This is “The Place Where Obedience and Faith Intersect.” It is Part 2 of our Series Within a Series and I’ve entitled this particular post: “The Righteous Shall Live by Faith.” 

In part one of this series within a series, we lightly examined Romans 3:21-22. In that examination, we Biblically defined what the Righteousness of Elohim consist of; what the Righteousness of Elohim means from a Biblical perspective. And if you by chance did not get the opportunity to either read or listen to that discussion, here is the link for the transcript and audio for your convenience.

Picking-up from where we left off in Part 1 of this series within a series, I want to really drill down on what it Biblically means for one to live by faith.

 

The passage that will launch our discussion is Romans 1:17, which reads:

 

“For in it is revealed the righteousness of Elohim, from faith to faith; as it is written, “The righteous by faith, will live”” (AENT).

 

Now, we discussed the meaning of the first half of this verse in our discussion post entitled, “The Righteousness of God Revealed From Faith-to-Faith-It’s True Meaning and Reality for God’s People.” If you’ve not had the opportunity to listen to or read that post and you are so led, simply click the title hyperlink.

 

Today we will examine the second half of this verse and determine what living by one’s faith is supposed to look like from a biblical perspective.

 

As I’ve mentioned on a few occasions throughout this Paul and Hebrew Roots Series, Shaul was a product of his impressive formal rabbinic education. Which is to say that Shaul was a brilliant apologist and Torah scholar. Which is also to say that in his own right, Shaul was not so much the originalist that denominationlists might think and suggest he was. And I’m saying this not to diminish the man’s intelligence and mastery of the Tanach for he was indeed brilliant in terms of his understanding and application of the Words of Yehovah. And that my friends are a good thing and certainly a important example for all of us who teach and expound publicly on Yah’s Word. We must base all our work on Yah’s Word. The Work of the Kingdom is not a place for originalists, although it can certainly entertain talents, skills and giftings of the Body.

 

And so, we find here in Romans 1:17 that Shaul expounds upon how the Righteousness of Yehovah is revealed in the Gospel of the Kingdom, to include Yehovah’s righteous judgment and wrath upon unrepentant humanity. But then he takes this somewhat odd turn in his line of reasoning by introducing the element of faith into the equation here. In so doing, the apostle quotes the latter portion of Habakkuk 2:4.

 

Why would the apostle quote Habakkuk at this point in his writing?

 

Looking at this from just a rote, mechanical reading of Romans 1:17, it would appear like so many other passages that this is just another “hard to understand” Pauline passage (2 Pet. 3:15-16).

 

But not to panic. If we read further along in the same chapter, we get a clue as to why he quotes Habakkuk.

 

“For the wrath of Elohim from heaven is revealed against all the iniquity and wickedness of men who hold the truth in iniquity…” (Rom. 1:18; AENT).

 

The key to this curious conundrum turns out to be the first part of verse 18 where the apostle addresses the issue of the wrath of Elohim coming down from heaven against the wickedness and iniquity of humanity. And then he spends the remainder of chapter 1 detailing why Yah’s wrath will be leveled against humanity and what constitutes humanity’s iniquity and wickedness.

 

But even though we can make out that the apostle is preaching a Besorah (aka Gospel) that is based in part on the coming wrath and punishment of Elohim upon humanity, the question of why he quoted Habakkuk is still not fully unpacked.

 

Well, it’s not until we actually step back almost a half a millennium prior to this Romans writing and contextually examine the prophet’s writing can we make better sense of Romans 1:17.

 

 

A little background on the Cepher of Habakkuk is in order before we get into the whys and wherefores of what the prophet meant by the righteous shall live by [his] faith.

 

This Cepher was written by the prophet Habakkuk to Judah (c. 612-589 BC). And so, by the time of the prophet’s writing, House or Kingdom of Yisra’el (more widely known as the 10-Northern Tribes and ultimately the 10-Lost Tribes of Yisra’el) had already been decimated and dispersed by the Assyrians, the reigning world power of that era, sometime between c. 740-722 BCE. This devastating conquest of the Assyrians over the Northern Kingdom is popularly referred to by a few titles: The Assyrian Captivity; The Assyrian Exile; The Israelite Diaspora. This 20-year campaign is documented in the Cephers/Books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.

