WAIT!'  

This is so absolutely profound in its concept and oh so very simple in its application - but impossible for mankind to grasp on his/her own.

As mentioned above, we are often  given to believe that only good things, good as perceived by our fleshy perceptions of good and evil, are true blessings; well this is not true - the most incredible and enduring growth occurs under the harshest and most stringent conditions - this growth is brought about through a struggle to commit to HIS Covenant within the confines of these harshest of conditions. And these undoubtedly cause the most difficult time of "waiting" and keeping our hands of the situation the "bull" has dragged in.

Brethren, I have an opinion which reads something like this:

For some reason not known to me our Redeemer Yeshua came as the Son of a carpenter and He Himself worked in that earthly trade - BUT in His Heart He was and still is a Farmer, The Son of The Most High Husbandman (John 15:1).  He Created the life around us and came to sow the Seed (Word) of Life!  

Oh yes, He was also a Son to Yehoseph and Miriam, a Brother to Ya'akov (James) and Y'hudah (Jude), a Fisherman to Kefas (Peter) and Yochanan (John) - a Redeemer to the World; but however we are told in Romans 1:18-32 that because people do not recognise HIM by His massively evident invisible qualities in Creation, HE "gave them up to uncleanness".

I do not believe it matters who or what we are, where we work or live, the income we receive!  What truly matters is are we seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness (His Will for our Life and His correct way of us achieving that life He has predestined for those He loved - Mat. 6:33 (See Mat. 6:25-34); Rom. 8:29; Eph. 2:10.

The Messiah came to Earth to show us His Father and His Father's perfect Kingdom Rule which is abundantly demonstrated for us in His Creation - I talk natural here, not man-made.

HE came to show us His Seed principle that He wove into the complete and perfect fabric of Creation, time and life.  This He demonstrated so naturally in His Garden.  In Genesis 1 we read all about this perfect Seed principle - all seed, be it human, animal, aquatic, vegetable, mineral, whatever - even Spiritual will produce like-kind: It will never ever produce a Genetically Modified Monsanto Frankenstein mealie (corn), or an animal so full of hormones as to make it an unclean and a humanly modified freak!

Time to get of my soap box here:  But before I do - just a simple question from a simple source to you all!

If we have the Seed of YHWH in us why are we not doing like our First Fruit Yeshua did; He Who lived and died to protect, guard and keep His Torah in obedience to His Father AS LED BY THE RUACH (SPIRIT)? Or are we Monsanto seeds?  Mixed up by man and made unclean, fractured of no use to YHWH? John. 14:12, 15-17.

Yeshua came to show us that He is the Adonai (Master) of The Sabbath, the Mark of The Covenant, the Sign of Creation because, as we all know, on the Seventh day of Creation Elohim completed all HIS Creative Work and HE commemorated it by instituting the Sabbath (Gen. 2:1-3) -  YHWH did not carry on Creating on the 8th day or the 9th day - HE was Finished and it was established in Heaven for Eternity, NEVER TO CHANGE - Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 31:17; Mat. 12:8; Ps. 119:89-96 (if YHWH's Torah is done away with then this Scripture in Ps. 119 is a lie!)

To show that HE was the Creator of all Creation Yeshua even applied HIS Creation Seed principle to HIS Eternal Festivals and to HIS death and Resurrection!

• He died at the beginning of the Summer, the Passover, Seed planting time.
• The dead Seed lay in the ground for 3 days.
• The Dead Seed was Resurrected to Life on the evening of the 3rd day as the First Fruits of the Harvest, the Barley Seed Harvest - a feast where the Priests had to wave the first Barley found before YHWH and offer it as a gift on the altar in the Temple.  This was a gift of faith!

Barley is described as the poor mans, grains, from which a course and hardy bread is baked.  A winter grain that has survived the harsh northern winters and presented food to the population at the break of spring.  Barley, being more hardy and less labour intensive than its cousin wheat, did not have the monetary value or social "presence & respectability" that wheat had.

We read in John 6 that Yeshua, when confronted by the hungry 5000, fed them from the 5 Barley loaves:  

Shall we take the time to look at what Yeshua was saying to these people and what this parable meant to them of that time in short?

• It was a time just before the Passover Feast, when Yeshua would have to die and rise on the First Fruit Festival of the Barley wave before YHWH.
• These loaves would have been baked from the previous years crop, showing that His provisions had carried them through the harsh winter.
• He was given, by Divine Providence, 5 Barley Loaves - 5 being the Gematria of Grace and the loaves of Barley pointing to Yeshua as the Bread of life for the "common/poor man" (Is. 55).
• Two fish - pointing to the catching of the fishes of the Two Houses of Judah and Israel (Ya'akov) which would later make up the whole united house of Israel (Jer. 31:31ff; Eze. 26:27; 37:15-28).
• Yeshua broke the Bread - He allowed Himself to be broken; and He broke the two fishes, as He would have to break us, His Disciples from the Nations, so as to feed the multitude which would still have to come in (Jer. 16:14-21).

