Overcoming Obstacles to Faith-Part 3-Learning From Ancient Israel’s Mistakes of Not Finding Contentment

by | Dec 19, 2020 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

 

Picking-up From Part 2 of the Series

 

 My goal in this message is to pick-up where I left off from my previous two messages on overcoming obstacles to belief.

 

Quick Review of Parts 1 and 2

 

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at overcoming stubbornness and rebellion and then overcoming the Egypt or Babylon that resides in us as we seek to walk out our Faith and believe Yah.

 

And then in part 2, we looked at overcoming the natural tendency to complain and murmur against Yah because for whatever reason we are incapable or we refuse to see beyond our present circumstance(s).

 

 Today’s Study is Not Being Able or Willing to Find Contentment in YHVH

 

In today’s discussion I’ve chosen to look at an obstacle to belief that is closely related to the previous 3-obstacles we discussed: And that obstacle has to do with NOT being able or willing to find contentment in YHVH—contentment in Yah’s way of life and in the covenant relationship He has established with each of us—finding contentment in Messiah. And as you will hopefully see, I want to look at ancient Israel’s inability or unwillingness to find contentment—satisfaction—happiness in the covenant relationship she made with YHVH at the base of Mount Sinai. And what we will see in this study is that Israel’s refusal or inability to find contentment in YHVH blocked or hindered their ability to believe Yah. And in so doing, we will compare our present situation—life Walk in Messiah—and hopefully recognize how our inability to be content in Messiah blocks or hinders our belief or trust or faith, which often leads to behaviors that Yah does not appreciate and that adversely affects our relationship with Him and threatens our entry into the Kingdom of Yah.

 

And once we do all that, my goal is to explore with you and hopefully arrive at some solutions to overcoming our contentment issues.

 

Defining Biblical Contentment

 

I need you to recognize that Yah requires each of us to find contentment in the life He has given us and that being content in that covenant relationship we share with YHVH is critical—vital to our ability and willingness to believe Yah—to trust Him.

 

Now, just so we’re all on the same page (so to speak) regarding what biblical contentment means, let’s define the word “content” or “contentment.”

In Hebrew, to be content or contentment is “ya’al” which means “to shew a willingness; to be pleased; to be determined; to undertake to do (TWOT).

Believe it or not, we need to break this word down even more. The term ya’al is an action word (a verb) that describes the making of a volitional decision (I.e., a “will power” which means the power of using one’s will) to commence a given activity.

 

Finding Contentment According to the Hebrew Mindset is a Volitional Act

 

What do I mean by making a volitional decision to commence a given activity. Simply this: When it comes to being in a covenant relationship (in agreement) with the Almighty—that we are going to do things according to His Way—we’re going to act in accordance to His Will and purpose—we make a conscious, firm decision to do that very thing. And in making that volitional decision—that voluntary act of one’s will to embark—to walk in covenant relationship with the Almighty—leads one to find fulfillment and even pleasure in their decision and commitment to a life of service and worship. Nothing else can sway you from your decision to walk out this Faith.

 

Contentment Versus Not Being Content

 

And what we will find in our study of our ancient Hebrew cousins is that they could not or would not find contentment in their chosen status as Yah’s elect people.

You see, on the one hand, when we’re content with our lives, we are naturally compelled to stay within the framework and provisions necessary to maintaining that life. In other words, when we make the conscious decision to follow Yah and His Ways, we are required to do what it takes to make the Almighty happy. And when Yah is happy with us, He blesses us and we by default find contentment in YHVH and in His Way of life. When we enter into that covenant relationship with YHVH, we no longer live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the Eternal’s mouth. We find contentment in His Ways and in the life He has given us.

But then on the other hand, when we’re discontent with our life in Messiah, our focus is turned  away from YHVH and His ways, and onto the things that we believe will bring about contentment in our lives. In other words, we do things or seek out the things that we believe will bring about contentment in our lives, and in so doing, we turn our backs to Yah and abandon His Ways for the things Babylon has to offer us.

 

Contentment in Relation to Being Inwardly Versus Outwardly and Upwardly Focused

 

 

The other thing about being content that we have to be conscious of is that our contentment or lack thereof will either be inwardly focused or YHVH-Yeshua-focused. What am I talking about?

We will see that our ancient Hebrew cousins could not or would not find contentment in being YHVH’s chosen people as the marriage covenant spelled out. Remember that the marriage covenant between YHVH and Israel clearly spelled out that if Israel would simply obey YHVH’s voice and keep the provisions of the marriage agreement YHVH would give to them during their transit to the Promised Land, they would be YHVH’s treasured possession among all the peoples of the earth. And upon hearing this, the people verbally agreed to the terms of the marriage agreement, but their actions betrayed their commitment to that covenant. For the truth of the matter was that the people had eyes and hearts for their former lives as slaves to the Egyptians. In fact, the people stated that they were content living lives of servitude in Egypt and having all the things that came along with that life. You see, their contentment was inwardly focused (it was all about what they wanted). The contentment that Father was expecting from the people was one of being outwardly and upwardly focused (that everything would be about YHVH and His Ways). The ancient Hebrews were only responding to the life that the world seeks to establish and maintain: to have—to acquire the things that life has to offer—to have a full belly—to have the things that satisfy this body and that makes us happy. It’s fulfilling our wants and perceived needs. In fact, these are the things that hasatan uses to take our eyes off of Yah and His Ways and put them onto ourselves and the things of this world that he has to offer to any who would give their lives over to him. Of this the Apostle John (aka Yochanan wrote):

 

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

What we see here is that the first step required for being content in YHVH is to fall out of love with this world, but instead, to fall in love with YHVH and His ways.

 

Continuing:

 

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of Yah abideth forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

 

The life of contentment that the covenant between Yah and His elect were being called to live and walk out was meant to be an outwardly and upwardly focused life: a life that was focused on Yah and His Ways. Yet the people were not capable of overcoming the lust of the flesh, the eyes and the pride of life because they loved the world, but did not truly love the Eternal.

And it was because of this heartbreaking reality that Father lamented:

“O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:29).

 

 Is Contentment Important to our Faith Walk?

 

Who here believes as I do that it is important to find and be content in our Faith and in our relationship with the Almighty?

And why is it important to our relationship with the Almighty that we be content in Him and in His Ways—Yah’s Way of Life?

Because when we are not content to be in that exclusive covenant relationship with Yah but are instead drawn to other relationships and things, it’s only natural for people to go a lusting—a whoring after other things that Yah does not approve of.

 

Yeshua’s Instructions That Lead to Contentment

 

But Yeshua gave the solution to one’s lack of contentment in Faith when He instructed His disciples to simply “seek first the Kingdom of Yah and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). And I say that this is the epitome—rather the basis–of finding true and lasting contentment in one’s Faith walk.  And when one is willing to do this very thing: seek after Yah—diligently seek after Yah and His Ways—then everything else in the elect’s life will be taken care of.

Now, I didn’t say this: Yahoshua said this. Yet, I bet you dollars to a donut here today, there are some who will hear this message who will not accept this simple, central truth of our Faith. They, like our ancient Hebrew cousins before us, are unwilling to seek after that covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe because it requires them to give up everything for Him. And that’s something the average human being is frankly unwilling to do. The Babylon that exists in many of us calls out loudly from within us and it gets in the way of our committing fully to the Eternal’s demands that we love Him with all our heart, soul and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5). And for many of us, that committing of our full self to the Eternal is not appealing enough to overcome or replace the lure of Babylon.

 

Our Faith is an Acquired Taste (So to Speak)

 

The challenge that the elect of Yah faces in his or her covenant relationship with the Almighty is that this Way of Life is an acquired taste. It is in fact a Way of Life that is contrary to the desires—the taste—or rather the preferred ideals of people.

The Prophet Isaiah echoed the Words of the Almighty when He wrote:

“For my thoughts are NOT your thoughts, neither are your ways My Ways, saith YHVH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My Ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:8-9).

As we all know, the natural inclination of human beings is to seek out and live lives that appeal to their personal sense of wellbeing, importance, pleasure, happiness, etc. Virtually every single person on the planet with the exception of a small handful are actually willing to die to self and be in full covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

Of this Isaiah wrote:

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to His own way; and YHVH hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (53:6).

Of ancient Israel’s refusal to find contentment in His Way of Life, Father stated:

“I have spread out My hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh Me to anger continually to My face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and  burneth incense unto altars of brick; which remain among the graves and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; which say, ‘Stand by thyself, come not near to Me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in My nose, a fire that burneth all the day” (65:1-5).

Ancient Israel Consisted of a People Who Were Not Content With Their Chosen Status

 

 

These, and so many other similar passages in the books of the prophets, tell of a people who were not content to establish and maintain a true covenant relationship with the Almighty. They all agreed to the covenant agreement that Father put forth to them at Sinai, but they somehow, along the way, when things got a little challenging (e.g., lack of water; lack of food; wandering about in the wilderness with no relief in sight; frightened of giants and the inhabitants of the promised land; not trusting nor happy with the leadership Yah put over them), it became impossible for them to find contentment in their lives.

And so by their not seeing beyond their circumstances and not being fully committed to the end game as it related to fulfilling their end to the covenant they made with YHVH, they were incapable or simply refused to be content in their elect status as Yah’s chosen people. So they murmured; they turned to worshiping and believing so-called gods that were not God; they longed for their past, despite their past not being good for them.

And what ended up happening to these 2 or so million souls? They ended up dying in the wilderness—every one of them with the sole exceptions of Caleb and Yahshua (Joshua).

Are Not Many of Us Like Ancient Israel When It Comes to Contentment?

 

 

Are not many of us just like our ancient Hebrew cousins? We sign up for this Faith of ours, most us very much aware of what was required of us when we agreed to enter into the covenant relationship with the Eternal. And in the beginning, that covenant relationship was  like a honeymoon period for many of us. Oh how we loved the Faith once delivered. We loved hearing about Jewish things and history and words; we loved the idea of doing Jewish celebrations and festivals. We were so happy to dabble in the eating of clean foods and keeping the weekly Sabbath. So we were content to thumb our noses at our former lives.

Oh, but when things got a little challenging for us—when it came time to actually keep the weightier matters of Yah’s Way of Life that Master criticized the Pharisees for not doing (Matthew 23:23), well, we start to be discontented with that covenant life:

  • In our relationships with other people: we desire to have certain relationship with others that violate Yah’s Torah and Way of Life.
  • We want to engage in activities that violate Yah’s Covenant Way of Life.
  • We see how happy people outside our Faith Community appear to be and we want to have some of what they have…I mean, we’re supposed to have life and have it more abundantly right? So we start to rationalize and ask ourselves: Why must I be deprived of those things? The boyfriends or girlfriends; the shacking up; the clubbing on Friday evenings; the birthday parties on Sabbaths; Christmas trees and Easter egg hunts for the kids; the stuff that makes for the good life. Why can’t I have some of that we rationalize?

Has the Appeal of our Faith Faded in Your Life?

 

 

Somehow, the shine and appeal of the Faith that we decided to enter in to some time ago, isn’t what it used to be. We’re no longer content with the life that Abba has given to us as His elect; as His beloved. In some cases, we even despise that life—that covenant relationship we once sought to have with the Creator of the Universe, because like our ancient Hebrew cousins, it appears to us in some crazy warped way, that Yah has it out for us and He’s cruel and unreasonable in His expectations of us to be tied down to His stringent and unreasonable ways. To some of us, it seems as though Yah brought us all the way out to where we find  ourselves today, the wilderness of modern western life, to be slaughtered and killed by our enemies; to turn His back on us and abandon us in this wilderness. So we feel we deserve better—better than what Yah is offering to us.

So many of us reach a place in our Faith walk where we stop believing Yah and we start believing the world; we start believing ourselves; we start believing the voice of the enemy who has come along in our lives with the same lie that he told Eve in the Garden:

On the day you eat of this fruit that I’m offering you (I’m paraphrasing), you shall be as gods (elohims) knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). And you know what, you won’t die as the Almighty told you at the start of that covenant agreement He made with you. In fact you’ll be better off than you were during the time you spent in the Faith. You see, you can have it all. And God simply wants to keep the good things of this life away from you. But you have the power within your grasp to deny Him the pleasure of withholding those good things from you. You simply have to give a little to gain a lot. Oh you can keep some of the things you like about your Faith—it’s all good. But there’s no need for you to give up the good life. Compromise is fine, because in the end, God knows your heart. Oh yes, you mean well. And God will come over to your side because He’s so desperate to have you as His child. Right?

 

Eve’s Deception Points to a Lack of Contentment

 

Eve was deceived by the cunning words of the serpent. And so she was able to rationalize in her mind that she was not content to remain one of two humans Yah had installed on this planet to image, serve and worship Him alone. Somehow, something clicked within her that brought about a sense of discontentment in the life she and Adam were leading in the Garden. It sounded very appealing to her to be as gods—as the elohim that she and Adam no doubt saw scampering about them during their time in the garden. She saw something in them that she wanted and the serpent made having what those elohim had worth the consequences that would come with transgressing the Creator’s Torah.

Adam, he was just stupid. He knew better. He wasn’t deceived. Adam chose to be a follower. I would imagine that Adam was probably content with his position in the Creator’s kingdom here on earth—in the Garden at that time. But he chose to follow his wife’s lead and transgress Yah’s Torah. And look where that foolishness got him and the whole of mankind: death and separation from the Creator of the Universe.

Examples of Ancient Israel’s Lack of Contentment

    Throughout the Old Testament (aka Tanach), we find numerous examples of where the ancients failed to find contentment in their chosen status as Yah’s elect.

      

    The Revolt of Korah, Dathan and Abiram as recorded in Numbers 16

     

     

    ”And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and YHVH is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of YHVH?’ And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face…” (verses 3-4).

     

    Clearly, these men were not content in their calling as Levites and servants of Yah. They coveted something that was not theirs to possess. They were discontent in their Levitical roles of erecting and transporting the Tabernacle during the nation’s journeys. They wanted to be the shot callers like Moses and Aharon. And ultimately, these individual’s discontentment led to their death:

     

    “And Moshe said, ‘Hereby ye shall know that YHVH hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then YHVH hath not sent me. But if YHVH make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked YHVH.’ And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under then: and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them; and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, ‘lest the earth swallow us up also.’ And there came out a fire from YHVH, and consumed the 250 men that offered incense” (verses 28-35).

     

    Aharon and Miriam Lack of Contentment in their Leadership Roles–Numbers 12

     

     

    ”And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman who he (Moshe) had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, ‘Hath YHVH indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us?’ And YHVH heard it” (verses 1-2).