 

But Assyria was replaced by Babylon—specifically the Chaldeans—as the dominant world power of that day (c. 605 BCE). And because of Judah’s pervasive sins and iniquity, and her refusal to learn from what happened to the Northern Kingdom, she would soon experience Babylon’s overwhelming power.

 

Like the Assyrian invasion of the Northern Tribes previously, the full story of the Babylonian Invasion and Captivity of the Kingdom of Judah is a long and convoluted one with many twists and turns that we won’t get into too much to be mindful of our time together.

 

Prior to Habakkuk being called to be a Prophet to Judah, Josiah reigned righteously over the Southern Kingdom (c. 640-609 BCE).

 

The 23rd chapter of 2 Kings documents Josiah’s time as king over Judah as one where the nation was called and led back to Torah-living after the two previous kings, Manasseh, and Amon, promoted and led the nation into lawlessness (2 Kin. 21). This shameful reality took place despite the common knowledge of Judah’s kinsmen in the North having been dispatched/decimated/exiled/captured by the Assyrians a century before because they refused to keep covenant with Yehovah.

 

Well, turns out that the four kings that succeeded Josiah took Judah backwards into lawlessness and covenant breaking. And despite Yehovah sending His prophets to warn the nation that Yah’s patience was wearing thin, and that punishment was coming to Judah if they did not Teshuvah, the nation persisted in its dishonoring of Torah (Jer. 22:13).

 

The Prophet Commences His Ministry During the Reign of King Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23).

 

And it is during the reign of Jehoiakim that violence, injustice, and oppression was rampant just to sum up the lawless state of Judah. Nevertheless, despite the pervasive lawlessness and sinful state of the nation, there existed a righteous remnant. Consequently, it was this righteous remnant that seemed to suffer especially under the nation’s pervasive lawlessness.

 

 

And so, we find in Habakkuk 1:1-4 that the prophet questions-or for that matter complains to Yehovah as to why He had not taken action to quell the lawlessness, oppression, violence, and injustice that was tribulating the remnant. Abba responds to Habakkuk’s complaint or inquiry—however one views such things—by revealing to the prophet His plan to punish Judah through the brutal Chaldean armies.

 

Now, some contend Habakkuk spoke to Yehovah on behalf of this righteous remnant. Nevertheless, one could also interpret the prophet’s work as involving his own, personal internal struggles with Yehovah’s handling of the nation’s affairs, and when you read for understanding that which the prophet wrote, you can certainly get a sense of this.

 

 

Thus, in response to Habakkuk’s Inquiry Yehovah introduces him to the Chaldean menace as the tool He would allow to take care of Judah’s iniquity.

 

By Habakkuk’s day, Chaldean and Babylonian were synonymous.

 

Father describes the Chaldean military prowess as an irresistible fighting force that easily and swiftly overcomes her enemies. The Chaldean’s brutality and strength Father likened unto predatory animals such as leopards, wolves, and eagles (1:5-11).

 

A little more background on the Chaldeans. 

 

They hailed out of the NW Persian Gulf. They rose to world power status rapidly around 630 BC. By 605 BC, the Chaldeans had conquered both Assyria and Egypt. The Chaldeans, like their counterparts the Assyrians, were a wicked people. These became renown for taking nation peoples captive; possessing superior warfare tactics and skills; and their entire existence and drive was built on their military prowess. The nation-Babylon—was immensely proud of their military might. These had little to no regard for humanity. They mercilessly plundered the nations they conquered.

 

And thus, Judah would fall victim to the Babylonian onslaught as punishment for her (Judah’s) iniquity. 

 

And the fact that Yehovah would use such an iniquitous, evil, pagan-nation as Babylon to punish Judah, seen as significantly less iniquitous in comparison to Babylon, shocked the prophet.

 

Habakkuk in turn challenges Yehovah’s wisdom in using a morally inferior peoples to chastise His supposed Chosen-Peoples (Habakkuk 1:12-17)

 

The prophet reasoned that this scheme of Yah to cause judgment to befall Judah by the hands of the Chaldeans was inconsistent with Yehovah’s goodness. For as one commentary noted:

 

“As bad as the Jews were, they were more righteous than the wicked Babylonian invaders…How could a just God allow Babylon’s merciless slaughter of the nations, much less their triumph against His people Judah” (HCSB Commentary)?

 

Obviously, the Chaldean’s reputation had preceded them, the prophet being quite aware of their brutal ways and capabilities. I guess news even in those days traveled far and wide. Regardless, the prophet was hard-pressed to understand Yah’s mind on this critical situation.