There is much more we can get from this parable such as the bread stays barley and does not become wheat - again we see that not all blessings seem like blessings - Yeshua promised HE would give us what we need NOT WHAT WE WANT, OR THINK WE NEED!  He is the prefect Father.

The day after the Sabbath following the First Fruits Festival, or Waving of the Barley Festival, began the counting of the Omer (Lev. 23:9-17) which will bring us 50 days later to a less extravagant but massively important Messianic Festival - Shavuot/Pentecost - the out pouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh).

At time of writing we are on day 18 of the count - 32 days to go.

The counting of the Omer parallels the journey out of Egypt by our Forefathers and their arrival at Mt. Sinai where the Torah (Betrothal Covenant) was given.

It is of no small matter that when Master Yeshua rose after 3 full days and 3 full nights in the grave (not a portion of 3 full days and nights as the Churches have taught) it was the exact day that the First Fruit Offering, coinciding with the beginning of the Counting of the Omar ...  Coincidence?  I think not.  Fulfilment of Prophecy and visual demonstrations of Messiah Yeshua's Divinity and status as The Lamb that was slain for the sin of the world.

We need to also look at the number of days between the First Fruits and the Shavuot (Pentecost) - 50 days - 50 is the number which represents the fullness of return. We see this represented by the Year of Yovel (Jubilee - Lev. 25:13) when every man's possessions were returned to him, all his debt was cancelled and everything in the Land started from scratch again. 

Here is a point of interest - Yeshua will have to return at the fullness of a Yovel (Jubilee) year, otherwise HE cannot restore all under His Feet as the Word Prophesied - if HE did it would break Torah and make Yeshua a sinner, and by that He would become the Anti-Christ! (Ps. 110:1; Mat. 22:44; Heb. 1:13 - a messianic prophecy by King David showing His rebirth in Messiah Yeshua - see short commentary under for further details).

So in a very simplified way we have this representation being given to us by The King of Kings, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven and Yisrael here on earth in the Millennium:-

Passover represents the death of the Seed having to be placed it in the ground and allowing the Ruach to raise it from the dead and produce fruit from it (represented by adult Baptism after rebirth (going through the Red Sea achieved this for our forefathers coming out of Egypt) known as a Mikva in the Torah - see under for more details)

The more spiritual connotation implies death of self by association with the finished works of the Lamb of YHWH through re-birth in Messiah all accomplished by the Ruach HaKodesh - not by our own efforts but only those inspired and empowered by Elohim (Eph. 2:8-9).   This was seen in The Exodus as the coming out of Egypt, out from under the bondage of Egypt - SIN!

Going into the desert for 50 days and moving further away from Egypt, its ways, lifestyles and religions and moving towards Mt. Sinai and the receiving of the Marriage Covenant (Torah).  This journey gave our forefathers time to count the days and meditate on their past lives and where they were going to, because they had nothing else really to do but learn to follow the Cloud by day and the Fire by night, the leading of Messiah through His Ruach - and the whole way HE is pointing to the hidden leaven in our lives, if we will allow HIM to, then we get to deal with it assisted by HIM.

Please understand this dear reader, NOT EVERYBODY WHO IS BORN AGAIN HAS RECEIVED THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (RUACH HAKODESH) -Acts 19:1-7 (note the number 12 in verse 7 - Whole House of Israel!!).  Many have received the "Baptism" of John, that is the Baptism of repentance (Blood over the door lintels in Egypt) but they have not received the true Baptism of Messiah Yeshua - fully submerged in water in the Name of Father YHWH, Yeshua His Son and the Ruach HaKodesh!   Symbolic you may say?  Obedience I would say! (Mat. 28:19-20).  This is the first step of obedience after rebirth.  Does this save us?  Of course not, it starts our journey into sanctification though - a journey moving towards Betrothal to Messiah Yeshua!

Please understand that this counting of the Omer is a period of approach to Mt. Sinai, a period which included going through the Red Sea (Baptism 1 Cor. 10:2) towards preparation for the acceptance of the Marriage Covenant at Mt. Sinai (Written form - our Katubah) and the necessary and promised ASSISTANCE GIVEN BY THE RUACH SO AS TO BE ABLE TO WALK UPRIGHT IN THAT MARRIAGE COVENANT - not our denominational covenants concocted by men!

We cannot walk in the Marriage Covenant of YHWH Yeshua without the empowering of the Ruach HaKodesh - The Very Spirit of The Seed of Yeshua The Creator!  This we saw portrayed 50 days after the Resurrection of Messiah Yeshua in Jerusalem prophesied in Joel 2:28-32 and partially fulfilled in Acts 2. 

It would be good to note that as the feasts of Yeshua (Lev. 23 Feasts - appointed times) progress through the year they develop and produce more glorious fruits.  Let me explain please:

We start of with the hardy, more humble Barley with no trimmings (no yeast, no real preparation time).   

We then move towards the Feast of Shavuot - the First fruits of more refined and pleasant leavened, wheat bread for a more sumptuous and social meal.