     

    And of course, we know the rest of the story: Aharon and Miriam and Moshe are all called out to the front of the Tent of Meeting and Yah says to the three of them:

     

    “Hear now My words: If there be a prophet among you, I YHVH will make myself known unto Him in a vision, and will speak unto Him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitudes of YHVH shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant Moses” (verses 6-8)?

     

    And then we find after YHVH’s departure from their presence that Miriam is struck with leprosy and Aharon is put into the embarrassing place of having to eat crow and plead with Moses to petition the Almighty to have mercy and spare Miriam’s life, which of course, Yah does in fact spare Miriam’s life; but not till after Miriam had time to learn her lesson by being quarantined outside the camp for a week.

     Manna For Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner and Contentment

     

    And in Numbers 11 we come across the story of our ancient Hebrew cousins murmuring and complaining about having to eat manna for breakfast, lunch and dinner; and their longing for their prior lives of abject servitude. And the peoples’ murmuring and complaining led to Father giving them quail to eat. But the people could not even handle the gift of quail in an appreciative manner, prompting a plague to break out upon the ungrateful people before they could even bite into their first quail meals.

     

    The issue at hand here is that of finding contentment in YHVH and in His Ways. And the question surrounding this issue is: Can Yah’s people learn to be content with that which Yah gives them in the midst of them trusting Him to provide for all their needs? For each of us, the issue of contentment affects many areas of our lives:

     

    • Material possessions such as cars and homes and jewelry
    • Careers
    • Station in life (i.e., being rich versus being poor; being well-to-do versus just scraping by; etc)
    • Notoriety and fame
    • Family and other social relationships
    • Food
    • Personal health

     

    Here in the 11th Chapter of Numbers, the central thing that our ancient Hebrew cousins longed for that they strongly felt would bring them contentment at that in their journey, was food: let’s just say something other than manna. So as Father fulfilled their cravings by giving them an over-abundance of quail, the people’s greed could not be contained and they sought to stock up on the quail that was delivered by Yah to the nation by hoarding it in and around the camp. What they thought would make them content turned out to not be the thing that would bring them contentment. In fact, their search to fulfill their cravings and make them content in the form of meat led to a display of greed, which is a sin. And the lesson that this story must convey to any with eyes to see and ears to hear is that true contentment in the lives of Yah’s people comes only when the child of the Most High fully gives over their heart and life to Yah and His Ways. Then and only then can Yah’s elect find true contentment. For desires and cravings cannot truly be fulfilled without Yah being the central focus of one’s life.

     Contentment That is Not Directly Tied to our Relationship With YHVH

    Outside of Yah, in time, one will grow tired of that thing that they thought would bring them contentment. And eventually one who has grown tired of the thing that he or she thought would make them content will seek out those things they believe will satisfy their flesh. And in the process of searching to fulfill those fleshly cravings and desires, he or she will risk violating Yah’s principles and ways–such as we see displayed here in our Reading.

     

    But know that when one turns their full attention to Yah and His Ways, he or she will find ultimate contentment. And when one finds their contentment in Yah, he or she will in turn glorify and image YHVH in all the earth.

     Contentment’s Direct Link to the Heart of Yah’s Elect

    When we talk about being content in our Faith or finding contentment in YHVH and His Way of life, we come to realize that this is really a heart thing. For when one’s whole heart is given over to YHVH, such that they place their trust in Him, trusting that He will do all that He says he’ll do; and he or she falls in loves with YHVH with every fiber of their being, they will find true contentment in life. How does that work? Because all of their cravings and desires will be replaced by the things and provisions of Yah. And those once held carnal cravings and desires become nothing more than fading memories and passing thoughts in the mind of the elect.

     

    A well known Jewish prayer captures this idea of contentment in the Ways and Person of Yah quite well:

     

    “Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, Who has given me everything I need” (Hegg).

     

    Shaul echoed this same sentiment when he wrote to the Philippian Assembly of Messianics:

     

    “My El will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Mashiyach Yeshua” (4:19).

     Contentment Found in the Knowledge That YHVH Will Provide For Our Every Need

     

    You see, this is the entire point behind Master’s instruction to His disciples that they seek first the Kingdom of Yah and His righteousness; and then while in the midst of doing that very thing, Yah will fulfill all His elects’ needs (Matt. 6:33). Prior to this direct instruction by our Master to his loyal disciples (most believe that Yeshua gave this message to a throng of 1,000’s from a mount or hill, but in reality, Master gave this message only to those disciples of His that were willing to climb to the top of the mount and hear the eternal words of the Son of the Most High), He instructed them to:

     

    “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on…take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:25-32).

     Contentment Found in the Reality of Trust in YHVH

    So the billion dollar question facing each of us is, can we bring ourselves in this day and age and within our respective life-situations to do this very thing: Trust in Yah to do what He says He will do and then be content in Yah?

     

    Had the ancients done that very thing–turning their eyes, hearts, minds and souls to Yah, being fully committed to Yah’s plan for them, Yah’s daily supply of manna would have more than satisfied them as they sojourned in the wilderness. How? Because they would find contentment in Yah and His Ways: their focus in life would shift entirely from that of their stomachs to that of Yah and his Ways. This same principle certainly can and should apply to each of us today: as we give our all to Yah and Walk in His Ways, all of the stuff we craved in our former lives will have (or should have) no power over us. We will come to the inevitable conclusion that Abba has attended to all our needs, and thus, we find ourselves in a state of true contentment and peace in Yah’s eternal provision. That contentment and peace must come with thanksgiving and praise from the contented soul.

     

    The writer of Psalm 37:4 provides us clarity on this issue:

     

    “Delight thyself also in YHVH; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto YHVH; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass” (KJV).

     Contentment in YHVH Orders our Walk in Messiah

     

    This contentment in Yah is the thing that orders our steps in everyday life. It directs how we deal with challenges in our lives. Thus, we are able to handle the bad things that come along in our lives in such a way that we are not anxious for our own well-being, but instead our concern is to please and bring glory and honor to YHVH. Father takes over and makes things work the way they’re supposed to work in our lives: all in accordance with His perfect will.

    Figuring Out How to be Content in YHVH

     

    So we must figure out how to be content in the life Yah has given to us and to also deny the ourselves of the fleshly life that naturally—carnally appeals to us.

    When we are not content in our Faith walk–when the manna loses its appeal and doesn’t satisfy–when the leadership says and does something that we don’t like or want–when we don’t have the things of life that we feel would make us happy, we look for ways to buck Yah’s prescribed Way of Life in a desperate attempt to find contentment. That lack of contentment effectively forms an obstacle to believing Yah and having that substantive, covenant relationship with Him because we take our eyes off of Him and turn them on to ourselves and on to other things not related to Yah.

     Contentment Begins With Bringing a Malleable Heart and Contrite Spirit to YHVH

    Finding true contentment must always begin with a malleable heart and a contrite (a stricken) spirit. There must be a willingness to endure whatever life throws at us, for this is the one who Abba looks upon and who Father draws close to and who finds true contentment in their lives–contentment in their covenant relationship with the Almighty:

     

    “Thus saith YHVH, ‘The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things hath Mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith YHVH: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite (a stricken or smitten) spirit, and trembleth at My word’” (Isaiah 66:1-2).

     

    The Psalmist wrote:

     

    “The sacrifices of Yah are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O Yah, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

     

    Folks, did you catch what the psalmist wrote: finding true covenant relationship and contentment in YHVH and His Ways is a volitional–determined–conscious decision that is likened unto a sacrifice. A sacrifice means nothing to the offerer unless it cost him or her something. And when we give over our whole self to Yah and determine within our being that we will serve the Eternal, and if it comes down to it, the earth be damned, and we will not compromise our relationship with the Creator for anything Babylon has to offer. Furthermore, Father is looking for us to be in a state of being that can be worked—fashioned–molded. Unfortunately, our ancient Hebrew cousins were a stiffnecked and rebellious lot that refused to be molded by YHVH. This is the lesson we must learn if we intend to find true contentment in YHVH.

     Contentment in YHVH is a Conscious Decision to Do Things in our Lives According to YHVH’s Way

    It’s making the conscious decision that our immediate happiness and preferences mean nothing to us. It comes down to a conscious decision that I’m going to do whatever it takes to please Yah, even if it kills me.

     

    It was Master, just before His Passion that He prayed to His Father:

     

     “…Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

     

    Friends, there’s nothing wrong with asking Father for something we desire, as long as it doesn’t violate His Torah. But when Yah says no, then it’s no. And when no is made clear to us, we must not become as petulant children and pout and rant and rave that we aren’t getting what we want from Father. We must learn to say it is well with our soul in every applicable circumstance.

     Contentment in YHVH Found in the Story of a Popular Christian Hymn

    Most of us who have been in Faith or in organized church or fellowship any length of time are familiar with the Christian hymn: “It is Well with my Soul”—(It happens to be one of my all-time favorite hymns.) Well, do you know the history of that hymn? It’s quite a touching story.

     

    The song is a hymn written by Horatio Gates Spafford, an American lawyer, also a Presbyterian church elder and hymnist of the 1860’s and 70’s. He was married to Anna Larsen of Norway. The couple purchased a home in Chicago. Two tragedies struck the couple: They lost their 4-year old son to Scarlet fever and they lost their home to the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. Seeking to give the family a rest from these 2-tragic events, the couple planned a trip to Europe for themselves and their 4-surviving daughters. Well, a sudden business issue arose, requiring Horatio to remain behind while Anna and their 4-daughters went ahead to Europe on November 21, 1873. On November 25th of 1873, during transit across the Atlantic, the ship that Anna and her 4-daughters were on collided with another vessel, causing the vessel that Anna and her daughters were on to sink within minutes of the collision. The 4-daughters were lost in the sinking. Only Anna survived. She was rescued and taken to Wales, arriving 9-days later. Anna telegramed Horatio with the simple but horrific message: “Saved alone, what shall I do?” In response to Anna’s telegram, Horatio set out to join Anna in their grief. And as the ship Horatio sailed upon passed near the place where his daughters had died, he penned the following:

     

    “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought; my sin, not in part but the whole. Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more; praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul. And Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight; the clouds be rolled back as a scroll. The trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul. It is well (it is well); with my soul (with my soul). It is well; it is well, with my soul.”

     

    Ultimately Horatio and Anna had 3-more children. But tragedy once more struck the Spafford family, this time with the loss of their son Horatio Goertner Spafford to Scarlet fever at the age of 4. Nevertheless, the couple relocated to Jerusalem and devoted the rest of their lives to ministry. And Horatio died from malaria at the age of 59 on October 16, 1888.

     

    You see, Horatio, like our Master Yeshua, made a conscious decision to find contentment in the Eternal. Oh, Horatio may not have been a feastkeeper or Sabbath-keeper, but he certainly knew which side his spiritual bread was buttered.

     True Contentment in YHVH Found in the Life Example of Job

    Job made a similar commitment to be content in YHVH. Here was a man who lost virtually everything he had—the things that were near and dear to him. But despite his wife telling him to curse Yah and die, and his buddies telling him his life was over because he messed up and pissed off YHVH, Job made one of the most profound statements of contentment to be found in Scripture:

     

     

    “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him” (13:15; KJV).

     

    It doesn’t get any clearer than that.

     The Ball’s in our Court as it Relates to Contentment

    What these and so many other examples in scripture show us is that at some point each of us must make a conscious decision to find rest and contentment in YHVH; that at some point in our walk we must come to recognize that nothing else in this life matters. This life is temporal. Things of this life satisfy for only such a time where we once again long or desire something more or greater than that which we originally had. At some point we will be forced to recognize after we suffer failure and set-back after failure and set-back that there is no true contentment in this life outside of YHVH and His Way of Life. And we’re fooling ourselves thinking we can serve two masters. It falls to each of us to choose this day whom we will serve.

     

    Joshua, no doubt operating under the power and might of the Holy Spirit made this profound statement to Yah’s people at the renewal of the Covenant that was once broken:

     

    “Now therefore fear YHVH, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye YHVH. And if it seem evil unto you to serve YHVH, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve YHVH” (Joshua 24:14-15).

     

    It’s recognizing and embracing the fact that the life we have really doesn’t belong to us.

     

    Shaul (aka Paul) wrote to the Assembly of Messianic believers in Corinth:

     

    “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which ye have of Yah, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify Yah in your body, and in your spirit, which are Yah’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

     We Have Been Bought with a Price and We are not Our Own

    Our lives either belong to YHVH or to some other god that offers us fruit from the tree of good and evil. Folks, this life does not offer any true, free lunches. Whichever God we choose to serve, it’s going to cost us something. In fact, it’s going to cost us everything, one way or another. So we are then forced to make that conscious, volitional—conscious decision—determined decision which way, like Joshua, we’re going to go. And if we go with YHVH, it’s got to be His way or it’s got to be His way. We must choose to find contentment in Him and in His Ways. And when we are successful at doing that very thing, we will believe Yah and as a byproduct of finding our everlasting portion in YHVH our Elohim, we will live the life abundant that Yeshua promised we’d have. If we but take the first step of seeking Yah’s kingdom and His righteousness, Father promised that He will look after the cares of this life for us.

     

    And when we come to terms that our life is truly not our own, and the blinders are removed from our spiritual eyes and minds, we also come to terms that Yah truly has plans and desires to prosper us.

     

    Jeremiah wrote to the exiles in Babylon the following:

     

    “For thus saith YHVH: That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,’ saith YHVH; ‘thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart (theres that heart thing again—Father really focuses on the state of His peoples’ hearts) (29:10-13).

     Comparing and Contrasting Finding Contentment in YHVH to Finding Contentment in the World

    Now, compare and contrast this with the plans of the enemy for those who choose to go with him and follow his ways:The plans of the enemy are truly meant to destroy us little by little:

     

    “The thief (I.e., “kleptes”–the pilferer; the embezzler) cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” (John 10:10).

     

    Our lack of contentment should only be found in our constant search and effort to please Yah better than the day before. To reach deeper depths and higher heights in Messiah (Ephesians 3:18). To reach friend status with the Almighty. To make it into the Kingdom of YHVH. And these can only be achieved when we have the obstacles to our belief/faith removed.

     

    I’m reminded of a popular song from the 1970’s Broadway musical “Godspell” that went something like this:

     

    “Day by Day…Day by Day…Oh, dear Lord, three things I pray: To see thee me clearly…Love thee more dearly…Follow thee more nearly, day-by-day.”

    Oh to have that level of contentment, wouldn’t you say?

     We Must Draw Nigh to YHVH to Find True Contentment in Him

    James instructed his readers to:

     

    “Draw nigh to Yah and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (4:8).

     

    Father put into place the means by which we can find true contentment in life. And all Father is asking us to do is to make the conscious decision to turn to Him and seek after Him. And if we’re willing to do that, He will draw Himself to us, His beloved (Zechariah 1:3) and we will find true contentment in Him and His Way of Life.