 

And it is this very thing—that, the prophet’s struggle to understand what it was that Yah was doing and going to do with His people-that sets the stage for this very foundational statement that our Elohim makes to Habakkuk and that Shaul uses to elaborate on his teaching on the Righteousness of Elohim: “The Righteous shall live by faith.

 

So then in chapter 2, verses 1 through 4, after the prophet for a second time challenges or queries Yehovah as to what He’s going to do about Judah’s situation, that Yehovah responds with the instruction for Habakkuk and the remnant.

 

“I (Habakkuk speaking here) will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower and look out to see what He (the prophet referring to Yehovah here) will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint (the Hebrew for complaint being “towkechah” {to-kay-khaw}, which holds meanings of rebuke, correction, reproof, punishment. So, the language here describing Habakkuk’s behavior towards Yehovah seems pretty intense. But in terms of the demeanor of the ancients in this regard, this behavior in no way places the prophet’s relationship with Yehovah at risk. We will find Yah seems to almost invite the prophet’s challenge to His plans to punish and judge Judah.) (Continuing-verse 2) And Yehovah answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. (In other words, I want you Habakkuk to put down everything I’m about to reveal to you so that there is no ambiguity in what I’m going to tell you here today regarding Judah’s pending punishment and judgment and where My mind is regarding you, the remnant, Judah, and the Chaldeans. Because I expect some type of action from those who hear this revelation that I’m conveying to here.) (Continuing-verse 3) For still the vision awaits its appointed time and it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. (In other words, despite your pious protestations as it relates to the Chaldeans rendering judgment against Judah on Yehovah’s behalf, the invasion and devastation of Judah is going to happen. Judah’s coming judgment may not manifest in a manner and time that you approve of, but it’s going to happen and it’s going to happen sooner than later. It is in fact going to happen in My timing according to My permissive Will.) (Continuing-verse4) Behold, his soul (referring to Chaldea-Babylon) is puffed up; it is not upright within him…(In other words, the Chaldeans are bad hombres, but their badness will be the very thing that brings them down in the end. Oh, Chaldea will get their just deserts. They are arrogant—that is they are puffed up; and they are wicked—that is they are not upright. The Chaldeans, because of their guilt—their evil—they would be held accountable. Most egregious to Yehovah is the fact that the Chaldeans worshiped their military prowess, even over that of their patron god Marduk.They cannot nor will not stand for long. Their day is coming.) (And here’s the kicker) …but the righteous shall live by his faith” (ESV with personal commentary).

 

Hang in there with me. We’re going to get into what Abba meant by “The righteous shall live by his/her faith in just a few.

 

 

The Babylon’s pride would ultimately result in her downfall.

 

 

Judah ultimately fell to Babylonian control in 604 BC. Babylon occupied Judah from 604 BC. Judah’s king at the time, Jehoiakim, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, leading to the brutal invasion of Judah by Babylon from 598-597 BC. Jehoiakim was deposed as Judah’s king and ultimately executed. Judah’s last king, Zedekiah, too rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, leading to Judah’s complete devastation by Babylon in 587-586 BC, and most of the people of Judah were taken into captivity.

 

The central questions of this prophesy are: (1) Why does the Eternal allow injustice to persist, especially when it involves His chosen ones? (2) Why did the Eternal use wickeder nations to punish less wicked Yisra’el? (3) How long will the lawless dominate the world? (HCSB Commentary)

___________________________________________________________

 

Violence was the punishment Judah would receive for its own violence (1:2,3,9)—violations of the rights of others (Psa. 72:14; Isa. 53:9; Jer. 22:3; Mic. 6:12); injustices; oppression; lawlessness. The idea that Yehovah would use the Chaldeans to punish Judah, as wicked and ruthless as they were, rewarding the Chaldeans in the form of their devastating the comparatively less evil/wicked Judah, did not make sense to Habakkuk. And thus, the righteousness/justness of Yehovah is unwittingly brought into question by the prophet and no doubt some of the righteous remnant.