Then we have the final Feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the "Wedding Feast" when we "harvest" the grapes, pomegranates, the more exotic fruits and the fullness of the Grain harvests so that we have food to carry us through the Winter in a manner befitting Children of the Creator Elohim, until the next cycle of "sanctification" begins at the next Pesach/Passover.  

But on a very serious and definitely more eternal note, this is also the Festival when the "Tares" are torn out and burnt - Tares being a poisonous grass that looks much like wheat, but is of no nutritional value at all.  Tares hide very well amongst the wheat crop until maturity that is when they are torn out by the Angels and thrown into the fire! (Mat. 13:25, 29, 30).  This feast is yet to be fulfilled, and as we so often point out, if the first two feasts (Passover & Shavuot) were fulfilled exactly as prophecies to the date and second, what about this last feast?

We need to understand that Tares are only found amongst the Wheat, not the Barley; amongst the Bride, those seemingly accepting The Marriage Covenant of the Lamb, The Bread of Life Himself.  The Barley never was, and never will be the Wheat Crop, please those who have eyes to see and ears to hear let it be so.

Another visible warning given by Yeshua here in these parables is that amongst the Wheat (Bride) are those who will be unidentifiable as Tares until the end, ONLY THOSE WHO PERSEVERE TO THE END WILL BE ACCEPTED AS THE BRIDE - AND HOW WILL THEY BE KNOWN?

BY THEIR FRUIT!  Please read The Fruits of the Ruach

So in the period of counting the Omer, which we are now in, that occurs in cycles each year, we get to sit quietly and reflectively before YHWH asking Him to please inspect us through His Ruach, the Ruach of Yeshua, the Living Seed of Life, the Eternal never changing Seed of Life and to please create in us a Contrite heart and and a Broken spirit, begging Him to cleanse us with Hyssop, through the Blood of the Lamb! (Ps. 51) - NB. Please note that this is penned by King David:

The same David who penned Psalm 119 which waxes lyrically and passionately about the virtues of the Law (Torah) of YHWH.  

This same David cries in anguish in Psalm 51 and begs that YHWH remove not His Ruach HaKodesh from him (vs. 11).  

The same David who asks for His Heart to be circumcised in verse 10 of Psalm 51. 

This same David asks in verse 12 of Ps. 51 to please restore his joy for his Salvation (H3468 - Yesha, from H3467 - primitive root - Yasha - same root as the name of Yeshua comes from).

This same David who speaks in verse 13 of Psalm 51 of teaching transgressors "The Way" and sinners will be "converted back to YHWH.

The same David who states publicly for all of time that the only sacrifice acceptable to YHWH is a "broken spirit and a broken" and contrite heart" - verse 17 - again circumcision of the heart stated by a circumcised man.

The same King David who penned Psalm 110:1 referred to above!

And finally this same David acknowledges that only once these conditions have been met shall the Temple/personal Sacrifices be acceptable to YHWH!

KING DAVID WAS A BORN AGAIN MAN WHO BELIEVED IN THE SACRIFICE OF MESSIAH YESHUA; THE LEADING OF THE RUACH HAKODESH AS THE ONLY WAY POSSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE TORAH OF YHWH; AND THE NEED FOR A CIRCUMCISED AND REPENTANT HEART!  WHERE IS KING DAVID, THE KING OF ISRAEL SO DIFFERENT FROM THE "NEW TESTAMENT" BELIEVERS THE DENOMINATIONS  CONTINUOUSLY THROW BEFORE US TODAY, TELLING US THAT THE "OLD TESTAMENT" WERE ALL SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF THE BULLS AND GOATS AND OTHER NON-BIBLICAL WAYS I MUST ASK?

We are able to repent and return to the Father, but Scripture would indicate that without a "full adult Baptism" and an inpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) we are unable to walk in or even accept the Fullness of the Marriage Covenant of Yeshua, the heavenly Bridegroom! What a massively sobering thought.

So to give us all a chance at becoming a part of The Bride, we have been given these not so "Jewish" Feasts referred to in Leviticus 23 to adhere to, to obey as far as we are able to so that we can begin to walk in His Cycles of Life enabling us to learn to WAIT on HIM and Hear His Voice so as to receive His Marriage Proposal and fulfil His Calling on our lives - then we begin to qualify as His Bride; then we begin to have a Testimony of Messiah Yeshua and begin to follow the Laws of Elohim - BUT BEWARE:  The wicked one will make war against us and we will become a target because he and his tares hated our Master Yeshua First! (Rev. 12:17; Rev. 14:12; Mat. 10:22; John 15:18-6:4).  The Wheat in the Last Days will be massively persecuted, more than even the earlier Believers of Messiah Yeshua! (Mat. 24:21-22)

We still have a few days to go before the Feast of Shavuot, 32 to be precise.  Make time to sit with Yeshua, learn His Heart, it is the Heart of His Father, and you will find it in His Law, His Marriage Covenant because in and through that very Covenant HE has proved HIS Love for us by keeping and guarding His Father's Commandments for US so that we are now free of the curse of the law requiring our death, we are now free to follow Messiah Yeshua and do as He did, like the Seed He planted in you by Nature and Creation it would have you do to be like our Master Yeshua!