     

    You see, the ancients were incapable of finding true contentment in their covenant relationship with YHVH because they would not abandon the Egypt that resided in them. So their eyes and heart always remained in Mitsriam (aka Egypt) along with her idols and leeks and melons and garlic and flesh pots. Yah’s amazing manna would never satisfy them. Yah’s month supply of quail would never please them. They wanted things done their way and so they were never satisfied with the organizational structure Yah put in place. They wanted more prestige; more privileges. So they refused to abandon their stubbornness and rebellious ways; they wanted things their way.

     A Lack of Contentment Forms an Obstacle to One’s Faith

    Their lack of contentment in YHVH and His Ways hindered or blocked their ability to believe Yah, and thus, they never made it into the Land of Promise.

     

    Fortunate for us, we have their example to help us overcome that obstacle to belief. And from their example, all we need to do is decide and make the conscious decision to believe and be content in His Ways.

     The Case for Finding True Contentment in YHVH and in His Ways

     

    “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Master Yeshua Messiah, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with content is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:1-12; KJV).

     

     

    “But I rejoiced in YHVH greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Messiah which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:10-13; KJV).

     

    “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he that said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:1-6; KJV).

    We Can Do All Thing in Messiah Which Strengtheneth Us 

    We can do this. As Shaul stated, “we can do all things through Messiah which strengtheneth us.” We simply have to take the first step and believe and then secondly, find contentment in Him and in Him alone.

     

    Devour His Word—Pray without ceasing—Fasting as so led—Pushing to see beyond our present circumstances to the glorious promises our Father has in store for us.

     

    And with that, we’ll bring this installment of TMTO to an end. It is always my prayer and hope that you got something out of this discussion and that you’ll be led to conduct your own meditative and prayerful study of the things we discuss on this forum.

     

    Abba willing, we’ll return next week with a new installment of The Messianic Torah Observer. So, until then, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training. Shalom. Take care.

    Overcoming Obstacles to Belief Part 2-Learning From Ancient Israel’s Mistakes of Murmuring/Complaining

    by | Dec 10, 2020 | Blog, Podcasts

    by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

    Goal: 

    Last week I presented to you an overview of the important differences that exists between believing IN YHVH verses believing YHVH and how life can and does create obstacles to our believing Yah.

     

    Also recall that I discussed two behaviors that proved to be obstacles to the children of Israel believing YHVH. In that discussion I compared and contrasted those two obstacles to obstacles that block or hinder our belief today.

     

    So just to rehash real quickly here: Those two obstacles were:

     

    (1) Stubbornness and rebelliousness in God’s people.

     

    (2) The Babylon that stubbornly resides in many of God’s people.

     

     

    So this evening I want to discuss with you a 3rd obstacle to belief, again, comparing and contrasting the history and experiences of the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness to our Faith walk today. And the obstacle to belief I want to talk to you about today is not being able to or refusing to see past our present circumstances and then murmuring or complaining about those same circumstances.

    Attention:

     

    So why am I even talking about something as trivial or insignificant as God’s people being spiritually short-sighted (that is not having vision and not seeing past their circumstances) and murmuring or complaining about those same set of circumstances? Well, I contend that the short-sightedness of the children of Israel, along with their murmuring/complaining became impenetrable obstacles to their believing Yah, which then ultimately led to the nation wandering in the Sinai wilderness for 40-years and an entire generation of Hebrews dying in that wilderness.

     

    And because history has a way of always repeating itself, especially as it relates to Yah’s people, we, like the children of Israel before us, stand to wander in the wilderness of this world for a longer time (going nowhere; stuck in our circumstances; displeasing the Almighty because we stubbornly choose to hold on to our ways and to our desires) and than end up not making it into the Kingdom of YHVH because we lack the necessary vision to overcome our circumstances.

     

    King Solomon wrote that where there is no vision, the people perish.

     

    Perish here the Hebrew word “para’” which does not mean to suffer lose or death. It really means to be left without restraint; to become unruly.

     

    And what we saw displayed by the children of Israel out there in that wilderness was one incident after another where the people lost sight of the promises of Yah by focusing on their present circumstances, and then acting a fool—being unruly—and complaining—rebelling over those circumstances. And because many of us today are repeating the same mistakes that the children of Israel made, we stand to reap the same outcome they did.

     

    Why would not having the vision to see past our present circumstances or complaining about our situations keep us wandering aimlessly and then dying in the wilderness of this world? Because these actions take our eyes off and away from the prize—off and away from our goal—away the promises of YHVH—off and away the Kingdom of Yah—and most importantly off and away from our relationship with the Almighty. These actions are obstacles to our belief.

     

     

     Need:

     

    Scripture records the mistakes and successes of the children of Israel. Thus scripture provides us with brilliant examples of what ungodliness looks like; how YHVH deals with ungodliness; and the expectations YHVH has for His elect (2 Peter 2:6).

     

    We as Yah’s elect are called to live lives of Faith:

     

    “…the just shall live by faith…” (Galatians 3:11).

     

    That faith is not just a cognitive understanding or agreement within ourselves that Yah and the things of Yah are real. But  we are called to believe Yah—that He is and that He rewards those that diligently seek after Him (Hebrews 11:6).

     

    Faith is the very foundation of our Faith-walk because scripture tells us that faith is the only thing that satisfies the Almighty. 

     

     

    Satisfaction of the need:

     

    But if our faith/belief is hindered/impeded/blocked by such behaviors as complaining, stubbornness, rebellion, lack of vision and the Babylon that still resides in us, how can we walk out our belief at such a level that it pleases YHVH?

     

    Well, that’s what this series is here to look at: How to overcome obstacles to our belief. 

     

    Visualization:

     

    So, let’s:

     

    • First look at the children of Israel’s history of complaining and not being able to see beyond their physical circumstances.
    • Then compare and contrast their story with our present day situations and challenges.
    • And lastly, look at some ways to overcoming these obstacles to our belief.

     

    We know from Torah that the children of Israel murmured and complained constantly/continuously about their lack of water and food as well as their difficult situation wandering about in the wilderness.

     

    Now,the English term murmur is not a commonly used term today, apart from being a term used to describe a serious cardiac condition. But we do find that apart from the cardiac-related meaning of murmur that the term murmur is defined in our modern dictionaries as “a half-suppressed or muttered complaint, best described as grumbling.”

     

    So when the act of murmuring is found in scripture, it’s describing the grumblings—the complaints–of God’s people against YHVH and against YHVH’s anointed.

     

    Now, we find that when the Children of Israel murmured throughout their wilderness journey, YHVH would respond to their grumblings in one of two ways:

     

    • Yah would give the people the things that they grumbled or complained about.
    • Or, Yah would become angry and pour out His wrath upon the people in response to their complaints.

     

    Let’s look at YHVH’s first response to the peoples’ murmuring—grumbling—complaining where He would give the people that which they complained about not having:

     

     

     

     24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

     25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: (Exo 15:24-25 KJV)

     

     

     

     2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

     3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

     4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

     5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

     6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:

     7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? (Exo 16:2-7 KJV)

     

     

     

    4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

     5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

     6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes…wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat… 19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

     20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?…31 And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

     32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. (Num 11:4-32 KJV)

     

    You see, many folks both within and outside our Faith view the God of Israel as a tyrant who expects or requires too much from His people—that He’s unreasonable and cruel and harsh, and that when His people fail to deliver on the unreasonable expectations of YHVH, well this tyrannical God turns around and simply rains down His wrath upon His people. But as we can see from these 3  examples, Father loved His people and He responded to the peoples’ murmurings and complaints of not having sufficient water and food. And what most fail to see here in these examples is YHVH’s grace in action.

     

     

    Now, can we fault the people for needing food and water, living and wandering out there in the wilderness? Probably not. I mean, Yah did give the people what they needed and wanted, did He not? Yes, He did. But the thing we should recognize here is not so much the people needing or desiring food and water. The problem we see playing out here is the way the people went about expressing their needs and desires based upon their lack of vision and their longing for their prior lifestyles in Egypt: They complained or murmured. And their complaints or murmurs were directed  against YHVH and His anointed. And we find that YHVH does not take too kindly to His people murmuring or complaining:

     

     10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. (Num 11:10 KJV)

     

    You see, the peoples’ murmuring or complaining revealed just how ungrateful they were for Yah’s provision; for Yah’s protection; for Yah’s grace and promises. Murmuring or complaining in general displays a gross lack of believing; a gross lack of understanding; a damaged relationship; and of course, a terrible lack of seeing beyond one’s present situation.

     

    Well, what should the people have done regarding their food and water situation? Well, for starters, not murmur against YHVH and Moses. Two: express their concerns—their lack of food and water to their assigned elder in the camp and have their elder communicate their needs to Moses. Moses would then in turn petition the Almighty and it would then be up to YHVH to provide for the needs and concerns of the people.

     

    If the people would have trusted YHVH—believed YHVH in the first place—if they would see beyond the lack of food and water and look to YHVH as the author and finisher of their Faith—their needs would have been taken care of with decency and order:

     

     40 Let all things be done decently and in order. (1Co 14:40-15:1 KJV)

     

    Yah is a God of order. And Yah established a means from early on in the peoples’ journey to address the needs and concerns of the people so that the people may have full and total trust and belief that YHVH—their deliverer and provider and sustainer—that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek after Him.

     

    Now, we also find in the Israelite’s story a level of murmuring that upsets and angers Yah to such a level that YHVH’s wrath is poured out upon the complainers and murmurers. This level of murmuring and complaining tends to be of a rebelliousness, insurrection and confrontational nature. And when God’s people cross that line of murmuring and complaining, well, Yah’s wrath is not far behind:

     

    And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

     2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched. (Num 11:1-2 KJV)

     

     

     27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

     28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

     29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,

     30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

     31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

     32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

     33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

     34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

     35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

     36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

     37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. (Num 14:27-37 KJV)

     

     

    Murmuring or grumbling or complaining is indicative of the eyes, hearts and minds of Yah’s people being removed from YHVH and placed on the situation at hand; or on things or people and not on YHVH, who is supposed to be our everlasting portion. And when our focus shifts from YHVH–His sovereignty and provision in our lives–there’s little to no room for belief.

     

     

    You see, the more we give room to the carnal (I.e., to the flesh), the less room we have for belief. Why? Because we refuse to see beyond our present situation, and when we do this, we are effectively limiting or even eliminating  YHVH’s sovereignty over our lives. But when we can force ourselves to see beyond our fleshly situations, through the help of the Holy Spirit, we effectively free Yah to work amazing things in our lives and throughout our day-to-day walk with Messiah:

     

     

     

    8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

     9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

     10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

     11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

     12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. (Heb 11:8-12 KJV)

     

    For us today, it’s all about seeing the big picture; seeing the end game; seeing beyond our present situations and cares of life. When we can’t or when we refuse to see beyond our present situations and cares of life, and we  refuse or can’t see YHVH as sovereign and the sole provider over our lives, it’s not possible to believe Yah. And the thing that adds insult to  injury regarding our inability to see beyond our situation is that many of us will default to complaining and murmuring about our situations. And of course, many of us have this habit and tendency to complain about everything and anything under the sun: politics; our health; our money situation; our relationships; the pastors and teachers and preachers Yah has sent to us to teach and enlighten us of His ways; our jobs and careers; and so much more. And all that complaining or murmuring accomplishes is distancing us from YHVH and His protection; His guidance; His provision; His deliverance; and revelation of Himself to us.

     

    But if we’re able to look at the examples YHVH has given us in His Word regarding YHVH’s heroes and their stories, embrace fully Yah’s promises, and see the glory that awaits each of us, we will then be able to flip the narrative and recognize that our life-situations are only temporary challenges and that Yah does have something so much better for us than what our natural eyes and desires tell us we should have.

     

    On this very issue, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman Messianics:

     

    “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18; NLT).

     

    And to the Messianics in Corinth he wrote something quite similar:

     

    “For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

     

     

    Paul encouraged the Messianic Assembly in Rome:

     

    “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of Yah, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2; ESV).

     

    You see, much of what the Ancient Israelites endured in their 40-years of wandering in the wilderness was testing—Father put them through testing. And it was through this testing that Father was proving—perfecting the children of Israel’s belief and trust as well as preparing the people to properly receive the land that was promised to them and their forefathers.

     

    Father is not always going to give us the keys to His many promises without first putting us through a bit of testing from time to time. He’s looking to see how we respond to our present situations in light of having knowledge of His promises. He’s looking to see if we’re going to grumble and complain about our present situations. He’s looking to see if we will be obedient to Him and to His ways despite the hardships that are placed upon us during the testing phase. And depending on how we fair in these testings will determine how much of His promises He will extend to us. It’s a fair chance that if we simply falter and fail in our testing because of ignorance on our part, or simply because we’re weak, that Abba may apply appropriate and loving correction and set us on a right course (just as He did when He fulfilled the food and drink needs of the children of Israel). However, if we rebel against Him, we may have to endure some difficult punishment and correction (just as we saw illustrated in the wrath of the Almighty being poured out on those who rebelled against Yah and Moses).

     

    From the moment the children of Israel departed Egypt till the time they entered the land of promise, Yah tested the people.

     

     

     7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah. (Psa 81:7 KJV)

     

     

     2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. (Deu 8:2 KJV)

     

    The people were either too stubborn and rebellious, or they did not have the spiritual fortitude to see (to recognize) that Yah was testing them. And the tragedy in all this is that an entire generation died in the wilderness because of their stubbornness, rebelliousness and blindness to the fact they were being tested of YHVH. And even if they were able to recognize they were being tested of YHVH, they still didn’t recognize the fact that Yah had an amazing future in store for them if they would just believe Him:

     

     

    “For I know the plans I have for you, declares YHVH, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11; ESV).

     

    Folks, the children of Israel were blinded by their stubbornness lack of vision. Despite all the promises that were given to them by YHVH through Moses—that if they would obey YHVH’s voice and keep His covenant, then they would be a peculiar treasure unto Him above all people; and that they would be a kingdom of priests and an holy nation—Exodus 19:5; and despite seeing that YHVH was more than capable and willing to deliver on those promises—seeing what He had done unto the Egyptians and how He bore them out of Egypt on eagles’ wings and brought them unto Himself—Exodus 19:4; the people had convinced themselves that YHVH had brought them out to the wilderness in some sort of a set-up scheme—setting them up for failure and destruction:

     

     27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. (Deu 1:27 KJV)

     

    When I was active in the Baptist Church, one of the most popular gospel songs being sung in the 1970’s was James Cleveland’s “I don’t feel no ways tired.” And apart from certain politicians doing their best to politicize it and use it to influence and leverage a certain class of voters, the song did have what I believe to be a powerful spiritual message attached to it—especially in the chorus line which states:

     

    “I don’t feel no ways tired. I’ve come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy. I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me” (James Cleveland).