 

Yah’s response to the prophet’s objection to Him was that the Chaldean invasion was going to happen despite the prophet’s outrage or not. And as evil/wicked as the Chaldean’s were, it was the job of the righteous remnant to trust-have faith in Yehovah’s righteousness (cf. Job 38-41). Yah does not by any stretch of the imagination have to justify Himself to humanity. He is sovereign. His Ways are not our ways. We know only what Yah chooses to reveal to us, His beloved as He is omniscient. (We spoke extensively on this very theme in our post entitled: Let God Be True and Every Man a Liar–A Messianic Discussion of Romans 3:3-4 (themessianictorahobserver.org).

 

In fact, Yehovah is still on the throne (2:20).

 

Indeed, Babylon would reap that which she’d sewn, as Yah pronounces 5-woes upon them. This ultimately came to fruition when Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC.

 

And thus, Habakkuk’s perspectives is corrected and he determines to wait on Yehovah to accomplish His Will for Judah (3:16). (Not unlike what we have before and around us in our country today.) But come what may, the prophet determines to trust in Yehovah, and to find strength through his faith (3:17-19).

 

In the end, Yehovah will deliver-yeshua-His righteous remnant, and He will right all wrongs and fulfill His righteous Will in the earth (3:8).

_______________________________________________________

 

Some interpret this clarion call or instruction from Yehovah that His righteous ones live by their faith or live by faith, in a number of different ways. But the two prominent perspectives is:

 

1. The righteous ones of Yehovah are to live according to the halachah of their faith, such as the case of the Qumran Community living in accordance with the Community’s strict rules and way of life. It’s all about halachah. And it was believed by these souls that if they kept the community’s halachah—strict way of life—they would achieve righteous standing before Yehovah.

 

2. The righteous ones of Yehovah are to trust and believe in their Elohim. And by their believing and trusting Him to do all that He promised He would do, they would be deemed as righteous and they would, in the end, be saved.

 

So which perspective was Shaul referring to here? Contextually, he would have been referring to the second one: He/she, who would seek right-standing before Yehovah, are to live a life of trusting faith in Y’shua Messiah—believe in His atoning sacrifice; believe that He will do exactly what He said He would do. And in that believing, we obediently do that which we’ve been instructed to do.

 

Circling back to Romans 1:17, we find Shaul no doubt hearkening back to Habakkuk’s critical situation in comparison to what he believed was about to take place in his day.

 

If we pay close attention to the tenor of the apostle’s writings, we get a sense that the apostle truly believed that the End Times were upon him and the believers he oversaw. And so, he seems to carry around this heavy mantle of doing everything he possibly could to prepare a people that would be presented unto His Master, Yahoshua, who would be without spot or wrinkle, and who would escape the wrath and judgment that would be leveled upon unrepentant humanity:

 

“(1) I would that you could bear with me a little, that I might talk foolishly: and indeed, bear with me. (2) For I am jealous over you, with a righteous jealousy: For I have espoused you to a husband as a chaste virgin whom I would present to the Mashiyach” (2 Cor. 11:1-2; AENT).

Indeed, it was as if Shaul was the nervous mother of a bride who was desperately seeking to have her daughter betrothed to a well-qualified man. In this analogous paradigm, it is the fear on the apostle’s part that both he and the one he sought to have wedded would fail to meet the exacting expectations of the groom. And thus, in failing to meet those expectations, both he and the body would meet utter disgrace and shame (Rev. 21:2).

 

And so as was the case with Judah’s remnant during the nation’s wickedness and iniquity, facing judgment via a brutal Chaldean invasion, Shaul like Habakkuk is counseling his Roman readers to live by their faith ahead of coming judgment and wrath.

 

The key here was for Yehovah’s people to not second guess Him on how and when His wrath and judgment would hit the world around them. Instead, it was their job to live in accordance with His Ways, and simply let Him do his job.

 

Yah knows what He’s doing. In fact, Yah asserted through the Prophet Isaiah:

 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My Ways, saith Yehovah” (Isa. 55:8; KJV).

 

The apostle echoed this very sentiment in the same letter he wrote to the assemblies of Roman Messianics:

 

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Yehovah! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His Ways past finding out” (Rom. 11:33; KJV).

 

In other words, we have to recognize that Yah has the 50,000 foot view of things here on the ground, while His beloved, if he/she have any understanding at all, have just a standing view of what He is doing in the earth.

 

Therefore, it is the job of Yah’s elect to do what they were hired to do: Live in accordance with the covenant stipulations of their faith, and then let Yah do what He’s going to do. For what Yah must do is really none of our business. He knows what He’s doing.