Again I would implores you all to check out prayfully against the Word of YHWH all that I have said, hold me accountable please!  I too am trying to find my way home.

Shalom in Messiah Yeshua.

Bo'az

We need time to think - YHWH has given us 50 days.

"And I will dwell among the Children of Israel, and will be their GOD." 

(Gen.29:45 KJV - NB. unless otherwise stated I shall use only the 1611 KJV)

 The word translated as "among" in the above Scripture can just as easily be translated as "within" (H8432 tâvek = from an unused root meaning to sever, ...(by implication) the centre, among (-st), with (-in).

The word translated as GOD in the Scripture above also mean an "authority" (H430 ělôhîym  = plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the Supreme GOD; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; sometimes as a superlative  - angels, judges, X mighty).

A very simple but massively profound question thus arises:

Is YHWH, the Elohim of Avraham, Yitzhak & Ya'akov, our One and only Authority?

This is where Adam and Eve (Chava) stumbled in the Garden which caused all of us all and creation to be cursed unto death! 

Anything having authority or influence over us becomes a god (TV, pornography, sexual perversity, governments, religions and so forth).

Hopefully all of those reading this blog know that YHWH Abba sent the Creator HIMSELF to redeem mankind back to Himself so that HE once again can live in the midst of us as well as in us - the Creator Yeshua, The Word and perfect Representation of the  Father Whom no man has ever seen or heard, except of course for The Son, Yeshua Himself (John 5:37; 6:46; 14:9; 15:24).

Yeshua, being Holy (qâdash) and Clean (tâhȇr) came to show and preach the Gospel fully and completely to us without adding or subtracting anything from it (Mat. 5:17).

He did this by living out the fullness of the Torah as given to Moshe (please remember, it is of absolute & paramount importance that we realise - IT IS NOT MOSES' LAW - IT IS THE FULLNESS OF THE ETERNAL INSTRUCTIONS SHOWING US THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AS GIVEN TO MOSHE BY YHWH THE CREATOR HIMSELF DEFINING HOW THE PEOPLE OF YISRAEL (THOSE WHO WILL RULE WITH ELOHIM (remember The Authority above all Authorities in Heaven and on Earth (Mat. 28:18) ARE TO LIVE AS A NATION OF PRIESTS! 

NB: Yeshua's statement made in Mat. 28:18 is ambiguous and confusing when read with verse 19 - 20 if the teachings of the denominations, who declare the Law has been done away with is correct - because you see dear reader, the Gospels only show Yeshua living a Torah lifestyle and worshipping according to Torah Festivals in absolute compliance with Torah instructions on Torah mandated days!  So I contend that if the statement that the Torah with all its mandated eternal feasts, diets and The Sabbath sign of the Covenant have been abolished or abridged, and no longer exist - YESHUA WAS SETTING HIS APOSTLES UP TO AT BEST BECOME THE LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN;  AND AT WORST HAVE THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT POURED OUT ON THEM ACCORDING TO WHAT YESHUA HIMSELF STATED AND TESTIFIED IN Mat. 5:17-20 & Rev. 22:18-20.

Before we move on a little History may help here:  

You will often hear me speaking of the Torah as The Katubah, The Marriage Covenant (at this stage still a Betrothal Document). I believe that we see the formal laying out of a Covenant recorded for posterity and eternity from Ex. 19:5-6:

"Now therefore, if you will obey My voice (WORD SPOKEN) indeed, and keep my Covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests , and as holy nation..."

 "And he took The Book of The Covenant", and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that YHWH hath said we will do, and be obedient.  And Moshe took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, Behold the blood of the Covenant, which YHWH hath made with you concerning all these Words." (Ex.24:7-8 - emphasis added by me).

There we have a proposal of intent, a written document of  such proposal and the acceptance of the offered proposal (...concerning all these Words) and ratification by blood.  

Yeshua did not in any way take the proposal recorded in Ex. 19:5 lightly, and we loose the seriousness of HIS proposal when translated to English because what the Scriptures actually record as being said by YHWH where we have the word "obey" is a repetition of the word "Shama" H8085 = and can be translated quite correctly as:

Now therefore, if you will "hear intelligently, attentively and discerningly and you will obediently bare witness, and proclaim my proclamation" indeed, and keep my Covenant, then you shall be to me a "special and shut up (protected) priceless jewel."

That dear reader, is how a Mighty & Valiant Warrior (H1368 - gibbor) Husband (H376 - eesh) speaks to His Betrothed loved one.

Now next matter I need to discuss, because it is not recorded in the Covenant, is the introduction of the Levitical Priesthood which is accompanied by two schools of thought: 

The first school of thought is that the Levitical Priesthood was introduced because of the SIN of the Golden calf, and thus Israel showed herself not yet ready to accept the responsibility of her calling of Priesthood.