     

    You see, the ancient Israelites had reached a place in their hearts and minds along their wilderness journey where they believed Yah had brought them into the wilderness to suffer and die. They had reached a place in their minds that they could not see the unimaginably wonderful things YHVH had in mind for them: To make of them a holy nation of priests; a special treasure unto YHVH above all the other nations. They lost those promises because they suffered a twisted understanding of their present circumstances that focused on a perceived physical lack; an abandonment; a scheme to destroy them by the Creator of the Universe. And this became a fatal mindset that fueled their stubbornness and readiness to murmur, complain, slander and rebel against YHVH and Moses, ultimately leading to their deaths in the wilderness.

     

    You see, Father didn’t lead the children of Israel into the wilderness to die. What caused the children of Israel to wander 40-years and die in the wilderness was their stubbornness, rebelliousness and blindness or lack of vision and belief.

     

    How many of us today possess the same mindset as that of the ancient Israelites? How many of us feel that Yah has set us up for failure; that Yah has brought us to a place on this faith walk journey of ours only to abandon us or even condemn us? How many of us have forgotten or have refused to keep our eyes and minds and hearts on the mark of the high calling in Messiah, but in stead have chosen to focus on our present circumstances and embrace a gospel of suffering? How many of us make a habit of complaining about our circumstances and testing Yah’s patience, thinking we’re somehow going to force Yah to do things our way?

     

    Folks, the Apostle, using himself as an example, gave us the solution to overcoming this terrible obstacle to our belief:

     

    “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of YHVH in Messiah Yeshua” (Philippians 3:13-14; ESV).

     

    This thing we’re doing that we call Faith; that some of us call religion; that some of us call a way of life, is not for the faint of heart nor the weak of mind. I requires courage and strength, both of which Father gives to those who are His through the workings of the Holy Spirit that is supposed to be operating within and upon His elect. The problem is that most of us either are too scared to turn control of our lives over to the Holy Spirit—let the Holy Spirit drive our lives, while we seek the Kingdom of Yah and His righteousness; as we keep our eyes on the mark of the high calling of YHVH in Yeshua Messiah; while we endure His testing and His chastening; while we forget what lies behind us and keep our minds and hearts fixed on what Father has in store for us.

     

    As James Cleveland wrote in his classic gospel hit, no one ever said that the road would be easy. But another famous gospel song, this one by Blind Willie Johnson added to this understanding of ours, that:

     

    “If we trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out. Take your burden to the Lord (I.e., to YHVH) and leave them there.”

     

     

     Action:

     

    So one of the things we need to do when facing obstacles to our belief that are connected to seeing beyond our present circumstances and pressing onward to that mark of the high calling, is to (1) engage in fervent, consistent and relentless prayer; and (2) praise Yah always with unrelenting thanksgiving. (Remember, Father does not appreciate ungratefulness from His people. But YHVH will honor the effectual fervent prayers of His righteous ones(James 5:16).

     

    On this very subject the Apostle Paul wrote to the Messianics of Philippi:

     

    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to Elohim” (Philippians 4:6; ESV).

     

    Friends, if we cannot see the forest for the trees along our Faith walk (that is we’ve the vision), and life begins to closing in on us, we must stop; breath; find our prayer closets; get down on your knees, or better, on our faces, and open our hearts to Father, knowing He did not bring us this far on our journey to abandon us.

     

    The Apostle Peter wrote:

     

    “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of YHVH, that He may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon Him: for He  careth for you” (1 Peter 5:6; KJV).

     

    I’ll repeat: our inability or refusal to see beyond our present circumstances blocks, hinders, opposes our believing YHVH. We must take hold of the vision.

     

    Again, what did Solomon say about those who lacked vision?

     

    “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (Proverbs 29:18).

     

    And certainly the children of Israel, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, suffered from that lack of vision.

     

    Folks, hold on to that vision that Father gave to us through the teachings and example of Yeshua Messiah and let it drive you to take positive action in your Faith walk. Pray. Fast. Study. Love one another and Love YHVH as you love yourself.

     

    And also, resist the urge to complain. Stop murmuring. Father does not appreciate His people engaging in such evil. Murmuring does not help, but instead it hinders and blocks our belief.

     

    While teaching at a synagogue at Kfar Nahum (I.e., Capernaum) and being confronted by Jewish leaders, Yeshua told the Jewish leaders “not to murmur among themselves” (John 6:43). The Apostle Paul counseled the misbehaving Corinthians:

     

    “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer” (1 Corinthians 10:9; KJV).

     

    We simply need to stop complaining and as one gospel singer says it, “Let Go and Let God.”

     

    For some of us, complaining is a deeply ingrained habit that over time can damage our relationship with the Almighty because it works to block our belief. Why would I say that? Because when we complain or murmur, we’re essentially saying (by our actions) that we don’t appreciate what Yah is doing or allowing to take place in and around us. And thus, we’ve chosen to distrust Him and distrust His provision and sovereignty and willingness and ability to deliver. Not to mention, complaining has the potential of being sinful by virtue of it inciting rebellion and stubbornness within us—both of which are sins.

     

    So we gotta repent from our life of complaining a then stop complaining. It might help for us to avoid being around those who make complaining a way of life. If complaining or murmuring is so ingrained into our psyche, we need to seek deliverance from that stronghold while we still can.

     

    Bottom line, complaining is a spiritual disease that can lead to Yah’s wrath being wrought upon us and our believing YHVH hindered or blocked.

    Overcoming Obstacles to Belief–Part 1: Learning From Ancient Israel’s Mistakes

    by | Dec 4, 2020 | Blog, Podcasts

    Goal:

     

    What I intend to address in my message today is something that I believe is crucial for our (1) making it into the Kingdom of Yah; (2) successfully walking out our Faith in Spirit and in Truth; and (3) living the life abundant that Yeshua our Master taught and preached about.

     

    And what is this crucial thing I’m talking about?

     

    We’re going to be talking about overcoming the obstacles to our Faith—obstacles to our belief.

     

    Now I recognize that I’m somewhat in the minority here as it relates to my understanding of belief: For I contend, as I stated in my previous message on belief, that biblical belief and biblical faith are essentially the same thing. The ancients did not make a real distinction between the two.

     

    But the only reason I’m bringing this up here in this message is because I will throughout this message use the terms faith and belief interchangeably.

     

    And pretty much the level of belief or faith I’m going to be talking about today is the Kingdom entering level of belief: The level of belief/faith that the “Heroes of Faith” possessed. That level of faith or belief that gets Abba’s attention and that puts you into the “friend” zone with the Creator of the Universe; that level of belief of faith that gets you into the Kingdom.

     

    Speaking of the Heroes of Faith, before I get into the message, I want to ask you a set of questions regarding your level of faith or belief. And when you receive these questions, I need for you to think about your answers to these questions in as honest and truthful way as you possibly can, because how you answer these questions will determine how much you’ll get out of the messages here today and next time.

     

    And my question are as follows:

     

    • Do you believe YHVH to the degree/level that Abraham, Moses, Joshua and the other heroes of faith believed YHVH?
    • If so, how did you arrive at their level of believing YHVH? How did you overcome your unbelief? How do you maintain that supreme level of belief-trust-faith?
    • If no, why are you not at their level of believing-trusting YHVH? What is keeping you from reaching heroes of faith-belief status? Is reaching their level of belief-faith important enough to move you to take action to get to their level of belief?

     

    Attention:

     

    Now I’m asking these questions with the big assumption that most of us do not believe or trust YHVH at the heroes of faith level—Kingdom level belief–or let’s say, at the level that YHVH needs us to be at.

     

    And I’m sure that a great many folks within and without our Faith would reject these questions because the Church Triumphant has indoctrinated millions of folks that they are guaranteed entry into heaven or the kingdom simply by virtue of having simple, basic belief IN Jesus Christ; believing the God the Father exists; saying the sinners prayer; getting dunked in water; getting your name on the church rolls; and maybe giving an offering from time to time. This level of belief-trusting-faith is a level that man-the Church-the denominations have established for their members.

     

    But what about the level of belief-trust-faith that Father has established for His elect? Shouldn’t we be striving to get to that level?

     

    Folks, the Church-the denominations-the preachers and teachers-the Nicholaitan system that is behind much of organized religion today, really don’t care whether you get into the Kingdom or not or if you are living the life abundant that Master Yeshua taught and preached about. These care only about the system; the organization that they operate under. These organizations are in fact a religion unto themselves. So these organizations are requiring you and me to belief and trust in them—in their organizations—in their systems. Period. They’re not interested in you believing YHVH. In most cases, they don’t really want you to believe YHVH at the Kingdom level. Because they know that if you believe YHVH at the Kingdom level, then you wouldn’t need them. So their ministries teach and preach doctrines that are designed to keep you at a set level of belief-trust-faith; just enough to keep you coming back each week and dropping some coins into their offering plates.

     

    This my friends is not the level or even type of belief Father needs from His people. For He, in His Word, has established the level of believing and trusting Him that He requires of His chosen ones. And any level of Faith that falls below Father’s established level displeases Him. What did the writer of Hebrew say regarding this:

     

    “Without Faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to YHVH must believe that He is and that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

     

    I submit to you here today that the reason most of us fall short in our level of belief and trust and faith is because life—human life and existence—comes with a whole lot of baggage that I like to refer to as “obstacles to belief or faith.”

     

    You see, as far as scripture is concerned, the thing that distinguishes one believer from another believer is whether he or she simply believes IN the things of Yah or whether he/she believes-trust the things of Yah. Don’t be fooled, these are two entirely distinct—different levels of belief that have salvific weight attached to them and we all need to know and respond appropriately to the difference between them.

     

    One’s belief IN Yah can be altered/shaken/shifted by various sets of life circumstances. When you believe in something you are investing in a concept or idea that seems good to you at the time you’re deciding to believe in the things of Yah. But that belief in YHVH can be changed if needed: It can be changed to suit us; it can be changed to fit into our preferred way of life. Belief in Yah leaves a lot a room for doubt and even disobedience?

     

    Why would I say such a thing?

     

    Because belief IN Yah is nothing more than a simple acknowledgment that Yah exists and that he may be able to do some of the things He says in His Word that He will and can do.

     

    But the problem with simply believing IN Yah is that it doesn’t take much for that belief to go bye-bye.

     

     

    I don’t think anyone here on this line today would doubt that all of the people that left Egypt in the Exodus believed in YHVH. Why wouldn’t they: They saw for themselves one wonder/miracle after another transpire before them—things that we’ve not seen repeated to very day. Yet, these same folks that witnessed and experienced the greatest miracles any generation of humans have ever witnessed and experienced had no problem doubting

     

     

    These could not take that critical next step of believing YHVH. And why couldn’t they take that next step? Because they could not and would not overcome the obstacles that existed in their lives that prevented them believing Yah.

     

     

    You see, believing Yah is drastically different than believing IN Yah. Believing IN Yah gets you very little if anything at all. In fact, I’d go so far as to suggest that simply believing IN Yah causes more harm than good. Why? Because when you believe in Yah you are only partially invested in the things of Yah—you’re only going through the motions related to the things of Faith. Think I’m lying or making a big to do about nothing? Well, riddle me this Batman: What did the generation that came out of Egypt get out of their leaving Egypt? They got death—they died in the wilderness. Why did they die in the wilderness: Because they accepted the terms of the marriage covenant which YHVH made with them; and that marriage covenant required them to believe Him—to Trust Him:

     

    “Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye 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 an holy nation….And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which YHVH commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, ‘All that YHVH hath spoken we will do…’” (Exodus 19:5-8).

     

    It was right after the spies returned from spying out the Land of Canaan and preached a message of hopelessness and not believing Yah to the people while just Caleb and Yashua preached a message of hope and believing Yah, that the people rebelled one too many times against Yah and Moshe. Yah, in seeing the people rebelling against Him and His man Moshe, purposed in His heart to disinherit and destroy the people (Numbers 14:20) that Moshe stood in the gap and pleaded with Yah to spare the lives of the people. And Yah relents, but still passes righteous judgment against the people:

     

    “And YHVH’s anger was kindled the same time and He sware, saying, ‘Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from 20-years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed YHVH. And YHVH’s anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40-years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of YHVH was consumed” (Numbers 32:10-13).

     

    As we can see, all of Israel perished in the wilderness—including Moshe—with the exception of Yahshua and Caleb. Why? Because the nation chose not to believe Yah. Choosing to not believe Yah will prevent you from entering the Kingdom as we see in the example of the wandering Israelites. Choosing to not believe Yah only leads to an unfulfilled life and ultimately death.

     

     

    And folks, we’re all facing the same miserable end that the ancient Israelites faced if we fail to believe Yah. If the example of the ancient Israelites wandering in the wilderness is to be any example to us, it’s safe to say that the overwhelming majority of people in this world will not enter the Kingdom of Yah. Just a small, precious remnant who have chosen to believe Yah.

     

    It was as Yeshua was making His way to Jerusalem to be crucified that He asks the Pharisees who had gathered to challenge Him on when the Kingdom of Yah would come, that Master asked a rather rhetorical question:

     

    “…will the Son of Man find any real faith remaining on the earth when He comes” (Luke 18:8)?

     

    And of course we know the answer to that rhetorical question is “very little?”

     

     

     Need:

     

    We all stand to repeat the same tragic mistakes the ancient Israelites made and that is failing, and in many respects, refusing to believe Yah.

     

    You know, Father intends that the lives of the ancients as recorded in scripture, serve as an ensample and warning to us so that we may avoid death and destruction that comes as a result of refusing to believe Yah (2 Peter 2:6).

     

    Now, we know that it is impossible to make it into the Kingdom without true, biblical belief or faith:

     

    “Without Faith (”pisteo” = belief) it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to Yah must believe (”pisteuo” = trust; believe) that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

     

    So, it should be commonsense to all of us that if Yah is not pleased with us, we ain’t getting into the Kingdom. And we know from Hebrews 11:6 that the only way to please Yah is to believe Him (not believe in Him, but believe Him). And that life of belief leads to rewards: folks, not just in the world tomorrow, but also in the here and now.

     

    Master was quite clear in His parable teaching that He had come in order that we may have abundant life (John 10:10). Unfortunately, many in our Faith believe that abundant life is coming to Yah’s elect once they get into the Kingdom. Until that time, however, Yah’s elect must endure suffering.

     

    But we must look at this passage within the context in which it was given. Yeshua was using the life example of shepherding in order to illustrate the principle that He was the only way to the Father as He was the “door of the sheepfold.” And the only path to true, abundant life. Those that propose a different path other than the path that Yeshua has laid out for us, are thieves and robbers—they are as wolves come to harm the flock. And it is a well-known truth that thieves come to steal, kill and destroy.