 

It’s not like Yah is somehow going to forget His beloved remnant, even though His set-apart ones may endure some hard times leading up to and even during the times of judgment. Indeed, such times engender refinement and growth and testing of Yah’s set-apart ones. Those times are certainly not pleasant times for anyone to have to endure.

 

And so beloved, that’s why it is so important that we take advantage of the blessed and free times we have in Messiah; grow in our relationship with the Eternal at all levels; and prepare ourselves for the dark days ahead.

 

It is our sole responsibility as children of Elohim to keep our hand to the plow-focus-be in Yehovah’s presence-and live blamelessly in accordance with His perfect will and Ways for us.

 

Master Declared: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of Elohim” (Luk. 9:62; ESV).

 

Abba was not only informing the worrisome prophet and Judah’s righteous remnant to trust that He knew what He was doing. But rather, Abba was demanding that they “double-down” in their commitment to walk in obedient covenant relationship with Him even in turbulent, perilous times; and to do so as a powerful testimony to His great power, authority, righteousness, and holiness.

 

A simple cognitive belief in God doesn’t cut it when it comes to this Torah Commandment of the Righteous having to live by their faith.

 

It was James the Just, the half-brother of our Master Yahoshua who so poignantly declared:

 

“Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble” (Jas. 2:19; KJV).

 

True biblical faith must always be backed up with actions, plain and simple.

 

But the other aspect of the righteous shall live by their faith equation also requires a great amount of trust in the Holy One of Yisra’el.

 

Practical Messianic Halachah and Closing Thoughts

 

Yes, our baseline faith drives us to keep Torah-to keep His commandments. So, we keep Yah’s Torah because we trust that this is what Abba requires of us to do and that it is the right thing for us to do.

 

But what about the faith that transcends this baseline faith of Torah-keeping/Torah honoring. Do we have the faith during our Torah-keeping that trust Abba will heal us; provide for us; keep us; deliver us; protect us even in the time of trouble?

 

You see, the righteous remnant; the one that Habakkuk was championing, was keeping and walking Torah. That’s why they are the righteous remnant. Yah comes along and says: Okay, you who are my righteous ones, trust in me to do what I will do and that I will deliver you; that I got you; that I know what I’m doing and that I will never abandon you, if we remain in His holy presence.

 

Many of us today find ourselves in a seemingly terrible place, not unlike the remnant of Habakkuk’s day.

 

Some of us are having to endure significant financial and family hardships because we know that taking the vaccine bioweapon that the globalist demand we take is not Yah’s Will for our lives. And so, the so-called power brokers of this world endeavor to take away our jobs and basic benefits that our jobs provide our families. All done in order that we fall in line with their wicked agenda and place our trust in them and believe that ancient lie that goes back to the Garden of Eden.

 

Still others of us are having to endure being canceled by the so-called woke society many of us are living in because we obediently declare what saith Yehovah. You see, that which Yah says and requires of humanity diametrically conflicts with the woke’s agenda. And because of the woke endeavoring at every turn to cancel Yah’s elect, many of us are losing access to income sources; losing ministry opportunities and platforms; losing critical relationships; and even losing our freedom and even our lives for the sake of Mashiyach.

 

Others of us are being isolated or separated from family, friends, and acquaintances because we dare reject the satanically infused liberal, woke mindset of our present-day society and community. We dare reject their LGBTQ and Critical Race Theory agendas that serve only to destroy the innocence of our children and foster lawlessness in society.

 

And so, many of us turn our attention towards heaven and question Yah as to why He is allowing such injustice to overshadow His people. Many look beyond this nation and see the looming dangers that this nation faces from belligerents beyond our shores. These nations endeavor to destroy this nation from the inside out by importing their satanically infused ideologies and causing a generation of the ignorant to deny Yehovah and His Word.

 

And so many of us challenge Yehovah as to whether He knows what He’s doing. Many of us may be losing hope. Many of us may be doubting whether our covenant relationship with the Eternal is even worth the pain and agony we’re having to endure by affiliating ourselves with Him.

 

 

Shaul defined or described faith being the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of that which is not seen (Heb. 11:1).