The Second school of thought is that because Israel said to YHWH through the mediator Moshe and as recorded in Ex. 20:18-21 as read with (arw) Deut. 5:27-33 that they were too scarred of YHWH and Moshe should speak for them - YHWH said their answer was "well said all they have spoken"  - Deut. 5:28 -Again the word "well" is derived from the word used to declare all that was "good" in the Creation (H3190 - yâtab = a primitive root to be (causatively) make well, literally (sound, beautiful); accepted, benefit..) and YHWH gave them a Priesthood to prepare them to approach HIM with less timidity and fear - as one teacher of Torah describes it - 

"Israel was a shy and immature bride and YHWH respected that and gave them a Priesthood to order their steps and teach them the correct way to approach HIM"   The Rabbi's son.

I personally ascribe at this time to a combination of both schools and believe that Abba saw their absolute crippling fear of HIM and needed to rectify that:  However HE also foreknew that Israel, no matter how naive or shy, would settle down and revert back to their pagan norms and would break HIS Covenant which they had promised to keep when they rolled out the Egyptian calf of their traditions.

In order to lead the Bride back to HIM, YHWH the Creator needed to show her what the Heavenly Tabernacle with all it's functions and protocol's entailed.  We often forget that The Earthly Tabernacle was as close a replica of the Heavenly One as it was possible for man, under Divine leading, to make here on Earth (Ex. 25:8-9; 31:1-11).

Something to ponder for a moment here if you would:  It would seem by the placement of the massively important description of the significance of the Shabbat directly after the instructions given for the building of the Tabernacle so that YHWH could "tabernacle" amongst HIS people - YHWH still cautioned HIS people that even for the building of the Tabernacle the SHABBAT COULD NOT BE BROKEN - AS IT IS THE SIGN OF THE MARRIAGE/BETROTHAL COVENANT!  Ex. 31:12ff (forward).  Keeping the Shabbat, no matter what, is a sign of fidelity and commitment to the Groom and His Covenant.

In Ex. 23:14-19 (in the content of the Marriage Covenant) all men (obviously wives and children as well would come along on these "annual holidays) are instructed to gather before YHWH 3 times a year in a place where YHWH will place HIS Name and they shall feast before HIM (Ex. 34:23; Deut. 16:16; Deut. 12:5-8; Deut. 12:11; Deut. 16:16; 2 Chron. 6:6; 1Kg. 8:29).

I hear people saying - we are not living in Israel and so we cannot do the feasts - well let's try and reason that out:

By the very fact that we see that YHWH instructed HIS people to hold The Feasts whilst still in The Wilderness, and in addition there is compelling evidence that the Feasts of YHWH were held before YHWH had them written down in a codex for the Nation at large (Gen. 18:19; 19:1) would, in my opinion nullify this argument :  Scripture also records that YHWH did say before the Children of Israel entered the Promised land that "When you come into the Land"  Deut: 26:1ff - now remember they still held the Festivals and kept Shabbat in the Wilderness as best they could even though they had not yet entered the Land.  The same applies to us right now as well, we are unable to come back to the land for various reason beyond our control - but we shall later at the return of Messiah go to the Land, where it would seem that in the Millennium Rule of Messiah there will be feasts held, if only the Shabbat (although this may also mean all Festivals - but that is for another day) and the feast of Booths (Tabernacles - Sukkot)  Num. 9:5; 15;32; Is. 66:23; Zech. 14:16-19.

Let me ask you this question if I may:  If you were to find yourself in another country apart from your own, and it is your wedding anniversary - will you ignore the day, or still do the best you can to remember it?  What about your birthday?  -  For the Christians out there reading this - would you still celebrate, the best you could, Christmas if you were away from home over that period?  I have been invited by US Citizens whom we know here in Africa, to their 4th of July celebrations - that is where I learnt quite a bit about the US culture and their "different" foods to what we eat.  But I think you get my point...so if you believe you should obey the Festivals of YHWH as opposed to the man made festivals of the denominations, then don't try and sidestep YHWH's festivals on non-arguments - that is just plain rebellious. Be consistent in your behaviour, it is to your benefit. 

Please remember these Leviticus 23 feasts we are instructed to keep were never ever the "Jews" feasts - these always were and always will be YHWH's Feasts for all our generations (Lev. 23:4; 14; 21; 31; 41; 44).

The word translated as feasts is (H4150 - môêd = from H3259 - properly to fix upon by agreement or appointment, an appointment that is a fixed time or season, an assembly convened for a definite purpose, the place of meeting, a signal, appointed sign, time, solemn assembly) - No wiggle room here - pretty definite YHWH set a time that HE would come and assemble with us - HE does not fall into line with man's Sundays and self designed festivals I am afraid!

Dear reader, if you would like to accept it or not - these feasts, festivals, moedim (plural) have been ordained by YHWH to commemorate for eternity the High Days of Our Messiah Yeshua's life - The first of these Feast is the commonly referred to as the Passover, but it encompasses 3 feats in one time frame:

• Passover - the Death of Messiah Yeshua to release us from SIN.
• Unleavened bread - our coming out of Egypt by the Strong and Mighty Arm of Yeshua then and still to this day (Ex.12:26-27).
• First Fruits - The rising of Yeshua from the Grave - His conquering death for us all.