     

    The life that Yeshua came to bring us is a lifestyle (as we’ve mentioned countless times on this platform) that is supposed to be filled with “joy and peace in believing” such that by the power of the Holy Spirit, we may walk out this faith with overflowing hope (Romans 15:13).

     

     

    Satisfaction of the need:

     

    So the abundant life begins the moment we choose to place our trust in YHVH. We don’t have to wait till that great getting up morning before we can have an amazing life that Master promised. Folks, an amazing life can be had by all of in the here and now: if we indeed want that life.

     

    As I mentioned several messages ago: The Kingdom of Yah is not just the coming, physical Kingdom that all will see when Yeshua returns. The Kingdom of Yah is a continuous strain of reality that begins with the Kingdom of Yah dwelling within us the moment we choose to believe Yah. And that Kingdom of Yah expands within our lives and it progresses up to and into the physical Kingdom of Yah that Yeshua will install in Jerusalem and throughout the earth upon His return (Luke 17:21).

     

    Looking back to the ancient Israelites, Father instructed the people to walk in all His ways so that things would go well with them and thereby live prolong days in the promised land (Deuteronomy 5:33).

     

    You see, believing Yah leads to an abundant and meaningful life. But many of us cannot bring ourselves to believing Yah for a great many reasons.

     

     Visualization:

     

    I suggest that the story of the ancient Israelites provides us numerous example of obstacles that caused the people to not believe Yah and that also prevented them from entering the promised land.

     

    If we identify some of those obstacles that prevented the ancient Israelites from believing Yah, and we then identify similar obstacles in our lives today that stand way of our believing Yah, we may then be able to identify ways to overcome those obstacles, believe Yah, and start living the life Father has always intended for us to have.

     

    I’ve identified 6 obstacles blocked or impeded or stood in the way of Israel believing Yah. This is in no way meant to be an exhaustive list of obstacles. I’m certain you’ll be able to identify several more obstacles on your own. But these obstacles are just a small handful of the more obvious ones that many of us today are contending with in our Faith walks.

     

    Today I’m only going to cover 2 of those obstacles and when I return in a few weeks, I’ll cover the remaining 4 obstacles.

     

    So let’s look at obstacle 1:

     

    Obstacle #1. They did not have the desire to believe Yah. (The beginning). Father described the Israelites as a stiffnecked people (Exodus 32:9; 33:3; 33:5; 34:9; Deuteronomy 9:6, 13; 10:16). “Stiffnecked” is qahsheh which means to be “obstinate.” To be obstinate means to be stubborn. And in being stubborn, one refuses to give in to a proper course or way of doing things. In this case, we’re talking about refusing to trust Yah; refusing to believe Yah and His Word; refusing to obey Yah and His servant Moshe.

     

    Being stubbornness is in many ways being rebellious. And we know from Torah that stubbornness and rebellion can get you killed:

     

    18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

    19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

    20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

    21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. (Deu 21:18-21 KJV)

     

     

    Verse 21 tells us that stubbornness and rebellion is evil  which means it’s a sin. And Yah’s way of dealing with this sin and evil is to kill the stubborn and rebellious soul.

     

    A stubborn and rebellious nature creates for the would-be Child of Yah (I believe) an impenetrable obstacle believing Yah. Why? There are a number of reasons. The one that comes to mind above the rest is that rebellion and stubbornness stands in the way of anyone having a true and substantive relationship with the Almighty. Why? Because stubbornness and rebellion within a person says to the Almighty and to the world that things are going to my way, NOT Yah’s Way. And I’m here to tell you: Yah don’t play that. Lucifier tried that  and look where it got him:

     

    12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

    13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

    14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

    15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isa 14:12-15 KJV)

     

    Rebellion and stubbornness is straight up “humanism.” What is humanism? Let me read the definition to you:

     

    “Humanism is an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings (remember Yeshua said that no one is good except Yah alone), emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems” (Microsoft Dictionary).

     

    In other words, “humanism” is a fancy word for “it’s all about me…it’s about what I want…we’re going to do things my way and God is going to have to be okay with that. But I’m here to tell you folks, YHVH is NOT okay with stubbornness and rebellion; He’s not okay with “humanism.”

     

     

    Stubbornness and rebellion is all about the “me.” The “I will” of Lucifer. There is NO room for Father, therefore there’s no believing Yah. Oh, there’s room for believing IN Yah as we saw demonstrated by the ancient Israelites, but there’s NO believing Yah.

     

    The only remedy or solution to stubbornness and rebellion is “death?” What do you mean Rod by the only remedy or solution to stubbornness and rebellion is death? As we saw in  Deuteronomy 21, rebellion and stubbornness is evil that requires the death of the offender. But fortunate for us today, the death that I’m talking about will open the door to believing Yah. And that death is a death to self and that death must be on a daily basis.

     

    The opposite of stubbornness is open-mindedness, reasonability, acceptance and receptive and the opposite of rebellion is obedience, peace and alliance. All of which is the basis of one dying to self.

     

    While traveling to Caesarea Philippi, Master Yeshua in a down to earth, in your face manner described what it meant to die to self to His disciples:

     

    If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

    24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

    25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (Luk 9:23-25 KJV)

     

     

    Dying to self takes courage, strength and character. Dying to self is not something the average person is willing to do.

     

    Dying to self is saying to Father as our Master said to His Father:

     

    “…Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42).

     

    Dying to self is a progressive, evolutionary process that is deeply connected to and drives our Way of Life. It’s determining within ourselves that we’re going to do things Yah’s Way. It’s being 21st century Joshua’s such that when someone in your life challenges you for keeping Yah’s Ways and they threaten to disown or disavow you or something worse, that you can stand firm and state without flinching:

     

    “If it seem evil unto you to serve YHVH, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve YHVH” (Joshua 24:15).

     

    For some, dying to self may seem an impossible task. But Yah recognizes the stubbornness in each of us. And He is willing to make a deal with us: If we are willing to meet Him at least part of the way, Father will make up the rest of the way. What do I mean by this: Well, Master taught about this very thing as He taught His disciples about the Kingdom of Yah from the Temple Mount just before His crucifixion:

     

     20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

    21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

    22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

    23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Mat 25:20-23 KJV)

     

    So for some, dying to self may start off with something simple as not working on the Sabbath or eating clean foods. And then over time, that giving over to the Will and Ways of Yah, which is essentially dying to the old self and walking in the newness of life, the dying to self will take on even greater things such as toppling strongholds in our lives such as eliminating bad habits; exchanging a nasty, selfish disposition for a loving and caring disposition; stop gossiping; tithing and giving offering; etc.

     

    The dying to self process is NOT a give and take agreement between us and YHVH, such that we give Yah this area of our lives but we think we can bargain with Him and keep other areas of our lives. No. This is an all or nothing at all proposition. Again, it’s starting off with baby steps, which will ultimately lead to our full surrender: mind-body-soul—to YHVH. This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote about becoming a new man/new woman:

     

     23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

    24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

    25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

    26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

    27 Neither give place to the devil.

    28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

    29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

    30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

    31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

    32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Eph 4:23-5:1 KJV)

     

    And once we can get past our stubbornness and rebellion, believing Yah is within our grasp.

     

    Obstacle #2: They couldn’t nor wouldn’t shake the Babylon that was inside them.

     

    Part of the reason the Children of Israel were so stubborn and rebellious was because they could not nor would not shake Egypt out of their system. Despite being freed from bitter slavery by hand of the Almighty, the people kept looking back and desiring their former lives back in Egypt.

     

    5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

    6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. (Num 11:5-6 KJV)

     

    And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. (Exo 16:3 KJV)

     

    And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

     2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

    3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

    4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

    5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.

    6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

    7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

    8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (Exo 32:1-8 KJV)

     

    Now there’s a lot to unpack here. But what we see clearly demonstrated in just these 3-passages is that the Children of Israel had no thought—no desire to shake Egypt out of their system. What Israel was experiencing throughout their wilderness journey was like a bad breakup : they knew that the Egyptian slavery they endured for 400-years was not a good thing for them; they wanted a better life for themselves; they were being offered a better life by YHVH, but when that better life was given to them and that better life had somewhat of a challenging transition attached to it, they immediately looked back to Egypt. You see, despite Egypt being a bad situation for them, they had grown accustomed to it. Their lives had become quite settled in Egypt. And because the Israelites had become familiar and comfortable with Egypt, despite the hardships they endured there, they reasoned within themselves that the hardship was worth it. In fact, the Egyptian hardship was better than the temporary hardships they were enduring in their travels and transition to the promised land.

     

    Biblically speaking, Egypt along with Babylon represents hasatan’s and man’s way of life—the world system.  Consequently, hasatan was the creator or author of the world system that came out of Egypt and Babylon and that world system opposes YHVH and His Way of life. In addition, both Egypt and Babylon enslaved the Children of Israel a couple of times in Israel’s history. And in both cases, the Children of Israel grew comfortable with their overlords’ way of life. And when they would be delivered or freed by the hand of YHVH, the people would bring Egypt and Babylon with them.

     

    Now, Egypt and Babylon are often viewed by biblical writers as one and the same nation. But it’s not that Egypt and Babylon are the same nation, because they are actually two separate nations in human history. However, Egypt and Babylon are treated as identical in scripture because we get from these nations this huge, dominating world system that has persisted from biblical days to our present day.

     

    The anti-Yah system that has emerged from Babylon and Egypt controls all areas of human existence:

     

    • Arts and Entertainment
    • Science
    • Commerce
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Religion/Faith

     

    And this world system that controls all these areas of human life seeks to overthrow Yah, Yah’s Way of Life, and Yah’s Elect. Thus hasatan’s way of life which is the Babylon—the world system—in controlling all these critical areas of human life, effectively enslaves people, just like ancient Egypt and ancient Babylon did back in the day. The Babylonian system is deceptive and blasphemous. It leads people to live lives of sin and reject the abundant life that Yeshua Messiah mentioned in His teachings.

     

    In principle, one could safely say that there are two  systems or ways of life in this world: Yah’s Way of Life and the Babylonian Way of Life. The Babylonian Way of life leads to death, while Yah’s way of life leads to life eternal and abundant. Yes, the Babylonian Way of life is enticing and it appeals to the carnal nature of man. It’s very difficult to shake because we humans find it virtually impossible to live outside this flesh. Everything we humans do in this life is meant to satisfy the flesh. Well, Yah’s way of life appeals primarily to the spirit part of humans. Unfortunately, as I just said, humans resist the spiritual—those things that appeal to righteousness; peace; love; prosperity; truth; holiness; etc. The spiritual things make no sense to the dense minds and hearts of people as the Apostle Paul wrote:

     

    “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of Yah: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of YHVH, that  he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Messiah” (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).

     

    One of the big reasons the Children of Israel did not believe Yah was because they still carried Egypt—Babylon–within them. Egypt controlled their thoughts, hearts  and dreams: it wasn’t the hope and dream of reaching the land of promise that drove the Children of Israel; it wasn’t the many miracles and deliverance on eagles wings that put a pep in Israel’s step; it was their memories and longings of their time in Egypt that controlled virtually every area of their lives. And when you have something from the past that has such a tight grip on you that it controls most of the things you do, then there’s no room Yah in your life. You have no need to believe Yah when you  have Egypt living within you. In fact, Yah will not share space with Babylon/Egypt. He just won’t. Either Egypt/Babylon has to leave, or Yah will leave.

     

    What did we see happen with the Temple in Ezekiel’s vision? After Father showed the prophet Ezekiel the abominations that were happening in His House—the Temple—He did the unthinkable:

     

    18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.

    19 And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

    (Eze 10:18-19 KJV)

     

    Folks, if Babylon lives in us, believing Yah is going to be nearly impossible to achieve. Because Babylon is flesh-centered, our flesh is always going to get in the way of our belief. You see, when it comes time for you to decide who or what to obey, are you going to to obey Yah or are you going to obey your flesh.

     

    Like obstacle 1, getting Babylon out of us as Yah’s elect takes a lot of courage and determination; prayer; discipline; etc. It’s not something that most people can successfully accomplish. For Babylon, as Egypt was with ancient Israel, is ingrained in the lives of the people of this planet.

     

    So in order for the elect of Yah to believe Yah—trust Yah—they have to divest themselves of all things Babylonian. And what does that look like?

     

    It may require:

     

    • Eliminating some of the music we listen to.
    • Getting ride of our Netflix—Hulu—Cable—Movie subscriptions—giving up going to movies.
    • Drugs and alcohol are often used to numb our minds to the things going on around us. In reality, drugs and alcohol numb us to truth and the things of Yah.
    • Stop consuming Babylonian mystery religion content.
    • Turn away from occultism of every sort.
    • Flee from pornography.
    • Do not entertain homosexuality.
    • Fight against abuses against the innocents of this world: our precious children
    • Be judicious in the articles and books we read.
    • Abhor the love of money, power and notoriety.
    • Be not involved in politics—the governments of this world are Luciferian and Nicolaitan.

     

    You see, all these, and so much more, find their origin in Babylon.

     

    When we choose Yah’s way of life and our focus turns away from this world’s Luciferian—Babylonian way of life, Yah fills the void. You know, the drastic changes we make in our day-to-day lives may away from Babylon will seem at first difficult. Most of us remember when we first came to Faith and we turned our attentions away from Babylon how challenging it was at times: I’m not talking just about missing the leeks and cucumbers and melons that we enjoyed back in Egypt, but I’m talking about the challenges that come with family, friends, work and society. When we begin to walk in Yah’s Way of Life, society does not take well to our rejection of Babylon. And Babylon will often remind us that we came from Babylon and that Babylon is where we belong.

     

    But when we remove Babylon from our lives, we can believe Yah and live the life abundant that Yeshua promised we’d live.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    1. Action:

     

    I’ll pick-up where we’re leaving off next time.

     

    Should Messianic Torah Observers Keep Thanksgiving? The Re-Broadcast

    by | Nov 25, 2020 | Blog, Podcasts

    by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

    Should Messianic Torah Observers Keep Thanksgiving?

    In this installment, we reflect upon Torah-Keeping Believers in Yeshua celebrating Thanksgiving: Is it a terrible reminder of genocide that New World Settlers brought upon Native American Indigenous Peoples, or a day that believers should simply not keep, but instead just stick to the Torah mandated Feasts of the LORD? We discuss this controversial topic with the example and teachings of Yeshua Messiah fully in mind. Shalom and Welcome.

    Perusing Facebook

    This week while perusing one of my Facebook streams, I came across what I felt to be a very good question posed by one of my friends and followers. The gentleman, who is renown for asking simple but often controversial questions to our Facebook group, simply asked if we celebrate Thanksgiving or not. Interestingly, he did not ask for a reason for our yes or no answers.