 

 

Yehovah has always required from those who would be His, to live by their faith. And these are to live by their faith by trusting that Yah will remain true to His Word and by doing that which Yah requires of them to, despite the mess; chaos; oppression; injustice; evil; lawlessness and outright foolishness that may be going on around them at any given time. He says to them,

 

“I Am Yehovah—I Am your yeshuah. Trust and believe in Me. My Will and Purpose shall be fulfilled in the earth. I am your strong tower, into which the righteous run into it and are safe” (Pro. 14:26; 18:10; Psa. 18:2; 61:3; 91:2; 144:2; 2 Sam. 22:3).

 

Beloved, I implore you to read and meditate on each of these verses as they embody the very essence of Yah’s righteous ones living by their faith during the time of trouble.

 

I’m telling you: Regardless how confident and powerful the enemy may appear to us, in the end, all will have to do things Yehovah’s Way, or they will have to do things Yehovah’s Way. Yah’s Words will come to pass regardless the lie humanity tells itself.

 

For indeed, Yah’s righteous judgment and wrath is coming upon this world and we, the elect of Yah, must be at our spiritual posts, living out our faith in holy and righteous testimony of Him and His Will.

 

 

I encourage you to listen to or read our post entitled: “Let God be True and Every Man a Liar” where we discussed this very thing.

 

 

The Place where we find Torah and faith intersecting is the place where we find righteousness; The righteousness of Yehovah; where we find salvation; where we find life. And thus, it is impossible to please Yehovah without faith.

 

And yet, I’m afraid that many in our faith have placed too much emphasis and focus on Torah and not enough on trusting faith. And yes, I’m guilty of that. Because as I’ve said in previous installments of this program, I can keep Torah all day; I can walk, teach, preach, live and love Torah all day.

 

But Yehovah is asking in the midst of my keeping Torah: Rod, what about your trusting faith? Is your trusting faith in Me sufficient to please Me in conjunction with your obedience to My Word? Is your trusting faith in association with your obedience to My Word strong enough such that you would be willing to die for the sake of My Kingdom?

 

Yes, our trusting faith without works or visual and physical manifestations of our faith, as James the Just wrote, is dead (Jam. 2:18, 20, 26). 

 

 

And I’ve known a lot of folks in my life who have had remarkable trusting, cognitive-based faith and belief in Jesus Christ their savior. But their works were absence. They were still their nasty old selves. They were still sin-ridden, lawless entities that Father could not possibly be pleased with.

 

So there has to be that critical equal balance when it comes to trusting Faith and Obedience. First must come trusting faith. Then comes obedience. From there, the two work in the life of the elect harmoniously, even in perilous times such as these we’re living today.

 

The tragedy of denominationalism in part contends that everything will work out to their members’ benefit in the end.

 

To these, they don’t have to do or change anything in their lives. Indeed, to these, they “possess a form of godliness, but they dramatically deny the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5; paraphrased).

 

But do these manifest that which Father meant by His righteous ones living in their faith?

 

If Avraham’s faith was not backed up or manifested by his obedience/his works, one must ask, would his faith have been reckoned unto him as righteousness as Shaul aptly noted (Rom. 4:9)?

 

 

And the answer is no. Because again, there’s a lot of folks out there with amazing faith, but they don’t do what they’re supposed to do. They don’t do what Abba tells them to do. They in fact do what they themselves want to do, but oddly enough, they hold on to a hope that somehow, someway, Abba will deliver them and save them in the end.

 

Beloved: Our Master/Teacher of Righteousness has revealed to us through the written account of His chosen and anointed apostles of the amazing times we’re living in and the times to come. So we are aware of that which must come upon the world, and to some degree, upon us, His anointed, set-apart ones.

 

As Yah declared unto Habakkuk in response to His inquiry, He also declares to us today:

 

 ⁵ Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. (Hab 1:5 KJV)

 

And so, our Master taught us to have our lamps filled and trimmed, awaiting His return. Which means we are to utilize the Comforter that He has provided to us to remain steadfast and longsuffering in His Word and to do that which He has instructed us to do (Mat. 25:1-13). And know that we know that in the end, He will deliver us from our tribulations, and we will reign victoriously and gloriously with Him in His Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:6). For this is the place where obedience and trusting faith intersects.

 

In so doing, the Righteousness of our Elohim is lavished upon us (I.e., Yah’s goodness) as well as upon unrepentant humanity (I.e., Yah’s judgment and wrath); while at the same time, we (as Yah’s elect) are reckoned as righteous/justified before our Holy and Just Elohim by the Court of Heaven.

 

Praise Yah!