The second is the feast of Shavuot (which we are approaching now):

• Shavuot - 50 days after the Sabbath following the Feast of First Fruits - also called the Counting of the Omar.  This day is traditionally believed to be when the Marriage Covenant of Yeshua was given at Mt. Sinai, and about 1500 years later the out pouring of the Ruach HaKodesh (The Spirit of Yeshua) at Jerusalem - it is interesting to note that we are shown by the timing of the two advents commemorated on this day the necessity for the Law (Covenant) to work with The Ruach and visa versa:-  No Ruach - Law is a letter that brings death:  No Law - a spirit of lawlessness!

The third, and final feasts, are known as the Feasts of Huts, or Tabernacle, or as our Jewish brothers call it, the Marriage Feast. This feast has not as yet been consecrated in time, space and execution as the first two have, but they shall mark the return of Yeshua for His Bride and to judge the earth as recorded in Revelation.  The three feasts incorporated here are:  

• Yom Teruah - Feast of Trumpets (The Last Trump) which is marked by the sighting of the new Moon to begin the 7th month of The Biblical year, Tishri, a moon that no man knows the date or time of, but well the season - Here Master Yeshua will take His people up to meet Him in the clouds.  This may be the day of Yeshua's birth.
• Yom Kippur - (Day of Atonement) 10 days later, when the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies once per year and plead for the lives of himself and Israel and if the offers were acceptable, Israel went on for another year - We celebrate it looking back at the finished work of Yeshua, but on this day in the future Master Yeshua will judge the world.  This is the most holy and solemn feast of the year where fasting was called for and heaven is quiet for half an hour.
• Sukkot - celebrated as a remembrance of our forefathers coming out of Egypt and having to sleep in Sukkahs (little temporary shelters open to the elements).  Sukkot was the first stop of the people of Israel when coming out from under Pharaoh's tyranny.  This is also the day that Yeshua will hold His Marriage Feast.

All the feasts also have many other implications and instructions woven into them including giving us a guide line regarding our spiritual growth linking the growth of the crops of Israel to our spirits.

As I have noted above, the first two Festivals have been perfectly fulfilled in Time, Place and Execution in History through Messiah Yeshua, but that does not mean we no longer must commemorate and celebrate them, these are significant High Days in the Life of Messiah Yeshua, our Ancestors and our own futures - and seeing as YHWH Yeshua (The Creator Who spoke to Moshe - Pre-incarnate Yeshua - Christophanies or Theophanies) Himself said that they were to be "for all our generations" and HE CANNOT GO BACK ON HIS WORD (Ps. 89:34; 105:8; 119:89).  That being said we might do well to understand that the word used for "fulfilled" in the Greek is (G4137  - plēroō = from G4143 and G4130 to fill (literally or figuratively [imbue, influence, supply); specifically to fulfil (time):- accomplish  (come), furnish, to execute and office, finish, verify (or coincide with a prediction, fully preach, perfect, supply) - If we see the word plēroō in this context used more as to accomplish what the prophets had spoken of than to abolish the Eternal Word of YHWH by accomplishing what the prophets spoke of we may be nearer to the truth of what Messiah Yeshua came to do and teach on Earth.

I believe I should briefly explain my theory of the Christophanies or Theophanies of Yeshua  here because of the importance this makes in seeing HIM in the "Old Testament" as the very representation of YHWH ELOHIM Himself. Christophanies &/or Theophanies mean the appearing of Yeshua The Messiah to man prior to HIS Birth in Human form.

Yeshua HIMSELF said that no person had ever heard or seen the Father but HIM, HIMSELF (John 1:18):

"No man has seen GOD at any time; the Only Begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him."

Question:  Who walked with Adam in the Garden? Who visited Avraham at The Oaks of Mamre?  Who spoke with Moshe in the Burning Bush?  Who spoke to the entire House of Israel from Mt Sinai when spelling out the Marriage Covenant?  Who's was the Pillar of Cloud and Fire?

Rav Sha'u' (Paul) says that it was Messiah Who was the Rock giving  Spiritual Water in the Wilderness (1 Cor. 10:4) to our forefathers, so HE WAS THERE!

Now bearing this in mind, let us look at the NIV translation of (John 1:18) which is believed to be a more accurate translation of the original Greek:

"No one has ever seen GOD, but GOD the One and Only, who is at the Fathers side, has made Him known."

If then I am correct in my assumption that it was Pre-Incarnate Yeshua (or the Memra = as the very Revealed essence and personality of YHWH ELOHIM is referred to by the Jews): Who spoke The Words of the Father to all the Prophets of the Old Testament (Tanakh) and the Torah to Moshe.  Whose Testimony is the very Spirit of all True Prophecy! - THEN HOW COULD HE CANCEL HIMSELF OUT - HIS WORD IS ETERNAL AND NEVER CHANGING? (Rev. 19:10).  