    A Question About Thanksgiving

    I typically gloss over his questions because they garner so many varied and often weird responses, but this go-round, I was interested in reading what the responses would be. I was shocked to see that he had accumulated some 70+ responses. Curious to see why so many folks responded to what seemed to me to be an innocuous question, I clicked comments to see why so many folks had answered. To me, I couldn’t imagine why anyone would have a problem with Thanksgiving. I mean, of all the American holidays, why would any Hebrew Rooter/Messianic scoff at any day dedicated to giving thanks (ideally to the Creator) for all that He’s provided and done for us?

    Opposed to Thanksgiving

    Turns out, it did not take me very long to find a flurry of negative responses to this gentleman’s simple question. Some respondents took to a vitriolic rant against the celebration of Thanksgiving, while a few folks actually stuck to the gentleman’s question and simply answered yes or no.

    Now bear in mind that most, if not all, of the respondents appeared to be self-professing Hebrew Rooters/Messianics; so the negative responses were primarily posted from a Faith perspective.

    What do I mean by the negative responses to the question were posted from a Faith perspective?

    Although I did not read all 70-some-odd responses, I read a great many of them before I, frankly, got fed up with the insanity of some of the negative answers. Some of the responses were laced with a sense of self-righteous indignation over the celebration of the holiday, while others were infused with an obsessively legalistic-draconian perspective that tied their position directly to Torah.

    Two Negative Perspectives on Thanksgiving

    The negative responses related to whether Hebrew Rooters/Messianics should celebrate Thanksgiving tended to fall into two-general categories:

    1. An expressed indignation over the genocide of Native American Indigenous Peoples by the early American settlers, which they tied to Thanksgiving holiday.
    2. A “if it’s not one of the 7-mandated Feasts of the LORD then I don’t celebrate or observe it” attitude.

    Judging Thanksgiving and Those Who Observe It

    Now, the tenor of those expressing these negative attitudes towards Thanksgiving carried with them one of harshness and exclusivity. In all honesty, the judgmental and self-righteous naysayers were outnumbered by the pro-Thanksgiving crowd. Those who expressed harshness and exclusivity in their responses against Thanksgiving, seemed to be coming from a self-righteous and judgmental place. They came across as, “how can or why should any well knowing and well meaning believer celebrate a holiday that is tainted with the blood of murdered Native American Indigenous people; and how can you observe anything other than the Torah instructed Feasts of the LORD?”

    I have to tell you, at first I was somewhat taken aback by some of these negative responses. However, after a couple days of reflection, I pulled back on my uneasiness over their negative responses.

    I Support Believers Celebrating Thanksgiving

    You’ve probably figured out where I stand as it relates to members of our Faith Community celebrating or observing Thanksgiving, but in case you haven’t, plainly stated: we (i.e., my family and I) celebrate and observe Thanksgiving and have happily done so throughout our time in the Faith. My attitude towards the keeping of Thanksgiving did not change when I transitioned into Hebrew Roots. In fact, my attitude regarding the relevance of Thanksgiving has only strengthened during my time in the Faith. The way I see it, dear friend, is: if the world has set aside a day to give thanks for all that we have; that the nations’ leaders at some point saw fit to set aside a day of the year where we somehow acknowledge that our increase and sustenance comes from a greater, higher power; for the love of God and country, why would we NOT celebrate Thanksgiving? The Apostle Paul admonished that we should in everything give thanks…(I Thessalonians 5:18) Besides, what better time than Thanksgiving to be with family and friends and to give thanks to our Father in Heaven for all that He’s done for us?

    Let me just say that my family and I do not keep or celebrate Thanksgiving as a memorial to the Pilgrims and Puritans who supposedly landed in Plymouth Rock Massachusetts and celebrated a bountiful harvest in 1621. Truth be told, the true origins of Thanksgiving are not all based upon that legendary feast that was held by the Pilgrims and the Native American Indians who aided them through a harsh period of time during their settlement here in the New World. The first Pilgrim-Native American Thanksgiving may or may not be factual. However, most Americans may be shocked to learn that Thanksgiving had been observed by peoples of Faith throughout much of Europe, well before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. It is clear that the Pilgrim and Puritans brought their Faith-based tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving with them and then continued those traditions upon their settling into the New World.

    Thanksgiving—A Historic Perspective

    Nevertheless, Thanksgiving is NOT specific to the United States and the Pilgrim settlers and the ensuing genocide of Native American Indians. Thanksgiving has always been a holiday that is celebrated and observed among many nations of the world, to include Australia, Canada, Grenada, Liberia, The Netherlands, the Philippines, Saint Lucia, Judaism (seen more as secular than religious), Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Granted, the dates for these various regional celebrations fall outside the United State’s tradition of the 4th Thursday of every November, but the fact remains that Thanksgiving is NOT an American invention.

    The Truth About Thanksgiving

    So the argument that Thanksgiving pays tribute to the genocide of Native American Indians is baseless and is set on a principle that falls well outside the true meaning of the day. Indeed, this nation’s genocide of her Native-Indigenous population, like slavery and other such atrocities, is a sorrowful dark mark in her history. There’s no doubt about it. Regardless, such terrible periods in this nation’s history should not cause us to lose sight of truth, reason and reality. Such attitudes are bred in the autoclaves of liberal thinking that serves only to dissuade others from the Truth, informed and honest thought.

    Bottom Line: the Thanksgiving holiday we celebrate in this country has nothing to do with the genocide of Native Americans.

    What about the celebration of holidays and traditions that fall outside the 7-mandated Feasts of Yahovah: should Torah-Keeping Believers in Yeshua Messiah avail themselves to celebrating such holidays as Thanksgiving? The simple response to that question is: where in Torah did Father instruct us to NOT celebrate such holidays? The instructions were that we must never follow after the ways of pagan nations; not to imitate or seek after the worship of pagan deities; nor to speak about these false gods.

    Now, when we consider secular and quasi-religious holidays such as Thanksgiving, the litmus test that we employ should rule out any associated paganism. I honestly cannot find any associated paganism in Thanksgiving. Again, it’s just that simple.

    Thanksgiving vs. Christmas and Easter

    Some might interject into this discussion: well, why is it not okay to celebrate and keep Christmas and Easter; aren’t they celebrations and memorials of the birth, death and resurrection, respectively speaking, of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? My response to that question is a question: says who? Who says that Christmas and Easter are true commemorations and memorials to the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

    Well, maybe these holidays commemorate those things for their Christ, but not my Messiah. And we could spend many additional hours discussing reasons why Christmas and Easter are not valid memorials and holidays that honor our Messiah, but I’m not going to torture you with that today. Bottom line my friends, Christmas and Easter have, and will forever, be intricately linked to paganism; plain and simple. And as hard as some might try, I don’t see Thanksgiving in the same light that I see Christmas and Easter.

    My position as it relates to Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah celebrating Christmas and Easter is that doing so would constitute a violation of Torah in a very strong sense. Nevertheless, if any believer chooses to keep Christmas and Easter, that’s entirely between them and Father. As the old folks used to say when I was growing up: “I don’t have a heaven or hell to put them in.” So who am, then, to judge any who chooses to celebrate any one or all of these holidays?

    A Change in My Internal Perspective

    I have to say that I have, over the last year or so, undergone a rather significant internal shift in my perspective of the people of Yahovah. I will confess that I was throughout much of my time in Hebrew Roots, quite judgmental and I did not tolerate those who lived and operated outside my preconceived, defined righteousness box that I had erected in my pea brain, early on in my walk with Messiah.

    I’ve come to learn, painfully so I might add, that it’s a full time job just keeping my own behind in line and walk this walk as best I can, with a lot of help from the Holy Spirit. I don’t have time to focus on what you might or might not be doing.

    This Faith Community of ours is filled with a huge variety of understandings, practices and teachings, many of which I do not at all agree with. And if I were to keep slicing away at every conceivable connection I could have with members of our community on the basis that I don’t agree with their brand of Hebrew Roots, then at some point down the road, I’ll be standing alone; because I’ll tell you, if we are honest with ourselves and with one another, we are never going to agree on every single issue and aspect of our Faith. It’s just not going to happen.

    Some Fundamentals Can’t Be Set Aside

    Indeed, there are certain fundamental elements of the Hebrew Roots Faith that we must all agree with in order for this thing to operate as Father has established:

    • Yeshua is our Master and the Messiah—He is the Son of the Living God. We must obey His instruction and follow His example. We are saved by the blood of His sacrifice on the execution stake and the grace of Almighty Yahovah.
    • Yahovah/Yahuah/Yahweh is our Creator and the architect of our redemption and salvation.
    • Torah is our constitution that we must obey and keep to the best of our ability. The keeping of Torah would include honoring the weekly Sabbath, the 7-mandated Feasts of Yahovah and the food laws. We follow Torah, not because it provides for our salvation, but we do so because Father requires that we live our lives the way He desires of us to live our lives. Torah is Father’s house rules. If we want to live in His house, then we must abide by His rules.
    • The Bible is Truth and contains the Word of our Creator.

    These and a few others are essential elements of our Faith that define who we are as a unique Faith Community. Those deeper aspects of our Faith that include how we are to keep the Feast Days and questions on the divinity of Master Yeshua are certainly topics and issues that at some point must be discussed in the Body, but they are not foundational to Hebrew Roots and the Messianic Community; and if we differ in how we go about dealing with these, not-so essential elements, we certainly can still fellowship and glorify Father together.

    The Plank in my Own Eye

    And this is what I’ve come to learn and understand and embrace in my walk with Messiah. I have no authority to judge anyone as it relates to how they walk out this Faith of ours. First and foremost, I just need to worry about me and my walk. Secondarily, I also need to be of ready-help to any who would come to me for assistance or guidance. I will always avail myself to give any who asks a reason for the hope that is in me with meekness and fear (I Peter 3:15). This is one of the main reasons I do this podcast program. We put content out as it relates to our understanding of the Faith, and then it’s up to the body of listeners to determine what to do with that content.

    Where Do You Fall Out on this Issue?

    The lesson to be had with this whole discussion around whether Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua should celebrate or observe Thanksgiving, is one of: what does the Holy Spirit tell us (as a Body and as individuals) to do about Thanksgiving, and other such holidays? Is our perspective and practices related to Thanksgiving based upon what Father has spoken to us about it; or is it based upon our own personal convictions and sense of righteousness? If we are opposed to the observance of Thanksgiving and we’re a Torah Observant Believer, how do we view our brothers and sisters who do keep Thanksgiving? How do we see them? Do we see them as having not reached our level of understanding? Or maybe we simply see them as Yeshua would see them: as brothers and sisters who choose to keep Thanksgiving?

    A Spirit of Judgment

    A spirit of judgment can be a terrible things to possess, and a most difficult thing to dispossess oneself of.

    The biological brother of our Master, James, brilliantly wrote of this type of thing:

    Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another (James 4:11,12; KJV)?

    In his addressing the overbearing Judaizers of the Roman Assembly of Messianic Believers on the divisive issue of meats that may (or may not have) been sacrificed to pagan gods and idols, the Apostle Paul expounded in great length on the whole issue of judging one another. The entire chapter of Romans 14 addresses this issue of judging, so I will just condense the chapter and highlight the pertinent parts. It reads:

    Now as for a person whose trust (i.e., faith) is weak, welcome him—but not to get into arguments over opinions. One person has the trust that will allow him to eat anything, while another whose trust is weak eats only vegetables. The one who eats anything must not look down on the one who abstains (bear in mind this is not Paul condoning the eating of foods that are forbidden by Torah—only those foods that are potential foods sacrificed to idols); CONTINUING–and the abstainer must not pass judgment on the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him…One person considers some days more holy than others, while someone else regards them as being all alike. What is important is for each to be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes a day as special does so to honor the Lord. Also he who eats anything, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God…You then, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For all of us will stand before God’s judgment seat; since it is written in the Tanakh, “As I live, says Adonai, every knee will bend before me, and every tongue will publicly acknowledge God.” So then, every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let’s stop passing judgment on each other! Instead, make this one judgment-not to put a stumbling block or a snare in a brother’s way. So then, let us pursue the things that make for shalom and mutual upbuilding. Don’t tear down God’s work for the sake of food. True enough, all things are clean; but it is wrong for anybody by his eating to cause someone to fall away. What is good is not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The belief you hold about such things, keep between yourself and God. Happy the person who is free of self-condemnation when he approves of something! But the doubter comes under condemnation if he eats, because his action is not based on trust. And anything not based on trust is a sin (Romans 14:1-23; CJB).

    Bottom Line

    So none of us should be ashamed to keep Thanksgiving if we are so led by the Holy Spirit to do so. Likewise, if the Spirit has led us to abstain from the keeping of Thanksgiving, then it behooves us to not squander the day, but to use the day, as we would any day that Father gives us that we do not work, but glorify and honor Him. He alone deserves our praise and our thanksgiving. For we serve a great God who has blessed and kept us.

    In closing, let me just say that, regardless what position each of us takes on the issue of Thanksgiving, let us base our position in Spirit and in Truth and give our God the glory. And regardless which side of the coin we land upon, let us have warm and blessed feelings towards one another and look forward to the next opportunity where we may fellowship and worship our Elohim.

    Blessings to you. If you are observing a day of Thanks this week, have a blessed Thanksgiving. If you are not, have a wonderful day off in Yeshua Messiah. Take care, until next time.

    Lashon Hara-The Sin You Never Knew You Were Committing-Torah Reading Numbers 12:1-15

    by | Nov 19, 2020 | Blog, Podcasts

    by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

    Verse-by-Verse Discussion

     

    Miriam and Aharon Engage in Subversive Conversation

    Verse 1—Two of Moshe’s family members, Miriam and Aharon, engaged in some subversive conversation against Moshe. Moshe apparently married an Ethiopian woman which seemed to outrage the Miriam and Aharon. Now, depending on the translation you’re reading, the woman the two are referencing is labeled as either an Ethiopian or a Cushite (I.e., a descendant of Cush). And the billion dollar question screaming for an answer regarding this woman is: “Is Zipporah, wife of Moshe (at least one of his wives assuming he had another wife), mother of Moshe’s son Gershom, the daughter of Jethro who was the Priest of Midian, this so-called Ethiopian/Cushite woman that Mirian and Aharon were so beside themselves over?


    Jethro: A Midianite/Kenite or a Cushite/Ethiopian?

     

    Torah tells us that Jethro was a “Kenite” who resided in and served as a priest in the Land of Midian. It appears that the Kenites were a nomadic tribe that dwelt primarily in the Land of Midian, which supports most bible student’s understanding of Moshe’s Father-in-Law’s origins. It should be mentioned also that other names given to Jethro include Raguel and Reuel.