Taking the above into consideration, and suggesting that Yeshua did as HE is accused of by the Church denominations, HE would have negated HIMSELF and HIS Word and thus it can no longer exist! 

Brethren, The Word is the Truth, The Word is The Rock, The Word is a Light unto my path and a Lamp unto my feet -  If the Word should be changed it is no longer eternal and is unstable like the waves of the sea because we can no longer trust it (James 1:6-8); If the Word can become the opposite, in other words, a lie becomes the truth, then we have a changing Word that declares two truths; this word cannot be a rock, it is shifting sand; this word can no longer be a light unto our feet and a lamp unto out paths - it, by default becomes "darkness" because the opposite of light is dark.

Please think about this, it is very serious and has eternal consequences for each and every one of us

I had intended to spend some time on the approaching Feast of Shavuot (Weeks/Pentecost) but that didn't happen, so Abba willing I shall write something after the Shabbat as it will be dark  here in Namibia in an hour from now.

Please check out what I have written, don't just take it for granted or ignore it - question me,  make me accountable.  Question yourselves, we all still have a long way to go, but YHWH has started a good work in us and HE will see it through if we decide we want HIM to and love the Truth.  But for now please just know that we need time leading up to Shavuot to decide and declare Whom the  A/authority is to which we shall bow!   That is why YHWH has given us 50 days to weigh everything up.

Shabbat Sholom

Bo'az

Just a thought - What is a Biblical Priest?

We need to first understand that the Priest stood and still stands as the "watchman" & "teacher" between the opposing areas' of flesh and spirit: Be as positive as you would like, be you reborn in Messiah or not - but the fact remains every person from Adam to the end of time will walk around in a body of flesh and blood that is filthy and which can never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and these two realms fight constantly for supremacy in each person. (1 Corth. 15:50; Rom. 7:7-25 especially 7, 12-25). 

The "Priest" is the friend of the Bridegroom and is called to "school" the Bride for HER Betrothed, Yeshua our Messiah (Eph. 4:11-16) and only once all the work has been done shall Messiah Yeshua present HIMSELF with a Bride without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:25-27).

The Bride is nowhere near ready yet for Messiah to be able to present her to HIMSELF; this obviously will only happen after the Great Tribulation when the Bridal candidate has walked with integrity, fidelity & obedience as led by The Ruach HaKodesh (Friend of the Bride) to the very end of her life or the the coming of Messiah Yeshua, which ever come first, and she exchanges her filthy tatters for Robes of White!  A reading of the work done by the Eunuch Hegai in respect of the preparation of Hadassah (Esther) for the king in Esther 2: 8-15 is a revealing exposé and representation of the works of the Ruach in connection with the Bride.

We are told in the Torah what the role of the Priest is, but before you say that is "Old Testament", we need to remember the Levitical Priesthood was a perfect template of what The eternal Melchizedek Priesthood under the High-Priesthood of Messiah Yeshua looks like and the Levitical order is operated under the Authority of Heaven. (Heb. 8:1-6, Heb. 9:23)

And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,  Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:  And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;  And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. (Lev. 10:8-11 - KJV emphasis indicated by me)

If we take just a moment to look at the words I have underlined above we may see something rather different to our understanding:

Holy: H6944 - kodesh = from H6942 - a sacred place or thing; rarely abstractly sanctify :- consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed thing, holy day, keep pure, keep whole, clean (ceremonially or morally).

Unholy: H2455 - chôl = from H2490 properly exposed, hence profane: common, profane place; unholy = primitive root to bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, defile, prostitute, pollute.

Unclean: H2931 - tâmê = from H2930; foul in a religious sense: defiled, +infamous, polluted, unclean = primitive root to be foul, especially in a ceremonial or moral sense (contaminated):- defile (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, utterly.

Clean: H2889 - tâhôr = from H2891; pure (in a physical, chemical, ceremonial or moral sense): clean, fair, pure (-ness) = primitive root properly to be bright, by implication to be pure (physically sound, clear, unadulterated - to make self, or pronounce self clean, to cleanse, purge, purify (-ier, self).

So YHWH ElShaddai of Yisrael (LORD GOD ALMIGHTY OF ISRAEL) deemed it necessary that the Levitical Priesthood, which was a shadow (read template, representation, portrayal, depiction) of the Eternal Heavenly Melchizedek Priesthood of Messiah Yeshua, was to teach the people of YHWH, for all generations, the difference between what YHWH The Creator and Redeemer of Life told Moshe Face to face was sacred, dedicated and completed perfect (whole) behaviour; what constituted Holy Days; what dedicated items and places of worship were acceptable to HIM and also THOSE NOT ACCEPTABLE TO YHWH which if applied would render HIS people profane and defiled prostitutes unable to come before HIM!

The Priesthood was not only to show the people what was acceptable as set apart worship for YHWH, they, The Priests, were also to show the people of Yisrael (Redeemed Covenant people) what the pure, clean and correct, purifying every day way of life acceptable to YHWH was supposed to entail (i.e what we could eat, what we could wear, what our marriages and relationships were to be like, how judicial systems and courts were arranged and so forth) - and obviously the breaking of these instructions would render us foul, polluted, defiled in both a ceremonial (can't come before YHWH or worship with fellow believers) and moral sense (intentional wrong and perverted actions and lifestyles)!