     

    Regarding Jethro being a Kenite as expressed in the KJV, LEE, NET, NLT or rather a descendant of Kain according to ASV, CJB, CSB, ESV, NAB, NAS, NKJV, NRS and NRS, in order to resolve this mystery of who this Ethiopian or Cushite woman is, we must figure out if a Cushite/Ethiopian is also a Kenite or Midianite. It is apparent (despite the absence of the written word to this effect) that Moshe married another woman who happened to be an Ethiopian or Cushite. For it would seem as far as my research can uncover, Tzipporah was not an Ethiopian. The Midianites were actually descended from Avraham and of course Moshe was also a descendant of Avraham.

     

    Midian was one of Avraham’s sons through Keturah, one of Avraham’s other wives (Genesis 25:1-4).

     

     

    The Mystery of the Ethiopian/Cushite Wife of Moshe Discussed

     

    The Book of Jasher and the Queen of Cush

    Now, we know from Exodus 2:21 that Moshe was given Tzipporah as a wife by her father Jethro and the couple ended up having a son by the name of Gershom.

     

    And so, that’s the skinny on Tzipporah and her background. But we still haven’t answered that billion dollar question that we all are biting at the bit to have answered: Is Tzipporah this mystery Ethiopian/Cushite woman that Moshe is supposed to have married and to have ignited a firestorm with Miriam and Aharon? I guess it’s possible that Tzipporah’s mother may have been a Cushite or Ethiopian and that’s how the writer of Numbers accounts for her Cushite or Ethiopian lineage. But of course the writer of Numbers (believed of course to be Moshe) did not mention Tzipporah’s mother at all in his write-up. So the chances of Tzipporah being this mystery Cushite/Ethiopian woman that Moshe married is somewhat unlikely.

     

    Well, the Book of Jasher (one of the apocryphal books of the Tanach that was once embraced by both Jews and Romans Catholics) does support the thinking that Moshe had another wife. Jasher 73:30-31 thus reads:

     

    “So Moses took the city by his wisdom, and the children of Cush placed him on the throne instead of Kikianus king of Cush. And they placed the royal crown upon his (Moshe’s) head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, wife if Kikianus.”

     

    Now the problem with this story is at least two-fold:

     

    (1) For the most part, the Book of Jasher is no longer considered inspired or authoritative by most members of the Judeo-Christian faiths. And thus, with the exception of a small minority of open-minded scriptural-enthusiasts within and without our Faith, the overwhelming majority of people of faith would not entertain anything the Book of Jasher has to say on any subject.

     

     

    (2) The Jasher story puts Moshe marrying this Ethiopian/Cushite queen in the Land of Cush some 40-years before his meeting and marrying Tzipporah in Midian. You see, the Book of Jasher details an enormous story around the life of Moshe after his fleeing Mitzriam, such that he leads the Cushites into a number of battles against their enemies and the Cushites in gratitude make Moshe their king. As King, Moshe is given this Ethiopian or Cushite queen to marry, but apparently, Moshe never consummates the marriage. And then 40-years later, Moshe leaves the Land of Cush, apparently without his queen-wife, and ends up in the Land of Midian where he takes up residence in Jethro’s home, ultimately marrying Jethro’s daughter Tzipporah.

     

    Of course, none of this is covered in the Torah narrative. Interestingly, Jasher gives only a passing mention of the story that is contained in our Reading: only mentioning YHVH’s wrath being kindled upon “Miriam on account of Moshe” resulting in her “becoming leprous” and her being confined outside of the camp for 7-days (83:31-32). Absolutely no mention given of this mysterious Ethiopian/Cushite wife of Moshe. And given Jasher’s sparse acceptance as a credible historical text, we can only take the book’s explanation of who this Ethiopian/Cushite wife of Moshe was with prayerful and meditative caution.

     

    The last thing I’ll say about Jasher and it’s treatment of the Moshe story is: I think we must be cautious when dealing with some of these types of stories such as Moshe ruling over the Cushite nation for 40 years. I’m not rejecting Jasher as a credible extra-biblical source. I personally believe the book is credible in many respects, as are the books of Jubilees and Enoch. I’m just cautious when studying them, knowing that men had this tendency to inserting themselves into the things of Yah. Yes, I’m talking about altering and manipulating the original texts, as they’ve done with our present canon of scripture, in order to further an agenda.

     

    Moshe being such a giant in Jewish history, like revered leaders throughout the world over the centuries, legends and myths tend to develop around them and their life stories: those legends and myths are of course designed to make these leaders bigger than life. And certainly Moshe was bigger than life in many respects. But his bigness, if you will, didn’t come from his persona or from anything he personally did in his life and in the history of Israel. His bigness came from and because of YHVH, period. Thus, there was no need to make the man bigger than life as some of the sages have sought to do in developing their stories about Moshe. Yah must get the glory, not Moshe.

     

    Josephus and the Ethiopian King’s Daughter

     

    Josephus also provides somewhat of an explanation of who this mystery wife of Moshe may be by recording a story that Moshe led an Ethiopian army into some battle where he was victorious over their enemies. And because Moshe proved to be such a great leader to the Ethiopian military, the daughter of the king of the Ethiopians became so enamored with Moshe that she married him (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 2, Chapter 10).

     

    Granted, Josephus does enjoy a bit more credibility and authority in and around Judeo-Christian circles than the Book of Jasher. But there appears to be mounting evidence that maybe, just maybe, this mystery woman is in fact Moshe’s first or second wife.

     

    Targum’s Treatment of the Moshe’s Mystery Wife

     

    Another perspective on Moshe’s Ethiopian or Cushite wife can be found in the Okelos Targum’s translation of Numbers 12:1. The Okelos translates the Kuwshiyth to mean “fair” or “beautiful,” such that this verse reads:

     

    “And Miriam and Aharon spake against Moshe, because of the fair woman whom he had taken, because the fair woman who had been sent away he had taken” (12:1; OKE).

     

    In this case, there are some orthodox Jews who contend that Tzipporah was indeed beautiful and that the term Cushite that was used to describe her was in fact a complimentary description of her. As such, it suggests that Miriam and Aharon took issue to the attractiveness of Moshe’s wife. Crazy huh? And this I have a problem with: Why would Moshe’s family have an issue with Moshe having an attractive wife? It makes absolutely no sense. But I guess it’s not outside the realm of possibility, presuming there’d be something more than just her looks to cause such dissension within the leadership.

     

    Hebrew Orthodoxy and Moshe’s Mystery Wife

     

    The last explanation I came across regarding Moshe’s mystery wife comes to us from Orthodox Judaism which contends that Midian is a synonym of Cushan. These cite Habakkuk 3:7 which reads:

     

    “In affliction I saw the tents of Cushan: they trembled–the curtains of the land of Midian” (12:1; LEE).

     

    J.H. Hertz, Torah and Haftorah author, states that Cushan is the home of the North Arabian people called Kusi. So, Hertz and others that follow after his line of reasoning, contend that this Cushite or Ethiopian woman was indeed the one and only Tzipporah.

     

    My Personal Take on Moshe’s Mystery Wife

     

    From my perspective, I have taken a more conservative view on the identity of Moshe’s Ethiopian/Cushite wife. I contend that Moshe likely did marry an Ethiopian or Cushite woman who was not the Midianite Tzipporah. Clearly, the event that is recorded here in Numbers 12:1 occurred some time after Moshe married Tzipporah. And here’s my argument in favor of Moshe having another wife:

     

    Given that some time had by now passed since Moshe had married Tzipporah in the Land of Midian—years before Moshe was sent by Yah to lead the people out of Mitzriam, would it make any sense that Miriam and Aharon would criticize Moshe for marrying Tzipporah? Absolutely not. So, it would seem more than reasonable to conclude that this Ethiopian/Cushite woman was another unnamed woman whom Moshe married. Furthermore, is it possible that maybe even Tzipporah had died by this time, leaving Moshe a widower and primed to marry again? Exodus does not record what happened to Tzipporah. So I say that we cannot reject Tzipporah dying and Moshe remarrying. And it is this scenario that I lean towards in my understanding of this verse. Of course, if this matters to you, you’ll have to decide which scenario makes the most sense to you given the available information.

     

    Lashon Hara (Evil Speech)

     

    Okay, so having gotten that elephant in the room cleared out, we can now move on to the bigger issue surrounding Moshe and this Cushite wife of his, and that has to do with Miriam’s and Aharon’s criticism of Moshe over his Ethiopian/Cushite wife. And it is here that we learn about the concept of “Lashon Hara,” in English, “Evil Speech.”

     

    We should be able to see a clear connection between the act of “Lashon Hara” and the act of “Murmuring.” We discussed murmuring quite a bit in our previous post, that being on Numbers 11:1-35. If you read or listened to that post, you will recall that the people “murmured” against Moshe (in reality they were murmuring against YHVH), and they were murmuring because they desired meat to eat. The people were bitterly discontent about their food situation, complaining about having just manna to eat. And these, in their murmuring longed for their former lives where they ate an abundance of food items, despite them being in bitter Egyptian servitude. And in response to their murmuring, YHVH’s wrath was poured out upon those residing in the outskirts of the camp in the form of a fire. Upon receiving word that Father’s fiery wrath had broken out in the camp among the people, Moshe petitioned YHVH to have mercy upon the people, which prompted Yah to cease the death and destruction. Furthermore, YHVH heard the frustrations of Moshe regarding his inability to fulfill the desires of the people for meat and YHVH provided the people with quail for a month: So much quail that the people quickly got sick of it.

     

    The distinction between “Lashon Hara” that we see taking place here in our reading today, and the “murmuring” we saw in last week’s reading is that “Lashon Hara” leans more towards the act of “slander.” As we see portrayed in our reading, slander (lashon hara) is being directed towards Yah’s appointed leader: Moshe. And because Yah appointed Moshe to be leader over the people, Miriam’s and Aharon’s slander was in effect directed towards YHVH Himself. The bigger issue related to this slander in our focus passage today is that Moshe’s sister and brother were behind it. Miriam and Aharon, for all intents and purposes, by virtue of their close relationship with Moshe and their offices, Miriam a prophetess (Exodus 15:20) and Aharon the Levitical High Priest, were second and third in command. So it’s safe to say that there was dissension within the leadership ranks of the nation. And this dissension was in part over something as petty and foolish as Moshe’s wife’s heritage. And we’ll find out here shortly that Miriam’s and Aharon’s issue with Moshe went beyond Moshe’s wife. These also took issue with Moshe’s relationship with YHVH and his appointed and anointed position as the sole leader of the nation.

     

    Now, like murmuring or complaining, slander/gossip/”lashon hara” is also a sin.And quite frankly, lashon hara, or slander, is a sin that many within and without our faith community commit on a frequent basis and they don’t even realize that they are in fact sinning when they engage in it. But we’ll talk more about this as we progress through the remainder of this discussion.


    Questioning Moshe’s Authority and Leadership

     

     

    Verse 2–Aharon and Miriam questioned Moshe’s authority and leadership, suggesting that YHVH had also spoken through them to the people. And somehow, the pair connected Moshe’s marriage to this Cushite/Ethiopian woman to Moshe’s authority as leader over the nation. There’s absolutely no way to tell exactly why Miriam and Aharon tied Moshe’s Cushite/Ethiopian wife to Moshe’s leadership/authority over the nation. And in my understanding of the story, it doesn’t seem too much of a stretch to recognize the real issue at at work here: Miriam and Aharon felt because they were Moshe’s siblings, they were authoritatively equal to Moshe. It’s likely that they were not “content” with their privileged status in the nation: they desired or coveted more power and authority than they presently possessed. They desired to share control over the nation and I believe they were having a difficult time coming to terms with the close and unshakable relationship YHVH had with Moshe.

    The problem here is that Aharon and Miriam did not understand how YHVH works, nor did they “believe YHVH.” What do I mean by these two points?

    1. They did not recognize that YHVH was the One running the show and that it was YHVH who called the shots in terms of who would lead the nation. Neither they nor anyone else called the shots here. The buck stopped at YHVH. Family affiliations mattered in this situation only to the extent that Miriam and Aharon had rank and privilege within the nation: Aharon was the appointed High Priest and Miriam was an anointed prophetess. Yah is always sovereign and He can appoint whomsoever He chooses to lead His people.
    2. They did not believe YHVH when He stated and demonstrated to the nation that Moshe was His man to lead the nation (Exodus 19:20). And as we progress further along in our study here this evening, we will see even more evidence that Moshe was Yah’s man of the hour. There would be no other.

     

    Verse 3–All indications are that this verse was added by Hebrew scribes at some point in history as evidenced by the brackets around the whole verse. Nevertheless, this verse serves as an editorial on the person of Moshe: that Moshe was the humblest person on this planet. It’s hard to imagine Moshe wrote this of himself.

     

    And of course, the other person to whom this level of humility can be applied to is Yahoshua HaMashiyach:

     

    “Take My yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

     

    There is indeed some scholarly debate as to whether or not Moshe actually wrote verse 3 or not. But it could be safely determined that Moshe was aware of Miriam’s and Aharon’s badmouthing of him. Yet Moshe took no action to stave their slandering or evil speech against him. But in that same vein, it is a certainty that YHVH was fully aware of Miriam’s and Aharon’s slanderous conversation.

     

    Report to My Office Immediately

    Verse 4-5-Suddenly, as the text expresses, YHVH calls Moshe, Aharon and Miriam out to the front of the Tabernacle. Hebraist and Messianic Torah teacher Tim Hegg describes what happened here in a most profound way:

     

    “In the secret rooms of slander, God’s ear is attentive.”

     

    Hegg also adds something quite interesting to the discussion here that I’d not given much thought to prior to reading his commentary on this passage. And what he proposes is that YHVH was responding to Miriam’s slander and to Aharon’s entertaining of Miriam’s slander. For there’s no indication that Aharon actually verbalized his thoughts during his subversive conversation with Miriam. And I would have to agree with Mr. Hegg on this nuance as it seems to bear some weight on how Yah will mete out punishment for their actions later on in the story.

     

    But as the story goes, Yah descends down from heaven in the form of a “pillar of cloud” and He stood before the entrance to the Tabernacle. Yah then summons Aharon and Miriam to step forward towards Him. And both no doubt being extremely terrified of the prospects facing them, they do as they are commanded.

     

    In Case You Did Not Know

     

    Verse-6-8-So Father proceeds to inform Aharon and Miriam that Moshe is unique in His calling. In pointing out why Moshe is unique in his calling, Father distinguishes Moshe from, on the one hand, a prophet who YHVH reveals Himself to, primarily in visions, dreams, even parables from time-to-time. On the other hand, according to YHVH, He speaks to Moshe directly, “mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles,” and Moshe also physically sees a manifestation of the Almighty  during His interactions with YHVH. In fact, Moshe WAS privy to direct, one on one conversations with the Almighty, unlike prophets who would receive communications from Yah via dreams or visions. Thus in the case of prophets, there is generally no two way direct communication. In Moshe’s case he’s certainly fully conscious and fully engaged in conversation with YHVH. Father considered Moshe alone as “trustworthy” in all YHVH’s household (cf. Hebrews 3:2, 5).In other words, Moshe was found worthy of the Creator’s confidence in everything pertaining to his leadership of the nation of Israel.

     

    Why Did You Slander Your Brother?

     

    So with all this said, Father asks the pair the simple question: Knowing the difference in how Yah works and interacts and communicates with Moshe and other servants of YHVH such as prophets, why in the world would you think to speak evil against your brother Moshe?

     

    What Father is saying to Miriam and Aharon, and by extension us today, is that the instructions and commandments that come to the nation from Moshe is the prototype and test by which all other revelations of YHVH is to be judged. In fact, whatever comes out of Moshe’s mouth can be taken as coming directly from YHVH. Unlike prophets that receive revelation from Yah in a vision or dream and their messages are to be scrutinized accordingly, the revelation that Moshe passes on to the nation is not to be questioned nor scrutinized.

     

    Torah: The Foundation of our Faith

     

    This is the foundation of our Faith: Torah–the Word of Yah-which was delivered to us by Moshe and it is to stand without question. Those who choose to question Moshe’s authority stand to be judged without mercy. How many people have taken the dangerous position of teaching and preaching a message that Moshe and Torah no longer have any authority in the life of Yah’s people (reference Hebrews 10:28). Are these, in a sense, like Miriam and Aharon: subject to some form of punishment to be meted out by the Almighty? I would say, yeah, probably.

     

    Punishment is Coming

     

    Verse 9-10-After delivering this sobering edict to Miriam and Aharon, the record shows that Yah angrily departed their presence. And at this point in the story my imagination is drawn to those movies where something terrible is about to happen, but the perpetrator of that terrible thing is not visible to the viewers at that moment. So ominous and terrifying music usually puts forth a sense of tense anticipation of what is about to happen; anticipation of the shoe dropping any moment and someone(s) end up dead. I can imagine that Miriam and Aharon may have been literally peeing on themselves in utter terror of what was about to happen: you know, that “Oh Snap” moment.

     

    But once YHVH’s presence had left the scene, Aharon turns to Miriam, no doubt in complete terror of what is going to happen to them; and he sees his sister leprous. The text described Miriam’s body as appearing “white as snow.” And no doubt, the extent of her leprosy communicated to anyone in eyesight of her, a death sentence. Conversely, Miriam would have been utterly mortified over her appearance. No doubt Aharon was confused as to why he had not been stricken with the leprosy as well. No doubt Moshe, who was close by was filled with a variety of thoughts and emotions. I would imagine that Moshe thought his sister was a “dead woman walking.” It’s possible Moshe felt responsible for what had happened to his sister. There’s just so much to imagine here as it relates to the possible emotions and thoughts of the three.


    Leprosy—A Terrible Disease

     

    Generally, leprosy itself would not cause immediate, direct death. Leprosy was one of those opportunistic diseases that in many cases leads to a complete breakdown of the body after a prolonged period of painful sores and nerve damage over the victims’ entire body (www.healthtap.com). Probably the most bitter part of leprosy was that, because leprosy is relatively contagious and if not checked and quarantine could decimate an entire community of people. So victims of this disease in ancient times were ejected from and abandoned by their communities. And certainly, Miriam would be facing all of what we just mentioned unless she would be delivered through some miraculous intervention by the Almighty.You see, there was and is to this day, no cure for leprosy. But in order for that to happen, Moshe would be required to interceded on her behalf.

     

    Begging For Miriam’s Life

     

    Verse 11-12-Aharon turns to Moshe and pleads for the life of his sister in what we could say is a strange twist of fortune. For it was just shortly before the trio was called out to the Tabernacle by YHVH that Miriam and Aharon were engaged in the sin of “lashon hara” or slander/evil speech against Moshe. And that “lashon hara” (aka subversion; evil speak; slander against Yah and His man) consisted of challenges to Moshe’s authority and personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. And what Yah has set up here in sight of not just the trio (that being Aharon, Miriam and Moshe), but even those of the nation who may have been nearby, is a full endorsement of Moshe’s leadership and certification of all that Father had said to Miriam and Aharon. For this incident would serve as a terrible example and reminder for the people that when you seek to undermine Yah and the authority that He has given to His servant Moshe, you transgress Yah’s Word and you are subject to the penalty and condemnation of Torah which is death. And this is what Miriam was facing here at this juncture of our story.

     

    One of the big points to be gleaned here is that Aharon, in his pleading with Moshe to intercede on behalf of their sister, brilliantly demonstrated Aharon’s total and complete submission to Moshe’s God-given authority over not just the nation, but over him (Aharon) as well.

     

    Verse 13–And of course true to Moshe’s humble and caring nature, Moshe cries out to YHVH:

     

    “Oh God, please heal her–please” (ESV).

     

    Surely Moshe could have shied away from petitioning Yah for the healing of his sister, but he could not bear to see her suffer one second longer, despite what she’d done in an attempt to undermine His authority through her committing “lashon hara.” So with much agony Moshe pleaded with the Almighty to heal Miriam as evidenced by the double use of the word “please” in the one verse.

     

    Obviously Moshe had forgiven Miriam and Aharon as evidenced in his petitioning Yah for Miriam’s healing. Clearly Moshe demonstrated for us all, proper Kingdom behavior. In fact, Moshe imaged Yeshua-focused Torah Living and he did so some 1,500 or more years before Yeshua taught the following:

     

    “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smitheth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:28-31; KJV)

     

    There’s a Lesson to be Learned Here by Miriam

    Verse 14-16-In response to Moshe’s desperate petition, YHVH responds with something akin to Miriam needing to be taught a lesson. And interestingly, Yah uses the example and comparison of a parent who sets out to shame his daughter for something she did to disgrace her family, whereby the parent puts the daughter into a 7-day “time out” as a rebuke. Thus, Miriam’s crime/sin is significantly more serious than, let’s say, a daughter disrespecting her parents. Miriam’s sin was subversive in nature, and because of the severity of this sin, Miriam most certainly could have been subject to death.

     

    So, YHVH extended grace towards Miriam. And thus Miriam’s punishment for her “lashon hara” was spending a miserable 7-days in shame outside the camp. Some may see this punishment as being a bit too harsh. But the truth of the matter is that Miriam deserved death in exchange for her evil speech. Indeed, the wages of sin is always going to be death, but the gift of YHVH is life eternal through Yeshua Messiah (Romans 6:23). We live today under the Law of Grace.” We have grace extended to us and thus we are not subject to the condemnation of Torah. However, just because we are saved from eternal death as a result of Yah’s grace through the workings of Yeshua Messiah, when we sin—when we offend Yah—when we transgress His Torah–we, like Miriam, may be subject to some form of punishment. Scripture is clear that we reap what we sow. And reaping what we sow is not just about reaping blessings because of the good things we do, but also reaping punishments for the sins that we commit (Job 4:8). And here’s the spiritual dilemma that a great many of us find ourselves facing from time-to-time: we commit sins, some of those sins unwittingly, and as a result we receive punishment for those sins. Ignorance of Torah does not insulate us from punishment. Father was clear: “…your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:20). Aharon, in pleading for the life of his sister said to Moshe that what he and Miriam were doing in their conversation was a foolish act. And it was because of the severity of Miriam’s punishment that Aharon recognized that his and Miriam’s foolish action was actually a sin (verse 11). In their badmouthing and slandering of their brother, Miriam and Aharon were sinning. They had no clue they were sinning.

     

    Folks, let this Torah Reading serve as a lesson to us all that the unwitting sins we commit subject us to punishment. And it behooves us to seek Yeshua Messiah’s intercession to petition Father’s forgiveness for the foolish things we do that are in reality sinful acts. In my prayers I make it a point to always ask Father to forgive me for the things I’ve done to offend Him and transgress His Torah and to reveal those sinful things that I’ve done unknowingly to me so that I may not repeat them in the future. And this reading proved to be a revelation to me for I have been known from time-to-time to engage in critical conversations about people in leadership positions. For there’s nothing wrong about disagreeing with another person’s position on certain things. That’s not sinful to articulate your disagreement of another’s position on an issue. However, it is sinful when we cast judgments, slanders and other hateful and evil speech towards those we disagree with. Why? Because such speech serves only to diminish the object of our slanders in the eyes of others. And boy do we see a lot of this being played out today in the political landscape: not just by so-called journalists and political pundits, but more so by everyday people like you and me. Terrible and slanderous things are being uttered and written by folks from all walks of life against those who are in leadership positions over us. Yah put those folks in the positions they’re in, whether we choose to believe it or not.

     

    Regarding this very thing, Shaul wrote:

     

    “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work…” (Titus 3:1; KJV).

     

    “Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of Yah; and the powers that be are ordained of Yah” (Romans 13:1; ASV).

     

    The Apostle Peter also wrote:

     

    “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Master’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of Yah, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Peter 2:13-15; KJV).

    Back to our verses:

     

    So Miriam was confined or quarantined to the outside of the camp in accordance with Torah–Leviticus 13:46. And again, as a result of Yah’s grace, Yah held off moving the nation from their present location until the end of the 7-days when Miriam was permitted back into the camp. (Yah’s grace must never be overlooked or marginalized in Torah). The passage doesn’t address it directly, but we can safely presume that Miriam was fully restored to her former health and vitality. Given that the Levitical quarantine for leprosy was 14-days and Miriam was quarantined for only 7-days supports the assumption that Miriam was fully healed. And the camp moved out from Hazeroth, on to the wilderness of Paran.

     

    Why Not Aharon?

     

    The logical question to be asked here is, why didn’t Aharon receive the same or equal punishment to that of Miriam? Wasn’t this the second biggest screw-up of Aharon where he escapes punishment: the first being the golden calf incident back in Exodus 32?

     

    Well, Tim Hegg suggests that Aharon was not the one who committed the slander, but was simply the one listening and possibly agreeing to Miriam’s slander of Moshe. Thus, Aharon’s role in the “lashon hara” was one of being “guilty by association” or as “one who invited the slander” to take place in his/her presence. Aharon, in his begging Moshe for the life of his sister, stated that he and Miriam’s slanderous actions was foolishness, absent malice or ill-intent. But as Hegg points out, “lashon hara is not judged on the basis of the ill-intentions of the offenders. Lashon hara is sin and it must be dealt with one way or another. There can be no emotion attached to the sin problem.

     

    I don’t necessarily agree nor disagree with Mr. Hegg’s position on Aharon here. All we know for certain is Yah is always playing 4-D chess so to speak whenever He is dealing with His human creation. And Yah knew exactly what He was doing and what the outcome would be as a result of His response to the slandering by Miriam with Aharon’s participation.

    Bottom Line

     

    As it relates to us today, all sin, including the sin of slander requires the work of an intercessor to address that sin issue. Like we saw brilliantly demonstrated in our Torah Reading today, Miriam and Aharon desperately needed an intercessor, otherwise Miriam would die a lonely, miserable death outside the nation. And their intercessor turned out to be the very one who they slandered: Moshe.

     

    Of course, for us today, our intercessor is none other than our Master, Yahoshua HaMashiyach. And in a great sense, we can safely say from our reading here today that Moshe served as a type of Mashiyach since he effectively rendered unto Miriam intercession unto Yah to commute her death sentence. Like Miriam, we receive forgiveness of our sins when we seek Yah’s forgiveness through the intercessory work of Master Yeshua and upon forgiveness, we are graciously accepted back into the royal priesthood.

     

    Whether we realize it or not, we all are guilty of some form of “lashon hara” throughout our lives. And the simple fact of the matter is that many of us are committing the act of “lashon hara” at various and sundry times (some multiple times throughout the day, and we don’t even realize it.) We all must be on guard of this pervasive sin that has the potential of spiritually grounding each of us if we don’t take needed spiritual precautions.

     

    Well, some of you may disagree with my position on such things as badmouthing (slandering) politicians is a sin, citing that politicians or public officials do not fall within the category of God’s people. And that is definitely true that politicians do not generally fall within the category of YHVH’s elect. But again we must remember that YHVH places into positions of power those who He chooses to fulfill His Will in the earth. So for us to slander any person in leadership—whether they be within or without our Faith Community (yes, I’m also talking about the leaders in our Faith Community), for whatever reason, is tantamount to committing the very sin that Miriam was punished for committing. So we have to be very careful when engaging in dialogue against individuals in leadership positions, regardless who they may be. It’s better to exercise Godly wisdom and control over our tongues whenever we speak. For Master Himself certified that:

     

    “…every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36; KJV).

     

    Folks, this is exactly why we need to diligently study Torah and the teachings and example of Master Yahoshua HaMashiyach. For ignorance of such things as “lashon hara” may lead to consequences in our lives. That’s why when we pray, it is important that we ask Yah to reveal to us those areas–those habits–those unwitting sins that we commit in our lives that offend Him and transgress His Torah. And the great thing about Yeshua-focused Torah Living is that we have in Torah and in the teachings of Yeshua “ensample unto us” such that we may not live ungodly lives (2 Peter 2:6).

     

    The other thing we have to be conscious of us is our motives when engaging in potentially controversial discussions about other people. Do we possess a right heart about the matter in question? Or do we seek to diminish the target  of our slander before the eyes and minds of others? These are what I would call “check point questions” that we must ask ourselves before engaging in certain conversations.

     

    I often peruse various online news sites for my news each day, and at times I find myself vehemently disagreeing with something that perhaps someone says regarding an issue. And at the very bottom of most of these online articles, the sites provide the means for leaving comments. And in those times when I am compelled to respond to an issue that may be somewhat controversial, I have come to learn that I must always check my intentions before entering a comment. For I have found that at times my frustrations and ire over the things that the article may have addressed is motivating me to respond in a potentially slanderous way. And if I recognize that my heart ain’t right during those times, I back away and not write anything and move on to the next article or whatever.

     

    We should know ourselves and know the state of our hearts at all times. And in order to do that, we have the help of the Ruach HaKodesh to convict us of our ill-intentions and darkened hearts (1 John 3:20).

     

    Yah is on our side. And He certainly does not want to see us fall into the sin of “lashon hara” and risk incurring His wrath. Yah wants to see us succeed. We just have to play the game of life according to His rules and open ourselves to self-examination at all times. We have the victory over sin in our lives already in our grasp. We simply have to walk in that victory.

     

    I pray you got something out of this study today. If you have any questions or comments of an edifying nature, please feel free to leave them in the comment boxes below this post on our website themessianictorahobserver.

     

    Until next time, may you be most blessed, fellow saints in training.

     

    Shalom and blessings to you.