It is of interest to note that there was a"Sacrifice" or Offer for everything from unintentional sin to thanks offerings - BUT THERE WAS NEVER A SACRIFICE FOR DELIBERATE AND INTENTIONAL SIN!  Intentional sin (see knowingly, deliberately, rebelliously, intentionally breaking of the Instructions (Marriage Covenant) of YHWH) resulted in DEATH!  Even under the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) we are warned against trampling the Blood of The Messiah under foot and the dire consequences such an action (Heb. 10:26-31).  

THE ONLY SACRIFICE ACCEPTABLE FOR COVERING INTENTIONAL SIN WAS OFFERED BY YESHUA OUR MESSIAH and was already ordained and executed in the Heavenlies before the foundations of the Earth were laid; the blood of bulls and goats was just an earthly substitute until Messiah completed His act of Worship before HIS Father on Golgotha in these last times (1 Pet. 1:13-21); that is how Adam and Eve were able to have a Sacrifice offered for their sin by YHWH HIMSELF (intentional breaking of the Instructions given by YHWH) in Gen. 3:21.  

We must understand that YHWH The Creator has from the very beginning divided HIS Creation - light, dark; water, land; firmament, waters; day, night; man, woman; holy, profane; clean, unclean; Tree of Life, tree of the knowledge of good and evil - (H914 - bâdâl = a primitive root; to divide (literally or figuratively - separate, distinguish, select) and the Division was good in HIS sight (H2896 - tôb = best, beautiful, bountiful, kindly, prosperity). 

Whilst we mention the Trees in the Garden, one being the Tree of Life and the other the tree of Death; it is interesting to note that it was food that caused man to err and cause the slow and painful demise of mankind needing to be atoned for by the agonising Death of Messiah Yeshua AND YET TODAY OUR "PRIESTS OF YHWH" STILL TEACH US TO EAT WHAT YHWH SAID WE MAY NOT EAT (Lev.11)!   We know of course that Yeshua never ate unkosher food, but Peter was instructed to in Acts 10 to do so!  NO NOT TRUE:   Read Acts 10 and ponder verses 17, 19 (note 3 men and 3 times the sheet came down), 20 and verse 28 which gives the full answer to the vision Kephas had earlier in Chapter 10!  It is all about doing away with the Traditions of man which said that the Jews could not associate with Gentiles - absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with food!

Remember dear reader in the time of Yeshua pork, seafoods and all else we may consider food today WERE NEVER CONSIDERED FOODS - ITS LIKE ME EATING MY DOG - UGH!  That is why Kephas was shown the vast array of unclean animals BECAUSE HE KNEW WHAT UNCLEAN WAS and people set aside by YHWH ARE NOT UNCLEAN!

If we look closely at what your denomination may teach regarding the days of worship, holy Festivals, diets and how your "Priests" live their lives and instruct on matters of life and worship you may see that what your denomination, and your "Priest" tells you to do is the exact opposite of what The Bible and YHWH tells us is Holy and Clean.  In fact they are telling you do what is not good, what is not - best, beneficial, beautiful, bountiful, kindly and prosperous.  They are seemingly leading you astray and away from Messiah and not towards Unity with HIM!  They may be leading you to do what is profane and unclean!

But then again your "Priest" may tell you that Jesus died so we can now have Grace to do all we want, and that those pesky Jews just did not make the cut and they all went to hell - BUT NOW BECAUSE OF A NEW COVENANT THE THINGS THEY WENT TO HELL FOR DOING WE CAN DO TODAY - NOW ALL WE NEED TO DO IS PRAY OVER STUFF, OR WHATEVER, AND WE MAKE WHAT IS FOUL, ROTTEN AND ABOMINABLE FOR ETERNITY, INSTANTLY CLEAN, HEALTHY, ACCEPTABLE AND HOLY!  Thats witchcraft, not Grace!

We say we have been called to be a Royal Priesthood?  Well maybe we should be very sure of what YHWH calls Holy and Clean, and not be found living the life style of a prostitute and teaching others the same!  We may find that when we stand before Yeshua our hoped for Bridegroom one day HE may say:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

And you may answer: "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"

To which HE may reply: "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

(Mat. 7:21-23)

Knew - (Covenant implications = translated in KJV also as -  aware; understood; perceived; sure - so never knew you can also legitimately be translated as :- was never aware of you; never understood you; never perceived you; was never sure of you!)

Iniquity - (illegality, violation of law, lawless one)!

You may want to listen to the Bridegrooms advice if you wish to be considered as His Bride one day:

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

(Mat. 7:24-25)

If you agree with my thought, and your "Priest of YHWH" is not teaching what the Word say he should teach, you may want to come out of your denomination or assembly!

Just a thought, so please check if I am right in what I think!

Shalom

Bo'az